The 2012 Festival opens with the popular Opera Showcase featuring four opera singers and piano accompanist who have performed internationally.
Our annual opera showcase is followed by a season of music, theater, dance, poetry and art exhibits for arts lovers of all ages. Instrumental and choral music includes folk, jazz, blues, swing, soft rock, country, and bluegrass. A historic American drama and an English comedy are also on tap. We will again have First Fridays open mic music jams sessions and an open mic poetry session. (more…)
LIVE OPERA SHOWCASE
Saturday MAY 26 -7:00 p.m. Sunday MAY 27 – 2:00 p.m
$15 at door, students free. wheelchair/elev. accessible
New York ensemble features sopranos Tammy Tyburczy, Tanya Crist, tenor Antonio Abate, baritone Christopher DeVage with accompanist Jerome Tan performing arias and ensembles from Mendelssohn’s Elijah, with selections from Puccini’s famous operas. (more…)
OPEN MIC MUSIC JAM
1st Fridays JUNE, JULY & AUGUST
Friday JUNE 1 – 7:00 p.m. Friday JULY 6 – 7:00 p.m Friday AUGUST 5 – 7:00 p.m
FREE or donation at the door; wheelchair/elevator accessible
Open MIC performances by musicians, instrumental and vocal. Performers to determine format. Musicians and public welcome (more…)
“THEY CALLED ME LIZZY: From Slavery to the White House”
Written and Directed by Kandie Carle
Sunday, JUNE 3 – 4:00 p.m
$10 at door, students free. wheelchair/elev. accessible
One-actor drama starring Stephanie Jackson in the true story of
the slave who became the dressmaker and confidante of Mary Todd
Lincoln (www.ehsco.org). For age 12 and older. (more…)
JAZZ DUO JERRY NOBLE & BOB SPARKMAN
Jazz
Sunday, JULY 10 – 4:00 p.m
$10 at door, students free. wheelchair/elev. accessible
Jazz duo, Jerry Noble and Bob Sparkman (piano and
clarinet) in concert (www.bobandjerry.com) performing cool blues, swing, and
jazz. Meet-the-artists reception (more…)
A DANCE COLLAGE
Huntington Dance Centre
Sunday, JULY 1 – 4:00 p.m
Donation, students free. wheelchair/elev. accessible
A “Dance Collage” presented by students of the Huntington Dance Centre performing Jazz, tap, ballet, modern and more. (more…)
The Porch Trio
JAZZ
Sunday, JULY 8 – 4:00 p.m
$10 at door, students free. wheelchair/elev. accessible
THE PORCH TRIO: Smooth jazz standards, Latin rhythms, favorite ballads and Big Band swing sounds from Dave Sporny on trombone, Bob Ferrier on guitar and Don Baldini on bass. (more…)
CHARLES NEVILLE & FRIENDS! Benefit for North Hall
Sunday, July 29 – 4 p.m.
$15 minimum at the door; students free. ; wheelchair accessible
JAZZ SAXOPHONIST CHARLES NEVILLE in concert outdoors adjacent to North Hall (with restrooms). Bring picnic, lawn blankets and chairs. In case of rain, concert will be held indoors at North Hall. (more…)
LUI COLLINS
Folk and Bossa Nova
Sunday, AUGUST 5 – 4:00 p.m
$10 at door, students free. wheelchair/elev. accessible
Singer, songwriter LUI COLLINS in concert on guitar and banjo playing original songs to bossa nova in the original Brazilian Portuguese, to Harry Woods’ classic Red Red Robin and more. (www.luicollins.com) (more…)
OPEN MIC POETRY
Sunday, JULY 12, 4:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m.
FREE; wheelchair/elevator accessible
Two-hour open mic poetry. Signup at 3:45 p.m. Readings timed at 10 minutes each. Open to all poets, amateur or professional. Playwright / actor Mitch Giannunzio emcees. (more…)
JIM KAMINSKI. & COMPANY : Blues/Rock
Saturday, AUGUST 18— 7:00 p.m.
$10 at the door, students free. ; wheelchair/elevator accessible
Jim Kaminski, guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist and founding member of the band Fat plays original music from hard-edged blues-rock to “soulful grooves.” Rudi Weeks on bass, Dave Nelson on drums. (more…)
“WHAT THE BUTLER SAW”
by playwright Joe Orton
Sunday, AUGUST 26— 2:00 p.m.
FREE; wheelchair/elevator accessible
Staged reading of comedy (1969) by English playwright Joe Orton. Directed by playwright Mitch Giannunzio, with actors Kenneth Tigar and Mitch Giannunzio. Parental discretion advised. (more…)
LAURA WETZLER BAND
American spiced with World beat Music Concert
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 9 – 4:00 p.m.
$10 at the door; wheelchair/elevator accessible
Singer songwriter and guitarist Laura Wetzler brings a mix of original Hilltown songs with the Great American Songbook and Worldbeat Music from Africa, Asia, and Europe. (more…)
OLD COUNTRY ROAD BAND
Country, Bluegrass Music Concert
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 23 – 4:00 p.m.
$10 at the door; wheelchair/elevator accessible
“Classic country” songs by Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Carl Smith and a host of others with some bluegrass music mixed in. (more…)
THE JADE QUARTET and Friends
Classical music concert
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 30 – 4:00 p.m.
$15 at the door; students free. wheelchair/elevator accessible
The program includes the Dvorak Dumky Piano Trio with Harry Seelig, piano, Dennis Townsend, violin and Rae Nickel, cello and the Schubert Trout Quintet with Harry Seelig, piano, Janet Van Blerkom, violin, William MacKnight, viola, Rae Nickel, cello and Lynn Lovell, bass. (more…)
2012 Sponsors and Friends
Our Sponsors, the Westfield News, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, the Arts Councils of Blandford, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell and Worthington help us bring you the 2012 season of theater, dance and music – classical, jazz, blues, rock ‘n roll, folk, country and world along with our open mic poetry and First Fridays open mic music jams series.
