Orcas Center

Audition Notice: The Lightning Thief Director Katie Zwilling | Music Director Johanna Lange | Choreo by Tiffany Loney Performance Dates: April 30 – May 9, 2027 AUDITIONS SIGNUP (https://forms.gle/PzaYryrTNQxdey8y9) Open Auditions: Adults and Teens (ages +12) Singing/Initial Auditions: Main Stage – check-in in the lobby November 4, 2026 3:30pm-6:30pm November 5, 2026 3:30pm-6:30pm *Dancers must audition on the 4th or 5th as well! May lip-sync to a track. Please come to auditions with a prepared song of ~1-2 minutes, and provide the backing/karaoke track to islandtheatregeeks@gmail.com prior to audition. Callback Auditions: All Callbacks – Movement/Dance with Tiffany Loney: November 11, 2026 3:00pm Additional Individual and Small Group Callbacks: November 11, 2026 4:30pm-6:30pm Spillover Callbacks: November 12, 2026 3:30pm-6:30pm

Contemporary Dance meets Thursdays 5:15-6:45pm at Orcas Oddfellows. Drop-in classes are $20, or save with a 5- or 10-class pass for $15 per class. Passes can be purchased through the Parks & Rec website or in person at the office (30 Pea Patch Lane, Eastsound, WA). Register here: https://orcasparkandrec.org/

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548500Orcas Center Presents: Bad Dads & Shadow Basket Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. “Off-Center” Black Box Theater Tiered Ticketing: (https://orcascenter.org/ticket-prices/) $25, $35, and $70 ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) Bad Dads & Shadow Basket Bad Dads are an Orcas Island based punk/dad rock band. Influenced by the likes of Paul Baribeau, The Exploding Hearts, The Chats, The Clash, Parquet Courts, Titus Andronicus among others, each member takes their turn at singing and songwriting resulting in a blend of punk, lo-fi, folk, and garage rock. Shadow Basket is a four-piece dog rock band from San Juan Island, WA. The band is co-led by Jacey LaManna (vocals, guitar) and Kyle Lutz (vocals, guitar), whose harmonies and songwriting shape the heart of the project. They are joined by the steady rhythms of Andrew Cullinane (bass) and Brendan Casey (drums). Shadow Basket blends elements of folk, Americana, and rock to build a soundscape affectionately classified as dog rock. Shadow Basket is meant to be homemade, DIY, shared, and distributed among friends- like stone soup at the potluck. https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548500

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548448Orcas Center Presents: Phina Pipia: Ha Ha Da Vinci Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. Center Stage Tiered Ticketing: (https://orcascenter.org/ticket-prices/) $25, $35, and $70 ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) [ Volunteer for this event ] (https://orcascenter.ludus.com/volunteer/opportunity/12694) Phina Pipia: Ha Ha Da Vinci Hailed as “terrific,” by the New York Times, “impossible to resist” by the Montreal Gazette, and “imaginative, intelligent, and strangely mesmerizing” by the San Diego Union Tribune; Phina Pipia takes audiences on an adventure overflowing with the delightfully unexpected. A tuba lights the way, beds make music, paintings come to life, and a radio delivers a message from the past in a whimsical production that combines elements of illusion, music, and theater. When a young grad student discovers that Leonardo da Vinci and his collaborator, magician and mathematician Luca Pacioli, invented a time machine, she is zapped back to the Renaissance. It’s up to her to decode their notes and solve a 15th-century mystery so that she can return to the present. Winner of the Critic’s Pick Award for Best Solo Show – Musical from the Orlando Weekly and Orlando Sentinel, Artist’s Pick and Golden Lanyard Awards at the Minnesota Fringe, the San Diego International Fringe Festival’s Outstanding Solo Performance Award, the Vancouver Fringe Festival’s Joanna Maratta Award, and named a Top Pick at the San Diego Fringe by PBS, Ha Ha Da Vinci invites audiences of all ages into a world where truly anything is possible. Phina Pipia “A triple-threat with a flare for sleight-of-hand…” Called “terrific” by the New York Times, “imaginative, intelligent, and strangely mesmerizing” by the San Diego Union Tribune, “enchanting,” by the Twin Cities’ Pioneer Press, and “impossible to resist,” by the Montreal Gazette, Phina Pipia’s performances have captivated audiences around the world. She has spent the past four years touring her 90-minute, multi award-winning solo illusion, music, and puppetry show, Ha Ha Da Vinci across Europe, the United States, and Canada, performing in both English and Italian. In addition to the show, Phina has created a series of Make Magic Happen workshops, which use da Vinci’s approach to the creative process as a springboard to explore the magic of the Italian renaissance and to provide working artists practical tools for sustaining their own practices. Her solo album, Outside of the Movies, was released in 2020 alongside a songbook complete with lyrics, sheet music, and original illustrations. Phina’s work invites audiences of all ages into a world where they can safely expect the delightfully unexpected.   https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548448

Contemporary Dance meets Sundays 10-11:15am and Tuesdays 10-11:15am at the Orcas Center Dance Studio. Drop-in classes are $20, or save with a 5- or 10-class pass for $15 per class. Passes can be purchased through the Parks & Rec website or in person at the office (30 Pea Patch Lane, Eastsound, WA). Register here: https://orcasparkandrec.org/

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548452Orcas Center Presents: Frank Vignola & Pasquale Grasso Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Center Stage Tiered Ticketing: (https://orcascenter.org/ticket-prices/) $25, $35, and $70 ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) [ Volunteer for this event ] (https://orcascenter.ludus.com/volunteer/opportunity/12695) Frank Vignola & Pasquale Grasso Frank Vignola Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal. Vignola’s dynamic, genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents. He’s performed in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. Vignola has recorded over 30 CD’s as a leader and has been a guest on hundreds of recordings. To share his expertise with the world, Vignola has written over 18 educational music books and created other educational material, reaching thousands of jazz guitar enthusiasts throughout the globe. Currently, Vignola holds residency every Wednesday night at the world famous Birdland Jazz Club Theatre in New York City. “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night” has featured some of the finest talent on the planet including Mike Stern, Peter Bernstein, Houston Person, and Pasquale Grasso. Pasquale Grasso In 2016, Pasquale Grasso received the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of when Pat Metheny was asked to name impressive younger musicians in an interview for Vintage Guitar Magazine. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult… He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.” Born in Italy and now based in New York City, Grasso has developed an astounding technique informed by bebop pioneers like Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. His digital-only EP series showcases Grasso in the solo-guitar format, where his intensive studies of both midcentury jazz and classical meld into a signature mastery that is both unprecedented and evocative. His innovative style is hypnotizing to watch as his nimble fingers appear to change the six guitar strings into 88 piano keys. https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548452

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200553628Winter fundraiser for Orcas Center: ‘Prom Night Gone Bad’ | An ’80s murder mystery dinner at New Leaf Cafe Saturday, Nov. 14 6 p.m. @ New Leaf Cafe Pricing: $195 Prom Night Gone Bad Break out the hairspray and leg warmers. New Leaf Cafe is turning back the clock for “Totally Rad ’80s Prom Gone Bad,” a murder mystery dinner on Saturday, Nov. 14, beginning at 6 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for Orcas Center. Tickets are $195 per person and include dinner prepared by New Leaf and drinks like Bloody Carrie and Pretty in Pink. Seating is limited; you can purchase tickets at www.orcascenter.org. Please note your menu preference (vegan or non-vegan) when booking. During the ticket buying process, you will have an option to select your level of involvement, from main characters, secondary characters, or ensemble observers. Guests will arrive at the Mayhem High Senior Prom, where the crowning of prom king and queen is the biggest event of the year, until someone ends up dead. Over a multi-course dinner, diners will mingle with the suspects, gather clues and try to name the killer before the final reveal. The winner will receive four tickets to a show of their choice in the 2026-27 season. Guests are encouraged to dress up in audacious 1980s attire. Think glamour, big bangs, color and taffeta. https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200553628

2026 Battle of the Bands, Orcas Island’s local music event of the year, returns to Orcas Center on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m., and ticket sales are live! Hosted by Pedro LopezDeVictoria and Jamey Moriarty, the night pits original music by Orcas Island artists head-to-head across a range of categories, with audiences dancing along and cheering on their favorites. Organizers promise a night of laughs, a few tears, and no shortage of rock. A handful of surprises are also in store for the evening.

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200555422Orcas Center Presents: Enchanted Forest 6: The Last Suffer Fundraiser for Deborah Sparks Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. Center Stage Ticket Pricing*: $25, $50, $100, $250 ($10 Student/Senior/Veteran tickets available) *Ticket fees will be passed on to buyers, so all proceeds can go to Sparks. For questions, please contact the box office. Enchanted Forest 6: The Last Suffer Enchanted Forest Cabaret is coming out of retirement for one last show to raise funds for its “Lady of Mayhem” and long-time islander Deborah Sparks. Enchanted Forest 6: The Last Suffer, a greatest-hits cabaret, will play on Center Stage. It’s both a performance and an auction with proceeds to help Deborah Sparks with the costs of her treatment for pancreatic cancer. One hundred percent of ticket sales and funds raised will go to Sparks. For more than 40 years, Sparks has been a creative force on Orcas Island. She began directing, acting and designing lights, sets and costumes at Orcas Center in 1984, and served as its production director for 17 years starting in 2000, creating opportunities for generations of island performers. In 2011, Sparks wrote and directed her first Enchanted Forest production. With its bizarre plotlines, elaborate musical numbers, and inventive sets, the show became a local cult classic every fall. The Last Suffer brings back favorite moments from all five Enchanted Forest productions, with performers singing live alongside footage from the original Black Box shows. Audiences should expect the unexpected and come ready to help an island icon. The cast includes Jake Perrine, Grace McCune, Khadoma Colomby, Stormy Hildreth, Christopher Evans, Cali Bagby, Colleen Smith Summers, Fabrice van Putten and Katie Wlaysewski and magician Matthew Laslo. Tickets range in price from $10, $25, $50, $100 to $250. https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200555422

Visual Arts Committee Presents: Featured Artist: Debra Babcock Community Show: Mixed Media Art Opening: Friday, November 20th; 5:30pm – 7pm On Display: November 20th – December 22nd All are invited to attend the Art Opening on Friday, October 23rd from 5:30 to 7 p.m., featuring live entertainment and complimentary refreshments. Artists are urged to attend and contribute hors d’oeuvres. To learn more about exhibiting your art, commission structures, and upcoming shows, please visit the VAC page.

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548500Orcas Center Presents: Zan Fiskum & Sturtz Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. Center Stage Tiered Ticketing: (https://orcascenter.org/ticket-prices/) $25, $35, and $70 ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) [ Volunteer for this event ] (https://orcascenter.ludus.com/volunteer/opportunity/12707) Zan Fiskum & Sturtz Come enjoy a night of live music at the Orcas Center on November 22nd. Sturtz and Zan Fiskum have toured together in the past, and both groups are led by vocal powerhouses. Sturtz is a folk duo based out of Longmont, CO, but they travel to the PNW at least once a year to share their music. Zan is based out of Maple Valley, WA, and loves making it out to the islands whenever possible. Join us for this night of impressive harmony! Zan Fiskum Zan Fiskum is a singer and songwriter from Maple Valley, WA, whose music blends folk, soul, and cinematic pop into emotionally vivid storytelling. Known for her commanding vocal range and a diverse sound rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Zan has built a dedicated following through a series of independent releases that have amassed over a million streams. She has opened for artists including The Avett Brothers, Kingfish, Mon Rovia, and shared the stage with John Legend and Dave Matthews. With her third album, “American Sparrow,” coming early 2027, Zan returns with a confidence and clarity that brings her voice into sharper focus than ever. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Tyler Chester, the record expands the range and emotional depth of her sound: blending pop, soul, folk, and country into a cinematic, road-worn world of warm textures, brought to life alongside powerhouse collaborators. https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548500

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200552448Orcas Center Presents: The Olga Symphony Reunion Concert Sunday, Nov. 27 & 28 at 7 p.m. Center Stage Ticket Pricing: By Donation [ Volunteer for this event ] The Olga Symphony Reunion Concert They’re back! The Olga Symphony is thrilled to be returning to Orcas Center for their traditional Thanksgiving weekend show, November 27 and 28 at 7pm. As always, admission is by donation and all proceeds will support Orcas Center and other island charities. The band appreciates your generosity that makes this possible! This year’s concert will be extra special – it’s the first ever Olga Symphony Reunion Concert! Current band members (Melinda Milligan, Dave “Z” Zoeller, Gordon Koenig, JP Wittman, and Anita Orne) are excited and honored to be joined by alumni players Tim Cardinale and Lesley Liddle. It’ll be an evening of treasured old favorites plus fun new musical adventures sung and played on the band’s distinctly non-symphonic mix of instruments including guitar, bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, flute, concertina, ukulele, dobro, saw, and a few special surprises. And they dress nice, too… https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200552448

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200555409Orcas Choral Society: The Many Moods of Christmas Saturday, December 5th at 7pm Sunday, December 6th at 2pm Adult Pricing: $70, $35, $25 Youth (Ages 12-18): $5 Under 12: Free! The Many Moods of Christmas Robert Shaw and Robert Russell Bennett (1963) First recorded in 1963 by the Robert Shaw Chorale and RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, The Many Moods of Christmas has become one of the most beloved collections of traditional Christmas music in the American choral repertoire. Following the success of Robert Russell Bennett’s earlier collaboration with the great contralto Marian Anderson, RCA commissioned Bennett to arrange eighteen familiar Christmas carols, which Robert Shaw organized into four suites exploring the remarkable variety of emotions associated with the season—from quiet reverence and tender reflection to exuberant celebration. Bennett, the legendary orchestrator whose artistry enriched such Broadway classics as Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music, brought his extraordinary imagination to these timeless melodies. His arrangements transform familiar carols into a continuous musical tapestry, preserving their simplicity and charm while revealing unexpected colors, contrasts, and grandeur. So enduring was the work’s popularity that Shaw returned to it twenty years later, recording it anew in 1983 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The result is a work that captures not merely the sounds of Christmas, but its many moods: wonder, nostalgia, tenderness, mystery, and joy. https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200555409

The Orcas Choral Society presents its annual holiday offering featuring “The Many Moods of Christmas”, performing a delightful compilation of carols and songs of the season from the Main Stage at Orcas Center. As always, be prepared for some surprises! Saturday, December 5 at 7pm and a matinee performance Sunday, December 6 at 2pm. Tickets available at orcascenter.org (http://orcascenter.org).

https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548385Orcas Center Presents: Salish Sea Nutcracker Dec. 11, 12, and 13 at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 & 13 at 1 p.m. Center Stage Tiered Ticketing: (https://orcascenter.org/ticket-prices/) $25, $35, and $70 ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) [ Volunteer for this event ] (https://orcascenter.ludus.com/volunteer/opportunity/12681) Salish Sea Nutcracker Orcas Dance Collective is again presenting the Salish Sea Nutcracker! Featuring many wildlife themes that make our island home so magical, this full-length dream ballet will showcase an intergenerational cast of local dancers. Salish Sea Nutcracker is a nautical twist on the traditional ballet, featuring roles such as the Sea Star Fairy, Great Blue Heron, Octopus Fairy, Orca Whales, and more! https://orcascenter.ludus.com/200548385

Orcas Island Community Band Friday, Dec 18th, 7:00 PM Admission by donation Giving gifts is traditional at this season. The Orcas Island Community Band wants to share good cheer with you and there’s no greater gift than music! Our December 18, 2026 concert offers something for everyone. Under the direction of Karen Key Speck, the Band will perform traditional holiday tunes, plus selections from iconic musicals, movies, television shows and more. Show time 7pm and Admission by Donation. About Orcas Island Community Band: Learn More at www.orcascommunityband.org (https://orcascommunityband.org/) The Orcas Island Community Band (OICB) is a 501c3 non profit all-volunteer organization comprised of approximately forty Orcas Island and occasionally neighboring-island men and women dedicated to making a unique musical and cultural contribution to our community. Membership in the OICB is open to musicians of high school age or older who play instruments found in the standard scoring of the concert band. Our members come from a broad variety of backgrounds, including healthcare workers, firefighters, school teachers, engineers, politicians, doctors, housewives, students, and senior citizens. Founded in October 1990 in response to local musicians desire to play band music together, OICB began as a “garage band”. Five or six musicians gathered in Marlin Brown’s garage in the Orcas Highlands/Eastsound for weekly music sessions. By 1994, the group had grown to ten musicians and they performed occasionally in the Historical Society’s July parades and were jokingly called the Orcas Island Hysterical Society’s Sedentary Band. After participating center stage in one of the Orcas Center’s early variety shows membership grew exponentially.