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Performing Arts - 2009
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B-Street Band on Fire at the Music Hall
There’s nothing quite like listening to “The Boss.” Of course, we’re talking about Bruce Springsteen, not the old guy that keeps asking you to run his errands.
Always up for hosting a fundraiser with the key word being “fun,” the American College of the Building Arts is hosting a party featuring The B-Street Band, a nationally recognized tribute band to the “The Boss” at the Charleston Music Hall this Friday, January 15. In addition to honoring Springsteen, The B-Street Band plays Motown, 60s, 70s, and Classic Rock. The Charleston Music Hall, a breathtaking restored Gothic revival style building on John Street, is one of the best places in the city for ambiance and acoustics.
In addition to rocking out, the ACBA also has stand-up comedy acts and a silent auction lined up for the event. The comedians featured are Jason Groce from the sketch group Feng Shui Foxhole at Theatre 99, Dusty Slay, stand-up comic and host at the Upper Deck’s improv nights, and Tim Hoeckel, host of the monthly This Is Chucktown! series of stand-up at Theatre 99. The silent auction prizes are always top-notch and definitely worth it!
All proceeds from the benefit will go to the American College of the Building Arts, the only school of its kind in the country, whose mission is to “encourage the preservation, enrichment, and understanding of the world's architectural heritage through a liberal arts education.”
Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased through Etix.com by clicking here. The silent auction will begin promptly at 7 p.m. and the music kicks off at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.buildingartscollege.us or call 843.577.5245.
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PURE Theatre
A reputation for artistic excellence, risk taking, and thinking outside of the box, the PURE Theatre folks are definitely worth checking out. The company’s intrepid approach to the art and craft of theatre has garnered them numerous audience and critic awards, as well as a loyal following of patrons.
Join them for their seventh season with plays like Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry, and Up by Bridget Carpenter. PURE Theatre will also debut two new plays developed in the PURE Lab, Lowcountry Boil by R.W. Smith and Hansel & Gretel adapted by Rodney Lee Rogers & Spencer Deering.
Tickets range between $15 - $30 and are available by calling 843.723.4444, stopping by the box office at the Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting Street, or online at www.puretheatre.org.
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Spoleto Festival USA
May 22 - June 7, 2009
Louise
Gustave Charpentier celebrates freedom and tempestuous young love on the streets of bohemian Paris in his opera Louise. Rarely seen in the US, every element of this opera’s creation will be created locally. Directed by Sam Helfrich, Louise will feature Stefania Dovhan in the title role. The tone of the opera is one of sentiment and danger with a set designed by Andrew Holland and 140 dazzling costumes by Kaye Voyce.
Don John
Inspired by Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Don John blends physical theater, original music, and imaginative staging to view the world’s greatest lover through the eyes of his conquests. Set in 1970’s England’s “the winter of discontent” to a sensational score of playful music commissioned by Stu Barker, Kneehigh’s Don John is this year’s biggest, sexiest, and most edgy theatrical production.
Good Cop Bad Cop
Combining film and live performance, the Dutch Theater Ensemble provides a sharp commentary on modern culture and reality TV. Wacky, ironic comedy “with subtle style and a touch of the absurd, Kassys makes the everyday extraordinary.” De Volksrant (The Netherlands).
Alvin Ailey, American Dance Theater
Join the celebration as this revered dance company brings its 50th anniversary of African-American modern dance tradition to Spoleto. The New York Times says Ailey is “arguably the most popular dance company on the international touring circuit.” Performances will include a cast of vividly drawn characters from Ailey’s Southern childhood, celebrations of Otis Redding’s sassy, sizzling music, as well as excerpts from some of Ailey’s most popular ballets. Finally, a stunning retrospective will demonstrate the tremendous range and resonance of one man’s genius.
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Cedar Lake is known for its modern, athletic movements designed by international choreographers rarely seen in this country. Cedar Lake’s work has been called “dancing that pulls viewers right out of their seats” by The New York Times. Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue by Canadian Choreographer Crystal Pite is energetic, smooth, and sensual. Sunday, Again choreographed by Norwegian Jo Stromgren reveals a humorous theatrical badminton game set to music by Bach.
(opposite page)
Addicted To Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre’s 20th Century
The rich and tragic life of actor Peter Lorre is the inspiration for the Brooklyn based punk band, Addicted To Bad Ideas. A collaboration between director Jay Scheib and New York’s World/Inferno Friendship Society, Bad Ideas, featuring Jack Terricloth as the front man with a swinging nine-piece band as back-up, is part cabaret, part operetta.
Brahms Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique)
Violinist Sarah Chang is recognized as one of classical music’s most captivating and gifted performers. A child prodigy, Ms. Chang studied the violin at The Julliard School of Music at age 4. This stunning, accomplished young woman joins the festival orchestra to perform Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major.
Charles Wadsworth
Since 1977, acclaimed pianist Charles Wadsworth has been the artistic director of the Spoleto Festival. This year Mr. Wadsworth will turn 80 and take his final bow. The Festival will pay tribute to the beloved artist with several celebratory events including the Opening Gala, Wadsworth and Friends, A Musical Celebration and the High Tea Farewell.
Punch Brothers
Mandolin child prodigy and co-founder of Nickel Creek, Chris Thile fuses the melodies of bluegrass, folk, jazz, and string in his newest band, The Punch Brothers. With best selling tickets of the festival, these boys make up a quintet of deep talent.
Wachovia Jazz Series, Jake Shimabukuro
Celebrated for his lightening fast fingers and revolutionary playing techniques on the ukulele, Hawaiian born Shimabukuro’s fame grew as a result of a youtube video. Shimabukuro was recently dubbed, “the best ukulele player on the planet” by The New York Times. Playing jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, flamenco, and rock, his style defies categorization.
Rene Marie
Wachovia Jazz headlining performer, Rene Marie, returns to Spoleto to perform selections from her latest album, Voice of My Beautiful Country. In her ‘love song to America,’ Marie expresses how she feels about living in this country as a person of color in an ensemble of jazz, blues, and gospel.
The Finale
The final concert takes place under the stars at the landscaped gardens of Middleton Place. Conductor Marc Williams will lead the Spoleto Orchestra in the final concert of the season. Come early and enjoy a picnic on the grounds and/or spend the evening watching a spectacular fireworks display over the Ashley River.
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Saltimbanco: Cirque Du Soleil
North Charleston Coliseum,
Wednesday April 22 - Sunday April 26
Tickets can be purchased online at
www.cirquedusoleil.com or
by calling 843.554.6060.
Cirque du Soleil weaves its magic for the first time at the North Charleston Coliseum with Saltimbanco. Cirque du Soleil, which began as a group of 20 street performers in 1984, is now a Quebec based organization with nearly 4,000 employees from over 40 different countries, including more than 1,000 artists.
Saltimbanco is one of the longest running Cirque du Soleil shows and has a style that borrows from theater, dance and music, with spectacular costumes and lighting. Saltimbanco is inspired by the urban fabric of an imaginary city and its colorful inhabitants, taking “spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city.” The show’s eclectic cast of characters draws viewers into a dream world, exploring the hustle and bustle of street life and the people who live there.
Saltimbanco includes nine different acts such as, Adagio which features acrobats whose “bodies meld together to create startling figures,” and Chinese Poles where 26 multi-colored acrobats slip onto the stage, climb on poles, leap and soar at 25 feet above the stage. In Bungees, four performers tied to bungees swing, drop and fly through the sky, giving viewers the impression they are looking at birds soaring through the sky.
Richard Dagenais, Senior Artistic Director, says of Saltimbanco, “we link the acts into a cohesive story, that’s where the theatricality comes into play, that’s what sets us apart from a traditional circus. We create one global show.”
Rene Dupere composed the music for Saltimbanco which is inspired by the urban life at the end of the last century. He says, “I didn’t retain the usual clichés and attempted to create the rumble of a city we imagine, luminous and full of hope.” |
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PICCOLO SPOLETO FESTIVAL
May 22 - June 7, 2009
Each year, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival provides access to the arts for everyone, as well as the opportunity for local and regional artists, writers, and performers to showcase their work. With a variety of free and modestly priced events, Piccolo offers something wonderful for everyone.
Below is a small slice of what Piccolo 2009 has to offer. For a complete list of activities and ticket information, call the office of Cultural Affairs at 843.724.7305 or visit www.piccolospoleto.com.
Don’t miss Piccolo’s official festival curtain riser, The Sunset Serenade Concert at the US Custom House. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra plays favorite hits from the Big Band era followed by The Wycliff Gordon Quartet. Also enjoy All That Jazz: ‘A battle of The Best High School Jazz Bands in The Lowcountry’ as these young performers show off their talent.
The Children’s Festival at Marion Square includes performances by Dance Carolina, musical instrument making with The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, ‘fitness fun on wheels,’ aboard the Fun Bus, as well as dancing to the explosive sounds and colorful street theater with The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable Band.
The Finale, “A Global Village of World Music” features a fabulous line-up of exciting groups that span the globe from Israeli Jazz to Klezmer to Hip-Hop.
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