Nothing at all to do with Elvis

The Tuba is the red-headed stepchild of the orchestra; always shunted to the back, never in the spotlight. But not anymore! Tonight, the Tuba will finally get its due. The Seattle Symphony is pairing Seattle Symphony Composer in Residence Samuel Jones’s Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra with Tchaikovsky’s much-loved "Pathetique" Symphony (No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74). The world premiere (of Jones's piece) was Thursday but you could go today and still say you’d been to the premiere. We sure aren’t going to tell anyone.

Now, it may seem, at first blush, that Bob Newhart would have nothing in common with the Seattle Symphony. But apparently, the comedy legend will be joining the gang on stage at Benaroya Hall on January 20th and 21st. The symphony’s website is a little cagey on the details (but does describe him as “dry as a martini and almost as intoxicating”). You can get tickets here.

In other newsical musical (sorry about that), Seattle Opera begins running Die Fledermaus next weekend. With 9 shows, there’s no reason to miss it. If you like drinking and singing, this is the opera for you. Seriously. There are about three drinking songs in it. No one dies, either! It’s the quintessential party opera. We don’t know for sure, but we think even the King himself would’ve liked it.