Meadowdale Players present Alice in Wonderland Tea fundraiser

6 p.m. Tuesday, April 8; or Friday, April 11, Mel and Mia’s, 7530 Olympic View Dr., Edmonds

Meadowdale High School is one of eight schools in the world to be selected to perform on the Main Stage at the 2025 International Thespian Festival (ITF) from June 22-27 at Indiana University in Bloomington. The festival is produced by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). This opportunity opens doors to numerous scholarships and mentorships for the students.

In addition to airfare and room and board, transporting the set 2,200 miles will be a major expense. The troupe needs to raise $50,000 to make the journey possible. The kids have all purchased their costumes, rehearsed, built sets and promoted their work while preparing for their spring musical and preparing to perform in front of thousands.

Help chip in and get the Meadowdale Players to the ITF by joining them at one or both of their fundraiser teas at Mel and Mia’s. Enjoy a four-course tea with your favorite characters, a crazy hat contest and many photo-ops. All the proceeds will help fund their trip to the ITF. The students will dress as characters from Alice in Wonderland and act as servers. Raise your tea cup and your pinkies to this hardworking group of students.

Tickets are available here at two levels: General admission for $85 or VIP (upgraded food and character interactions) for $100.

Thank you to Mel & Mia’s for providing the space and food for the event at no cost to the troupe.

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Gallery North announces April featured exhibit, “Connections through Art,” by member artist Leanna Leitzke 

Show runs through April, artist reception 1 – 4 p.m. Saturday, April 5, Gallery North, 401 Main St, Edmonds

Artist Leanna Leizke has been painting since she was 3 years old. “My mom was always very supportive of my drawing and watercolor painting. I used to come to her with every single picture for approval, and she always said, ‘Very nice, good job!’” she said.

“My mom never painted herself, but she liked buying art books. The most influential for me were those on the Renaissance and French Impressionism,” Leitzke added.

The most important role of art for Leitzke is freedom of expression. “I found out from those early readings that art teachers often limit their students by teaching them certain rules, which could prevent them from being fearless and developing their own unique artistic eye and technique,” she said. “For this reason, it came to me that I should be self-taught. I love sharing my inner life through my art.”

Leitzke’s work has won awards in numerous juried exhibits and has found homes in Paris, London, Eastern Europe and all over the U.S. “The clock is ticking, I’m in a hurry! All my most beautiful paintings are yet to come. They are there in my mind, ready to go,” Leitzke said.

Come check out Letizke’s work throughout April. You can also meet her at Third Thursday ArtWalk 5 – 8 p.m., April 17.

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Kizzie Jones

Spring Break activities and Bilingual Story Time with the Edmonds Bookshop

Bilingual Story Time 9:30 a.m., Friday, April 11, The Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Ave. S., Edmonds

Spring break is coming, and Edmonds Bookshop has some fun activities planned. The shop will provide take-home activities during spring break week for students at Edmonds School District. Stop by and pick them up from the children’s section, a new one each day from Monday through Friday, April 7-11.

Edmonds Bookshop has a growing collection of bilingual picture books and young readers, including “Dachshund Tall Tales” by Edmonds children’s author Kizzie Jones.

The bookshop will also host a special Spanish/English Bilingual Story Time with Jones and her special guests Professor Alfonso Winston and Nixania Barragán. That morning’s featured story will be “Un Gran Cuento acerca de un Perro Salchicha y un Pelícano,” “A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican,” by Jones.

Jones is a dachshund lover and features the dogs in her award-winning children’s book series, “Dachshund Tall Tales.” Using whimsy to plant seeds of compassion, kindness and inclusivity in the hearts of children and adults alike, Jones charms young readers with accurate descriptions of dogs and oceanside life, enhanced with illustrations by Bellingham artist Scott Ward. 

Winston is the head of the Academic and Extracurricular Affairs Office in Plantel 04 of Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Baja California Sur. He has translated Kizzie’s three “Dachshund Tall Tales.” Since 2013, he has organized a San Jose/Cabo San Lucas Regional Literacy Program, in which Jones has also participated.

Nixania Barragán, also known as Nixy Cuentacuentos, hosts a weekly Facebook Story Time, and she will be a featured storyteller at an International Conference in Colombia, South America this fall.

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Cascade Symphony presents two chamber music concerts

7:30 p.m., Saturday,  April 12, Maple Park Lutheran Church, 17620 60th Ave. W., Lynnwood

7 p.m., Tuesday, April 29, Edmonds Waterfront Center, 220 Railroad Ave., Edmonds

The Cascade Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will present two chamber music concerts in April, featuring small ensembles of orchestra musicians.

“Cascade Symphony is excited to present two April chamber music concerts at two beautiful venues,” said Edward Benyas, CSO executive director. “Maple Park Church in Lynnwood has wonderful acoustics and great sight lines for the audience on April 12. Patrons can also enjoy listening to chamber music for winds and percussion while overlooking Puget Sound at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on April 29.”

The first chamber concert will feature ensembles of strings, winds and percussion performing music from three centuries in an acoustically perfect setting. This environment allows the audience to hear favorite Cascade Symphony instrumentalists in a chamber music context. Musical selections include creations by legendary composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Darius Milhaud, Maurice Ravel and others for duet, quartet, quintet and percussion ensembles.

The late April concert is part of a new Cascade Symphony partnership with the Edmonds Waterfront Center to continue a chamber music series following the successful debut of the CSO chamber concert last November at that venue. This concert will feature Northwestern Winds, a professional wind quintet whose members have performed with the Chicago, Seattle, Milwaukee and Oregon symphonies; the Seattle, Santa Fe and Chicago lyric operas; and the Pacific Northwest and Joffrey ballets.

Northwestern Winds will perform music by Franz Danzi and Paul Taffanel and an arrangement of excerpts from Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème. This presentation will also feature the Cascade Percussion Ensemble performing a wide variety of selections, from Bach and Mozart to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Ravel.

Tickets for both concerts are available in advance through the Edmonds Center for the Arts. They can be purchased online here, by calling (425) 275-9595, or at the door before the concert.. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $5 for students of any age.

The Cascade Symphony’s final 2024-25 season concert, “The Devil’s Violin,” is Monday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m., at the Edmonds Center for the Arts.

Additional information about the Cascade Symphony is available online. 

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Meet the Artists of “The Light & Shade That Made My Name”

6 – 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, Lynnwood Event Center, 3711 196th St. S.W., Lynnwood

The Lynnwood Event Center at The District warmly invites you to their spring “Meet the Artists” reception, an evening showcasing their latest art exhibit, “The Light and Shade That Made My Name: Celebrating BIPOC Women Behind the Camera.”

Meet and mingle with the photographers of The Light & Shade That Made My Name. Enjoy live music and complimentary light bites from Plate & Palette and explore the artwork of these eight BIPOC Women photographers. The “Aperture Spritz”, the event’s signature cocktail, and other drinks are available for purchase at the bar.

Admission is free, but RSVP here. 

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The Black Box Theatre presents “Alice by Heart”

May 15 to 18, The Black Box Theatre at Edmonds College, 20310 68th Ave. W., Lynnwood

Alice by Heart is a musical version of Alice in Wonderland seen through the eyes of a young woman living in war-torn London. Can this Alice stop time with the well-known tale and keep the outside world away? With the same outrageous characters and nonsensical style, this young adult version gives a fresh perspective to a classic story.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $8 for students, available here. 

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Spark! Creativity hosts inaugural fundraiser to support arts education in Edmonds

6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Saturday, June 28, Cascadia Art Museum, 

Spark! Creativity, a nonprofit dedicated to making arts education accessible for youth, celebrates its first successful year with an exciting fundraising event at Cascadia Art Museum in Edmonds. The event will feature a silent and live auction, student artwork, live music and a celebration of the organization’s impact on the community.

Founded by local arts advocate Tanya Sharp, Spark! Creativity launched its pilot programs in 2024 in response to widespread arts education cuts across Washington state. Over the past year, the organization has served more than 300 students in grades 4-8 in the Edmonds School District and 35 students in the Everett School District through visual arts, ceramics and creative writing programs. With growing community support, the nonprofit aims to expand its reach and continue providing high-quality arts experiences to students.

“This event is an opportunity to celebrate our students, showcase their creativity, and rally community support to ensure that arts education remains a vibrant part of our schools,” said Tanya Sharp, Founder of Spark! Creativity. “We’ve seen firsthand how art transforms students’ confidence and learning experiences, and we’re excited to share these stories.”

Want to get involved? Spark! Creativity is seeking donations for the auction and event sponsors and attendees who believe in the power of the arts. Businesses and individuals interested in contributing can complete a procurement form here. Sponsorship information is available here.

Tickets are available for purchase on Give Butter for $75. Attendance includes appetizers from Epulo and free museum access.

— By Elizabeth Murray

Elizabeth Murray is a freelance writer thankful to call Edmonds home. When she’s not busy wrangling her two kids (and husband), you can find her playing ukulele. She can be reached at elmm22@gmail.com.