SEASON PASS TO THE FAIR AVAILABLE ALL THROUGH FEBRUARY

Last year, die-hard “WEIRD” AL YANKOVIC FANS who couldn’t possibly think of missing the chance to also see Eddie Money and never skip the demolition derby (these are my kind of people, BTW), would’ve had to DROP SOME SERIOUS CASH — just in entrance fees alone — at the Central Washington State Fair.

And while the SMELL OF CORN DOGS wafting through the midway seems months and months away — which it is — beginning tomorrow (Feb. 1), you can pick up a voucher for a photo ID badge that will get you into every day of the 10-Day fair for $29.

Think of it as a SEASON PASS TO THE FAIR.
(Admission last year cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for ages 6-12, and free for ages 5 and younger.)

The Leap Year promotional passes are only available through the end of February and can be purchased at the State Fair Park box office, 1301 S. Fair Ave.

The vouchers can be redeemed for the photo ID in September. This year’s fair runs from Sept. 26-Oct. 5.

*Kim Nowacki*

HELLO, I MUST BE GOING

There was no embarrassed blushing, no constant glancing at your watch praying that it’d be over soon; nope, this year’s LAUGHING LADIES AND MERRY MEN’S LUNCHEON, the annual fundraiser for ALLIED ARTS OF YAKIMA VALLEY, went off without a hitch this afternoon at the Yakima Convention Center.

In hopes of earning some redemption after last year’s raunchy performance by comedian Daniel Packard, Allied Arts shelled out several thousand dollars more than it ever has to bring in Frank Ferrante, an actor, director and playwright who’s built a highly regarded career playing the legendary GROUCHO MARX.

Ferrante did as well as he could in front of the typically stiff and somewhat senior audience who politely laughed at and applauded his interpretations of “Hooray For Captain Spalding,” “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady” and signature Groucho one-liners. (“Is there anyone here not retired?” he quipped at one point to the crowd of around 600 people.)

You also have to applaud Marv and Pat Sundquist, John Colgan and Army Specialist Raymond (last name classified, OK, I just didn’t catch it), for being good sports as the constant targets of Ferrante’s audience ad-libbing. Poor Raymond even got the Groucho eyebrows and mustache GREASE PAINT TREATMENT — but he also got a complimentary cigar.

Still, no Laughing Ladies luncheon has matched the energy and charm of cabaret pianist Mark Nadler — his performance is a mix of Victor Borge and Bugs Bunny — since he wowed the crowed in 2004.

Perhaps tonight, when Ferrante performs at The Seasons (WHERE THERE’S WINE and folks aren’t thinking about going back to work), he’ll get a crowd a little more relaxed, and Ferrante can wag his exaggerated eyebrows with a bit more abandon.

WHO: Frank Ferrante as Groucho Marx.
WHEN & WHERE: 7 p.m. tonight at The Seasons, 101 N. Naches Ave.
HOW MUCH: Tickets cost $25. Proceeds benefit Allied Arts of Yakima Valley.

*Kim Nowacki*

JOSHUA ROMAN CONCERT CANCELED

Friday night’s (Feb. 1) JOSHUA ROMAN CONCERT at The Seasons has been CANCELED because of health issues, according to a news release from the performance hall.

Ticket holders should call the box office at 453-1888, regarding refunds and exchanges.

ANYONE, ANYONE GET ELTON JOHN TIX?

We didn’t : (

GET LAUGHING WITH GROUCHO

FRANK FERRANTE — who the New York Times once called “the greatest living interpreter of GROUCHO MARX’s material” — is the featured guest at next week’s 11th annual LAUGHING LADIES AND MERRY MEN’S LUNCHEON.

I couldn’t find a clip of Ferrante playing the eyebrow-wagging, rubber-legged comic genius.

Instead, here’s Groucho himself throwing off AD-LIB ZINGERS like it ain’t no thing during his quiz show “YOU BET YOUR LIFE:”

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/AJ9J4M5xN3k" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

And here’s the info for next week’s Laughing Ladies and Merry Men’s Luncheon:

WHO: Frank Ferrante as Groucho Marx.

WHEN: Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 30).

WHERE: The Yakima Convention Center, 10 N. Eighth St.

EVEN MORE MARX: Ferrante returns for an evening performance — with no repeat material — at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 30) at The Seasons, 101 N. Naches Ave.

HOW MUCH: Tickets for the luncheon cost $35 per person or $350 per table. Tickets for the evening show cost $25. A ticket package for both shows costs $55. For reservations, call the Allied ArtsCenter at 966-0930. Proceeds benefit Allied Arts of Yakima Valley.

REMINDER: TICKETS TO ELTON JOHN GO ON SALE TOMORROW

Tickets to Elton John’s April 12 concert at Washington State University’s Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum in Pullman, Wash., go on sale at 10 A.M. TOMORROW.

I just got off the phone with a woman at the State Fair Park ticket office who said AT LEAST ONE GUY PLANS TO GET IN LINE AT 5 A.M. and several others have called to ask about tickets.

EEEEK, THIS COULD GET UGLY.

Here’s a SEATING CHART if you want to try and plan ahead.

The concert is part of John’s tour in support of the album “Rocket Man: Number Ones,” which features the greatest hits — digitally remastered — from the first three decades of the singer-songwriter’s career.

Tickets to the crocodile rock at Wazzu cost $47, $67 and $97 through all TicketsWest outlets. There is a limit of six tickets per customer.

*Kim Nowacki*

(MIDWEEK) WEEKEND REWIND

• On Saturday a friend and I took in the matinee showing of “SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEE STREET” (which costume designer and Central Washington native Colleen Atwood just earned an Oscar nod for).

Now I am a HUGE TIM BURTON FAN and of sizable mention a Johnny Depp fan (but who isn’t? it’s like saying you’re a huge fan of the Beatles). I’m also a fan of Stephen Sondheim, gory blood fests and unexpected endings. So, this film should have been a sure-fire knock-out for me.

But it wasn’t, really.

I DIDN’T NOT LIKE IT, BUT I DIDN’T LOVE IT.

While the musical numbers — whether they be about barber’s knives or making people into pies — moved along at the perfect pace, the down-time between songs lagged and lost luster.

Maybe — like “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” — it’s one of those Tim Burton films I need to see again (at home on Netflix) to truly appreciate.

SPOTTED: The amazingly expressive and powerful voice on boy actor Ed Sanders, who plays Toby; and Sacha Baron Cohen — yes, Borat — using an over-the-top accent as Signor Adolfo Pirelli.

*** *** *** ***
• Then on Sunday, I went to see “JUNO,” which I absolutely loved.

Written by former stripper and pop culture know-it-all Diablo Cody, this film had all the makings to be just one snarky one-liner after another strung together into a movie.

And I was all prepared for that.

I was ready to eat my popcorn and laugh along as Juno spout out phrases no teenage girl, no matter how hip, would say.

Instead, this film has REAL HEART — Jennifer Garner, I thought, gave one of the film’s stand-out performances — and relatable, developed characters whose happiness and growth I was invested in. No, I DIDN’T CRY, but I was darn close.

SPOTTED: About one of the most amazing soundtracks you’ll ever hear. In truth, I bought the soundtrack last week after listening to this interview with KIMYA DAWSON and ADAM GREEN.
Since downloading the soundtrack — my first iTunes purchase — it’s pretty much all I’ve been listening to and now that I’ve seen the film, I love the songs even more.

*** *** *** ***
BTW, in case you were wondering, here are my TOP FIVE FAVORITE Tim Burton movies:
5. “Big Fish”
4. “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”
3. “Batman”
2. “Beetle Juice”
1. “Edward Scissorhands”

* Kim Nowacki *

LIVE, FROM LAS VEGAS

Now, we here at ON are not at all interested in the MISS AMERICA PAGEANT.

However, hometown girl ELYSE UMEMOTO is down there in Vegas giving it her all, so check out YH-R reporter Adriana Janovich’s continuing coverage of the pageant — and posts about the decor of her hotel room — at the GOING FOR THE CROWN BLOG.

“CLOVERFIELD” NOT ENDING TOMORROW

If you’re like me and haven’t seen “CLOVERFIELD” yet and were totally upset to see in the paper today that it’s ending tomorrow, DON’T WORRY.

That was a mistake (made by a certain unnamed newspaper). It will, in fact, be HERE THROUGH AT LEAST NEXT WEEK.

Although, it is true, “KITE RUNNER” is ending tomorrow.

*Kim Nowacki*

DAVIS DRUM LINE TO OPEN FOR BLUE MAN GROUP

Always an opening act and never a headliner. Not that it matters to the A.C. DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL WINTER DRUM LINE.

For the SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, the Davis drum line has been asked to open for the BLUE MAN GROUP.

The student percussionists will perform a 45-minute program before TONIGHT’s Blue Man concert at the Yakima Valley SunDome. (Then the kids get to kick back and enjoy the show which features trademark Blue Man antics, as well as an eight-piece band and state-of-the-art concert technology. The show is created to give the audience a full-blown ARENA ROCK CONCERT EXPERIENCE.)

The Davis students take the stage at 6:30. The show, which also features opener DJ/multimedia artist Mike Relm, begins at 7:30.

Tickets cost $50.50 and $76 and are available through TicketsWest, 800-325-7328, or the State Fair Park ticket office, 248-7160.

ACTOR FOUND DEAD TODAY

R.I.P. HEATH LEDGER.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON NATIVE EARNS SEVENTH OSCAR NOD

The NOMINEES for the 80th Academy Awards were announced today.

And among them is costume designer — and Central Washington native — COLLEEN ATWOOD, who was nominated for her work on the blood-lustful “SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET” (which I saw this weekend and will write more about later).

This is the seventh Academy Award nomination for Atwood, who’s taken home the little gold man statuette twice for her costume designs: first in 2003 for the razzle-dazzle musical “CHICAGO,” and again in 2006 for the visually stunning “MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.” Both films were directed by Rob Marshall.

Atwood was born in Ellensburg and grew up in Quincy, Wash. She attended the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and worked as a designer at Frederick & Nelson Department Store before moving to Manhattan to begin her film career.

Now living in California, Atwood has worked on nearly 50 films, often taking on highly stylized pieces, including several by quirky director TIM BURTON, the man at the helm of “Sweeney Todd.”

Atwood’s sister Julie lives in the WENAS VALLEY and her other sister, Joan, lives in Wenatchee.

*Kim Nowacki*

HE’S OLD

But I’m totally going to see this when it comes out.

LOOK IN THE ATTIC

The YAKIMA VALLEY MUSEUM is seeking local folks with photographs or stories about the making of the film “THE HANGING TREE.” The 1959 Western starring Gary Cooper was shot in the Yakima Valley and featured a number of locals as extras.

The local memorabilia will be included in “Cowboys on the Silver Screen,” an upcoming exhibition of Western movie posters and artifacts on loan from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The exhibit opens Feb. 8 at the museum and runs through July 30.

If you have materials to share with the museum, call 248-0747.

MOAWAD INVITATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL AT CWU NEXT WEEK

About 40 middle school, high school and college jazz groups — including bands from Davis, Eisenhower, West Valley and Selah — will participate in next week’s MOAWAD INVITATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL in Central Washington University’s Music Education Building, off Alder Street in Ellensburg.

The festival runs Jan. 24-25, and features performances and clinics and concludes each day with a concert by CWU Vocal Jazz I and CWU Jazz Band I. Guest artists for the festival are Central music faculty members John Harbaugh, trumpet, and Lenny Price, saxophone.

All performances are FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Here is a complete schedule.

The festival is named for John Moawad — the man friends call “Coach” — a CWU alum and longtime music professor, now retired, who was key in developing the Pacific Northwest’s jazz scene and turning out scores of music educators.

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