A View from the Bridge

So everyone needs to drop what they're doing and go see Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" at Richland Players this weekend. They close on Sunday, and you will be sorry you missed this dramatic, suspenseful and somewhat disturbing play. Kudos to director Joyce Bean for creating a really special theatre event for us. The set is beautiful, and the acting is deep and moving. Go see it!

Also, speaking of viewing things from the "bridge," rehearsals for Titanic the Musical (produced by Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre) are in full swing, and I can tell you that the music is going to knock your socks off, and the set will be phenomenal - also the 3rd class passengers rock. That's all I know so far, more as the situation develops.

In Like a Lion

Man, March is busy! It started off with a great Mastersingers concert weekend, then this past weekend we had both the Mid-Columbia Symphony concert AND the anniversary celebration of Joel and Debra Rogo and their Mid-Columbia Ballet. All three of these groups will collaborate on "Carmina Burana" on May 12 - wow!

And there are so many middle school and high school productions going on, I can't even keep track.

Tomorrow night is your last chance to audition for Richland Players' next production, "Trip to Bountiful," and the next two weekends you can see their current show, "Dearly Beloved," - stop by the box office and your chances of seeing me are pretty high.

This weekend Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities will present "Il Voce," which I will miss since I'm house managing for "DB" - let me know how they are!

Then next weekend Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre (formerly Richland Light Opera Company) opens Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" and the Academy of Children's Theatre opens "West Side Story." I hear great things about both, and I am especially looking forward to hearing Mastersinger Ty Wilde as Tony.

At the end of the month Reg Unterseher will present a forum on ePublishing, and the Count Basie Orchestra is coming to Kennewick High School. I guess everyone gave up sleeping for Lent.

Sleuth

Be sure to go see Sleuth at Richland Players this weekend or next. It is definitely one of the best-acted shows I've seen there.

We should be hearing soon about the casting for Dearly Beloved, and ACT is holding auditions for West Side Story (age 13 and up) next week.

Catch the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers singing the National Anthem at the Tri-Cities Americans hockey game this Saturday!

Out with the Old, In with the New

The 2010-11 arts season is drawing to a close, and the new season is starting already. If you haven't heard about RLOC's upcoming auditions for "The Wedding Singer" then you haven't been listening. Auditions are Sunday June 19 or Tuesday June 21 at 7pm at the Battelle Auditorium.

Also, Justin and I just got back from the Chorus America Conference in San Francisco, and we are ready to go full steam ahead on the new Mastersingers season. In addition to all the great informational sessions on running an arts organization, we got to hear some amazing choirs, including Chanticleer and the San Francisco Girls Chorus - just incredible!

Also, don't forget to see Neil Simon's "They're Playing Our Song" at Richland Players this weekend!

It's not easy being queen

Tonight Richland Players open "Mary Stuart," Schiller's classical drama - let's support real theatre here in the Tri-Cities! It will run the next three weekends - don't miss it!

Also playing this weekend, Camerata Musica presents the Berlin-based Vogler Quartet with Beethoven and Dvorak pieces and Shostakovich's piano quintet. And of course the Mid-Columbia Symphony will perform Saturday night, with Copland's Outdoor Overture and performances by the winners of the Young Artist competition.