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.
Purchase tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org. Admission is free for those 18 and younger.
Live from Liberty
A reading of “Live from Liberty,” a new play by KUOW Radio talk show host, author and columnist Bill Radke, will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at Vashon High School Theatre.
In this show within a show, the characters — each in their own hilarious way — struggle with the question “Can’t we all just get along?” It turns out to be a question within a question as the play’s radio host, Jack Ellis, confronts conflicts in his personal life as he addresses global conflict on the air — live, in person and befuddled.
Directed by Seattle director/actor Ian Bell, the play’s cast features the crème de la crème of Vashon’s professional resident actors led by seasoned Hollywood transplant Brian Palermo as Jack.
Dedra Whitt, Mik Kuhlman, Chris Boscia, Elizabeth Klob, Chaim Rosmarin, and Harris Levinson round out the cast of characters, including a hapless Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, played by Seattle’s David Gehrman. Vashon youth actors Phoebe Ray and Chloe Monroe will supply the play’s teen energy.
Complete with inside jokes for a Northwest audience, Radke has written what he knows, taking comedic license with the real-life action behind the scenes of a radio production.
With the reading, attendees will be invited to offer feedback in an open discussion. Tickets are “pay-what-you-will” at the door, with a suggested donation of $15.
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 concert 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
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 Massachusetts, 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, and NW Dance Project.
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.
Seattle Opera Chorus
Come experience the full glory of the Seattle Opera chorus in a concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at Vashon Center for the Arts. The 36-member chorus will perform selections including “The Bell Chorus” from Pagliacci, “Choral Dances” from Britten’s Gloriana, “Stomp Your Foot” from Copland’s “Tenderland,” and much more. The ensemble will highlight the many characters an opera chorus personifies — including soldiers, humble town folk, witches, sailors, aristocrats, and more.
The concert takes place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at Vashon Center for the Arts. Purchase tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
