Orcas Idol* Saturday, February 2 Benefiting the Orcas Island Prevention Partnership, this highly entertaining event features some of our island’s talented vocalists. Come join the community in selecting the 2008 Orcas Idol! |
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Thursday, February 7 $20, $16 (Orcas Center Get ready for some fun with Lindley’s rockin’ guitars and irreverent humor! Music aficionados will recognize Lindley’s name from recordings with Jackson Browne, Rod Stewart, and Ry Cooder. Combining American folk, blues, bluegrass and reggae with outrageous lyrics, this Grammy-nominated, multi-instrumentalist redefines the word “eclectic.” |
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 Photo: Gabriel Bienczycki |
Saturday, February 9 $20, $16 (Orcas Center members), In the words of Orcas Islander and Seattle Times dance critic, Mary Murfin Bayley, “This high-energy, forceful, accessible and intelligent contemporary dance company will shake the floor, question your mind and entertain you.” Spectrum’s MALE VOICE features the work of men choreographers who are making their mark in the Northwest contemporary dance scene. Included in this evening are three short dances by Spectrum’s Artistic Director Donald Byrd and Olivier Wevers and Kiyon Gaines, whose classical work has been seen at Pacific Northwest Ballet. |
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Cashore Marionettes – Simple Gifts
Sunday, February 17 $20, $16 (Orcas Center members), $10 (students) You’ll be astonished at these beautifully crafted puppets with an extraordinary power to express what it is to be human. Appropriate for adults and children ages 8 and older, delivered with a simplicity which expresses the essence of the moment, each performance is a celebration of life. This is a return engagement! |
 Photo: John Minka |
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Saturday, February 23 OffCenter Stage Come join the HILARITY, especially if you have a goofy sense of humor. The Bellingham-based sketch comedy, kinetic pair known as The Cody Rivers Show is digging into the vault to assemble Stick to Glue, a top-notch line-up of its best material. |
 Photo: Glenn Hergenhahn |
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Slightly OffCenter Local Artist Showcase Sunday, February 24 OffCenter Stage Inaugurated in 2007, this successful showcase series focuses the spotlight on emerging Orcas talent. Curated by Carolyn Cruso, selected artists will perform original works in four shows throughout the year on the intimate OffCenter Stage. Are you an artist who wishes to participate in one of these showcases? If so, please contact Carolyn Cruso as soon as possible at carolyncruso@rockisland.com |
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 Photo: Sheryl Sinkow |
Samité Sunday, March 2 $20, $16 (Orcas Center members), Uganda born Samité mesmerizes audiences with original compositions played on traditional African and Western instruments. A highly acclaimed flutist, Samité opens people’s minds and hearts to the common threads of human concerns, conveying optimism through stories and song. Opening for Samité is local band Rise ‘N Shine |
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Anthony Manuel’s Saturday, March 8 $15, $12 (Orcas Center members), $10 (students) Featuring the Savoy Swing Club and Postponed due to inclement weather last December, this high-energy performance has been percolating ever since. Come swing to this fun-filled family show, created by local dance-making machine Anthony Manuel, which will feature an array of dances from the Charleston to some highflying Lindy Hop. |
 Photo: Byron Dazey |
Open House and Annual Meeting Sunday, March 9 Come discover all that Orcas Center has to offer on this Sunday afternoon OPEN HOUSE. Events include facility tours, hands-on experiences both on and backstage and in the studio, 2008 season preview and more! |
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 Photo: Fabrice Lachaze |
Grand Dérangement
Saturday, March 22 $12, $5 (students) for 10 PM show A ROUSING GOOD TIME, and anyone in attendance at their sold-out Orcas debut in March 2007 will attest to it! These Nova Scotian musicians and step dancers perform works based in Acadian culture, blended with French café songs, Celtic, rock and Broadway. The music defies the audience to sit still. The bow fires up the fiddle...the sparks fly... Get your tickets quick! |
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DANCE PARTY with Blues Union! Saturday, April 5 Madrona Room Come join in the fun for this Spring DANCE PARTY featuring Blues Union, which was the exhilarating featured band at the Oddfellows’ Halloween Party. |
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Beauty and the Beast Thursdays-Saturdays $15, $12 (Orcas Center members), $8 (students) Orcas Islanders have been requesting another big musical and here it is! You’ll want to be a part of this magical, magnificent event, whether as a cast, crew or audience member. The beloved Disney classic Beauty and the Beast will feature a cast of dozens along with other favorite characters including Teapot, Maurice, Gaston, Mrs. Potts, silly girls, a singing and dancing ensemble and of course, Belle and the Beast. Directed by Deborah Sparks, with musical direction by Martin Lund and scenic design by Shaun Albrechtson. |
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Slightly OffCenter Local Artist Showcase Sunday, April 27 OffCenter Stage Inaugurated in 2007, this successful showcase series focuses the spotlight on emerging Orcas talent. Curated by Carolyn Cruso, selected artists will perform original works in four shows throughout the year on the intimate OffCenter Stage. Are you an artist who wishes to participate in one of these showcases? If so, please contact Carolyn Cruso as soon as possible at carolyncruso@rockisland.com |
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| Anthony Manuel’s All Island Dance Concert
Saturday, May 3 $10 Back by popular demand, favorite dance teacher Anthony Manuel will bring together his students of all ages from Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Islands, for an evening of high-energy dance spanning the styles from world fusion to hip hop to jazz. |
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Orcas Choral Society*
Friday-Saturday $10, $3 (students) Join the Orcas Choral Society as it presents its traditional May concert, Songs for Spring, featuring Sharon Abreu as guest soloist. Highlights will include “songs about coffee”– from Bach to Java Jive, and favorites old and new from the Choral Society’s repertoire of beautiful choral music. Catherine Pederson directs this 50-voice community choir. |
 Photo: Chris Thomerson |
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April Verch Saturday, May 17 $20, $16 (Orcas Center members), $10 (students) Welcome back, April!
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 Photo:Chris Thomerson |
Island Sinfonia*
$10 for adults, Free for children Recently featured with the Orcas A Cappella Singers and composer Damijan Mocnik, Island Sinfonia will offer a spring concert conducted by Jack Lynch leading the 25+ member orchestra of adults and youth in a program of classical and American music. Movements from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, Hansel and Gretel, the 1812 Overture, and Gould’s Symphonette No. 2 will be included in the program. |
3rd Annual Memorial Day Kids’ Fest Wednesday-Saturday A series of performances
for the children in all of us!
Wednesday, May 21,
6:30 pm and 7:30 pm Celebrating the initial effort of the Orcas Arts Education Project, Thursday, May 22, 7:30 pm The Orcas Parks and Rec Program helps kick off the 2008 Kids’ Fest Friday, May 23, 10:30 am and 1 pm Little One Inch, presented by
Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre, Friday, May 23, 7:30 pm This guy’s original comedy routines have lots of audience interaction
This musical band delivers rock music for kids that will make their parents and even |
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| Orcas A Cappella TO A JOYFUL LADY SINGING* In memory of Judith Struthers Sunday, May 25 Orcas A Cappella presents the romantic summer settings of the poetry of William Butler Yeats, Ranier Rilke, James Stephens, Thomas Hardy and others. Featured will be Northwest composers Morten Lauridsen and Stephen Chatman, along with the premiere performance of Wind Among The Reeds by Orcas’ James Hardman specifically composed for the A Cappella singers. |
 Photo: Chris Thomerson |
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 Poet Marvin Bell; photo by John Campbell |
A River and Sound Review featuring the Olga Symphony A co-production with Artsmith Saturday, May 31 $16, $12 (Orcas Center members), $10 (students) A River and Sound Review is a live show and podcast hosted by fiction writer, humorist, and newspaper columnist Jay Bates. |
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Orcas Island Community Band*
Saturday, June 7 Admission by donation Under the direction of Joe Babcock, the Orcas Island Community Band continues its growth in size and talent. Join the Band for a selection of great band literature. There’s always something for every musical taste! |
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Pets: Why We Live With ‘Em,
Why We Don’t Improv & Monologue Night Friday, June 13 OffCenter Stage In conjunction with the annual visit of the international improvers hosted by Unexpected Productions, local writers will share their original monologues and visiting improvers will act them out. This year’s theme: our love (or not) of pets. |
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 Photo: Chris Thomerson |
One World Music Festival* Now in its sixth year, Martin Lund’s jazz-based musical variety show brings together Orcas Island’s best musicians and top-notch talent from around North America. One of the San Juan Islands’ most popular summer music events, the One World Music Festival directly supports The Funhouse, with all net proceeds going to assist the children of Orcas Island. |
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Oliver Aldort Saturday, June 28 $16, $12 (Orcas Center members), $10 (students) Thirteen-year-old Orcas Islander Oliver Aldort is a born musician, tenacious music student and natural performer. He first performed on the Orcas Center Mainstage at the age of seven and continues to grow artistically, particularly with the community’s support. Come celebrate the extraordinary local talent we have in this young man. |
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Slightly OffCenter Local Artist Showcase Sunday, June 29 OffCenter Stage Inaugurated in 2007, this successful showcase series focuses the spotlight on emerging Orcas talent. Curated by Carolyn Cruso, selected artists will perform original works in four shows throughout the year on the intimate OffCenter Stage. Are you an artist who wishes to participate in one of these showcases? If so, please contact Carolyn Cruso as soon as possible at carolyncruso@rockisland.com |
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 Photo: Paul Kamin |
SUMMER CAMP
June 23-July 5 Performance is Saturday, July 5 at 7:30 pm For Teens and Children 5+ Continuing last year’s circus theme, the 2008 SUMMER CAMP will feature teaching artists from the thrilling DREAM SCIENCE CIRCUS which appeared on our stage during the 2007 Kids’ Fest. High flying, death defying (but in a VERY SAFE environment) circus skills will be taught, as will perseverance, team work, self-confidence and just plain fun! All participants are eligible to join a procession in the 4th of July parade as well as a CenterStage performance on July 5. SUMMER CAMP is made possible with generous underwriting from Robert Lundeen. Thank you, Bob! |
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Midnight Mystery Players Saturday, July 12 OffCenter Stage Come enjoy radio as it used to be. The Midnight Mystery Players are a radio drama troupe that recreates contemporary and “golden age” plays for the American Museum of Radio and Electricity in Bellingham. The Players, including Stan and Jan Clausen and Judith Owens-Lancaster, former Orcas Islanders, will perform an Inner Sanctum drama from 1943 called Thank You For Not Dying, and two Sherlock Holmes parodies by the mystery writer and Conan Doyle biographer, John Dickson Carr. |
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FLORA PURIM AND AIRTO Saturday, July 19 CARNIVALE GALA YOU are in for a rare and festive treat with these two accomplished, renowned musicians and their fellow band members. Flora Purim is the reigning queen of Brazilian Jazz, whose influences and musical colleagues include the jazz greats Miles Davis, Gil Evans and Stanley Clark. |
 Photo: Phil Levene |
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Dream Science Circus
Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26
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11th Annual Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival* August 18-31 “The Festival has sunk deep roots into the community, whose members are so clearly galvanized by each summer’s first-rate concerts. What a fine synergy.” OICMF’s Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann promises 2008 performances full of musical character unique to the new Season. Concert and ticket sales news at www.oicmf.org. |
 Image: Wade Campbell |
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An Evening of Comedy Theatre* Friday-Saturday The kids from I Beg Your Pudding, This is a Test, and School for Young Conductors are back,
steeped in mysteries of existence: Why can you see if there’s no light in your brain? How Can Xeno’s Paradox save your life? What does Kierkegaard Turk, Private Eye, have to do with this? Suspecting laughter? Bring your frontal lobes to An Evening of Comedy Theatre. |
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Saturday, September 27 Two exciting and entertaining musical events for these dates have not been confirmed. |
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Seattle Chamber Players Sunday, October 5, 4 pm |
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 Photo: Damien Stark |
Carolyn Cruso & Jessica Williams Saturday, October 18,
7:30 pm A musical tour-de-force, fusing an eclectic mélange of folk, jazz and Celtic elements,” said one reviewer of local artist Carolyn Cruso. As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, she moves gracefully between an impressive array of instruments (hammered dulcimer, guitar, voice and flute). Carolyn teams up with noted Seattle-based jazz vocalist, pianist and composer Jessica Williams, of whom Dave Brubeck says, "One of the greatest jazz pianists I have ever heard.” |
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The Fantasticks Thursday-Saturday, October 23-25, 30-31 and November 1 $12, $10 (Orcas Center members), $8 (students) Orcas Center proudly presents the world’s longest running musical which truly offers something for everbody. This timeless, heart-warming musical delivers several well-known songs, including Try to Remember and Soon It’s Gonna Rain. Directed by Shaun Albrechtson and starring an all-local cast. |
 Image: Shaun Albrechtson |
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 Photo: Bill Mohn |
Seattle Opera Young Artists Saturday, November 8 $20, $16 (Orcas Center members), $10 (students) You can’t get any better than the Seattle Opera, and their Young Artists Program highlights some of the most talented emerging singers in the country. Program to be announced, performance quality guaranteed! |
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Community Dance Concert Friday-Saturday, November 14-15 $10 Orcas Island hosts a number of talented dancers and choreographers. Here’s a chance to sample the work of many of these dancers in one evening. |
 Photo: Chris Thomerson |
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Slightly OffCenter Local Artist Showcase Sunday, November 23 OffCenter Stage Inaugurated in 2007, this successful showcase series focuses the spotlight on emerging Orcas talent. Curated by Carolyn Cruso, selected artists will perform original works in four shows throughout the year on the intimate OffCenter Stage. Are you an artist who wishes to participate in one of these showcases? If so, please contact Carolyn Cruso as soon as possible at carolyncruso@rockisland.com |
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Orcas A Cappella Friday, November 28 $5 This is the time to enjoy family, home, hearth and the abundance of harvest. Orcas A Cappella and friends bring to you the warmth of this Thanksgiving holiday with songs of memory, humor and the love for life! |
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 Photo: Chris Thomerson |
Olga Symphony and Friends* Friday-Saturday, December 5-6 $5 An Orcas holiday tradition with our very own irrresistable counter-culture musical group and some of their best, oldest and newest musical friends. |
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Orcas Choral Society Saturday, December 13 7:30 pm $10, $3 (students) An Island tradition, Joyous Sounds of Christmas 2008, will usher in the Christmas season for its 31st consecutive year. Join the Choral Society for an evening of festive songs and carols of the season, with choir, instruments and caroling for all. The 50-voice community chorus is directed by Catherine Pederson. |
 Photo: Chris Thomerson |
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Orcas Island Community Band* Saturday, December 20 7:30 pm Admission by donation There’s no better way to catch the infectious spirit of the holidays than with a performance by the Orcas Island Community Band. Nearing 40 members, this group brings joy to the young and old alike with merriment, good humor and downright good music! Celebrate with the band afterwards at a free dessert party in the Madrona Room. |
