Area Arts

Oratorio Chorale Calendar Listings

Friday, February 17, 2006 "Mozart: A 250th Celebration!" performed by the Oratorio Chorale and guest soloists, including soprano Barbara Bonney. 7:30 p.m. Orion Performing Arts Center, Topsham. Tickets: $20 in advance; $24 at door; students half-price. Call 725-1420 or visit www.oratoriochorale.org .

Saturday, February 18, 2006 "Mozart: A 250th Celebration!" performed by the Oratorio Chorale and guest soloists, including soprano Barbara Bonney. 7:30 p.m. St. Luke's Cathedral, State Street, Portland. Tickets: $20 in advance; $24 at door; students half-price. Call 725-1420 or visit www.oratoriochorale.org .

Concert to benefit Habitat for Humanity house

"Gospel Extravanza", a concert featuring the Christ Church Men's Gospel Choir, will be held Friday, February 3 (snow date February 4) at Tuttle Road United Methodist Church (52 Tuttle Road, Cumberland) at 7:30 pm. Also performing will be Come Together, a group of musical members of various area churches, and the Tuttle Road Ladies Quartet.

The concert will benefit Habitat For Humanity's second house in Cumberland, currently under construction. The admission price is suggested as $10 per person or $25/family; tickets can be purchased at the door.
Join us for a night of toe-tapping praise music to benefit an important cause.
For information call 829-3766.

Longfellow Birthday Party

Celebrate Longfellow's 199th Birthday With Cake and Poetry February 25th, Saturday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Maine Historical Society Longfellow's 199thBirthday Party Gather at the Maine Historical Society for its annual family program honoring Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's birthday. Children will hear their favorite Longfellow poems, write their own poem, and sign a giant birthday card. Followed by birthday cake for all. Free and open to the public.

The Persuasions Reconfirm the Power and Beauty of the Human Voice and Spirit

After more than four decades of singing a cappella, The Persuasions "still ain't got no band," but man do they have harmony! L/A Arts presents legends of a cappella, The Persuasions, on Thursday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Franco American Heritage Center, Lewiston for a concert that will reconfirm the power and beauty of the human voice and spirit.
Together since they started singing on the stoops of Brooklyn in 1961, The Persuasions have released 18 albums, have recorded or performed with a wide range of artists, and their music has turned up in films from "Joe and the Volcano" to "E.T."

The original five Persuasions-Jerry Lawson, Jimmy Hayes, Joe Russell, Jayotis Washington, and Toubo Rhoad-carried the a cappella torch alone through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, until the genre suddenly acquired mainstream popularity as an outgrowth of rap. (Rhoad died in 1988, and the baritone slot is now filled by former Drifter Bernard "B.J." Jones.) Jerry Lawson left the group in late 2003 to pursue other options and has been replaced by Ray Sanders who has performed with the Velours and the Paragons.

Rossini Club Concert

The February Concert of the Portland Rossini Club will be on Sunday February 5th at 3 p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Church, 113 Coyle Street, Portland. The program will include music for piano by Chopin, and by Maine composer Robert Gans. There will be songs by George Gershwin and music for violin and piano. There will be a reception with refreshments after the concert. Suggested Donation is $5. FMI call 829-3393.

Brown Bag Theater Returns To The Theater Project

Brunswick--The Theater Project will be offering their "Brown Bag Theater" series?again during the February school break. This workshop for third, fourth, and fifth graders was last offered during the December break, and proved so popular that each day had a waiting list.

"Brown Bag Theater" will run from 9 to 12 on February 21, 22 and 23. Al Miller, Lee K. Paige and Wendy Poole will each lead one class with the same format - acting games and exercises that explore a different theme or story each day, resulting in a short performance of the material developed during the class.

At noon, parents, other relatives, and friends are invited to bring a brown bag lunch to The Theater Project and see the production. Young actors may sign up for all three days or one or two. The class is $30 a day, or $75 for all three days.

A minimum of ten actors is necessary each day. Interested actors must register by February 17. For information and registration, call The Theater Project at 729-8584, or stop by 14 School Street in Brunswick.

Artists sought

Warren Kids and Teens TheaterWorks is seeking performing artists of all types for a coffee house on February 11 at 7 p.m. in the Warren Library Auditorium, 479 Maine St., Westbrook, ME. This is a great opportunity for established and budding artists to perform in a public venue. FMI: Alice at 637-2944 or warrenkidsandteens@yahoo.com.