The Five Angels Benefit Concert, featuring performances by Ian McFeron, Kris Orlowski, Massy Ferguson and Big Sur, in support of the surviving victims of the fatal June 12 fire in Fremont will take place Aug. 10 at the Showbox SoDo.

The apartment fire, which was started by a foam mattress leaning against a light bulb, claimed five young lives. The victims of the fire were siblings Yaseen Shamam (5), Nisreen Shamam (6) and Joseph Gebregiorgis (13), as well as cousin Nyella Smith (7) and aunt Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis (22).

It was the most deadly fire in Seattle since 1971, according to a press release for the benefit concert.

The victims are remembered by family members who lost not only their loved ones, but also their home and most of their belongings, according to the press release.

To provide support to the family, a portion of the profits from the benefit concert will be provided to the surviving mothers to fund the family’s immediate needs with the remaining profits being placed in a college trust fund for the one surviving child of the family, Samarah Smith, according to the press release.  read more »

For Lori Ann Reinhall and Jim Nelson, Scandinavian culture is an integral part of who they are. Despite growing up thousands of miles away from each other, these grandchildren of Scandinavian immigrants share a love of that culture's music that reconnected them after a quarter of a century.

"It's sort of in our blood, so to speak," Reinhall said.

Growing up in Seattle, Reinhall heard Swedish spoken around the house and studied music, including the old Scandinavian-American cliche – the accordion.

Nelson grew up in Wisconsin. He learned to speak Norwegian at 6 and became a professional musician when he was 14.

When he was young, Nelson's father would take him to the river and teach him how to make willow flutes. He now plays more than a dozen folk instruments, and said it is in his nature to learn instruments and play music.

"The driving force for me has been the phrase, 'Know Thyself,'" Nelson said. "For me, it would be denying myself part of who I am [to not play music]."  read more »

The Loyal Heights Summer Concert series kicks off July 8 with a performance by the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra Cello Choir.

After that, there will be three more free concerts in July and a final concert in late August for the Loyal Heights Community Center's end-of-summer barbecue.

Concerts take place at 6 p.m. on the lawn of the Loyal Heights Community Center, located at 2101 N.W. 77th St. In the event of rani, the concerts will be moved indoors.

The concerts are free, and concessions will be sold.

The complete lineup is as follows:

• July 8 – Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra Cello Choir
• July 15 – Mud Junket
• July 22 – The Silverbacks
• July 29 – Emerald City Jazz Ensemble
• Aug. 27 – ADHD Rocks

Due to its popularity, Greenwood's Taproot Theatre is bringing Drama with Your Mama, a theater class for toddlers, back for a summer run.

Drama with Your mama launched last spring and provides parents and caregivers a fun and enriching way to bond with their children while encouraging social and self-awareness in the toddlers.

Taproot Theatre Education Director Sara Willy told the Ballrad News-Tribune in May that children get a lot out of the class. Future actors are learning skills that will serve them in that pursuit, while other children learn how to use their voices, bodies and space while being aware of others, she said.

She said the goal is to build confidence in children. For example, when asked to show what a tree looks like, young children will often look to adults to show them first. Drama With Your Mama will give them the confidence and ability to make their own choices and show what a tree looks like to them, Willy said.

The class, for children ages 1 to 3, takes place on Mondays from July 12 through Aug. 16 at Timberlake Church, located at 1460 N.W. 73rd St. The six-week session is $75 or $15 on a drop-in basis.  read more »

This story has been corrected. We previously wrote that Cox & Box was a Gilbert & Sullivan piece, which it is not. We apologize for the error and appreciate those who pointed out our mistake. Thank you.

Ballard resident Richard S. Hodsdon has performed with the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, which recently celebrated the grand opening of its new rehearsal space in the Crown Hill Center, since 1974. He said he loves their music and lyrics.

Hodsdon stars as Mr. Box in the comedy opera "Cox & Box" about a greedy landlord who rents a room to two different men who work two different shifts without their knowing about it until, of course, they find out.

"It offers a surmountable challenge in terms of music and theatricality," said Hodsdon, who is retired from his work with sea food companies, including Trident Seafoods in Ballard.

He recently earned a Masters of Arts in teaching at Seattle Pacific University.  read more »

Taproot Theatre’s intimate new staging of "Man of La Mancha" will allow audiences to experience Don Quixote’s impossible dream like never before.

Featuring the story and songs of an immortal classic, this Tony Award-winning musical comes to the Taproot stage, located at 204 N. 85th St., with fresh, acoustic arrangements.

Don Quixote is mad, mad enough to dream an impossible dream while tilting after windmills with his trusty sidekick Sancho Panza. Quixote’s romantic quest is as crazy as he is. But, is his impossible dream madness or vision? The trial is about to begin.

"Man of La Mancha" provides a glimpse into the Spanish literature that inspired Picasso before "Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris" opens at the Seattle Art Museum in October.

Inspired by Spanish writers, including Cervantes, Picasso wove characters such as Don Quixote—a revolutionary like himself—into some of his art.

"Man of La Mancha," directed by producing artistic director Scott Nolte with musical direction by Edd Key, opens on July 9 and runs through Aug. 7, with low-price previews on July 7 and July 8, plus a pay-what-you-can performance on July 14.  read more »

More than 200 people attended the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society's open house celebration at the Crown Hill Center June 8 to see its new rehearsal and set-building space.

Before guests toured the 5,000-square-foot indoor facility, transformed from an indoor/outdoor school play court, the Gilbert & Sullivan chorus treated the audience to some numbers from "HMS Pinafore" and "Cox & Box" in the adjacent gym.

Those Gilbert & Sullivan classics will be performed at Bagley Wright Theatre July 9 to July 11, July 15 to July 18 and July 22 to July 24.

The rehearsal space's floor has markings that duplicate the measurements of the theatre so people and props can move seamlessly between rehearsal space and performance stage.

"This is a tremendous facility," said David Ross, KIRO-FM radio host, and Gilbert & Sullivan aficionado. The facility relocated from 522 Dexter Ave. N. to the Crown Hill Center, located at 9250 14th Ave. N.W.  read more »

The 21st Annual Free Summer Concerts and Events at the Locks got started witht he Boeing Employees Concert Band June 5. During the next thee months, more than 30 bands, plays, shows and orchestras will set up at the Ballard Locks.

All events are free and open to the public, but there is a limited amount of chairs, available on a first-come basis.

Schedule:  read more »

• June 12 (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) – Highline Community Symphonic Band
• June 13 (2 p.m.-4 p.m.) – Open Date
• June 19 (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) – Nordic Heritage Museum/Children's Dance
• June 20 (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) – Elliot Bay Pipe Band
• June 26 (2 p.m.-4 p.m.) – Eastside Modern Jazz Orchestra
• June 27 (2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.) – Microsoft Orchestra
• July 3 (2 p.m.-4 p.m.) – Woodinville Community Band
• July 4 (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) – Seattle Civic Band (Marching Music)
• July 10 (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) – Puget Sound Symphony Chamber Players
• July 11 (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) – Greenwood Concert Band
• July 11 (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) – USACE Seattle District Car Show

Seventeen of Ballard resident Celia Nicks' violin students, some as young as 4 years old, gathered onstage together to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" variations to cap off their June 2 concert at the Nordic Heritage Museum.

Originally from Michigan, Nicks has been living in Ballard for two years and teaching violin "forever."

She started playing piano when she was young but fell in love with the sound of the violin and switched to the instrument at 12.

Nicks has passed her love of violin on to countless students, including her own family. Two of Nicks' grandchildren performed in the concert, and her son, another violin player, was in attendance.

Ballard Big Picture is a column of scenes from around the neighborhood. If you would like to submit a photo for use on this site and in the Ballard News-Tribune, please send it to Michael Harthorne at michaelh@robinsonnews.com. Be sure to include your name and information about your photo.

When The Bit Saloon announced it was closing in October 2009, it left scores of metal, punk and hardcore bands, not to mention countless other fans of the 62-year-old Ballard bar, in despair.

Reactions to the news that The Bit, located at 4818 17th Ave. N.W., was closing ranged from "That sucks" to "Where the hell am I going to drink now?"

But, thanks to two Burien residents, the bar has been given a second life, revived as The 2 Bit Saloon.

Jessica Young and Jamie Bernard took over the lease in January and officially opened The 2 Bit May 8.

Young has 12 years of experience as a bartender, most recently seven years at The Funhouse downtown.

"Jamie has lots of experience in going to bars," Young joked.

Last years, Young and Bernard were looking for opportunities to start their own bar because Young said she didn't want to be a bartender forever and she wanted to help keep local music alive in small venues.

The two focused their search in Ballard and Fremont. Young said those neighborhoods are old Seattle, and while they have a few condos, they still maintain an industrial area, which cuts down on noise complaints for live music.  read more »