Many Thanks is our theme for this week’s column as “GiveBig 2016” concludes for our arts affiliates. “GiveBig” campaigns across the nation raise money for non-profits and in the Puget Sound area are supported by GiveBig.Seattle Foundation.

We’re leading Artfully Edmonds with one of Edmonds’ mainstay arts organizations whose business patrons give big – the Cascade Symphony Orchestra:

This week the symphony made the news by holding a reception honoring the Charter Members of the Cascade Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Business Alliance, which My Edmonds News covered.

With 61 business members pledging support the first year of the alliance, we are excited about the future and permanence of this business-based support organization.

Music Director Michael Miropolsky, while receiving congratulations on the symphony’s success, said of the business-arts collaboration that built CSO’s business alliance, “When businesses support art – it means the system is working.” He reminds the Edmonds-area business community that the alliance drive will renew its efforts mid- to late summer.

To honor charter members of the alliance, the Development Committee commissioned Manhasset Music Stands to design a plaque listing the alliance’s 61 charter members.

CSO Board Member Rebecca Gillette noted in her comments to My Edmonds News that the Development Committee originally hoped the business alliance membership would reach 30 participating members the first year. The Development Committee doubled that with memberships coming from the businesses listed on the Cascade Symphony Orchestra website.

My Edmonds News stopped to chat with Rebecca Anjewierden, a charter business alliance member and owner of Rebekah’s, located at 404 Main St.

Anjewierden explained that her early support of the business alliance stems from the fact that she “likes the presence of Cascade Symphony Orchestra in the community,” adding that two of her frequent customers are CSO orchestra members who keep her apprised of the organization’s accomplishments.

CSO Scholarships

The symphony awards scholarships at the end of each academic year and the 2016 winners were introduced by CSO this week:

Scholarships in the amount of $2,000 have been awarded to

• Esther Lee, viola, from the Mukilteo School District, who will continue her education at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music;
• Clara Hope Simpson, cello, from the Northshore School District, who will go on to the Eastman School of Music;
• Elise Kim, flute, from the Mukilteo School District, who has chosen to continue her education at the University of Washington; and
• Emily Lee, flute, from the Mukilteo School District, who has been accepted to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

Goodwill for CSO continues

In a token of its continuing support, the Business Alliance members sponsored this past Monday’s concert.

Titled, “Organ Symphony,” the program included a tribute to Camille Saint-Saens’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 received a four-minute standing ovation, bringing a close to the orchestra’s 54^th season.

Early Bird tickets for CSO’s 2016-17 season are available at the ECA online box office.

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“Give Big”-type philanthropy – whether as a business, at the individual level or as troupes of volunteers – helps close the income and expense gap for many arts venues. This week, a number of “Give Big 2016” recipients thanked their patrons publicly. Like Edmonds Center for the Arts, which sent out this message and wonderful series of photos saying

Thanks!

Fundraising Excitement at ECA! GiveBIG & Center Stage

Last week, ECA participated in GiveBIG: The Seattle Foundation’s one-day philanthropic giving event. This year, GiveBIG was extended an additional 24 hours offering us the opportunity to raise more funds for our Education & Outreach programs! We want to thank everyone who donated to ECA through GiveBIG 2016!

Last week was also our sponsorship event, Center Stage. Thank you to all our sponsors for your sponsorship dollars and raising money for our Education & Outreach programs!

ECA is vibrant because of your generous donations. Thank you!

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Driftwood Players kept its patrons abreast of “GiveBig 2016” news at its Facebook page with a series of posts including this one on May 4:

“Edmonds Driftwood Players is only $242 away from $5,000 in ‪#‎GiveBig2016 donations! Have you had a chance to get online and donate? Don’t miss your chance to support your local community theater! Follow the link below to give now!”

Players ran their campaign from this GiveBig page.

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Managing Director of The Phoenix Theatre Christine Mosere says of that company’s patrons,

“We feel blessed to be in a community filled with giving patrons from all over the Pacific Northwest who are generous of heart and wallet. We are so blessed!”

Watch for the opening of The Phoenix Theatre’s next production, “Dixie Swim Club” which opens Friday, June 3. Tickets are on sale now – for a venue that sells out often – at this ticket link.

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Now on to what’s going to get you out of the house:

3 Nights Only!
Thursday-Saturday
May 12-14
7 p.m.

Meadowdale High School’s
Black Box Theater, at
6002 168th St. S.W., Lynnwood

“Players” perform “The Princess and The Pea”

If you thought you knew the story of “The Princess and The Pea,” you may be in for a series of walloping surprises from “The Players” of Meadowdale High School.

Did you know, for instance, that Princess Winnifred actually swam the moat to reach Prince Dauntless the Drab? Or that Lady Larken’s love for Sir Harry provided a rather compelling reason that she reach the bridal altar post haste? Or that, in fact, it wasn’t the pea at all that caused the princess a sleepless night?

Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans.

Chances are you – and your children – will never look at fairy tales quite the same way again.

Tickets: $12 at the door.

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Friday, May 13
7:30 p.m. 
Sell Out Alert!
Poncho Sanchez
Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4^th Ave. N.

There are main floor single seating and bring-your-friends balcony seating available for this Mexican-American conga player, Latin jazz bandleader and salsa singer whose band won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2000.

Tickets can be purchased online, through the ECA Box Office (410 4^th Ave. N.), or by calling 425.275.9595.

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This Saturday, May 14
8 p.m.
Wade James Theatre
950 Main St.
 

The Overton Berry Ensemble is coming back to the Wade James Theatre this Saturday in a command-return engagement.

Overton featured artists include Jennifer Hopper and Bernie Jacobs Jr. along with Rick Spano and Jeff Davies.

With reminders of the stylized vocals and rich instrumentals that have made Overton a Pacific Northwest favorite over the years, audience members will hear such cover standards as “Take the A Train”, “Try A Little Tenderness”, “Miss Otis Regrets” and many more tunes that bring back fond memories.

Follow Overton’s liner notes at https://www.facebook.com/Driftwoodplayers/?fref=nf

Tickets to Saturday night’s performance are available by calling the Driftwood Players box office at 425.774.9600 or checking in at the Driftwood online box office at this link.

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While we are on the topic of what’s happening at the Wade James Theatre – home of the Driftwood Players, let’s shift gears to “The Players”:

Shorts Revealed ~ Driftwood ‘7^th Annual Festival of Shorts’

July 8-10

The much-anticipated annual “Festival of Shorts” is on the horizon as summer approaches and the Company has put out a casting call for actors. Interested? Proceed quickly to their auditions website for details to participate in the 7^th Annual Festival of Shorts.

The line-up of this year’s finalists for “the shorts” competition (in no particular order) includes:

• I Couldn’t Compete with a Harley, C. Schindewolf, Bradenton, FL
• The Solution by R. Kimble, Seattle, WA
• Cupid by J. Cook, North Augusta, SC
• Our Ten by M. Levine, Pasadena, CA
• Stop Saying That by G. Smart, Quincy, MA
• The Doppelganger, J. Feldstein, Jackson Heights, NY
• A Little Heartbreak by P. Hall of Florida; and
• Prayer for the Firecracker Kid by A. Scully, Columbia, MO

Early ticket grab for the festival: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=54742

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Thursday, May 19

7 p.m.

The “Writers and Poets Podium” segment of the Artfully Edmonds column is pleased to announce next week’s exciting “read” to be held at Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5^th Ave. S.

Catherine Alexander, Pushcart Prize nominee, has published stories in 31 literary journals, including North Atlantic Review, Rosebud (two successive issues), Bryant Literary Review, Rockhurst Review and won “Jurors’ Choice” in Spindrift.

 National Public Radio has aired her work.

Her story, “Backyards,” was performed by Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle in TV’s CSI) in a Los Angeles Word Theatre production. Catherine has taught fiction and memoir at Edmonds Community College, University of Washington, Horizon House in Seattle, writing conferences, senior centers and to homeless groups.

She leads private classes in Lynnwood and Seattle. Living in Edmonds with two dogs and a Maine Coon cat, she presently labors over a novel.

Catherine will be giving a brief talk about the short story and later reading her latest work, “First Morning,” published in the journal, When Women Waken, the Fear Issue.

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Elizabeth (Liz) Desimone is an author and registered nurse living in Burien, Washington. She won a grant from the Seattle Arts Commission for her book, Guatemala in my Blood—how nursing in remote jungle villages revolutionized my life, which chronicles her adventures as a missionary nurse.

Liz’s stories have appeared in Between the Heartbeats, Poetry and Prose by Nurses, Clinician Reviews, and Adoptive Families. Features were published in Maryknoll Magazine, The Seattle Times, Highline Times, Kirkland Courier, and Northwest Ethnic News. She wrote for The Carrier, newsletter of the Seattle-King County Health Department. Books in progress are about her adopted special-needs daughter and a nursing memoir.

Liz will be reading a story entitled “Caught Stealing.”

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Maureen Rogers is a transplanted Canadian from Vancouver who has lived in Seattle, Washington for over 40 years. She writes fiction and poetry as well as non-fiction and her work has appeared in many publications including the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Long Story Short, Rhapsody, Byline Magazine, Pipes and Timbrels, Under Our Skin (a breast cancer anthology), Common Ties, Dave’s Travel Corner, Metro Moms, two Not Your Mother’s Book and six Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.

Maureen has been a Write on the Sound Literary Contest winner eight times. One of her projects in process is a collection of firehouse tales called Hose Jockeys, Hotshots and Heroes, based on her husband’s career in the Seattle Fire Department.

Maureen will be reading a story entitled “Heavy.”

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It’s a Gala and You’re Invited! 

Friday, May 20

5:30 p.m.

Edmonds Senior Center

220 Railroad Ave.

The center’s second annual gala dinner and auction, “Anchors Away” to raise money to cover the center’s operating costs is being held next Friday.

Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling will present the “(E) Award“ to one Senior Center volunteer from among the many center volunteers. And former Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson will lead the “fund a need” effort for the new Edmonds Waterfront Community Center, which will replace the existing Senior Center building.

Michael Reagan, the Edmonds-based artist who draws portraits of fallen soldiers through the Fallen Heroes Project, will serve as event emcee and auctioneer.

Other event features are full buffet dinner plus silent and live auctions. Auction items include donations from Rick Steves Travel “A Tour for Two” to Europe and a signed football from Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett.

Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2498700 or by calling 425-774-5555, Ext. 108.

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Wednesday, May 25
7:30 p.m.

Linda Ronstadt Fans!
Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
410 4th Ave. N.

Holly Aprecio brings beloved Linda Ronstadt tunes to Edmonds main stage in her rendition of the famous singer’s repertoire on May 25.

Ticket availability at press time begs that you grab your 60s-era friends and sway to such great Ronstadt hits as “Just One Look”,

Follow Tribute Time Machine news of this performance through Facebook as the show winds its way toward Edmonds!

Got your friends together? Now go to the ECA ticket outlet for Tribute Time Machine’s show.

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Early Warning ~ Sell Out Alert!
Wednesday, June 22
Mandy Patinkin
Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4^th Ave. N.

Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend who frequently performed with Patti Lupone.

Patinkin is bringing his “Dress Casual” concert of popular songs from Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim, and from Cole Porter to Harry Chapin to Edmonds on June 22.

Wild fire ticket sales attest to his electrifying presence on stage so Artfully Edmonds wants to give you early-warning that now is the time to grab the last of the tickets!

Mandy Patinkin’s Special Engagement at the ECA is nearly sold out. If it is your wish to see him, accompanied by Adam Ben-David on piano, today would be the day to get your tickets through the ECA online box office or by calling 425.275.9595.

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Edmonds Arts Festival!
June 17-19

A call for festival volunteers comes in from the Edmonds Arts Festival planners this week:

“Edmonds Arts Festival seeks volunteers to assist during this not-for-profit Festival in June or throughout the year on a wide variety of projects. Consider this opportunity to be involved in the regional arts scene, give back to the community, and help us fulfill our mission to provide arts enrichment, education, and public art to Edmonds.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer, visit the website at www.edmondsartsfestival.com/volunteer-signup/

 

— By Emily Hill

Emily Hill is the author of two novels and a short story collection. Emily is retired from a career in public information and news media relations. If you would like your event listed, or featured, in Artfully Edmonds, Emily invites you to contact her at arts@myedmondsnews.com.