Usually Samuel James is on the road many weeks of the year, but since March of 2020 he has been spending all his time, like most of us, in Maine. This has been lucky for Ovations and our audiences, as it allowed us to invite him to participate as one of our five Commissioned Maine … Read more
As we close in on the one-year anniversary of pandemic shut downs, we’re overjoyed to be in production for Portland Ovations Presents: POP 90, a benefit celebration of Ovations’ 90th anniversary year. That’s right: Portland Ovations was founded as the Portland Music Commission in 1931: in the midst of another global crisis, the Great Depression. … Read more
As we look forward to next week’s Seeking Resonance conversation “Toward Being Future Beings” in partnership with Indigo Arts Alliance, we want to take a moment to share with you the genesis of this conversation: a dynamic new work by dancemaker Emily Johnson, “Being Future Being,” which Portland Ovations is co-commissioning. Originally from Alaska and … Read more
When we experienced Step Afrika! we couldn’t stay in our seats. The energy, the rhythm, and the speed were infectious. We couldn’t wait to get Maine audiences – of all ages – into Merrill for the performance. We had intended for Step Afrika! to be featured live in the 2020-21 season but those plans had to change. While … Read more
This year, we’ve been building a Bridge. And now that Bridge, with its strong Towers and gleaming Trusses, is standing solid. The story of this Bridge began last March, when, along with the rest of the world, Ovations found ourselves teetering on the edge of a perilous precipice. On Friday, March 13, 2020, as we … Read more
There’s nothing better than a Merrill Auditorium full of young people chatting and wiggling in their seats as they wait for one of our Family Performances to begin. We so miss these moments. We know it’s important for Ovations to continue to offer young people and their families chances to enjoy the performing arts during … Read more
Last week we held a series of conversations around the five projects Ovations is commissioning by Maine-based artists. From dance to music and theater, from traditional to the contemporary – these five projects deeply explore a wide range of the creativity that makes Maine such a special and innovative place. You can still experience these … Read more