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Columbia Basin Allied Arts announces 2017-18 schedule

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 7 months AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | August 21, 2017 1:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — Two visits from the Missoula Children’s Theater, ballet based on the classic short stories in “The Jungle Book,” Gilbert and Sullivan and a Michael Jackson tribute will be among the performances sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts in its 2017-18 season.

This will be the organization’s 40th season. Season tickets for the Premiere series are on sale now. Tickets for the “Green Turtle” children's series go on sale Wednesday.

Auditions for the MCT production of “Gulliver’s Travels” are scheduled for Sept. 25. The company will cast 50 to 60 local children, with rehearsals starting immediately after the auditions and continuing nightly throughout the week. The performance is Sept. 30.

“Gulliver’s Travels” has been updated a little bit, with Gulliver shipwrecked in his spaceship and traveling to a country of robots. But he still meets giants and talking horses.

The first Premiere season performance is Oct. 13. The Eugene Ballet Company will present “Mowgli - The Jungle Book,” a mix of dance and puppetry. Based on the classic tales by Rudyard Kipling, the ballet follows the adventures of Mowgli as he grows up in the jungle with Baloo the Bear and faces the terrifying tiger Shere Khan.

“I am King,” a tribute to the “king of pop” Michael Jackson, is scheduled for Nov. 4. The performance features both vocals and dance.

The Missoula Children’s Theater returns to Moses Lake Feb. 17 for its performance of “Aladdin.” Auditions will be Feb. 12, and the company again will cast 50 to 60 local children in the production.

The tale of Aladdin dates back to antiquity, but its current popularity dates came with the 1992 Disney animated film. It’s the story of a poor boy who finds a magic lamp, and a genie therein who accompanies him on many adventures.

Theatreworks returns to town March 10 with its production of “Pete the Cat.” It’s a musical starring Pete, a real cool cat (literally). Pete learns to be friends with the whole Biddle family, except second-grader Jimmy - until Jimmy needs help with an art project.

The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players will perform “Pirates of Penzance” March 24. The performance will include local choir members. It’s a classic tale of swashbuckling pirates, handsome heroes and beautiful heroines, true love, the very model of a modern major general and a happy ending.

The CBAA season ends March 30, with magician and comic Jay Alexander. He’s been mixing comedy and magic for 25 years.

All performances are at the Wallenstien Theater at Big Bend Community College. Ticket prices depend on the seating. Platinum (front section) season tickets are $100 for non-members, $95 for CBAA members. Tickets to individual shows are $33.89 for the platinum section.

Gold (middle section) season tickets are $85 for non-members, $80 for members. Tickets to individual shows are $28.25 in the gold section. More information is available at the Allied Arts website.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].

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