Art by Zee

Casual Connect, the world’s largest conference focusing on mass market games, returns to Seattle’s Benaroya Hall July 19 – 21 offering current and aspiring industry insiders the opportunity to network and share game innovations and trends.

Always a cutting-edge event, this year’s Casual Connect includes speakers like:

• LeVar Burton, Actor and Educator
• Paul Thelen, Founder, Chairman and CSO, Big Fish Games
• Peter Vesterbacka, The Mighty Eagle, Rovio
• Gareth Davis, Platform Manager, Facebook
• Jens Begemann, CEO, wooga
• Dave Roberts, CEO, PopCap Games
• Charles Yim, Strategic Partner Development, Google
• Andrew Sheppard, CPO, Kabam
• Raph Koster, VP Creative Design, Playdom
• Heiko Hubertz, Founder & Co-CEO, Bigpoint
• George Donovan, CEO, Gogii Games
• Thomas Chung, VP, GM, The Playforge
• Jesse Redniss, SVP, NBCU
• Vivian Lee, Director of Strategic Partnerships, EA Interactive
• Jennifer Lu, Director of Business Development, TinyCo
• Shainiel Deo, CEO, Halfbrick
• Sean Ryan, Director, Games, Facebook
• Arjun Sethi, CEO, Lolapps
• Aki Jarvinen, Creative Director, Ph.D., Digital Chocolate
• Dan Chao, Lead Designer, Funzio
• Robert Tercek, President, General Creativity
• Seth Ladd, Developer Advocate, Google
• Demetri Detsaridis, GM, Zynga New York
• Tim Chang, Principal, Norwest Venture Partners
• Game Audio Alliance

and lectures on such topics as:

• Beyond Play: Gaming in the Connected Age
• What It Takes to Create and Manage Entertainment
• Winning in Social Mobile: What it is and the future of Social Mobile games
• How to Make Your IP Work for You
• Challenging Social Success Conventions: There’s more than one way to build successful social games
• Online Game Security: Foiling the hackers
• Casual Games: The cross-platform king!
• Making money on Mobile Games

The full list of content can be found online at the Casual Connect site.

Casual Connect is organized by the Casual Games Association.

Memorial weekend offers up unlimited opportunity for film fans: avoid the almost inevitable rain by spending time inside.

Short Film Weekend kicks off at SIFF with Friday night’s ShortsFest opening night featuring films from around the world focusing on the art of storytelling. Other excellent choices include showcases presenting alternative films, family films, animation, Tales from the Motherland, Tapas, and many more.

Full length films on Friday include the charming animated tale The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams (4:30, Admiral), an intimate look at the 2008 Ghana presidential election in An African Election (4:30, Harvard Exit), a modern Greek reinterpretation of “Romeo and Juliet” in Nobody (7:00, Pacific Place), and the biopic of a Seattle icon, Bruce Lee, My Brother (7:00, Neptune). If you’re a fan of Japanese action-adventure (and who isn’t?) be sure to get to the Egyptian for the midnight screening of Karate-Robo Zaborgar.

Saturday’s selections include the satirical Treatment (11:00, Neptune) in which a wanna be filmmaker cons his way inside a celebrity rehab in order to cast his film, historical epic Mysteries of Lisbon (1:00, Egyptian), Young Goethe in Love, a biography of the early years of the noted German writer; The Interrupters, a documentary about a group of anti-violence activists in Chicago (6:00, Harvard Exit), and the campy comedy Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (9:45, Egyptian) whose title says it all.

On Sunday study the early days of venture capitalism in Silicon Valley with Something Ventured (1:00, Admiral), go back to brutal 1975 Brooklyn with White Irish Drinkers (4:00, Harvard Exit), examine the Earth Liberation Front in documentary If a Tree Falls (6:00, Everett), follow the history of the Vietnamese people’s attempt to define their own destiny in The Empire of the Mid-South (6:00, Admiral), and discover the fascinating true history of Saartjie Baartman, the “Hottentot Princess” in Black Venus (8:30 Egyptian).

Monday move to Flamenco, Flamenco (11:00, Egyptian), a look at the fantastic art form, uncover the mysteries of the night with the lushly handpainted animated tale A Cat in Paris (1:00, Everett), explore the venerable newspaper in Page One: Inside the New York Times (3:30, Everett), and get hooked on fast-paced Russian thriller Hooked (1:45, Neptune).

For full festival schedule, be sure to visit the SIFF site.

Nicolas Dromard as ‘Bert’ performs “Step In Time” with the National Tour Company of MARY POPPINS. ©Disney/CML. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Mary Poppins is undoubtedly one of the most popular children’s fiction characters ever. Previous generations knew her from a series of novels but ever since Julie Andrews starred in the Disney movie vision, the magical nanny’s been so closely associated from that musical that songs like “A Spoonful of Sugar” define the Mary Poppins experience for millions.

Tomorrow night, May 12, Mary and her friends give Seattle audiences a chance for an in-person experience as the stage musical version of Mary Poppins sings and dances its way across the stage at The Paramount Theatre, running from May 12 through May 29.

Cast member Nicolas Dromard spoke about the show:

How did you get involved with the show?

I was part of the original Broadway cast and understudied the role of Bert there.

What is your favorite part about being involved with the show?

Seeing people’s faces each night during the curtain call, just watching the smiles grow with each scene and being able to bring joy to people is such a wonderful feeling.

What has been the most difficult aspect of being involved with the show – what’s been the biggest challenge in your role so far?

It’s a very physical show, so just taking care of your body and making sure that I’m able to bring that 110% every night is a challenge, but every audience deserves our best.

It’s hard to imagine anyone unfamiliar with the story of Mary Poppins but if you had to explain the show in a few words to someone who didn’t know anything about it, how would you describe it?

It’s the story of a family in disarray that are reconnected by this magical woman and her friends, who teach the kids the value of respect and love, and bring the parents back together.

What do you hope audiences get from the experience of seeing Mary Poppins? Do you think there’s a lesson to be learned in the story or is it simply a chance to be entertained?

It’s definitely a show that brings both things to the audience. It is a wonderful entertaining show that people of all ages can enjoy, and there are amazing stories an lessons to be learned that anyone can apply in life.

Given the choice, would you prefer to be part a touring production like this one, or part of a show that plays at a single theater? What kind of influence, if any, on a show and its performers does being on the road bring? Do you think that facing different audiences in different cities has an impact on your acting or is it really no different than facing different audiences on different nights in a single theater?

No matter where you are, audiences are always different. One night they are loud and excited, and the other they are quiet. All audiences love the show but express themselves differently. Touring and sit down productions have their pros and cons, touring is such a great way to see the world and meet different people all over, discover new places, but it is taxing to always live out of your suitcases and change location every three to five weeks.

What’s the best part about travelling with a show?

When you tour with a production, your cast and crew become your family. It’s an incredible feeling to know that there are so many people that have your back, such an amazing support system. We hang out with each other, have “family” outings and have this incredible bond, this doesn’t happen in every company, nor every tour, but this one has it and it’s wonderful.

Compared to other plays you’ve been in, is Mary Poppins the most fun, least fun, or somewhere in between?

It’s definitely the most fun! It’s Disney and it’s magical.

It’s a busy time for musicians Thao and Mirah. The two finally got their chance to record an album together – their self-titled album was just released on Kill Rock Stars (head over to RCRD LBL to download “Folks”) and they’ve also released a “New, Improved” live stuiod session which include versions of three songs from their album and a special take on Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” All four songs are available for free download at TheBayBridged.com, where three session videos are also available for viewing.

They’re also taking their show on the road, playing in the Northwest on May 6 at WWU up in Bellingham, May 7 at the Croc in Seattle, May 8 at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, and May 9 at Northern in Oly before heading eastward for a series of shows across the US and in Canada that culminate in a June 23 show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

As if that’s not enough, Thao and Mirah contributed music to the soundtrack of American Teacher, a documentary that chronicle four teachers in four different settings across the country, taking an unflinching look at answers to the question so many teachers face: Can I afford to continue to teach? American Teacher screens in May in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, with a Chicago screening in June, for more info about the film and the work of The Teacher Salary Project, check out their website.

Opening in Seattle Friday, May 6, at Metro Cinemas, Queen to Play is French director and screenwriter Caroline Bottaro’s debut film and features features Kevin Kline (in his first French-speaking role) and Sandrine Bonnaire (Vagabond, La Cérémonie) in the story of a quietly intelligent French chambermaid who discovers she has a knack for chess, a talent which sends her on a life-changing quest guided in part by a reclusive American doctor who becomes her tutor in the game.

Also opening locally Friday is Louder Than a Bomb, a documentary by director Jon Siskel about a unique event – a youth poetry slam based on a team model. Instead of pitting individuals against each other, “Louder Than a Bomb” uses a collaborative system which allows young poets to learn from each other and change lives, even their own. Louder Than a Bomb screens at SIFF Cinema from May 6 through May 12; director Jon Siskel and poet Lamar Jordan are expected at the Friday and Saturday screenings; also there will be local poets performing before the 7:30 showings on May 6 and May 7.

Northwest Film Forum continues its Lionel Rogosin series with Come Back, Africa, a film that combines fictional elements with facts in a story shot illicitly on the streets of Johannesberg back in 1960 about a family struggling to survive the racism of their daily lives in the big city slums. The film marks the onscreen debut of African singer Miriam Makebu. Screens May 6 through May 12.

The Grand Illusion offers up Breath (Soom), a Korean love story between a death row inmate played by Chang Chen (Eros, Red Cliff) and the woman who decorates his prison cell (Park ji-Ah).

Late night at the Grand Illusion: Get Crazy

Midnight at The Egyptian: Back to the Future.

One of the most consistently talented and fresh artists on the music scene today is Seattle-based singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile whose concerts are about as close to perfect as a live performance can ever be. Between Carlile’s amazing presence and the energy that she exchanges with her audience, every show is a masterpiece of its own.

It’s not quite the same as being there in person but her new album Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony is an impressive documentation of the experience nonetheless and definitely a collection of music well worth having. Once you listen to it, you’ll be more eager than ever to attend a show in person.

Carlile is currently out on the road visiting such places as Bend, Oregon; Gulf Shores, AL; and Columbus, OH. It’ll be a while before she gets back to the Seattle area but it will be worth the wait…as long as you make sure to get your tickets in advance. Brandi Carlile will play the Mount Baker Theater up in Bellingham on Thursday, July 28 – tickets go onsale through STG Presents and Tickets.com on Friday, May 6.

Also on Friday, May 6 tickets go on sale for Zoo Tunes, the popular outdoor concert series held at Woodland Park Zoo. Purchase tickets online or at the zoo gates.

For twenty-five years Giant Magnet has been bringing the world to Seattle children via the International Children’s Festival featuring art and cultural performances from all over the globe.

This year’s festival begins on May 10 and continues through May 14 at the Seattle Center and then heads to the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma May 16.

The exciting events this year include three companies from China brought to the Northwest via a special partnership with China’s Ministry of Culture, music from Ecuador and India, puppets from Tasmania, and a variety of performers from the US.

Hands on activities for kids at the Arts and Crafts studio located in the Seattle Center Northwest rooms include projects to make an Ecuadorian rainstick, an Indian beaded bracelet, a Chinese Face Changing mask, and Japanese origami. Kids can head outdoors for hula hooping and bouncy balls, always a good time. And still there’s even more so plan ahead to be there.

City Running Tours may be one of the more unique tour operators out there – instead of loading tourists into buses or vans or amphibious vehicles, they give a city’s visitors (or even curious residents) a chance for a special look at the city on fleet foot. CRT offers guided and personalized individual tours of a city led by a knowledgeable local runner. For those of you who like to keep fit while you vacation, it’s an ideal opportunity.

CRT’s been in business for a while now in Boston, Charleston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, and now they’ve come to Seattle. Pre-selected routes for Seattle include a Pike Place Waterfront route, the Space Needle Experience run, and a park to park run that starts and ends in Volunteer Park and along the way includes Louisa Boren, Interurban, and Washington parks.

City Running Tours Seattle will kick off with a complimentary group run on Saturday May 7th. For more information on the run, including time and meeting place, and to register, go to www.cityrunningtours.com/seattle.html

Noise for the Needy is a musical festival that rocks out to support people who could really use a helping hand. From June 7 through June 12 at a variety of Seattle venues, this year’s festival helps raise funds for Real Change.

The full line up can be found on the NFTN website but highlights include: Detroit Cobras, The Fucking Eagles, Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance, The Golden Blondes, The Builders and the Butchers, Akimbo, Honeybear, The Pharmacy, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band and many, many more. Be sure to get your tickets early.

The true story of an 84-year old Kenyan man determined to get the education he never could afford, The First Grader has played to acclaim at the London Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, and the Toronto Film Festival where it came in second to The King’s Speech. This remarkable story makes its way to the screen at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall where it opens SIFF 2011. Written by Emmy-winning Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia), the film stars Oliver Litondo and Naomie Harris and is directed by Justin Chadwick who will be an Opening Night special guest.

The Opening Night Gala will immediately follow the film next door at the Exhibition Hall with drinks provided by Don Q Rums, Stella Artois and Barefoot Wines and Bubbly. Appetizers and desserts will be provided by the Festival’s catering partners @ The Peak Café, Blue Moon Burgers, Buca di Beppo, Cupcake Royale, Dilettante, Ivar’s Seafood, Joey Restaurants, Plum Bistro, Salumi, Sweet Iron Waffles, Tidbit Bistro and Zatz a Better Bagel with Red Carpet Experience catering provided by Savor.

Tickets for the gala are available now – tickets are $50 (SIFF Members $45), with premium tickets available for $100 (SIFF Members $90) and a Red Carpet Opening Night Experience package – including valet parking, a private pre-screening reception, access to the post-screening VIP Lounge and a gift bag – available for $200. Purchase tickets online at SIFF.

SIFF has also announced this year’s festival venues: SIFF Cinema, IMAX at Pacific Science Center, Pacific Place Cinemas, Benaroya Hall, Admiral Theater, Neptune Theatre, Harvard Exit Theatre, Egyptian Theatre, SIFF Lounge at Boom Noodle, Triple Door, with the Closing Gala and Reception to be held at Cinerama. Metro area venues outside of downtown Seattle are Everett Performing Arts Center, Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, and Kirkland Performance Center.