Arts Briefs

Studio Tour continues, Tony McManus plays, VHS Theater presents “Museum”, and more.

Studio Tour continues

The Vashon Island Visual Artists (VIVA) Spring Studio Art Tour continues for its second weekend from 10-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12.

The tour boasts 37 stops, including studios tucked all over Vashon, as well as other art venues and shops including VALISE Gallery, Vashon Center for the Arts, Outstanding in its Field Gallery; Swiftwater; Dig Deep Gardens, and Anu Ranu. It includes photographs, paintings, prints, fiber art and jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, and much more.

Find out more about the tour and plan your stops at vivartists.com.

Drawing in the Garden

Robyn Smith will lead a Swiftwater Gallery-sponsored drawing class from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 10, held in Mary Liz Austin’s garden. Sketch in the garden, then work further on the drawings at Swiftwater Gallery. All levels are welcome. Register at swiftwatergallery.com or in person, at the gallery.

Tony McManus plays

Master Scottish guitar player, Tony McManus, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Vashon Havurah, at 15401 Westside Hwy. His playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic world, adding further-ranging flavors such as jazz and Eastern European music. He has performed worldwide and has been recognized as one of the 50 most transcendent guitarists of all time by Guitar Player Magazine. Find out more about his music at tonymcmanus.com, and reserve tickets to the show by emailing janstrolle@comcast or calling 206-228-0730.

VHS Theater presents “Museum”

A talented cast of youth theater-makers, directed by teacher Andy James, will take the stage in Tina Howe’s acclaimed play, “Museum,” to be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 17 and 18, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at Vashon High School Theater.

The play, set in a major museum on the last night of an important exhibition of modern art, has been described as a feast of “people-watching, art, comedy and drama.”

On opening night, there will also be a student showcase of visual art, starting at 5 p.m. Get tickets at the door to see the latest offering from Vashon High School’s theater program. The show comes with a parent advisory: some language in the show may not be suitable for elementary and younger middle-school audience members.

Beauty and the Beast

Cheer on a cast of 51 musical theater students as they bring “Beauty and the Beast” to life in three performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11, and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Vashon Center for the Arts. Based on the Broadway production that ran for more than 13 years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, this “tale as old as time” is a crowd-pleaser that’s fun for the whole family.

Get tickets and find out more at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Romeo and Juliet

Vashon Opera will bring a timeless tale of passion, intrigue, a secret marriage, and a deadly duel to life at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 24, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Vashon Center for the Arts.

A star-studded cast of opera world luminaries will perform in composer Charles Gounod’s renowned retelling of Shakespeare’s tragic love story.

Daniel O’Hearn, an emerging full-lyric tenor from Chicago, will play the role of Romeo. Recently, O’Hearn joined The Metropolitan Opera as both First Armored Guard in “The Magic Flute” and Benvolio cover in “Roméo et Juliette;” Santa Fe Opera as Pastore I cover in “L’Orfeo;” Pittsburgh Opera as Steuermann in “Der fliegende Holländer;” and The Glimmerglass Festival as Canio cover in “Pagliacci.”

Soprano Ksenia Popova will return to Vashon Opera to sing the role of Juliet. Popova has previously sung the role of Adle in Vashon Opera’s “Die Fledermaus,” as well as sung numerous principal roles with Tacoma Opera and Pacific Northwest Opera. Her upcoming performances include a debut with Puget Sound Concert Opera as Gulnara, in “Il Corsaro.”

Find out more and get tickets at vashonopera.org.

Venus and the Vixens

“Venus and the Vixens: Games of Love” — a Vashon-born production of interactive and immersive theater, will run from May 30 to June 16, at Emerald City Trapeze Arts, in Seattle.

It’s a fresh take on the mythological tale of Cupid and Psyche’s epic love story, filled with games of chance, aerial flourishes, physical challenges, playful surprises, and the heart-pumping music of an all-female disco-rock band.

The show is produced by Vashon-based EnJoy Productions, helmed by Kevin Joyce and Martha Enson. Enson, who conceived, wrote, and directed the show, is part of a creative team that includes composer Sari Breznau and choreographer Shadae Simone.

Find out more about the show and get tickets at venusandthevixens.com.

Joyce and Enson are also encouraging islanders to volunteer in several front-of-house positions for the show — sign up at the same website and get free tickets to the show.

Correction: The time of a May 19 Sunday matinee performance for Vashon High School’s production of “Museum” was changed from 2 to 3 p.m. after the Beachcomber went to press and published this article online. Itis now correctly listed here.