(Published in the Tribune & Georgian on 10.11.06; the Kings Bay Periscope on 10.12.06)
One institution that has been associated with both urban and suburban social trends for many years is the venerable YMCA. Traditionally known as places to learn how to do the breast stroke or make a jump shot, YMCAs are rapidly becoming the places where kids and adults learn to paint, write, sing or act. The year 2003 marked the fifth anniversary of arts and humanities as a YMCA core program. Collectively, YMCAs are the nation’s largest not-for-profit organization, and YMCA of the USA expects it will soon be one of the leading and most influential, if not largest, arts provider in the country for kids and adults.
Within the past half-decade, arts programs increased by 39 percent at YMCAs, and millions of dollars in program and arts facility development have been secured. There are new YMCA arts programs from coast to coast, distinguished by their ability to simultaneously support artists, community members, and cultural and other organizations.
Arts and humanities are among the fastest-growing programs at Ys. In 2001, the number of Ys offering performing arts programs rose 14 percent, literary arts programs went up 18 percent, and visual arts went up 22 percent. The organizations that deliver programs know about the cognitive and developmental-asset benefits that youth receive from arts participation; that youth are satisfied with the pleasure of arts participation and self-expression; and that the fulfillment of mastery of a new skill often outweighs other accomplishments. Novelist and playwright E.L. Doctorow, one of the many artists celebrating YMCAs’ new role in the arts, calls Y leadership efforts “unprecedented, crucial, breakthrough work - nothing less than the firing up of synapses in the national mind.”
Collaborations with local arts organizations continue to make the arts available at YMCAs. YMCAs collaborate to create time, space and new benefits for members, including special cultural discounts and access. In addition, many Ys are adding a service-learning component to arts programs, helping participants create public art such as murals. More and more artists are donating artwork and/or lending financial or programmatic support to YMCAs.
Arts participation, particularly working with a group on an artistic creation, satisfies many people’s ongoing needs for meaning and belonging. Study of and participation in the arts from different cultures is a way to draw upon and celebrate the growing diversity in the United States. As a sign of cultural awakening and awareness, it is vital to recognize that the expanded emphasis on the arts at YMCA facilities is a key indicator. Whether it is helping kids learn to train animal acts and acquire skills in order to perform with a live circus in Redlands, California or create a mosaic in a community garden in Phoenix, Arizona, YMCAs are clearly riding the trend toward a new arts awareness. What I cannot wait to see is how all this exposure, training and deeply held interest will translate into policy and practice when these children become the decision makers.
Opportunities for this week and the future: “Oklahoma” runs through Nov. 26 at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre; get your jazz fix with the first lady of jazz, Diane Schuur, at the UNF Fine Arts Center, Oct. 12; get more of the same at the Amelia Island Jazz Festival, Oct. 13; throw back concerts to catch at The Florida Theatre are Peter Frampton, Oct. 18, and Donovan on Nov. 24; if you are a dance aficionado, my dance experts tell me that you need to see Parsons Dance Company at the UNF Fine Arts Center on Oct. 20.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
10.11.06
Monday, October 09, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
If We Need Creativity and Innovation; We Need The Arts
In his recent book, “The World is Flat,” economist and futurist Thomas Friedman argues that we are living in a time of an emerging “creative and innovative” economy. Friedman argues that this era may represent America’s salvation; that this new thinking will encourage America once again to do things it does best: “create and innovate.” An article in Business Week magazine recently echoed these sentiments, claiming that business and economic success is “no longer dictated by just math and science (although those are surely important disciplines). It’s about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation.”
There is much recent and past history to suggest that our culture has been singularly productive in producing ideas that have led to systems essential for progress and innovation. Business Week pointed to two such examples: historically, Thomas Edison’s fame rests less on his invention of the light bulb, but more so on his concepts that led the way to systematic methods of producing and distributing electricity; more recently, Apple Computer’s iPod not only provides easy, legal access to lots of songs, movies, and podcasts, it has become the central design piece of a whole system that made Apple the leader of the innovation economy.
As we talk about the foreshadowing of a whole economy based upon creativity and innovation - the dawn of the “Creative Age” as one research institute put it - we are more acutely aware of the importance of reinventing our business strategies, our corporations, our communities, our schools, our housing and land-use policies and more. Nothing can remain the same if we are to survive, let alone succeed in this new global economy.
Today, corporations, governments and the communities they serve must put themselves at the forefront of this sweeping change in the structure of the world in which we live and work. It is imperative that we begin in earnest to attract, retain and nurture the creative and innovative workforce we know we need; and in the process, create a new overlay of our land-use planning as well. Cities across the U.S. have to change the lenses in their cameras and their parochial thinking about “land use,” the transformative value of technology and the urgent need to reinvent our schools.
We need to redesign our high school and college curricula in particular, to focus on preparing students for this new competition. While creative industries, according to the Americans for the Arts are defined as “arts-related,” creativity and innovation are vital to the success of all businesses. And we need to focus more on training the next generation of leaders for the Creative Age. There is some evidence that this process is underway, as business schools across America are rethinking their curricula, too, as the Master of Fine Arts is as valued to business as the revered MBA.
Lest we miss our way here, today’s students must be trained appropriately to capture the high ground in this latest effort to lead the world economy by being first in the demand for creativity and innovation. There is now no doubt that our old industrial and information economies are giving way to the creative economy. Corporations and whole communities are at another crossroads; we live in a community facing such choices. From the most basic decisions about what courses to offer our students to the more complex ones involving how we build houses and provide essential services to them – they are all in play in our community. We know that our arts educated students are high achievers; we know that our arts educated students are better problem solvers and better thinkers, in general. Now we must, as a nation, find ways to incorporate their skills into our global economic efforts, from the schoolroom to the boardroom.
(Thanks to John M. Eger of San Diego State University, and The World Foundation for Smart Communities for providing the kernel of ideas for this column.)
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; The Limelight Theatre in St. Augustine provides “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) through Oct. 8; Garrison Keillor offers stories of Lake Wobegon at the TUC, Oct. 10; “Oklahoma” runs through Nov. 26 at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
10.4.06
There is much recent and past history to suggest that our culture has been singularly productive in producing ideas that have led to systems essential for progress and innovation. Business Week pointed to two such examples: historically, Thomas Edison’s fame rests less on his invention of the light bulb, but more so on his concepts that led the way to systematic methods of producing and distributing electricity; more recently, Apple Computer’s iPod not only provides easy, legal access to lots of songs, movies, and podcasts, it has become the central design piece of a whole system that made Apple the leader of the innovation economy.
As we talk about the foreshadowing of a whole economy based upon creativity and innovation - the dawn of the “Creative Age” as one research institute put it - we are more acutely aware of the importance of reinventing our business strategies, our corporations, our communities, our schools, our housing and land-use policies and more. Nothing can remain the same if we are to survive, let alone succeed in this new global economy.
Today, corporations, governments and the communities they serve must put themselves at the forefront of this sweeping change in the structure of the world in which we live and work. It is imperative that we begin in earnest to attract, retain and nurture the creative and innovative workforce we know we need; and in the process, create a new overlay of our land-use planning as well. Cities across the U.S. have to change the lenses in their cameras and their parochial thinking about “land use,” the transformative value of technology and the urgent need to reinvent our schools.
We need to redesign our high school and college curricula in particular, to focus on preparing students for this new competition. While creative industries, according to the Americans for the Arts are defined as “arts-related,” creativity and innovation are vital to the success of all businesses. And we need to focus more on training the next generation of leaders for the Creative Age. There is some evidence that this process is underway, as business schools across America are rethinking their curricula, too, as the Master of Fine Arts is as valued to business as the revered MBA.
Lest we miss our way here, today’s students must be trained appropriately to capture the high ground in this latest effort to lead the world economy by being first in the demand for creativity and innovation. There is now no doubt that our old industrial and information economies are giving way to the creative economy. Corporations and whole communities are at another crossroads; we live in a community facing such choices. From the most basic decisions about what courses to offer our students to the more complex ones involving how we build houses and provide essential services to them – they are all in play in our community. We know that our arts educated students are high achievers; we know that our arts educated students are better problem solvers and better thinkers, in general. Now we must, as a nation, find ways to incorporate their skills into our global economic efforts, from the schoolroom to the boardroom.
(Thanks to John M. Eger of San Diego State University, and The World Foundation for Smart Communities for providing the kernel of ideas for this column.)
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; The Limelight Theatre in St. Augustine provides “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) through Oct. 8; Garrison Keillor offers stories of Lake Wobegon at the TUC, Oct. 10; “Oklahoma” runs through Nov. 26 at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
10.4.06
Crooked Rivers Evokes Powerful Emotions in Cast and Audience Members
The range of emotions on display this weekend at the Camden County High School Auditorium was pretty amazing – for both the players and the audiences of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” Considering that some of the cast members have been working with this script and score for almost a year, calling it a wrap after Sunday’s show was a difficult experience.
After the final show on Sunday, they clung to each other for precious moments, hungry for just one more opportunity to celebrate their common achievement: that they had created a unique and historical occasion. They had been the first ones to tell the stories that are “Crooked Rivers.” They were the ones that initiated audiences to the humor, poignancy and pathos that resides in the “Crooked Rivers” experience. It was their “baby” and they were reluctant to let it leave the nest. One cast member said to me “I am going to miss all this,” ‘this’ the camaraderie, the applause and the meaningfulness of doing such a show. Others were suggesting other occasions and reasons why they could reprise the show again, some even sharing ideas about how “Crooked Rivers” would be a great educational program for students studying Georgia history in middle school.
For most of the “Crooked Rivers” cast, the emotions were happy ones, not being selfish enough to be sorry for themselves or to project sadness over the reality that their show has closed, at least for a while. For some audience members this weekend and cast members, however, this show brought both sorrow and closure to heaving chests and tear-stained faces.
At the close of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” on Saturday, during the ‘remembrances’ portion of the closing musical number (where cast members recall family members and friends that are still in their hearts, if not present in body), the actors noticed a middle-aged couple sitting near the stage who were obviously experiencing a great deal of emotional distress. The woman was sobbing noticeably and the man was choking back tears. A couple cast members found it so moving they had difficulty maintaining their presence to the end of the show. Afterward, producer Angie Bryant introduced herself to the couple and sought an explanation. The couple, still struggling to control their emotions, said they had lost their son about six weeks earlier. His death, an unexpected blow, had been difficult for them and their grief was mostly about anger at loosing him, and denial at his departure. They said their response to “Precious Memories” and the remembrances segment of the show was so strongly felt because it was at that moment they realized they could grieve differently; the song helped them realize that he wasn’t gone from them – that he was still present in their thoughts, their hearts and their memories, and they were released from all the pent up anger, strain and misgivings they had been living with for the past weeks.
If I ever doubted the power of artistic communication, of creative endeavor, to communicate to the souls and passions of others and to offer a solace and understanding of incredible depth and power, I know better now. Not to overstate the case, but these are regular people on that stage, enjoying themselves, telling our community’s story in a unique and influential manner. For them to connect with audience members in such a compelling way and to offer them such relief in a brief moment of creative staging and musicality has more meaning than I can explain here. Perhaps that is why we do it, and maybe that is why you should never miss such opportunities for yourself.
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; and Players by the Sea offers Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance” through Sept. 30; funny man and impressionist Frank Caliendo, Sept. 30 at the Florida Theatre; storyteller Garrison Keillor at the TUC, Oct. 10.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
9.27.06
After the final show on Sunday, they clung to each other for precious moments, hungry for just one more opportunity to celebrate their common achievement: that they had created a unique and historical occasion. They had been the first ones to tell the stories that are “Crooked Rivers.” They were the ones that initiated audiences to the humor, poignancy and pathos that resides in the “Crooked Rivers” experience. It was their “baby” and they were reluctant to let it leave the nest. One cast member said to me “I am going to miss all this,” ‘this’ the camaraderie, the applause and the meaningfulness of doing such a show. Others were suggesting other occasions and reasons why they could reprise the show again, some even sharing ideas about how “Crooked Rivers” would be a great educational program for students studying Georgia history in middle school.
For most of the “Crooked Rivers” cast, the emotions were happy ones, not being selfish enough to be sorry for themselves or to project sadness over the reality that their show has closed, at least for a while. For some audience members this weekend and cast members, however, this show brought both sorrow and closure to heaving chests and tear-stained faces.
At the close of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” on Saturday, during the ‘remembrances’ portion of the closing musical number (where cast members recall family members and friends that are still in their hearts, if not present in body), the actors noticed a middle-aged couple sitting near the stage who were obviously experiencing a great deal of emotional distress. The woman was sobbing noticeably and the man was choking back tears. A couple cast members found it so moving they had difficulty maintaining their presence to the end of the show. Afterward, producer Angie Bryant introduced herself to the couple and sought an explanation. The couple, still struggling to control their emotions, said they had lost their son about six weeks earlier. His death, an unexpected blow, had been difficult for them and their grief was mostly about anger at loosing him, and denial at his departure. They said their response to “Precious Memories” and the remembrances segment of the show was so strongly felt because it was at that moment they realized they could grieve differently; the song helped them realize that he wasn’t gone from them – that he was still present in their thoughts, their hearts and their memories, and they were released from all the pent up anger, strain and misgivings they had been living with for the past weeks.
If I ever doubted the power of artistic communication, of creative endeavor, to communicate to the souls and passions of others and to offer a solace and understanding of incredible depth and power, I know better now. Not to overstate the case, but these are regular people on that stage, enjoying themselves, telling our community’s story in a unique and influential manner. For them to connect with audience members in such a compelling way and to offer them such relief in a brief moment of creative staging and musicality has more meaning than I can explain here. Perhaps that is why we do it, and maybe that is why you should never miss such opportunities for yourself.
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; and Players by the Sea offers Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance” through Sept. 30; funny man and impressionist Frank Caliendo, Sept. 30 at the Florida Theatre; storyteller Garrison Keillor at the TUC, Oct. 10.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
9.27.06
Diviner's Cast Offers Their Best On and Off Stage
He and his cast mates had worked so hard during their show they were sweating and breathing hard, yet exhilarated with the satisfaction that so many patrons had seen their work and appreciated it. As I watched these student actors, the cast of “The Diviners,” and examined their behavior from a short distance, I was struck by the quality of these young performers’ responses to the compliments and expressions of support they received. I had seen that before: every time I took their photos for a show or provided them with a link to the online site where I posted a show album, I receive profuse thanks, little emails of gratitude and lots of hugs. No demands, no unreasonable requests for retakes, just appreciation.
This week, I watched one young actor in particular. I noted how this buddy of mine, a senior and a leader in spirit and in fact, would show the way for his cast colleagues. Without fail, I saw him greet family, teachers and strangers with unceasing smiles, humble looks and appreciative thanks. I heard him say many times that he was so glad that they came to see him and his mates perform for them. I watched him hug his teacher, to the point she cried a second and third time that night. His overwhelming love of family was abundant as he rubbed his sweat-filled head on their cheeks. His smile as he shook my hand and threw his arm around my shoulder was at once cherubic and knowing. He knew they had done it – created a special moment in people’s lives, made them think, and offered them a chance to cry about life’s vagaries and losses. He knew this, but took no undue pride in his and his fellow actors’ accomplishments. He just said “thank you.” And I thought to myself: “He’s a good guy, he is, that Buddy of mine.”
The only thing I ever saw from him and this cast of “The Diviners” was a thankful and grateful nature. They acknowledged to each other how much it meant that their set was donated by the Crooked Rivers’ production scheduled to follow theirs. I heard others say how much they liked it that they had their own sponsors and corporate patrons. There were frequent “thank yous” to Booster Club parents that brought them dinner twice during production week. I watched them offer to do extra cleanup help and trash detail for the family that opened their home for a small cast party. And when it came time to strike their show, stow props and costumes and revamp the set for “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” they worked like demons. Floors were swept, rooms cleaned, nails pounded and costumes hung up or bagged for washing. Not a complaint or regret in sight or in word, just more questions about what else they could do. In sum, they not only acted on stage in their “pretend life” with quality, but they also displayed quality character in their daily “real” life.
Being a part of the arts is not the only place such behavior is learned. But it is one place where they are noticeable. We need to know that our kids are learning and practicing both their academic and life lessons. And to acknowledge that it’s “OK” to demand and expect behavior that demonstrates positive character. And, it is also important to acknowledge quality – in the both the difficult endeavors and the simplest moments of life.
This weekend, our community gets to revisit the cultural treasure that is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” This historical, musical trip through the history of Camden County, along the crooked rivers that define our geography and way of life, will be reprised on Sept. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the CCHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors; they are available at local tourist centers in St. Marys and Kingsland, Woodbine City Hall, as well as at the Auditorium and local businesses Once Upon a Bookseller and Sheila’s Hallmark.
Opportunities for this week and the future: jazz masters Fourplay, 9.21 at the Florida Theatre; don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; and Players by the Sea offers Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance” through Sept. 30; funny man and impressionist Frank Caliendo, Sept. 30 at the Florida Theatre; storyteller Garrison Keillor at the TUC, Oct. 10.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
9.20.06
This week, I watched one young actor in particular. I noted how this buddy of mine, a senior and a leader in spirit and in fact, would show the way for his cast colleagues. Without fail, I saw him greet family, teachers and strangers with unceasing smiles, humble looks and appreciative thanks. I heard him say many times that he was so glad that they came to see him and his mates perform for them. I watched him hug his teacher, to the point she cried a second and third time that night. His overwhelming love of family was abundant as he rubbed his sweat-filled head on their cheeks. His smile as he shook my hand and threw his arm around my shoulder was at once cherubic and knowing. He knew they had done it – created a special moment in people’s lives, made them think, and offered them a chance to cry about life’s vagaries and losses. He knew this, but took no undue pride in his and his fellow actors’ accomplishments. He just said “thank you.” And I thought to myself: “He’s a good guy, he is, that Buddy of mine.”
The only thing I ever saw from him and this cast of “The Diviners” was a thankful and grateful nature. They acknowledged to each other how much it meant that their set was donated by the Crooked Rivers’ production scheduled to follow theirs. I heard others say how much they liked it that they had their own sponsors and corporate patrons. There were frequent “thank yous” to Booster Club parents that brought them dinner twice during production week. I watched them offer to do extra cleanup help and trash detail for the family that opened their home for a small cast party. And when it came time to strike their show, stow props and costumes and revamp the set for “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” they worked like demons. Floors were swept, rooms cleaned, nails pounded and costumes hung up or bagged for washing. Not a complaint or regret in sight or in word, just more questions about what else they could do. In sum, they not only acted on stage in their “pretend life” with quality, but they also displayed quality character in their daily “real” life.
Being a part of the arts is not the only place such behavior is learned. But it is one place where they are noticeable. We need to know that our kids are learning and practicing both their academic and life lessons. And to acknowledge that it’s “OK” to demand and expect behavior that demonstrates positive character. And, it is also important to acknowledge quality – in the both the difficult endeavors and the simplest moments of life.
This weekend, our community gets to revisit the cultural treasure that is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” This historical, musical trip through the history of Camden County, along the crooked rivers that define our geography and way of life, will be reprised on Sept. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the CCHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors; they are available at local tourist centers in St. Marys and Kingsland, Woodbine City Hall, as well as at the Auditorium and local businesses Once Upon a Bookseller and Sheila’s Hallmark.
Opportunities for this week and the future: jazz masters Fourplay, 9.21 at the Florida Theatre; don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; and Players by the Sea offers Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance” through Sept. 30; funny man and impressionist Frank Caliendo, Sept. 30 at the Florida Theatre; storyteller Garrison Keillor at the TUC, Oct. 10.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
9.20.06
Sharing Music Bridges Generations
So there she was beside me at the computer, this blonde princess, nine going on 25, all involved in my every keystroke, giving directions and carefully watching to be sure I cared properly for her newest birthday possession: a slender thing of beauty, an iPod Nano (a gift from her parents). Together we surveyed the contents of my iTunes library, searching amongst my eclectic music collection for some suitable to be placed in her personal collection residing on the new “toy.”
While some of my suggestions elicited less than enthusiastic responses and knitted brows (as she tried to figure how to not embarrass me and still reject my ideas in the same act), others were met with a happy smile and even excitement. Predictably, the Beatles were required, as was Kenny Loggins. Joining them were danceable songs from Abba, wistful melodies from The Beach Boys, and a couple of her favorite Billy Joel anthems (learned at the knee of her Uncle Jason). We agreed on the proper versions of a couple Blackeyed Peas’ songs, those often demanded at the teen dances her mom and dad are often asked to conduct. After she accepted some Eagles, a couple Carole King ballads and all of her Uncle Jason’s original music, I began to swing and miss. When I saw I wasn’t going to “improve” her music taste with Bruce Springsteen or Frankie Valli, I didn’t even try to foist any Michael McDonald’s motown or Feliciano’s jazz or blues on her.
However, I did something sneaky to her – I added the music and poetry from the TV show, Beauty and the Beast to her library. I told her to wait until it was time for bed to listen to it, adding to the suspense. Imagine her surprise when her heart is filled with the soaring strings, emotional orchestral arrangements and the stirring poetry of Shakespeare, Keats, and Rilke (read brilliantly by Ron Perlman). Since she often retires to Beethoven, jazz, Broadway soundtracks, or offerings from NPR, hearing this won’t be a revolution for my princess, but it will help her on the way to a new appreciation of classic poetry and how music can set the tone and advance a story.
Just as I learned to appreciate music from her Great-Grandmother, the flower girl has a passion for it, earned from her mom and aunt, the music, dance, and movie connoisseurs; from her grandmother, whose XM only seems to play Channel 28 “On Broadway;” and from her Dad and Uncle, whose vocal and instrumental musical talents are remarkable. I imagine her now deceased Great-Uncle Dick, a jazz clarinetist and her Great-Grandfather, an improvisational pianist, are chuckling with pleasure in the beyond. To say that Euterpe, the Muse of Music, inhabits her world and informs her heart, is to state the obvious. And her guardian angels are happy for it.
Don’t miss “The Diviners” onstage at the CCHS Auditorium Thursday (9.14), Friday (9.15), and Saturday (9.16) evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (9.17) at 2:30 p.m.. Tickets are available at the auditorium in advance or at the door, day of show. With moving dialogue, appealing characters, and true to life emotions, “The Diviners” is funny, poignant and thoughtful. Greige Lott is Buddy Layman, Kurt Warakomski plays his Dad, Ferris. Other cast members include Alex Ruiz (C. C. Showers), Kyle Butler (Basil) and Torria Lewis (Jennie Mae).
The following weekend, our community gets to revisit the cultural treasure that is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” This historical, musical trip through the history of Camden County, along the crooked rivers that define our geography and way of life, will be reprised on Sept. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the CCHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors; they are available at local tourist centers in St. Marys and Kingsland, as well as at the Auditorium and local businesses.
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” 8 p.m.; and Players by the Sea open Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance” 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
9.13.06
While some of my suggestions elicited less than enthusiastic responses and knitted brows (as she tried to figure how to not embarrass me and still reject my ideas in the same act), others were met with a happy smile and even excitement. Predictably, the Beatles were required, as was Kenny Loggins. Joining them were danceable songs from Abba, wistful melodies from The Beach Boys, and a couple of her favorite Billy Joel anthems (learned at the knee of her Uncle Jason). We agreed on the proper versions of a couple Blackeyed Peas’ songs, those often demanded at the teen dances her mom and dad are often asked to conduct. After she accepted some Eagles, a couple Carole King ballads and all of her Uncle Jason’s original music, I began to swing and miss. When I saw I wasn’t going to “improve” her music taste with Bruce Springsteen or Frankie Valli, I didn’t even try to foist any Michael McDonald’s motown or Feliciano’s jazz or blues on her.
However, I did something sneaky to her – I added the music and poetry from the TV show, Beauty and the Beast to her library. I told her to wait until it was time for bed to listen to it, adding to the suspense. Imagine her surprise when her heart is filled with the soaring strings, emotional orchestral arrangements and the stirring poetry of Shakespeare, Keats, and Rilke (read brilliantly by Ron Perlman). Since she often retires to Beethoven, jazz, Broadway soundtracks, or offerings from NPR, hearing this won’t be a revolution for my princess, but it will help her on the way to a new appreciation of classic poetry and how music can set the tone and advance a story.
Just as I learned to appreciate music from her Great-Grandmother, the flower girl has a passion for it, earned from her mom and aunt, the music, dance, and movie connoisseurs; from her grandmother, whose XM only seems to play Channel 28 “On Broadway;” and from her Dad and Uncle, whose vocal and instrumental musical talents are remarkable. I imagine her now deceased Great-Uncle Dick, a jazz clarinetist and her Great-Grandfather, an improvisational pianist, are chuckling with pleasure in the beyond. To say that Euterpe, the Muse of Music, inhabits her world and informs her heart, is to state the obvious. And her guardian angels are happy for it.
Don’t miss “The Diviners” onstage at the CCHS Auditorium Thursday (9.14), Friday (9.15), and Saturday (9.16) evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (9.17) at 2:30 p.m.. Tickets are available at the auditorium in advance or at the door, day of show. With moving dialogue, appealing characters, and true to life emotions, “The Diviners” is funny, poignant and thoughtful. Greige Lott is Buddy Layman, Kurt Warakomski plays his Dad, Ferris. Other cast members include Alex Ruiz (C. C. Showers), Kyle Butler (Basil) and Torria Lewis (Jennie Mae).
The following weekend, our community gets to revisit the cultural treasure that is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” This historical, musical trip through the history of Camden County, along the crooked rivers that define our geography and way of life, will be reprised on Sept. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the CCHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors; they are available at local tourist centers in St. Marys and Kingsland, as well as at the Auditorium and local businesses.
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” 8 p.m.; and Players by the Sea open Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance” 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
9.13.06
Upcoming Play Has History with Director and Students
Artists (and their fans) sometimes have love affairs with signature works. Singers often become identified with a particular tune that defines their career (think Tony Bennett and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”). Painters are sometimes known by a single work or style (consider Wyeth and “Christine’s World”). Dancers and choreographers are often credited with advancing a unique style that becomes a new standard for excellence (say, Martha Graham and modern dance). The same is true for directors of plays, who often love a script so much they never miss an opportunity to share it with friends.
One of those opportunities is underway right now and you, dear readers, will not want to miss this occasion. Since I know this director fairly well, I know her backstory with this play pretty well. “The Diviners” first entered her consciousness while she visited a former student who was attending North Carolina University School of the Arts in 1982. From that day, it became a landmark work for her and her students. From her first effort directing “The Diviners,” six of those high school actors went on to making the arts their careers. A second generation of actors took up the standard a few years later and from that “Diviners” cast three became theatre professionals. Here in Camden County, a third generation of young performers is readying “The Diviners” for a new audience. Some of them have the talent and desire to carry on their studies; only time will tell what their stories will be. But, like other performers before them, their work with this play will never leave their souls.
Maybe it’s the story; perhaps it is characters’ relationships. It could be the play’s ideas are remarkably powerful; it might also be that tragedies, told with laughter piercing the tears, appeal to our emotional constitution. The author of “The Diviners” is Jim Leonard, much of whose work centers on archetypal images of folk life. In this play, the story begins and ends with Buddy Layman, a boy with special needs and special gifts that captures the audience hearts and leaves them emotionally destroyed at play’s end. You are hereby warned: missing “The Diviners” will leave a hole in your cultural life; seeing it will leave you understanding the power of love and friendship, and also knowing the depths of sorrow.
“The Diviners” will take the stage at the CCHS Auditorium on Thursday (9.14), Friday (9.15), and Saturday (9.16) evenings and during a matinee on Sunday (9.17). Tickets are available at the auditorium in advance or at the door, day of show. With moving dialogue, appealing characters, and true to life emotions, “The Diviners” will provide you with a full evening’s entertainment and lots of residue for conversation afterward.
The following weekend, our community gets to revisit the cultural treasure that is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” This historical, musical trip through the history of Camden County, along the crooked rivers that define our geography and way of life, will be reprised next month, Sept. 22, 23 and 24, at the CCHS Auditorium. Tickets will be available soon and production is underway.
Opportunities for this week and the future: the remarkable vocalist Heather Headley plays the Florida Theatre on 9.12 at 8 p.m.; smooth jazz enthusiasts won’t want to miss Fourplay at the Florida Theatre on 9.21 at 8 p.m.; writer and storyteller extraordinaire Garrison Keillor shares news from Lake Wobegon on 10.10 at TUC, 7:30 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.30.06
One of those opportunities is underway right now and you, dear readers, will not want to miss this occasion. Since I know this director fairly well, I know her backstory with this play pretty well. “The Diviners” first entered her consciousness while she visited a former student who was attending North Carolina University School of the Arts in 1982. From that day, it became a landmark work for her and her students. From her first effort directing “The Diviners,” six of those high school actors went on to making the arts their careers. A second generation of actors took up the standard a few years later and from that “Diviners” cast three became theatre professionals. Here in Camden County, a third generation of young performers is readying “The Diviners” for a new audience. Some of them have the talent and desire to carry on their studies; only time will tell what their stories will be. But, like other performers before them, their work with this play will never leave their souls.
Maybe it’s the story; perhaps it is characters’ relationships. It could be the play’s ideas are remarkably powerful; it might also be that tragedies, told with laughter piercing the tears, appeal to our emotional constitution. The author of “The Diviners” is Jim Leonard, much of whose work centers on archetypal images of folk life. In this play, the story begins and ends with Buddy Layman, a boy with special needs and special gifts that captures the audience hearts and leaves them emotionally destroyed at play’s end. You are hereby warned: missing “The Diviners” will leave a hole in your cultural life; seeing it will leave you understanding the power of love and friendship, and also knowing the depths of sorrow.
“The Diviners” will take the stage at the CCHS Auditorium on Thursday (9.14), Friday (9.15), and Saturday (9.16) evenings and during a matinee on Sunday (9.17). Tickets are available at the auditorium in advance or at the door, day of show. With moving dialogue, appealing characters, and true to life emotions, “The Diviners” will provide you with a full evening’s entertainment and lots of residue for conversation afterward.
The following weekend, our community gets to revisit the cultural treasure that is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” This historical, musical trip through the history of Camden County, along the crooked rivers that define our geography and way of life, will be reprised next month, Sept. 22, 23 and 24, at the CCHS Auditorium. Tickets will be available soon and production is underway.
Opportunities for this week and the future: the remarkable vocalist Heather Headley plays the Florida Theatre on 9.12 at 8 p.m.; smooth jazz enthusiasts won’t want to miss Fourplay at the Florida Theatre on 9.21 at 8 p.m.; writer and storyteller extraordinaire Garrison Keillor shares news from Lake Wobegon on 10.10 at TUC, 7:30 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.30.06
Finding Friends Through Our Children and Through the Arts
In 1986, our best friends hosted an 18-year-old student from Sweden in their home during the school year. We got to know Sofia well and remain friends today. (Just this week, we received a group of digital photographs of her beautiful new daughter, adopted in China earlier this year.) The joy we experienced getting to know Sofia, led us to host our own exchange student the following year. We invited a young woman from southern Sweden that we felt was a good match for us. Her father was a college professor, but also a professional musician that directed plays in a Swedish ocean side tourist village. She played the cello, sang in her school’s chorus, loved to sew and liked participating in plays and musical shows.
From the minute Christina settled in our house and to this day, she was our daughter. She was the source of laughs, learning and love in our house for almost a year. She played in our school orchestra, sang in our choir, participated in our high school theatre program (her favorite role was the grandmother in “Pippin”), and traveled with us across the U.S. to our nation’s capital and to our family homes in Indiana. For hours, she and Mary sat together, sewing clothing and costumes, giggling and sharing their seamstress secrets. She made her prom dress and other clothes that revealed her “style” and her sense of whimsy. Our favorite remembrance, though, was our trip to Disney World, which fulfilled a childhood dream, as she loved Donald Duck dearly.
When it came time for Christina to go home, our hearts were broken. One of the funniest moments she shared on her return was that her English teacher in Sweden made her sit in the back of the room and told her not to talk. According to Christina, it was because her English was no longer “proper” British English, but “southern American” English, and not acceptable at all! We kept in touch as she finished high school, attended a special institute for sewing, and made costumes for her father’s shows the next summer. She was so proud to be a paid professional! After her university graduation, she took employment teaching English to older Swedes and immigrants at a community school. Over time, her ability to communicate and lead secured her employment with a publishing company specializing in creating English textbooks for older students. We were lucky enough to meet her family and attend her wedding to Henrik, a handsome professional flute player in the Gotheborg Opera orchestra. They now have two children, both extraordinarily lovely, the same age as two of our grandchildren. Through all of the years, we still share a love for all the things that brought us together, our love for the arts, for music and for family.
It occurred to me this week that one doesn’t always know the value or depth of an experience while in the throes of it. We wanted our boys to have the experience of a sister; they got a lifelong friend in Christina. We wanted to share our American family life with a visitor; we also got to share her Swedish family there. And we learned that the arts - music, dance, and theatre - not only bring people together, but make those bonds inextricable and forever. Just think how much fun we will have when our children and grandchildren become friends!
Mark this date on your calendars: “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” will be reprised next month, Sept. 22, 23 and 24, at the CCHS Auditorium. More on show times and ticket information next week.
Opportunities for this week and the future: for a healthy heaping of gospel classics, don’t miss “Great Men of Gospel: Spirit Into Sound” by Aurora Theatrical Co. at Ezekiel Bryant Auditorium through 8.27; aspiring actors, young and older, can take lessons with Theatre Jacksonville starting this week, call 904-396-4425 for times and class descriptions; “Dreamgirls,” a fictionalized musical about The Supremes’ star turn, opens at Alhambra Dinner Theatre this week; catch Charlotte Mabry’s annual percussion extravaganza in UNF Fine Arts Center, 8.26, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.23.06
From the minute Christina settled in our house and to this day, she was our daughter. She was the source of laughs, learning and love in our house for almost a year. She played in our school orchestra, sang in our choir, participated in our high school theatre program (her favorite role was the grandmother in “Pippin”), and traveled with us across the U.S. to our nation’s capital and to our family homes in Indiana. For hours, she and Mary sat together, sewing clothing and costumes, giggling and sharing their seamstress secrets. She made her prom dress and other clothes that revealed her “style” and her sense of whimsy. Our favorite remembrance, though, was our trip to Disney World, which fulfilled a childhood dream, as she loved Donald Duck dearly.
When it came time for Christina to go home, our hearts were broken. One of the funniest moments she shared on her return was that her English teacher in Sweden made her sit in the back of the room and told her not to talk. According to Christina, it was because her English was no longer “proper” British English, but “southern American” English, and not acceptable at all! We kept in touch as she finished high school, attended a special institute for sewing, and made costumes for her father’s shows the next summer. She was so proud to be a paid professional! After her university graduation, she took employment teaching English to older Swedes and immigrants at a community school. Over time, her ability to communicate and lead secured her employment with a publishing company specializing in creating English textbooks for older students. We were lucky enough to meet her family and attend her wedding to Henrik, a handsome professional flute player in the Gotheborg Opera orchestra. They now have two children, both extraordinarily lovely, the same age as two of our grandchildren. Through all of the years, we still share a love for all the things that brought us together, our love for the arts, for music and for family.
It occurred to me this week that one doesn’t always know the value or depth of an experience while in the throes of it. We wanted our boys to have the experience of a sister; they got a lifelong friend in Christina. We wanted to share our American family life with a visitor; we also got to share her Swedish family there. And we learned that the arts - music, dance, and theatre - not only bring people together, but make those bonds inextricable and forever. Just think how much fun we will have when our children and grandchildren become friends!
Mark this date on your calendars: “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” will be reprised next month, Sept. 22, 23 and 24, at the CCHS Auditorium. More on show times and ticket information next week.
Opportunities for this week and the future: for a healthy heaping of gospel classics, don’t miss “Great Men of Gospel: Spirit Into Sound” by Aurora Theatrical Co. at Ezekiel Bryant Auditorium through 8.27; aspiring actors, young and older, can take lessons with Theatre Jacksonville starting this week, call 904-396-4425 for times and class descriptions; “Dreamgirls,” a fictionalized musical about The Supremes’ star turn, opens at Alhambra Dinner Theatre this week; catch Charlotte Mabry’s annual percussion extravaganza in UNF Fine Arts Center, 8.26, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.23.06
Sharing the Arts Also Means Sharing Life's Lessons
Sometimes you see things in print and it takes some time to realize the importance, the significance of what you have just read. I had that experience last weekend. The story, about an exhibit scheduled to open on our local college campus, provoked emotions so powerful that it took me a week to frame it within my experiences into some ideas to share with you. A caveat: this part of this week’s column is not about the arts, per se. It is about institutional hatred, man’s inhumanity to man, and survival against overwhelming odds. While those themes are often the fodder for theatrical expression, this story and this part of this week’s column are not about a play, but an exhibit that combines history, art and dramatic effect into a powerful experience for the viewer.
In 1998, we had the opportunity to travel abroad to see Christina, our former Swedish exchange student, get married. For all the joy and fond memories we brought with us from that occasion, our trip home also provided another type of lasting memory. We determined to return home via Amsterdam and take a day there to visit this marvelous Dutch city. While there, we decided to tour the Anne Frank home, which is a somber and devastating experience. Like many of you, we had read Anne’s diary and studied the history in secondary school. We had even seen the plays based on her writings and the writings of children headed to horrid, certain death in WW II concentration camps. None of that prepares you for being in the home of this family and witnessing first hand how cramped and difficult their lives must have been. Knowing how her life ended at Bergen-Belsen, made their attempted evasion of the Nazis even more heroic and tragic.
The rest of this week and through Aug. 23, a special international exhibit about Anne Frank and her family is on view at the Camden Center of Coastal Georgia Community College. It contains not only information about the trials the Frank family endured, but also remarkable photos taken during the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp and a display that recreates their secret hiding place of more than two years. If you have not been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., this is a rare opportunity to remind yourself how deeply human depravity may reach, and also an opportunity to realize how significant our country’s role was in ending this intolerance. This exhibit allows us to plumb our souls and to ask ourselves hard questions about what we believe and what we are willing to do to secure our freedom. For exhibit times and group tour information, call (912) 510-3300.
On a lighter note, Camden County High School’s Drama Department is hosting “Camden’s Got Talent: Broadway Auditions” this Friday (8.18) at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium. For a taste of what our county’s talented young performers have to offer in an evening of entertainment, make your plans to attend. Tickets will be available at the door; call (912) 729-7463 for more information.
Opportunities for this week and the future: on tap at the UNF Fine Arts Center this fall are retro swing kings Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (9.7); sexy and mesmerizing dancers from Parsons Dance Company (10.20); and the hilarious parody of musical theatre “Forbidden Broadway,” (11.17); lawyer David Sacks new play “Accidental Felon” produced by Players by the Sea performs through 9.19; the autobiographical musical of Jonathan Larson (the author of “Rent”) “Tick, Tick…Boom” runs through 9.19 at the Atlantic Theatre in Atlantic Beach.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.16.06
In 1998, we had the opportunity to travel abroad to see Christina, our former Swedish exchange student, get married. For all the joy and fond memories we brought with us from that occasion, our trip home also provided another type of lasting memory. We determined to return home via Amsterdam and take a day there to visit this marvelous Dutch city. While there, we decided to tour the Anne Frank home, which is a somber and devastating experience. Like many of you, we had read Anne’s diary and studied the history in secondary school. We had even seen the plays based on her writings and the writings of children headed to horrid, certain death in WW II concentration camps. None of that prepares you for being in the home of this family and witnessing first hand how cramped and difficult their lives must have been. Knowing how her life ended at Bergen-Belsen, made their attempted evasion of the Nazis even more heroic and tragic.
The rest of this week and through Aug. 23, a special international exhibit about Anne Frank and her family is on view at the Camden Center of Coastal Georgia Community College. It contains not only information about the trials the Frank family endured, but also remarkable photos taken during the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp and a display that recreates their secret hiding place of more than two years. If you have not been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., this is a rare opportunity to remind yourself how deeply human depravity may reach, and also an opportunity to realize how significant our country’s role was in ending this intolerance. This exhibit allows us to plumb our souls and to ask ourselves hard questions about what we believe and what we are willing to do to secure our freedom. For exhibit times and group tour information, call (912) 510-3300.
On a lighter note, Camden County High School’s Drama Department is hosting “Camden’s Got Talent: Broadway Auditions” this Friday (8.18) at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium. For a taste of what our county’s talented young performers have to offer in an evening of entertainment, make your plans to attend. Tickets will be available at the door; call (912) 729-7463 for more information.
Opportunities for this week and the future: on tap at the UNF Fine Arts Center this fall are retro swing kings Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (9.7); sexy and mesmerizing dancers from Parsons Dance Company (10.20); and the hilarious parody of musical theatre “Forbidden Broadway,” (11.17); lawyer David Sacks new play “Accidental Felon” produced by Players by the Sea performs through 9.19; the autobiographical musical of Jonathan Larson (the author of “Rent”) “Tick, Tick…Boom” runs through 9.19 at the Atlantic Theatre in Atlantic Beach.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.16.06
Kids in the Arts Work Hard to Perfect Performances and Learn While Doing It
Despite the heat, the humidity and the general swelter, they have been at it with vigor the last couple of weeks. The drills, the practice, the challenges and the rehearsals have been rigorous and spirited. Through these exercises they build teamwork and a sense of belonging to their group. Some of their cohorts take the fledgling steps toward leadership, demonstrating their ability to motivate and set priorities. Through all this effort and activity, they remain enthusiastic volunteers.
In Camden County, we often associate the former description proudly with our outstanding Wildcat football teams. And, indeed, it fits them and the result of their dedication is evident on the Gilman Stadium field under the “Friday night lights.” It also fits the hundreds of Camden County students involved in theatre, dance, flag corps and band programs, who join nearly 8 million other student participants nationally and more than 80,000 peers in Georgia in preparations for their performing seasons.
By the time you read this, Camden County’s nearly 3,000 high school students will be back in classrooms, energized and full of the business of school, social lives and figuring out their future. For a large number of these students, however, the start of classes will not really be the start of their school year. For them, it started several weeks ago at band camp, theatre work sessions, dance team camp and flag corps practice. While classmates were putting the finishing touches on their tans and making last minute visits to “Mickeydom,” these kids were volunteering their summer time to make their group’s performance more polished and more audience friendly.
I watched them for a while last week, as they practiced indoors and out. I listened to their chatter and marveled at their focus. I also noted the dedication of their teachers and coaches, who were also taking valuable summer moments to help their charges create a special experience. And in all of my observations, I saw and heard a similar refrain: they all wanted to do their best and they all loved being there, sweating and shouting, practicing and sharing.
As the numbers of students in our county find something to love in their arts experience, we need to regard that as an opportunity for our future. There is sufficient evidence to show that these experiences keep kids in school, help them perform better in their classes and in their lives. Our community can become even more special if we regard this as a challenge to create a unique setting for students in the arts, one as unique and well considered as the one we have created for our student athletes. Now is the time for us to start a serious discussion about how a Fine Arts Academy can make our school and our educational process even more successful. There are lots of issues and considerations to be dredged through, but having an earnest conversation on this topic is important and timely.
Opportunities for this week and the future: for an evening of Barbershop music, comedy, and more, catch the Big Orange Chorus in “2006: A Space Oddity,” on Saturday, 8.12, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Lazzara Performance Hall on the University of North Florida Main Campus, Fine Arts Center, see www.bigorangechorus.com for details and to order tickets.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.9.06
In Camden County, we often associate the former description proudly with our outstanding Wildcat football teams. And, indeed, it fits them and the result of their dedication is evident on the Gilman Stadium field under the “Friday night lights.” It also fits the hundreds of Camden County students involved in theatre, dance, flag corps and band programs, who join nearly 8 million other student participants nationally and more than 80,000 peers in Georgia in preparations for their performing seasons.
By the time you read this, Camden County’s nearly 3,000 high school students will be back in classrooms, energized and full of the business of school, social lives and figuring out their future. For a large number of these students, however, the start of classes will not really be the start of their school year. For them, it started several weeks ago at band camp, theatre work sessions, dance team camp and flag corps practice. While classmates were putting the finishing touches on their tans and making last minute visits to “Mickeydom,” these kids were volunteering their summer time to make their group’s performance more polished and more audience friendly.
I watched them for a while last week, as they practiced indoors and out. I listened to their chatter and marveled at their focus. I also noted the dedication of their teachers and coaches, who were also taking valuable summer moments to help their charges create a special experience. And in all of my observations, I saw and heard a similar refrain: they all wanted to do their best and they all loved being there, sweating and shouting, practicing and sharing.
As the numbers of students in our county find something to love in their arts experience, we need to regard that as an opportunity for our future. There is sufficient evidence to show that these experiences keep kids in school, help them perform better in their classes and in their lives. Our community can become even more special if we regard this as a challenge to create a unique setting for students in the arts, one as unique and well considered as the one we have created for our student athletes. Now is the time for us to start a serious discussion about how a Fine Arts Academy can make our school and our educational process even more successful. There are lots of issues and considerations to be dredged through, but having an earnest conversation on this topic is important and timely.
Opportunities for this week and the future: for an evening of Barbershop music, comedy, and more, catch the Big Orange Chorus in “2006: A Space Oddity,” on Saturday, 8.12, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Lazzara Performance Hall on the University of North Florida Main Campus, Fine Arts Center, see www.bigorangechorus.com for details and to order tickets.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.9.06
Finding the Queen of Camden County Theatre
A few days ago, I happened on some books and old play scripts in our high school media center. I took a moment to glance at them, not sure if they were for discard or re-shelving. Then I noticed the name at the top of each paper cover, written in a familiar hand. I looked down the stack at the titles: a script from a familiar play “Voices From the High School;” another that I recognized titled “The Phantom Tollbooth;” a new-looking copy of “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam;” and a number of other plays, collections of brainteasers, and other books full of instructions about the process for properly deconstructing and criticizing the novel, and how to decipher plays and understand theatrical characters.
On each one, in careful lettering, was that name. As if she had painstakingly noted this interesting, eclectic collection was lovingly handpicked for the edification of the talented high schoolers special enough to spend part of their senior year with her. I wonder if many of them knew that much, really, about her. After all, she was, to them, just another of the teachers that cajoled them about reading and homework, part of the dance of educational role-playing that all students and teachers perform.
There must have been some, however, that got to glimpse a little deeper inside that unique personality, to see that remarkable intellect, and to experience some of those dramatic flashes of theatricality she so often displays. A friend once commented that every conversation with her was like visiting a rehearsal for a new play – all blunt tension and anticipation and coated with a southern sweetness that is mixed with recklessness. Yet, when you are at last free to contemplate what the whole conversation you just had with her meant, you appreciate that it was more multi-layered and meaningful than you previously realized while it was actually occurring.
Like her persona, Dr. Jo Demmond, the first lady of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” is a more complicated and complex work of art than she appears on first viewing. Her history is remarkable in that she wasn’t just a teacher in Camden County that ushered hundreds of graduates through reading plays and understanding literary characters. No, she has also appeared in plays, so many in fact that they sort of run together when you try to pin her down about those days on stage. I vaguely remember one that I saw in Atlanta in my earliest days there, in which I am certain I saw her perform with the then doyen of local theatre, Mary Nell Santacroce. (Santacroce later became famous for her inauguration of the role of Miss Daisy in “Driving Miss Daisy” at the Alliance Studio Theatre.) And, unlike other teachers, Demmond hasn’t just explained to students how authors create characters; she has also created them herself. Just a couple of years ago, she revealed her first storybook for children (that is filled with meaningful lessons for adults, as well) “Darren, the Different Dragon.” I have no doubt that in some carefree, whimsical fashion; she will announce her second tome that continues to follow the adventures of Darren and his friends.
Today, we know her as the visionary and persistent soul of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” It was through her leadership over the past four years that this remarkable, evolving community phenomenon came to be. Her continuous and often prickly challenges to enthusiastic and some less sanguine supporters gained “Crooked Rivers” both notoriety and acceptability. Her support and encouragement allowed me to begin this mission of sharing ideas, both conceptual and personal, with you. When we take pride in what “Crooked Rivers” has become and anticipate what it might yet develop into, it is important to place Jo Demmond into her proper place in that evolution: essential its conception, vital in its development and critical to its eventual reality.
Today, she says she is ready to lead a calmer life, content to reflect on the flowing waters of the Satilla River, as it eases past her dock. I prefer to think that maybe she is just storing up psychic force for our next round, our next edition of “Crooked Rivers.” And maybe she is also reliving some of her own personal stories, relishing a still energetic and remarkable life, while she puts them in perspective of all the other stories she helped find on the banks and around the bends of the crooked rivers of Camden County.
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss Camden Area Players musical “Honk” at David L Rainer Elementary on Friday and Saturday, 8.4 and 8.5.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.2.06
On each one, in careful lettering, was that name. As if she had painstakingly noted this interesting, eclectic collection was lovingly handpicked for the edification of the talented high schoolers special enough to spend part of their senior year with her. I wonder if many of them knew that much, really, about her. After all, she was, to them, just another of the teachers that cajoled them about reading and homework, part of the dance of educational role-playing that all students and teachers perform.
There must have been some, however, that got to glimpse a little deeper inside that unique personality, to see that remarkable intellect, and to experience some of those dramatic flashes of theatricality she so often displays. A friend once commented that every conversation with her was like visiting a rehearsal for a new play – all blunt tension and anticipation and coated with a southern sweetness that is mixed with recklessness. Yet, when you are at last free to contemplate what the whole conversation you just had with her meant, you appreciate that it was more multi-layered and meaningful than you previously realized while it was actually occurring.
Like her persona, Dr. Jo Demmond, the first lady of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” is a more complicated and complex work of art than she appears on first viewing. Her history is remarkable in that she wasn’t just a teacher in Camden County that ushered hundreds of graduates through reading plays and understanding literary characters. No, she has also appeared in plays, so many in fact that they sort of run together when you try to pin her down about those days on stage. I vaguely remember one that I saw in Atlanta in my earliest days there, in which I am certain I saw her perform with the then doyen of local theatre, Mary Nell Santacroce. (Santacroce later became famous for her inauguration of the role of Miss Daisy in “Driving Miss Daisy” at the Alliance Studio Theatre.) And, unlike other teachers, Demmond hasn’t just explained to students how authors create characters; she has also created them herself. Just a couple of years ago, she revealed her first storybook for children (that is filled with meaningful lessons for adults, as well) “Darren, the Different Dragon.” I have no doubt that in some carefree, whimsical fashion; she will announce her second tome that continues to follow the adventures of Darren and his friends.
Today, we know her as the visionary and persistent soul of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” It was through her leadership over the past four years that this remarkable, evolving community phenomenon came to be. Her continuous and often prickly challenges to enthusiastic and some less sanguine supporters gained “Crooked Rivers” both notoriety and acceptability. Her support and encouragement allowed me to begin this mission of sharing ideas, both conceptual and personal, with you. When we take pride in what “Crooked Rivers” has become and anticipate what it might yet develop into, it is important to place Jo Demmond into her proper place in that evolution: essential its conception, vital in its development and critical to its eventual reality.
Today, she says she is ready to lead a calmer life, content to reflect on the flowing waters of the Satilla River, as it eases past her dock. I prefer to think that maybe she is just storing up psychic force for our next round, our next edition of “Crooked Rivers.” And maybe she is also reliving some of her own personal stories, relishing a still energetic and remarkable life, while she puts them in perspective of all the other stories she helped find on the banks and around the bends of the crooked rivers of Camden County.
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss Camden Area Players musical “Honk” at David L Rainer Elementary on Friday and Saturday, 8.4 and 8.5.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
8.2.06
Being a Part of Musical Theatre History
There are moments in life that, as they are happening, you are aware of their significance and remember months and even years later, where you were and the circumstances in which you experienced that particular moment. Folks of a certain age often talk about where they were and what was happening they heard the news of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 (in 8th grade agriculture class with my one-armed teacher, Mr. Hinshaw), or how they listened and watched the first moon landing in 1969 (on a little battery-powered TV we brought with us to a drive-in movie!). Events like Nixon’s presidential resignation, the Challenger disaster, and the OJ chase/trial/verdict inspired other such lasting memories.
Another such experience occurred this weekend, not just for me, but also for nearly 32,000 appreciative musical theatre aficionados at the stunning Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. This location, originally built as a movie house in 1929, inspires audiences and performers alike with its ornate “Siamese Byzantine” interior and 2,000-pound jeweled glass lobby chandelier. Like the Atlanta Fox Theatre, the St. Louis Fox Theatre is on the roster of the National Register of Historic Places. In this remarkable venue, another memorable chapter in musical theatre history was written last weekend.
On Sunday, July 23, 2006, Cameron Macintosh’s Marius Company production of Les Misérables performed its final engagements at this magical site in St. Louis. Fittingly, the city of St. Louis upheld its reputation as a solid arts community, posting a giant billboard on I-64 bidding Les Mis ‘Au Revoir!’ In spite of terrific tornadoes on Wednesday that knocked out power and damaged neighborhoods throughout the city, fans from all over the U. S. showed up to sell out the final five shows of this long-running tour. This tour, which originated in 1988, has been performing consistently for 17 years, through 7,061 performances in 145 cities in 43 states to more than 25 million people in the United States alone. The show employs 101 cast and crew members at any one time and more than 417 actors have performed with the Marius Company since it began, including 14 actors and 28 understudies that have played the lead role of Jean Valjean.
We were blessed to have our entire family meet us in St. Louis to share this moment, to thrill to the joy of watching our son Jason play Jean Valjean in one of those final shows, and to hear the audience’s appreciative roar of applause and shouts of “Bravo” at his curtain call. To experience that moment, with my two sons, their wives, and my granddaughter (who spent every second of the show on the edge of her seat), and to be a part of an historic moment, was special. Like other moments in our personal and national history, I am sure that it will be one we will share over and over, reliving its flavor, never to be forgotten. Just like the final strains of Jason’s performance of “Bring Him Home” echoed for a quiet second before the audience stopped the show to applaud him, this weekend’s experience will linger in our memories as a sweet, shared story of love and redemption.
Opportunities for this week and the future: Another laugh-filled Alhambra Dinner Theatre show “Love, Sex and the I.R.S.” takes risks by messing with the IRS; the drive to Gainesville for “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” might be worth the laughs, through 8.13 at the Hippodrome State Theatre; catch illusionist Mark O’Brien’s latest and greatest show at the Atlantic Theatres in Jax, through 7.29, don’t miss Camden Area Players musical “Honk” at David L Rainer Elementary on Friday and Saturday, 8.4 and 8.5.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.26.06
Another such experience occurred this weekend, not just for me, but also for nearly 32,000 appreciative musical theatre aficionados at the stunning Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. This location, originally built as a movie house in 1929, inspires audiences and performers alike with its ornate “Siamese Byzantine” interior and 2,000-pound jeweled glass lobby chandelier. Like the Atlanta Fox Theatre, the St. Louis Fox Theatre is on the roster of the National Register of Historic Places. In this remarkable venue, another memorable chapter in musical theatre history was written last weekend.
On Sunday, July 23, 2006, Cameron Macintosh’s Marius Company production of Les Misérables performed its final engagements at this magical site in St. Louis. Fittingly, the city of St. Louis upheld its reputation as a solid arts community, posting a giant billboard on I-64 bidding Les Mis ‘Au Revoir!’ In spite of terrific tornadoes on Wednesday that knocked out power and damaged neighborhoods throughout the city, fans from all over the U. S. showed up to sell out the final five shows of this long-running tour. This tour, which originated in 1988, has been performing consistently for 17 years, through 7,061 performances in 145 cities in 43 states to more than 25 million people in the United States alone. The show employs 101 cast and crew members at any one time and more than 417 actors have performed with the Marius Company since it began, including 14 actors and 28 understudies that have played the lead role of Jean Valjean.
We were blessed to have our entire family meet us in St. Louis to share this moment, to thrill to the joy of watching our son Jason play Jean Valjean in one of those final shows, and to hear the audience’s appreciative roar of applause and shouts of “Bravo” at his curtain call. To experience that moment, with my two sons, their wives, and my granddaughter (who spent every second of the show on the edge of her seat), and to be a part of an historic moment, was special. Like other moments in our personal and national history, I am sure that it will be one we will share over and over, reliving its flavor, never to be forgotten. Just like the final strains of Jason’s performance of “Bring Him Home” echoed for a quiet second before the audience stopped the show to applaud him, this weekend’s experience will linger in our memories as a sweet, shared story of love and redemption.
Opportunities for this week and the future: Another laugh-filled Alhambra Dinner Theatre show “Love, Sex and the I.R.S.” takes risks by messing with the IRS; the drive to Gainesville for “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” might be worth the laughs, through 8.13 at the Hippodrome State Theatre; catch illusionist Mark O’Brien’s latest and greatest show at the Atlantic Theatres in Jax, through 7.29, don’t miss Camden Area Players musical “Honk” at David L Rainer Elementary on Friday and Saturday, 8.4 and 8.5.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.26.06
New Songs and Scenes Brighten Crooked Rivers' Sisters Three Reprise on the Waterfront
If you like music and appreciate the process of how songs are given life by composers and performers, one of the most pleasing experiences in life is to see music performed in public for the first time - to watch the audience reaction, to see how comfortable the performers feel with the music and lyrics. I once had this experience in Atlanta, when the musical “Aida” premiered at the Alliance Theatre. The music, written by Tim Rice and Sir Elton John, was quite unique for a traditional musical and, even though various name artists had already recorded it as a concept album, this stage musical was a remarkable experience. Seeing it performed on stage by live performers at the Alliance came with revelations about the composition and performance process, as well as a new appreciation for the musical product.
I also have had the privilege of watching songs evolve from emotions, ideas and poetry to entertaining and moving musical treasures from my songwriter son. I still haven’t convinced him that one of his songs, “The Right Woman at the Wrong Time” has the potential to be a quintessential country music hit. Something about wanting to keep control over “his” music. Plus, he always shakes his head when I request it, perhaps because it reminds him of a failed relationship (of which he doesn’t like to be reminded in the presence of his wife). Still, knowing the process and work that went into this catchy and entertaining song, I always appreciate it when I hear other artists try out or offer new work for others to try.
This past Saturday evening at Gilman Waterfront Park in St. Marys, an audience of friends, neighbor and visitors were treated to this experience at the hour-long revival of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” During the shortened presentation, many of the performers from the original “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” cast held forth in the heat of fading sun with enthusiasm, in spite of some renegade gnats and skeeters, in moments of tenderness and humor, to share some history of our community. During the performance, Crooked Rivers’ primary composer Jim Bryant allowed performers to unwrap two “new” songs that he had originally written for the show that didn’t make it into the inaugural performance. Bryant’s work, which is remarkable for its feel and emotion-evoking lyrics, shone with good humor and informed sensitivity to the messages of Crooked Rivers. I mean, it takes a great deal of moxie to compose a palatable song about our area’s biggest pests, sand gnats. His other new offering detailed how some who felt they might have wasted their youth on the Crooked River, after some reflection realized that those moments might not have been wasted at all. Bryant’s songs, as well as the powerful and meaningful stories that comprise the “Crooked Rivers” experience are the best and most appealing part of the show. Having Jim Bryant as a part of the “Crooked Rivers” process and product has been and continues to be a blessing for our community and for “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.”
A personal note: this week the Third National Tour of Les Misérables closes in St. Louis. Our contingent will be present to see history made, sing the songs and share the tears. Our Jason will shine as Valjean at least one more time, and we will be reminded once again “to love another person is to see the face of God.”
Opportunities for this week and the future: Another laugh-filled Alhambra Dinner Theatre show “Love, Sex and the I.R.S.” premiered last week; try out a free family-filled ‘ Fun Day” of art at the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art from noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays; take a final summer fling to Seaworld in Orlando to see the new Shamu show, 4-6 times daily, info at www.seaworld.com; you might make plans to see these concerts: REO Speedwagon, 9.24 at the Florida Theatre; Peter Frampton, 10.18 at the Florida Theatre; Eric Clapton, 10.21 at Veteran’s Memorial Arena; Doobie Brothers, 10.25 at the Florida Theatre.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.19.06
I also have had the privilege of watching songs evolve from emotions, ideas and poetry to entertaining and moving musical treasures from my songwriter son. I still haven’t convinced him that one of his songs, “The Right Woman at the Wrong Time” has the potential to be a quintessential country music hit. Something about wanting to keep control over “his” music. Plus, he always shakes his head when I request it, perhaps because it reminds him of a failed relationship (of which he doesn’t like to be reminded in the presence of his wife). Still, knowing the process and work that went into this catchy and entertaining song, I always appreciate it when I hear other artists try out or offer new work for others to try.
This past Saturday evening at Gilman Waterfront Park in St. Marys, an audience of friends, neighbor and visitors were treated to this experience at the hour-long revival of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” During the shortened presentation, many of the performers from the original “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” cast held forth in the heat of fading sun with enthusiasm, in spite of some renegade gnats and skeeters, in moments of tenderness and humor, to share some history of our community. During the performance, Crooked Rivers’ primary composer Jim Bryant allowed performers to unwrap two “new” songs that he had originally written for the show that didn’t make it into the inaugural performance. Bryant’s work, which is remarkable for its feel and emotion-evoking lyrics, shone with good humor and informed sensitivity to the messages of Crooked Rivers. I mean, it takes a great deal of moxie to compose a palatable song about our area’s biggest pests, sand gnats. His other new offering detailed how some who felt they might have wasted their youth on the Crooked River, after some reflection realized that those moments might not have been wasted at all. Bryant’s songs, as well as the powerful and meaningful stories that comprise the “Crooked Rivers” experience are the best and most appealing part of the show. Having Jim Bryant as a part of the “Crooked Rivers” process and product has been and continues to be a blessing for our community and for “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.”
A personal note: this week the Third National Tour of Les Misérables closes in St. Louis. Our contingent will be present to see history made, sing the songs and share the tears. Our Jason will shine as Valjean at least one more time, and we will be reminded once again “to love another person is to see the face of God.”
Opportunities for this week and the future: Another laugh-filled Alhambra Dinner Theatre show “Love, Sex and the I.R.S.” premiered last week; try out a free family-filled ‘ Fun Day” of art at the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art from noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays; take a final summer fling to Seaworld in Orlando to see the new Shamu show, 4-6 times daily, info at www.seaworld.com; you might make plans to see these concerts: REO Speedwagon, 9.24 at the Florida Theatre; Peter Frampton, 10.18 at the Florida Theatre; Eric Clapton, 10.21 at Veteran’s Memorial Arena; Doobie Brothers, 10.25 at the Florida Theatre.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.19.06
Crooked Rivers Deserves Support from County Governance
Arts organizations in communities like ours do lots of things to support the efforts of artists and arts programs in and around their homes. They are organized by individuals willing to say up front that they feel arts programs and artists of all kinds are an important part of community life. Sometimes those arts patrons cannot always say for certain why they feel that way. Often their attitudes are a closely held personal belief; for others it is a commitment based on positive arts-based experiences for them or their children. However, in the past more cynical folks in communities like ours scoffed at the efforts of arts support organizations as being “fluff,” or “superfluous” to the central concerns of raising revenues and adding tangible assets to a community’s ‘quality of life’ and ‘desirability quotient.’ However, the evidence is now clear: those cynics were wrong in more than one way.
In 2002, nonprofit arts organizations from towns, cities and metropolitan areas across the U.S. participated in a national survey seeking to measure the economic impact of arts programs. The results of the research is available online at the Americans for the Arts web venue and is highly revealing. I have referenced some of the survey’s results before in this column, but some revelations deserve a second look. The essence of the study’s findings is this: Non-profit arts organizations generate billions in economic activity annually; flourishing arts programs create jobs (2.09 million), government revenue ($11 billion), and household income ($47.4 billion) annually; and audiences at non-profit arts events also provide jobs (2.76 million), revenue ($17.4 billion), and income ($42 billion) in addition to the money they spend on admission to events. You can confirm this data at http://www.artsusa.org/information_resources/research_information/services/default.asp, where the data’s methodology and results are published in full.
What this means for us is a multi-faceted answer. It might mean that the powers in charge of the Three Sisters (St. Marys, Kingsland, and Woodbine) and our lovely county might need to consider a manner to provide direct economic support of the Arts Camden and Crooked Rivers efforts. It might also mean that well-placed persons with connections to state and federal funding ought to take a look at establishing a permanent place on a budget line for the burgeoning arts programs in this community. Or, it might mean that corporations with an interest in bringing residents and visitors with disposable income to our community as workers and consumers should consider taking the first steps toward corporate sponsorships for arts programs that will sustain our beginnings over the next decade and beyond. There are numerous other possibilities that a sustained community dialogue on this subject might discover.
Opportunities for this week and the future: Portions of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” can be seen at Gilman Memorial Waterfront Park in St. Marys on Saturday (July 15) at 6:45 p.m. Scenes and songs from the show will be performed. If you missed Sisters Three in April and May, this weekend is a chance to get some of the flavor of the show; there are special prices if you take kids, and special ‘hot-tix’ prices for the show only, to see Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, now playing through 7.16; Players by the Sea offer “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial” complete with Captain Queeg and his mutineers, touching on military justice and personal responsibility through Saturday, 7.15, with special prices for military, seniors and students; check out the “Summer Splash” exhibits at the South Gallery of Florida Community College South Campus through 7.27; enjoy jazz fusion with Sypro Gyra at the Florida Theatre on 7.14, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.12.06
In 2002, nonprofit arts organizations from towns, cities and metropolitan areas across the U.S. participated in a national survey seeking to measure the economic impact of arts programs. The results of the research is available online at the Americans for the Arts web venue and is highly revealing. I have referenced some of the survey’s results before in this column, but some revelations deserve a second look. The essence of the study’s findings is this: Non-profit arts organizations generate billions in economic activity annually; flourishing arts programs create jobs (2.09 million), government revenue ($11 billion), and household income ($47.4 billion) annually; and audiences at non-profit arts events also provide jobs (2.76 million), revenue ($17.4 billion), and income ($42 billion) in addition to the money they spend on admission to events. You can confirm this data at http://www.artsusa.org/information_resources/research_information/services/default.asp, where the data’s methodology and results are published in full.
What this means for us is a multi-faceted answer. It might mean that the powers in charge of the Three Sisters (St. Marys, Kingsland, and Woodbine) and our lovely county might need to consider a manner to provide direct economic support of the Arts Camden and Crooked Rivers efforts. It might also mean that well-placed persons with connections to state and federal funding ought to take a look at establishing a permanent place on a budget line for the burgeoning arts programs in this community. Or, it might mean that corporations with an interest in bringing residents and visitors with disposable income to our community as workers and consumers should consider taking the first steps toward corporate sponsorships for arts programs that will sustain our beginnings over the next decade and beyond. There are numerous other possibilities that a sustained community dialogue on this subject might discover.
Opportunities for this week and the future: Portions of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” can be seen at Gilman Memorial Waterfront Park in St. Marys on Saturday (July 15) at 6:45 p.m. Scenes and songs from the show will be performed. If you missed Sisters Three in April and May, this weekend is a chance to get some of the flavor of the show; there are special prices if you take kids, and special ‘hot-tix’ prices for the show only, to see Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, now playing through 7.16; Players by the Sea offer “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial” complete with Captain Queeg and his mutineers, touching on military justice and personal responsibility through Saturday, 7.15, with special prices for military, seniors and students; check out the “Summer Splash” exhibits at the South Gallery of Florida Community College South Campus through 7.27; enjoy jazz fusion with Sypro Gyra at the Florida Theatre on 7.14, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.12.06
The 4th and the Arts: Perfect Companions No Matter Where You Live in the USA
By the time you read this, July 4th, with all its celebration and festivities will be gone. However, I wanted to share a discovery I made while doing some research. Now, I am sure it is no revelation that during the last 48 hours in our United States, fireworks, picnics and families have celebrated our nation’s birthday. Celebrations have taken place in every city from Oxnard, CA to Milford, MA, and in every metropolis from Austin, TX to Denver, CO, and, fittingly, Philadelphia, PA. Included in these villages, towns and cities that conducted rites of summer celebrating our national history are places as diverse as Traverse City, MI and Orlando, FL, as different as Tempe, AZ and Charlotte, NC. And no places as dissimilar as Valparaiso, IN, Kent, WA and Washington, DC were exempted from the feel good moments that come when patriotic music, fireworks and barbeque are combined in the same time and place.
I wasn’t just searching for what happens on our nation’s birthday. That seemed pretty predictable. No, I was trying to find out this: how much of a role do the arts play in all this celebration? How many communities use our greatest national holiday to extol their dedication to and involvement in the arts? The results: more than 19 million articles and news stories about the arts and July 4th together. I confess I didn’t look at them all, but I did look at a lot – more than I thought I would, but it turned out to be fascinating. Was I really going to overlook the site ‘activeculture.org’ promoting the Central Alabama Performing Arts Concert on July 4th? Was I not going to take a look at July 4th events scheduled in Charleston, WV? (music by the Brass Band of the Tri-State with fireworks promptly at 10 p.m.) And what about in the hills of Happy Valley, PA? (I found a nice B & B at which to stay, near the Peoples Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts and Crafts.)
However, the biggest celebration by far this year took place our nation’s capitol, where Jason Alexander hosted a national tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder. “A Capitol Fourth 2006” included blue-eyed soul hooked up with teen hip-hop, a ticklish muppet teamed with a former Miss America, and a country music singer belting it out with the National Symphony. Talk about a diverse arts celebration! Then Stevie himself performed a medley of his best-known hits, demonstrating why he is one of the most prolific artists in music history.
For millions of Americans, celebrating the 4th of July is also celebrating our national artistic accomplishments. The arts are a remarkable part of our national heritage, just like bald eagles and purple mountains’ majesty. And they are a part of our heritage all over this land, from sea to shining sea. Keeping them alive and in our cultural landscape is vital. Thanks to volunteers and communities across our land, the life of the arts is vibrant and well celebrated this time every year.
In case you missed the full length version earlier this year at Crooked River State Park, a portion of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” will be offered as part of this year’s St. Marys Summer Sizzle at the waterfront park in St. Marys on Saturday (July 15) at 6:45 p.m. You will be able to see some of the funny and informative scenes, and hear songs from the show that help tell the stories and inspire audiences. For those that have seen “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” this is another chance to share the charms of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” in downtown St. Marys with a friend. While the summer sizzles, discover some of the stories and music that are around every bend of the crooked rivers of Camden County.
Opportunities for this week and the future: its Wednesday, so it once again time for First Wednesday Artwalk, a self-guided tour of the downtown Jax art galleries, 5 – 9 p.m., call 904-634-0303 for information; for the cost of a short ride to St. Augustine, you can enjoy the free Music By The Sea series at the Beach Sea Pavilion on 7.5 starting at 7 p.m.; for moviegoers, last week it was Superman’s return ($21.1 million on the first day!), this week catch Capt. Jack Sparrow’s attempt to redeem his soul in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” opening 7.7 at area theatres; there are special prices if you take kids, and special ‘hot-tix’ prices for the show only, to see Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, now playing through 7.16.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.05.06
I wasn’t just searching for what happens on our nation’s birthday. That seemed pretty predictable. No, I was trying to find out this: how much of a role do the arts play in all this celebration? How many communities use our greatest national holiday to extol their dedication to and involvement in the arts? The results: more than 19 million articles and news stories about the arts and July 4th together. I confess I didn’t look at them all, but I did look at a lot – more than I thought I would, but it turned out to be fascinating. Was I really going to overlook the site ‘activeculture.org’ promoting the Central Alabama Performing Arts Concert on July 4th? Was I not going to take a look at July 4th events scheduled in Charleston, WV? (music by the Brass Band of the Tri-State with fireworks promptly at 10 p.m.) And what about in the hills of Happy Valley, PA? (I found a nice B & B at which to stay, near the Peoples Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts and Crafts.)
However, the biggest celebration by far this year took place our nation’s capitol, where Jason Alexander hosted a national tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder. “A Capitol Fourth 2006” included blue-eyed soul hooked up with teen hip-hop, a ticklish muppet teamed with a former Miss America, and a country music singer belting it out with the National Symphony. Talk about a diverse arts celebration! Then Stevie himself performed a medley of his best-known hits, demonstrating why he is one of the most prolific artists in music history.
For millions of Americans, celebrating the 4th of July is also celebrating our national artistic accomplishments. The arts are a remarkable part of our national heritage, just like bald eagles and purple mountains’ majesty. And they are a part of our heritage all over this land, from sea to shining sea. Keeping them alive and in our cultural landscape is vital. Thanks to volunteers and communities across our land, the life of the arts is vibrant and well celebrated this time every year.
In case you missed the full length version earlier this year at Crooked River State Park, a portion of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” will be offered as part of this year’s St. Marys Summer Sizzle at the waterfront park in St. Marys on Saturday (July 15) at 6:45 p.m. You will be able to see some of the funny and informative scenes, and hear songs from the show that help tell the stories and inspire audiences. For those that have seen “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” this is another chance to share the charms of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” in downtown St. Marys with a friend. While the summer sizzles, discover some of the stories and music that are around every bend of the crooked rivers of Camden County.
Opportunities for this week and the future: its Wednesday, so it once again time for First Wednesday Artwalk, a self-guided tour of the downtown Jax art galleries, 5 – 9 p.m., call 904-634-0303 for information; for the cost of a short ride to St. Augustine, you can enjoy the free Music By The Sea series at the Beach Sea Pavilion on 7.5 starting at 7 p.m.; for moviegoers, last week it was Superman’s return ($21.1 million on the first day!), this week catch Capt. Jack Sparrow’s attempt to redeem his soul in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” opening 7.7 at area theatres; there are special prices if you take kids, and special ‘hot-tix’ prices for the show only, to see Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, now playing through 7.16.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
7.05.06
Ideas for Kingsley, Woodenia and Mary: How to Make Crooked Rivers Your Bell Cow
A couple of weeks ago, while extolling the promise of seeing “Crooked Rivers,” the county’s entertaining historical drama, in a new home in Woodbine, I suggested that I would have offer Kingsley and Mary some suggestions about how they might lay claim to Crooked Rivers’ offerings as well, at least partially blunting Woodenia’s sharpened claim to historical superiority. Although a couple of musings intervened, this week, with another holiday celebration approaching, brings me back to this point.
One thing that is so attractive about our community is that we have festivals. Lots of festivals - celebrating everything from our creativity (the Creative Palette Convention in February) to our national nativity (the 4th of July Celebration); from decapods (the Rock Shrimp Festival in October) to tributes for underwater sailors (the National Memorial Service for WWII Subvets in November). And lots of other celebrations in between, that take place in venues in or near St. Marys, Kingsland, and Woodbine.
Now this may be largess or a conceit on my part, but I can imagine how having an evening presentation of a “Crooked Rivers” offering would not only add to, but enhance all the other activities and events of a festival weekend, or of a weekend before or after one of our many festivals. This type of event can add visitors, local and tourist. It can add a layer of attractiveness and cultural heritage to the front line marketing. And here is the best part: given a suitable location nearby the festival events, it doesn’t detract or betray the event’s purported celebration points, since all of them are featured in one way or another in the Crooked Rivers’ discussion of community history.
Here is the central tenet: I am encouraging all of the planners of every community festival to look at their logistics and see if the agenda can incorporate a part or all of the “Crooked Rivers” phenomenon. If you don’t have a physical location for it, what about one nearby that can be adapted? If the Waterfront Theatre is not going to be a reality for a while, is there an area in an RV park or commercial center nearby St. Marys where “Crooked Rivers” could reside temporarily? If a new Visitor’s Center is in the works for Kingsland, how about a designing in a location in or near the Center for performances and plays as part of the plan? There is no reason that “Crooked Rivers” cannot offer its unique and crowd-pleasing blend of history and entertainment more than once a year and in more than one spot. The only impediment is if those who plan local events don’t take the time to build “Crooked Rivers” into the festival fun.
Speaking of festivals and fun, a portion of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” will be offered as part of this year’s St. Marys Summer Sizzle at the waterfront park in St. Marys on Saturday (July 15) at 6:45 p.m. Relive fishing with the Deputy, gain a renewed understanding of Grandma’s hands, and get inspired by songs like “Seventeen” and “Country Raised.” Don’t miss this chance to discover some of the charms of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” in downtown St. Marys at one of our fabulous community festivals.
Opportunities for this week and the future: this week is time to find free stuff to do for you and the kids. All summer long, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 am, at Regal Cinema locations in Jax, kids can view select G and PG movies (like “Babe” and “Wallace and Gromit”) during the Free Family Film Festival; for the cost of a short ride to St. Augustine, you can enjoy the free Music By The Sea series at the Beach Sea Pavilion on 6.28 starting at 7 p.m.; also check out the free concert at St. Augustine’s Plaza de la Constitucion on 6.29 from 7 – 9 p.m. featuring Bob & Joline’s Friends of Mine Band; add some culture to the weekend with a trip to the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art on 7.2 for the Bank of America Free Family Day activities from noon to 4 p.m. Finally, not free, but worth the admission will be “Superman Returns” in theatres starting 6.28 (with midnight sneak peeks in some locations Tuesday at 12 a.m.).
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.28.06
One thing that is so attractive about our community is that we have festivals. Lots of festivals - celebrating everything from our creativity (the Creative Palette Convention in February) to our national nativity (the 4th of July Celebration); from decapods (the Rock Shrimp Festival in October) to tributes for underwater sailors (the National Memorial Service for WWII Subvets in November). And lots of other celebrations in between, that take place in venues in or near St. Marys, Kingsland, and Woodbine.
Now this may be largess or a conceit on my part, but I can imagine how having an evening presentation of a “Crooked Rivers” offering would not only add to, but enhance all the other activities and events of a festival weekend, or of a weekend before or after one of our many festivals. This type of event can add visitors, local and tourist. It can add a layer of attractiveness and cultural heritage to the front line marketing. And here is the best part: given a suitable location nearby the festival events, it doesn’t detract or betray the event’s purported celebration points, since all of them are featured in one way or another in the Crooked Rivers’ discussion of community history.
Here is the central tenet: I am encouraging all of the planners of every community festival to look at their logistics and see if the agenda can incorporate a part or all of the “Crooked Rivers” phenomenon. If you don’t have a physical location for it, what about one nearby that can be adapted? If the Waterfront Theatre is not going to be a reality for a while, is there an area in an RV park or commercial center nearby St. Marys where “Crooked Rivers” could reside temporarily? If a new Visitor’s Center is in the works for Kingsland, how about a designing in a location in or near the Center for performances and plays as part of the plan? There is no reason that “Crooked Rivers” cannot offer its unique and crowd-pleasing blend of history and entertainment more than once a year and in more than one spot. The only impediment is if those who plan local events don’t take the time to build “Crooked Rivers” into the festival fun.
Speaking of festivals and fun, a portion of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” will be offered as part of this year’s St. Marys Summer Sizzle at the waterfront park in St. Marys on Saturday (July 15) at 6:45 p.m. Relive fishing with the Deputy, gain a renewed understanding of Grandma’s hands, and get inspired by songs like “Seventeen” and “Country Raised.” Don’t miss this chance to discover some of the charms of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” in downtown St. Marys at one of our fabulous community festivals.
Opportunities for this week and the future: this week is time to find free stuff to do for you and the kids. All summer long, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 am, at Regal Cinema locations in Jax, kids can view select G and PG movies (like “Babe” and “Wallace and Gromit”) during the Free Family Film Festival; for the cost of a short ride to St. Augustine, you can enjoy the free Music By The Sea series at the Beach Sea Pavilion on 6.28 starting at 7 p.m.; also check out the free concert at St. Augustine’s Plaza de la Constitucion on 6.29 from 7 – 9 p.m. featuring Bob & Joline’s Friends of Mine Band; add some culture to the weekend with a trip to the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art on 7.2 for the Bank of America Free Family Day activities from noon to 4 p.m. Finally, not free, but worth the admission will be “Superman Returns” in theatres starting 6.28 (with midnight sneak peeks in some locations Tuesday at 12 a.m.).
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.28.06
Unique Coincidences in the Arts Bring Us Together
If things were usual, at my house this week, we would be experiencing the “post-production blues.” They don’t affect me so much as to the creative partner. Although, if you have been with someone for a long time, you will understand what I mean when I say that, since those down days substantially affect her, they also substantially affect me. (I am smiling as I write this, dear!)
However, this summer there is not much time for squandering emotions or contemplating what you “should” be doing. Before dawn earlier this week, a flight out of JAX took “the best drama teacher ever” (that is not my assessment – I am just quoting what a Schoolhouse Rock performer wrote in her memory book last week) and three Camden County high school drama students to Lincoln, Nebraska. Ah, you nod, so that is where the arts reside – at Cornhusker U! Well, sort of: for a week each summer, more than 2,000 high school students from around the world descend on Lincoln to attend the International Thespian Conference. Participants come from Japan, Hawaii, Finland, New Zealand, and from troupes across the United States. Students come for many reasons. Some come to see the dozens of shows (“Anatomy of Grey,” performed by students from Owensboro, KY will be a main stage production; it is directed by a former student Carolyn Greer). Others come to audition for college scholarships; others come to attend workshops on a variety of theatre related subjects. Whatever their reasons, these students and their sponsors come to live, breathe and love their craft for a week. And our students will be among them, taking in this remarkable scene, and eventually processing the meaning in what they see and learn there. Because their experience is bigger than they will comprehend, and, I guess, that is why I share this story.
In 1962, Bob Jolliffe, took a job as the Stage Manager of Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. When he started that job, his middle daughter, age 12, started going with him to work every chance she got. From that time, until she graduated from Ball State, she spent some of almost every day of her life in that magnificent building. Every summer she would soak up the experience that was the International Thespian Conference, which was held on the Ball State Campus for nearly 30 years. In time, that daughter grew up, married me and we had children. When Mary began her career as a drama teacher at Morrow High School, south of Atlanta, she organized a Thespian Troupe, #1577. As soon as she could, she took her first group of students to an International Thespian Conference at Ball State. After that, it became an annual event: the drive northward that resulted in a multitude of stories for hundreds of students and a shared love of theatre. During those years, she often took students from other high schools, whose sponsors could not attend that year, including a young man named Trent that attended a high school north of Atlanta. She also took our sons, Stephen and Jason, on more than one occasion.
Here is the nexus of my tale. As you read this, in Dallas two veterans of those International Conference trips will perform together in Les Misérables on the stage of the Music Hall at Fair Park. Trent Blanton, from Cartersville, GA, and Jason Kraack, joined together through a teacher that was a volunteer driver for one and mom to the other, have spent the better part of this past 10 months performing Les Mis for audiences across North America. At least once, they were on stage as Javert (Trent) and Jean Valjean (Jason), a unique coincidence of fate. And also as you read this, three Camden County students are sharing in the joyful reunion of teacher and student (Carolyn also attended International Conference when Mary was her teacher). Together, they will watch the kids she brought with her from Ownesboro perform their inspiring play, and afterward, they will become part of the same family that Trent, Carolyn and Jason joined years ago. Who knows if maybe a couple of these kids, from Kentucky and Georgia, will share a similar experience to Jason and Trent?
I cannot say what their future is, but I can say in appreciation, to the only real father I have ever known, to Bob, my wife’s Daddy: I sure am glad you took that job at Ball State in 1962.
Opportunities for this week and the future: all kids should see “Seussical the Musical,” it’s at Theatre Jacksonville (www.theatrejax.com) Fridays and Saturdays through 6.24 at 8 p.m.; kick off your summer in style with “Jazz in June” at the Jax Landings and other sites, through 6.24, 6 – 9 p.m.; “Stomp!” bangs and crashes into the TUC, 6.23-24, 8 p.m., 6.25, 2 and 7 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.21.06
However, this summer there is not much time for squandering emotions or contemplating what you “should” be doing. Before dawn earlier this week, a flight out of JAX took “the best drama teacher ever” (that is not my assessment – I am just quoting what a Schoolhouse Rock performer wrote in her memory book last week) and three Camden County high school drama students to Lincoln, Nebraska. Ah, you nod, so that is where the arts reside – at Cornhusker U! Well, sort of: for a week each summer, more than 2,000 high school students from around the world descend on Lincoln to attend the International Thespian Conference. Participants come from Japan, Hawaii, Finland, New Zealand, and from troupes across the United States. Students come for many reasons. Some come to see the dozens of shows (“Anatomy of Grey,” performed by students from Owensboro, KY will be a main stage production; it is directed by a former student Carolyn Greer). Others come to audition for college scholarships; others come to attend workshops on a variety of theatre related subjects. Whatever their reasons, these students and their sponsors come to live, breathe and love their craft for a week. And our students will be among them, taking in this remarkable scene, and eventually processing the meaning in what they see and learn there. Because their experience is bigger than they will comprehend, and, I guess, that is why I share this story.
In 1962, Bob Jolliffe, took a job as the Stage Manager of Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. When he started that job, his middle daughter, age 12, started going with him to work every chance she got. From that time, until she graduated from Ball State, she spent some of almost every day of her life in that magnificent building. Every summer she would soak up the experience that was the International Thespian Conference, which was held on the Ball State Campus for nearly 30 years. In time, that daughter grew up, married me and we had children. When Mary began her career as a drama teacher at Morrow High School, south of Atlanta, she organized a Thespian Troupe, #1577. As soon as she could, she took her first group of students to an International Thespian Conference at Ball State. After that, it became an annual event: the drive northward that resulted in a multitude of stories for hundreds of students and a shared love of theatre. During those years, she often took students from other high schools, whose sponsors could not attend that year, including a young man named Trent that attended a high school north of Atlanta. She also took our sons, Stephen and Jason, on more than one occasion.
Here is the nexus of my tale. As you read this, in Dallas two veterans of those International Conference trips will perform together in Les Misérables on the stage of the Music Hall at Fair Park. Trent Blanton, from Cartersville, GA, and Jason Kraack, joined together through a teacher that was a volunteer driver for one and mom to the other, have spent the better part of this past 10 months performing Les Mis for audiences across North America. At least once, they were on stage as Javert (Trent) and Jean Valjean (Jason), a unique coincidence of fate. And also as you read this, three Camden County students are sharing in the joyful reunion of teacher and student (Carolyn also attended International Conference when Mary was her teacher). Together, they will watch the kids she brought with her from Ownesboro perform their inspiring play, and afterward, they will become part of the same family that Trent, Carolyn and Jason joined years ago. Who knows if maybe a couple of these kids, from Kentucky and Georgia, will share a similar experience to Jason and Trent?
I cannot say what their future is, but I can say in appreciation, to the only real father I have ever known, to Bob, my wife’s Daddy: I sure am glad you took that job at Ball State in 1962.
Opportunities for this week and the future: all kids should see “Seussical the Musical,” it’s at Theatre Jacksonville (www.theatrejax.com) Fridays and Saturdays through 6.24 at 8 p.m.; kick off your summer in style with “Jazz in June” at the Jax Landings and other sites, through 6.24, 6 – 9 p.m.; “Stomp!” bangs and crashes into the TUC, 6.23-24, 8 p.m., 6.25, 2 and 7 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.21.06
When the Artist is a Friend or Family, It's Always Worth the Travel
Having family and friends in the arts makes it easy for me to experience the emotional aspects of excellent performances, to share the joy of connecting with audiences, and to bask in the warmth of sincere, adoring applause. The nicest thing is that I don’t have to do all the really hard work of preparation, study, rehearsal and performing. I just get to share the results of their efforts, pointing proudly to a friend or a relative and say, “That one there – that one’s mine!” As if I really had anything to do with it; as if I deserve some credit. Regardless of the truth of that situation, I want to take give some credit, and take some, this week. Kingsley and Mary will forgive me if I come back to them next week or in the future. They have too much in store for us to cover in a week, anyway.
For the nearly 30 years we lived in the metro Atlanta area, we came to know and love many performers, artists and community theatre aficionados in surrounding communities. Folks from Fayetteville, Stockbridge, Conyers, Fairburn, and McDonough all joined in our alliance for summer theatre excellence. For the longest time, we had the best space – well, the only space – in the area. Each summer, these great people, young and old, would join us to “play” in the theatre. Memories from shows such as “Guys and Dolls,” “Children of Eden,” “West Side Story,” and “1776” still run around our minds. Yet, in all this fun, we missed a treasure. We didn’t meet Denise Oravec until we moved to Camden County – about a year before she did. I first knew her in her “day job” as a gifted and caring teacher of children with special needs. Then it turned out we also knew a lot of the same people from the Conyers area and that she had what she called a “theatre habit.” So this weekend, we took the opportunity to share her reprisal of the unique, hilarious, and touching role of Louise Seger in “Always Patsy Cline,” which just closed in the Conyers, Georgia Center Street Arts Playhouse. This was one of those moments that, after you have experienced it; you say to yourself, “that was just right.” This is where I want to give some credit: to Denise for being a rare treasure, a blend of joyfulness and perfect partnership with our mutual friend Patti Maquire, who sang the title role. If we ever get Denise onstage here, you won’t want to miss it.
As for taking credit, during the weekend drive to see Denise, we called our son Jason, who is in Los Angeles with the national tour of “Les Misérables” at the Pantages Theatre this week and next. We got his beautiful and talented wife Lindsey on the phone. She shared some news about their recent coast-to-coast drive to LA, about the lovely accommodations they secured while there, and about the fun they had taking my “granddog” to the beach park. Saying she had to go, she threw in this as a bonus: she was taking some of her best friends that live in LA to see Les Mis on Sunday night. As an afterthought she added: “Oh, and Jason’s playing Valjean. I can’t wait for them to see him!” The call ended in a flood of tears from mom and dad, coupled with unimaginable pride that will never be able to fully explained. Now that I think about it, I don’t want any credit – that goes to mom, voice teachers, mentors, musicians and friends that shaped and challenged his talent. I’ll just keep this warm, tender feeling inside that is bursting to get out.
“Schoolhouse Rock, Live!, Jr.” is this Friday and Saturday (June 16 & 17) at 7 p.m. in the Camden County High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students; they will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at the Auditorium. The stage version of “Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Jr.” is an entertaining treat for youngsters and adults alike.
Opportunities for this week and the future: the family friendly Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast” continues at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre through July 16; all kids should see “Seussical the Musical,” it’s at Theatre Jacksonville (www.theatrejax.com) Fridays and Saturdays through 6.24 at 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.14.06
For the nearly 30 years we lived in the metro Atlanta area, we came to know and love many performers, artists and community theatre aficionados in surrounding communities. Folks from Fayetteville, Stockbridge, Conyers, Fairburn, and McDonough all joined in our alliance for summer theatre excellence. For the longest time, we had the best space – well, the only space – in the area. Each summer, these great people, young and old, would join us to “play” in the theatre. Memories from shows such as “Guys and Dolls,” “Children of Eden,” “West Side Story,” and “1776” still run around our minds. Yet, in all this fun, we missed a treasure. We didn’t meet Denise Oravec until we moved to Camden County – about a year before she did. I first knew her in her “day job” as a gifted and caring teacher of children with special needs. Then it turned out we also knew a lot of the same people from the Conyers area and that she had what she called a “theatre habit.” So this weekend, we took the opportunity to share her reprisal of the unique, hilarious, and touching role of Louise Seger in “Always Patsy Cline,” which just closed in the Conyers, Georgia Center Street Arts Playhouse. This was one of those moments that, after you have experienced it; you say to yourself, “that was just right.” This is where I want to give some credit: to Denise for being a rare treasure, a blend of joyfulness and perfect partnership with our mutual friend Patti Maquire, who sang the title role. If we ever get Denise onstage here, you won’t want to miss it.
As for taking credit, during the weekend drive to see Denise, we called our son Jason, who is in Los Angeles with the national tour of “Les Misérables” at the Pantages Theatre this week and next. We got his beautiful and talented wife Lindsey on the phone. She shared some news about their recent coast-to-coast drive to LA, about the lovely accommodations they secured while there, and about the fun they had taking my “granddog” to the beach park. Saying she had to go, she threw in this as a bonus: she was taking some of her best friends that live in LA to see Les Mis on Sunday night. As an afterthought she added: “Oh, and Jason’s playing Valjean. I can’t wait for them to see him!” The call ended in a flood of tears from mom and dad, coupled with unimaginable pride that will never be able to fully explained. Now that I think about it, I don’t want any credit – that goes to mom, voice teachers, mentors, musicians and friends that shaped and challenged his talent. I’ll just keep this warm, tender feeling inside that is bursting to get out.
“Schoolhouse Rock, Live!, Jr.” is this Friday and Saturday (June 16 & 17) at 7 p.m. in the Camden County High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students; they will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at the Auditorium. The stage version of “Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Jr.” is an entertaining treat for youngsters and adults alike.
Opportunities for this week and the future: the family friendly Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast” continues at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre through July 16; all kids should see “Seussical the Musical,” it’s at Theatre Jacksonville (www.theatrejax.com) Fridays and Saturdays through 6.24 at 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.14.06
Graduation A Cause for Tribute and A Little Sadness
This time of year is always makes me feel confused. I am torn between happiness for those that have successfully reached a long sought goal and sadness because their daily gifts will be sorely missed. That may be the greatest curse of education: together with parents and community, we work at pushing them to adulthood and independence, only to watch them flutter off as we experience a moment of wistful sorrow. Just when our charges are approaching the ability to be of service and to achieve excellence, we turn them over to others to polish and refine their gifts.
For those we know that have been so close to us in our school arts programs, this week I pay tribute. Not to all, because that would not be possible. But to a few of those whose experiences, contributions and personalities have yielded some lasting memories that we will cherish for a few weeks or months, until the next crew returns in August. Then we will let the healing begin, and allow resurgent joy and expectations creep in.
Consider Bert (part of her name, the most commonly used part). I do not just salute her class rank (4th), but also her absolute willingness to accept responsibility with class and success. I cannot remember another this age, whose demeanor and quiet confidence always inspired a positive outcome. I remember working with her during the St. Marys Tour of Lights. I dropped her off at a local business, not knowing if the owners were present, or how they wanted her to help. But I trusted her to communicate and do what was needed. Four hours later, when I picked her up, she happily shared her experience with the visitors and owners, as if they had been friends forever. I didn’t let her see my tears, but I certainly couldn’t talk since I was so overwhelmed by her preternatural gifts.
And about Becks, curly, blonde and possessed of energy beyond measure? Someone once said she was the most “present” performer they had ever seen. And she was like that off stage too, offering ideas, solving problems, and making life joyful. I also observed her in a poignant moment that I will not forget. One of her cast mates in “Footloose” was smitten with her. I am not sure she ever knew that. But I knew it. Younger than her, he carried so much emotional baggage, that most never know about. But I knew about it. I watched as he worshiped Becks; and I watched as she was always kind and sensitive to him – not because she had to be, but because that is her nature.
There were others this year, like the brilliant Britt and hugely talented Pete. They became a team and joshed and pushed each other through “Footloose.” Britt’s talent is unquestioned; her dedication is the same. Her love of performance is always balanced by a desire to be excellent. In the past two years, we have seen her play wives, moms, good girls and bad. She has acted, sung, directed, managed and built. Blessed by supportive parents, Britt has the star quality to make it.
On the other hand, many thought Pete would never make it to the diploma ceremony. In middle school, he was so talkative, so constantly in motion that his name was always on teachers’ lips (not positively, most of the time). It was in theatre he found some discipline, although he never quite mastered the art of time management. With many creative souls, that is always a problem because they so “in the moment” and unconcerned with planning or organizing. But for me, it was always the massive embrace and genuine smile that stopped me cold for Pete. That and his stunning ability create characters and appear so natural in other’s skins and using their words.
Finally, I must offer a note of tribute to Natalie. She is not an actress, but a remarkably gifted artist. Some of you discovered her last fall during her one-woman show at our local library. If you missed that, however, you can find some of her work at the French Quarter in St. Marys. She is off to Atlanta to study art and sculpture, perhaps one of our most talented ever. I have told you before how I feel about owning art; hers is some you will want to secure, so that when its value soars, you will have already invested.
These are just a few of our treasures we offer the world with this graduating class. There are many more; they all hold so much promise. Even though educators and parents will accept self-congratulations on their behalf, we know this is true: these young practitioners of the arts are well prepared by the experiences gained here and because of the choices and decisions they made for themselves.
5.24.06
For those we know that have been so close to us in our school arts programs, this week I pay tribute. Not to all, because that would not be possible. But to a few of those whose experiences, contributions and personalities have yielded some lasting memories that we will cherish for a few weeks or months, until the next crew returns in August. Then we will let the healing begin, and allow resurgent joy and expectations creep in.
Consider Bert (part of her name, the most commonly used part). I do not just salute her class rank (4th), but also her absolute willingness to accept responsibility with class and success. I cannot remember another this age, whose demeanor and quiet confidence always inspired a positive outcome. I remember working with her during the St. Marys Tour of Lights. I dropped her off at a local business, not knowing if the owners were present, or how they wanted her to help. But I trusted her to communicate and do what was needed. Four hours later, when I picked her up, she happily shared her experience with the visitors and owners, as if they had been friends forever. I didn’t let her see my tears, but I certainly couldn’t talk since I was so overwhelmed by her preternatural gifts.
And about Becks, curly, blonde and possessed of energy beyond measure? Someone once said she was the most “present” performer they had ever seen. And she was like that off stage too, offering ideas, solving problems, and making life joyful. I also observed her in a poignant moment that I will not forget. One of her cast mates in “Footloose” was smitten with her. I am not sure she ever knew that. But I knew it. Younger than her, he carried so much emotional baggage, that most never know about. But I knew about it. I watched as he worshiped Becks; and I watched as she was always kind and sensitive to him – not because she had to be, but because that is her nature.
There were others this year, like the brilliant Britt and hugely talented Pete. They became a team and joshed and pushed each other through “Footloose.” Britt’s talent is unquestioned; her dedication is the same. Her love of performance is always balanced by a desire to be excellent. In the past two years, we have seen her play wives, moms, good girls and bad. She has acted, sung, directed, managed and built. Blessed by supportive parents, Britt has the star quality to make it.
On the other hand, many thought Pete would never make it to the diploma ceremony. In middle school, he was so talkative, so constantly in motion that his name was always on teachers’ lips (not positively, most of the time). It was in theatre he found some discipline, although he never quite mastered the art of time management. With many creative souls, that is always a problem because they so “in the moment” and unconcerned with planning or organizing. But for me, it was always the massive embrace and genuine smile that stopped me cold for Pete. That and his stunning ability create characters and appear so natural in other’s skins and using their words.
Finally, I must offer a note of tribute to Natalie. She is not an actress, but a remarkably gifted artist. Some of you discovered her last fall during her one-woman show at our local library. If you missed that, however, you can find some of her work at the French Quarter in St. Marys. She is off to Atlanta to study art and sculpture, perhaps one of our most talented ever. I have told you before how I feel about owning art; hers is some you will want to secure, so that when its value soars, you will have already invested.
These are just a few of our treasures we offer the world with this graduating class. There are many more; they all hold so much promise. Even though educators and parents will accept self-congratulations on their behalf, we know this is true: these young practitioners of the arts are well prepared by the experiences gained here and because of the choices and decisions they made for themselves.
5.24.06
A Visit to the Future of Crooked Rivers
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit with some very nice and very important people in Woodbine concerning a topic I have written about a great deal on these pages. Since “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” closed in early May, those involved and responsible for its survival and development have been talking a lot to each other and to new friends that have volunteered to help it grow into a community institution. Part of my reason for visiting Woodbine was to see the future home of Crooked Rivers in its current raw and overgrown state, and listen to the vision of folks that care enough to nurture its existence in a permanent and made-to-order location.
Right now, as Mayor Burford Clark puts it, is the time to dream; to imagine how what a new theatre home for Crooked Rivers might look like and be like in the village on the Satilla River. Sure, it is just a brick façade filled with junk trees, rotting wood and detritus of all kinds right now. But if you walk around to the back of the building, there is a sort of shady clearing that calls out for an outdoor event to introduce us to the space. The huge live oaks beckon for us to offer refreshing quaffs of lemonade and oil slick paper bags full of tasty popcorn under their spreading limbs. Sure, there will be some parking issues, but in Woodbine, everything is within walking distance from available spaces on Main Street. And I would allow that a page could be borrowed from St. Marys “Tour of Lights” event, when church vans and open air electric carts briskly carry folks to their destination from parking areas further away.
As we walked back to the front of the building, we mused about many things that might come to pass for our county. As we paused by an old grist mill building that sits adjacent to the old brick theatre for a final imagining, Mayor Clark said something that I bet not many an elected official has ever dared say: “Now is the time to dream.” That dreaming has gotten Woodbine pretty far along a remarkable path, including the path that leads walkers and wanderers down to and along the river. City Manager Sandy Rayson confided that the ideas for that path and many other important improvements in downtown Woodbine began as ideas in the Mayor’s head, translated into a rough sketches on napkins and scratch paper, and then refined and polished in the public cauldron to become desirable places and amenities for Woodbine’s families.
There is a lot to be done and said on this matter before it is done, but right now, this is a great time to dream about what might be and how it might look, feel and sound. Makes me wonder if Woodenia has her head back, quietly laughing at her good fortune. Next week, how Mary and Kingsley might arrange for Woody’s comeuppance or at least steal a slice of her dreams.
“Schoolhouse Rock, Live!, Jr.” is Friday and Saturday (June 16 & 17) at 7 p.m. in the Camden County High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students; they will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at the Auditorium. Schoolhouse Rock, Live is now a full-fledged stage musical, that teaches history, grammar, math, science and politics through songs like “Unpack Your Adjectives,” “Conjunction Junction,” and “I’m Just a Bill.” This version of Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Jr. is entertaining and an educational treat for youngsters. It also shows that learning can be as fun as we choose to make it.
Opportunities for this week and the future: the family friendly Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast” continues at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre through July 16; First Wednesday Art Walk in downtown Jax, 5 – 9 p.m., 6.7; take your best shot with Pat Benatar at the Florida Theatre, 6.8 at 8 p.m.; enjoy a 45 year old classic movie, “West Side Story” at Jax Beach free Moonlight Movies, 6.9 at 9 p.m.; enjoy Kander and Ebb’s “The World Goes Round” produced by Players by the Sea, 6.9 at 8 p.m.; or get set for non-stop laughs in Orange Park Community Theatre’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” 6.9 at 8 p.m.; all kids should see “Seussical the Musical,” it’s at Theatre Jacksonville (www.theatrejax.com) Fridays and Saturdays through 6.24 at 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.7.06
Right now, as Mayor Burford Clark puts it, is the time to dream; to imagine how what a new theatre home for Crooked Rivers might look like and be like in the village on the Satilla River. Sure, it is just a brick façade filled with junk trees, rotting wood and detritus of all kinds right now. But if you walk around to the back of the building, there is a sort of shady clearing that calls out for an outdoor event to introduce us to the space. The huge live oaks beckon for us to offer refreshing quaffs of lemonade and oil slick paper bags full of tasty popcorn under their spreading limbs. Sure, there will be some parking issues, but in Woodbine, everything is within walking distance from available spaces on Main Street. And I would allow that a page could be borrowed from St. Marys “Tour of Lights” event, when church vans and open air electric carts briskly carry folks to their destination from parking areas further away.
As we walked back to the front of the building, we mused about many things that might come to pass for our county. As we paused by an old grist mill building that sits adjacent to the old brick theatre for a final imagining, Mayor Clark said something that I bet not many an elected official has ever dared say: “Now is the time to dream.” That dreaming has gotten Woodbine pretty far along a remarkable path, including the path that leads walkers and wanderers down to and along the river. City Manager Sandy Rayson confided that the ideas for that path and many other important improvements in downtown Woodbine began as ideas in the Mayor’s head, translated into a rough sketches on napkins and scratch paper, and then refined and polished in the public cauldron to become desirable places and amenities for Woodbine’s families.
There is a lot to be done and said on this matter before it is done, but right now, this is a great time to dream about what might be and how it might look, feel and sound. Makes me wonder if Woodenia has her head back, quietly laughing at her good fortune. Next week, how Mary and Kingsley might arrange for Woody’s comeuppance or at least steal a slice of her dreams.
“Schoolhouse Rock, Live!, Jr.” is Friday and Saturday (June 16 & 17) at 7 p.m. in the Camden County High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students; they will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at the Auditorium. Schoolhouse Rock, Live is now a full-fledged stage musical, that teaches history, grammar, math, science and politics through songs like “Unpack Your Adjectives,” “Conjunction Junction,” and “I’m Just a Bill.” This version of Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Jr. is entertaining and an educational treat for youngsters. It also shows that learning can be as fun as we choose to make it.
Opportunities for this week and the future: the family friendly Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast” continues at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre through July 16; First Wednesday Art Walk in downtown Jax, 5 – 9 p.m., 6.7; take your best shot with Pat Benatar at the Florida Theatre, 6.8 at 8 p.m.; enjoy a 45 year old classic movie, “West Side Story” at Jax Beach free Moonlight Movies, 6.9 at 9 p.m.; enjoy Kander and Ebb’s “The World Goes Round” produced by Players by the Sea, 6.9 at 8 p.m.; or get set for non-stop laughs in Orange Park Community Theatre’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” 6.9 at 8 p.m.; all kids should see “Seussical the Musical,” it’s at Theatre Jacksonville (www.theatrejax.com) Fridays and Saturdays through 6.24 at 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
6.7.06
Mother's Day Offers A Chance To Celebrate Personal Arts Connections
I should have written this part of this column last week. That would be the part saluting the person Abraham Lincoln and George Washington mutually believed was responsible for their accomplishments, the part recognizing what one Chinese philosopher claimed is the “greatest right” for the fairer sex, or the part praising those whose hearts create what Henry Ward Beecher called “the child’s classroom.” That’s right, I should have saluted my favorite mothers. There is Helen, the iron-willed mom, whose singular work ethic and devotion to children’s learning fostered achievement by example. Or consider Mary, whose creativity and laughter made growing up so much fun and full of love for two boys, their dad, and, now, for her grandchildren. And certainly we must mention Mitsie, the incredible artist who is a patient and amazing mom to the most beautiful and remarkable grandchildren in the world. Though my timing may be out of alignment, my sentiment is always pertinent. This humble scribe salutes moms that have made his life beautiful.
I hesitate to write this next sentence for fear that a certain mom mentioned above might misunderstand it. See, I spent the weekend in the arms of Terpsichore, otherwise known as “the whirler.” Before you judge too severely, let me say that, while I was enjoying her charms, I also was watching grandchildren and daughters-in-law show off their talent. I don’t think I will ever tire of seeing a certain precocious blonde as the White Rabbit. I guess I should have known that day would come. After all, her first word was “ballet.” And how does one resist the charm of a five-year-old boy, as his own smile challenges that of his character, The Cheshire Cat. His mischievous joy is palpable as he “paints” the dainty girl dancing roses pink and then red at the direction of the Queen of Hearts. (To be sure, the first thing he wanted to talk to me about afterward was the two hits he acquired in his season-ending baseball gamer earlier in the day!)
On Sunday, during a visit to the Kingdom of Mouse, we shared a special chance to see our youngest daughter-in-law dance with her troupe. The combination of beautiful, lithe athletes, adorned with distinctive butterfly wings, soaring across the stage propelled by the spring of trampolines, was inspiring and moving. After our celebration and goodbyes, we slowly made our way out of the park, to the strains of “Cinderellabration,” with the flowing gowns of dancers and princesses shining in the fading embers of the day, in the shadows of that magical castle. To be sure, the charms of Terpsichore are alluring.
Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase, “Time Warp,” a delightful combination of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information.
Students aged 8-14 can now register for “Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr.,” which will be performed at the end of the Camden Summer Theatre summer camp. All rehearsals and performances for CST will be at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays. Call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
Opportunities for this week and the future: Broadway’s longest running show, “Phantom of the Opera,” opens at TUC on 5.17 and runs through 6.3; listen to new music composers as they compete to have works commissioned and performed by JSO, TUC, 5.18, 6:30 p.m.; deluge your senses with a variety of performance art at the Chaos Fair, behind the Florida Theatre, 5.19, 6 – midnight.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.17.06
I hesitate to write this next sentence for fear that a certain mom mentioned above might misunderstand it. See, I spent the weekend in the arms of Terpsichore, otherwise known as “the whirler.” Before you judge too severely, let me say that, while I was enjoying her charms, I also was watching grandchildren and daughters-in-law show off their talent. I don’t think I will ever tire of seeing a certain precocious blonde as the White Rabbit. I guess I should have known that day would come. After all, her first word was “ballet.” And how does one resist the charm of a five-year-old boy, as his own smile challenges that of his character, The Cheshire Cat. His mischievous joy is palpable as he “paints” the dainty girl dancing roses pink and then red at the direction of the Queen of Hearts. (To be sure, the first thing he wanted to talk to me about afterward was the two hits he acquired in his season-ending baseball gamer earlier in the day!)
On Sunday, during a visit to the Kingdom of Mouse, we shared a special chance to see our youngest daughter-in-law dance with her troupe. The combination of beautiful, lithe athletes, adorned with distinctive butterfly wings, soaring across the stage propelled by the spring of trampolines, was inspiring and moving. After our celebration and goodbyes, we slowly made our way out of the park, to the strains of “Cinderellabration,” with the flowing gowns of dancers and princesses shining in the fading embers of the day, in the shadows of that magical castle. To be sure, the charms of Terpsichore are alluring.
Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase, “Time Warp,” a delightful combination of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information.
Students aged 8-14 can now register for “Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr.,” which will be performed at the end of the Camden Summer Theatre summer camp. All rehearsals and performances for CST will be at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays. Call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
Opportunities for this week and the future: Broadway’s longest running show, “Phantom of the Opera,” opens at TUC on 5.17 and runs through 6.3; listen to new music composers as they compete to have works commissioned and performed by JSO, TUC, 5.18, 6:30 p.m.; deluge your senses with a variety of performance art at the Chaos Fair, behind the Florida Theatre, 5.19, 6 – midnight.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.17.06
Crooked Rivers' Sisters Three Fulfills Its Destiny
We are only a week removed from “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” an event that culminated last weekend after more than four years of community vision and effort. At this point, those involved are simultaneously tired and exhilarated. Just thinking about what happens next, hurts. But thinking about the future is necessary, pain or no pain.
When plans for “Crooked Rivers” were in their infancy, a wise person that had been a part of a similar project in another community offered this thought: if you want to attract corporate donors and get supporting grants on a large scale, you must first be successful on a local scale. “Crooked Rivers” organizers took him at his word. While it’s true that local businesses and governments, as well as private individuals, supported “Crooked Rivers” wholeheartedly, the time to make the transition may be here. The transition to what? – you might ask.
If we can, let’s think back to some of the points made when I began writing here. Cultural or heritage tourism means big money for both travelers and hosts. It amounts to increased dollars in local tax coffers, more revenues and profits for local businesses, and more jobs and opportunities for local residents. At the time, I seemed a lone voice singing down the well. However, time and circumstances have added more voices and even harmony to this song. We now know that events like “Crooked Rivers” are possible and can be done excellently in our community; we have the talent and the resources to replicate this event for years to come. We have no reason to turn away from any opportunities that “Crooked Rivers” might create for us. While we congratulate ourselves for our first success, the time to take a look at the horizon has come.
It is difficult to say what the process of envisioning our future will entail or to even begin to suggest what we will see on the horizon. I can say that we need to find unity and resolve as we move forward and whatever considerations are necessary to make the efforts of those visionaries that started this journey our highest priority need to be made. Only then will we find the next chapter to our story on the Crooked River.
Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase, “Time Warp,” a delightful combination of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information.
Students aged 8-14 can now register for “Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr.,” which will be performed at the end of the Camden Summer Theatre summer camp. All rehearsals and performances for CST will be at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays. Call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
Opportunities for this week and the future: “Barefoot in the Park,” through 5.21 at Alhambra Dinner Theatre; “The Falsettos” through 6.3 at Professor Plum’s Playhouse; catch JSO and JSYO in their 13th annual showcase performance on Friday, 5.12 at TUC; jazz and pop music aficionados will want to see British star Jamie Cullem at the Florida Theatre on Friday, 5.12; view a noteworthy collection of American painters and sculptors at the Jacobsen Gallery of American Art, the first new gallery at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens since 1992, through 5.31; the longest running Broadway show, “Phantom of the Opera,” opens at TUC on 5.17 and runs through 6.3.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.10.06
When plans for “Crooked Rivers” were in their infancy, a wise person that had been a part of a similar project in another community offered this thought: if you want to attract corporate donors and get supporting grants on a large scale, you must first be successful on a local scale. “Crooked Rivers” organizers took him at his word. While it’s true that local businesses and governments, as well as private individuals, supported “Crooked Rivers” wholeheartedly, the time to make the transition may be here. The transition to what? – you might ask.
If we can, let’s think back to some of the points made when I began writing here. Cultural or heritage tourism means big money for both travelers and hosts. It amounts to increased dollars in local tax coffers, more revenues and profits for local businesses, and more jobs and opportunities for local residents. At the time, I seemed a lone voice singing down the well. However, time and circumstances have added more voices and even harmony to this song. We now know that events like “Crooked Rivers” are possible and can be done excellently in our community; we have the talent and the resources to replicate this event for years to come. We have no reason to turn away from any opportunities that “Crooked Rivers” might create for us. While we congratulate ourselves for our first success, the time to take a look at the horizon has come.
It is difficult to say what the process of envisioning our future will entail or to even begin to suggest what we will see on the horizon. I can say that we need to find unity and resolve as we move forward and whatever considerations are necessary to make the efforts of those visionaries that started this journey our highest priority need to be made. Only then will we find the next chapter to our story on the Crooked River.
Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase, “Time Warp,” a delightful combination of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information.
Students aged 8-14 can now register for “Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr.,” which will be performed at the end of the Camden Summer Theatre summer camp. All rehearsals and performances for CST will be at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays. Call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
Opportunities for this week and the future: “Barefoot in the Park,” through 5.21 at Alhambra Dinner Theatre; “The Falsettos” through 6.3 at Professor Plum’s Playhouse; catch JSO and JSYO in their 13th annual showcase performance on Friday, 5.12 at TUC; jazz and pop music aficionados will want to see British star Jamie Cullem at the Florida Theatre on Friday, 5.12; view a noteworthy collection of American painters and sculptors at the Jacobsen Gallery of American Art, the first new gallery at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens since 1992, through 5.31; the longest running Broadway show, “Phantom of the Opera,” opens at TUC on 5.17 and runs through 6.3.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.10.06
CRooked Rivers' Sisters Three Offers Humor, Poignancy
Here’s the deal: if you haven’t gotten to Crooked Rivers State Park in the past two weekends to see “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” then you are lucky. Lucky, because you still have four more opportunities to see this unique theatrical performance. By the time you read this, if you have not procured some ducats, set aside the time on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, and made plans to attend, you could be oh so close to unlucky.
Why, you say, is it unique? Well, let me count the ways. How often do you think you will see local ministers, of churches black and white, appearing on stage together, both gaining laughs and tears from the same audience? How likely is it that you will see grown men willingly get doused with buckets of water in order to get a laugh and tell a story? And, what do you think the chances are that you would see, in any other circumstances, a former first lady of Kingsland get really big laughs while taking comedic shots at her husband, the former mayor of Kingsland? And what do you imagine the odds would be, in any other arena, for a well-known local Presbyterian minister to be the subject of punch lines, delivered by a cute five-year-old to a tall, robed black man, that is playing the role of this white preacher?
Those are but a few of the unique, and palpably tasty, moments you will miss if you don’t get to “Sisters Three” this weekend. However, if you choose not to attend, for whatever reason, you will also miss much more. Your soul will never appreciate the infinite wisdom of Carol Ann and Bernice, whose stories provide a backdrop for the social and personal growth of our community. Your eyes will never witness the poignancy of a Japanese woman’s story about coming to Camden County after WWII, artistically accompanied by the movement and mystery of a Japanese puppet. And you will never understand the reasons why black grandmas of the early 20th century in Camden County had such hard hands.
On Saturday, after some friends had joined my spouse and I for the show, we talked briefly with some cast members after the show concluded. During those conversations, I heard a cast member share the best reason for you to see “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” She said: “When this all started, most of us didn’t know each other. Now, we are all part of a family.” When audiences leave Crooked River State Park after “Sisters Three,” they sense they belong to an important social order that did not exist prior to their attendance. They saw, with their own eyes, friends, neighbors, church members and folks who were once strangers joined in a common cause to make our community better. By calling out the history of our community, by sharing the good, wrong, the humorous and the tragic, “Sisters Three” will not allow us to remain at a distance. Now, we are a combined force – a family, full of promise, energy and memories – ready to take whatever steps are next for us to take.
Get “Crooked Rivers” tickets by calling (912) 729-3154 or go to the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. You can also get them at the gate at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Camden Area Players have postponed indefinitely their May presentation of “Harvey.” Watch for the invisible, six-foot tall rabbit later this year. (Can you really watch for an invisible rabbit?)
Opportunities for this week and the future: Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase and present “Time Warp,” a showcase of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information; sign up children ages 8-14 for theatre summer camp now, Camden Summer Theatre at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays, call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.3.06
Why, you say, is it unique? Well, let me count the ways. How often do you think you will see local ministers, of churches black and white, appearing on stage together, both gaining laughs and tears from the same audience? How likely is it that you will see grown men willingly get doused with buckets of water in order to get a laugh and tell a story? And, what do you think the chances are that you would see, in any other circumstances, a former first lady of Kingsland get really big laughs while taking comedic shots at her husband, the former mayor of Kingsland? And what do you imagine the odds would be, in any other arena, for a well-known local Presbyterian minister to be the subject of punch lines, delivered by a cute five-year-old to a tall, robed black man, that is playing the role of this white preacher?
Those are but a few of the unique, and palpably tasty, moments you will miss if you don’t get to “Sisters Three” this weekend. However, if you choose not to attend, for whatever reason, you will also miss much more. Your soul will never appreciate the infinite wisdom of Carol Ann and Bernice, whose stories provide a backdrop for the social and personal growth of our community. Your eyes will never witness the poignancy of a Japanese woman’s story about coming to Camden County after WWII, artistically accompanied by the movement and mystery of a Japanese puppet. And you will never understand the reasons why black grandmas of the early 20th century in Camden County had such hard hands.
On Saturday, after some friends had joined my spouse and I for the show, we talked briefly with some cast members after the show concluded. During those conversations, I heard a cast member share the best reason for you to see “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” She said: “When this all started, most of us didn’t know each other. Now, we are all part of a family.” When audiences leave Crooked River State Park after “Sisters Three,” they sense they belong to an important social order that did not exist prior to their attendance. They saw, with their own eyes, friends, neighbors, church members and folks who were once strangers joined in a common cause to make our community better. By calling out the history of our community, by sharing the good, wrong, the humorous and the tragic, “Sisters Three” will not allow us to remain at a distance. Now, we are a combined force – a family, full of promise, energy and memories – ready to take whatever steps are next for us to take.
Get “Crooked Rivers” tickets by calling (912) 729-3154 or go to the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. You can also get them at the gate at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Camden Area Players have postponed indefinitely their May presentation of “Harvey.” Watch for the invisible, six-foot tall rabbit later this year. (Can you really watch for an invisible rabbit?)
Opportunities for this week and the future: Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase and present “Time Warp,” a showcase of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information; sign up children ages 8-14 for theatre summer camp now, Camden Summer Theatre at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays, call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.3.06
Crooked Rivers' Sisters Three Pleases Audiences
Good theatre involves the audience in its story, through characters with whom the audience can identify, appealing music that advances the story or theme, and through production values such as appropriate costumes, sets, props and effects. Good theatre provokes an emotional reaction. And good theatre leaves you wishing there was a little more of it left to experience. Good theatre was what good crowds of people observed starting April 20th, when “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” took the stage among the pines and river breezes (and coastal downpours on Friday) at Crooked River State Park. I heard and talked to many departing patrons that said they were returning for another dose of “Crooked Rivers” during the next two weekends and they were going to tell all their friends to come.
While “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” begins with much good humor and faux sentimentality, poking fun lovingly at the historical competition and shared experiences of our ‘three sister’ cities, it ultimately transcends its local flavor with a universal message for all. Audiences sharing the “Crooked Rivers” experience this opening weekend, commented with wonder at the magnitude of the production, especially the competence of the singers and actors, folks they had previously just considered neighbors and friends. In the minds of many attendees this weekend past, stars have been born or at least propelled to new levels of fame (or notoriety, at least).
Here are some things that I experienced while attending “Crooked Rivers” and some things I heard audience members mention: genuinely funny moments at the eating scenes, especially when the old man discovers sweet, young things skinny dipping in his pond; endearing pathos discovered in the story of the Japanese woman that comes to a new home in Camden County from a WWII internment camp; and the essence of a ‘laughter through tears’ moment in the Act II story of how our community nobly dealt with the death and aftermath of two black women, murdered by a despicable white man who “mouthed” the evidence of his guilt (you’ll have to see “Crooked Rivers” to understand that one). Things I heard and saw from others: surprise at the size and complexity of the whole “Crooked Rivers” show; amazement at how “really good” the show’s acting and singing was, and moist eyes at stories about Grandma’s hands and about the ‘imagined’ heavenly antics of Carol Ann and Bernice, our two mortally wounded heroines.
Some things in your life you really do need to see to believe, to experience in order to appreciate them. This homegrown, historical musical drama is one of them. You have two more weekends to do so; the cast and I encourage you to try out this unique opportunity. Shed your cares for a few hours, suspend your business for an evening or an afternoon and discover the stories around every bend in “Crooked Rivers.”
You can reserve tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154. Tickets are also available at the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, Sheila’s Hallmark, and at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Opportunities for this week and the future: find love and laughter in “Barefoot in the Park,” Alhambra Dinner Theatre, through April 30, 6:30 p.m.; fans of the Fab Four can join the JSO for a Tribute to the Beatles and Beyond, TU Ctr., April 28-30; discover the joy of sand architecture at the
Annual Beaches Sandcastle Contest, April 29, 1:30 – 3 p.m. at Seawalk Pavilion in Jax Beach; Camden Area Players present “Harvey” May 12, 13 & 20 at the Heritage Bank Recreation Ctr.; sign up children ages 8-14 for theatre summer camp now, Camden Summer Theatre at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays, call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
4.26.06
While “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” begins with much good humor and faux sentimentality, poking fun lovingly at the historical competition and shared experiences of our ‘three sister’ cities, it ultimately transcends its local flavor with a universal message for all. Audiences sharing the “Crooked Rivers” experience this opening weekend, commented with wonder at the magnitude of the production, especially the competence of the singers and actors, folks they had previously just considered neighbors and friends. In the minds of many attendees this weekend past, stars have been born or at least propelled to new levels of fame (or notoriety, at least).
Here are some things that I experienced while attending “Crooked Rivers” and some things I heard audience members mention: genuinely funny moments at the eating scenes, especially when the old man discovers sweet, young things skinny dipping in his pond; endearing pathos discovered in the story of the Japanese woman that comes to a new home in Camden County from a WWII internment camp; and the essence of a ‘laughter through tears’ moment in the Act II story of how our community nobly dealt with the death and aftermath of two black women, murdered by a despicable white man who “mouthed” the evidence of his guilt (you’ll have to see “Crooked Rivers” to understand that one). Things I heard and saw from others: surprise at the size and complexity of the whole “Crooked Rivers” show; amazement at how “really good” the show’s acting and singing was, and moist eyes at stories about Grandma’s hands and about the ‘imagined’ heavenly antics of Carol Ann and Bernice, our two mortally wounded heroines.
Some things in your life you really do need to see to believe, to experience in order to appreciate them. This homegrown, historical musical drama is one of them. You have two more weekends to do so; the cast and I encourage you to try out this unique opportunity. Shed your cares for a few hours, suspend your business for an evening or an afternoon and discover the stories around every bend in “Crooked Rivers.”
You can reserve tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154. Tickets are also available at the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, Sheila’s Hallmark, and at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Opportunities for this week and the future: find love and laughter in “Barefoot in the Park,” Alhambra Dinner Theatre, through April 30, 6:30 p.m.; fans of the Fab Four can join the JSO for a Tribute to the Beatles and Beyond, TU Ctr., April 28-30; discover the joy of sand architecture at the
Annual Beaches Sandcastle Contest, April 29, 1:30 – 3 p.m. at Seawalk Pavilion in Jax Beach; Camden Area Players present “Harvey” May 12, 13 & 20 at the Heritage Bank Recreation Ctr.; sign up children ages 8-14 for theatre summer camp now, Camden Summer Theatre at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays, call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
4.26.06
A Trip to the Big Apple with Teens is A Blast!
It was an adventure: accompanying a dozen teenagers in New York City, on a mission to experience as much theatre and Big Apple as possible in five days. After lots of Broadway, visits to NYC’s most storied neighborhoods, and tours of some of our country’s most treasure shrines, we arrived safely back in Camden County on Saturday, tired and full of stories about our adventures. Most of the best stories involved the students’ unique take on small moments.
After our Monday afternoon arrival and orientation by our tour guides from Manhattan Tour and Travel, we attended our first Broadway show, “Lestat,” based on the Anne Rice vampire novels with music by Elton John. The show was unique, filled with excellent moments, fancy multimedia effects and beautiful sets. It also had serious story flaws and was due for some production changes, which will happen since the show is still in previews and doesn’t officially open until April 25. After the show, three of our group discovered the stage door to get autographs and chat with performers. With star-struck faces and wordless wonder, they endured some chastising for not staying with the group, but I guarantee they felt it was worth the experience to take home some cherished autographs and rare photos of them on the casual arm of a Broadway star.
On our second day, two males in our entourage got stuck for a few minutes in the hotel elevator. While waiting for their release, the boys talked with some girls from upstate New York that stopped on a nearby floor in an adjacent elevator. “Where are you from,” the girls questioned. “Georgia,” the boys answered. “Oh,” came back the answer, “we had guessed Tennessee.” Then, from the giggling females, came the best question so far. “Can you say ‘y’all’ for us?” Lots of laughter and teenage camaraderie ensued.
An early favorite was “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a “small” show about the anxiety of kids taking part in a local spelling competition. In a house where the audience is close to the stage, our students fell in love with the characters, their interaction and believability. The best part was that, two days later, some of us opted to see a matinee performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a show starring Sutton Foster, that is a sleeper for this year’s Tony Awards. While waiting in line at the TKTS booth to purchase our tickets, who should get in line right behind our group, but one of the stars of “Spelling Bee.” Again, great conversations, photos and autographs ensued. After that exhilaration, when we arrived at the Marquis Theatre for the matinee, five of the other stars from “Spelling Bee” arrived and sat right in front of us. What a great lesson for our theatre students, to see theatre professionals take time to see other pros at work, to learn from them and support them.
Other long lasting memories include our students’ emotional reaction to viewing Lady Liberty close up and their curiosity to find out about their ancestry on Ellis Island. I will laugh for a long time at their visceral reactions to the displays of dried and live exotic food. Of course, that didn’t stop them from investigating the bargain handbags and scarves available next door. And, significantly, they were at rapt attention when they visited with Philip McAdoo, a black actor they had seen in “Rent” the night before. They identified closely with his life story; his roots in rural North Carolina, a trip to NYC at age 15 that changed his life, and his circuitous route to Broadway, where he has starred in “Lion King” and “Rent” over the past 10 years. As we ended our NYC tour of shows and sights, we attended “Drumstruck,” a heart-pounding experience of African dance and drumming expertise. By placing a drum in every seat, this unique show allowed every audience member to participate, resulting in an energy and enthusiasm that had our kids floating as they departed the theatre.
Perhaps the most poignant memory, however, was the experience we shared on our visit to Ground Zero. While these students were between only ages nine and 12 in 2001, they instantly understood the significance of this site today. It has been said that a societies’ most revered places are revealed by the silence of those that visit them. In the heart of the city that never sleeps, this is a place of reverence and sadness. The work continues, but is overseen by an iron cross, welded into place by grieving workers early on in the process, that rises high above the reconstruction. Amid whispered conversations and worshipful attitudes, these children faced one of the horrors of their youth and came face to face with the uncertainty of their future. As we silently trudged northward to the subway, the carillon of St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the few places near Ground Zero miraculously undamaged by the terrorism, chimed hopefully in the background.
“Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” starts this Thursday and continues for three weekends. Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154. Tickets are also available at these sites: the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, Sheila’s Hallmark, and at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
4.19.06
After our Monday afternoon arrival and orientation by our tour guides from Manhattan Tour and Travel, we attended our first Broadway show, “Lestat,” based on the Anne Rice vampire novels with music by Elton John. The show was unique, filled with excellent moments, fancy multimedia effects and beautiful sets. It also had serious story flaws and was due for some production changes, which will happen since the show is still in previews and doesn’t officially open until April 25. After the show, three of our group discovered the stage door to get autographs and chat with performers. With star-struck faces and wordless wonder, they endured some chastising for not staying with the group, but I guarantee they felt it was worth the experience to take home some cherished autographs and rare photos of them on the casual arm of a Broadway star.
On our second day, two males in our entourage got stuck for a few minutes in the hotel elevator. While waiting for their release, the boys talked with some girls from upstate New York that stopped on a nearby floor in an adjacent elevator. “Where are you from,” the girls questioned. “Georgia,” the boys answered. “Oh,” came back the answer, “we had guessed Tennessee.” Then, from the giggling females, came the best question so far. “Can you say ‘y’all’ for us?” Lots of laughter and teenage camaraderie ensued.
An early favorite was “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a “small” show about the anxiety of kids taking part in a local spelling competition. In a house where the audience is close to the stage, our students fell in love with the characters, their interaction and believability. The best part was that, two days later, some of us opted to see a matinee performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a show starring Sutton Foster, that is a sleeper for this year’s Tony Awards. While waiting in line at the TKTS booth to purchase our tickets, who should get in line right behind our group, but one of the stars of “Spelling Bee.” Again, great conversations, photos and autographs ensued. After that exhilaration, when we arrived at the Marquis Theatre for the matinee, five of the other stars from “Spelling Bee” arrived and sat right in front of us. What a great lesson for our theatre students, to see theatre professionals take time to see other pros at work, to learn from them and support them.
Other long lasting memories include our students’ emotional reaction to viewing Lady Liberty close up and their curiosity to find out about their ancestry on Ellis Island. I will laugh for a long time at their visceral reactions to the displays of dried and live exotic food. Of course, that didn’t stop them from investigating the bargain handbags and scarves available next door. And, significantly, they were at rapt attention when they visited with Philip McAdoo, a black actor they had seen in “Rent” the night before. They identified closely with his life story; his roots in rural North Carolina, a trip to NYC at age 15 that changed his life, and his circuitous route to Broadway, where he has starred in “Lion King” and “Rent” over the past 10 years. As we ended our NYC tour of shows and sights, we attended “Drumstruck,” a heart-pounding experience of African dance and drumming expertise. By placing a drum in every seat, this unique show allowed every audience member to participate, resulting in an energy and enthusiasm that had our kids floating as they departed the theatre.
Perhaps the most poignant memory, however, was the experience we shared on our visit to Ground Zero. While these students were between only ages nine and 12 in 2001, they instantly understood the significance of this site today. It has been said that a societies’ most revered places are revealed by the silence of those that visit them. In the heart of the city that never sleeps, this is a place of reverence and sadness. The work continues, but is overseen by an iron cross, welded into place by grieving workers early on in the process, that rises high above the reconstruction. Amid whispered conversations and worshipful attitudes, these children faced one of the horrors of their youth and came face to face with the uncertainty of their future. As we silently trudged northward to the subway, the carillon of St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the few places near Ground Zero miraculously undamaged by the terrorism, chimed hopefully in the background.
“Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” starts this Thursday and continues for three weekends. Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154. Tickets are also available at these sites: the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, Sheila’s Hallmark, and at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
4.19.06
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)