Here’s my weekly round-up of upcoming events for the week of January 25th – 31st for Mercer Island:
Advance Free Screening: “Remember”
Tuesday, January 26, 7 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
See it before it hits theaters! This new thriller stars Christopher Plummer as Zev, a Holocaust survivor, who sets off on a twisty, cross-continental vigilante road trip after receiving a mysterious package from his friend and fellow Auschwitz survivor, Max, played by Martin Landau. You are encouraged to RSVP to reserve your seat. Day-of-show tickets available, pending availability.
Learn more >>
Storybook Corner
Wednesday, January 27, 10:30 – 11 am
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Bring your little ones in to enjoy popular picture books read by our staff.
Learn more >>
Play and Learn
Wednesday, January 27, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Have fun singing songs, telling stories, reading books, creating art and playing. Play & Learn is in English. Sponsored by the Mercer Island Friends of the Library.
Elementary Visitation Day
Thursday, January 28, 9:30 – 11 am
Island Park Elementary, 5437 Island Crest Way
Lakeridge Elementary, 8215 SE 78th
West Mercer Elementary, 4141 81st SE
Elementary visitation day is for out-of district families thinking about moving to Mercer Island, or residents of Mercer Island considering enrolling their children in our school district. The district’s fourth elementary school, Northwood, will open by the start of the 2016-17 school year. Because Northwood is still under construction, its visitation day is planned for June, 2016. However, it will not be open for tours during designated visitation days.
Learn more >>
Science Fun for Little Ones – Traveling Sounds
Thursday, January 28, 1 – 2 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Explore sound and how it travels as we discover music and create together. Watch as sound travels in waves and listen as it travels up and around many different objects.
Sponsored by the Mercer Island Friends of the Library. Ages 4 to 6 with adult.
Playing For Time
Thursday, January 28 – Saturday, January 30
& Thursday, February 4 – Saturday, February 6, 7pm
MIHS Performing Arts Center, 9100 SE 42nd St
Please join Mercer Island High School’s Drama 2 as they present Arthur Miller’s moving production, Playing for Time. Based on a true story, this play follows the harrowing journey of French opera singer Fania Fenelon, who survives Auschwitz by singing and playing in an orchestra alongside other female prisoners. This is a story of survival, hope, music, inspiration and sisterhood. 10 pre-sale tickets can be purchased online or directly through members of the cast. $15 tickets can be purchased at the door. Senior tickets (65+) are $5.
Learn more >>
Seussical Jr. the Musical
Presented by Youth Theatre Northwest
January 22 – February 7
Friday, 7 pm; Saturday 2 pm & 7 pm; Sunday 2 pm.
Stroum Jewish Community, 3801 East Mercer Way
Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life in this fantastic musical extravaganza! Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, our feline narrator (in a very large hat) tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos. The story takes off and away when Horton is also called upon to guard an abandoned egg that’s been left in his care. Best for ages 5+
Learn more >>
City of Mercer Island Restoration Event
Saturday January 30th, 10 am – 2 pm
Luther Burbank Park north parking lot, 2040 84th Ave SE
Each year, Mercer Island citizens donate hundreds of hours of their time to maintain the community’s parks and open spaces: picking up litter, planting trees, cutting down ivy, painting over graffiti, or repairing trails. Many people are interested in preserving the forested character of the island, and we have dozens of opportunities annually, in cooperation with our partner agencies. On Saturday January 30th, join your neighbors at a planting event for Luther Burbank and Calkins Point. Please register in advance with our partner agency, www.mtsgreenway.org.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Anatomy of a Masterpiece
Saturday, January 30, 1 – 3 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Who controls life and death? Does a man-made being have (human) rights issues? Although regarded as Gothic sensationalism when first published, both for its lurid tale of a scientist driven mad by his obsession to animate the dead, and for the surprising news that the author was nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley, Frankenstein has resonated widely in the popular imagination, most notably in theater and cinema. Over the two centuries since its publication, the work has also served as a vivid allegory in debates about technology, slavery, and universal suffrage. Led by film scholar Lance Rhoades, this multi-media presentation considers how Shelley addressed some of mankind’s greatest concerns with a creation that took on a life of its own. Explore and discuss these complex issues. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.
St. Monica School Open House
Sunday, January 31, 10 am – 12 pm
St. Monica School, Main Building, 4320 87th Ave SE
St. Monica is a regional STEM + The Arts Private Catholic School serving Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue & the Greater Eastside. The best way to get to know St. Monica is to come visit our campus. This open house is for all grades, Pre-K through 8th grade. To receive admission materials, ask a question, or schedule a visit, please visit www.stmonicasea.org or call (206) 232-5432. Applications are now being accepted for the 2016-2017 school year!
Learn more >>
It’s a Scream How Levine Does the Rhumba
Sunday, January 31, 2 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
Bagels and bongos, Spanish and Yiddish, manteca and schmaltz! Join American author, academic and music critic Josh Kun for an exciting talk on the cross-cultural tale of one of the most forgotten and incredible musical mashups of the 20th century.
This lecture promises an in-depth historical examination of the relationships between Latinos and Jews in America through the sound of popular music! Josh is an Associate Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. He also holds a joint appointment at USC’s Department of American Studies and Ethnicity. He is the director of The Popular Music Project at USC Annenberg’s the Norman Lear Center and co-editor of the book series “Refiguring American Music” for Duke University Press. Cost: $10 | $5 SJCC members, seniors, students, youth
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