INAUGURAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL COMES TO WHIDBEY ISLAND

The soulful sounds of Bluegrass will fill the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) January 24 and 25 with the official launch of the inaugural Bluegrass Festival. The festival brings two Oregon-based trios to WICA, the Tony Furtado Acoustic Trio on January 24 and the Stephanie Schneiderman Trio on January 25. Set against the backdrop of a beautiful Pacific Northwest winter, the Bluegrass Festival will transport attendees to a bygone era while offering a new perspective on this quintessential American music.

“We love bringing new artists and programming to WICA,” says Deana Duncan, executive artistic director. “Over the years, our Bluegrass Jams have been a wonderful gathering opportunity for our community. We’ve been able to showcase the talents of our local Bluegrass artists and have created a space that connects and fosters a shared love of music. Now, as we launch our first Bluegrass Festival, I can’t wait to celebrate the talent that will be featured!”

The festival was inspired by the success of WICA’s Bluegrass Jams, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a part of WICA’s music education program—bringing local musicians together to meet and share music. Since then, the jams have grown to monthly events, consistently bringing people to WICA who are interested in learning more about Bluegrass.

The first day of the festival will kick off with the Tony Furtado Acoustic Trio performance at 7:30 p.m. Featuring Tony Furtado, John Reischman, and Luke Price, the trio’s soulful music and multi-instrumental talent will entertain audiences, perfectly embodying the roots of Bluegrass music.

The second day of the festival will feature a performance by the Stephanie Schneiderman Trio at 7:30 p.m. The trio includes award-winning singer-songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman, as well as keyboardist and accordionist Jenny Conlee and bassist Keith Brush. Their performance will offer an exploration of folk, Americana, trip hop, and pop, all while celebrating Bluegrass and its impact on music.

The Rusty Rails String Band, a Whidbey Island-based Bluegrass group, will play in the piano bar an hour before the performances and during the intermission on both festival days. With a repertoire that includes Bluegrass material as well as fiddle tunes, country music, and related songs, the group consists of Whidbey Island locals Michael McInerney (guitar, mandola, and vocals), Bev Heising (fiddle, mandolin, and vocals), David Auer (6 and 12 string guitars, 5 string banjo, and vocals), Bob Aldrich (bass and vocals), and Chip Hayward (sound system, and audio and video recording).

During the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in Whiskey tasting, which will occur in Zech Hall an hour before the mainstage performance each day.

“It’s going to be a great festival and we can’t wait to share it with our patrons,” says Duncan. “What better way to spend a winter day than with the upbeat tempos, soulful acoustics, and beautiful vocals that make Bluegrass such a beloved music genre.”

Tickets are on sale now. To learn more about the Bluegrass Festival and to purchase festival tickets, visit wicaonline.org.

January’s Whidbey Island Film Festival Brings Screwball Comedies to Langley

A celebration of nearly six decades of screwball comedy movie history will be on display during the 6th annual Whidbey Island Film Festival, January 17-21. Produced by the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA), the festival promises participants seven movies, one concert, and countless laughs over the five-day event. With films featuring Hollywood icons from Cary Grant to Barbara Streisand, the festival offers an unforgettable cinematic journey through some of Hollywood’s most quintessential comedies—introducing audiences to beloved stories that have delighted generations of moviegoers.

“This year’s theme of screwball comedies really transcends the decades, and it’s wonderful to see how it still entertains,” says Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan, film festival co-curator. “Life has become so serious, and the new year seemed like a great time to kick off a journey through some of the best comedies of all time. With their witty banter and madcap antics, the goal is to have fun, together!”

Adds Duncan, “Really great comedy has this serious underbelly to it. Looking at the history, development and evolution of the screwball comedy film genre causes us to look at the social, economic, and political environment of the United States and Hollywood in particular. These films feature very farcical situations with a combination of slapstick and fast-paced repartee, but they also show the struggle between economic classes and generally feature a self-confident and often stubborn central female protagonist.”

With individual tickets and festival passes on sale, audience members can expect a diverse line-up of movie options over the five-day festival:

Wednesday, January 17 | 7:30 PM Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Thursday, January 18 | 7:30 PM His Girl Friday (1940)
Friday, January 19 | 7:30 PM Shall We Dance (1937)
Saturday, January 20 | 12:30 PM What’s Up Doc? (1972)
Saturday, January 20 | 7:30 PM Victor Victoria (1982)
Sunday, January 21 | 12:30 PM Adam’s Rib (1949)
Sunday, January 21 | 6:30 PM The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

In addition to the movie schedule, this year’s Art of The Score concert on Sunday, January 21 at 3:00 p.m., will feature Whidbey Island musicians Sheila Weidendorf, Gloria Ferry-Brennan, and James Hinkley.

“In this year's concert, we are focusing on the collaboration of filmmakers and composers that we’re calling A Game of Pairs,” says film festival co-curator James Hinkley, who will be performing in the concert. “We’ll be exploring partnerships like Hitchcock/Herrmann, Spielberg/Williams, Edwards/Mancini, and more. I think the audience will enjoy seeing how these directors work with their composers to create a new, unique world for every film they make together.”

Festivities will kick off on January 17 with an Opening Night Red Carpet Experience, complete with champagne, photos, and bottomless popcorn. Throughout the festival, specialty craft cocktails will be available for purchase in the Piano Bar an hour before each show. Attendees will also have the opportunity to buy tickets for other festival-themed programming—from dance lessons with a local choreographer to a film talk.

Each film showing will include a live introduction, with speakers discussing themes and reasons for why the film is still so relevant today. Pay What You Will tickets will be available for all films, as well as four Pay What You Will full festival passes.

“We aspire to make our programs accessible and inclusive for all,” says Duncan. “Movies are meant to be a community experience; they were made to be watched with others. Great art, classic film included, has the power to connect us. These stories and these artists can and will reach audiences in powerful ways. We need social experiences to enrich and impact our lives.”

For both Duncan and Hinkley, the film festival schedule is sure to entertain, and is the perfect addition to January programming on the island.

“You can stay home for the rest of the winter. Dress up a little, come see some great films, and eat the best popcorn in town,” says Duncan. “We can’t wait to roll out the red carpet!”

Adds Hinkley, “You will laugh! A LOT!”

To learn more about the Whidbey Island Film Festival and to purchase festival passes or tickets, visit www.whidbeyislandfilmfestival.org.

The Spirit of Celtic Music Comes to WICA

Bagpipes echoed in the halls of the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) and the sound of fiddle music floated through the air. Toe-tapping melodies and entertaining ballads created a transformational experience for audience members who took part in WICA’s inaugural Celtic Festival, November 10-12.

Even the rain didn’t dampen the mood, as the three-day festival drew hundreds of attendees to Langley, filling WICA’s mainstage theatre for each performance. Opening with a sold-out Friday show with the Tannahill Weavers, one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands, the weekend’s line-up featured a performance by Irish button accordion player John Whelan on Saturday as well as a matinee performance by Native Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson and pianist Neil Pearlman on Sunday.

“We were honored to have such talented artists at our first ever Celtic Festival,” says WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan. “At WICA, part of our mission is to bring world-renowned artists to Whidbey Island and to share with our community diverse programming that enriches lives and connects us all. This inaugural event was a beautiful example of these efforts, and we can’t wait to see how this festival continues to grow.”

To learn more about this festival, as well as WICA’s other heritage festivals, visit www.wicaonline.org.

Falstaff in Love Preparations Begin at WICA

Excitement and anticipation emanate from the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) mainstage. Under the warm glow of the house lights, the cast of the upcoming production Falstaff in Love meet for the first time—reading through the play that takes William Shakespeare’s beloved character Sir John Falstaff and imagines the life before he was known as “a lazy, gluttonous, boastful, selfish, lying, and debauched old knight.”

“One of the most challenging aspects of being a playwright is finding a performing arts organization willing to assume the risks of producing new work,” says playwright Scott Kaiser. “WICA took a chance on my play Falstaff in Love, committing to a full production rather than waiting for another institution to prove the commercial viability of the work. For this reason, I am forever grateful to my colleagues at WICA, whose bold artistic engagement provides invaluable resources—both to professional theatre artists like me and to the Whidbey Island community.”

Premiering on Friday, December 8 with a ten-show run, the play is the hilarious prequel to Shakespeare's Henry IV plays, commissioned by the highly respected Oregon Shakespeare Festival and premiering in full production at WICA. A play by Scott Kaiser and directed by WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan, it features local and national artists in a beautiful homage to Shakespearean charm, posing the questions of “who was Falstaff” and “was he ever truly in love.”

The cast for the WICA production is as follows:

Jeff Natter, Host, Guard
James Hinkley, Corporal Bardolf, Gardener
David Mayer, Duke of Aumerle, King Henry the Fourth
Andrew Yabroff, Jack Falstaff
Jameson Cook, Boy
Rosaletta Curry, Nell
Sommer Harris, Queen Mary
Shelley Hartle, Lady Katherine
Aleah Stacey, Faith, The Earl of Kent
Tom Harris, The Earl of Salisbury, Crew

With rehearsals beginning, set design underway, and a steady hum of activity at WICA as preparations move forward, Falstaff in Love’s December premiere and performance run is less than a month away. Tickets for the play are on sale now! Visit www.wicaonline.org to purchase your tickets today.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts Receives People's Choice Award for North Puget Sound

Art, community, and connection have been at the heart of the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) mission since 1996, when a grassroots movement established the nonprofit in Langley, Washington. Support for this mission was on full display on October 23 when WICA received the Theatre Puget Sound People's Choice Award for North Puget Sound.

“We are honored to receive this award,” says Deana Duncan, WICA executive artistic director. “For nearly three decades, WICA has served the Whidbey Island community—bringing world-renowned artists, lecturers, performers, and productions to the island. We firmly believe art connects us all, inspiring empathy and creating powerful shared experiences.”

As Island County’s largest arts organization, WICA employs 600 regional, national, and international artists annually and offers 15,000 patrons more than 120 days of arts, educational, and cultural programming each year. With support for local youth through scholarship opportunities and expanded accessibility through pay-what-you-will initiatives, WICA is working to ensure that the arts are available to all. In addition to this, WICA’s four heritage festivals, which include internationally-renowned DjangoFest Northwest, bring in audience members from around the world and add more than $500K directly to the local economy.

“It is so exciting to be recognized for our commitment to the arts as we work to ensure that WICA remains a relevant and vital part of our island identity,” says Duncan. “We want to thank Theatre Puget Sound for this award as well as our dedicated volunteers, patrons, artists, staff, board, and supporters who have made this all possible.”

To learn more about WICA, please visit wicaonline.org.