The first hint of the changing colors of the leaves means different things for different people. For some its back to school. For others its time to cook up a batch of soup. And for others it’s the first sneak peek of the the 2011 – 2012 arts season. For the Divas its time to get back into the Theater and see some of Seattle’s prime art companies do what they do best – create art!

Arts Crush 2011 | Photo Credit Mike Hippie

Arts Crush 2011 kicks off in October. Its four whole weeks of ART. That’s right – nothing but ART. “31 days of creative adventures in art, literature, music, theatre, dance, film and more!” – According to the Arts Crush organizing crew. All over the city, artists are going to entertain, provoke and frankly make Seattle the best city to experience an Arts Crush.

The rest of fall arts season looks invigorating and interesting. There are several pieces that we are looking forward to in the coming months. Here are a couple of shows that we are really looking forward to seeing this season.

A Crack in Everything by zoe|juniper

DANCE
On the Boards - zoe|juniper will be making their Seattle debut of A Crack In Everything at On the Boards in December. The Divas have watched them develop the piece from pure movement to a very layered post-avant garde take on art. Do not miss out!

Spectrum Dance Company – The Beast. Donald Byrd’s work is often challenging in all the genres he undertakes. Personally I’m most fascinated by his exploration of love and relationships – sometimes violent but always moving. Donald has some of the best trained and theatrical dancers in Seattle. I have no doubt that The Beast will be a 2011 favorite.

Merce Cummingham Dance Company – The Legacy Tour at STG

THEATER
Dog Sees God | Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Balagan Theatre at ACT Theatre: First off, anything about the Peanuts gang growing up and going to high school sounds fun and a little off kilter. Second, its Balagan at our favorite stage in the city – ACT Theatre.

Keep up to date on our Facebook site for the shows we’re intrigued by and the artists we love to support->

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Nestled at the bottom of the Queen Anne Hill with the Seattle Center at its core lies one of the Divas most visited hoods, Lower Queen Anne. For us arts goers, this is the land of Balanchine, Bizet, Wilson and Welles. Lower Queen Anne is host to some of Seattle premier arts organizations: Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Seattle Rep, Seattle International Film Fest (SIFF), On the Boards (OTB), Book-it Theater, Teatro Zinzanni and more. Where else in Seattle can you see French Film Noir, a Noel Coward play, Swan Lake and Vaudeville style Cabaret all in a ¼ mile radius – and sometimes – all in the same day!  Is there any wonder why, when folks ask us if there is anything “to do” in Seattle, we just smile and point them toward the Needle!

The Bar at Crow

For your living needs, this neighborhood also offers a refreshing diversity of styles with mid-century apartments, vintage condos/co-ops and Victorian homes all melding together. Plus, there are awesome views of Downtown, Lake Union and Elliot Bay as well. And, not much beats a night on the town in Lower Queen Anne. This is one of the few hoods where you can get decked out in your finest duds for a night out at McCall Hall.  For pre or post dinner-drink options there are some lovely choices between Ten Mercer, Crow and the Sitting Room.

But let’s not forget, this is also home to Seattle Center and Key Arena. Maybe theatre and dance are not your first choice of fun. No worries. There’s the Northwest Folklife Festival, Bumpershoot Music Festival, the Bite of Seattle and more at the Center. If sports are more your bag then hit Key Arena for a Seattle Storm game and head on over to Toulouse Petit for one of their infamous & luscious Lamb Burgers – YUM!

Raja Kelly in A Crack in Everything by zoe|juniper

Although we have wide and varied arts interests, this year, Team Diva is most excited about zoe|juniper’s return to On The Boards for their Seattle premier of A Crack in Everything. The piece debuted in July at Jacob’s Pillow and received rave reviews. So if you want to find the Divas this arts season, you now know where to look…

After the jump check out our whole winter season of art shows->

The Him-Tern Chris Clem

Today is a sad day in Team Diva land. Our summer intern, Chris Clem, leaves us to return to Seattle University. During his stay with us he was dubbed the “Him-Tern” by our Diva Dweller pal Mia. Chris came into our Diva Entourage during the Diva’s Take the Hill event. The first time we met Chris we thought of him as a quiet sort of fella. We weren’t quite sure if he would survive as an intern in the fast-paced madness of our Diva office. How wrong we were! Chris showed up his first day on the job and jumped in full force.  Chris developed a massive Client Retention Program and database for us Divas and he also created a communication system for the team. His efficiency and positive attitude in everything he took on for the team was unbeatable. Plus, he took one for the team by allowing Ms. Jinkx Monsoon to torture him onstage instead of one of our Diva Dweller clients!

Chris was asked to write a summer reflection upon his return to Seattle University. The following excerpt was taken from the reflection:

Diva Kim + Mia

The moment we met our little Diva Mia with her matching leopard print pink suitcases I knew we had a true Diva on our hands. This girl flew to Seattle for a weekend with five bags. One of which was one just for her make-up. Amazing! Mia is originally an opera singer and moved to Seattle for her graduate degree in Speech Pathology. Before she started classes, we quickly found her a really adorable Her-condo, which ended up closing several weeks late, and Diva Mia ended up staying at Chez Diva. Let’s just say three Divas and our newest FIUTS student from Italy made quite the interesting household.

Queue music – “All the Single Ladies” – the single gal is one of the fastest growing demographics of home buyers. The recent Joint Center for Housing Studies stated that the Single Lady is a savvy home buyer. More than one in five home buyers is a Single Lady. Twice as many unmarried woman are buying homes than single men. Single ladies make up more than one-third of the growth in real estate ownership since 1994.

Why? ‘Cause they are smart, and sometimes a gal (like Mia) needs her own red bathroom. Read on…..

Name: Diva Mia

Hood: Lower Queen Anne

In all seriousness, my relationship with the Divas began via my middle school & high school best friend, Shane Plossu, in 2006 on one of my visits to Seattle.  When I flew to Seattle to surprise Shane for his 30th birthday, Kim and Chavi didn’t hesitate in helping me get from SeaTac to the city and IN SECRET no less!  It was a team effort even then!  By the time I was ready to leave the land of peroxide and implants (LA) for Seattle, I didn’t have to think twice about who would be the best real estate team to help me find the perfect “crib”.  There’s nothing like framily.

 What type of home did you purchase?  a beautiful, BRIGHT condo affectionately referred to as La Casita Diva

What was your first “OMG” house moment? Do I have to choose just ONE?!  I can think of good AND bad OMG’s.  The first GREAT OMG moment: walking into my condo prior to making an offer and instinctively knowing I was meant to be there.  I remember walking through the entrance and telling Kim “OMG…this is my home”. The first BAD OMG??  Seeing water suddenly and profusely dripping from the ceiling light socket.  I’m no engineer, but I’m pretty sure water + electricity together = BAD.  Guess who I called first?!  The Divas!!  And then I called my scientist mother….in New Mexico.  Apparently, none of them are plumbers or electricians….  But the Divas did have an excellent plumber referral, which I ended up not needing (thank goodness!!).  I did have words for the dummy upstairs, however, who let her bathtub overflow. One word: DUH.

 What is your greatest home extravagance?  The first thing I HAD to do was to get rid of the GAWD AWFUL gold knobs and handles in the entirety of my living space…goodbye 1991 chic!  Hello ANTHROLOPOLOGIE (and I confess, some minor Ikea…don’t tell Shane)!  And then I painted my bathroom BRIGHT RED…because every Diva needs a bright red bathroom with Zebra Accents at least one time in her life.  Coming out of graduate school, I’m looking forward to saving my pennies and eventually installing wood floors.

What is in your junk drawer?  I’m not sure.  I try not to look in there. The question you should be asking is What’s NOT in my junk drawer?!  Answer: The important stuff i.e. Wine Opener, Martini Shaker and lip gloss.

Diva Chavi + Mia

 Would you rather:

 mow lawn / paint the fence  I would rather pay someone to do both..I mean, let’s be serious here. If I HAD to choose, AND I could ride around on one of those little tractors, I’d choose mow the lawn…as long as it came with a drink holder…and a cute straw hat.  Accessories are the secret to a long and happy life.

test the smoke detectors / fix squeaky doors  Fix squeaky doors.  I’m at peace with WD40…there are a few people I wish I could use it on too…

plunge the toilet / clean out the refrigerator  Clean out the fridge.  Sometimes I find a bottle of bubbly that was hiding in the back…it’s the fridge equivalent of finding money in your pocket.  And there’s something about a clean fridge that restores order to my universe.

clean the gutters / take down holiday decorations  Take down holiday decorations.  See previous statement re: restoring order to the universe.  I also love thinking about the awesome friends I shared the holiday with…and whom I’m going to invite (or as the case may be, not invite) next year.

What is your favorite Hood hangout spot? Panos Kleftiko.  AMAZING Greek food…and because they’re European, they expect you to hang out with your friends all night and schmooze.  None of this silly American eat and run business.

What is your favorite local organization/non-profit?  The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence…although I still haven’t decided if it’s their work or their outfits I like best… It’s hard to pick just one.  I feel so lucky to live in a city that values art, music and culture primarily supported through numerous nonprofit organizations.

What do you love the most about your house? #1 that it’s pretty bright during the day, even during the dreary, overcast Seattle winters and #2, that it’s MINE, red bathroom and all.