Looking for a way to beat the winter blues and warm up your days and nights on Vashon?

Look no further — a host of island venues and presenters will brighten January and early February with fabulous entertainment of all stripes — concerts, theater, comedy, dance, and more, showcasing both local talent as well as international stars.

Best of all? You’ll have a chance to hobnob with friends and neighbors at the shows. Here’s what’s coming up.

14/48: The World’s Quickest Theatre Festival

Don’t miss the madcap comedy and drama of “14/48,” an annual theater marathon on Vashon that will result in the creation of 14 news plays in 48 hours this weekend.

Sixty — count ‘em — writers, directors, actors, and technical wizards, mostly from Vashon but including a smattering of Seattle artists, will convene on the evening of Jan. 18 to start the process, without a clue as to what will happen on stage over the next two days.

The first seven plays — created overnight by writers and rehearsed and performed by casts drawn at random — will be presented at 7 and 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, at Open Space for Arts & Community. The second set of plays — again created in a less-than-24-hour process — will be performed at 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, also at Open Space.

Tickets to 7 p.m. shows are $25; tickets for the 9 p.m. shows are $15. Youth attend for free. Visit openspacevashon.org to learn more and get tickets.

Based in Seattle since 1997, the 14/48 Projects is an internationally known organization that uses “unconventional structures to create events that strengthen the artistic community and transcend audience expectations.”

Irish music masters

Hear a concert by Vashon’s own John Whelan, a celebrated Irish button accordion player, joined by Irish fiddle hero Dale Russ, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan 19, at Vashon Havurah, 15401 Westside Highway. There is a suggested donation of $25, but no one will be turned away. Reservations are encouraged; contact janetstrolle@comcast.net or call 206-228-0730. Bring your instruments: an Irish music session will follow the show.

Early Music Festival

Between January and late June 2024, the Salish Sea Early Music Festival will present eight performances at Vashon’s Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, with outstanding specialists from Germany, Switzerland, Montreal and all around the United States performing early music on period instruments.

The first concert in the series, “Three Centuries: Guitar, Lute and Flute,” will take place at 12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, at the church, located at 15420 Vashon Hwy.

It will feature lutenist and guitarist, Michael Freimuth, from Kiel, in Northwest Germany, who will join flutist Jeffrey Cohan for a musical tour of three centuries and five distinct instruments: renaissance guitar, which is considerably smaller and more mellow-toned than its modern descendant; theorbo, an extremely long-necked lute; the one-piece cylindrical renaissance flute; the bass renaissance flute; and the one-keyed baroque flute.

This program offers a journey through the music of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, including elaborate jazzed-up versions of well-known songs of the time, along with canzonas, sonatas and suites from Spain, Italy, England and France.

Both performers are known worldwide as foremost masters and specialists of their instruments, having collaborated with many well-known artists both onstage and in recordings.

Admission is by suggested donation (a free-will offering) of $20-$30. Those 18 and under are free. All are welcome regardless of donation. For additional information please see salishseafestival.org/vashon.

Whim W’Him

Dance aficionados can witness emotive new creations by renowned 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. Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org. Admission is free for ages 18 and younger.

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.

Blue Note Quintet

A night of stellar jazz, starring The Blue Note Quintet, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Vashon Center for the Arts.

The concert is part of a U.S. tour, celebrating the 85th Anniversary of the famous Blue Note record label, which launched jazz giants Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey and many more.

The Blue Note Quintet – a group brought together to honor the label’s rich history and showcase the label’s current roster of eclectic musicians — is led by six-time Grammy Award nominee Gerald Clayton, as musical director and pianist. Rounding out the group are vibraphonist Joel Ross, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer.

Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Venus & The Vixens

Join Martha Enson and Kevin Joyce, of EnJoy Productions, as they kick-start and preview their latest creation, “Venus & The Vixens,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, at Open Space for Arts & Community.

The free evening will include games, food and drink for purchase from Ruby Brink, performances and lots of friends.

Venus & The Vixens is an interactive rock musical, conceived and directed by Enson, that will run May 30-June 16 at Emerald City Trapeze, in Seattle. With music by Sari Breznau and a libretto by Enson, Breznau and Caela Bailey, it’s a fresh take on the mythological tale of Cupid and Psyche’s epic love story, filled with games of chance, aerial flourishes, physical challenges, and playful surprises.

RSVP for the free, Feb. 1 preview of the show at Open Space at wow@en-joyproductions.com, and find out more about the show at en-joyproductions.com/venus-vixens.

Ron Artis II and Family

A Vashon favorite, Ron Artis II and his band will perform in a concert presented by Debra Heesch at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at Vashon Theatre.

Artis, a Hawaiian musician inspired by deep Delta blues, gospel, northern soul and R&B, moved to Oahu with his family when he was four years old. He was one of 11 children, all of whom grew up immersed in a creative and religious household led by his musically gifted parents.

He has performed and collaborated with Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Jack Johnson, Jake Shimabukuro, Booker T Jones, Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce), and G Love, among others.

His songbook is laced with intention, deep conviction, story, and a heart that has truly been there, said Heesch.

With four studio albums, 60+ songs, thousands of flights, and shows in 15 countries, Artis and his family band continue to find inspiration in sharing music with live audiences.

“To me, music is about giving,” said Artis. “When I’m performing, I let go of everything. I look out into an audience and feel: ‘What do they need right now?’ We as artists have been given a gift and gifts are meant to be shared.”

General admission tickets to the show are $20.

Golden Oldies Players

Island author Jeanie Okimoto has penned a new play, based on her 2012 novel, “Walter’s Muse,” that will have a staged reading at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Bethel Church.

Okimoto described the play, set on Vashon, as “an old people’s romantic comedy,” while adding that she guessed “seniors” might sound better.

The show — complete with ukulele-playing parts claimed by Joe Okimoto and Bill Kirschner — has a cast made up entirely of Vashon actors and musicians in the 70s and 80s, an ensemble Okimoto (who is 81) has dubbed “The Golden Oldies Players.”

The company also includes Patricia Kelly, who helped Okimoto develop the play, Rich Wiley, Gretchen Neffenger, Marjon McDermott, and Peter Kreitner.

Okimoto is eager for islanders to see the play.

“There isn’t a lot of dramatic material or even novels featuring older characters, and I love writing for and about my own age group,” she said. “And also there are not that many big parts for older actors, so we’re having a great time developing this show.”

Paula Poundstone

Comedy legend Paula Poundstone has added a second show on Vashon, to follow her sold-out Feb. 9 performance at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA). Tickets are now on sale to the additional show, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at VCA.

Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and legendary spontaneous wit. She is the star of several HBO specials, including “Cats, Cops and Stuff,” and “Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard.” She is also a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” and is heard weekly on her comedy podcast, “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.”

Smashing the glass ceiling in her field, Poundstone was the first female comic to perform standup at the White House Correspondents Dinner — 73 years after the event began.

Her HBO special, “Cats, Cops and Stuff,” marked the first time a female comedian won Best Comedy Special in the Cable Ace Awards. Paula’s awards and accolades make a long list, and she is included in innumerable documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential comedians of our time.

Get tickets to her Feb. 10 show at vashoncenterforthearts.org.