New Year’s Eve
Open Space for Arts & Community will host a New Year’s Eve bash and dance party, with hourly confetti drops celebrating midnight all over the world.
Bowie/Rex & His Boogie Army — fronted by islander Martin Fevyear and backed by a supergroup of regional musicians — is the headline act, with opening acts by The Secret Agents, Cheap Scenery, and DJ Michael Whitmore. The family-friendly party starts at 8 p.m. Find out more and get tickets at openspacevashon.org.
Learn about Calder
Art historian Rebecca Albiani will speak about a recent gift of 48 works by Alexander Calder, one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century, which are currently on view at SAM. The talk will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
From delicate wire assemblages to his famous mobiles to monumental public works, Calder’s work constantly explored new avenues, bringing motion and drama to modern sculpture.
Purchase tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org. Admission is free for those 18 and younger.
Pink Martini Concert
Pink Martini, featuring lead singer China Forbes, will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world and crossing genres of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop, bandleader and pianist Thomas Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 with a mission to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers and causes including civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks.
Twenty years later, Pink Martini still tours the world, singing in 22 languages at opera houses, concert halls, film festivals, museums, and fashion shows.
Purchase tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org. All ticket sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges provided.
Band of Brothers
Legendary brothers Tony and Pete Levin and Pat and Joe La Barbera have joined forces to go back to their jazz roots — and will play a show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at Open Space for Arts & Community.
Tony Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel. He is also a prolific studio musician who has played on over 500 albums. Some notable sessions include work with John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Paula Cole, Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd, Robbie Robertson, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Joan Armatrading, Tom Waits, Buddy Rich, The Roches, Todd Rundgren, Seal, Warren Zevon, Bryan Ferry, and Laurie Anderson.
Find out more and get tickets at openspacevashon.org.
14/48 Festival returns
14/48 Vashon: The World’s Quickest Theater Festival, will return to Vashon on Jan. 19 and 20, at Open Space for Arts & Community. Featuring the creative magic of seven writers, seven directors, over 25 actors, plus a slew of designers, musicians, and technical geniuses, this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants event is a Vashon favorite.
Here’s how it works: on Jan. 18, a group of fearless creators will gather to throw themes into a hat. After a theme is drawn, seven writers will head home to write seven brand-new 10-minute plays overnight. The next day, seven directors will draw the play they will direct, then draw their cast, and get to work. Those seven new plays will be rehearsed, designed and scored throughout the day and performed twice on Friday night. The next night, it will happen all over again, with a new batch of plays.
This year’s list of artists is a who’s who of Vashon talent, plus some accomplished friends and collaborators from across the water.
Based in Seattle since 1997, the 14/48 Project is an internationally-known organization that uses “unconventional structures to create events that strengthen the artistic community and transcend audience expectations.”
Get tickets at openspacevashon.org.
Whim W’Him
Dance aficionados can witness new creations by choreographers Bret Easterling, Joseph Hernandez, and Olivier Wevers, at Whim W’Him dance company’s “Winter ‘24” program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
Easterling is an international dance artist, creator, producer, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. He was recognized as a Choreographic Fellow at the inaugural Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Fellowship at Jacob’s Pillow in 2018 and was an Artist in Residence at LA Dance Project in 2019.
Hernandez is a choreographer and performer once based in Dresden, Germany, and now residing in Portland, Oregon. His choreographic work has been presented to critical acclaim by such organizations as Festspielhaus Hellerau, The Semperoper Ballett, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Theatre St. Gallen (Switzerland), NW Dance Project, and more.
Wevers, who received ballet training in his native Belgium, came to North America at age 19 and discovered the exhilaration of many new dance forms. As a principal dancer, first with Royal Winnipeg Ballet and later, for most of his dancing career, with Pacific Northwest Ballet, he acquired his strong conviction that dancers are the heart and soul of a company.
Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org. Admission is free for ages 18 and younger. All ticket sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges provided.
