Arts and Entertainment - page 2

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts is presenting a unique musical duo this Friday during the second installment of the Downtown Friday Night Shuffle in Newport.

Come out to hear Saigelyn Green and Phoenix Malanga, and enjoy their dynamic musical stylings from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Green is a senior at the University of Southern Maine in the Music Education program.

She graduated from NCUHS in 2015 and most recently had a composition featured in the 50th Anniversary Concert.

Many community members have heard Green perform with Northsong and a variety of other music showcases throughout the greater Newport area.

Phoenix Malanga graduated from NCUHS in 2017.

He is a consummate guitarist and well known for the variety of bands he has played in throughout the Northeast Kingdom.

Malanga will be a music major at Bennington College this fall.

NEWPORT — The Goodrich Memorial Library will present Liberated Libretto: A Frolic with Gilbert and Sullivan as the finale performance in their CHAUTAUQUA series in celebration of the Newport Centennial.

The MAC Center for the Arts is bringing this force of talent July 6, at 7 p.m. in the upstairs auditorium at the Goodrich.

Anita Morin, Sally Rivard, Allen Cubit, Ron St John III and Lynn Leimer with Janice Luce on piano showcase the humor and history of the dynamic G&S duo with favorites such as Modern Major General from Pirates of Penzance, Three Little Maids from the MIKADO and When I Got Out of Doors from Patience.

The revue captures the satire as well as the musicality that made the operettas famous.

For those curious about the Chautauqua terminology, it was an adult education movement in the United States highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries which originated on the shores of the Chautauqua Lake, NY.

Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s.

The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers, and specialists of the day.

Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua is “the most American thing in America.”

Music was important to Chautauqua. Opera became a part of the Chautauqua experience in 1926 when the American Opera Company (AOC), an outgrowth of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, began touring the country.

Under the direction of Russian tenor Vladimir Rosing, the AOC presented five operas in one week at the Chautauqua Amphitheater.

By 1929, a permanent Chautauqua Opera company had been established.

So, in keeping with that genre, Liberated Libretto will affectionately honor the creativity and uniqueness of Gilbert and Sullivan.

This festooned revue, directed and choreographed by Lynn Leimer, showcases not only the vocal talents of the ensemble, but their propensity for comedy.

Join this acclaimed sextet at the Goodrich concluding the week-long Centennial events and enjoy the legendary music of Gilbert and Sullivan.

There will even be a special guest appearance you won’t want to miss.

The performance is free and open to the public, however, seating is limited.

NEWPORT — The North Country Friends of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s annual benefit party “Swing into Spring” will be hosted at Spates the Florist and Garden Center in Newport on May 24, from 6:15 – 8:15 p.m.

The event will offer live entertainment by the Maple Leaf Seven, a traditional jazz group also specializing in swing and dance styles from St. Johnsbury.

Attendees will have the chance to socialize with friends while strolling through Spates’ greenhouses to take advantage of exquisite plants at special VSO discounts.

The cost is $35 per person and includes gourmet appetizers and two complimentary beverage choice of beer, wine or soda.

Tickets are available in advance at Spates the Florist, Memphremagog Arts Collaborative, or at vso.org.

All proceeds support the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and its SymphonyKids outreach program.

Last season, SymphonyKids programs reached over 3,500 students in the North Country with 34 presentations serving 28 different schools in 25 different communities.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts is getting ready to present “A common Thread – Stitches and Stories from Fiber Artists Near and Far.”

The opening reception will be this Friday, May 11, from 5-7 p.m. in the lower gallery.

The event is free and open to the public.

The exclusive showcase of fiber arts will be a cornucopia of visual delights, demonstrating a wide range of accomplishment and skill.

The exhibition includes works in weaving, felting, surface design, knitting, art quilts and art to wear, and will be on display from May 11 – July 28.

Some of the remarkable artists that will have work on display include Donna Jean Safford, Andrea Strobach, Bonnie Nash, Carolyn Ferrara, Pat Lipinski, Pixie Durand, Sharon Diner, Michelle Marsh, Kelly Doyle, Pippa Drew as well as artists from Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild.

This contemporary fiber show is full of examples that blur the lines between fine art and fine craft, updating or innovating traditional practices and materials or by incorporating other disciplines into fiber.

For more information, please stop in during regular hours at the MAC, or visit their website at www.maccenterforthearts.com.

NEWPORT — A mem­oir work­shop, draw­ing on the mem­o­ries and sto­ries be­hind pho­tographs of life events, places, fam­ily, friends, or other sig­nif­i­cant peo­ple through prose nar­ra­tives or po­etry, will be of­fered next Sat­ur­day at the MAC Cen­ter for the Arts, in the Lower Gallery.

The workshop takes place on April 28, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Lo­cal au­thors Patty Oliver-Smith and Peggy Sap­phire will men­tor this work­shop, guid­ing the writ­ers to use pho­tographs as the records of per­sonal ex­pe­ri­ence.

Through a se­ries of writ­ing ex­er­cises ex­plor­ing and re­flect­ing on sen­sory im­ages, metaphors, and the con­text of the pho­tos, writ­ers will be draw­ing on their mem­o­ries and sto­ries to pro­duce a piece of writ­ing in ei­ther a prose nar­ra­tive or a poem.

Pre-reg­is­tra­tion is re­quired by April 22. Class size is lim­ited to 15 par­tic­i­pants with a fee of $10.

Pa­per and pen will be pro­vided, but participants should feel free to bring their own jour­nal and fa­vorite writ­ing im­ple­ment.

The MAC is lo­cated at 158 Main Street in New­port.

For more in­for­ma­tion, stop by the MAC, call 334-1966, or visit the web­site at www.mac­cen­ter­fort­hearts.com.

NEWPORT — Soprano Emma Strange will be performing her senior recital as a fund-raiser for David’s House at the Newport United Church in Newport. The concert will take place on Saturday, May 5, at 4 p.m.

Emma, who is a se­nior at Lake Re­gion Union High School, has studied clas­si­cal singing for al­most six years, and this will be her fi­nal recital be­fore head­ing to a mu­sic con­ser­va­tory in Au­gust.

David’s House provides a home-away-from-home and support for families with children receiving treatment through the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Hav­ing stayed at David’s House sev­eral times when she was six, Emma wanted to give back to this won­der­ful place that sup­ports chil­dren and their fam­i­lies.

She will be singing a va­ri­ety of mu­sic from Mozart to Broad­way, and will be ac­com­pa­nied by Mark Vi­o­lette on pi­ano and Amos Hamil­ton on clar­inet.

Her voice teacher is Vic­to­ria Cole of Fran­co­nia, New Hamp­shire.

Ad­mis­sion is by do­na­tion and checks can be made payable to “David’s House.”

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts, located at 158 Main Street, will be celebrating small art in their upcoming exhibition.

Come explore the teeny tiny wonders of the artistry of the diminutive, a member show highlighting miniature paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, mixed media, collages and a plethora of petite pottery and jewelry as well. 

Dimensions of artwork are at the max – 10″ x 10″ so no need to bring a magnifying glass. But, you will truly enjoy being Gulliver to this Lilliputian artworld exhibit.

Join the MAC for the opening reception on Friday, April 6, from 5-7 p.m. as they kick off this unique venture into the minutia.

The exhibit runs until Saturday, May 5. All are welcome, and the exhibit is FREE to the public.

For more information, please visit their website, www.maccenterforthearts.com or call 802-334-1966.

Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The MAC won’t start summer hours until Memorial Day weekend.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts held a children’s theatre workshop for youngsters ages 5-8 years old.

The thematic workshop called Rodeo Roundup, covered script writing, costume construction, designing WANTED posters, and learning many western dances and songs.

After only 3 hours, the bronco busting buckaroos performed the original short musical The Legend of Cotton Eye Joe for friends and family.

Each member of the posse received an official recognition award and an ACT 1 tee-shirt.

Organizers say they thank community businesses Vista, Kingdom Market, Brighton Elementary School, Heron’s Path, and Linda Lee Monogram for supporting the event.

Photo:

Back Row: Workshop Mentor, Sunny Naughton; Show Captain, Micaela Ortiz; Natalie Lawson, Avery Drown, Naomi Walsh, Natash Leonard; Show Captain, Abby Gonyaw; Workshop Mentors, Lynn Leimer and Judy Castonguay.

Middle Row: Ruthie Lawson, Jitter Niles, Bella Niles, Jenna Walsh, Meadow Clowery.

Front row kneeling: Penelope Longe, Amelia Drown, Jocelyn Gunther, Alice Loan.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts, in partnership with the Northeast Kingdom’s premier children’s theater academy ACT 1, is thrilled to announce plans for 2018.

Calling all cowboys and cowgirls, Saturday, March 3, 2018, ACT 1 will debut “Rodeo Roundup,” for 5 to 8-year-old participants. The event will be a half day of theater learning, songs and fun under the direction of Lynn Leimer and Sunny Naughton.

From 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. the young cowpokes will be led through exploratory activities to learn about all aspects of storytelling and songs of the old west, culminating in a short performance for family and friends at 4:00 p.m. 

Rodeo Roundup will teach participants about learning music and movement for the stage in addition to creating costume pieces and decorating the space to reflect the wild, wild west as they imagine it.

Character work will be a major theme throughout the afternoon as the students learn what it’s like to have some fun and bring their unique personalities to the performance as an ensemble.

Judy Castonguay will help the buckaroos design their costumes, while show captains, Micaela Ortiz and Abby Gonyaw, will choreograph and teach dance moves and lead the little ones through their bronco busting adventure. 

Cost for the afternoon is $25 for one participant and $40 for a pair. Scholarships are available upon request.

Registration includes water, materials and an ACT 1 t-shirt in addition to professional training. All are welcome, and no experience is required, just the love of creativity.

The registration deadline is February 26.

All questions regarding the day of the event should be directed to ACT 1, Lynn Leimer at macartspr@yahoo.com.

Space is limited to 20 participants.

For more information and registration, call 334-1966 or write maccenterforthearts.com.  

NEWPORT — Local children’s book author Lynda Graham-Barber has a new picture book out titled Cookie’s Fortune, which she hopes will benefit both people and animals in more ways than one.

Cookie’s Fortune was written to develop awareness and empathy for all living creatures, with a shared goal that the book raise money for a local charitable organization.

The story reflects on what it’s like for an abandoned dog named Cookie in a gritty urban setting, and how kindness and animal rescue make all the difference in what begins as a hard-luck and frightening life for Cookie.

“This book has taken me years to get right,” Graham-Barber said, “so I want to do as much good with it as I can.”

Larry Bradley, owner of Newport’s Nevermore Bookstore, agreed to offer his shop for the book’s official release party, on Saturday, Dec. 9, from noon – 2 p.m.

Those who buy a copy of the book, which the author will autograph, are then encouraged to enter the name of a favorite local charity into a drawing for a sizable cash donation to that nonprofit. The nonprofit’s efforts need not be dedicated to animal rescue.

“We want to shine light on the plight of all of those searching for a safe home,” the author explained.

Nevermore bookstore is located at 100 East Main Street in Newport, near the Eagles Club.

Among the afternoon’s free offerings will be a special Red Sky Trading carrot cake, liquid libations for kids of all ages, Ben Kinsley at guitar, face painting, gift wrapping, door prizes, and Bradleigh Stockwell’s “canine” humor.

Cookie’s Fortune, illustrated by Nancy Lane, was published by Gryphon Press.

NEWPORT — Thinking about decorating for the holidays? Wondering how to make new memories and fun-lore to pass down to generations? The MAC Center for the Arts has the perfect experience to satisfy both.

On December 16 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. the MAC welcomes the community to celebrate the holidays by creating a beautiful seasonal centerpiece made of local evergreens and festive materials.

This is an activity for family members, friends and neighbors, so come with a parent or uncle, child or best friend.

Instructor, Annie Holdridge will be back again this year to conduct the workshop in the MAC lower gallery.

Last season the sold-out workshop was so successful that the MAC has decided to make it an annual holiday event.

The workshop is limited to 25 participants and has a nominal fee of $5.00 per participant, so register early and reserve your space soon.

After you have finished creating your masterpiece, take time to browse through the upstairs gallery and select from an astonishing array of extraordinary pieces of arts and crafts, music, books, jewelry, and furniture. Their distinctive collection is matchless and supports shopping local.

For more information, visit www.maccenterforthearts.com or call the MAC at 802-334-1966., or stop by the MAC and pick up a registration form. You can also email pattyos@earthlink.net.