East Shore LIVE is proud to announce our 2020 season!
East Shore LIVE offers patrons a diverse season line-up in a unique venue that is family friendly. The 2020 season includes a rich assortment of performances that will satisfy music lovers from around Puget Sound! Consider buying a season pass for yourself, a family member or friend who will support the arts at East Shore. A season pass is just $85.00/person and can be purchased here. This is a savings of $5-$35 ($23 for non-members and $18 for members per show).
January 25: Vocalist Jeannette d’Armand with guitarist John Patrick Lowrie
Jeannette d’Armand presents a breathtaking evening of memorable songs by Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Sting, George Harrison and others. Accompanied by guitarist John Patrick Lowrie this evening is a love song for your heart and soul. jeannettedarmand.com
February 15: Acapellapalooza!
The award-winning Bellevue Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society presents a pitch perfect smorgasboard of a cappella vocal entertainment! Featuring groups Northwest Mix, Vocal Vintage, Under the Radar, The Big Time and Shine! This is not your grandparents’ a cappella: these groups represent some of the most exciting and freshest vocal harmony in the region. northwestsound.org
April 18: Marina Albero in concert
An inventive and effusive pianist and composer, Marina Albero moved to Seattle from Barcelona only two years ago. It didn’t take long for her to connect with the very best regional musicians to help her showcase her amazing mix of Spanish, Afro-Cuban and world-jazz music. Come be mesmerized by this spellbinding performer! marinaalbero.net
May 16: The 14/48 Projects presents: Quick Musicals!
Four brand-new musicals will be created and presented, practically in front of your eyes! Four teams of local writers, composers and directors will be chosen at random, as will the single theme for these Quick Musicals. In the space of 24 hours, four brand-new 12-minute musicals will be written, rehearsed and performed! 14/48, ‘The World’s Quickest Theater Festival,’ has been delighting and amazing Seattle audiences since 1997, with festivals now running in London, Austin and Leicester. Be part of musical theater history right here at East Shore! the1448projects.org
June 13: Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse and David Duvall present a Pride Double Feature!
Darling of the Paris, New York, Manila, Puerto Vallarta and Seattle cabaret scenes, Arnaldo now adds Bellevue to his list of exciting international destinations! Be charmed, be thrilled, be delighted and tickled by the one and only Arnaldo! dragchanteuse.com
Multiple Emmy nominee David Duvall and his trio present ‘Naughty and Nice and Whatever’s in Between’ – a madcap dash through some of the best songs by Cole Porter, Noel Coward and Rodgers & Hart. dduvallmusic.com
The new East Shore Live season starts with a pre-season kick-off event: a Halloween show on October 26th called Music, Magic and Mayhem. This concert is a fast-paced, entertaining, family-friendly variety-style show featuring some East Shore favorites (the East Shore Mighty Choir, Cascade Jazz, Princess Guy) plus several newcomers (professional magician Dom Lucero and a ‘soul sister trio’ who will be singing ‘I’m In Love with a Monster.’) There will also be a costume contest, a mummy-wrapping contest and a scary sound effect-making contest. The concert begins at 7:30, but guests are invited to arrive as early as 6:30 to take advantage of the Taco Truck that will be parked right outside the sanctuary. After comparing several bids, we decided to invite Tacos El Guëro to share their wares with the East Shore Live audience. (here is the menu in case you want to make your choices before you arrive: http://www.kirklandtacos.com/) Feel free to take your taco/quesadilla/burrito/sopes into the North Room if you arrive before the show, or bring them into the sanctuary where your cabaret table will be waiting. Beer, wine and bottled water will be on sale inside the sanctuary just as before. Each show in the new East Shore Live season will feature a different food truck: we will let everyone know which truck will be part of which show and post available menus.
The new season for East Shore Live is shaping up to be a truly exciting one. The guest performers represent a wide variety of musical and presentational styles, with a strong focus on engaging and entertaining presentations. As soon as contracts have been signed the East Shore Live team will announce who we will have the pleasure of presenting.
Since taking over the artistic directorship of East Shore Live, I’ve seen tremendous value in what we present, and see an opportunity for the program to grow in outreach, quality and financial sustainability. Here are just some of the benefits of having a performance series attached to the church:
1) Strengthening community: gathering with fellow members to enjoy a live performance is a truly bonding experience. In an age when we are invited constant to be distracted by our individual screens (computer, television and smart phones) it is refreshingly healing and enjoyable to join together in real time to experience heartfelt artistic and musical expressions. There is a reason why live theater continues to be a powerful social force among human communities: as we connect with onstage performers and one another we create an impromptu social force that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
2) Outreach (and inreach): hosting interesting and inviting musical and theatrical presentations is an excellent way to make East Shore better known to the greater community. Many who enter the sanctuary for the first time are struck by the quiet grandeur of the building; several find themselves curious about what sorts of programs and services go on during the rest of the week and on Sundays. On the other side of the coin, having an event to invite fellow members to participate in is a wonderful way to create new friendships and see one another in a new light. Are there members you’ve seen but haven’t had much of a chance to get to know? “Why don’t we get a group together to see the performance here next Saturday night?” might just be the ticket. (Note: in order for this particular invitation to work it would be best to make sure which Saturday nights will feature performances! The next one is Saturday October 26!)
3) Bringing funds into the church operating costs. As much as we would like to believe that a church runs solely on good will and love, the hard fact is that our church – just like any non-profit organization that offers a valuable service to its members and community – needs funds to operate. East Shore Live has been able to operate on a modest profit, which is always good news for our financial stewards. Last year, the East Shore Live season brought in a total of $3,711.35 after all expenses were paid.
4) Having a place where performers can perform: as rents have skyrocketed in the Seattle and Bellevue areas, viable performance spaces have been shutting doors left and right. It has become difficult for a performer or a group to find a venue that doesn’t charge an exorbitant rental fee for that privilege. East Shore Live offers its performers not only a friendly and pleasant performing environment, but also an ability to actually take home a little bit of money. With the pay structure we have for acts with East Shore Live, the performances can be a win/win – the more tickets sold the more the performer makes, and the more goes back into East Shore’s operating fund.
If you’ve not been to an East Shore Live performance in the past, please consider doing so in this upcoming season. We think you will be not only pleasantly surprised, but downright entertained, and well-fed (with all the food trucks we have lined up) Watch this space for the season announcement, which will take place near the end of October.
On a different but related note, the East Shore Mighty Choir has resumed rehearsal on Thursday nights in the sanctuary, starting at 7:30 pm. Ask any choir member: this is a very fun choir to be part of! Reading music is not required (always welcome, of course, but not required) If you have a desire to sing, please contact music director Eric Lane Barnes at [email protected]. Or, simply show up any Thursday evening for choir rehearsal! We’ll be delighted to see you. (Note: there is no choir rehearsal on Thursday November 14 – this would not be a good night to show up for a first rehearsal : )
East Shore LIVE is proud to announce our 2019 season!
Now in our 5th year, East Shore LIVE offers patrons a diverse season line-up in a unique venue that is family friendly. The 2019 season includes a rich assortment of music that will satisfy music lovers from around Puget Sound! Consider buying a season ticket for yourself, a family member or friend who will support the arts at East Shore. A season pass is $70.00/person and can be purchased at eslseasonpass.bpt.me. COME JOIN US LIVE
February 16 – Blues / Rhythm & Blues Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers have been slinging their brand of sexy, sassy blues all along the west coast since 2011. According to Don and Sheryl’s Blues Blog, “Michele is a big-voiced, blues-beltin’ chanteuse, who’s equally comfortable with a torch song as she is with straight blues and even protest songs.” The band draws its repertoire from a mix of well-written originals that sound classic, and carefully chosen covers on which the band puts its own spin. micheledamourandthelovedealers.com
March 23 – Bluegrass Acoustic bluegrass trio The Half Brothers started entertaining audiences with songs about food, traveling and death in 2006. Replete with lush three-part vocal harmonies and tight, intricate string-band arrangements, their songs are noteworthy for non-traditional lyrics and an oddly reverent irreverence for this uniquely American musical form. thehalfbrothers.bandcamp.com
April 20 – Vocal Harmony and Cabaret Singing quartet Princess Guy & old-time nightclub Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse Princess Guy is a quartet of tuneful, whimsical and gay fellows who love to sing. Joining them is Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse, an old-time nightclub singer who will break your heart with an old-fashioned torch song. facebook.com/princesssguy and dragchanteuse.com
May 18 – Comedy / Cabaret Folk-Rock Picture Tina Fey meets Bette Midler with Joan Jett guitar chops… and you’ve got Lisa Koch. An irreverent Seattle singer/comedian, Koch (“Coke”) is a deliciously twisted mix of comedy, theater, and demented songs. She has shared the stage with a diverse group of artists, including Steve Martin, Dave Brubeck, Janis Ian, The Indigo Girls, Holly Near, and Kate Clinton. She’s proud to report that one of her songs has actually been sampled by Jay-Z. heylisa.com
June 8 – Indian Classical Music and Jazz Making Musical Magic in the Moment Saxophonist Phil Scarff performs music of India along with local jazz band Cascade Jazz. Phil Scarff is a pioneer in the performance of North Indian classical music on soprano saxophone who exquisitely captures the music’s subtlety and depth. As a master jazz saxophonist; he leads the acclaimed world-jazz ensembles Natraj and the Lewis Porter-Phil Scarff Group. He performs and records with creative jazz groups including Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra, and Filmprov. philscarff.com and 21ca.com/cascadejazz
Season Tickets on Sale Now at eslseasonpass.bpt.me Season pass includes; ● One show each month from February to June (five shows) ● Reserved seating at the front of the house ● Special recognition in the program and on social media ● Our deep appreciation for supporting the arts at East Shore All performances start at 7:30pm in the sanctuary of East Shore Unitarian Church – 12700 SE 32nd St. Bellevue, WA, 98005 – near the intersection of I-90 and I-405. Admission is $20 and is open to all ages, wine and beer concessions and parking is free!
Our fourth season, of four shows, has been a success! The entire season had about 340 attendees and made $3,500 for East Shore Unitarian Church. East Shore LIVE is a high quality performance series organized by church volunteers with a passion for the performing arts. This season’s organizing committee included Grace Colton and John Chmaj (Co-Leads), Keely Cofrin Allen, Jeanne Lamont, Kathy Roché-Zujko, Nicole Duff, and Eric Lane Barnes. Our 15+ village of vibrant volunteers did setup, tear down, tech, tickets and refreshments at each show across the season. Thank you to all of you!
Save the date: Our first show of the 2019 season will be “Songs and Tales from the Dark Side,” October 27 at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary. A family friendly event featuring spooky songs, hilarious horror parodies, crazy film snippets wit live band, a creative costume and dance contest, terrifying trivia, prizes and more!
We are beginning to plan the rest of the 2019 season later this summer. If you have a passion for the performing arts and would like to volunteer at specific shows or for the steering committee, contact Grace Colton to get on our mailing list and for more information.
East Shore Live is looking for more volunteers to create a 2018 season…our 4th! We are a group of volunteers that puts together a series of high quality performances featuring diverse artists in many genres from across the Puget Sound region. The performances are at East Shore and are part of church outreach and fundraising efforts. We need volunteers for marketing, refreshments, and other activities. Contact John Chmaj or Grace Colton with questions or interest by July 1. \East Shore LIVE offers extraordinary live performances that are open to the public and in a relaxed setting at East Shore. Each show aims to be intimate, interdisciplinary, and informal. We are part of the fundraising and outreach efforts of the church.
The “East Shore LIVE: A Performance Gallery” team currently has 7 core members plus about 6 regular volunteers. In 2017 we sponsored 6 events. Each performance has attracted an average of 50 paid attendees, at $15.00 per ticket. Performers are paid with a portion of the proceeds.
Volunteering for East Shore LIVE
Marketing
We are looking for someone to help market our great shows out to the larger community. We’ve had good success building an audience within our own church community. We need someone with the passion and persistence to help keep East Shore Live current and attractive for the Eastside community at large. An ideal marketing lead can help us develop effective messaging approaches, help push online advertising and promotion during our season (one show per month in the first 3-6 months of each year at present), and communicate with the Outreach team at ESUC. It would be great to engage someone with marketing experience, but a passion for helping us push our messages out on a regular basis is as important. See www.eastshorelive.com. If you’d like more info on ESL and our efforts, contact John Chmaj or Grace Colton by July 1 – we’d love to talk with you!
Refreshments
Our relaxed and intimate setting includes snacks and drinks for sale during intermission at performances. We need someone who wants to either use the current way of doing refreshments OR wants to try something new in cooperation with the core East Shore LIVE steering committee. The ideal refreshment lead will have an eye for detail, be organized, and passionate about operating refreshments without a financial loss while adding to the atmosphere we are trying to create. Being reliable and regularly able to organize refreshment for our guests at shows is important.
If you’d like more info on ESL and our efforts, contact John Chmaj or Grace Colton by July 1 – we’d love to talk with you! Marketing and Refreshment volunteer leads would need to be available this summer for planning and meeting with the East Shore LIVE steering committee.
Create show program
We need someone to create the programs for each performance. Working with the steering committee, you can update what has been created or design new ones. If you would like more information about this, contact John Chmaj or Grace Colton.
Other periodic or one-time tasks also need volunteers. If you have interest in volunteering or want more information, contact John Chmaj or Grace Colton by July 1.
Our fourth season, of four shows, has been a success! The entire season had about 340 attendees and made $3,500 for East Shore Unitarian Church. East Shore LIVE is a high quality performance series organized by church volunteers with a passion for the performing arts. This season’s organizing committee included Grace Colton and John Chmaj (Co-Leads), Keely Cofrin Allen, Jeanne Lamont, Kathy Roché-Zujko, Nicole Duff, and Eric Lane Barnes. Our 15+ village of vibrant volunteers did setup, tear down, tech, tickets and refreshments at each show across the season. Thank you to all of you!
Save the date: Our first show of the 2019 season will be “Songs and Tales from the Dark Side,” October 27 at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary. A family friendly event featuring spooky songs, hilarious horror parodies, crazy film snippets wit live band, a creative costume and dance contest, terrifying trivia, prizes and more!
We are beginning to plan the rest of the 2019 season later this summer. If you have a passion for the performing arts and would like to volunteer at specific shows or for the steering committee, 