SavvyGirlMelanie Brings Power to Knitting!

Tonight GwenS and I went to the Capital Hill neighborhood in Seattle to go to one of the shows in the Seattle Fringe Festival.


I love to listen to podcasts while I knit, and one of my very favorites is the SavvyGirl's Podcast.  One of the 2 sisters who together are the SavvyGirls, SavvyGirlMelanie, is a professional opera singer.  This year she has been traveling all over Canada and the USA performing 2 different one woman shows in various fringe festivals. 

She came to Seattle this week with her show, More Power to Your Knitting, Nell!  Melanie had a grant from the Canadian government to do research into knitting songs from the WWI era, yes, Knitting Songs.  She found all of these wonderful songs about people knitting for the troops, many of them had never been recorded, there was just sheet music for them.  She produced a wonderful CD of the music, but then, also, put together a One Woman Show using many of the songs, with the story of a woman who has a radio show called, Knitting Nell, where "Nell" sings and encourages women back home to knit for the troops. 

The show was funny, and sad, and moving, and well, just wonderful.  I have heard Melanie sing occasionally on the podcast, usually just bits of songs, so I knew her voice was really good.  But, wow.  It is something to hear her sing on a CD.  It is another thing to hear her sing in person.  She is really terrific.  Her voice just soars.  But, somehow, she also managed to really convey the emotion of her character, Nell, whether wry, longing, positive, or worried. 

Many of the songs were funny, but there was this one about a mom, knitting for her soldier son.  Honestly, it brought tears to my eyes.

There are 2 more shows before Melanie leaves town, one at 7:30 pm Saturday, Sept. 22 , and the last show is at 3:30 Sunday, Sept. 23. 

GO GO GO  You really don't want to miss it.  O!  I almost forgot.  You are actually encouraged to bring your knitting and knit during the show.

Before the show, Gwen and I met just a block from the theater at the Elysian Brewery for a quick dinner.

There are lots of little places to grab a bite to eat nearby, and street as well as surface lot parking.

There are other artists performing shows all weekend.  The price is great.  Since our weather is still so nice in the evenings, it makes a great night out.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet with showtime knitting.

Gwen and Melanie after the show