More to offer

MOSES LAKE — Maybe it’s a drama or a comedy, maybe a musical, maybe a classical concert or a quartet, maybe a tribute band or a solo recital, maybe players sitting around jamming. Whatever it is, there’s nothing like a live performance.

Live theater and music have a long history in Grant County — the Central Basin Community Concert Association in Moses Lake dates back to 1954. Theater companies and cultural organizations present concerts, plays, festivals and performances year-round,

The CBCCA presents at least four concerts per year, two in the fall, two in the spring, sometimes with a bonus holiday concert. In its 70 years, the CBCCA has presented symphonies, the sounds of the Great American Songbook, opera recitals, country and jazz artists, pop music. 

Artists and performance dates can be found on the group’s website, www.communityconcertsml.com

Columbia Basin Allied Arts also presents four shows each year in its Premiere series, and separate performances for children in its Green Turgle series. Its two Premiere shows in the winter, two in the spring, feature music, theater and dance, highlighting artists and cultures from around the world. Tickets are available at the CBAA website, www.cba-arts.org.

Theater companies hit the boards summer and winter. 

The Masquere Theater season opens in early fall and its purpose-built theater, 322 E. Main Ave., Soap Lake, is busy 10 months of the year. Masquers produced its first play in 1979, and it’s one of the oldest rural theater companies in Washington. In its 44 seasons Masquers has built a huge repertoire, from farce to drama, melodrama to comedy, classic Broadway to original works. Each season features about five plays. Show and ticket information are available on the Masquers website, www.masquers.com.

Quincy Valley Allied Arts. is busy winter and summer, with a winter musical in the state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center at Quincy High School, 403 Jackrabbit St., and an outdoor summer production in different venues around town. The company sponsors an annual Christmas concert, featuring a community choir, each December on the QHS stage. Performance dates and ticket information are available on the QVAA website, www.quincy-valley-allied-arts.org.

Basin Community Theatre presents one musical or revue per year; like other theater companies in the area, it’s built a wide repertoire of plays. The BCT has focused on classic and modern Broadway, and its revues showcase some of the company’s greatest hits. Show information is available on the website, www.basincommunitytheatre.com.

The George Bluegrass Festival, the second week in September, features a week of the classic bluegrass sound, both in jam sessions and weekend performances. Classes and instruction are offered throughout the week, and children from George Elementary come by on a field trip to watch and listen. Admission is free; all events are at the George Community Hall, 403 W. Montmorency Blvd. 

The community hall is also the venue for the “George Coffeehouse,” a monthly live concert, usually from October through April. The coffeehouse hosts different kinds of music, from western swing to rhythm and blues. A concert schedule is available on the community hall website, www.georgecommunityhall.com.

The Sunbanks Music Festival doesn’t confine itself to one weekend in one genre — for 2023 there were four, featuring rhythm and blues, country and rock. The R&B festivals are in May and September, the country festival in June and the rock festival in September. 

Bands, soloists, duos and trios take the stage for four nights, with the main stage supplemented by a smaller amphitheater behind the Sunbanks Lake Resort lodge. Performers play a mix of music, some of it original, some of it classics of the genre. Others are tribute bands to legendary performers. Tickets and reservations are available by calling the resort, 509-633-3786.

The Grant County Fairgrounds hosts multiple music events; the Grant County Fair in mid-August always has a full schedule of musical acts, ranging from mariachi to tribute bands to well-known musical groups. The 90s Flannel Fest commemorates the grunge bands of the 1990s with three days of music. 

The Moravida Festival features music, among much else, celebrating the Hispanic culture and heritage of Central Washington. More information is available on the fair website, www.gcfairgrounds.com.

    Quincy Valley Allied Arts annually presents an outdoor summer show such as the one depicted here. The arts not only allow visitors and residents to enjoy themselves. They also help locals express themselves through acting, music and other forms.
  

    Mary Poppins and Bert take a stroll in the park during the Quincy Valley Allied Arts production of “Mary Poppins.”