The Northwest rock band MEDIUM SIZE KIDS is pleased to announce their first concert tour coming up this summer.

MSK will kick off their “Medium Size Tour” at the Black Forest Indoor Theater in Eugene, OR on June 14. Dates are being set for other venues, and they are hard at work getting their next EP produced.
“We’re pretty excited about the tour,” said band member, John Doyle. “It’s a West coast tour that will start in Eugene and end in Los Angeles.”
MSK, which has recorded and released six songs to-date, has already completed two additional songs for the EP and tour.
The first of these two new songs is titled “Common Feeling,” which is about first impressions.
“It’s very fast-paced,” said band member, Joseph Kashas. “We could release it now. It’s all done and ready to go. And it has a Latin ending. It’s pretty cool.”
The second song, still untitled, is about things that get lost in translation.
“We talk about the challenges of dealing with a person affected by substance abuse,” said Doyle.
MSK also recently added a keyboard player, Kaylee Hillman. Hillman grew up locally, and then spent time in Arizona attending college. Her addition to the band adds new dimensions.

Band’s New Addition  

“We’re really excited to have her,” said band member, Shane Moffett.
Hillman currently attends Clark College and is learning how to play the guitar.
“I’m looking forward to it all,” said Hillman.
The band has been busy doing shows and house parties. They recently did a benefit show that raised money to fight human trafficking.
The group continues to gain momentum, and a growing fan base.
“We love to see kids like our music,” said Moffett. “We recently had an 11 year-old play guitar with us at a concert.”
For now, the band is developing and recording new music.
“We hope to be ready in the next couple months with new music and be ready as a four-piece,” said Doyle.

This is a short video on the new Flash Freeze Dreamery, which just opened for business near Costco at 192nd Ave. They have created a fun and tasty way to make homemade style ice cream that couldn’t be more fresh.

Please click on the link to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jUTAWEN6Lc&feature=share&list=UUuFULV6tvsqLbKy4FPc2kcA

 

VANCOUVER, WA – This isn’t your Grandpa’s ice cream shop. In fact, the newly-opened Flash Freeze Dreamery offers much more than ice cream in a very sleek, modern, entertaining venue that’ll be a hit with your taste buds.

The shop, located at Lacamas Crossing (Costco shopping complex at 192nd Avenue and First), is based on the concept of liquid nitrogen ice cream.

So, what does that mean?

“The creamy part of the ice cream with flavor is put into a mixer and we zap it with liquid nitrogen, which is super cold,” says Flash Freeze Dreamery owner and concept designer, Gabe Ohms. “It’s mixed and the nitrogen evaporates out of the bowl while it freezes the ice cream.”

The nitrogen evaporates into the air leaving the ice cream “flash frozen” – and delicious.

“Generally ice cream that’s been purchased has typically been sitting there for days, and it’s the same with frozen yogurt,” Ohms adds. “What we’ve done here is taken fresh cream (from Alpenrose Dairy), added some flavor, and within a minute or two we create the freshest ice cream. Our product has the smoothest texture.”

Flash Freeze does this with French custard, Italian gelato, and frozen yogurt. They also have non-dairy options available.

So, how does it work?

When you go to Flash Freeze, and trust me, you want to GO to Flash Freeze, you first select your size of treat (small, medium, large), select your base (ice cream, French custard, Italian gelato, frozen yogurt, etc.), and then choose your flavor.

Customers can choose from a “favorite” flavor combination from the menu, or pick a flavor that’s available. You can also “dream” your own.

It’s really a lot of fun, and incredibly delicious.

Once you order, Flash Freeze staff get right to work, and it’s fun to watch. They first add the cream and flavor combination (based on recipes crafted by Ohms), then it’s off to the Kitchen Aid mixers that are retrofitted with dosers, which are connected to massive liquid nitrogen tanks. The custom-made doser valves control the flow of the liquid nitrogen.

Workers mix the ingredients to perfection, and then place the mixer bowl into water to separate the ice cream from the bowl. The fresh product is then placed into a bowl and served fresh.

And all the flavors come out at once. You’ll love it.
“Using liquid nitrogen isn’t new to food processing,” said Ohms. “But it’s new to ice cream. This is really the ice cream of the 21stcentury.
Ohms has wanted to do something with food for years, but then he saw a TV show about using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. So, about eight months ago, he began preparing for what would become Flash Freeze Dreamery.
“We’ve created something here for everyone,” his wife, Jessica added. “The kids will love to watch how the ice cream is made. And everyone will enjoy the experience.”
You’ll enjoy favorite menu options like Cherry Chocolate Fudge, which contains cherry flavor, cherries, and chocolate fudge; or Birthday Cake, with cake batter flavor, birthday cake pieces and sprinkles.
Ordering is as simple as 1-2-3.
Cotton Candy Carnival is a favorite, with cotton candy flavor, marshmallows, and cotton candy crunch.
Other options include Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Cookie, Coconut Joy (my favorite), Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Smores, and more.
There are dozens of other flavors and toppings, and you can dream up your own mixture.
Flash Freeze opens at 11 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and is located at 155 NE 192nd Avenue, Suite 107, Vancouver.
Teal Fielding serves a finished dessert.

 

Pacific Stageworks, for one weekend only, is presenting Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado”,  July 5-7 at the Heathman Lodge, at 2 pm (Sat. & Sun.) & 8 pm.

A zesty musical comedy sparkling with wit and whimsy, director Tony Bump places the performance of “The Mikado” in a modern cocktail party/fundraiser for a local theatre company.  AudiencPlaye members are encouraged to dress in a kimono and sing along with familiar songs such as “Three Little Maids from School,” “Tit Willow,” and “To Sit In Solemn Silence.”

Ko-Ko learns of a decree from the Mikado (David Hicks of Portland) that, unless an execution occurs within a month, the city will be reduced to the rank of a village. Neither the noble lord Pish-Tush (Gary Bock of Ridgefield) nor the Lord High Everything Else, Pooh-Bah (IZ Darling of Portland), will volunteer to be executed. Complications occur with the arrival of the Mikado, accompanied by the ever-formidable Katisha.

Additional cast members include Jeanna Reed (Battle Ground), Kathleen Jung (Ridgefield), Ashley Hall (Bellingham), Garry Bastian & Zak Campbell (Vancouver), and Kaylen Ostrom (Camas).

Witty lyrics and brilliantly constructed plot twists make this light-hearted tale of forbidden love, deception, and beheadings a favorite among theatre-goers since 1885.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $17 at the door.  Audience members wearing a kimono will receive a $1 discount.  Tickets may be ordered at www.pacificstageworks.com or by calling 360-213-5174.  Please do not contact the Heathman Lodge with questions. The Heathman Lodge is located at 7801 NE Greenwood Dr. Vancouver, WA 98662.

 

 

CAMAS, WA – The Liberty Theatre, in association with the Camas Farmer’s Market will debut the SW Washington screening of “A Place at the Table” on Wednesday, June 12 following the opening night of the market.

Fifty million people in the U.S.—one in four children—don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine the issue of hunger in America through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity: Barbie, a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty and is trying to provide a better life for her two kids; Rosie, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors to feed her and has trouble concentrating in school; and Tremonica, a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by the largely empty calories her hardworking mother can afford.

Their stories are interwoven with insights from experts. Ultimately, “A Place at the Table” shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implications for our nation, and that it could be solved once and for all, if the American public decides — as they have in the past — that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of us all.

Because this is such an important issue, The Liberty management along with the Camas Farmer’s Market is showing the film on a “pay what you can” basis. “We want as many people as possible to see this film” says Rand Thornsley, Managing Director of the Liberty Theatre. Any money raised beyond the cost of licensing the film is being donated to support the Camas Farmer’s Market.   Admission is limited to the theatres occupancy of 350 people. Doors will open at 8 pm and the show will start at 8:15.

Jeff Bridges stars in “A Place at the Table.”
 

This is a one-night only event at the Liberty Theater in downtown Camas, beginning at 8 pm Thursday. According to the Liberty, “The funniest movie you’ll see this year is actually nine movies. In the style of traditional film festivals, the second annual Laugh Out Loud Short Film Fest, features nine hilarious short comedies from some of the world’s best unknown filmmakers.” The directors of these nine films share their outrageous views on familiar topics, such as relationships, drinking, and careers.

As a competition, audience voting will determine which short comedy will win the coveted “Audience Choice Award.” Get in on the fun and vote for your favorite short comedy. Edgy adult humor is the norm, so this film is not for the easily offended.

The Journey Theater Arts Group is presenting multiple performances, beginning this Friday, of Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Washburn Performing Arts Center in Washougal.

Annie
Annie Oakley is the best shot around, and she manages to support her little brothers and sisters by selling the game she hunts. When she’s discovered by Col. Buffalo Bill, he persuades this sharpshooter to join his Wild West Show. It only takes one glance for her to fall for shooting ace Frank Butler, who headlines the show.

Annie soon eclipses Butler as the main attraction, which is good for business, but upsets the budding  romance. Butler eventually leaves to join a rival show, and is ultimately pitted against Annie in a final shoot-out. The finale hits the mark in a testament to the power of female ingenuity.

The theater is located at 1201 39th Street, Washougal, WA 98671. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at www.journeytheater.org

 

Theater performance begins Thursday.

CAMAS — The Liberty Middle School drama team has been hard at work getting ready for their Thursday night opening of their play, “Once Upon a Mattress.”

The musical begins at 7 pm Thursday, May 16 at CHS Theatre, with additional showings on May 17 at 7 pm, and May 18 at 2 pm.

Theater Brilliance

If you thought you knew the story of ‘The Princess and The Pea,’ you may be in for a walloping surprise! Did you know, for instance, that Princess Winnifred actually swam the moat to reach Prince Dauntless the Drab? Or that Lady Larken’s love for Sir Harry provided a rather compelling reason that she reach the bridal altar post haste? Or that, in fact, it wasn’t the pea at all that caused the princess a sleepless night? Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans. Chances are you’ll never look at fairy tales quite the same way again.

To learn more, visit www.camas.wednet.edu

Acting play

Stephanie Knight acts out a scene with her cast mates.



CAMAS, CHS Theatre — Before I tell you about Skyridge Middle School’s presentation of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” I need to be transparent: I’m not a theatre critic, or an art critic for that matter. I don’t have the credentials. I don’t have the pedigree, but I do know talent when I see it.

The play’s director, Sylvia Manzo, does have the credentials — and her skills clearly bring out the best in the talents that her students personify in this production.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a musical filled with wonderful dancing, singing and acting, and these youth are able to capture the playwright’s vision with style, wit and incredible timing.

Skyridge’s version of “Millie” stars Brooke Moltrum as “Millie Dillmount” — the play’s namesake, who clearly shows she knows what she’s doing with an amazing voice, dance and acting skills. She had many scenes with love interest “Jimmy Smith,” played by Jonah Schmidt, who has his own motives, which are revealed in the production’s final scene. Schmidt demonstrated wit and great timing, as well.

Thoroughly Modern Millie

 

Millie
“Jimmy Smith” played by Jonah Schmidt and
“Millie Dillmount,” played by Brooke Moltrum
act out a scene at Friday’s performance.

Natalie Schmid showed off her range playing the role of Mrs. Meers as she worked to manipulate tenants and control Ching Ho (placed by Forrest Myers-Power) and Bun Foo (Quinn Barret) throughout the performance. Myers-Power and Barret showed off their comedic chops and dance skills as they made the audience laugh multiple times. Myers-Power used his Chinese language skills to bring a layer of depth to his character. And credit has to go to the costume designers and make-up artists because I’ve known Barret since he was two years-old and didn’t realize it was him until I received a program AFTER the play.

Claire Green did a fantastic job portraying “Dorothy Brown” who had her own interests and motives, which were also revealed in the final scene. Amy Osterhage gave such life to character “Miss Flannery” as did JT Tumanuvao in his portrayal of “Trevor Graydon,” who played Millie’s boss.

Much credit also goes to the supporting cast as they clearly worked hard to prepare for the multiple scenes, which combined comedic timing with dance and song. Very impressive.

This is Manzo’s final show and curtain call as she retires in June after 44 years of teaching. She has directed 10 plays at Skyridge and currently works as a guidance counselor at the school. This production is a great way to end this part of her career.

Millie
“Thoroughly Modern Millie” had many good singing and dancing scenes.

The play’s last two performances are Saturday at 2 and 7 pm, at CHS Theatre.

Well done, team.

Quinn Barret
These actors quickly endeared their characters with the audience.
From left: Quinn Barret as “Bun Foo,” Natalie Schmid at “Mrs. Meers”
and Forrest Myers-Power as “Ching Ho.”
Sylvia Manzo
Director Sylvia Manzo with Claire Green who played “Dorothy Brown.”

 

Come experience the song, dance and fun that is Skyridge’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” The show premieres at CHS Theatre on Thursday, April 25 at 7 pm.

The show continues on Friday and Saturday at 7 pm with a special matinee on Saturday at 2 pm.