Can’t attend in person? We will be LIVESTREAMING Saturday’s performance! Simply go to www.OrcasCenter.org at 6:30pm on Saturday and our homepage will magically turn into the livestream!

Orcas Center presents on Center Stage:

Whale of a Show

Saturday, October 22nd at 6:30pm
Sunday, October 23rd at 2pm
Tiered Ticket Pricing: $47, $25, $15

Orcas Center charges a $2 per ticket fee**Orcas Center’s Tiered Ticket Pricing is based on the needs of your family. The variant in pricing is not based on seat location or dates of performances, rather, what you’re able to afford to help us to maintain our facilities and create quality programming.

Tier A is the true cost per patron of putting on show at the Orcas Center, Tier B is our standard rate, also subsidized by our generous donors, Tier C is a rate subsidized by our generous donors. **

COVID Policy Update:
Masks are require in the theatre and lobby, except where refreshments are being served.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to work to keep our artists, staff, volunteers, and patrons healthy.

After a 2 year hiatus due to COVID, Whale of a Show triumphantly returns to the Orcas Center Stage!

Join us for a guaranteed good time as we watch and celebrate the talent of our island youth! Directed by Didier Gincig, this annual event is an opportunity to relax among friends and neighbors while enjoying acts of song, dancing, skits, and musicianship. Family acts are included in this event as well.

All ticket proceeds benefit Orcas Center’s youth programs.

Whale of a Show – A Tradition of Talent and “Triumphant Joy”

This October, there will be a flurry of activity behind the thick red velvet curtain on Center Stage at Orcas Center. Children will be tuning their instruments, doing last-minute rehearsals of choreography, warming their vocal chords, and calming their nerves. Many hours of practice go into the performances during Whale of a Show, the island’s celebration of youth talent on Orcas.

“Backstage can be quite interesting,” muses organizer Didier Gincig, “We honor the children’s emotions and discuss what they’re feeling – especially around nervousness and excitement. It’s been a wonderful process to see the transformation over the years. How a nervous child just a few years ago, now takes the role of mentor to those experiencing their first time on stage.”

The study of art, music, dance, and theatre benefits children in many ways including enhancing socialization, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, while encouraging creativity, individualism, and team work. Art, no matter the form, gives children an outlet for self-expression as they are finding their way in the world. Public performances of that art, encourages pushing through fears while being wholly supported by their community. At the surface, talent shows like Whale of a Show are a fun family night for all, but the benefits of practice and performance stay with children for years to come.

Gincig has been coordinating Whale of a Show for nearly 20 years, first emceeing with his daughter Emilie back in the early 2000’s, and he has no intention of stopping anytime soon. “We’re keeping the tradition going and enjoy providing this fun opportunity for children to be authentic about their self-expression. They can have fun in a supportive environment and transform their nervous feelings into triumphant joy.”