TED KUTSCHER SOLO SHOW

Work by esteemed local artist Ted Kutscher will be shown at The Hardware Store Restaurant Gallery throughout August. Kutscher, a longtime resident of Vashon, describes his work as being inspired and informed by such artists as Albrecht Durer, the Impressionists, Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, N.C. Wyeth, Richard Diebenkorn and Wayne Thiebault. In his day job, Kutscher is an estate planning and tax lawyer and financial planner in Seattle, but he has long been active in both making art and supporting it. He is a trustee at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle and a member of the Finance Committee of 4Culture, King County’s agency responsible for funding many arts programs. This is his first major show at The Hardware Store Restaurant.

JOEL McHALE COMES TO TOWN

Tickets have sold fast, but you can still try your luck at vashoncenterforthearts.org to purchase a seat for a show by well-known comedian and actor Joel McHale, who will perform at Vashon Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11. Vashon’s Pearce Cobarr will host the evening; opening acts will be local performers Mik Kuhlman and Richard Franklin Moore. Visit vashoncenterforthearts.org for more information.

THE BECKS SHOW TOGETHER

Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union will show ceramics by Chris Beck and journal prints and sketches by Darsie Beck throughout August. Both are longtime islanders and artists who have been active and influential in Vashon’s art scene.

REMEMBERING LIBBIE

Friends and admirers of Elizabeth “Libbie” Anthony, a well-known island theater director and performer who died in mid-July, will gather at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, to celebrate Anthony’s life. The evening, billed as “Remembering Libbie: A Night of Song and Stories,” will take place at the Vashon High School theater, and begin with desserts, conversation and mingling in the theater lobby, followed by a 7 p.m. presentation in the theater that will include a chance for participants to share a story or song in tribute to Anthony. During her years on Vashon, Anthony directed many well-remembered productions for Drama Dock, including “Anything Goes,” “The Pirates of Penzance” (twice), “The Mikado,” “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” “Annie,” “Oliver,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Oklahoma.” She also was part of the popular group “Women, Women, and Song.”

OUTDOOR PLAY AT SUNRISE RIDGE

The Pulitzer and Tony-award winning play “Proof” will be performed outdoors at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 18 and 19, at Sunrise Ridge, across from the Neighborcare clinic. The play, which is about a family dealing with mental health issues, is free, with donations accepted to benefit Vashon Youth & Family Services behavioral health services. The play will be performed by Thriving Artists Theatre in Spanish and English and is appropriate for ages 12 and older. Bring a blanket or chair and a picnic. After the production, VYFS will hold a question-and-answer session with the cast and clinicians from VYFS to discuss the effects of mental illness on families.

VASHON OPERA TICKETS ON SALE

Season and individual tickets are now on sale for Vashon Opera’s 10th anniversary season, at vashonopera.org. The season will open on Friday, Sept. 14, at Vashon Center for the Arts, with Giacomo Puccini’s “La Bohème.” Featuring a cast of top-notch artists, orchestral musicians and local singers in the chorus, the opera will star Anthony Kalil as Rodolfo and Alex Jarvis as Mimi. Kalil last appeared in Vashon Opera’s “Eugene Onegin” in 2012 and since that time has sung with The Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis and Santa Fe Opera. Jarvis, appearing for the first time on Vashon, has a resume that includes appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Pacific Northwest Opera. Vashon Opera founders Andrew and Jennifer Krikawa will sing the roles of Marcello and Musetta in “Bohème.” In May 2019, Vashon Opera will present André Previn’s jazz-inspired score for “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

‘MASQUERADE’ FOR THE ARTS

Tickets are on sale now for Vashon Center for the Arts’ annual art and experience auction to support operations and scholarships. The theme this year is “Masquerade” and as usual, the party will last two nights. This year’s auction will take place Sept. 21 and 22. The auction evenings will include wine, food, surprise entertainment, and, of course, a collection of donated art from Vashon’s generous artists’ community. Check out the art that will be on offer at a free preview party on Friday evening, Sept. 7. Tickets for both nights, for the auction only, are $35. The Sept. 22 event will also include the option of a dinner. The cost for both auction and dinner is $165 before Sept. 1 and $175 after Sept. 1. For more information and to get tickets, visit VCAAuction.org.