Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PERFORMING ARTS
While the Seattle Symphony performs in downtown's Benaroya Hall, the main
venues for the performing arts in Seattle are primarily clustered in
Seattle Cen-
ter,
the special events complex that was built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.
Here, in the shadow of the Space Needle, you'll find the Marion Oliver McCaw
Hall, Bagley Wright Theater, Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Children's Theatre,
Seattle Center Coliseum, Memorial Stadium, and Experience Music Project's
Sky Church performance hall.
OPERA & CLASSICAL MUSIC
The
Seattle Opera
(
&
800/426-1619
or 206/389-7676; www.seattleopera.org)
is considered one of the finest opera companies in the country and performs at
Seattle Center's new Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. It is
the
Wagnerian opera com-
pany in the U.S. The stagings of Wagner's four-opera
The Ring of the Nibelungen
are breathtaking spectacles that draw crowds from around the country. However,
the
Ring
cycle was staged in 2001 and won't be staged again until 2005. In addi-
tion to such classical operas as
Carmen
and
Parsifal,
the season usually includes a
more contemporary production. Ticket prices range from $47 to $125.
The 90-musician
Seattle Symphony
(
&
206/215-4747;
www.seattle
symphony.org), which performs in the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall, offers
an amazingly diverse musical season that runs from September to July. With sev-
eral different musical series, there is a little something for every type of classical
music fan. There are evenings of classical, light classical, and pops, plus after-
noon concerts, children's concerts, guest artists, and more. Ticket prices range
from $16 to $80.
THEATER
Mainstream Theaters
The
Seattle Repertory Theater
(
&
877/900-9285
or 206/443-2222;
www.seattlerep.org), which performs at the Bagley Wright and Leo K. theaters,
Seattle Center, 155 Mercer St., is Seattle's top professional theater and stages the
most consistently entertaining productions in the city. The Rep's season runs
from September to June, with five plays performed in the main theater and four
Ticket, Please
Full-price advance-purchase tickets to the Seattle Symphony and to many
performing-arts events are handled by Ticketmaster (
&
206/292-ARTS;
www.ticketmaster.com).
For half-price, day-of-show tickets (and 1-day advance tickets for mati-
nees) to a wide variety of performances all over the city, stop by
Ticket/Ticket
(
&
206/324-2744
), which has three sales booths in the Seat-
tle area: one in Pike Place Market, one on Capitol Hill, and one in Belle-
vue. The Pike Place Market location, in the Pike Place Market information
booth, First Avenue and Pike Street, is open Tuesday through Sunday from
noon to 6pm. The Capitol Hill booth is in the Broadway Market, 401
Broadway E., and is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 7pm
and Sunday from noon to 6pm. The Bellevue booth is in the Meydenbauer
Center, NE Sixth Street and 112th Avenue, and is open Tuesday through
Sunday from noon to 6pm. Ticket/Ticket charges a small service fee, the
amount of which depends on the ticket price.
