Area Arts

 

Mystery Dinner Theater in One Week!
The Good Shepherd UMC Players are presenting "A Rocky Night in a Mountain Chalet" on Friday April 2 at 7 pm and Saturday April 3 at 6 pm at Spring Meadows Country Club. This is a must for mystery buffs. The cast is made up of people who attend Good Shepherd and all the proceeds go towards our ministry in the area.

If you have attended a performance in the past, you know what a treat is in store as you compete with the other tables for prizes. If you haven't seen a Mystery Dinner Theater before, don't miss this one. Tickets are only $28.50 which includes dinner, tax, gratuity and the play. If you reserve a table of eight, the price is only $25.00 per person. Call Rae now at 657- 5216 to reserve your seats. See you there!

 

BROADWAY-LA from the Heart Lewiston-Auburn's Community Little Theatre and Central Maine Medical Center are proud to announce they are participating jointly for the first time ever in a spectacular fundraiser, Broadway-LA from the Heart. The event will take place April 24 and 25 at the Lewiston Middle School, Central Ave. Proceeds will benefit CLT's Endowment Fund and CMMC's Cardiac Care Capital Campaign for the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute. Vince Knue, well known performer, director and acting teacher from the Portland area, is directing the two hour variety show featuring tunes from Broadway sung by veteran CLT performers. Knue has numerous directing credits, including Gypsy, Camelot, Pippin, I Do, I Do and Bus Stop. He received his training from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. Keith Witherell of Cape Elizabeth is music director and has been rehearsing the past four weeks with Ron Bouffard, Paul Stickney, Renee Davis, Michelle Mahon, Marie Dittmer, Bruce Condit, Cynthia O'Neil, Leslie Chadbourne and Ellen Lefevre-all well known in theatre circles. Bouffard, Davis and Mahon were recently seen in CLT's Singin' in the Rain. Bouffard and Condit appeared in CLT's March production of Forever Plaid. O'Neil has appeared in performances at Portland Players and Lyric Theatre. Witherell is music director at Lyric Theatre and his musical directions include A Chorus Line, Music Man, West Side Story and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Broadway tunes, performed in solos, duets, and ensembles will include Heart from Damn Yankees, At the Ballet from A Chorus Line, Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat from Guys and Dolls and You're the Top from Anything Goes. Tim Pinkham is producing the show. Eileen Messina is choreographer and Denise Knue is designing the women's evening gowns. Rounding out the production crew is Richard Martin, lighting designer; John Blanchette, stage manager; Doreen Traynor, box office manager and Rachel Morin, publicist. Tickets are $20. Reservations may be made by calling the box office at 783-0958 or accessing the theatre's website at laclt.com. Here is Keith Witherell, seated, Musical Director, and Vince Knue, Director. Photo by Rachel Morin

 

 

Beck Holden (left) and Miles Jervis (right) rehearse for Lake Region High School's upcoming production of Oklahoma! Tickets are available at Bridgton Books in Bridgton, Krainin Real Estate in Naples or at 693-6221.

 

Arts Award: Maine Community Foundation To Receive Arts Philanthropy Award From Maine College Of Art

The Maine College of Art (MECA) will present the Maine Community Foundation (MCF) with its 2004 Art Honors Award for Leadership in Arts Philanthropy at its annual dinner on May 6. MCF was one of only ten community foundations in the nation selected to participate in a special five-year Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest Fund initiative, which supported grantmaking to bolster local cultural organizations, artists and community audiences for the arts. Last year the foundation awarded nearly $1 million in grants to arts and cultural organizations through endowed and advised funds.

The other MECA honorees this year are Vinalhaven Island artist Robert Indiana, who will be recognized for his achievement in visual arts, and Julia's Gallery for Young Artists at the Farnsworth Museum, honored for leadership in arts education. For further information about MCF, please visit www.mainecf.org or call toll free 1-877-700-6800.

Jazz, jazz, and more jazz at USM: Jazz - the great American musical genre - will be performed in a number of programs this April at the University of Southern Maine. All events take place in the School of Music's Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus, unless otherwise noted. Call the Music Box Office for more information at 780-5555.

On Friday, April 2 at 8 p.m., jazz pianist Ryan Parker plus other members of the USM Faculty Jazz Ensemble and guests will perform a tribute to the late Ray Brown and the music of Stevie Wonder. The concert is part of the
USM School of Music annual Faculty Concert Series. Tickets are $10 for the general public, $7 for seniors, and $5 for students. This concert is being sponsored by Key Bank.

Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m., bassist Ben Street will speak at a student sponsored IAJE clinic and will perform. Tickets are $5/$3.

Monday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., the USM Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by Chris Humphrey, will perform with a Vocal Jazz Combo and the Vocal Jazz Studio in a program that features the music of New York Voices, The Ritz, Paul Simon, James Moody and Eddie Jefferson. Tickets are $5/$3.

On Tuesday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m., the USM Lab Jazz Ensemble -- Doug Owens, director -- and the USM Jazz Ensemble -- Chris Oberholtzer, director -- will perform. The Jazz Ensemble program includes movements from Stan Kenton's "Cuban Fire Suite." The USM Lab Jazz Ensemble will perform a diverse program which includes Miles Davis' "Boplicity" from the classic "Birth of the Cool" recording, the funk-inspired "Hey, That's my Bike by Brad Turner," and the Maine premiere of "Route 2131" by Miami composer Mark Denis. Tickets are $5/$3.

Jazz Combos Concerts: ~~All jazz combos concerts will be held in the BROOKS STUDENT CENTER on the USM Gorham campus. Selections on all combo concerts will be announced from stage.

Wednesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m., Bill Street Sextet and the Sakbut Combo (this is a jazz trombone quartet with a rhythm section) directed by Chris Oberholtzer, will perform.

Monday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m., the Gary Wittner Quintet, the Tim O'Dell Combo, and the Gary Wittner Combo will perform.
Tuesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m., the Ryan Parker Combo, the Bill Street Combo, and the Ryan Parker Quintet will perform.

USM/Fleet Youth Ensembles Concert
Musically talented youth from around Maine and parts of New Hampshire converge at the School of Music on the University of Southern Maine campus in Gorham each week to rehearse in the USM/Fleet Youth Ensembles.

To date, more than a thousand young musicians are or have been involved with one or more of the groups working under the guidance of professional conductors. The program continues to be generously sponsored by Fleet.
The instrumental ensembles give two concerts a year in Merrill Auditorium.

This spring the concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 15, 2004 in Merrill Auditorium in Portland City Hall. Suggested donation is $5 for general public and $3 for students and seniors. Call the music box office at 780-5555 for more information. A reception will follow in the rehearsal room.