David S. Demarest

If you are wondering what art, Snohomish, and John Denver have in common, you needed to look no further this past Saturday evening than the Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater in Snohomish.

On a whim, and having seen an article in the Herald advertising “John Denver – A Tribute Concert”, Sally and I decided to enjoy a little bit of the arts Saturday evening. I must confess – I have been a fan of John Denver most of my life, even enjoying one of his concerts at the Puyallup fair in the summer of 1986.

As anyone that had the opportunity of seeing John Denver perform, the concert in 1986 was great. His voice, the lyrics and music, and his interaction with the audience were superb. So when I saw the concert advertised this past Saturday, I called Sally and we decided to go.

The concert was presented by Bryan Stratton, a Sno-Isle library employee and John Denver fan. Not only a fan, but a fan that is blessed with a great musical talent, a great flair for story-telling, an accomplished guitarist, and an outstanding vocalist who does John Denver well.

It was definitely Bryan’s show. The stage, however was shared with Bryan’s special guests, including but by no means limited to Tim Noah and Cyndi Elliott (aka Cyndi Soup).

Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater is a non-profit organization housed in a converted church in the historic district of Snohomish. As stated on their website, the organization is dedicated to offering “children and adults a creative outlet to experience various levels of musical theater with their peers through acting, singing and dancing. Classes and performances encourage empathy, appreciation and recognition of our own and each other’s unique gifts and talents.”

Needless to say, Sally and I were impressed and we will go back!

The evening also got me thinking about local efforts to further the arts in Monroe. Over the years, we have attended various stage and musical performances in the Monroe community. I know there has been a consistent effort by the local arts community to “find a home” so that art in the community may continue to flourish. Perhaps some day we will be so fortunate to have our own version of the Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater.

Until then, and with or without our own theater, I encourage everyone to support arts in the their community by attending local performances, and if interested, getting involved. One never knows, they might be the next Bryan Stratton, Tim Noah, or even John Denver!