Big Band Christmas

The Must See concert this weekend is "A Big Band Christmas," presented by the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers and the Columbia Basin Jazz Orchestra, with director Randy Hubbs and soloists Carisa Simpson and Jeremy Irland. We had our first rehearsal on Nils Lindberg's "A Christmas Cantata" with the orchestra tonight and it is going to be an AMAZING concert. Also on the program is a selection of jazz tunes. See it Friday night at Hanford High and Saturday night at Chiawana, both at 7pm. Get there early for tickets - this is going to be a good one!

Go see A Christmas Carol!

I just saw a delightful production of "A Christmas Carol," put on by Tri-Cities Prep. Two of my students are performing, and Mid-Columbia Mastersinger and phenomenal pianist Tara Swanson is accompanying and they were all just great!

The set is charming, the costumes are lovely (kudos to Val Watson!), and the singing is very good - I especially enjoyed the group numbers. The pacing is great, and scene changes are filled with Christmas music (thanks, Tara!). A group of young dramatic dancers from Suzanne's Studio were used to great effect throughout. TCP has a really talented group of kids, and you will be glad you saw it! Huge congratulations to producer/director Nina Powers and the young drama program at TCP!

The show is on again tomorrow at 7pm and Sunday at 3pm, at Columbia Basin College - tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Gondoliers Unofficial Cast List

This is not the official list yet, but just what I have learned from people announcing themselves on facebook:

Duke of Plaza Toro - Mark Barton
Duchess of Plaza Toro - Laurel Adams
Casilda - Julie Heegel
Luiz - Eric Eberle
Marco - Jairo Maldonado
Giuseppe - Sam Purvine
Antonio - Rolly Hofstedt
Gianetta - Molly Holleran
Tessa - Chrissy Maldonado
Fiametta - Mitzi Lundberg
Giulia - Ashley Wheatcroft

The Thick of Christmas

There is no turning back - we are in the midst of the Christmas performance season. Christmas Pops with the Symphony and Handel's Messiah are over, and this coming weekend we have Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at Mid-Columbia Ballet, and Tri-Cities Prep's production of A Christmas Carol. How can you stay home watching TV when there is such fare?

Also, Gondoliers auditions are done and the show is cast - those of us who auditioned will find out later this week, but I have it on good authority that this will be a GREAT show. So to all the naysayers, I say "nay."

CBC Concert Canceled Tonight

Columbia Basin College has canceled this evening's choral and orchestra concert due to the horrible weather. Too bad, but maybe they will reschedule for a time when I can go!

Hey, you early birds...

If you will be up early tomorrow, be sure to watch Good Morning Northwest on KVEW, where Reg, Abby, Justin and I will be singing Christmas songs for your enjoyment. We're promoting the Mastersingers concert coming up on December 17 and 18 - it's a Big Band Christmas with the Columbia Basin Jazz Orchestra and vocal soloists Carisa Simpson and Jeremy Irland. We're getting to the TV station at 5am tomorrow morning, so please make it worth it and let us know you watched!

Another Closing, Another Opening

So South Pacific is finally over, and now we can all relax and... what? Oh, yeah. This weekend is "A Mid-Columbia Christmas" with the Mid-Columbia Symphony - I am singing "O holy night" and Abigail Wright will be singing "Ave Maria," and the Mastersingers and children's chorus will be singing lots of Christmas carols, and there is an audience sing-along too, so we'll all get to share in the fun. Oh, yeah, and the following weekend is the Oratorio Chorus's presentation of Handel's Messiah, with Abigail and me again as soloists. Then we have a weekend off of performing to go see Mid-Columbia Ballet's Nutcracker and Tri-Cities Prep's A Christmas Carol. And wait, there's more! Get a final dose of pre-holiday cheer in a Big Band Christmas concert with the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers and Columbia Basin Jazz Orchestra. 'Tis the season!

South Pacific Opens Tonight!

It's finally here! Come see South Pacific at Richland High School, tonight at 7pm, Friday or Saturday at 8pm or Sunday at 2pm. So much fun, and the leads are outstanding!

Bell, Book and Candle

I saw Bell, Book and Candle with Samgela and Robbie Heegel last night. Wonderful job by all, although of course the live cat is going to be an upstager - good thing it was only onstage for a few moments! As a Players board member, I was pleased to see how much the audience loved the show - everyone should go see it!

Today we kick off South Pacific production week with a double-run rehearsal, so if you see any of the cast or crew members out and about, give them a hug.

Jeff and Stevie and Abby and Korry

I'm listening to the Jeff and Stevie Radio Show (every Saturday morning at 10am on AM610), featuring the stars of the upcoming RLOC production of South Pacific, Abby Walter ("Nellie") and Korry Watkins ("Billis"). Good discussion! The show opens Wednesday - come see it!

1984

Heather Manley and I saw CBC's production of "1984" tonight and it was CREEPY. Needless to say Heather emitted a really loud "What the HECK?!" a few times and found things to laugh at that no one else caught. She's the most fun to see a show with. It was a gripping production, and there was one point where Heather and I were both cringing in horror, hiding our eyes behind our hands. If you know the show, you know what part that was. Most impressive was Travis Franks as O'Brien, the bad guy - just creepy. We were also trying to figure out where we had seen Jennifer Reed before - she stood out as the Cockney landlady. A fascinating and disturbing play, and now I need to go watch some funny dog videos on youtube so I can sleep.

Witches, Mr. Darcy and Big Brother

There is so much going on this weekend, you might possibly get to half of it. Richland Players continues "Bell, Book and Candle," you know, the one that the TV show "Bewitched" was based on - I saw a little bit of it last weekend while I was house managing, and if you never thought you'd see Jerry Bush as a romantic lead, you've got to see this performance! It's a very funny show. Also, there is a real cat on stage. Bring your Benedryl. Just kidding. Also, Murphy's set is great! Can't wait to see the show for real tomorrow.

Hanford High School's advanced drama is doing Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." I coached one of the students last week - Mr. Leggett's program has some amazing talent! This is the last weekend, so go to this one if you can, and catch the others next weekend.

And I JUST found out that CBC is doing George Orwell's "1984" - how did I miss hearing about this? Oh, yeah, I was at South Pacific rehearsal. But you would think Ginny would have mentioned it to us!

Sunday afternoon there is a great opportunity to get your holiday music fix with the Columbia Chorale in their winter concert. It's early but we all know you've started humming "O holy night" in the shower. It's OK.

Last but not least, if you haven't been to Jokers Comedy Club to see "Y B Stag" perform their improv show, let me tell you sir, you are missing out. You can join them every Friday night for fun audience-participatory laughs before the stand-up performers come on. And if you know Robbie Heegel, ask him for free tickets.

Oh, yeah, and don't forget to get yourself to auditions for "Almost, Maine" on Sunday and Monday. Described by the publisher as a "delightful midwinter night's dream," it's a romantic comedy with a cast of 4, and it will be directed by the wonderful Joyce Bean.

South Pacific Auditions Tonight and Tomorrow

Don't miss Richland Light Opera Company's auditions for South Pacific tonight and tomorrow beginning at 7pm at the Columbia Basin College theatre!

Don't miss Drowsy Chaperone!

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is going GREAT and is so much fun! Be sure and catch it this weekend: tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2pm, at CBC.

Busy Weekend

Be sure to go to Stevie's Volunteer Jam at the Three Rivers Convention Center, from noon to midnight today - this event was so much fun last year! And tomorrow afternoon I will be performing with some amazing singers in RLOC's 60th Anniversary Gilbert & Sullivan Showcase, 4pm at Chief Joseph Middle School in Richland.

Mastersingers at Kennewick Arts Walk

Don't miss members of the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers at the Tri-City Music store at the Kennewick Arts Walk tonight!

Stevie's Volunteer Jam

Don't miss Stevie Haberman's 12-hour music marathon on Saturday, noon-midnight at the Three Rivers Convention Center. Have fun while supporting the Benton-Franklin Volunteer Center!

Un-Strung: Catch the Symphony at Waterbrook Winery!

On Friday August 13, members of the Mid-Columbia Symphony and Mid-Columbia Mastersingers will appear at an amazing fundraising event for MCS at Waterbrook Winery in Walla Walla. They will perform on 6 stages around the winery, while attendees eat, drink and have fun. On the way to see Footloose (that's another blog post that I won't write) last Friday night, we stopped at Waterbrook and they were so wonderful - the facility is beautiful, the wine is great, and there will be yummy food and your favorite Tri-Cities musicians so don't miss it!

RENT!

If you didn't see Rent this weekend, you have 7 more chances to go! The entire cast is really strong, the choreography and music are great. If you know and love the show, you will not be disappointed in CBC's production!

RLOC Auditions for South Pacific

Audition dates for South Pacific have been announced!

Wednesday August 25, 7:00 PM and Thursday August 26, 7:00 PM, at the CBC Theatre. Callbacks will be Monday August 30, 7:00 PM.

The awesome production team will be Ginny Quinley, drama director; Justin Raffa, music director; and Marlie Buriak, choreographer.

The show will be in November, over the two weekends before Thanksgiving.

The Next Two Weeks

I'll be away watching opera at La Scala for the next two weeks, but be sure you don't miss:

• Mastersingers auditions this weekend - the next season of concerts will be amazing!
• Ye Merrie Players Greenwood Faire June 26-27
• Kennewick First Thursday Art Walk July 1 and Richland First Friday Art Walk July 2
• The Mary Lou and Stevie Show practically everywhere, all the time

G&S Are Coming to Tri-Cities!

Hey! Richland Light Opera is presenting a 60th anniversary show featuring Gilbert and Sullivan IN PERSON! They will host an afternoon of music from the four G&S shows RLOC has done: The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and Trial By Jury. It will be Sunday, August 8 - more info here: www.rloc.org.

In other G&S news, RLOC has scheduled Gondoliers for March 2011. Woohoo!

Congrats Hanford Drama!

The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards were tonight - congratulations to Hanford High School's Matt Leggett, Outstanding Direction for Lucky Stiff and Spencer Brame, Outstanding Male Actor in a Featured Ensemble Role! So cool!

Hanford High received 12 nominations for their shows Lucky Stiff and The Secret Garden, more than any of the other 80 schools participating throughout the state. Students at Richland HS were nominated, too, for their production of The Sound of Music. We have such amazing student productions here!

Don't we ALL want to be better sight-readers?

Justin and Reg are presenting a 3-session sight-singing course this summer. It should be a lot of fun - they are both great teachers, and the classes are intended for anyone who wants to improve their basic sight-singing skills for singing in church or community choir. Beginners are very welcome!

The classes will be Tuesdays June 15, 22 and 29, 7-9pm at Shalom UCC in Richland. The cost is $75 per person. Space is limited, so contact Justin at justraffa@aol.com to register.

Mastersingers Auditions

Mid-Columbia Mastersingers is holding the first round of auditions for the 2010-11 season June 18 and 19 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Richland - see the listing on the calendar to the right for more details, and email Justin at justin@midcolumbiamastersingers.org to schedule an audition time.

Help Buy a Theatre

Valley Theatre Company in Prosser is trying to buy the Princess Theatre, which it currently manages and occupies - they need $200,000 by July 31, 2010 - break open the piggy bank!

Epworth Chorale on Monday

Hold the phone! What?! The Epworth Chorale is performing at Shalom UCC on Monday night at 7pm?! They are a youth choir and bell choir. I LOVE bells! And Shalom has excellent music always. I have rehearsal Monday, but YOU should go!

Kennewick and Richland Art Walks

Take advantage of the break in the rain to get down to the Kennewick First Thursday Art Walk tonight starting at 5pm. Justin is planning to go, and we're especially excited about the performers playing at Tri-City Music - pianists Peggy McNeill, Onnie Adams, Gulnura Brown, Tara Swanson and Ben Fowler will play pieces for five pianos on some gorgeous grand pianos. I'm sorry to miss it - be sure and tell me about it!

And then tomorrow night is the awesome First Friday Art Walk on the Parkway in Richland, hosted by some of the coolest stores in the area, including Cheese Louise (my personal favorite!), Birthmarx Tattoo, Greenies, Fringe Salon, and Smoovies. They will feature the works of local artists - Cheese Louise is showing art by Cameron Mills. We'll definitely be there! Cheeeeeeesse!!!

CBC Summer Shows

Hey! From the CBC Arts Center:

"Tickets are now on sale for "RENT" and "The Drowsy Chaperone!" All shows are reserved seating, they will go fast . . .so get yours today! Adventures Underground in Richland, Shelby's Floral in Kennewick and our office here on the Pasco Campus."

Justin and I have the inside scoop on these shows - I'm in Drowsy, and he's music directing Rent - much more on these coming up. In the meantime, get your tickets!

Summer Preview

You might think things slow down here in the summertime, but there are still lots of opportunities to get out and see live performances:

• Academy of Children's Theatre wraps up their season with Storybook Players performances this weekend


• During the first part of June, the CBC music program presents three spring concerts: Instrumental, Jazz and Choral/Orchestral


• The Sacajawea Bluegrass Festival is June 11-13


• Hie thee to Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire June 26-27


• The CBC Summer Showcase heats up in July and August with two radically different musicals: Rent plays July 16-31 and The Drowsy Chaperone will run August 13-22


• Check out local artists at the Downtown Kennewick's First Thursday Art Walk and on the Parkway in Richland for the First Friday Art Walk


• Your chances of catching the Mary Lou and Stevie Show will skyrocket if you stop for dinner at the Emerald of Siam any Wednesday, have a Friday night glass of wine at Barrel House Cafe, or shop the Richland Farmer's Market on a Friday morning


• Watch for more information soon about Stevie's Volunteer Jam and RLOC's Gilbert & Sullivan showcase, both coming up in early August

No excuses! In the words of the great Mary Lou Gnoza, if you don't support live performance, it won't be there!

The Why of This

To provide a place where Tri-Cities arts supporters can find event schedules, announcements, news and reviews, and share comments and ideas about the arts in our community.

Deeper Why
To build connections within the passionate Tri-Cities arts community and to expand support for every organization.