04.07.06
Vaudeville, variete, aerialists & acrobats!
This week (along with everything else), I find myself immersed in the joy and silliness of the Moisture Festival. This bizarrely-named festival is planted right down the hill from me at a converted warehouse in the Hale’s Brewery here in Seattle. It’s 3 weeks (more than 20 shows) full of a fabulous assortment of vaudevillians, European clowns, aerialists, magicians, musicians galore, and several acts I’m just not sure how to categorize. Performers range from old timers who got their starts when I got mine (the birth kind), to some wonderful young talent. In fact, Wednesday night marked the debut of the youngest UMO-let, Kai, age 3! Each show is packed full of acts and runs well over 2 hours, and the finale show this Sunday is usually a marathon of more than 4 hours!
I’m one of three official photographers for the festival (John Cornicello, Mark Gardiner & I also did it last year), and it is ridiculously fun! Stop by for one of the last few shows – including special shows featuring Circus Contraption and burlesque nights – see some of my photos on the wall, and get ready to smile!
And, just to add to the fun, last night I went to some slightly fancier digs, McCaw Hall (the new Opera house), to photograph some of the same performers, plus a few extra special guests. En-Joy Productions, run by Martha Enson & Kevin Joyce (two original UMOs) brought together this amazing group for a Microsoft event, and I was, again, photographing. In addition to local wonders Nanda, Curly Burly and The Valone Sisters, they imported the stunning Mystic Pixies and Ricardo Sosa the contortionist to entertain the gathering. I think I had more fun than the Microsofties!
It’s times like these when I hop up and down, cameras in hand, and think, “I love my job!”
~Michelle