Arts on the Waterfront presents "Romeo and Juliet"
Next to the aquarium on Pier 59, Arts on the Waterfront brings to the Seattle rabble Shakespeare's tragic tale of star(fish?)-crossed lovers wrent asunder by fatal family feuds. As Anna Minard writes in The Stranger, “Mickey Rowe and Laurie Roberts, two young local actors, have adapted the play in a sweet and sometimes ingenious way — she plays Mercutio to his Romeo, he the Nurse to her Juliet.” The role-crossed duo fill all of the play's 15+ parts, with the exception of Friar Lawrence, who is played by a particularly animated empty jacket.
Lighting credits go to the Seattle sunset and, in addition to live cello music provided by Brandon Smith, sound credits extend to the viaduct, passersby, and the occasional seagull. The hour-long production includes water balloon duels, spraypainted ladders and a self-raining umbrella, and is preceded by an art show and followed by a starlit dance party. Says the The Seattle Times’ Misha Berson, “there's a punky esprit here that carries the day, recalling the great Shakespeare director Peter Brook's notion of a 'rough' theater that may be rugged and no-frills but is unmistakably alive.”
This weekend you can observe Shakespeare's tragic affirmation of life and love from the glory of the ferris wheel just two piers down, which will start running this Friday, lifting riders 200 feet into the Seattle sky. The forecast calls for clouds; let Romeo and Juliet be the sun.
If you go: Romeo and Juliet, 1300 Alaskan Way (next to the Seattle Aquarium), Satrday, June 30, and Sunday, July 1, 7 p.m., free.
Greenwood Car Show
Ever dreamt of experiencing summer behind the wheel of a classic Camaro or a luxury convertible? At the Greenwood Car Show a bit of that dream can come true, at least in your imagination. The show boasts over 1.5 miles of cars, from antique collector cars to modern European speedsters. Even if the weather doesn’t hold up, the variety of cars never disappoints. If imagining yourself behind a Mustang or Rolls-Royce isn’t your thing, there is also free live music and a even pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Greenwood Senior Center. It costs $5 per adult or $15 per family and all proceeds benefit the Center.
If you go: Greenwood Car Show, Greenwood Avenue N. between N. 67th Street and N. 90th Street, June 30, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., free.
Lake Union Boat Show
If cars don’t float your boat, you might skip the car show and head over to Lake Union for the 36th annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival. It’s a piece of old-time American fun with food, live music, exhibits, and even a pub. For those not old enough to enjoy the pub, there will also be a scavenger hunt as well as craft and skill demonstrations by local boat builders. Visitors can enjoy free boat rides and wooden boat owners can display their vessels for no fee.
If you go: Lake Union Boat Show, Lake Union Park and The Center for Wooden Boats, 1010 Valley Street, June 30, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., free.
2012 Eurocup Final
Maybe it was all the mud on his white kit or maybe he’d been reading too much Bartleby, but for whatever reasons, Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to abstain from taking a penalty Wednesday night might have cost Portugal Euro 2012. Although, Sergio Ramos’ fancy recycling of Pirlo’s panenka style finishing might have had a lot to do with Spain, despite Portugal’s brave performance, making it through to the finals, nobody was surprised to find Spain back in another final. Italy defeated Die Mannschaft on Thursday with two goals from Super Mario Balotelli, leaving Germany fans around the world wondering, “why always me?”
The French and the Brits are already out, making Cafe Presse and George and the Dragon neutral territory for watching the championship on TV, along with the majority of Seattle's English and Irish-themed soccer pubs. And the atmosphere at Prost! or Die Bierstube won’t be quite the same with the Italians going through, but that doesn’t mean Italian restaurants around the city won’t be full of die-hard fans shouting “The Song of the Italians” almost as loud as Gigi Buffon in Kiev.
If you watch: Eurocup Final, various locations (including at home if you'r lucky enough to have ESPN) Sunday, June 1, 11:30 a.m., free plus price of liquid team spirit.
Washington State U-Pick Farms
With the exception of being hand-fed berries while you lounge about on a chaise, all berries — from salmon to huckle — taste better when you pick them yourself. You can pick up a farm guide at any neighborhood farmers market and the Puget Sound Fresh website has a handy farm finder as well as a recipe database. Right about now the strawberries are peaking and rhubarb is on the way out, making for ideal u-picked strawberry-rhubarb pie conditions.
Remlinger — the Disneyland of U-Pick farms — kicks off their annual Berry Festival this weekend, boasting train, pony, and fair rides, live theater performances, farm animals, and — one would assume — berries. Most farms also have pre-picked fruit to buy if your hands get weary, as well as animals to pet, and other wares like local honey and bouquets of fresh flowers. Most herbs are also in season, so it's an ideal opportunity to pick up cilantro for salsa, rosemary for grilling, chives for potato salad, and mint for mojitos.
Wednesday’s sunshine may not have been enough to make up for a weekend of rain, so it’s a good idea to call the farms in advance and make sure there are enough ripe berries to make the trip worthwhile. Worse comes to worst, you can save the trip for the Fourth of July — maybe you’ll happen upon some fireworks on the drive...
If you pick: U-Pick Farms, lush farmlands across Washington State, days and hours vary by farm, price varies depending on farm and amount of produce.
