ARTS&LEISURE Vashon-Maury
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ecess Monkey — one of the hottest bands in Seattle’s vibrant “kindie rock� movement — will come to Vashon on Saturday, providing a chance for pint-sized music fans and their parents to dance in the aisles of the Blue Heron.
Salish Sea Early Music Festival will present “The Sun King’s Musicians� at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Bethel Church, 14736 S.W. Bethel Lane. The chamber music concert will feature works by the members of Louis XIV’s Musique de la Chambre, one of the primary divisions of his court musical establishment. Players will include flutist Jeffery Cohan, Joanna Blendulf on viola de gamba and John Lenti on baroque guitar. The suggested donation, a free-will offering toward expenses, is $15, $20 or $25 for all concerts. Youth 18 and younger are free. For more information, call 567-4255, or visit www.salishseafestival.org.
%BODF UIF OJHIU BXBZ Get up and boogie at a free show on Friday, when the seven-piece Seattle band The Staxx Brothers will take the stage at Red Bicycle Bistro at 9 p.m. The group plays soul and vintage funk music with a hip-shaking, danceable dose of rock and roll. The show is for all ages until 11 p.m. and 21 and older after that. Pete Welch, who books shows for the Bike, said the group was a huge hit on Vashon in the past, and he’s happy to be bringing it back. “It was a night to remember,� he said. “These guys are fun to watch, and they are so full of energy, complete with back-up singers.�
)FBS MPDBM NVTJDJBOT Rick Vanselow, Kevin Joyce and Joe Panzetta will join musical forces for a free show at 7 p.m. Friday at the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. They will play both together and apart — a format sure to highlight each musician’s unique skill and style. Vanselow is known for playing folk and rock music with strong story narratives, while Panzetta has a singer/songwriter style that is rich in guitar and poetic lyrics. Joyce, a well-known actor, writer and impresario, sings loves ballads and humorous songs. The show is for all ages.
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Calling all kids for a raucous rock show Arts Editor
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annual Storytelling Festival, set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Methodist church. The event raises money for Vashon Wilderness Program’s scholarship fund. Buy tickets, $10 individual/$25 family, at Vashon Bookshop and www.brownpapertickets.com.
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Joanna Blendulf is part of a chamber music trio that will perform at Bethel Church.
LISTEN UP: Gene Tagaban, Merna Ann Hecht and Shane Kenode will headline the sixth
The band is a trio made up of three schoolteachers turned rockers — guitarist Drew Holloway, bassist Jack Forman and drummer Korum Bischoff. Recess Monkey is a singing band, too — all three members are accomplished vocalists who blend their voices together in intricate pop harmonies. Two of the group’s members, Holloway and Forman, met while teaching at Seattle’s University Child Development School and soon came up with a plan to take the world of music for the 3-to 10-year-old set by storm. “As teachers and indie musicians, we want kids to be exposed to quality music,� said Forman. “We’re persistent and committed. And make sure there’s space to dance!� The band has won wide acclaim and a legion of bright-eyed, bouncing followers since making its debut in 2005 with a debut release, “Welcome to Monkeytown.� Since then, there have been eight more CDs, including the recent circus-themed “In Tents,� which was developed in collaboration with Teatro Zinzanni. Mindy Thomas, from SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live, has offered high praise for the trio. “These guys are able to tap into elementary school so well that it’s like they never left,� she said. “In this never-ending nationwide talent show of kid and family music, they are most definitely at the top.�
Stefan Shepherd, of Zooglobble.com, also heaped praise on the trio. “Recess Monkey just keeps turning out album after album with pop nuggets, as if we’d just discovered that The Beatles had recorded a ton of kids’ music 40-plus years ago.� And Time Out New York recently ranked Recess Monkey as number three on its top 25 list of bands for kids — just behind the juvie juggernauts They Might be Giants and the Justin Roberts Band. During their Vashon appearance, the trio will offer up a highenergy set of genre-hopping songs with subjects that range from outer space to pets. Many of the songs performed will come from “In Tents� — so expect the moppet mosh pit to be filled with kids dancing to songs about high-wire acts, human cannonballs and popcorn. The show is for all ages.
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Recess Monkey, from left, Korum Bischoff, Jack Forman and Drew Holloway.
Recess Monkey will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Heron. Tickets are $5 for kids and Vashon Allied Arts members and $8 general. Buy them at the Heron’s Nest, Vashon Bookshop, www.vashonalliedarts.org or by phone at 463-5131.
Love acting? Here’s your chance to step into the limelight Who says it’s hard to break into show business? Three juicy opportunities for thespians both young and old are coming up on the island.
%SBNB %PDL T A#MBDL $PNFEZ Drama Dock is holding auditions for “Black Comedy,� an acclaimed farce by Peter Schaffer, at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at the Ober Park performance space. The show — famous for its reverse lighting plot where scenes in the dark take place in full light — will be directed by well-known local performer and comedian Steffon Moody. Actors should prepare a one-minute
memorized modern comic monologue and dress in comfortable clothes because there will be movement at the audition. Scripts are available for perusal at the Vashon Library. Parts for five men and three women are available. Performances will take place April 19 to 21 at Vashon High School. For more information, contact Elizabeth Ripley at eripley13000@yahoo.com.
7"" 4 A.VTJD .BO +S Young thespians, especially those in their teens, are encouraged to join a cast that will put on “Music Man Jr.,� a classic musical with great songs, lively dance numbers and a timeless
theme about the power of a slick con man. The production is part of the popular Youth Musical Theater class taught by Marita Ericksen and Pam Hotchkiss and sponsored by Vashon Allied Arts. The teachers, both veterans in music production, are seeking youth in grades four through 12. All told, they need 30 actors, particularly boys. Classes, beginning next Wednesday, Jan. 23, take place from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday, culminating in shows May 3 to 5 at the Vashon Methodist Church. “This is one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen,� said Ericksen. “Lots of singing and acting, and
not just for a few leads but for everybody in the show.�
A+VOHMF #PPL GPS ZPVOH POFT Youth Musical Theater is also holding a class leading up to a production of the “Jungle Book Kids Choir,� shows that will take place March 22 and 23. The choir is for students in first through fourth grades. Classes, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 22, take place from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays until the production date. To register for either Youth Musical Theater class, visit vashonalliedarts. org or call the organization at 463-5131.