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Posts Tagged ‘Whidbey Playhouse’

Cris Matochi is ready for his close-up (and solo)

Posted in Drama, tagged , , , , on October 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Cris Matochi (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Storm the box office!

International heartthrob (and former Coupeville Middle School volleyball coach) Cris Matochi will headline the Whidbey Playhouse production of the Tony-winning rock musical “Rent.”

For those living under a rock, the production, with music, lyrics, and books by Jonathan Larson, is based off the opera La bohème, and follows a group of starving artists living in Lower Manhattan’s East Village as the onslaught of AIDS envelops the city.

Matochi is slated to play Roger Davis, a HIV positive musician and recovering drug addict struggling to write “one successful, meaningful song before he dies.”

Which means he gets to deliver arguably the most affecting solo of the night, “One Song Glory.”

Rent, which debuted the night after Larson’s sudden death by aortic dissection, became a sensation, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and running on Broadway for 12 years.

Matochi, a native of Brazil, is an Environmental Health Specialist for the Island County Health Department.

A top-level volleyball player from a young age, he transitioned into coaching, and has worked with professional teams, elite travel academies, and college programs.

During his time working with Coupeville’s young spikers, Matochi showed a deft touch, getting the best out of mostly inexperienced players, while lighting up the gym with his natural charisma.

And those tickets we mentioned earlier?

Rent is set to help kick off 2026 — Whidbey Playhouse’s 60th anniversary — running Jan. 30-Feb. 22, with 12 total performances.

Friday and Saturday shows are 7:30 PM, with Sunday matinees at 2:30.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, they’re pulling double duty, with both a matinee and an evening performance.

To snag your ticket, call the box office at (360) 679-2237 or pop over to:

https://whidbeyplayhouse.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200493940

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News-Times loses ace reporter

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , , on November 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Karina Andrew

Whidbey journalism has taken a hit.

After 2.5+ years of knocking it out of the park for the Whidbey News-Times, Karina Andrew is taking her byline and hitting the road.

Andrew joined the WNT in May 2021 after an internship with The Salt Lake Tribune, and quickly became indispensable.

She covered just about every subject available during her time at my old stomping grounds, and I particularly enjoyed her foray into sports coverage when she wrote a first-person account of her triathlon debut.

You can read it here:

Completing triathlon is a feat in itself

But she was more than just a fast-typing reporter, as Andrew also graced the stage at Whidbey Playhouse, taking lead roles in revivals of Grease, Barefoot in the Park, and more.

Newspapers may not be what they once were, but as long as talented young writers still wade into the pit each day, there is hope.

Dedicated, hardworking, innovative, deeply committed, and owner of a joyous personality, Andrew occupied the seat in the WNT newsroom once owned by one of my mentors, Geoff Newton.

She honored that chair, and both Sound Publishing and her readers were lucky to have her land on Whidbey.

Keep your eyes on the headlines, because this won’t be the last time we see Karina Andrew in the spotlight.

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Stage or court, Melia Welling shines!!

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on June 27, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Melia Welling (John Fisken photo)

Melia Welling (John Fisken photo)

Melia Welling is busy these days.

The younger sister of Wolf football/baseball star Julian Welling, she’s spending the summer before 8th grade bouncing back and forth between sports and the arts.

She recently took part in a volleyball camp held at Coupeville High School, and is currently involved in a production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Whidbey Playhouse.

A pianist who also enjoys singing (and her English classes), Welling wants to play softball in high school and has participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

That program gave her a chance to work with recent CHS grad Lyndsi Applegarth, who was her “big” the past two years.

When fall rolls around Welling will be hard at work on the volleyball court, refining her skill set in a sport she’s still fairly new to.

“I started playing volleyball last year, just to try something new,” she said.

Her main goal is to make the varsity team, and she enjoys serving and being part of a team.

“I’d like to work on passing and getting to the ball faster,” Welling said. “But I’m pretty good at serving.”

Whether on the stage or the volleyball court, Welling looks to her mom for support and guidance.

When asked who had the biggest influence on her life, the young spiker didn’t even need to answer, as her mom jumped on the question quickly.

“Her Mom!!! Go me!,” Michion Welling said with a laugh.

Strong mom, strong daughter. A perfect recipe for success.

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