Jennifer Koh Transports with Solo Violin

I used to have a violin player as a neighbor. I never met this neighbor and don’t even know what their gender is - not that it’s important – but I never had any interaction with this neighbor beyond hearing the sounds of music that crept in to my little corner of the world from time to time.  I don’t want to say that this violin player was anywhere on the level of Jennifer Koh, but they were good and I used to love sitting out on my deck and listen while they would practice, or even more so when they would invite friends over and play together. But there is something truly amazing about the expression created from a single violin, I realized this Thursday evening that it’s especially amazing when it’s in the hands of a talented violinist like Jennifer Koh.

Bookending the concert with two pieces by Bach (Sonata No.1 in G minor and Partita No.1 in B minor) along with two more modern pieces, Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin Sz. 117, BB124 and Mazzoli’s Dissolve, Oh my Heart, the program was grounded in the past but drew comparisons to more contemporary works that were built upon similar chords and themes but often spiraled away from the familiarity and structure found in Bach’s work. While the first and last pieces transported me to European streets lined with fountains or large estates with well-manicured lawns, the middle two pieces felt more like a soundtrack to a Hitchcock film; the background a shadow-filled metropolis with its denizens scurrying about in and out of complicated trysts.  The constant, however, was the expression and passion that Koh brought to each piece. I realized when I heard Jennifer Koh’s solo violin this past Thursday how much I missed hearing my neighbor practicing the violin (as they have since moved away). There’s something about the sound of one person embodying themselves in an instrument that’s spectacular to listen to, to know that it’s not a recording, that a human and an instrument are creating a new way of communicating emotions and thought. I can only imagine the years of practice it has taken to get to the level that Jennifer Koh is at now, but if her neighbors are within earshot when she’s practicing these days, they should consider how lucky they are! For the rest of us, well, I guess that’s why we have Portland Ovations.

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Does It Again, with Gusto!

The capacity crowd at Merrill Auditorium in attendance for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance roared with applause, not just at the end of the show, but at intervals throughout the show as well!

Somewhere during the first number, “Streams”, I realized I wasn’t necessarily going to understand what was going on and decided I should just enjoy the show. The artistry, athleticism, and the beauty of the dance being performed was enough to behold that I didn’t necessarily need to “get it”. So, I just allowed myself to be swept away; by moments, by pictures created with bodies, by dancers alone or in relationship to others, by graceful agility and by explosive power.

The program for the evening was a combination of dance styles and pieces from different choreographers. The aforementioned “Streams” and the quintessential “Revelations” are both repertory pieces choreographed by the company’s founder Alvin Ailey, while the bottle-rocket of a number, a solo piece titled “Takademe” was created by current Artistic Director, Robert Battle, and the electric yet melancholy “Home” by Rennie Harris was inspired by those living with or affected by HIV. It’s amazing that pieces that were originally created in the 60s and 70s can be brought back today and still have such power and life to them. The juxtaposition of the different styles of dance and music worked perfectly to show off all that this talented troupe has to offer and I really could not have asked for more.

If there are more gems to be found and re-staged in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s repertoire and more great works from Battle and Harris to be discovered and presented, I think Portland will be in for another treat from this great American dance company yet again – I just hope they come back a little sooner next time!

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Streams

I wasn’t going to see the Ailey Company here in Portland until I saw the repertoire announced.  I was stage manager for the company when Alvin choreographed “Streams” and that piece being in the program for the 4/24 performance threw me over the edge to come see.  I didn’t know it was back in the company’s rep.  It’s been with the second company for years. 

Alvin had a very tough time figuring out the counts for the score, “Eight Inventions” by Miloslav Kabeláč, performed by Percussion de Strasbourg.  We had less than two weeks for Alvin to create the piece and he was beside himself with frustration over the music.  Judy Jamison and I would go home every night with tape recording in hand (I was a percussionist), we’d write down our musical counts or rhythm patterns for each movement, compare them in the morning, and then tell Alvin what he had to work with.  Through this exhausting process, he was able to complete an average of a movement a day.

The seventh movement was one that neither Judy nor I could figure out, so Alvin choreographed it as a “random” movement, giving the dancers time and space to do certain steps without link to the music.  “Streams” is still an amazing piece he created, even in just that movement.  I think it is one of his greatest ballets, though underrated by critics.

“Streams” was created as a tribute to the tribe based on the members of the company at that time, a time when there were strong personality conflicts between dancers, and Alvin was trying to find a way to heal the family back together.  I think he succeeded admirably. 

The opening movement is an honoring of each member of the company at that time, a literal parade from up left to down right, each dancer owning the stage one at a time at their entrance.  We had 14 dancers in the company then.  If you knew them as well as we did, you would see each personality reflected in their movements.  Each succeeding movement was set on dancers that either loved each other or didn’t like each other: Alvin’s way of getting them to reconnect.  It worked admirably.  When we premiered the piece at Brooklyn Academy in the spring of 1970, the company was reunited.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to see this wonderful dance again, that I helped create.

Now the only thing you could do to make the evening perfect is to convince the company to perform “Lark Ascending.”  I gave Alvin the music for that.  We were very close friends and I miss him to this day.  What a great artist and great person he was.  Thanks for all you do to bring great dance art to Portland.  We don’t get enough of it!

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The Language of Music

Having looked forward to the Bombino performance all season long, the time had finally come yesterday when Bombino arrived in Portland to perform an acoustic mini-concert at Bull Moose on Middle Street and later that evening at Hannaford Hall on the Portland campus of USM.  I have a great appreciation and generally enjoy music from all genres but have always been convinced that was because of the songs lyrics and the way I could relate to the stories being told. Bombino, his guitar, his energy, the tone in his voice and his band made me realize that it is not always the lyrics of the music that I am connecting with but instead the emotion coming from the instruments and the performer. It did not matter that I was unable to understand Bombino’s spoken language last night because he was communicating the struggle, the joy, the journey and the strength of the Tuareg people through the language of music. An incredible guitar player, Bombino put on an energetic, soulful and brilliant performance highlighting why he is one of today’s young stars on the global music scene. If you have not experienced Bombino I suggest you pick up his album Agadez or better yet try and see him play live during his North American tour.  The audience at Hannaford Hall was thrilled they did as many were dancing in the aisles, clapping along or tapping their feet to the highly energetic and powerful language of music coming from the stage.

Have you experienced the language of music through Bombino or any other performer recently?

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Trey McIntyre Project: Vivid and Indelible to Me, What About You?

I’ve taken a few dance techniques classes in college that have given me a basic understanding of the fundamentals of dance, however, there’s still so much I don’t know. Beyond my own visceral reaction when watching dance pieces, it’s difficult to evoke, in words, the experience of seeing a dance performance - especially one as multifaceted and amazing as what Trey McIntyre Project performed this past Thursday night!

Grateful for two Q&A sessions: one before the show for Ovations members and another post-performance session open to the general audience that provided me with insight to the works I experienced that evening.

For me, it was particularly interesting to to learn that the work “The Bitter End” was inspired by the events after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and was debuted there in 2011. This helped me contextualize the piece on a whole new level. I am embarrassed that I didn’t come to this conclusion on my own, especially with the female dancer’s costume emblazoned with the words “What Now” on them, but this knowledge certainly enhanced my understanding of the piece. Now, the imagery, feelings, and emotions I had just experienced were as akin to the images I had seen in news reports of people trapped on rooftops or crowded into the Superdome. Hearing that the prevalent imagery of crosses, from the X that was spray-painted on three of the male dancers at the beginning of the piece, to the design of the umbrellas (which was meant to invoke graffiti artist Banksy’s ‘Umbrella Girl’,) were all symbolic of the X’s that were drawn on houses to identify if they had been searched for bodies after the flooding, made the piece all the more indelible in my mind.

Throughout all three pieces performed during the evening, there were moments that awed me, struck me with beauty and power, or just made the hairs on my neck come to attention. I know that my reaction to a work and the emotions I felt may differ from another person’s, which leads me to ask: did you attend the TMP performance, too?  Did you have a favorite moment?  What were some of your reactions?

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South Pacific, An Enchanted Evening – Or Afternoon!

I often take trips to New York to see Broadway shows, however, sometimes I miss the shows that I really want to see and have heard great things about. Such was the case with the most recent Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Luckily for me, Portland Ovations brought this incredible revival to Merrill Auditorium this past weekend.

Unlike some touring productions, this one didn’t feel like it had been stripped down to the bare minimum for easy travel; in fact, it felt like the Broadway show had been picked up and placed in Merrill Auditorium. The sets were impressive - evoking the many locales of the story while the period-styled costumes were plentiful, colorful, and gorgeous.

Perhaps what excited me the most about this production were the amazing performances by the whole cast. At the center of the show’s story, Marcelo Guzzo’s operatic baritone invigorated the songs of Frenchman, Emile de Becque, in such a manner that would make nearly anyone swoon, while Jennie Sophia was far from being “as corny as Kansas in August,” but instead embodied the conflicted role of Nellie Forbush with humor and humanity.

Along with the incredibly talented ensemble, numbers like “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” are true classics. However, in the end the show is not just about the ways our service men and women distracted themselves from the conflict of war with good fun. It deals with the consequences of actions and shows that love and war both have their own costs. It also grapples with racism and how it is “Carefully Taught” from one generation to the next – a theme that was as relevant in 1950’s as it is today. It is truly great to see this company keeping a piece of musical theater history alive and strong. 

Was this your first experience with South Pacific?

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A Memorable Irish Feast

Feeling the fatigue of a long stretch during our 2011-12 season the traditional Irish ensemble Danú was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits and re-energize my soul. Before all of the regular and routine St. Patrick’s day revelry begins here in Portland, Danú had Merrill Auditorium shaking Thursday evening as they encouraged the audience to hoot, stomp and clap along to the energetic Jigs and Reels played with fervor and joy by the six member group. While keeping the energy high almost all night they did find appropriate moments to bring the audience to a serene calm with ballads sung celestially by the only woman in the group, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.

Danú‘s performance brought me back to my only visit to Ireland during a post-college trip with friends. One of my friends was Irish and still had family there. He invited us over to meet his relatives who treated us to a home cooked Irish meal and within minutes of stepping through the door had me feeling like part of the family. Sitting around the table listening to stories and enjoying good food and drink one couldn’t help but feel comfortable with such gracious hosts. Danú, with their spirited music, humorous stories and a genuine admiration for its audience had like my friends relatives - welcomed us all in and made us feel part of one big family.

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Good Fortune

This past Friday at 10am Portland Ovations connected 1,905 students to the performing arts with a sold-out School-Time Performance of Golden Dragon Acrobats at Merrill Auditorium. The buzz of excited children ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to High School filled the theater to the rafters (literally) and that buzz continued through the 53 minute performance with each feat of daring athleticism and finely tuned skills performed by this incredible troupe. On the way out one student was overheard declaring, “That must have been a dream.” The Merriconeag Waldorf School from Freeport reported back to us, “Our kids are buzzing with excitement and inspiration.” A Merrill Auditorium full of students inspired and connected with one another by experiencing live performance together is an extraordinary thing.

Within a two-hour evening performance the Golden Dragon Acrobats—a group of young Chinese performers who range in age 17 to 24 and who begin their training as early as age 5—accomplished a near similar feat of inspiring, connecting and delighting an audience of 1,600 at Merrill Auditorium. Starting with stunning and unbelievable contortion mixed with balancing crystal to a first act finale that included two brothers who astounded with their feats of strength and power. The highlight within both the School-Time and evening performance was “Tower of Chairs” that had both audiences holding their breath in awe as one brave acrobat stacked chairs almost reaching the top of Merrill’s proscenium and balanced upon them with incomprehensible agility and focus.

The performance is a splendid one to behold and with its bright costumes, enchanting music, and rare feats of human ability it appeals to all audiences no matter the age or cultural background. 2012 is the year of the Dragon within the Chinese Zodiac and is considered one of its’ luckiest years.

We had the good fortune to have had the opportunity to share the experience of the Golden Dragon Acrobats with so many from the ages of 4 to 84 on Friday. Were you lucky enough to attend either performance? What did you think?

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Not As Easy As It Looks - The Vancouver Chamber Choir

The Vancouver Chamber Choir made one of their northeastern stops in Portland on Sunday and delighted the crowd with an impressive program that showcased the talent and passion of this world-renowned group. From Elizabethan magdrigals to Medieval Bestiaries, to choir director Jon Washburn’s own “Dona Nobis Pacem”, the program displayed impressive talent, whimsical folly, and moments of sensational beauty.

As someone who has sang with choirs through the majority of the formative years of my life, I know that singing in a choir is a great experience but not as easy as they like to make it look on “Glee!”  To have the opportunity to hear a concert like the one the Vacouver Chamber Choir gave on Sunday, is to have the chance to hear the culmination of hours upon hours of practice and personal commitment.

As USM professor Robert Russell explained in the pre-performance lecture, the process of choral music begins with people who are interested in singing. Once the auditions are complete and an ensemble has been found, it’s time to make those selected voices start to sing together. This is not always an easy task – however, if you listen to the Vancouver Chamber Choir, you might think it was all too easy! They made complex works sound effortless and performed to perfection.

The encore sent the audience off with two songs that reminded me what joy singing in a group can offer.   It made me wonder how many other people in the audience have been a part of a choir before? Do they look on those times as fondly as I do?  If they hadn’t been a part of a choir before, what drew them to this concert today and what was their experience like when watching the show?  I’d be interested to know, so please share in the comments area below.

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Väsen – (noun) Noise. Essence. Spirit

The Swedish word väsen translates into English most prominently as noise, essence or spirit and our experience yesterday with the trio Väsen included each of those meanings and much more. 

Arriving late night from Sweden and never stopping, the trio first took their beautiful “noise” and their fun and infectious spirit to Bull Moose on Middle Street for a free in-store, mini-concert and CD signing. Then they went onto Hannaford Hall for an open sound check and “musical conversation” with young string students from 317 Main Street Community Music Center.

The trio then performed last night to an audience that welcomed them to Maine and who in return were warmly welcomed by Väsen to join them in a trip through parts of their lives and culture, expressed through music.

Not only does Väsen embody the many definitions of their name so did the day itself. With great friends (thank you June Vail for your illuminating pre-concert lecture!) and collaborators, the day embraced the true spirit of Portland Ovations: connecting with our community through the performing arts and the power of music as a global language that brings people together to share in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Lastly, there was noise but not just noise, beautiful, incredible music that had the hall reverberating with ¾ time polskas, laughter and pure enjoyment. Did you feel it too?

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“Spelman’s-gladje”

During the pre-performance lecture on Swedish Folk Music and Dance, presented by Bowdoin College professor June Vail, she showed a picture by Hans Viksten that depicted a man playing a fiddle while golden rays of light came out of his instrument, bounding toward the heavens. The piece was titled “Spelman’s Glädje.” According to Vail, this translates to mean “Fiddler’s Delight”.

I’m not gonna lie, I looked the words up on Google translator when I got home (to compare definitions and to make sure I was spelling it right), and their definition translated my new vocab words to “Musician’s Delight”. Whether you’re a musician, or a fiddler, or someone that just appreciates good music, the concert by Väsen this Thursday night was pure delight.

The buoyant music played by the three members of Väsen was irresistibly alluring as melodies from celebratory polskas filled Hannaford Hall. Waltzes and minuets were also mixed intermittently amongst the polskas, but even Guitarist Roger Tallroth admitted to the audience “You’re being polskanized!” I don’t think anyone minded one bit.

While stories were told about the origins of songs or the inspiration behind writing a certain number, the three men of Väsen were both charming and humble as they introduced a new song and spoke about the inspirations for songs they composed. Tallroth, Mikael Martin (on viola), and Olov Johansson (on nyckelharpa, a Swedish stringed instrument) demonstrated a connectedness and familiarity with each other, and also showcased their impressive personal mastery of their respective musical instruments.

Towards the end of the evening the three men of Väsen welcomed Darol Anger and 12 students from Berkley to the stage to join them for the final numbers of the concert. The conclusion was a beautiful piece written by Johansson about his hometown in Sweden – I only wish I could have made out the name!

For an encore, local students from 317 Music Center in Yarmouth joined the 16 musicians already assembled on stage for a sweet, gentle waltz that brought together musicians of all ages and many backgrounds.

As mentioned in the lecture before the show, folk music is traditionally passed on from generation to generation. In this final number of the evening, the inclusion of the young students, the pre-professional college students, as well as the seasoned, professional musicians (who admitted to still being students themselves), gave hope to the possibility of younger generations learning the craft of fine musicianship from those who have done it before them and passing that along to generations to come – like Väsen does today. Wouldn’t that be a “Spelman’s glädje” as well? 

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Circa: Agility and Precision = A Thrilling Show

In Aimée Petrin’s latest blog entry, she began her post with the following quote from Ray Bradbury: “Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.” After watching Thursday night’s performance by CiRCA, you might wonder if this was the very idea that the show itself had been based upon.

As the show began, one of the troupe’s two female performers hurled herself to the ground as though she fell from the aforementioned cliff and landed in the center of the stage in a bright white spotlight. As she contorted in ways you couldn’t believe were possible, the rest of the incredibly flexible and visibly strong members of the troupe who collectively seemed to be working up the ability to grow wings and begin to fly joined her. While the performers bounced, jumped, swung, and were flung about the stage it felt as though they were about to break free from the laws of physics and actually begin to do so.

There were moments that you could actually hear had taken the audience’s breath away. Together we collectively gasped in awe of the acts of sheer athleticism, pure physicality, endless trust, and true daring on display. The precision and care that the performers took was exhilarating to behold.

The songs that CiRCA combined with their incredible acts such as Sia’s cover of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android”, Cake’s cover of “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” and Icelandic band Sigur Rós’s “Popplagið” amongst others, communicated the emotion and mood of each artistic scene.

As shows like Cirque du Soleil tour the world with large tents, huge revolving stages and dazzling costumes, it was great to see a show that, despite it’s simplicity, could be considered comparable to this paragon of modern circus acts. To have a show of this magnitude come to our community is truly special. I have been fortunate enough to see three different Cirque du Soleil shows, but what makes CiRCA unique and amazing is that it uses the same amount of imagination and precision, but it tells the story with just the human body, great lighting, and music.

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Taking a Risk

Art is risky business.

“Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.”
– Ray Bradbury

Every time artists commit themselves to performing they expose themselves to critique, public failure and in the case of dancers and other physical artists, personal injury. When the work is wholly original and seeks to push boundaries and provoke new ways of thinking about familiar artforms, like the work of Circa, the risk is magnified even further. Risk is at the heart of innovation.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.”
– T.S. Eliot

Ovations takes a risk every time we make the decision to bring artists to Maine and must consider many questions in the process: Will the work live up to expectation? Will audiences enjoy – or at least appreciate it? Will people come? How much money will we lose? (Unfortunately, that is more often the question, as opposed to–How much will we make?)

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.”
– Soren Kierkegaard

In considering Circa, we had to think about all that and more: What is the best venue for both the artists and the audience? Will Circa’s work connect with our audiences or be too provocative? Will the performing visas be approved and in time?

“If you risk nothing, then you risk everything.”
– Geena Davis

All that said, the flip side of risk is reward. And how sweet that can be.

“Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it.”
– Chinese proverb

Last night as I watched the local crew start to set up the stage and the artists unpack their freight, which they had not seen since it shipped from Australia, I felt the sweetness creeping in as my own excitement for tonight’s performance took on even greater anticipation.

“Opportunity dances with those on the dance floor.”
– Anonymous

Thank you for taking a risk with us tonight, coming to see artists you likely never heard of before at a venue you may never have visited … to experience the risk inherent in live performance.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

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History Comes to Life

Storytelling is an art. Telling a story reveals to an audience a world that only the storyteller knows and is willing to reveal to the listener. The stories that astound and amaze us most, however, are the stories that are true.

On Wednesday evening, January 18th (two days after the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day), the central theme of the stories being told inside Hannaford Hall was the Civil Rights Movement. The cornerstone of the evening was the tale born from the perspective of Melba Patillo, one of the courageous “The Little Rock Nine” who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas between 1955 and 1958.

The immensely talented Almeria Campbell portrayed a 15 year-old girl transformed during three years of her life, as she fights for her life, repeatedly, at the hands of all kind of abusers, in order to pursue her dream of an equal education. Ms. Campbell portrays 20 additional characters—including the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, President Eisenhower, and members of the KKK. To see the story of Dr. Melba Patillo Beals, to glimpse at what she endured that year and the courage it took on her part, transported me to that historic time and place.

As a preface to the performance, four King Middle School 7th graders and their teachers, Caitlyn LeClair and Karen McDonald, brought the story closer to home. Each student spoke eloquently about their recent expedition, “Small Acts of Courage: Memories of the Civil Rights Movement,” a project in which students captured the stories of Mainers involved in the Civil Rights.  They were joined by Julia Adams, a member of the Portland String Quartet, whose own story of integration was truly inspiring. It was obvious that the impact of hearing from those “who lived it” deeply impacted the students—you could tell they truly embraced the importance of storytelling and history.

During the post-performance discussion, more stories were shared as people stood up to talk of their experience – ranging from their own visceral reaction to parts of “Warrior’s Don’t Cry,” or their experience with the Civil Rights movement itself. People also shared how what happened “back then and there” still resonates with them here and now. It’s clear to see that this chapter has not been entirely written, but continues to unfold.

In the spirit of “Warriors Don’t Cry”, is there a story that you would also like to share?

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Small Acts of Courage/Warriors Don’t Cry

Revisiting events over 50 years ago was a powerful experience for myself and for many in the audience Wednesday evening, January 18th, at Portland Ovations’ production of Warriors Don’t Cry. Even those of us who participated in some aspect of that movement were not recipients of the most ugly and threatening treatment portrayed so vividly by actress Almeria Campbell. What made this event especially important was the involvement of students from King Middle School who have been studying the Civil Rights movement this year. For them, history came to life.  For us older folk, history was relived. Everyone surely left with renewed determination that this aspect of our history must never be repeated on a national, local or personal scale.

Julia Adams
Class of 1958
Greensboro High School (North Carolina)

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“Mamma Mia, Here I Go Again!”

If you’re anything like me during these cold winter days, you long for sun and warmth to come back. I usually have a plan to go somewhere warmer in mind to get me through my winter doldrums. Last week I passed the time and thought of my upcoming trip to the Greek island of Calicos, complete with a soundtrack by pop-music icons, ABBA. That’s right, I was looking forward to seeing “Mamma Mia!” this past Friday night.

I’m going out on a limb here and guessing that probably about 75% of the audience that attended the National Broadway Tour of “Mamma Mia!” at Merrill Auditorium for the four sell-out shows this weekend had already either seen the movie or the show at least once before. In my case, I had only seen the movie where as my date for the evening had seen the show four times before, including the original in London, and the movie as well (of course!).

The appeal and popularity of “Mamma Mia!” is not surprising. I saw the movie version with my parents, while it was in the theaters. My friend, Katy, had also seen it with her family (on multiple occasions). That’s one of the first things to love about this show: it’s for all generations. Those who had eight-tracks of ABBA enjoy the music now as much as someone who wasn’t even alive when they gave there last appearance in 1982. ABBA’s music has transcended generations as well as continents.

What makes this tale fun - aside from the comedy of errors that naturally ensues when you have a mother, a daughter about to get married and three possible dads – all comes back to the music. The show is mostly a chance for the gal-pals of both mother and daughter to get together and have some fun before the big day.  The National Touring company has a wonderfully talented cast that has a great time with songs like “Money, Money, Money”, “Does Your Mother Know”, “Gimme, Gimme” and “Voulez-Vous” and also hit the emotional mark while singing beautifully in “Lay All Your Love on Me”, “Our Last Summer” and the 11th -hour number, “The Winner Takes it All”.
After a fun, peppy, and colorful two and half hours spent on this Grecian Isle listening to ABBA, it was hard to go back out into the cold of January again, but I can always put on any ABBA song and be transported back there again in my mind.

Did you escape this weekend’s weather with a visit to the Greek Isle? Was it your first time or were you returning for the second, third or fourth time?

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Something New

I have always been a huge fan of live performance, often going out on my own to experience in person what I have heard and enjoyed recorded.

This past week at Portland Ovations we found ourselves at the Portland Public Library, Portland High School, The Portland Museum of Art, Hannaford Hall, SPACE Gallery, 317 Main Street, Merrill Auditorium and South Portland Auditorium for terrific performances and Ovations Offstage events. To say the least it was a busy week for all of us and we hope you joined us at one of the many different venues and events we collaborated on, presented or hosted. Many of last weeks events were a new experience for me, one’s that I had not seen on TV, heard from a recording or even knew that much about prior to this season.

Having never seen American tap or Kathak performed live, I was truly amazed by the artists and performers of India Jazz Suites. Even just hearing the live Indian music for the first time brought a smile to my face and an appreciation of a new style of music that I will surely add to my playlists.

My sister used to play the cello when we were growing up but not like Matt Haimovitz who performed solo at SPACE Gallery on Thursday night and then in collaboration with pianist Christopher O’Riley Friday night at Merrill Auditorium for Shuffle.Play.Listen. The small intimate experience at SPACE and the truly unique and enthralling performance at Merrill Auditorium provided me with a new perspective on the instruments performing both classical and pop music as well as the pieces and works being performed. Who knew that Radiohead, John McLaughlin or Blonde Redhead could sound like that? This is what Mr. O’Riley and Mr. Haimovitz set out to do, gain a new audience and introduce new music to their faithful. After hearing the applause and on-going appreciation for their performance I am pretty sure they succeeded.

We ended our week with a Family Series performance by Maine native Michael Cooper who dazzled children and adults alike with his brilliant handmade masks, imagination and skilled mime techniques Saturday morning at South Portland Auditorium.

A week full of new experiences for me and one that has now impacted my life, as I will listen to classical Indian music regularly, look for dynamic dance performances coming into town, take in the classical influences when listening to today’s pop music and hopefully one day take my own children to a performance which is guaranteed to make them laugh, imagine and consider new possibilities. I encourage you to take a chance on something new or take it upon yourself to introduce a friend or family member to something new during the second half of our season.

Did you experience something new last week? We invite you to share your thoughts.

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Collaboration and Improvisation

col·lab·o·ra·tion/kəˌlabəˈrāSHən/ noun
The action of working with someone to produce or create something.
Something produced or created in this way.

Collaboration is the word of the week here at Portland Ovations.

It all started on Saturday with a mask-making workshop with our new friends at Oak Street Studios hosted by our long-time collaborator the Portland Public Library in advance of our Family Series presentation of Masked Marvels & Wondertales by Maine’s own Michael Cooper.

Then things really heated up with the concurrent residencies with India Jazz Suites and Shuffle.Play.Listen – both projects rooted in collaboration.

India Jazz Suites brings together different art forms, cultures and generations to celebrate and thrill. Through the trust and deep respect between these artists, improvisation can take flight and the possibilities are boundless. Through this project, we’ve collaborated with Portland High School on a cultural sharing workshop where more than 70 students engaged in a conversation about cultural differences and similarities, how to come together when you don’t know much about “the other,” and what it means to pursue one’s passions with discipline and integrity. Later that day, our partners at the Portland Museum of Art hosted a teachers’ workshop that explored tradition and contemporary practice followed that evening by a free, public discussion with dancers Jason Samuels Smith and Pandit Chitresh Das that was incredibly stimulating.  

Over the next two days we host pianist Christopher O’Riley and cellist Matt Haimovitz, who are in the midst of their own collaboration – Shuffle.Play.Listen – that bridges the classical canon with more contemporary sounds. Their deep investigation of music and openness sets off yet another series of collaborative activities here in Portland: a “flash concert” with Matt at SPACE Gallery, a masterclass with our friends at 317 Main Street Community Music Center in Yarmouth, and the continuation of a longstanding partnership with MPBN, including an in-studio interview with Suzanne Nance, Matt and Chris.  

Collaboration is not always easy and it should never be forced. We are incredibly fortunate to have a number of partners in the community who seek us out as collaborators — and us them— to create something more than either of us could achieve on our own. And when artists further inspire how we approach collaboration the results exceed all of our expectations.

We hope you too will be swept up in the thrill of these collaborations and seek out the new and unexpected.  

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A Contradiction? “Improvisation Takes Practice.”

I used the question mark after the word contradiction in this blog’s title as I am not certain what follows it is a contradiction. The statement “Improvisation takes practice” was made at last night’s Pre-Performance Lecture by Jason Samuels Smith, one half of tonight’s India Jazz Suites featuring, both Samuels Smith and Pandit Chitresh Das. As I heard Mr. Smith say the words my ears perked up. Isn’t the definition of improvisation to create in the moment and respond to the stimulus of one’s immediate environment and feelings at that particular time? How can something seemingly spontaneous be practiced or need practice? Doesn’t that remove the improvisation and spontaneity from the act? I listened closely and took in the rest of his explanation. As a dancer Mr. Smith says he needs to be prepared to improvise, especially in the high energy and fast pace of their performance, where classical Indian musicians, the traditional Indian dance of Kathak, American tap and American Jazz blend together and challenge each of the four parties to keep up, to change, to play, dance and react to what the others are performing and doing. He explains that he knows the tap steps well and needs to practice how a step might translate or transform if it is performed to the right instead of its natural way to the left or can he transition from a slow step to something faster in the heat of the moment. He used his statement to also point out that as adults we settle into our own routines and that every day of our lives is improvisation: as we repeat our routines there are instances that we change or try something new and that we should practice stepping out of our comfort zone.

Will you step out of your comfort zone and join us this evening and start practicing improvisation in your daily routine?

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Learning and Listening with the Handel and Haydn Society

Do you ever have the urge to get really in-depth about a microcosm of the world to a degree beyond just the normal Wikipedia or Google search?

The Handel and Haydn Society pre-performance lecture Saturday afternoon was a great opportunity to do just that. Ian Watson (harpsichord) and David Miller (viola) of the Society joined Toby Rzepka a local luthier to talk in-depth about the world of baroque classical music. Watson, Miller, and Rzepka each spoke about historically accurate instruments that the Handel and Hayden Society use to perform music as the composer intended.

I learned that the violas of the baroque period had fewer hairs on their bow strings—thus creating a lighter sound—and also didn’t have the chin strap common on most violins and violas today which changed the sound quality and technique of playing. I also learned that the harpsichord makes a rattle when played in a low register (unlike the piano)—this was demonstrated on Watson’s harpsichord, which is a replica of J.S. Bach’s! Toby Rzepka went into great detail about the history of violas and the process of recreating a historic instrument.  Check out Rzepka Strings—right here in Portland—for more information: http://www.rzepkastrings.com

Once the Handel and Hayden Society took the stage, the instruments spoke for themselves. The program featured Boyce, Avidon, Purcell, Handel, Geminiani, Bach, and Vivaldi (one of my personal favorites) and showed the incredible talent of the Society’s members. Their incredible technique, attention to dynamics, and fine precision was heard through the entire performance.

Hannaford Hall provided the acoustical resonance for the audience to truly enjoy the intimate performance and the delicate balance of the period instruments. Because of the Hall’s size, I felt connected to the musicians. I watched their eye contact with each other and how they worked through each piece with minimal conducting from director and harpsichordist, Ian Watson.

One of my favorite parts of seeing live classical music is to watch this interaction between performers—as well as seeing heads nodding or knees bending to the movement of the music.  In a program that had many Allegro movements (which I appreciate because that means it is lively!) it was a true joy to see all the performers genuinely and passionately bringing great classical music to life.

Did you attend Saturday’s performance? Please share with us your experience and thoughts about this tremendous ensemble and their concert this past Saturday.

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Don’t think a lot, you’re going to laugh a lot with “Spamalot”!

Like most of the characters you find in “Spamalot”, the Broadway-musical adaptation of “Monty Python’s Holy Grail,” I have my own proclivities toward singing (as I mentioned in my previous post) and dancing and acting. So, basically put: I love a good musical! This show, however, is a musical not only for those who love musicals, but also appeals to those who just want a good laugh – and laugh you most certainly do. 

Before the show, while eating at Nosh, my friend admitted to me that she wasn’t really familiar with “Spamalot”. I, on the other hand, had seen the show back in 2005 with most of the original Broadway cast. Her fear was not being familiar with the show and my fear was that I had seen the show before on Broadway; therefore, would I still enjoy it as much? Luckily, neither of these worries lasted long once the show began. (Actually, we started enjoying ourselves well before the show began while reading the spoof program for Moosical: “Finns Ain’t What they Used to Be”, that proceeds the real program for the show and is utterly silly and witty, getting me in the mood for the silliness we were to be treated to.)

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show but may recall the movie, those classic parts from the original movie such as: “Bring out your dead”, the knights who say “Ni”, and the taunting Frenchman, etc., are all still there along with new adaptations of familiar bits made for the stage by the original creators of the movie.

For those (like me) who are familiar with the show: know that the national tour transfers incredibly well from the original Broadway version. The sets, props, and wonderful costumes are very much the same (if not the exact same ones!). Also, it doesn’t drop any of the wonderful self referencing moments or references to other musicals, such as “Fiddler on the Roof” (basically all of “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” or “Company” (“and another hundred people just contracted the plague” is still one of my favorite bits - though a very quick one- of this show) and pokes fun at just about every musical cliché with Monty Python’s classically British humor and cheeky charm.

Ultimately “Spamalot” captivates with its irreverent and witty book and clever songs, however, the national touring company cast must be commended for their excellent performances while bringing a densely packed laugh-a-minute musical to stage. Nearly the whole cast plays multiple parts and all of them look like they’re having a great time doing it.

My friend and I both agreed that the show was totally hilarious and I had a great time seeing this show again. I imagine that others - whether it was their first or tenth time seeing it – enjoyed it as much as we did. As the place was clearing out the audience was all smiles and overheard a woman saying “I couldn’t stop laughing!” – neither could we.

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A Wonderful Evening

I came to the Creole Choir of Cuba concert with very little knowledge of what I was about to see. I was excited for the show because of my background singing in choral groups. I was part of the chamber singers in high school for four years and also performed in my college choir for a year. Singing is in my blood and I love when a great group comes together to share their passion for music.

I would like to say that what I heard Friday night was unlike anything I had ever heard, but that’s not entirely true. Throughout the concert I was reminded of two experiences in my past that made me connect to what was happening before me; the time my chamber singers group went to Rochester, NY and learned and performed gospel music, and my trip last year to a campo in the Dominican Republic. I thought to myself during the performance: it’s great that you can have the same types of experiences brought right to you by groups like Portland Ovations.

The Pre-Performance Lecture presented by Dr. David Carey Jr. from USM’s Department of History set the tone for my evening, as he was able to draw parallels between familiar names from Portland such as Neal Dow and Hugh McClellan to Cuba and the popular trade route between the two that existed in the 1800s. Pre-Performance Lectures are free and a great way to get more context behind Portland Ovations performances. This was my first time attending one and it was nice to receive more information of what we were about to see and how it relates to Maine.

The evening’s program was divided in sections: the first representing a more sorrowful tone and the later a joyous celebration.  Even though all but one song was sung in Creole, each song had its own distinct sound bringing about different emotions of sorrow and joy. With the memory of the earthquake in Haiti and the epidemic that followed still in our minds almost two years later, the first set of songs (most of which were of traditional Haitian origin) had a woeful feel with a timeless resonance. The joyful songs were, of course, the ones that got the audience out of their seats, clapping and singing along - even dancing on the stage with the choir!  Together they were a great blend of propulsive energy and eclectic song styles that you only find in the islands of the Caribbean and (I presume, since I have not been- yet) Latin America.

Before the Pre-Performance Lecture, I hadn’t really thought we shared much of a connection with Cuba – being so far removed, both geographically and culturally – but it turns out we do. The evening’s performance showed that the audience and performers alike shared something in common: an affinity for the varied musical styles of the Caribbean that resonated through Merrill Auditorium until the final notes of the processional of performers faded off as they waved goodbye to us all. Since they told us, “we do not speak English, we speak Spanish,” to them I say: “Gracias por una noche realmente maravillosa!”

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Connections

We are thrilled to be part of the first U.S. tour of Creole Choir of Cuba. It is not often that we get to experience artists coming out of Cuba. And admittedly, it’s always an interesting lead up to performance day, hoping, wishing, praying that visas will all come through. And they did! (In fact, Laura Stauffer, Ovations’ Programming and Development Administrator, and I tried to see them at the beginning of their tour, earlier in the year in NYC only to have it cancelled because the artists had not arrived.)

The opportunity to bring this extraordinary ensemble and the uniqueness of their visit to Portland made the decision to include them in our 2011-12 season an easy one. But even when I think I know it all – the who, what, and especially why – going in, I can still be surprised and moved by what comes next.

Earlier this week, our fabulous Ovations Offstage staff – Gretchen Berg and Marieke Van Der Steenhoven – returned to the office after doing workshops with 4th graders at Riverton Elementary School. It was clear it had been a special day.

Soon we learned that in preparing to come to the School-Time Performance of Creole Choir, the fourth graders had joyfully discovered the parallel between their own life stories and those of the visiting artists. Just as members of Creole Choir share a history in which their ancestors came from Haiti, Domenica and Africa to Cuba, the young students in this Portland classroom recited with excitement their homelands, including Burundi, Uganda, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, Ireland, and Czechoslovakia to name a few not to mention Massachusetts, Texas and North Dakota. Once they had exchanged this similar but unique-to-each history, they created movement sequences illustrating stories of travel and immigration, all the while dancing to the music of Creole Choir of Cuba.

Ahhh… every once in a while, even in the flurry of getting things done, I am caught off-guard and awed by moments like this: moments that remind me in a very concrete way of how the arts truly bring people together – helping us to better understand ourselves, each other, the commonalities, and differences that make us human.

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My Introduction to Chris Botti

Thursday night’s opener to the Portland Ovations 2011-12 season was a wonderful introduction for me to their members, their events and the spectacular performances they bring to our community.

This introduction started with a pre-concert reception for Portland Ovations members attended by the performer of the evening, Chris Botti who showed up, took some pictures and signed a few autographs and assured those who did not get their chance that he would also be available after the show.

Along the way to my seat, I happened upon F. Lee Bailey, the famous attorney-turned-Maine-resident (you never know who you’ll meet at a Portland Ovations reception!), who was later asked on stage to play drums during “Nessun Dorma,” brandishing his own drumsticks (given to him from B.B. King’s drummer). Mr. Bailey provided the drum beat with his own special flare and one could certainly tell he wasn’t the least bit nervous about stepping from the courtroom to the stage.

The true star of the evening was most definitely Chris Botti, from the opening moments of “Ave Maria”, the first song of the evening that included a gloriously sustained high note that drew whoops and applause from the audience. As someone who played a brass instrument (trombone) in high school and college, I understand the nuances of performing on an instrument and the difficulty of making such an instrument an extension of the performer while keeping it interesting and exciting for audiences. Chris Botti delivers his performance in a way that is both refreshing and classic at the same time. I was impressed with his ability to command the stage, controlling each moment with his stage presence, but also allowing moments for the other musicians he performs with to impress – and impress they did.

Letting his band member’s shine throughout the evening with solo’s and featured accompaniments, Botti also introduced the crowd to violinist Caroline Campbell who was stunning in her silver gown, but even more stunning as she played to perfection alongside Chris Botti and his band for multiple songs.  The song, “Emmanuel,” was an exquisite song played with great finesse and their duet to the music from the movie “Cinema Paradiso” was entrancing.

Other stand-out songs of the evening included a rendition of Miles Davis’s “Flamenco Sketches,” a delicate version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that evoked a call-to-worship vibe before bringing the concert back up to tempo with another Cohen song, “1,000 Kisses Deep“ and “The Very Thought of You,” that Botti dedicated to Charlie Sheen for his personification of the British idiom to “lose the plot” (looking that one up might not be a bad idea, even if just to work it in to your own vernacular).  On this number Mr. Botti entered into the audience, giving me a true sense of the power and control he posses with his trumpet - a moment that you only get when you see and hear it live!

Just when the audience thought the performance was coming to an end, Mr. Botti informed us that their female vocalist Lisa Fischer who has been performing with the Rolling Stones for over 16 years had just arrived by plane from a sound check for Sting’s 60th birthday celebration in New York City, which Botti, his band and Ms. Fischer would be performing at that weekend. After facing airport delays and racing to try to make a performance she knew she was late for, it wasn’t surprising to see her choked up with emotion when welcomed to the stage by more than a thousand people. She swept her emotions aside and sang a powerful version of “Look of Love” that, upon ending, instantly brought the crowd to their feet (again). It seemed nearly impossible she would fly in just for one song - and thankfully she did not - everyone came back out on stage to perform the transcendent “Italia”, with Ms. Fischer singing the part and in the same key that Andrea Bocelli sung on the recording, showing what extreme versatility she posses in only two songs! All in all it was very impressive. Rain delays or no, the performance was sure to please Botti fans old and new (consider me one of the new).

Are you a new or old Chris Botti fan and what was your favorite moment from the evening?

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Welcoming back Chris Botti

Dear Friends,

Tonight, the blare of the trumpet heralds the beginning of our 81st season and we are thrilled to welcome back Grammy-award winning musician Chris Botti and his electrifying band of fine players.

Just like a recording does not do justice to the live concert experience, musings by an Executive Director can not adequately convey the palpable energy that infuses a Chris Botti performance. Or so I hear…

When we first brought Chris back in January 2010, I was out of town, in New York City, seeing performances and meeting with agents in preparation for the upcoming seasons. It was well into the night and I was having a late supper when the texts began. Suddenly my phone was abuzz with excited messages about the most fabulous concert that I had just missed. “Unbelievable!” “He left the stage and came into the audience!” “He’s even more charismatic live!” “His band is AWESOME!” Similarly, our blog was lit up with comments from patrons such as “What I experienced was beyond anything I could have imagined.”

There’s something to be said for being in NYC, the “cultural capital of the world” knowing that in fact the best performance is happening back home in Maine.

Tonight, I am thrilled to finally have my own Chris Botti concert experience. I look forward to seeing many of you there too.

Enjoy!

Aimée M. Petrin
Executive Director

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Human Fireworks

We were in Idaho this summer and saw the Trey McIntyre Project at the Sun Valley Pavilion. SO fabulous! Incredible talent, remarkable costuming and a whole set danced to Roy Orbison songs – ya’ gotta love that! The performance was fresh and innovative – like human fireworks. I don’t follow ballet or dance, but TMP was being buzzed about in town so thought I’d give it a shot.  (Trey also does remarkable things for young talent - earns a “good guy” award.)  We came home to see that Portland Ovations is presenting this amazing show in March.  This is the hottest, coolest dance troupe of the day.  Kudos to Portland Ovations for bringing them to Maine!

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1,000+ Kids

The entire 2011-2012 series is truly diverse and exciting, but there are six performances that may not be on your radar that I just can’t wait to see…

And those are the six School-Time Performances. This series connects Maine students and educators to live art both on and offstage.

Onstage, there are daytime performances of three of our Main Stage events–Creole Choir of Cuba, “Warriors Don’t Cry” and Golden Dragon Acrobats–plus three exclusive school-time performances:

− “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble” is a children’s literary classic by William Steig that has been adapted by the Enchantment Theatre of Philadelphia, who brings the story to life with masks, puppets, and an original musical score
− “The Ugly Duckling & The Tortoise and the Hare” are well known fables that CORBiAN Visual Arts and Dance have interpreted through movement and puppetry using the amazing technology of electroluminescent lights
− “Paige in Full” is a visual mix-tape in which Paige Hernadez blends poetry, dance, visual arts, and live music to explore identity through the lens of hip-hop.

Offstage, students and educators have access to free study guides that include contextual background, reading lists, activities, and much more. In-school workshops connect performances to existing curriculum and promote arts integration in our schools, communities, and alternative learning spaces.

There is something truly magical when Merrill Auditorium (or Hannaford Hall) fills with students, teachers, home school families, and youth groups… the chatter of 1,000+ kids, the hush as the performance begins, the transfixed, wide-eyed audience, and the excited discussions in the lobby post-performance… and the connections that are carried beyond the theater.

Learn more about School-Time Performances here… and please share memorable live arts experiences from your youth below!

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Athleticism

Defining Athleticism:

The word athleticism usually brings to mind a pro sports figure or maybe someone you know who partakes in sports or runs everyday but lately I have been using the word to refer to some of the artists that Portland Ovations is presenting this season. This is because of the sheer talent, enthusiasm and physicality that they bring to each of their performances.

CiRCA, the innovative nouveau cirque troupe from Brisbane, Australia, that combines contemporary dance and circus techniques is one of those performances that brings the word athleticism to the forefront of your mind as soon as they start. The seven performers defy what most would consider possible from the human body, by flying across the stage, climbing on one another, performing a hand stand on two single fingers and using a rope to suspend themselves over the stage. The physical is counter-balanced with graceful, poetic movements and music that triggers your emotions while you watch this astonishing and powerful ballet of precision tumbling unfold in front of you. A performance that is no doubt filled with athleticism.

On the other hand, Omara Moctar known as Bombino shows his athleticism in a different way. A brilliant guitarist from Agadez, Niger in Africa, who at age twelve picked up his first guitar and has not stopped, plays dynamic rifts and soaring guitar solos with tremendous talent, passion and fervor, making it hard not to enjoy what you are hearing. Integrating blues, rock and the traditional music of his people you can feel all the struggle, rebellion and life lessons he has encountered, creating a sound that it is undeniably his own and worthy of comparisons to Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and John Lee Hooker. Because of all this and watching clips of his recent performances on the Dave Mathews Band Caravan tour this summer, the athleticism he performs with is evident.

Have you experienced athleticism in an artist or performance recently?

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Warriors

Today I saw photos of the new Martin Luther King memorial in Washington DC. The memorial is set in a line between the Jefferson & Lincoln memorials, deliberately situating Dr. King within our official national narrative of individuals creating enormous changes. I grew up just across the river from that memorial beginning my life in a nation that still practiced apartheid. My (white) family refused to enter “Whites Only” businesses; we marched in Washington is support of civil rights (and in opposition to the war in Vietnam); my mother was shunned at church for registering African American voters; and I remember exactly where my dad and I stood when we heard on the radio that Martin Luther King was shot.

When I look at the photo of the Martin Luther King memorial a flood of images come to mind - Dr. King standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, linked arm in arm leading a march in Alabama, handcuffed at the Selma police station.

But for me the image of the civil rights movement I find the most potent doesn’t feature Martin Luther King. It’s a snapshot of 9 high school kids carrying school books and dressed beautifully for their first day of school. They are walking, eyes averted, through a gauntlet of jeering students and adults. They became known as the Little Rock Nine – African-American students sent to integrate Central High School in 1957. The image scared and inspired me when I was a kid. And the image scares and inspires me now.

This January Portland Ovations presents Warriors Don’t Cry a one-woman play based on the memoirs of Dr. Melba Patillo Beals, one of the Little Rock Nine. In addition to evening and school-time performances, Ovations is collaborating with NAACP-Portland to present an excerpt of Warriors during the annual MLK Breakfast, partnering with King Middle School, A Company of Girls, Portland Public Library, and the Telling Room on a series of community and in-school workshops, and presenting a free pre-performance lecture on civil rights in Maine.

The Warriors Don’t Cry residency begins on Martin Luther King Day, January 16, 2012.

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Confession Time

“I don’t want to go home. Can we stay right here for a couple more songs? I don’t want to go home…while the music is playing…” –Dan Zanes and Friends, “While The Music Is Playing”

Confession time. I’m a grown woman with no children (yet), but family music phenom Dan Zanes gets steady play on my iPod. His melodies are infectious and his lyrics, though simple, conjure vivid scenarios that anyone can relate to on some level. A Dan Zanes cd is always included in a baby shower gift basket, as I consider it a personal mission to introduce a new generation of art appreciators to good music – and I want to spare my friends the pain of suffering through some of the more inane children’s music out there. 

Zanes is beyond adventurous when it comes to his music. He’s sought out the music of other cultural traditions, creating compositions celebrating the diversity of our fair country. He collaborates with artists you would never expect to hear on a children’s album to great results (See: “Sweet Rosyanne” with Nick Cave). And, darn if he isn’t just cool. With his crazy thatch of silvery-gray hair, colorful suits and laid back demeanor, what kid (or parent) wouldn’t want to spend an afternoon hanging out with him?

Whether reinterpreting a treasured traditional (his duet with Natalie Merchant on “Loch Lomond” is a new favorite) or rocking out on an original kiddie jam (I defy anyone to stay in their seats during “Catch That Train”), Zanes and Co. is always delightful and entertaining, with an enthusiasm for exploring all forms of music that is contagious. So I hope Portland Ovations will see you on February 4th, 2012.

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Knock, Knock…

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Sam and Janet.
Sam and Janet who?
Saaaaaaam and janet evening…

South Pacific is one of those mid-century era musicals that was integral to my childhood. My grandmother passed on a record collection–already well loved by my mother and her sisters–that included South Pacific, Bye-Bye Birdie, The Pajama Game, West Side Story, The King and I, among other classics.  On a weekly basis, my sister and I would carefully remove each record from its dust jacket, delicately drop the needle, and proceed to sing and dance our hearts out. We memorized our favourites, which often included learning the record’s skips as if they were refrains. In South Pacific’s “A Wonderful Guy,” Nelly claims: I’m as corny as Kansas in August, high as a flag on the Fourth of July! If you’ll excuse an expression I use, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love with a wonderful guy! In our version, we never got to the part about the “wonderful guy” because we were stuck indefinitely declaring our love.

To me the music of South Pacific is unparalleled: from Act I’s “Dites-Moi” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair”  (arguably the best song to sing in the shower) to Act II’s “Happy Talk” and “Honey Buns”  … each song conjures the drama of South Pacific and the melodramatic nine year-old version of myself.

Needless to say the “Sam and Janet” knock-knock joke was (and still is) popular in my family.

But joking aside, I am simply delighted that Portland Ovations is presenting Rodger and Hammerstein’s South Pacific this season.

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A Diverse Program of Choreography

Our dance series this year is sure to inspire dancers and non-dancers alike. If you have yet to attend a dance performance, this season offers you the perfect opportunity. From the rhythmic collaboration of India Jazz Suites, to the sensuality of Australia’s CiRCA, the passionate energy of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the innovative contemporary ballet of Trey McIntyre, these companies will each speak to audiences in extremely different ways.

I am particularly excited that we are presenting Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in their first season with new Artistic Director, Robert Battle. Mr. Battle’s list of highlights that will be seen in the Company’s 2011-12 season promises a wonderful performance. Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, and Streams are both included in the short list. Works by other choreographers range from American master Paul Taylor, renowned American-Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, early Ailey dancer Joyce Trisler, Hip-Hop choreographer Rennie Harris, and of course works by Robert Battle himself. With a season made up of approximately 20 dances, we don’t yet know for sure what we will see in Portland, but it looks like we will be treated to a wide variety of choreographic works performed by the magnificent Ailey dancers.

I have seen Robert Battle’s works on multiple occasions, performed by different dancers including students of the Martha Graham School, an American Dance Festival faculty member, and Battleworks Dance Company (a company Robert Battle founded in 2001, but has since been dissolved with his transition to the Ailey Company). I am looking forward to seeing the energy the Ailey Company will bring to Battle’s choreography. My not-so-secret hope is that we will also be lucky enough to see the work by Ohad Naharin, titled Minus 16. Naharin is the choreographer and Artistic Director of Batsheva, one of many on my ever-increasing list of favorite dance companies. Naharin’s captivating choreography drew me in from the first moment I saw Batsheva back in my college days. Though I have no doubt that whatever the dances are that grace the stage of Merrill Auditorium, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will provide us an amazing night to remember.

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Try It, I’m Sure You’ll Like It

Portland Ovations’ 2011–2012 Season has something for everyone. I always get excited when we announce our season because I know, no matter whom I speak with, there is a performance that jumps out and they say, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you are bringing……I can’t wait to see that!” As a staff member I have had great fortune to see many wonderful performances. But we staff have our own favorites too, and for me this season, it’s contemporary jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti.

Several years ago I recommended bringing Chris Botti to Portland Ovations. I listened to his music, attended his performance in Boston and knew he would be a big sensation here in Portland. And he didn’t disappoint. Botti’s style, musicianship and stage presence brought the house down. And you know what was wonderful? Every age group was in the audience….children, teens and adults, all sharing this fabulous experience, together.

One of my favorite parts of his concert was the interaction Botti had with his band. And what an incredible band he has! I also enjoyed when he unplugged, left the stage and played in the audience. Seeing him up-close made the experience more personal, special.

My 12 year old daughter Kayla, who also plays the trumpet, came to the concert and her favorite part was meeting him. After his performance he came out to the lobby. She told him she played the trumpet. She asked him how much he practiced every day….he replied about nine hours. He asked her how much she practiced…….needless to say she doesn’t practice that much.  “But, that’s why he is sooo good!” she said.

Chris Botti will present another great concert on September 29th. I am so happy we are bringing him back, and hope those that didn’t get the chance to see him will have the opportunity in September. And for those that aren’t familiar with his music, I dare you to try it……I’m sure you’ll like it!

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2011-12 Season Outlook

Dear Friends,

For those who have received an email from me in the last ten years, you’ve no doubt read the following quote by choreographer Merce Cunningham:

’‘The morning light on the veranda is rich, gaudy and generous. Face the day, pumpkins! Crack the shell the way the chicks do.’’

To me this quote by one of the great artists of our time represents a feeling of optimism, a generosity of spirit, and a sense of abundance. And yes, even in these times, we are blessed with abundance – an abundance of creativity, thoughtfulness, and compassion all experienced through the power of the performing arts. 

Portland Ovations’ 2011-12 season holds dear this same outlook. From fresh new voices to familiar faces; from great solos to thrilling collaborations; from once-in-a-lifetime moments in the concert hall to “arts happenings” in unexpected places; we hope you will share with us the richness of what the performing arts offers each of us and our community. 

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you again and again throughout the 2011-12 season.

Enjoy,
Aimée M. Petrin
Executive Director

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The Final Note on Our 2010-11 Season

As they say: leave ‘em on a high note. Last night’s concert starring Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers and a special appearance by Tony Trischka & Territory did just that, putting the final note on our 2010-11 season.

The level of musicianship that graced the Merrill stage was unparalled. This was no gag. Granted, Steve and Tony were the artists known and appreciated in advance, but now I think we can all count the Steep Canyon Rangers and the members of Territory as our favorite new musical discoveries.

Wednesday night’s concert was special for many reasons. It was the kick-off concert for the new tour supporting Steve and the Steep Canyon Ranger’s new recording, Rare Bird Alert. And it was the only concert on that tour that included an appearance by Tony.

Speaking of which, what did you think of that combined-bands version of “The Crow?”

But Steve, Tony and their bandmates were not the only ones sharing their passion for banjo, bluegrass, and yes, comedy. Last night’s audience was one that listens and listens carefully. That intensity was underscored by a steady foot tapping that was completely in step with the energy on stage. All of the musicians commented again and again on what a great audience Portland is and how they appreciated starting the next leg of their respective tours following such a warm, enthusiastic beginning.

I had the joy of watching the second half of the concert from the wings, sitting next to banjo legend Tony Trischka. And I can attest to what his guitarist noted earlier: that Tony is not just one of the best banjo players on earth but also one of the finest human beings you will ever meet. As for Steve, he is the consummate showman. He pulls it all out for his time on stage and is quiet and gracious when he is off. The respect he shows for his fellow musicians is humbling.

We hope last night’s concert struck a high note with you and we’d love to hear from you about your live performance experience.

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A Walk Connecting the Visual and Performing Arts

Spring is here and that was evident this weekend with terrific weather starting with Friday pushing the 70 Degree mark, making for a perfect First Friday Art Walk evening. Portland was out and about enjoying the beautiful gallery shows and lively street performers along the art walk streets. Portland Ovations and Ovations Offstage were also out and about this past Friday contributing to the experience by providing “art happenings” at two crowd favorites along the art walk path. Our “art happenings” were in connection with the upcoming performance of Phil Kline’s John the Revelator at Merrill Auditorium on May 15th, featuring Portland’s own Municipal organist Ray Cornils and the perfection that is the Portland String Quartet.  We provided the latter at two distinctly different venues where environment framed the works played by Portland String Quartet and altered the performances accordingly.

We kicked off the art walk by bringing the Portland String Quartet to the June Fitzpatrick Gallery on High Street, a sleek, clean, quiet and intimate gallery where Ms. Fitzpatrick provided champagne, strawberries and other delicious hors d’oeuvres to the guests filling her space to see the latest art and artist featured, whom we learned finds inspiration in music. This seemed the perfect setting for the Portland String Quartet, everything lined up as one would imagine an art gallery hosting two violins, a viola and a cello would, a white walled, bright, intimate space with champagne, strawberries and a quiet crowd consisting of some top Portland personalities from the world of classical music. The quartet brought us through four pieces from American composers and Mozart giving us a description of what we were about to experience and why they chose the pieces. The works played were not from the upcoming performance of John the Revelator, as they did not want to give any of it away but instead made the connection to John the Revelator with the theme of Americana, while providing a sampling of their masterful techniques and performance prowess. After every work the crowd applauded and the gallery mood was set. It was a beautiful and fun start to a Portland’s First Friday Art Walk evening.

In contrast to the start of the evening and the first “art happening” Portland Ovations and Ovations Offstage moved Portland String Quartet over to SPACE Gallery, a much different venue in both size, feel and atmosphere. The crowds were buzzing through Space Gallery, talking and laughing with one another, enjoying the art shown on its walls and buying beer at the bar (Your beer selection even included PBR). As I arrived the string quartet was already on the SPACE Gallery stage with a contemporary colorful blue and reddish backdrop behind them. You heard the familiar buzz as you walked through the doors but venturing deeper into the large open space you slowly became aware of the delicate music being played. This time the quartet did not provide background on the pieces but played each one with a minor pause in between, creating a continuous performance enjoyed by a diverse crowd that erupted with applause and appreciation after each work was gracefully played in a space decidedly different than the initial setting. However, it worked and was clearly enjoyed as much if not more by an un-expecting crowd that was pleased to have that familiar contrast found so often during the First Friday Art Walk and the visual art displayed at each gallery along its route.

This evening highlighted Portland Ovations core values of believing that cultural enrichment should be accessible to all, to provide quality live performances and educational experiences, to engage our community with integrity and compassion, to collaborate with other arts organizations, nonprofits, education systems and the business sector to promote cultural enrichment and lifelong learning, and celebrate the power and virtuosity of the performing arts.

Were you at this past First Friday Art Walk? Did you see or experience our “art happenings” with Portland String Quartet? Have you attended a Portland Ovations Offstage lecture, “happening” or performance? Let us know your thoughts and what your experience was like.

If you missed the “art happenings” you can watch some clips on our YouTube Channel.

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A Random Act of Culture

On Monday April 4th 2011 at around 4pm I got a call from Gretchen Berg of Portland Ovations asking me if I’d want to have the hip-hop/spoken word/all around awesome quartet known as Universes swing by the Portland Public Teen Library sometime this week and put on an impromptu show for the teens.  It took me about 3.5 seconds to answer with an over enthusiastic yes.

We planned on springing a low key event for the teens.  Sure, some of our regular library patrons would know that the Universes were coming through but for most of the teens in the library that day this random act would a total and complete surprise.  Thursday April 7th couldn’t come any sooner.  There was a definite buzz in the air that something really cool was going to go down.

The teens who visit the Portland Public Library on a daily basis got quite a kick out Universes in the library.  For some of them, it helped them see that the library is not just a place that’s about books and instead see that it’s a community space where all forms of art, entertainment, and people can come together to enjoy life.

What made it happen?  Community collaborations.  When you reach out to the different organizations in your community amazing things can happen.  On my own I couldn’t have made something like this happen, but with the help of Gretchen and Portland Ovations this once in a lifetime experience happened at the Portland Public Library one day in early April 2011 and hopefully blew some minds.

Check out some photos and video.

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A Weekend of Laughter

As the new Director of Marketing and Audience Development for Portland Ovations it seems I picked a wonderful week to start. Our weekend performances of Imago Theatre: ZooZoo and an Evening with David Sedaris provided me a terrific opportunity to see the breadth of artists Portland Ovations brings to the community and the many different audiences that come out to experience each performance.

Starting on Friday evening, the troupe from Imago Theatre performing their latest production ZooZoo took me on a fun and whimsical journey to the times where I was once a child enjoying something new and entertaining for the first time. This not only came from the wonderful costumes and fantastical acrobatics of the performers but from the crowd surrounding me in the dim lighting of the Merrill Auditorium. This audience was made up of both adults and children with the latter providing most of the smiles and laughs by way of infectious giggles and deep down bursts of uncontrollable enjoyment after seeing dancing rabbits, leaping frogs, a paper bag flipping and flopping on stage and penguins playing musical chairs. A performance that engaged the audience and made us all feel young again not only from each imaginative act but from the child sitting next to us laughing and chuckling at the most obscure moments.

At the other end of the spectrum on Saturday night, An Evening with David Sedaris and an audience of adults provided me with a similar experience. Having not read a David Sedaris book as of yet, this too would be a new experience for me, not one from a childhood memory but one as an adult surrounded by over 1,700 fans of the writer. As the lights went down and David Sedaris took to his podium, the crowd erupted and welcomed the author to the Merrill Auditorium waiting for what I learned would be the first of many, self deprecating stories from his life and travels.  Starting with Pimsleur translations and travel, he than brought us to the stressful time of being a child on the swim team and dealing with some competitive feelings towards Donnie Osmond and the best swimmer on the team, and ended with a few diary entries. Each anecdote read, surrounded me with contagious laughter from the crowd and created a new fan of David Sedaris in me. Now, I will have to read one of Mr. Sedaris’ books and it was suggested that I start my with Me Talk Pretty One Day.

I would love to know if you agree with that Sedaris suggestion and if you too found yourself laughing throughout the weekend with Portland Ovations?

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Mark O’Connor Community Connections

Thanks Portland Ovations for bringing Mark O’Connor to Maine and for so generously sharing him with the community.  The workshop that Mark put on at 317 Main Street Community Music Center (317) for our fiddle instructors to teach his O’Connor method, and later that same afternoon for our fiddle students in which he demonstrated his method and talked about his approach to improvisation, was phenomenal.  Mark is an exceptional teacher and he did a great job of communicating and sharing his passion for American fiddle music.  Everyone who had the opportunity to interact with Mark commented that the session was intimate and that they felt personally touched by his greatness as an artist.  Bringing artists out into the community is so valuable because it provides far greater access to the artist, and therefore an opportunity for better connection.  Thank you Portland Ovations for making the Mark O’Connor visit such a wonderful community event.

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Driving Mark O’Connor Around

I spent 3 days driving around with Mark O’Connor delivering him to a variety of Ovations Offstage activities. I (we) had an astounding time.
Three moments:

1. I sit in the front row of a dark theater at Lewiston Middle School facing the stage illuminated by work lights. Mark is onstage, his back to me. Greg Boardman & his string students watch & listen as Mark plays. I notice their faces: the students stare at Mark, all a little slack jawed. Greg doesn’t stare at Mark. He looks a little over his head - off into the dark - transfixed by what he hears.

2. In Rines Auditorium at Portland Public Library, old friends Mark O’Connor and Jon Cooper (Maine’s renowned violin maker who created Mark’s violin) talk about making music and making violins. Over 100 people listen, ask questions, and look at projected images of instruments & instrument making. After an unexplained photo of a steam powered race car flashes by on the screen, a young boy in the front row raises his hand. And keeps it up for the rest of the presentation. When he finally gets to ask his question we (finally) get to hear the story of Mainers F.E. & F.O. Stanley, twin brothers who over 100 years ago invented and produced photographic dry plates, steam cars, the artist’s airbrush, x-ray apparatus… and made violins.

3. On Friday night the concert by the Mark O’Connor Quartet ends at Merrill Auditorium. We stand. We cheer. The quartet exits, then returns to the stage for an encore. They play Appalachia Waltz. The tune breaks my heart, makes me homesick for places I’ve never been, and makes me glad to be exactly where I am. Then we stand and cheer again.

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Notes on Mark O’Connor from an Ovations Partner

I thought the show itself was fabulous – I especially enjoyed the quartet pieces - who couldn’t be in awe of those women!!  How does one play violin while doing a backbend in red stilettos! Amazing athleticism!  Our daughter recalled sitting on the edge of her seat at Merrill years ago, becoming absolutely enthralled by Natalie MacMaster, an experience which led our daughter to passionately pursue fiddling.  I imagine there were at least a few students or adults who had the same reaction to Mark O’Connor Friday evening.

Thanks for bringing Mark O’Connor to Portland.  I will be playing his CDs (that I won at the Epicurean auction!), but I can guarantee you I will not try playing an instrument while wearing high heels.

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Counting down the Time to De Temps Antan

I am thrilled that we are able to bring De Temps Antan to Portland in May. Laura and I saw De Temps last month at Hiro in NYC. We were instantly blown away by their musicianship and their energy, which is highly contagious. Everyone was on their feet and dancing (including those of us who didn’t really know the right steps but were compelled to move just the same)! We immediately decided this was a band we wanted to share with our audiences in Portland but thought we’d have to wait until next season to do so. Though the disbanding of Gadelle is most unfortunate, we couldn’t be more pleased that the arrival of De Temps is all that much sooner.

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Evolution of Chapters

Last summer I sat in a crowded, incredibly sweaty gym at Bates College to preview all of the “Chapters” in Doug Varone’s new commission. This was my first time seeing the company live; this was also my first time witnessing a dance piece in its infancy (actually, adolescence). It was the first time Doug and his company ran the work in its entirety from beginning to end. There were no costumes and only overhead lights, but still I was absolutely transfixed. The dancers lunged, extended and soared within 5 feet of my prime bleacher seating. I could see every strain, every emotion. The incredibly cinematic score by David Van Tiegham filled every corner of the lofty gymnasium. I walked away from the evening assembling chapters in my head (“Glass” and “Erased by Degrees” were devastating favorites).

Last month I sat in another crowded (though less sweaty) space – New York’s City Center Studios—watching Doug and company preview 10 of his chapters at a showcase at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters annual conference. This time, there were some lights (not the ultimate design, however), some costumes (again, not the final product), but once again I was taken away by the vignettes, although this time my familiarity with the pieces afforded me a tinge of excitement every time Doug announced a new chapter. Seeing it again, though only in excerpt, gave me a whole new appreciation. New favorites emerged: “Another Failure” and “Tile Riot”…

Wednesday night I sat in the Grand Tier of the fairly spacious (and definitely not sweaty) Merrill Auditorium, seeing the piece for the first time with its ambitious and effective lighting and stage design. A fabric ceiling continually shifted to change the space and creative and precise lighting served to highlight meanings and gestures that went unrecognized in previous viewings. I gained a new appreciation for “Ghosts of Insects” now that I was seeing it in a whole new light (pun definitely intended). Most interesting was that sitting now 500 feet away from the dancers, unable to clearly see every raised eyebrow, every frown, every mischievous smile, previous favorites prized for their intimacy were supplanted by new favorites prized for their epic scope (“Spilling the Contents”; “Gravity”). And viewing Chapters with an audience of just over 800 people added a whole new energy.

It’s been such a luxury to have witnessed the evolution of this piece– to not only see how it transforms based on which of the chapters are “read”, but to also see how it changes based on its surroundings. What were your experiences from Wednesday? What Chapters affected you?

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January in Maine Heats Up…

My introduction to Balé Folclórico da Bahia began when I started to assemble the study guide, a resource Ovations Offstage offers for all our School-Time Performances. I started familiarizing myself with the company, their repertory, and the cultural influences of Brazil and the African Diaspora. I read, watched videos, and listened to music connected to Bahia, however, nothing could have prepared me for the intensely energetic, and loaded performance last Wednesday evening. The rich cultural practices of Candomblé, capoeira, and samba were creatively interpreted for the stage and the 38 members of Balé Folclórico da Bahia filled Merrill Auditorium with the spirit of these traditions. The intense rhythm and energy of the music and dance infected the audience. I watched the movement grow in a group of young ballet dancers sitting in front of me. Their kinaesthetic connection to the dancers onstage was clear and their initial twitching evolved into full-fledged dancing in their seats. This connection was fostered by the company who intermittently broke the stage/audience barrier and incited everyone to participate in moving.

Those who attended the pre-performance lecture/demonstration by Mestre Joao Bardallo and six other musician/dancers were dually prepared for this participation after learning capoeira basics as well as a brief history of this martial arts/dance cultural phenomenon. Members of Balé Folclórico joined in playing drums, tambourines, and singing traditional capoeira songs.

The emphasized collectiveness; the power of movement and music; and the distinct cultural influences of Balé Folclórico da Bahia were personally inspiring, but also left lasting impressions for many of our School-Time Performance audience members. Educators reported that students were captured by the athleticism of the performers, the high energy, great music, the amazing visuals, and one normally fidgeting 4 year-old proclaimed, “It’s over already? I wasn’t even bored at all!” The School-Time Performance served as a springboard for conversations about Brazilian and African cultural practices and dance for many students and educators.

What did you leave the performance most struck by? What did you find most memorable? 

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A Twice Special Fiddler

There were two distinct reasons why I so enjoyed watching Fiddler on the Roof this past Saturday at Merrill.

First, I got to witness a dream come true for my friend Birdie Newman Katz who played Yente in this touring company. I’ve worked with Birdie for many years now and it was a joy to see her in front of her hometown crowd, performing in her first National Broadway Touring production. She told me the day was one of the most memorable and powerful of her life, to have all her friends and family there to see her doing what she loves best. I know she has several months of touring left before she returns home to Maine, so I wish her all the best. And can you believe that she made 6 gallons of lobster stew for her entire cast and crew to enjoy backstage?!

Second, it was wonderful to see such a great turn out for both performances. The popularity of this musical is such a testament to the power of the performing arts. I attended the Ovations Offstage pre-curtain lecture before the evening performance, presented by Professor Marilyn Reizbaum from Bowdoin College, and she discussed the sensitivities of the subject matter of the show, issues especially sensitive in the early 1960s when the musical was created. She explained that people in the world of Broadway, at that time, said the musical was “too Jewish” to have mass appeal. But, with a score that includes some of the best songs Broadway has ever produced and characters that are so heartwarming and memorable, the artistic quality transcended the notion of the storyline being “too Jewish.” Today, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most known and most frequently produced musicals of all time.

I’d love to know your thoughts on why this musical is so popular and why it continues to touch people even after almost 50 years.

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An Extreme Evening

STREB Extreme Action– their name says it perfectly– extreme action is indeed exactly what we saw last night! The audience was energized, captivated, and making plenty of noise, just as the Company requested. One of the first things they told us was to ignore the “turn off your cell phones” message and that we should take calls, take photos, take videos, and of course make noise to show just what aspects of the performance we truly loved. I had my camera out and was happily snapping away throughout the incredible action. I loved the variety of contraptions used for what they call “Action Events.” Everything from a spinning floor to flying bricks of cement, to a plexiglass wall!

One of my personal favorites was a box that each dancer squirmed into and piled on top of one another. Just when we thought it was full, the eighth dancer wriggled through in front of the pile of contorted bodies. As the title of that particular Action Event stated, it made me “Squirm” in my seat just watching!

The day prior to their performance I was able to observe a masterclass that the STREB dancers taught at Portland Ballet. It was great to see the young ballerinas jump in and try the Pop Action technique, something completely different from their normal ballet classes. All eight of the STREB dancers shared in teaching different parts of the class, with the others demonstrating and jumping in to help and correct the participants.

Check out a few pictures from the performance in the image gallery to the right, and find us on Facebook to see photos from the masterclass… and if you ever find yourself in NYC, take a trip to S.L.A.M. in Brooklyn (STREB’s Headquarters) and see what new feats STREB Extreme Action is up to.

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On Stage with Bill Cosby

“A watched pot never boils,” that is the first line in the only play I ever performed in while in high school. It’s all I remember now, and sadly, it was all I remembered that night, which did not bode well for a life in the theater. I think of that experience almost every time I step out on stage to give my pre-performance welcome. I also think of it every time someone asks – “Do you perform?” “OH NO!” I always respond. “My role is backstage.”

Well… that all changed Saturday night. Suddenly, with no warning I was thrust back into the spotlight, center stage with the iconic Dr. Bill Cosby. I was shaking from my toes all the way up. I feared I was wasting everyone’s time. (To which my husband later asked, “At what point did you realize you were not holding up the show, you were the show?”) But somehow, I knew that Mr. Cosby, the consummate professional, the fatherly figure (who bears a striking resemblance to my Gramp, who predeceased the Gram Mr. Cosby called during the 5 pm performance) would not do anything hurtful and deeply embarrassing. It was in fact the safest I have ever felt on stage. And, for what it’s worth, ad libbing (better yet, conversing with Mr. Cosby) is a heck of a lot easier than memorizing lines. 

If only Dad had been home when we called. Something tells me he’d have been prouder than that awful night of high school drama so many years ago. And it sure makes for a much better story. Now I have my Bill Cosby story … as do my Mom, Gram and husband.

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Laughing with Bill Cosby

Saturday was a great day because I had the privilege of meeting Bill Cosby.  When I woke up that morning one of my first thoughts, besides wanting a cup of coffee, was that Mr. Cosby was going to be performing at Merrill Auditorium that night and I was going to see him. As a staff member I am fortunate to see many wonderful performances but this one, I had to admit, was rather special. He is a big star! I listened to his albums, watched him on television, and he would make me laugh and laugh. I was really looking forward to this one.

Mr. Cosby had two performances. The first I was not able to see because of other activities going on that needed my attention. But in between the two several of us were able to go backstage and not only meet Mr. Cosby, but hang out with him in his dressing room. He chatted with us, let us take pictures and it was a delight.  Having had those moments made me even more excited to see him entertain.

What a master. As he reminisced about his childhood experiences, as he told stories about his children and grandchildren, I sat there thinking he is so right!  Even though we grew up in different places at different times, some of my stories were his stories.  My kids did the same things as his kids. He brilliantly took every day occurrences and told stories in a way no other can. His timing, his facial expressions….genius.  And wow, did he make me laugh.

Not many people can take the stage, by themselves, and entertain for over ninety minutes. As I sat in my seat and looked around Merrill, people’s faces were beaming. He had them laughing every few seconds and it was deep laughter, the kind that is infectious, the kind that is good for the soul. Mr. Cosby was good for my soul that night and for so many others. Thank you Mr. Cosby, for the laughter….it felt really good.

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On an October Night: African Dinner at King Middle School

On Thursday October 7th I sat down with over 200 people at King Middle School to eat an extraordinary dinner featuring Ugandan dishes, homemade casseroles, & the largest fruit salad I’ve ever laid eyes on. After dinner I joined an ecstatic audience who cheered for the King Middle School Sudanese Dance Group and the dancers & drummers from the Portland Arts and Technology High School who performed a high energy West African dance. Next we all jumped up on stage to dance to music provided by the amazing DJ Bernarzo from Club Babylon.

Many people made this wonderful night happen. Our good friend David Katende brought cooking experts Vaniser Nalukenge and Jaja Maine (the matriarch of Ugandans living in our state) to lead King students, staff, and parents in preparing the food for our celebration. John Naylor from Rosemont Market donated crates of perfect melons, grapes, & strawberries. Hannaford Supermarkets sponsored one of the most fun shopping trips I’ve ever been on. Principal Mike McCarthy and his community of educators, parents, and students couldn’t have been more helpful and celebratory.

That night at King Middle School made me feel very lucky – lucky to be well fed and surrounded by good will, music, and dancing. A few of the moments that have stuck with me since that night:
Weeping 8th graders insisting they could finish chopping the onions.
Jaja Maine slipping me warm fried bread & Vaniser assigning me as taster of all things beef.
Proud King kids bearing enormous bowls and endless platters of food into the cafeteria.
After dinners and the performances, watching every Ugandan grab something to tie around his or her waist – a sweatshirt, a scarf, whatever – as we all rushed the stage to dance together.

The next night, many of us gathered in USM’s Hannaford Hall for the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International performance. The party continued. And afterwards, I found myself for the first time in my life, craving Ugandan food.

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An EPIC(urean) Night with Portland Ovations

A big THANK YOU to all who came out to support Ovations Offstage at our 15th Annual Epicurean Auction Benefit last night. As one of the Ovations’ staff, I can tell you that this is an event that takes lots of hard work and months of planning, but seeing it all come together in an evening of food, fun and merriment makes it all worthwhile. The company was exceptional (more than 250 people came out to support artists working in our community), the food divine (the aromas of 14 different restaurants was intoxicating to say the least), and the silent auction items desirable (Art! Freshwater pearls! Coach bag!) Excited conversation mingled with the superb instrumentals of Jonathan Cooper and Tom Whitefield of the 317 Main Street Community Music Center in Yarmouth (Ovations’ collaborator in our March 2011 Mark O’Connor residency) to create a lively and entertaining atmosphere.

At the close of the silent auction, Freeport pianist Wilson Bristol (a featured artist in Ovations’ 2010 presentation of From the Top) played guests onto the Merrill Stage where they topped off their gustatory extravaganza with gourmet coffee and chocolate truffles while sitting down to our live auction. Flanked by color commentators (Ovations board members Michael Boyson and Felicia Knight), auctioneer Gordie Holmes sold to the highest bidder unique items such as a dinner and tour at the Cumberland County Jail (aka “The Gray Bar Hotel”), a gorgeous amethyst bracelet, and progressive dinner and dessert at Evangeline and Bresca.

The proceeds from last night are vital to sustaining Ovations Offstage, our education and outreach programs, and none of it would have been possible without the hard work of our diligent volunteers, dedicated board members (a big shout-out to Epicurean Co-Chairs Patti Roderick and April Ylvisaker), the many generous businesses that provided Underwriting support and auction items, city of Portland staff, and of course the FABULOUS restaurants who participated: 157 Café, Azure Café, Bibo’s Madd Apple Café, Black Point Inn, Coffee by Design, The Corner Room, The Front Room and The Grill Room, David’s, Dean’s Sweets, Foreside Tavern, Grace, The Good Table, Havana South, Marché and the Nonantum Resort.

Thank you to all!!!

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New Season Musings: Mary

All my friends know where I work, and I think that’s a good thing.  As I have been attending end-of-school-year festivities and out walking my neighborhood, my friends have been asking me about our coming season….what can I bring the whole family to?  I love to hear that.  I love it because I think it is so important to expose our children, of all ages, to live performance.  And boy, do we have something for everyone. 

For those who have small children, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical is a must.  The little ones (and big ones) in the audience will definitely love, and relate, to this one.  Who doesn’t want to see a favorite book come to life right before their eyes?  How magical is that?  For those who have children a little older, Circus INcognitus will keep them laughing and wondering how they do it all.  And let’s not forget STREB Extreme Action….this should be incredible and one that my daughter in particular can’t wait to see….I’m just afraid she’s going to want to practice their moves at home….  But there is also Blue Man Group and Fiddler on the Roof.  How can you go wrong with any of these?

What I really love about our coming season is what we are bringing for families and how everyone can share in the live experience, as a family and as a community.  I definitely stand up for that.

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New Season Musings: Laura

I’m sure I’m not alone when I admit that the first time I really took notice of Kronos Quartet was in their stunning work on the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack. For me, that movie would not have nearly the devastating resonance it did without their masterful interpretation of Clint Mansell’s compositions, among them the signature Lux Aeterna. Though I acknowledge that I can probably never watch Requiem ever again, great though it was, the soundtrack does get repeated airings in my household. From that gateway, I’ve delved into the expansive sea that is the Kronos repertoire, which has something for most everyone. If you’re like me (a person who likes her string quartets with a side of pop culture and is not ashamed to admit it), you’ll love their reimagining of hits from such popular music luminaries as Jimi Hendrix, Nine Inch Nails or Sigur Rós (their cover of “Flugufrelsarinn” takes me to a whole other realm). Or perhaps you prefer the minimalist sounds of Terry Riley, Philip Glass or Steve Reich – Kronos has got you covered there as well. Finally, their devotion to global sounds has taken them to places as varied as Mexico, India, Poland, Serbia, and Africa and resulted in collaborations that are often innovative, sometimes challenging, and always breathtaking. For these reasons and more, the November 4th recital of Kronos Quartet will be the highlight of my Portland Ovations season.

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New Season Musings: Janice

I’ve always thought it would be really exciting to live in Paris in the 1920’s. (My husband always points out that some pretty bad things were on the horizon, but in my mind I would just kind of get dropped in to enjoy the music and art and literary scene and definitely be out of there by 1940).  So I am really excited about the Hot Club of San Francisco (coming November 16). The gypsy jazz sound of Django Reinhardt clearly evokes that early 20th century era for me – bohemian, glamorous in a slummy kind of way, the not quite innocent fun.  (And this show will have the added feature of silent surreal films). You can just tell from the picture that these guys really know how to swing.  What if we all showed up dressed for the occasion in the styles of that era. Everyone tapping toes, nodding heads, moving to the music. Too cool. Can’t wait.

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New Season Musings: Gretchen

Let’s see. One thing I’m excited about in the new season…
As I thumb through the season brochure to pick the performance I’m most excited about, I keep changing my mind realizing that there isn’t even one event I’d feel OK about missing. Instead I look forward to the variety of sensations I’ll experience: feeling lucky to be in the same (big) room with an artist I admire, being wowed by a surprising collaboration, enjoying that fabulous paradox of focusing completely on what’s happening onstage RIGHT NOW and at the same time traveling off in some new kind of dream, reveling in the physicality of live music, and always feeling a deep connection to this tribe I’m sitting with who insists on seeing with their own eyes & hearing with their own ears.
And (having said all that) I’m really looking forward to seeing my son in a blue splattered poncho.

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New Season Musings: Bethany

Doug Varone’s choreography always promises to lead audiences through an energetic and emotionally charged evening. Adding to the excitement of the performance of Doug Varone and Dancers at Ovations is the premiere of Varone’s new work, Chapters from a Broken Novel, co-commissioned by Bates Dance Festival and Portland Ovations. We are able to follow the company’s journey of creating this new work before they even arrive in Portland. Through live web streaming with the University of Akron, web viewers will be treated to a work-in progress showing on June 23, after which Varone can then be seen at Bates Dance Festival in July where they will show a sneak preview of the new piece. Following a choreographer’s developing work provides valuable insight, not just of the piece they are creating, but also of the choreographer himself. I am sure to be found watching the web stream, at Bates, and of course at the Ovations’ performance.

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New Season Musings: Barri Lynn

Dancing Laundry and a Stuffed Animal on the Loose! While at the Kennedy Center in May, I had the opportunity to see “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical”. What a treat! Yes, the story is funny and engaging, but the music is infectious. Having personally experienced the horrendous consequence of accidentally putting our daughter’s favorite green blanket in the washer, I could empathize with the child and parents on stage as they tried to solve the problem of the missing “stuffie”. I was thrilled to see another Mo Willems’ favorite book brought to life on stage.  Remember “The Pigeon on the Bus”? Can’t wait to see how the Knuffle Bunny does at both a family series and school-time performance.  It’s a first!

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New Season Musings: Andrew

There is much about this season that I am excited about. I am one of the three people on earth that hasn’t yet seen Blue Man Group, so that’s on my list. Sentimentally I think I’m most looking forward to “Fiddler on the Roof,” not just because this is a high-energy Broadway tour of a great classic musical, but because one of its cast members is a friend and colleague of mine, Birdie Katz. Birdie and I have worked together for years and swapped stories about our pets and families and now that her kids are grown, she’s following her dream and landed her first Broadway gig. I find that inspiring. I cannot wait to see her here performing in front of her home town crowd in Maine. I think Merrill will be electric with the energy of her friends and supporters… including me.

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New Season Musings: Aimée

As I think about the season ahead there are many things that excite me. However, I fear any listing of performances would just be a recounting of the entire season! And then there is the expanded School Time Performance series and a number of incredible community-based residencies with visiting artists and Maine-based artist-educators. But I’ve been told to focus… To me, one of the things that makes the 2010-11 season most unique are two co-commissions of internationally recognized artists and the rich community collaborations that anchor these projects here in Maine.

For several years now, we’ve been partnering with Bates Dance Festival to create a year-round contemporary dance presence in Maine. With the co-commission of award-winning choreographer Doug Varone we step up our partnership, support artists in making of a new work and provide the piece, Chapters from a Broken Novel, gestation time here in Maine. Varone and his company will be in residence at Bates Dance Festival this summer, creating, teaching and performing. The company will be back to present the completed new work in February 2011 as part of our season. Ovations also spearheaded a regional leg of his national tour that will bring Varone, his company of eight extraordinary dancers and Chapters from a Broken Novel to communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut in addition to his two visits to Maine.

We close the season with Phil Kline’s John the Revelator, a stunning Mass for the 21st century, which features internationally renowned vocal ensemble Lionheart, our very own Portland String Quartet and municipal organist Ray Cornils performing on the mighty Kotzschmar. Together with Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ we are co-commissioning a prelude to John the Revelator, which has been called one of the most important new works of the last decade. It seems only natural that after spending almost two years as office mates (three of five non-profits that inhabit the same suite at 50 Monument Square) that Ovations, Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ and Lark Society (the organizational arm of Portland String Quartet) would come together for such a deep project that we hope will resonate across our audiences.
It is incredibly fulfilling as an arts organization to not only present exceptional artists from around the world but to also support artists in the creation of new works—works with Maine roots that will then travel the globe.

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An Eclectic Mix Closes the Season

Wednesday evening’s performance by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet brought a wonderful close to our 2009-10 season. I invited a friend to accompany me, who had never before been to a ballet performance. What a broad spectrum of choreographic works to introduce her to! Twyla Tharp of course has always been one of my favorite choreographers (though I must admit my list of favorites is quite long…), and was the one name that my friend had heard before. Tharp’s Sue’s Leg was actually on the inaugural episode of PBS’s Dance in America series. How wonderful to finally see it performed live!

Slingerland brought me back to my contact improvisation days, when I took a Forsythe based improv class. Yes, believe it or not, improv derived from Ballet technique. I found myself watching for and recognizing some of Forsythe’s “modalities” that I remembered from that class I took long ago. Check out this YouTube playlist and see if you recognize any he may have used in choreographing Slingerland: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=089D0AB405F01404

Perhaps some of you recognized Noir Blanc from seeing Momix in one of our previous seasons. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet commissioned this work by Moses Pendleton, who later used this piece to develop Lunar Sea for his own company.

It’s always great to experience works by choreographers who I am unfamiliar with, and as the first time I have seen anything by Jorma Elo, I have to say I am now intrigued and hope to see more of her in the future.

Prior to the performance I had the honor of accompanying Jean-Philippe Malaty, Executive Director of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, to a masterclass at Portland Ballet. He connected with those young students from the start of barre exercises. For an inside look at the masterclass be sure to watch the video clip on our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/portlandovations?ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=514130097831&ref=mf and check out the image gallery.

I hope that you enjoyed this wide-ranging performance as much as I did, and would love to hear your reactions.

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An Exhilarating Night of Dance

This week’s presentation of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet puts an exclamation point on our 2009-10 series celebrating American masters and masterworks in contemporary dance. Following the incomparable Pilobolus and the exuberance of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s program of exulted African-American dancemakers, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet turns our attention to exceptional works inspired by the company’s dedication to preserving and advancing dance coming out of the ballet tradition.

The “youngest” company on our series, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet burst onto the scene a decade ago and has since established itself as one of the most exciting contemporary ballet companies in the world, known for its exquisite dancers, wide ranging repertoire and dedication to dance education. Their Portland Ovations’ program showcases ASFB’s aesthetic and continues our effort to introduce new voices while cherishing the works of iconic choreographers.

A centerpiece of the program is the company’s imaginative reconstruction of Twyla Tharp’s 1975 ballet, Sue’s Leg, set to the music of Fats Waller. While William Forsythe’s masterful and sophisticated pas de deux Slingerland wonderfully bridges neo-classical and contemporary ballet. The program is beautifully balanced by the crowd-pleaser Noir Blanc by Moses Pendleton and Jorma Elo’s high energy Red Sweet, an Aspen Santa Fe Ballet commission.

Entertaining, thoughtful, energetic—each of these works offer a different experience for dance lovers while underscoring the skill of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s dancers. Exactly what we strive for in all of our dance programming. I hope you will join us for what promises to be an exhilarating night of dance.

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VOICES Transform Hannaford Hall

Friday night, Hannaford Hall was transformed. Philip Hamilton and his vocal “tribe” VOICES shared a concert experience that transfixed and transported. At different times I was spellbound, delightfully surprised and always moved by (or moving to) the music. Not to be outdone, the production team did a superb job of supporting the artists with sound and light design that perfectly set-off the music and contributed greatly to the aural and visual impact. 

The intimate performance space on the USM Portland campus was not the only transformation. Over the course of the residency, Philip and members of the ensemble performed to a packed house of middle and high school students, visited no less than four area schools, two partnering community organizations, and what is known around the office as “the other Hannaford” – Hannaford Supermarket on Forest Ave for a free mini concert. At each stop they shared their love for music and its connection to the human spirit. One could not help but be affected. I have to imagine 14-year-old Sam’s impromptu “Happy Birthday” sung by VOICES during the post-concert Q&A will not soon be forgotten.

While I was thanked by many audience members on their way out with comments such as “I had no idea who these artists were before, thank you…” and “Can you do more of these intimate performances here at Hannaford? We enjoy trying something new…” and yes “when are they coming back?”—it is our audience that needs to be acknowledged for being open to new artists, new sounds and new experiences. We look forward to discovering innovative artists in the years to come.

Thank you to Philip, Sabrina, Sanjay, Renée, Darren, Harry, “Anointed S,” Manuel and Evan for sharing your voices with us.

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We are One! Joy from VOICES

There’s an old soft drink commercial from the 60’s or 70’s, I think, with the catchy tune of “I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony…”  Philip Hamilton’s VOICES brings that hope of one harmonious world into reality.  With musical artists from Uruguay, Cameroon/France, India, Puerto Rico/Miami, New York, Boston/Jamaica, Georgia, and California, the VOICES tribe spans the globe with musical styles making a joyful sound around Portland.  From LearningWorks to Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) to Hannaford Supermarket on Forest Avenue and USM Portland’s Hannaford Hall, people from all ages and backgrounds experienced the power of harmony to lift their spirits and empower them to share their own gifts with others.  One teacher called the experience for her group, “Transformative!”

Some of the VOICES tribe spoke with me about their deep reverence of their musical gifts, coming from a higher power, and the responsibility they felt about sharing the power of live music to impact humanity in a positive way.  “Music is a universal language that transcends us all and speaks directly to the soul,” Harry Bayron stated in one of the workshops.  Students, teachers and chaperones joined in the tribe when Philip or Anointed S asked for audience participation or to provide a vocal response to a “call.”  More than one brave student volunteered to go up on stage and do a beat boxing duel!  No matter what the activity, all the members of the audience found their own groove, and felt empowered—no matter what age, language, or place of birth. It was another “happening.”

I was amazed at how quickly the tribe’s vocal styles and techniques could come together musically and professionally in just a few hours to tweak and tune their performances.  With or without amplification, their voices penetrated into my heart and inspired me.  As I drove some of them around Portland, I felt peacefulness and joy exuding from them even though they were exhausted from traveling in a van for 4 hours, then performing one activity after another without a break.  They had been on the road since 6 am on Thursday.  They shared their talents, their hearts, and their optimism for the future with everyone through song.  Their music inspired me to see myself as part of a larger “tribe” because after all, ”We are One!”

I hope that many of those attending lecture/demonstrations, workshops from February or yesterday, or the school-time performance today will participate in another happening with VOICES again this evening at 8pm at USM Portland’s Hannaford Hall. Tell us what you thought of the performances or the outreach events.

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A Liquid Silver Tone in Merrill Auditorium

Last night violinist Stefan Jackiw and pianist Max Levinson covered themselves with glory on the Portland Ovations stage. I was a little tired and almost passed up the performance to stay home with a glass of wine and retire early. I am so glad I didn’t.  By the end of the recital, I was wide awake and the juices were running. I never thought Brahms could do that for me; however, the composer was well served by the thoughtful, probing young artists, and I was moved by the liquid silver tone and depth of interpretation they served up so eloquently. There were none of the histrionics you sometimes have to endure with the new crop of players, not a false move, no self-indulgent posturing…the stage was full of sincerity and truth.

I just looked at the Arts section of last Sunday’s New York Times and saw the names of five classical music artists Portland Ovations has presented in the past few years. I am pretty sure that someday soon Stefan Jackiw’s name will be featured in these pages. He is the real thing.

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Thinking About 75 Years

I hope everyone enjoyed our presentation of the 75th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. As I sat in the audience on Friday night, I thought about the impact this story has had on multiple generations throughout its history. I wondered how the first audiences must have reacted to the story and to the music. Did the way the sheriff treated those beloved characters enrage folks, or was that just common language at that time? I wonder how many people lauded Gershwin’s incorporation of a common yet unpleasant American story into the world of opera. How many were aghast? I know from having studied vocal music in college that it took some time for Porgy and Bess to be accepted by the opera world. I’m glad they finally did, but I wish I could go back in time and listen to that first audience discuss the piece as they left the Colonial Theatre that night in Boston, 1935.

Regardless, I hope as you left Merrill Auditorium on Friday night in Portland, you thought about our presentation and how it took you to another time and place for a few hours and made you consider the power of this opera and its subject matter. I thought there were some outstanding performances from the cast and the voices were truly exceptional. I’m still humming “Summertime,” albeit for multiple reasons. It was a good experience and I know what it meant to me today in 2010, but as a fan of history I can’t help but wander my mind back to 1935 and try to picture how it would have made me feel back then. Isn’t it interesting the things art makes you imagine?

Thanks for coming and I’d love you to share your thoughts on this piece and its 75-year history.

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A Delightful Evening with Young Maine Musicians

What a delight to attend the performance of “From the Top” at the Merrill Auditorium last Wednesday evening. I felt so proud of all the students who participated but especially our Maine young folks. Teenage violin playing sisters Josie and Sophie Davis from Waldoboro performed Largo ma non tanto from Concerto in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. Wilson Bristol from Freeport performed on the piano Tocacata from Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee’s Sonata No. 1. It was a special treat to have Dianne in the audience and interviewed after Wilson played.

The host of the National Public Radio Show From the Top, Christopher O’Riley, was charming and it was special to have the opportunity to not only hear him in person, but to watch him in action.

I could hear the excitement of the audience with the warm applause offered each time the opportunity arose. My husband and I sat next to two young boys (about 6 years old) and their mom’s. I couldn’t help but think someday in the future they will have great memories of attending the performance with their parents.

Afterwards we attended the reception and were thrilled to meet the performers, their families, friends, and the members of the From the Top staff. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting their Director of Education, Linda Gerstle, and learning more about their M.S. Lindsay Arts Leadership Program. They firmly believe that “young people can make an important contribution to the world by sharing who they are and what they love to do..”

It is a shared belief and I see it as one of our responsibilities as arts educators. I look forward to hearing this performance of From the Top on the radio and hearing it all over again.

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Dance Connections with DCDC

Having just started with Portland Ovations in December, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company was a fitting first dance performance for me to see here in Portland. I moved here from NYC, where I worked at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. When we received the program information, one of the first things I noticed was a familiar name among the dancers—Hershel Deondre Horner III, who had studied at the Martha Graham School while I was there. Having seen him in the works of Martha Graham, it was wonderful to see him perform the works of other choreographers, and great to touch base following the Q&A.

Another connection from this performance to my life at Graham was Donald McKayle’s Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder, in which Mary Hinkson, a Graham alum, performed the original female role. Having seen videos from when Hinkson performed in the piece, it was interesting to see today’s dancers’ take on this classic work.

DCDC’s dancers were not only powerful onstage, but also in the studio, giving both a Professional Development Workshop for educators and a Masterclass for local dance students, and allowing young dancers at Portland Ballet Company and Casco Bay Movers to observe their company class.  

If you attended the concert, Q&A, workshop, or masterclass, I’d love to hear about your connections with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

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New Works in New Ways

I had been anticipating the St. Lawrence String Quartet for weeks – now that may make me sound like some sort of chamber music aficionado,  but really I’m just a fan. I looked forward to the Beethoven String Quartet and I was really excited about the John Adams work . All this by way of saying I had high expectations. From the moment the first violinist started to talk, I knew I was not going to be disappointed.  I loved his enthusiasm and less than formal approach and actually found his ‘walk through’ of the Beethoven really interesting in a way that those things usually aren’t. (His good looks didn’t hurt either) The Beethoven is an amazing piece of music – if you just heard parts of it you might think it was 20th century. For me the best thing about seeing chamber music performed live (especially quartets) is that watching the interplay between the musicians really helps you appreciate the interplay of the music. The passionate performance of this piece left me with chills.  To hear the John Adams piece played by the group it was written for was thrilling and I found the piece both accessible and fun. I’m pretty sure that the people who didn’t leave after the Beethoven were not sorry. As for me, I could have watched the entire program all over again.

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Driving Mr. Asner

I, along with co-worker Andy Gilbert, had the distinct honor of driving Ed Asner around Portland while he was here for his one man show, FDR. 

How cool is that?

Growing up as a kid I used to watch him faithfully on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and then Lou Grant.  And recently when I watched Up with my daughter, I was pleased to see his name among the credits. 

Driving our talent around can be a scary thing. That may sound silly but for me it’s true.  Will I get “star-struck” and not know what to say?  Will they not want to talk with me?  Will I say something foolish?  Will I get lost?  Will I be on time?

I didn’t need to worry with Mr. Asner.  He is a gem.  As I was driving and Andy was chatting with him, I detected a twang coming from Mr. Asner.  I knew that twang, had heard it my whole life from my father so I summoned up my courage and asked, “Where are you from originally because I detect a twang coming from you.”  He replied he has spent his whole life trying NOT to have the twang and that I must have read his bio somewhere but I replied, “No, I just heard the twang.”  He said he was from Kansis City, KS and I said, “I knew it!” and proceeded to tell him my father was from Kansis City, MO.  From that point on I wasn’t nervous anymore.

We brought him to a couple media interviews and the entire time he was gracious with his fans, patient as many photographs were taken and autographs given, joked with the men and flirted with the women, and the entire time had a twinkle in his eye and emitted an undying love for acting.

His performance as FDR that night left me wondering how a man of 80 years could spend over and hour-and-a-half on stage, alone, with no intermission and not be totally and utterly exhausted, and then proceed to a private reception with members and special guests and stay until he had met every single person there. All this after spending the day giving interviews.  He was remarkable. 

It was a very memorable day for me, one that I won’t forget.  We joked with each other, teased each other and shared time together.  I realized he is just an ordinary man with exceptional talents, and as I watched him at the Oscar’s Sunday night I said to myself proudly, “I know that man!”

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Brooklyn Rider leaves its mark on Portland – and takes a bit home with them

Over the course of less than 48 hours, the string quartet Brooklyn Rider gave generously to Ovations’ audiences and received much in return.

Our time with Brooklyn Rider started at Hannaford Bros supermarket on Forest Avenue. … in the back of the produce section no less! Friday night the ensemble setup with their music stands and performed for unsuspecting audiences during rush hour. A small crowd gathered. Two small children danced enthusiastically and freely. A couple commandeered the bench that had been placed out and snuggled close. Several people stood with their cell phones in the air, taking photos and videos. It was a musical happening that went beyond any of our expectations, including the quartet’s, who while completely game for the idea, had some questions about how it would play out.  

The next morning during an Ovations Members’ Salon, the quartet shared their passion for chamber music, the relationship they have to and respect for the traditional literature, and the audiences they are trying to reach now. That afternoon, a mere 23 hours into their two-day residency the quartet commented that they were really connecting with Portland and that they too were getting much out of the experience,  which by then included a fabulous dinner at one of Portland’s excellent restaurants.

The sharing, intimacy and rather organic course of the two days continued during the musical conversation that flowed between ensemble member Colin Jacobson and composer/USM Assistant Professor of Music Dan Sonenberg during the pre-performance talk

And then there was the concert itself, which featured a work by Colin, pieces by Philip Glass, John Cage, and Claude Debussy and an encore presentation of “Ascending Bird,” from their collaboration with Persian master musician Kayhan Kalhor. I fear any critique or review I try to impose here would only detract from what proved to be a magical, in-the-moment, live performance experience.

I hope others who experienced this time with Brooklyn Rider will also share.

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New Deal for Art

More than 50 people attended the lecture co-sponsored by Portland Ovations and the Maine Historical Society, “New Deal for Art: Public Murals in Depression-Era Maine and America” given by USM professor Dr. Donna Cassidy.  This evening lecture is part of our community collaboration tied to the upcoming Ed Asner as FDR.

Filled with beautiful slides of murals and other artwork and sprinkled with interesting quotes from artists, government bureaucrats, and every day people, Dr. Cassidy gave a comprehensive overview of the long-term impact of New Deal programs that supported the arts and artists throughout the Depression. The numbers of programs and the variety of artworks funded and produced were staggering.  Our neighbor to the south, Mexico played a part in encouraging the New Deal’s mural programs. 

Most interestingly, vestiges of the New Deal support for visual art are still evident today through the “percent for art” program that provides an opportunity for communities to choose artworks to be placed in newly designed public buildings.

I hope many of the people who attended last night will also attend the Ed Asner as FDR on March 5th and the free pre-performance lecture that deals with historical and cultural aspects of Campobello with Skip Cole, Donald Soctomah, and Jean Flahive.

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Dancing in the Aisles with Maria de Barros

My husband and I almost didn’t go to see Maria de Barros on Saturday. We had purchased tickets months ago for a concert in Boston on Sunday and planned to leave early that morning to take advantage of a day in the city. However, I was intrigued by the description of her music and we decided to forgo our Saturday night dvd routine and head over to Hannaford Hall. A half hour later we found ourselves dancing in the aisles – along with audience members ranging in age from 7 to 70!  If ever there was a demonstration of the power of music to bring together different kinds of people it was at this concert. Maria de Barros engaged the audience in the most wonderfully graceful way using humor and warmth. And her band seriously cooked. It was one of those nights when you feel really lucky to live in a small town that sometimes feels like a big city in the best possible way. Thanks to Ovations for introducing me to a new artist and for reminding me that getting off the couch and experiencing the joy of live performing arts can be – well - just so much fun.

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100 Years of Audience Delights

As the new Marketing Director of Portland Ovations this is my first blog and it is a little exciting, I have to say. I have only been a part of a few events here in my first month, but since I worked for a musical theatre company for three years, I feel Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway is an appropriate event to begin with.

One habit I have brought with me from previous jobs in marketing the performing arts is to watch the audience as much as the show. My personal opinions of a performance are one thing, but to see and hear the joy of an audience watching the show is another. And when an audience is truly delighted and engaged in what’s coming from the stage, I feel my job is validated. I had that experience on Saturday night as I watched Neil Berg and his Broadway pals belt out tunes from current musicals and from an era gone by. Things have changed a lot on Broadway. The times and influences on the Broadway musical as a genre have changed, but the warm, lit-up faces of an audience that is charmed and full of smiles has not. I saw a lot of couples out for Valentine’s Day. I heard a lot of audible reactions to familiar songs that bring back memories. I heard people enjoying a good time and I am proud to have been a part of it.

Also, seeing some local singers get on stage and join the show at the end was encouraging to the future of the art form. It was a fun night and I hope you enjoyed it too. If you were at the performance for a special night out and had that warm, lit-up experience while there, I’d love for you to post a note about it.

I’m excited to be here and I look forward to our future conversations.

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Making Music from Scrap Metal

Today’s Portland Press Herald had two articles about recycling.  Ironically, we at Portland Ovations are hosting some events around a “green” theme this week as well: we are bringing ScrapArtsMusic to Portland for performances Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.  But in addition to the upbeat performances on Tuesday night, there will be a panel discussion of “Greening the Arts” in Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall from 5:30-6:30 pm with Gregory Kozak and Justine Murdy of ScrapArtsMusic, Elliott May from Reverb and Missi Labbe from EcoMaine.  It’s free; you are welcome to join in the discussion.  And as an extra incentive to think about how creatively we can use scrap and recycled materials to create great art, take a look at the art and instruments made by 5th grade students from Reiche Elementary in Portland as you enter the lobby of Merrill Auditorium.  Lincoln Middle School and PATHS will exhibit some of the unique table scapes they designed and created from scrap metal for the tables at Portland Ovations’ Epicurean event.  So, let us know how you are going “green” in your life.  Tell us about your experiences with art or music made from recycled materials.

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On the Road with Philip and Kenny

Today I will be at King Middle School, Freeport High School, and the Telling Room with artists Philip Hamilton and Kenny “The Human Orchestra” Muhammad.  Tomorrow we will be at NYA, Lincoln Middle School and a Portland Ovations board meeting at CIEE.
I can’t wait to see Philip and Kenny in action with students, teachers, and community members in and around Portland.  Both men are incredibly talented musical artists and so charismatic.  I’m eager to get feedback from those who will be sharing their “voices” with Philip and Kenny.  What was your experience working with them?  Lend us your “voice”; let us hear from you.

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Sometimes even NYC can feel like a small town

This past week I was in NYC for the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference, which attracted nearly 4,000 from all U.S. states and 39 countries. In such a large crowd, in such a busy city, it might seem odd to assert that NYC could have a small-town feel. However, I had just such a “what a small world moment” at the showcase for choreographer, Aszure Barton.

As you may recall from previous blog entries, I am an avid follower of Aszure’s work. She was represented here last season on the Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal program. Since then she has been commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada and American Ballet Theater and been in residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Jacob’s Pillow Festival and The Banff Center. Assembled like sardines in one of the City Center studios, the packed room anticipated her showcase. As the lights dimmed, Aszure came out and introduced the program noting that all three pieces were set to music by a young Russian-born composer, who happened to be standing directly behind me with his infant son and wife. The first two pieces came and went in signature Aszure style – smart, quirky, multi-layered. As the third work started I immediately recognized the music; in fact, I found myself almost humming along. As soon as it was over I quickly turned to the composer and confirmed that the last piece was indeed his. Yes, he replied. Then I asked: did Brooklyn Rider record and perform it? YES! again. I shared with him my excitement at meeting him as we have Brooklyn Rider coming to Ovations next month. The sharing garnered me an introduction to their son, Benji, an incredibly well-behaved little guy. I imagine he sees a lot of performances. That was my small town moment in the middle of the bustling Big Apple….

Also on my dance card was seeing highly respected Doug Varone and Dancers in a work-in-progress showing of Chapters from a Broken Novel. The new piece draws from Doug’s collection of overheard conversation snippets, lines from films and popular music. I am thrilled to share that Portland Ovations is a commissioning partner of this new work along with fellow Maine dance presenter, Bates Dance Festival (BDF). This is a unique year-long collaboration. Doug and his dancers will be in residence at BDF this summer, developing the new work, teaching and performing. Ovations dance patrons will be invited to get a special inside look at the creative process and meet the artists. Stay tuned for details. Next season (February 2011) Doug Varone and Dancers will return to Maine to present the new work as part of our season, again in collaboration with BDF. The early sketches I saw revealed an intelligent, personal work that resonated deeply—told through big dance and nuanced drama. Speaking of Bates Dance Festival (BDF), I also was able to see for the first time Monica Barnes Company, whom BDF is bringing this summer. She is a must see of lovers of contemporary dance and/or theater.

Finally, one last dance note. I was also able to take in the work of Alison Chase. Alison is one of the founding members of Pilobolus, now a resident of Maine and a Maine Arts Commission Performing Arts Fellow. She has recently created a new Maine-based company, Apogee Arts. Great things are expected.

Other highlights from my trip include the Under the Radar Festival dedicated to emerging experimental theater at which I attended several performances and an amazing session on puppet theater (one of my personal passions) featuring leaders in the artform: Dan Hurlin, Roman Paska, Basil Twist and Christopher Williams, moderated by Cheryl Henson. Yes, that Henson, her father was Jim Henson. The family produced for several years the world-renounded Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater. On Broadway I caught FELA! a show of such energy and amazing music that sitting still was not an option. 

I also heard some fantastic music, much of which I hope will appear next year on the 2010-11 Portland Ovations season. Too early to give away too much more here. Again, stay tuned…

Other than missing last Saturday’s Chris Botti concert, which I hear was one of our best yet, it was an excellent time in the city.

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Hot Jazz on a Cool night

Here we are several days later and we are all still walking on air over here at the Ovations office. The concert was so fabulous.  I couldn’t believe Merrill could feel so intimate.  When Chris Botti came down into the audience and played unplugged, well, it was spectacular!  He was one of the best artists I’ve ever seen in Merrill; and his band and guest artists were just as exciting and talented.  What a treat!

We Portland Ovations staff members sometimes sit behind the sound board during performances.  For most patrons, they might not want to sit in those seats because perhaps the sound board is too distracting. The blinking lights, the sound tech hovering over the board, laptop graphics glowing and shifting.   However, I love sitting in those seats.  I love the synesthetic effect of the sound and colors.  And at the Botti concert, I was blown away by not only by artists but also the quality of the sound mix.  It was just right!  Not too loud, not too much bass, incredibly bright and a perfect blend of sound for the trumpet… I can’t imagine the acoustics in Merrill Auditorium being any better.  Chris Botti actually commented on them.  The precision, clarity, and beauty of the sound produced by Botti and all his musicians and guest artists literally warmed the space and made it sparkle with “cool” jazz.  Of course, Botti’s charisma on and off the stage was magnetic!

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Singing is the Spirit of the Season

There’s something about the holidays and singing together.  I don’t know exactly what it is - maybe the sense of community and sharing on cold nights or in acoustically “live” houses of worship - that gives me goose bumps. A cappella music especially.  Maybe that is why NBC is airing the “Sing-Off” right now.  It’s going to do for a cappella singing what “So You Think You Can Dance” has done for the explosion of the interest in dance.  Although I’ve sung in choirs, choruses, and madrigal groups, I had forgotten much of the technicality and nuance that unaccompanied voices are capable of producing and the terminology my choral directors used to critique performances.  As one of the judges, Ben Folds, said two nights ago about the Sing-Off, “It’s a different way of listening to voices without all the technology of processed sound backing them up.  You get a much better appreciation for the talent of the vocalists.”

Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Philip Hamilton about a cappella singing and the concept of “voice,” both as it applies to self-actualization and in a literary sense as well as the larger musical sense.  He’s a composer and creator of an a cappella group called VOICES that we’re bringing to Portland for performances in April and residency activities in February and April.  We’ve talked about his mission, his life, his calling around music—bringing people together.  For him, it’s not just about the music.  It’s about the vocal sharing and blending of people from many different backgrounds/cultures that creates a more global understanding, but at the same time honors the uniqueness of the individual.  It’s about empowerment and listening.  I’m enjoying our collaboration to create a choral primer to support the VOICES presentation and learning more about types of vocal techniques such as throat singing and beat-boxing with one of Philip’s tribe, Kenny Muhammad.  I’m hopeful that as many students as possible throughout the area will participate in residency activities such as workshops and lecture/demonstrations. 

And I’m looking forward to singing Christmas carols with friends on Christmas Eve, reviving a time-honored tradition of caroling around the neighborhood to bring “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All.”  (I’m also asking Santa for a hug from Chris Botti!)

Happy Holidays!  See you in the new year.

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Make Portland Your Destination for School Field Trips in the Arts, Culture, and Humanities

In this time of tight or non-existent budgets for field trips and arts experiences, Portland Ovations has found a silver lining.
With funding from the Sam L. Cohen Foundation, we are able to assist some schools in coming to Portland by bus in order to make efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly use of time spent outside the classroom on field trips. What a great way to extend learning by attending a Portland Ovations school-time or evening performance and combining it with a visit to another arts, cultural, or historical organization in Portland.  Teachers or groups can extend learning opportunities by visiting one of our collaborating organizations:  Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, Maine Historical Society, Portland Museum of Art, Portland Harbor Museum, Portland Public Library, or the Museum of African Culture.
To learn more visit http://portlandovations.org/offstage/events/type/school-time_performances/.  All aboard!  Thanks to Sam L. Cohen Foundation for engineering support for Destination Portland!

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Pianist Peter Serkin Captivates and Surprises

“Peter Serkin made us work hard this afternoon - and it was worth it,” audience member Peter Alexander commented as he left Merrill Auditorium yesterday afternoon.

Like Mr. Alexander, I too was challenged, surprised, and captivated. Throughout I remained in awe of Serkin’s style – the way he approached (sometimes attacked) each piece as its own gem. I am fortunate to have attended the Ovations Offstage lecture with Dr. Elliott Schwartz, whose insights helped knit together the perspectives of the various composers, their works on the program, and the curatorial underpinning that is uniquely Serkin’s. When a concertgoer commented to Mr. Serkin after the recital about the emotion he delivered in his performance, he simply stated, “That’s not me, it’s already in the music.” And they were speaking specifically to the Schoenberg pieces.

Mr. Serkin concluded the adventurous program with two encores: 1) Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major from the First Book of The Well Tempered Klavier and 2) Chopin’s Etude in G-flat, fOp. 25.

A program that includes unfamiliar and contemporary music is a perspective shared by other artists on this year’s chamber series. Brooklyn Rider—a string quartet of innovative musicians, who in addition to retaining a claim on traditional classical repertoire have worked on cross-cultural, cross-genre projects such as Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble – will again bring together the known and the unknown.

As I noted in yesterday’s program notes, one of the pieces Brooklyn Rider will perform is an original composition by ensemble member Colin Jacobsen that is directly inspired by the ensemble’s work with master of Persian music Kayhan Kalhor. That collaboration resulted in a recording, “Silent Night,” which Gramophone praised as “superbly conceived, organically evolved, and wonderfully rich.”

With that, I am pleased to share with you the program for Brooklyn Rider on Saturday, February 27, 2010:

Colin Jacobsen - Achilles’ Heel
  Lydia’s Reflection
  Second Bounce
  Loveland
  Shur Landing

Philip Glass - String Quartet #5
John Cage, arranged Justin Messina - In a Landscape
Claude Debussy - String Quartet in g minor, Op. #10

As we did with Peter Serkin we will post the Brooklyn Rider program notes - in this case with contributions by the ensemble - to the Ovations website as soon as we have them. We hope these will help you chart your own course of discovery.

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Celebrating Cirque Mechanics

I love my job. Now entering my fourth season with Portland Ovations I have been exposed to all forms of live performance. It was with Ovations that I saw my first opera, my first modern dance performance (2007’s presentation of Alvin Ailey – very hard to top), and now, with last night’s Birdhouse Factory, I’ve seen my first cirque. With all of these performances, it’s not just my own enjoyment of the novel spectacle before me that gives me satisfaction; it’s also the energy and varied reactions of the crowd.

For many of our shows, you can usually find me hanging around the rear of the Grand Tier. Smack dab in the middle of Merrill, I have a prime vantage point for both the stage and the audience. Last night, I could hear children and adults alike laughing at the buffoonish, yet poetic, antics of Jesse Dryden as he played the clown (and heart) of the stunning production; see mouths gape and eyes widen as one acrobat spun his German Wheel to preposterous and precarious angles or another balanced improbably atop a stack of wooden spools; or witness everyone’s glee as three troupe members bounded from stage floor to ceiling in a marvelously choreographed trampoline routine. I even got to watch the reactions of show creator Chris Lashua as he would duck in and out of the audience to make sure every detail of his obviously lovingly created piece was being executed to everyone’s satisfaction.

Cirque Mechanics: Birdhouse Factory was a marvelous night of theater, definitely one of the highlights of MY season. Thank you to all that entertained me, both on and off the stage

Laura A. Stauffer
Programming & Development Administrator

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I love Cirque

I love cirque. There I said it. And it’s not simply the spectacular acrobatics, though those certainly hold great appeal. So, why do I love cirque?

First off, it’s a rich, longstanding tradition that incorporates the best aspects of theater: a thoughtful story, inventive props, music and the body as communicator. The imaginative, transcendent world cirque nouveau artists create is unique unto the moment and expounds the ephemeral quality of live art. It is not simply about dazzling acrobatics. It’s about the story.

Cirque nouveau, or contemporary circus, is one of the most thrilling art forms to develop in the latter part of the 20th century. It has become an art form of worldwide appeal given the success of Cirque du Soleil, Pickle Family Circus, Cirque Eloize and many others. Cirque Mechanics is firmly anchored in this legacy. Canada, in particular Montreal, has been a hotbed for the explosion of cirque nouveau due in part to the internationally renowned Ecole Nationale de Cirque. (Hence, our presentation of Cirque Mechanics is part of this year’s Traversée la Frontiere series.) This success has lead to a proliferation of contemporary cirques, not all of whom measure up to the quality and integrity of the aforementioned troupes.

My passion for cirque was first ignited by the Montreal-based company Cirque Eloize. Their work is inventive, provocative and sophisticated and often intended for adult audiences. It’s been further fed by visiting places like the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City and an exhibit on the history of cirque nouveau. Back in Vermont, I annually attended Circus Smirkus and was awestruck by the skill, strength and professionalism of the young performers. This summer, I gave “Water for Elephants”—an historical novel on traveling circus culture in the U.S.—a read, which coincided perfectly with my visit to the Circus Smirkus Big Top in Freeport this past August. In fact, the artists of Cirque Mechanics will also visit Freeport’s Merriconeag Waldorf School tomorrow for a circus arts workshop (registration full) hosted by Smirkus Freeport, the folks behind the annual summer presentation of Circus Smirkus. Company members of Cirque Mechanics then head over to P.A.T.H.S. for a Thursday workshop with students and teachers.

Maine enjoys its own rich history with circus arts. One of the leading mime artists of the 20th century, Tony Montanaro, made his home in Maine until his death in 2002. A student of Marcel Marceau and Marceau’s teacher, Etienne Decroux, Montanaro went on to found Celebration Barn Theater in 1972 in South Paris, Maine. A world-renowned theater/school of mime, improvisation, storytelling and other performing skills, Celebration Barn became a mecca for performers who came from around the world to study with this man who was redefining mime and theater. From Celebration Barn, generations of mimes, physical comedians, storytellers, and actors, guided by Montanaro’s genius, have gone on to successful careers, including circus artists with Cirque du Soleil. In fact, Cirque Mechanics alum and former director of Celebration Barn, Fritz Grobe, will present our Ovations Offstage pre-performance lecture at 5:30 pm Thursday evening.

Finally, the industrial setting of “Birdhouse Factory” resonates deeply with Maine’s history as a mill town state. From shoes to paper to fish canneries to matchsticks and candy, as everyone knows Maine was a major player in the New England industrial revolution. The state’s great rivers were the setting for factories that made use of Portland as a deepwater port. The landscape remains dotted with converted (some now artists studios and live/work spaces) and abandoned mills. Re-imagination and innovation is called for as time marches on, just like in “Birdhouse Factory.”

Suffice it to say, the relevance and resonating themes between Cirque Mechanics’ “Birdhouse Factory” and Maine are numerous and exciting to contemplate. These, combined the deepest sense of quality are why we are so pleased to bring Cirque Mechanics’ “Birdhouse Factory” to our community. It’s been over two years in the making to get them here – Thursday can not come soon enough.

Is it too late to run away and join the circus? I will let you know…

Aimée M. Petrin
Executive Director

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A Thrilling Ovations Program in the Works from Pilobolus—& Revisiting Aszure Barton

Wow. Simply … wow. We have just finalized the evening program with Pilobolus and it is thrilling. From the seminal masterwork Pseudopodia - a solo that celebrates the wonder of the human body and the beauty of the natural world, to more current works such as the edge-of-one’s-seat Megawatt, performed to the music of Primus and Radiohead - the evening promises a night of contemporary dance audience members won’t soon forget. Also on the incredibly rich and varied program: Walklyndon and Lanterna Magica, each of which deliver a delightful mix of dazzling acrobatics, whimsy, myth, and vaudevillian humor and physicality, and Gnomen, another one of the company’s earlier works, a quiet, poignant male quartet set to a lovely score by Grammy-winning, Maine-based composer Paul Sullivan www.rivermusic.com.  The program is a journey of the mind, body and soul. Nearly 40 years since its start, Pilobolus remains one of the most inventive yet accessible dance companies in the world. If you are considering attending your first dance performance or want to bring an uninitiated friend to share in your passion for dance, Pilobolus is an excellent choice. And don’t forget the Ovations Offstage masterclass with a Pilobolus company member, pre-performance lecture with dance scholar Nancy Salmon, and the post-performance discussion with the company if you really want to immerse yourself. http://portlandovations.org/offstage/events/show/pilobolus/

Other news in Portland Ovations dance – you may recall the name Aszure Barton. Hers was the second piece on the Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal program last season, Les Chambres des Jacques. She’s an exciting young choreographer coming out Canada’s contemporary dance scene who I’ve been watching for the last couple of years. I was thrilled to introduce her work to our audiences last season. Aszure has her own company for which she develops work and, as she did for Les Ballets Jazz, she builds work for other companies, too. Her latest endeavor is with American Ballet Theater, which just opened its season with a bold new work created by Aszure. This follows an incredibly busy summer for Aszure and her company, which had a creative residency at White Oak Plantation, plus more creative time as well as a performance at The Banff Center. Aszure also taught at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Next up for this exciting choreographer: the world premiere of a new work for the National Ballet of Canada. A unique and prolific choreographer to continue watching . . .

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Peter Serkin Announces Program for Portland Ovations

Bringing together the old and the new in one ambitious recital has long been the hallmark of pianist Peter Serkin. The program he has just announced for Portland Ovations is a sparkling example of his unwavering commitment to this ethos:

Schoenberg | Three Pieces, Op. 11
Debussy | Epigraphes Antiques
Kurtág | Four Pieces from Jatekok
    Pen Drawing, Valediction to Erzsebet Schaar
    (…and round and round it goes)
    Portrait
    The Mind Will Have its Freedom…
Charles Wuorinen | Scherzo

Intermission

Chopin | Polonaise in C minor, Op. 40, No. 2
    Impromptu in Ab Major, Op. 29
    Nocturne in F# Major, Op. 15, No. 2
    Nocturne in B Major, Op. 32, No. 1
    From Trois Nouvelles Études, No. 2 in Ab Major
    Prelude in Ab Major, Op. Post.
    Nocturne in E Major, Op. 62, No. 2
Schoenberg | Suite, Op. 25

I am thrilled that Mr. Serkin – an artist of uncompromising integrity – is bringing to our community a program of such diversity and intellectual heft. It beautifully illustrates the long-standing tradition of classical music and the immediacy of this very alive art form. With this program, Mr. Serkin sets the bar high for a 2009-10 chamber series that throughout the season weaves together the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary, the known and new discoveries.

Shortly, I look forward to also sharing with our audiences the program for season opener Pilobolus. Like Mr. Serkin, this pioneering contemporary dance company will bring to Portland a thrilling program that combines recognized masterpieces from the company’s early days with some of the company’s most current repertoire.

All season long, whether you love classical music, have a passion for dance, opera or Broadway, or are moved by cultural traditions from other countries, I invite you to explore with us the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary, reacquainting yourself with the familiar while making new discoveries of your own.

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Celebrating Woodstock and Arlo Guthrie

This week marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the mammoth music and arts festival that was (and remains) a cultural touchstone for many in my generation, myself included. All of the media attention and observances of the anniversary have gotten me thinking about the people, places, and things that touched my life back then and that remain connected to the person I am today.  Which brings me to Arlo Guthrie.

Arlo’s performance on Max Yasgur’s farm was one of the signature sets of that giddy, spirited and ludicrously muddy weekend 40 years ago. (Alas, I missed being there to join in the festivities because my friends and I turned back home toward the Jersey Shore while en route, chastened by radio news reports of the massive traffic jam on the New York Thruway.)

Along with Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Eric Anderson, Arlo was my musical introduction to a thread that has woven through folk and folk-based music for centuries – the “protest” song, the song of social commentary, the “topical” song – music that links us to our shared humanity and the eternal quest for a better life. Arlo’s “Alice’s Restaurant” has been a staple of my annual Thanksgiving celebrations since my oldest brother turned me on to it when I was in high school. It’s an American classic and I’ve listened to it – on vinyl, cassette, CD, iTunes (and even on 8-track tape!) – every single Thanksgiving morning bar none for more than 40 years now. Like the best of Arlo’s father’s writing – Woody’s powerful tunes like “This Land Is Your Land,” “Deportee,” and “Pastures of Plenty” – it helped shape a strong idealism, a commitment to social action and community, a wry sense of humor and, dare I say it, a healthy touch of fatalism, all of which remain with me to this day.

I’m excited by the prospect of reconnecting with Arlo Guthrie and his family’s deep-seated musical tradition early in the coming Portland Ovations season.  Arlo will be on the Merrill Auditorium stage with his children and grandchildren, celebrating four generations of Guthrie family music, on November 20, just six days before Thanksgiving, the fateful day on which “Alice’s Restaurant” is set.  You can learn more about Arlo Guthrie’s politics, his relationship with his father, and the 40th anniversary of Woodstock by reading a recent New York Times Magazine interview with Arlo.  You’ll also find video clips of Arlo performing Woody Guthrie classics with his children and grandchildren on the Portland Ovations web site.

Lastly, we’d love to hear your own memories and musings about the Guthries, Woodstock or the American “folk revival” of the 1960s. Please share your thoughts and respond using the comments function below.

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Thanks for Toasting Our New Name and Season with Pink Martini

Thank you to all who joined us Monday night for the revelry that was Pink Martini, Sneakin’ Out, our 2009-10 season launch, and the announcement of our new name, Portland Ovations. What an evening!  We share with you your enthusiastic support of great live performance. I spotted several ovations throughout the night (not to mention a conga line). We look forward to many more.

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