A few of our favorite things

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OK, you read the griping — what about stuff we like? Here's a quick list:

• Venues with lots of ladies rooms, like McCaw Hall and White River Amphitheatre.

• P.A. system reminders to turn off all cellphones/pagers. The number of people scrambling afterward to turn theirs off is testament to the fact that the reminders improve things, even though there's always an exception or two.

• Programming that doesn't "dumb down" for the audience — like the Seattle Chamber Players' upcoming Icebreaker Festival II (Feb. 13-15), all new music from the Baltic countries.

• Artists who don't compromise. Pianist Craig Sheppard still pays to have his own piano moved to Meany Theater every time he plays a recital, so audiences will hear the music exactly as he has prepared it on the instrument he loves.

• Artists who put more energy into making their work than promoting it.

• Art dealers who care enough about art to go see what's up at the other galleries.

• Theaters that let you pre-order drinks for intermission.

• Movie theaters that don't bombard their audiences with advertising (such as the Landmark chain, the Grand Illusion, the Little Theatre and others), cup holders, and Jude Law.

• Science experiments be gone! Sturdy to-go boxes for restaurant leftovers, marked with the contents and the date.

• Any live performance group that charges less than $15.

• Bands/performers who actually start on time.

— Seattle Times arts and entertainment staff

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company