You would think that with dozens of plays, concerts, festivals and art events staged in Kitsap County from which to choose that doing a “year in review” story would be the easiest assignment ever. You would be very wrong.

How do you choose a “best of” when every event comes to life thanks to the volunteer efforts of dedicated community members? Lines are flubbed, notes are missed and the art will never hang at MOMA, but all of them contribute to a richer sense of community in Kitsap County.

The list that follows is not meant to be the best performances or events of the year, but just a few of many highlights, month by month.

January: Eagle Harbor Books in downtown Winslow is known for bringing in award-winning authors, but the independent bookstore was ahead of the pack when it hosted author Karen Fisher and her debut novel, “A Sudden Country.” I liked it so much I headlined the preview story: “Buy This Book.” I can’t take credit for it, but critics liked the western novel so well that the book was awarded the Washington State Book Award this fall. Kudos to Ms. Fisher, and my advice stands.

Bainbridge Performing Arts, known for its high-quality shows, did not disappoint with “Picasso at the Lapine Agile,” a comedy directed by Kate Carruthers and starring the adorable Brandon Belieu as the flamboyant artist. He sings, he dances, he acts, is there anything this young man can’t do?

February: People flocked from around the county and across the water to catch a rare live show by geek extraordinaire, Bill Nye the Science Guy. He appeared at Bainbridge High School as a benefit for the Kids Museum and it was big hit. I looked forward to interviewing him, but I have to say he was actually not very nice.

Changing Scene Theatre Northwest in East Bremerton staged “Alkmena,” a “divine” comedy about the amorous antics of Jupiter, with stellar performances by Ken Kidder as Jupiter, Leslie Engelhard as Alkmena and Christopher Dolan as Mercury.

It was bad news for Dolan that he didn’t go to college this year, but good news for Changing Scene. He has a gift for comedy. If you haven’t caught “A Tuna Christmas,” with Dolan and Darren Hembd at Changing Scene, this weekend is your last chance. It ends Dec. 30.

March: The plucky theater group from North Kitsap, the Roving Players, staged a lively version of the Neil Simon classic “Barefoot in the Park,” with Rachel Enyeart and Gabe Smith as the sword-crossing newlyweds. Enyeart fell ill just before the show opened and local actor Rhonda Romaine stepped into the role with little preparation time. It was a great example of how Kitsap actors can work together.

The Roving Players lived up to its name when the Indianola Clubhouse, where its plays are normally staged, was closed for repairs recently. The homeless troupe performed its holiday show, “A Christmas Carol in Kingston — the Panto,” at Camp Indianola. Let’s hope 2007 finds the group performing in the spiffed up Clubhouse again.

Blustery March winds didn’t prevent Bainbridge Performing Arts from staging the musical “Gypsy,” featuring the talented mother-daughter duo of Maribeth and Taylor Hinderer. Maribeth is a familiar force on the local theater scene, a triple-threat singer, actor and dancer. Taylor appears to be following in her mother’s footsteps, making her singing debut in “Gypsy.”

April: This month found the actors at Central Stage Theater of County Kitsap tilting at windmills, as it staged the musical “Man of La Mancha,” a tale of following one’s dreams. Operatic tenor Friederich Schlott added a professional presence as Don Quixote, but Patrick Polsin and Billy Buhl stole the show with their creative horse head costumes. Working with kids is tough, eh Friederich?

Shows at the Admiral Theatre are booked far in advance and the theater struck gold by booking trumpet player Chris Botti before his popularity soared. There’s nothing like appearing on Oprah to cement a career. If you didn’t catch him in April, too bad, he’s now the most sought after trumpet player in the country, with a booking fee to match.

May: The Western Washington Center for the Arts performance space became a cabaret, circa pre-WWII Berlin as the group presented “Cabaret,” a musical with a decidedly adult flavor. The theater is better known for its children’s musicals, but this show gave the adults, and children who have grown up under Directer Jan Ewen, a chance to strut their stuff. Sally Bowles, the lead character that Liza Minelli made immortal on stage and screen, was played by Emily Yingling while her love interest, Clifford, was played by Yingling’s real-life husband Ryan Yingling. That’s what I love about local theater — it’s often a family affair. They should make a bumper sticker: “The family that plays together stays together.”

Two young men from Bainbridge helped to carry on the bluegrass music tradition, but they added a new attitude. Wes Corbett and Simon Chrisman, billed as New Old Stock, combined hot banjo licks with plucky dulcimer in a concert at Island Music Guild Hall, proving that bluegrass is not just for the “A Mighty Wind” generation.

June: As sure as it rains in summer, June means the start of festival season in Kitsap County. Kicking off the season was the venerated Midsummer Fest in Poulsbo. Scandinavians may be stereotyped as tight-lipped and not very sociable, but they certainly know how to cut loose. Singing, dancing and food are central parts of this quaint, homegrown festival.

The Kitsap Children’s Musical Theatre is the only organization in the county devoted entirely to children’s performers, under the tireless direction of Kerby Criss. Cat herding would be an easy job compared to wrangling 50-plus youngsters on stage, but she does it twice a year.

June saw the KCMT presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof,” with Kerby’s son Norman Criss in the lead role of Tevye. As with all KCMT shows, every other part was double cast, with younger/shorter and older/taller actors taking the stage on different nights.

July: Street urchins overran the stage at CSTOCK this month with the production of “Oliver,” the musical set in Dickensian London. Oliver was played by Jennifer Gray, another local youngster from a theatrical family. Her father, Rod Gray, was Sancho in CSTOCK’s “Man of LaMancha” and sister Rebecca starred in CSTOCK’s “A Secret Garden.”

With the lifting of licensing restrictions local theaters jumped at the chance to produce “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” Western Washington Center for the Arts was first, in November 2005, followed by Ovation! Musical Theatre of Bainbridge in July and CSTOCK in November.

Each theater had their own take on the classic story, but they all had one thing in common — none would reveal the Beast costume for press photos before the show. And you thought we had special privileges.

August: Bainbridge Island artists opened their studios for the fourth annual Bainbridge Island Studio Tour and Sale this month, following a tradition that started with winter tours 20 years ago.

The self-paced driving tour gave locals and tourists alike a chance to peek into the normally private studios, and get some great deals on art. Five studios hosted 37 artists for the event, which continues to grow.

What would community theater do without Neil Simon? The Jewel Box Theatre in Poulsbo presented the audience-pleasing “I Ought To Be In Pictures,” with Ashley Hurd, Shirley Bomgaars and her daughter Andrea Bomgaars.

Hurd is one of my favorite local actors, but in 2007 I’d like to see him branch out to some more challenging lead roles, say at BPA or Changing Scene. Ashley, the ball’s in your court.

September: Bremerton Community Theatre, the Grande Dame of local theater, opened its 63rd season with a farce, “Noises Off.” This multi-layered comedy featured one of my favorite female actors, Eden McFadden. She has performed many times on the CSTOCK stage as well as at BCT and you can always depend on her to light up a scene.

Meanwhile, Changing Scene took on a much heavier play, Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child.” This play ranged from intense to downright freaky, which may explain why the little theater in East Bremerton doesn’t pull in the crowds that BCT does. Still, if you want an alternative to Neil Simon and musicals, Changing Scene is the place to go.

October: Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery on Bainbridge Island paid homage to the history of the island’s Japanese-Americans with a show by Japanese-American artists. “Intersections: Contemporary Work by Japanese American Artists” was also a fundraiser for the Bainbridge Japanese Memorial, being built on Eagle Harbor at the site of the dock where Japanese-American islanders boarded boats in 1942, bound for internment camps. The history lent a somber weight to the exhibit.

In Bremerton the Collective Visions Art Gallery continued its performance series with The Galileo Quartet, a jazz group based in Central Washington. The gallery provides an intimate setting for musical performances by some of the top groups in a variety of musical genres, from jazz and folk to classical and world music. Hint to Bainbridge Islanders: It’s worth the drive and cheaper than going to Seattle.

November: The Bainbridge Orchestra opened it 34th season with a new name, a new director and a new direction. It’s now the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Alan Futterman. Futterman promises to lead the musicians to perform at a professional level, and judging from his intense press photo, he looks to be the man for the job. The BSO is under the umbrella of Bainbridge Performing Arts, which is starting its 50th season with a new managing director as well, Christopher Shainin. Look for some exciting shows coming up, such as a performance Jan. 8 by Tyva Kyzy, female “throat singers” from Tuva.

Dancers across the country laced up their dancing shoes for the annual onslaught of “The Nutcracker” productions, which began Thanksgiving weekend and continued until Mid-December. The beloved dance is practically a rite of passage for young dancers, who begin as snowflakes and work up to the lead role of Clara. While it’s all very lovely, I look forward to the day when the Pacific Northwest Ballet releases its hold on the Maurice Sendak version.

December: Performers say you should always leave the audience wanting more, and Ovation! Musical Theatre of Bainbridge did that very well this month. After finishing a massive production of “Beauty and the Beast” in July the group didn’t have the oomph to do another one of that scale for the holidays. Instead it staged the one-act “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” The costumes were still fantastic and the singing first rate. At just under an hour, it did indeed leave the audience wanting more. Maybe an encore performance next year?

Bainbridge Performing Arts closed the year with “The Wizard of Oz,” directed by former BPA Theatre School leader Steven Fogell. The sets, costumes, acting and singing were great, but the show hit a snag when the “Holiday Howler” storm cut power to the island on Dec. 15. Three weekend shows had to be cancelled. It’s hard for the show to go on in the pitch dark. The theater hopes to reschedule the shows for early January. I’ll keep you posted.

Highlights from the 2006 A&E calendar.

By Marcie Miller

What’s Up writer

You would think that with dozens of plays, concerts, festivals and art events staged in Kitsap County from which to choose that doing a “year in review” story would be the easiest assignment ever. You would be very wrong.

How do you choose a “best of” when every event comes to life thanks to the volunteer efforts of dedicated community members? Lines are flubbed, notes are missed and the art will never hang at MOMA, but all of them contribute to a richer sense of community in Kitsap County.

The list that follows is not meant to be the best performances or events of the year, but just a few of many highlights, month by month.

January: Eagle Harbor Books in downtown Winslow is known for bringing in award-winning authors, but the independent bookstore was ahead of the pack when it hosted author Karen Fisher and her debut novel, “A Sudden Country.” I liked it so much I headlined the preview story: “Buy This Book.” I can’t take credit for it, but critics liked the western novel so well that the book was awarded the Washington State Book Award this fall. Kudos to Ms. Fisher, and my advice stands.

Bainbridge Performing Arts, known for its high-quality shows, did not disappoint with “Picasso at the Lapine Agile,” a comedy directed by Kate Carruthers and starring the adorable Brandon Belieu as the flamboyant artist. He sings, he dances, he acts, is there anything this young man can’t do?

February: People flocked from around the county and across the water to catch a rare live show by geek extraordinaire, Bill Nye the Science Guy. He appeared at Bainbridge High School as a benefit for the Kids Museum and it was big hit. I looked forward to interviewing him, but I have to say he was actually not very nice.

Changing Scene Theatre Northwest in East Bremerton staged “Alkmena,” a “divine” comedy about the amorous antics of Jupiter, with stellar performances by Ken Kidder as Jupiter, Leslie Engelhard as Alkmena and Christopher Dolan as Mercury.

It was bad news for Dolan that he didn’t go to college this year, but good news for Changing Scene. He has a gift for comedy. If you haven’t caught “A Tuna Christmas,” with Dolan and Darren Hembd at Changing Scene, this weekend is your last chance. It ends Dec. 30.

March: The plucky theater group from North Kitsap, the Roving Players, staged a lively version of the Neil Simon classic “Barefoot in the Park,” with Rachel Enyeart and Gabe Smith as the sword-crossing newlyweds. Enyeart fell ill just before the show opened and local actor Rhonda Romaine stepped into the role with little preparation time. It was a great example of how Kitsap actors can work together.

The Roving Players lived up to its name when the Indianola Clubhouse, where its plays are normally staged, was closed for repairs recently. The homeless troupe performed its holiday show, “A Christmas Carol in Kingston — the Panto,” at Camp Indianola. Let’s hope 2007 finds the group performing in the spiffed up Clubhouse again.

Blustery March winds didn’t prevent Bainbridge Performing Arts from staging the musical “Gypsy,” featuring the talented mother-daughter duo of Maribeth and Taylor Hinderer. Maribeth is a familiar force on the local theater scene, a triple-threat singer, actor and dancer. Taylor appears to be following in her mother’s footsteps, making her singing debut in “Gypsy.”

April: This month found the actors at Central Stage Theater of County Kitsap tilting at windmills, as it staged the musical “Man of La Mancha,” a tale of following one’s dreams. Operatic tenor Friederich Schlott added a professional presence as Don Quixote, but Patrick Polsin and Billy Buhl stole the show with their creative horse head costumes. Working with kids is tough, eh Friederich?

Shows at the Admiral Theatre are booked far in advance and the theater struck gold by booking trumpet player Chris Botti before his popularity soared. There’s nothing like appearing on Oprah to cement a career. If you didn’t catch him in April, too bad, he’s now the most sought after trumpet player in the country, with a booking fee to match.

May: The Western Washington Center for the Arts performance space became a cabaret, circa pre-WWII Berlin as the group presented “Cabaret,” a musical with a decidedly adult flavor. The theater is better known for its children’s musicals, but this show gave the adults, and children who have grown up under Directer Jan Ewen, a chance to strut their stuff. Sally Bowles, the lead character that Liza Minelli made immortal on stage and screen, was played by Emily Yingling while her love interest, Clifford, was played by Yingling’s real-life husband Ryan Yingling. That’s what I love about local theater — it’s often a family affair. They should make a bumper sticker: “The family that plays together stays together.”

Two young men from Bainbridge helped to carry on the bluegrass music tradition, but they added a new attitude. Wes Corbett and Simon Chrisman, billed as New Old Stock, combined hot banjo licks with plucky dulcimer in a concert at Island Music Guild Hall, proving that bluegrass is not just for the “A Mighty Wind” generation.

June: As sure as it rains in summer, June means the start of festival season in Kitsap County. Kicking off the season was the venerated Midsummer Fest in Poulsbo. Scandinavians may be stereotyped as tight-lipped and not very sociable, but they certainly know how to cut loose. Singing, dancing and food are central parts of this quaint, homegrown festival.

The Kitsap Children’s Musical Theatre is the only organization in the county devoted entirely to children’s performers, under the tireless direction of Kerby Criss. Cat herding would be an easy job compared to wrangling 50-plus youngsters on stage, but she does it twice a year.

June saw the KCMT presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof,” with Kerby’s son Norman Criss in the lead role of Tevye. As with all KCMT shows, every other part was double cast, with younger/shorter and older/taller actors taking the stage on different nights.

July: Street urchins overran the stage at CSTOCK this month with the production of “Oliver,” the musical set in Dickensian London. Oliver was played by Jennifer Gray, another local youngster from a theatrical family. Her father, Rod Gray, was Sancho in CSTOCK’s “Man of LaMancha” and sister Rebecca starred in CSTOCK’s “A Secret Garden.”

With the lifting of licensing restrictions local theaters jumped at the chance to produce “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” Western Washington Center for the Arts was first, in November 2005, followed by Ovation! Musical Theatre of Bainbridge in July and CSTOCK in November.

Each theater had their own take on the classic story, but they all had one thing in common — none would reveal the Beast costume for press photos before the show. And you thought we had special privileges.

August: Bainbridge Island artists opened their studios for the fourth annual Bainbridge Island Studio Tour and Sale this month, following a tradition that started with winter tours 20 years ago.

The self-paced driving tour gave locals and tourists alike a chance to peek into the normally private studios, and get some great deals on art. Five studios hosted 37 artists for the event, which continues to grow.

What would community theater do without Neil Simon? The Jewel Box Theatre in Poulsbo presented the audience-pleasing “I Ought To Be In Pictures,” with Ashley Hurd, Shirley Bomgaars and her daughter Andrea Bomgaars.

Hurd is one of my favorite local actors, but in 2007 I’d like to see him branch out to some more challenging lead roles, say at BPA or Changing Scene. Ashley, the ball’s in your court.

September: Bremerton Community Theatre, the Grande Dame of local theater, opened its 63rd season with a farce, “Noises Off.” This multi-layered comedy featured one of my favorite female actors, Eden McFadden. She has performed many times on the CSTOCK stage as well as at BCT and you can always depend on her to light up a scene.

Meanwhile, Changing Scene took on a much heavier play, Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child.” This play ranged from intense to downright freaky, which may explain why the little theater in East Bremerton doesn’t pull in the crowds that BCT does. Still, if you want an alternative to Neil Simon and musicals, Changing Scene is the place to go.

October: Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery on Bainbridge Island paid homage to the history of the island’s Japanese-Americans with a show by Japanese-American artists. “Intersections: Contemporary Work by Japanese American Artists” was also a fundraiser for the Bainbridge Japanese Memorial, being built on Eagle Harbor at the site of the dock where Japanese-American islanders boarded boats in 1942, bound for internment camps. The history lent a somber weight to the exhibit.

In Bremerton the Collective Visions Art Gallery continued its performance series with The Galileo Quartet, a jazz group based in Central Washington. The gallery provides an intimate setting for musical performances by some of the top groups in a variety of musical genres, from jazz and folk to classical and world music. Hint to Bainbridge Islanders: It’s worth the drive and cheaper than going to Seattle.

November: The Bainbridge Orchestra opened it 34th season with a new name, a new director and a new direction. It’s now the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Alan Futterman. Futterman promises to lead the musicians to perform at a professional level, and judging from his intense press photo, he looks to be the man for the job. The BSO is under the umbrella of Bainbridge Performing Arts, which is starting its 50th season with a new managing director as well, Christopher Shainin. Look for some exciting shows coming up, such as a performance Jan. 8 by Tyva Kyzy, female “throat singers” from Tuva.

Dancers across the country laced up their dancing shoes for the annual onslaught of “The Nutcracker” productions, which began Thanksgiving weekend and continued until Mid-December. The beloved dance is practically a rite of passage for young dancers, who begin as snowflakes and work up to the lead role of Clara. While it’s all very lovely, I look forward to the day when the Pacific Northwest Ballet releases its hold on the Maurice Sendak version.

December: Performers say you should always leave the audience wanting more, and Ovation! Musical Theatre of Bainbridge did that very well this month. After finishing a massive production of “Beauty and the Beast” in July the group didn’t have the oomph to do another one of that scale for the holidays. Instead it staged the one-act “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” The costumes were still fantastic and the singing first rate. At just under an hour, it did indeed leave the audience wanting more. Maybe an encore performance next year?

Bainbridge Performing Arts closed the year with “The Wizard of Oz,” directed by former BPA Theatre School leader Steven Fogell. The sets, costumes, acting and singing were great, but the show hit a snag when the “Holiday Howler” storm cut power to the island on Dec. 15. Three weekend shows had to be cancelled. It’s hard for the show to go on in the pitch dark. The theater hopes to reschedule the shows for early January. I’ll keep you posted.