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
Sunday, October 08, 2006
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
Crooked Rivers' Sisters Three Approaches
As promised last week, we begin to explore some of the aspects of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three” that have yet been unexplored in these pages. I suppose, however, that one must begin with a “truth in advertising,” “cards on the table” caveat for all that plan to attend. This production, exciting though it will be, is slated for a unique and undeniably memorable venue: Crooked River State Park, hard by the banks of said river, at the north end of Charlie Smith, Sr. Hwy (or Spur 40, as it is also known). Scenic the playing area will be, sheltered by canopies of pines and hardwoods, lit by lamps for both theatrical and emotive affect; this event will be discussed and bantered for months, maybe years, to come. And yet, there will be a facet of this event all of us wish we could ignore, to which we all wish we didn’t have to voice our complaint. But that is not our way; we hearty, community-minded boosters that hark to this call and, in so doing, reserve the right to comment on nature’s gifts, pesky though they are at times.
Now to those that have inhabited these parts for some time, you know what I am about to discuss. You see, as the storyteller says in “Sisters Three,” there is not a single gnat in Camden County. Nope, not a single gnat. They are all married with large, ravenous families. And, to be fair, no one has invited them to view “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” But the little buggers are the insistent, pushy and demanding sorts that view this production as an opportunity for a banquet. So, bring your favorite repellant, share it with friends, and hope for evening breezes. Whether it’s the Deep Woods OFF, or dryer fabric sheet, a pod of frogs, a flock of purple martins, or a concoction that Uncle Bubba uses when hunting, don’t forget to bring and use it. Crooked Rivers’ planners are doing all they can safely do to rid our lovely state park of our “friends,” but you can help them by preparing and sharing on production nights.
Other things to bring to the show might include an extra folding chair or two, in case the bleachers fill up or you find a good spot on the lawn down front. For those that climb the bleachers, bring your best Wildcat cushions and stadium seats to add to your comfort. And bring your best heart and laughter with you, and plan on sharing that with your friends and neighbors as well, right after you douse them with you favorite “Bug-Off” potion.
“Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” a homegrown, historical play will perform over three weekends beginning Thursday (April 20). The performances dates are: April 20, 21, 22, 23; April 27, 28, 29, 30; and May 4, 5, 6, 7. Thursday-Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm. Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm. Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154 beginning April 1. Also, “Crooked Rivers” tickets are available at these sites: the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. They will also be available at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Cirque Du Soleil’s “Delirium” was, as anticipated, a spectacular feast of sight and sound. Just the right antidote for a birthday celebration that takes one a year past “double nickels.” I just wish I were that flexible, talented or beautiful.
Opportunities for this week and the future: last weekend for “Hello Dolly” at the Alhambra, 6:30 p.m.; “Art After Dark” at Florida Theatre, April 21, 7-10 p.m.; Camden Area Players present “Harvey” May 12, 13 & 20, Heritage Bank Recreation Ctr.; sign up kids now for summer camp, ages 8-14 interested in theatre, offered by 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.
4.12.06
Now to those that have inhabited these parts for some time, you know what I am about to discuss. You see, as the storyteller says in “Sisters Three,” there is not a single gnat in Camden County. Nope, not a single gnat. They are all married with large, ravenous families. And, to be fair, no one has invited them to view “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” But the little buggers are the insistent, pushy and demanding sorts that view this production as an opportunity for a banquet. So, bring your favorite repellant, share it with friends, and hope for evening breezes. Whether it’s the Deep Woods OFF, or dryer fabric sheet, a pod of frogs, a flock of purple martins, or a concoction that Uncle Bubba uses when hunting, don’t forget to bring and use it. Crooked Rivers’ planners are doing all they can safely do to rid our lovely state park of our “friends,” but you can help them by preparing and sharing on production nights.
Other things to bring to the show might include an extra folding chair or two, in case the bleachers fill up or you find a good spot on the lawn down front. For those that climb the bleachers, bring your best Wildcat cushions and stadium seats to add to your comfort. And bring your best heart and laughter with you, and plan on sharing that with your friends and neighbors as well, right after you douse them with you favorite “Bug-Off” potion.
“Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” a homegrown, historical play will perform over three weekends beginning Thursday (April 20). The performances dates are: April 20, 21, 22, 23; April 27, 28, 29, 30; and May 4, 5, 6, 7. Thursday-Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm. Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm. Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154 beginning April 1. Also, “Crooked Rivers” tickets are available at these sites: the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. They will also be available at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Cirque Du Soleil’s “Delirium” was, as anticipated, a spectacular feast of sight and sound. Just the right antidote for a birthday celebration that takes one a year past “double nickels.” I just wish I were that flexible, talented or beautiful.
Opportunities for this week and the future: last weekend for “Hello Dolly” at the Alhambra, 6:30 p.m.; “Art After Dark” at Florida Theatre, April 21, 7-10 p.m.; Camden Area Players present “Harvey” May 12, 13 & 20, Heritage Bank Recreation Ctr.; sign up kids now for summer camp, ages 8-14 interested in theatre, offered by 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.
4.12.06
Monday, April 03, 2006
When Dreams Come True and Other Joys
This column is scheduled for publication in the 4.05.06 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper and in the 4.06.06 issue of the Kingsbay Periscope.
When dreams come true in your own life, it is a thing of wonder. However, when you get to see dreams realized in other people's lives, there are so many more possibilities. If you are able to observe these happy occasions from a distance without jaundice or judgment, you get a double pay off, experiencing not only the recipient's wonder and joy, but your own as well. And if you played even a small role in helping another's dreams coming true, then add pride and satisfaction to the emotional equation. You may heap on one more layer of goodness if the recipient is your child. As you can see, this experience is both overwhelming and draining, but worth repeating. The only cautionary note is that one should space these experiences out, if they are controllable at all, as the reservoir of tears and elation can become exhausting. Lately, I think some friends of mine have met their limit. I'll explain.
Thanks to many of you that attended, “Footloose” was a huge success in many ways. The student performers are cherishing and re-living the experience, having found skills and capacity in themselves they didn't know they possessed. In every performance I watched them give so much love to their audiences and their teachers; I got to see first dreams come true on both sides of the equation. One cast member, whom I had never really gotten to know, told me: “This was the best experience of my life.” He had never been in a play before or worked in a theatre production, but in this experience he found all the things that make the arts so powerful: self-awareness, loyalty and commitment to others, and the knowledge that you, and a group of new friends, have worked very hard to make others happy. The selflessness of that awareness and mere effort is daunting.
During Sunday’s performance, I had the privilege of being near show’s choreographer, listening and watching her reactions to all the big and tiny things that her charges did on stage. Over four months, she spent countless hours with them, creating movement in ways and in places, which, at first, the students didn’t think was possible. By challenging, cajoling, supporting and, occasionally, chiding her charges to reach for lofty goals, she created a living body of work where there was nothing. By her mere suggestions, dance and performance nuances were perfected. And in her laughter, tears and joyous reaction, I got to see her dreams come true in those young actors movement, their prowess. Since this talented teacher is the mother of my grandchildren, I think I reached a state of emotional nirvana for a time.
For the next few weeks, we will explore all that is intriguing about “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” The homegrown, historical play is slated for three weekends beginning Thursday (April 20). The performances dates are: April 20, 21, 22, 23; April 27, 28, 29, 30; and May 4, 5, 6, 7. Thursday-Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm. Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm. All performances are scheduled at Crooked Rivers State Park, which is seven miles north, at the end of Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy (or Spur 40). Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154 beginning April 1. Also, “Crooked Rivers” tickets are available at these area merchants: The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. They will also be available at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance. Put this on your calendar now!
Opportunities for this week and the future: find jazz and art in the self-guided First Wednesday’s Art Walk in downtown Jacksonville, free, April 5, 5-9 p.m.; The Great American Jazz Piano Competition kicks off April 6 at the Florida Theatre, 7 p.m.; do not miss the extravaganza that is Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at Veteran’s Memorial Arena, April 6 & 7; Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Metropolitan Park, April 7-9, 5-10 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
4.5.06
When dreams come true in your own life, it is a thing of wonder. However, when you get to see dreams realized in other people's lives, there are so many more possibilities. If you are able to observe these happy occasions from a distance without jaundice or judgment, you get a double pay off, experiencing not only the recipient's wonder and joy, but your own as well. And if you played even a small role in helping another's dreams coming true, then add pride and satisfaction to the emotional equation. You may heap on one more layer of goodness if the recipient is your child. As you can see, this experience is both overwhelming and draining, but worth repeating. The only cautionary note is that one should space these experiences out, if they are controllable at all, as the reservoir of tears and elation can become exhausting. Lately, I think some friends of mine have met their limit. I'll explain.
Thanks to many of you that attended, “Footloose” was a huge success in many ways. The student performers are cherishing and re-living the experience, having found skills and capacity in themselves they didn't know they possessed. In every performance I watched them give so much love to their audiences and their teachers; I got to see first dreams come true on both sides of the equation. One cast member, whom I had never really gotten to know, told me: “This was the best experience of my life.” He had never been in a play before or worked in a theatre production, but in this experience he found all the things that make the arts so powerful: self-awareness, loyalty and commitment to others, and the knowledge that you, and a group of new friends, have worked very hard to make others happy. The selflessness of that awareness and mere effort is daunting.
During Sunday’s performance, I had the privilege of being near show’s choreographer, listening and watching her reactions to all the big and tiny things that her charges did on stage. Over four months, she spent countless hours with them, creating movement in ways and in places, which, at first, the students didn’t think was possible. By challenging, cajoling, supporting and, occasionally, chiding her charges to reach for lofty goals, she created a living body of work where there was nothing. By her mere suggestions, dance and performance nuances were perfected. And in her laughter, tears and joyous reaction, I got to see her dreams come true in those young actors movement, their prowess. Since this talented teacher is the mother of my grandchildren, I think I reached a state of emotional nirvana for a time.
For the next few weeks, we will explore all that is intriguing about “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” The homegrown, historical play is slated for three weekends beginning Thursday (April 20). The performances dates are: April 20, 21, 22, 23; April 27, 28, 29, 30; and May 4, 5, 6, 7. Thursday-Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm. Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm. All performances are scheduled at Crooked Rivers State Park, which is seven miles north, at the end of Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy (or Spur 40). Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154 beginning April 1. Also, “Crooked Rivers” tickets are available at these area merchants: The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. They will also be available at the show box office at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance. Put this on your calendar now!
Opportunities for this week and the future: find jazz and art in the self-guided First Wednesday’s Art Walk in downtown Jacksonville, free, April 5, 5-9 p.m.; The Great American Jazz Piano Competition kicks off April 6 at the Florida Theatre, 7 p.m.; do not miss the extravaganza that is Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at Veteran’s Memorial Arena, April 6 & 7; Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Metropolitan Park, April 7-9, 5-10 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
4.5.06
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
It's Time to Cut "Footloose!"
This column appeared in the March 29, 2006 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper as well as in the March 30, 2006 edition of the Kings Bay Periscope.
Much of what I have been writing about for the past few weeks comes to fruition in Camden County this week and during the month of April. Before April tests its tenderness against daunting spring breezes and chilly nights, more than 80 Camden County High School artists will overpower you with their enthusiasm, their energy and their fearlessness. And, before the merry month of May arrives, we will see a project that has been bubbling in the caldron of creativity for nearly four years receive the breath of life from the throats of your neighbors and friends. In that order, here are some details.
Last November, teachers and directors at Camden County High challenged their charges. The aspiring artists responded with fervor. “Everybody cut ‘Footloose’,” they shouted at the top of their lungs! And they began to rehearse. Practicing almost daily since before their winter holiday break, these wonderful kids are ready for you. They are begging you to come see this story that is almost as heart-warming as the performers themselves.
“Footloose” features the title song, plus other hit songs such as “Let’s Hear it for the Boy,” and “Almost Paradise.” The play is based on a real event that happened in the small town of Elmore, Oklahoma, where, ever since the town’s founding in 1861, dancing had been illegal. (No one knew why, it had just always been that way.) In 1980, some local teens protested, town leaders and church elders battled them and eventually, after 120 years, the town had its first dance. The event made the national news, and ultimately, became a movie.
The movie opened as a box office smash in 1983, and in the 90’s, it was re-imagined for the Broadway stage with new songs, story line changes and stage choreography to capture the energy of the cast and the audience. The stage production is funnier, with a lighter brand of teen pathos than the movie. It also allows audiences to more deeply appreciate the efforts of concerned parents to protect their children.
“Footloose” cast members include Peter Anderson as Ren McCormack, Brittany Bingham as Ariel Moore, Greige Lott as Willard Hewitt, Becky Kuitems as Rusty, and Hampton Dixon as Reverend Shaw Moore. The show also features members of the CCHS Top Cats Dance Team in its high energy dance numbers, as well as a cadre of CCHS teachers in the opening number as members of the church choir. The student musicians are from Camden High’s award winning instrumental music program. Tickets are $5 in advance at the high school Auditorium or $6 at the door day of show.
Next up in April and continuing into May is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” The homegrown, historical play is slated for three weekends beginning Thursday (April 20). The performances dates are: April 20, 21, 22, 23; April 27, 28, 29, 30; and May 4, 5, 6, 7. Thursday-Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm. Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm. All performances are scheduled at Crooked Rivers State Park, which is seven miles north, at the end of Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy (or Spur 40). Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154 beginning April 1. Also, some area merchants will be making “Crooked Rivers” tickets available in their stores soon (that list is not quite complete yet – I will get it for next week). Put this on your calendar now!
Opportunities for this week and the future: string virtuosos from the No. 1 world album, Celtic Woman, TUC, Mar. 30, 8 p.m.; 70s hit makers The Lettermen and The Association at the TUC, Mar. 31, 8 p.m.; Oceanfront Music Festival’s “Springing the Blues,” March 31-April 2, Seawalk Plaza, Jax Beach; 150 artists and musicians live at San Marco Art Festival, San Marco Square, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free; do not miss Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at Veteran’s Memorial Arena, April 6 & 7.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
3.29.06
Much of what I have been writing about for the past few weeks comes to fruition in Camden County this week and during the month of April. Before April tests its tenderness against daunting spring breezes and chilly nights, more than 80 Camden County High School artists will overpower you with their enthusiasm, their energy and their fearlessness. And, before the merry month of May arrives, we will see a project that has been bubbling in the caldron of creativity for nearly four years receive the breath of life from the throats of your neighbors and friends. In that order, here are some details.
Last November, teachers and directors at Camden County High challenged their charges. The aspiring artists responded with fervor. “Everybody cut ‘Footloose’,” they shouted at the top of their lungs! And they began to rehearse. Practicing almost daily since before their winter holiday break, these wonderful kids are ready for you. They are begging you to come see this story that is almost as heart-warming as the performers themselves.
“Footloose” features the title song, plus other hit songs such as “Let’s Hear it for the Boy,” and “Almost Paradise.” The play is based on a real event that happened in the small town of Elmore, Oklahoma, where, ever since the town’s founding in 1861, dancing had been illegal. (No one knew why, it had just always been that way.) In 1980, some local teens protested, town leaders and church elders battled them and eventually, after 120 years, the town had its first dance. The event made the national news, and ultimately, became a movie.
The movie opened as a box office smash in 1983, and in the 90’s, it was re-imagined for the Broadway stage with new songs, story line changes and stage choreography to capture the energy of the cast and the audience. The stage production is funnier, with a lighter brand of teen pathos than the movie. It also allows audiences to more deeply appreciate the efforts of concerned parents to protect their children.
“Footloose” cast members include Peter Anderson as Ren McCormack, Brittany Bingham as Ariel Moore, Greige Lott as Willard Hewitt, Becky Kuitems as Rusty, and Hampton Dixon as Reverend Shaw Moore. The show also features members of the CCHS Top Cats Dance Team in its high energy dance numbers, as well as a cadre of CCHS teachers in the opening number as members of the church choir. The student musicians are from Camden High’s award winning instrumental music program. Tickets are $5 in advance at the high school Auditorium or $6 at the door day of show.
Next up in April and continuing into May is “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” The homegrown, historical play is slated for three weekends beginning Thursday (April 20). The performances dates are: April 20, 21, 22, 23; April 27, 28, 29, 30; and May 4, 5, 6, 7. Thursday-Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm. Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm. All performances are scheduled at Crooked Rivers State Park, which is seven miles north, at the end of Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy (or Spur 40). Tickets are available by calling (912) 729-3154 beginning April 1. Also, some area merchants will be making “Crooked Rivers” tickets available in their stores soon (that list is not quite complete yet – I will get it for next week). Put this on your calendar now!
Opportunities for this week and the future: string virtuosos from the No. 1 world album, Celtic Woman, TUC, Mar. 30, 8 p.m.; 70s hit makers The Lettermen and The Association at the TUC, Mar. 31, 8 p.m.; Oceanfront Music Festival’s “Springing the Blues,” March 31-April 2, Seawalk Plaza, Jax Beach; 150 artists and musicians live at San Marco Art Festival, San Marco Square, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free; do not miss Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at Veteran’s Memorial Arena, April 6 & 7.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
3.29.06
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
There is Magic To Do in Camden
This column appeared in the March 22, 2006 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper, as well as in the March 23, 2006 edition of the Kings Bay Periscope.
There is some magic going on right now in Camden County. It is casting its spell in church fellowship halls, dance studios and personal homes. There are 80-plus “members” under the power of this force right now. And they intend to extend their conjuring energy to the rest of us soon. This corps of enchanters ranges in age from three to several scores old. They have been described as “wonderful” and “crazy.” I was wary of this apparent propaganda.
I sought an audience with their leader, to divine exactly what this magical experience was all about. He goes by the moniker of Jerry; his brood calls him “The Director.” I asked: “What is going on here?” With a wry smile he just said: “You know, it hasn’t just been the temperature that was warm in this county the past two weeks!” “What?” I was puzzled by this riddle. “Yes,” Jerry confirmed, “the first two weeks my cast and I have spent working on ‘Crooked Rivers’ have been amazing, productive, and warm. The smiles and laughter of our crowd of people from all over Camden County have been a powerful welcoming force. I've done this before, but Camden County is welcoming in remarkable ways. I don't want to jinx us, but I think we are off to a extraordinary start.”
So I went to a “Crooked Rivers” rehearsal to see for myself this “magical happening” that was coming to life and binding these cast members together before our eyes. I watched the giggling, squirming “Gnats”- that's what they call the kids in the Crooked Rivers’ cast. I saw storytellers, diverse in race, age, and gender, weave their fanciful tales about family traditions and social occasions. And I heard their poignant stories about tough times and tough people that shaped our community. I found out that the magic being woven here in Camden County is taking shape inside the hearts and minds of the cast of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” our local play about our history, our heritage, our future and our legacy. Their efforts in taking this magic into their hearts will pay off for them and for you starting April 21, when they offer some of their magical mixture to audiences at performances of this theatrical event at Crooked Rivers State Park.
Now that we have discovered the source of this magical force taking hold in Camden County, we ought to listen again to director, Jerry Stropnicky, when he counsels, “This play is musical, funny, and wise. Some of the stories are filled with laughter and joy. Some of the stories are “hard stories,” stories about hate and struggle.” Then, with a wise look, he intrigues us with this observation: “the conversations we’re having around all those stories prove that they are worth the telling.” And seeing and hearing.
Next week, how you can get tickets to see and hear “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” live and in person.
Opportunities for this week and the future: pop a capella tunes by Rockapella, March 24, Florida Theatre, 8 p.m.; barbecue and rock lovers gather at Jacksonville BBQ Blast, Metropolitan Park, March 24-26; family arts and entertainment at the Book Club and Rally Jacksonville, Cummer Museum, March 25, free, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; remarkable string virtuosity by Irish players Celtic Woman, TUC, Mar. 30, 8 p.m.; 70s hit makers The Lettermen and The Association at the TUC, Mar. 31, 8 p.m.; Oceanfront Music Festival’s “Springing the Blues,” March 31-April 2, Seawalk Plaza, Jax Beach; The Great American Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre, April 6, 7 p.m.; do not miss Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at Veteran’s Memorial Arena, April 6 & 7;
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
3.22.06
There is some magic going on right now in Camden County. It is casting its spell in church fellowship halls, dance studios and personal homes. There are 80-plus “members” under the power of this force right now. And they intend to extend their conjuring energy to the rest of us soon. This corps of enchanters ranges in age from three to several scores old. They have been described as “wonderful” and “crazy.” I was wary of this apparent propaganda.
I sought an audience with their leader, to divine exactly what this magical experience was all about. He goes by the moniker of Jerry; his brood calls him “The Director.” I asked: “What is going on here?” With a wry smile he just said: “You know, it hasn’t just been the temperature that was warm in this county the past two weeks!” “What?” I was puzzled by this riddle. “Yes,” Jerry confirmed, “the first two weeks my cast and I have spent working on ‘Crooked Rivers’ have been amazing, productive, and warm. The smiles and laughter of our crowd of people from all over Camden County have been a powerful welcoming force. I've done this before, but Camden County is welcoming in remarkable ways. I don't want to jinx us, but I think we are off to a extraordinary start.”
So I went to a “Crooked Rivers” rehearsal to see for myself this “magical happening” that was coming to life and binding these cast members together before our eyes. I watched the giggling, squirming “Gnats”- that's what they call the kids in the Crooked Rivers’ cast. I saw storytellers, diverse in race, age, and gender, weave their fanciful tales about family traditions and social occasions. And I heard their poignant stories about tough times and tough people that shaped our community. I found out that the magic being woven here in Camden County is taking shape inside the hearts and minds of the cast of “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” our local play about our history, our heritage, our future and our legacy. Their efforts in taking this magic into their hearts will pay off for them and for you starting April 21, when they offer some of their magical mixture to audiences at performances of this theatrical event at Crooked Rivers State Park.
Now that we have discovered the source of this magical force taking hold in Camden County, we ought to listen again to director, Jerry Stropnicky, when he counsels, “This play is musical, funny, and wise. Some of the stories are filled with laughter and joy. Some of the stories are “hard stories,” stories about hate and struggle.” Then, with a wise look, he intrigues us with this observation: “the conversations we’re having around all those stories prove that they are worth the telling.” And seeing and hearing.
Next week, how you can get tickets to see and hear “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” live and in person.
Opportunities for this week and the future: pop a capella tunes by Rockapella, March 24, Florida Theatre, 8 p.m.; barbecue and rock lovers gather at Jacksonville BBQ Blast, Metropolitan Park, March 24-26; family arts and entertainment at the Book Club and Rally Jacksonville, Cummer Museum, March 25, free, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; remarkable string virtuosity by Irish players Celtic Woman, TUC, Mar. 30, 8 p.m.; 70s hit makers The Lettermen and The Association at the TUC, Mar. 31, 8 p.m.; Oceanfront Music Festival’s “Springing the Blues,” March 31-April 2, Seawalk Plaza, Jax Beach; The Great American Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre, April 6, 7 p.m.; do not miss Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at Veteran’s Memorial Arena, April 6 & 7;
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
3.22.06
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Life is Good - Baseball, round ball and ballet
This column is scheduled to appear in the 3.15.06 issue of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
I am about to become an addict…again. I love this time of year, and this year is even better. For me, it’s a time of renewal and reaffirmation, combining two of my favorite non-arts events. How can we not pay homage to this duality of physical accomplishment – the commencement of March Madness (where real basketball is played by athletes that are still students [at least in part] and more than marginally devoted to team play) and the opening of Spring Training, where baseball is played for sport’s and opportunity’s sake. This year holds an added attraction for me since we are fully engulfed in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, which teeters on the brink between nationalistic pride and pure love of a game that transcends cultural and ethnic barriers. The WBC also offers us this incentive to watch: a chance to see multi-million dollar athletes play for free.
Between satellite TV’s March Madness package, XM radio’s wall to wall coverage of the WBC and MLB, MLB.com; ESPNnews, CBSsportsline.com, and my daily dose of print and online news, I am approaching addict status. The love of my life shakes her head and tolerates me like a governess monitoring the ultimately harmless antics of a spoiled charge. The level of phone calls, emails and text messages between father and sons expands with alarming regularity. (Last week, 30 minutes before going on stage, my youngest called me, anxious to find out if the US pulled out a last inning victory of team Canada in the first round of WBC play. They didn’t. However, there is a son with his priorities straight!)
Because of the focus of this column, I suppose, in my anticipation for the events of the next few weeks, I should attempt to make some connection to the arts. Luckily, my reading for this week took my rapidly into a story buried deep within the March13 issue of Sports Illustrated, beyond its sensational cover topic and its review of Tiger’s latest victory. In the table of contents, I was stunned to see a page-wide photo of Glen Davis, LSU’s 6’8”, 315 pound post player, in perfect ballet first position as he and seven dance partners execute a beautiful sauté or jump. I flipped to page 58 and there in a two-page photo spread is Davis, arms extended, smiling beautifully as he and his dancer friends soar gracefully above the dance floor. Turns out Davis, whose early life was chaotic and violence filled, sought out ballet in high school to be close to a girl he liked and remains a devotee still. His love of the arts extends back to middle school where he brought down the house during a talent show when, as a colossal sized sixth-grader wearing his grandmother’s wig, he channeled the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Whatever his training or reasons, I think I am going to make LSU one of my underdog picks in the NCAA basketball tournament. I mean, how can you not root for a man this big that can willingly and happily execute a grand jeté?
Opportunities for this week and the future: Theatre Jacksonville’s “Silent Heroes,” about military pilot wives waiting for word of their possibly downed men, through Mar. 18; Marvin Hamlisch with JSO, TUC, Mar. 16-18, 8 p.m.; TV’s Sharon Gless and Richard Masur star in Neil Simon’s “Prisoner of Second Avenue,” UNF Fine Arts Center, March 18, 7:30 p.m.; Latin dance extravaganza “Forever Tango,” TUC, Mar. 19, 7 p.m.; remarkable string virtuosity by Irish players Celtic Woman, TUC, Mar. 30, 8 p.m.; 70s hit makers The Lettermen and The Association at the TUC, Mar. 31, 8 p.m.; Oceanfront Music Festival’s “Springing the Blues,” March 31-April 2, Seawalk Plaza, Jax Beach; The Great American Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre, April 6, 7 p.m.
3.15.06
I am about to become an addict…again. I love this time of year, and this year is even better. For me, it’s a time of renewal and reaffirmation, combining two of my favorite non-arts events. How can we not pay homage to this duality of physical accomplishment – the commencement of March Madness (where real basketball is played by athletes that are still students [at least in part] and more than marginally devoted to team play) and the opening of Spring Training, where baseball is played for sport’s and opportunity’s sake. This year holds an added attraction for me since we are fully engulfed in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, which teeters on the brink between nationalistic pride and pure love of a game that transcends cultural and ethnic barriers. The WBC also offers us this incentive to watch: a chance to see multi-million dollar athletes play for free.
Between satellite TV’s March Madness package, XM radio’s wall to wall coverage of the WBC and MLB, MLB.com; ESPNnews, CBSsportsline.com, and my daily dose of print and online news, I am approaching addict status. The love of my life shakes her head and tolerates me like a governess monitoring the ultimately harmless antics of a spoiled charge. The level of phone calls, emails and text messages between father and sons expands with alarming regularity. (Last week, 30 minutes before going on stage, my youngest called me, anxious to find out if the US pulled out a last inning victory of team Canada in the first round of WBC play. They didn’t. However, there is a son with his priorities straight!)
Because of the focus of this column, I suppose, in my anticipation for the events of the next few weeks, I should attempt to make some connection to the arts. Luckily, my reading for this week took my rapidly into a story buried deep within the March13 issue of Sports Illustrated, beyond its sensational cover topic and its review of Tiger’s latest victory. In the table of contents, I was stunned to see a page-wide photo of Glen Davis, LSU’s 6’8”, 315 pound post player, in perfect ballet first position as he and seven dance partners execute a beautiful sauté or jump. I flipped to page 58 and there in a two-page photo spread is Davis, arms extended, smiling beautifully as he and his dancer friends soar gracefully above the dance floor. Turns out Davis, whose early life was chaotic and violence filled, sought out ballet in high school to be close to a girl he liked and remains a devotee still. His love of the arts extends back to middle school where he brought down the house during a talent show when, as a colossal sized sixth-grader wearing his grandmother’s wig, he channeled the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Whatever his training or reasons, I think I am going to make LSU one of my underdog picks in the NCAA basketball tournament. I mean, how can you not root for a man this big that can willingly and happily execute a grand jeté?
Opportunities for this week and the future: Theatre Jacksonville’s “Silent Heroes,” about military pilot wives waiting for word of their possibly downed men, through Mar. 18; Marvin Hamlisch with JSO, TUC, Mar. 16-18, 8 p.m.; TV’s Sharon Gless and Richard Masur star in Neil Simon’s “Prisoner of Second Avenue,” UNF Fine Arts Center, March 18, 7:30 p.m.; Latin dance extravaganza “Forever Tango,” TUC, Mar. 19, 7 p.m.; remarkable string virtuosity by Irish players Celtic Woman, TUC, Mar. 30, 8 p.m.; 70s hit makers The Lettermen and The Association at the TUC, Mar. 31, 8 p.m.; Oceanfront Music Festival’s “Springing the Blues,” March 31-April 2, Seawalk Plaza, Jax Beach; The Great American Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre, April 6, 7 p.m.
3.15.06
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Crooked Rivers Cast In Rehearsals
This column appeared in the 3.8.06 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
Well, the final Crooked Rivers Sisters Three “participation gatherings” are done. More than 80 souls committed to playing some role in the success of this project; to help tell the tales of Camden County past and near present. Diverse in age, gender, race and ethnicity, these tender friends will be your guide when Crooked Rivers Sisters Three comes to life in the moonlight of Crooked Rivers State Park, for three weekends beginning on April 21. Director Jerry Stropnicky is “in the house” and sets, costumes and music are all in process. On Saturday, he gathered the cast together and they read through the script together for the first time. There were many insights gained, parts assigned and there was much laughter shared. The stories are beginning to take shape on the lips and in the minds of the Crooked Rivers Sisters Three cast members. And they cannot wait to share them with you.
Last November, I wrote in a column about a friend of ours that is a drama teacher in Kentucky. I related that Carolyn Greer is a former student of this drama teacher that I am close to (OK, married to), and how Carolyn is a dynamo whose theatre program embodies all the winning attributes to which the arts are supposed to expose students. In this context, I explained that her One Act Play was selected the best in Kentucky and that her students would be performing in March in Orlando, FL at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. I further offered a small wager that a certain mentor of hers would be seated front and center to see that performance and the reunion would create a memory to live a long time.
That event occurred this past Friday night at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando. In the shadows of Universal Studios, more than 20 teenagers from Owensboro, KY created this special moment. Taking it all in was Carolyn’s mentor and former teacher, as well as my oldest son, his wife and my oldest grandchild. They all came because Carolyn is part of our family; she lived with us for parts of two summers after college graduation. After their play ended, Carolyn gathered her charges around like a mother hen and introduced them to the assembled extended family. After their performance, there was wonder in the eyes of her young performers when they finally met this “legendary” teacher; talking about her is often one of Carolyn Greer’s favorite topics of conversation. The words and tears tumbled out in gobs and drips, with an intensity and passion that is a rare thing to experience. (Of course, I was there too, taking it all in, pondering the meaning of this legacy in the making and pretending to have something in my eye.) I just got busy and hugged them all immensely - students, spouse, children, grandchild and friends, for I know it is important to get close to winners.
Opportunities for this week and the future: “Hello Dolly” at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre; Jerry Seinfeld at the TUC, 3.9, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; “Brigadoon” at Flager College, through 3.12; Russian American Kids Circus at The Florida Theatre, 3.11, 7:30 p.m.; a 20-year tradition, The Great American Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre, 4.6, 7 p.m.
3.8.06
Well, the final Crooked Rivers Sisters Three “participation gatherings” are done. More than 80 souls committed to playing some role in the success of this project; to help tell the tales of Camden County past and near present. Diverse in age, gender, race and ethnicity, these tender friends will be your guide when Crooked Rivers Sisters Three comes to life in the moonlight of Crooked Rivers State Park, for three weekends beginning on April 21. Director Jerry Stropnicky is “in the house” and sets, costumes and music are all in process. On Saturday, he gathered the cast together and they read through the script together for the first time. There were many insights gained, parts assigned and there was much laughter shared. The stories are beginning to take shape on the lips and in the minds of the Crooked Rivers Sisters Three cast members. And they cannot wait to share them with you.
Last November, I wrote in a column about a friend of ours that is a drama teacher in Kentucky. I related that Carolyn Greer is a former student of this drama teacher that I am close to (OK, married to), and how Carolyn is a dynamo whose theatre program embodies all the winning attributes to which the arts are supposed to expose students. In this context, I explained that her One Act Play was selected the best in Kentucky and that her students would be performing in March in Orlando, FL at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. I further offered a small wager that a certain mentor of hers would be seated front and center to see that performance and the reunion would create a memory to live a long time.
That event occurred this past Friday night at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando. In the shadows of Universal Studios, more than 20 teenagers from Owensboro, KY created this special moment. Taking it all in was Carolyn’s mentor and former teacher, as well as my oldest son, his wife and my oldest grandchild. They all came because Carolyn is part of our family; she lived with us for parts of two summers after college graduation. After their play ended, Carolyn gathered her charges around like a mother hen and introduced them to the assembled extended family. After their performance, there was wonder in the eyes of her young performers when they finally met this “legendary” teacher; talking about her is often one of Carolyn Greer’s favorite topics of conversation. The words and tears tumbled out in gobs and drips, with an intensity and passion that is a rare thing to experience. (Of course, I was there too, taking it all in, pondering the meaning of this legacy in the making and pretending to have something in my eye.) I just got busy and hugged them all immensely - students, spouse, children, grandchild and friends, for I know it is important to get close to winners.
Opportunities for this week and the future: “Hello Dolly” at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre; Jerry Seinfeld at the TUC, 3.9, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; “Brigadoon” at Flager College, through 3.12; Russian American Kids Circus at The Florida Theatre, 3.11, 7:30 p.m.; a 20-year tradition, The Great American Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre, 4.6, 7 p.m.
3.8.06
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Inspiration Provides Vision and Action
This column appeared in the 3.1.06 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
Inspiration is a unique and ephemeral thing. It emanates from people and experiences both expectedly and without warning. It transcends age, socio-economics, gender and ethnicity. And it can offer both anticipated and unimaginable results. The nature of this unique human convention makes the youthful dream and their elders take risks. Inspiration causes children to imagine future exploits of bravery and glorious proficiency in all manner of arts and athletics. It brings adults dreams of new beginnings, new inventions, and is the progenitor of opportunities, spiritual and material.
Inspiration is present in the remarkable achievements of athletes for whom the physical becomes secondary to the mental and emotional. I see it in the growing dreams of children whose lives become focused on that which they are learning to love passionately: the play, the dance and the ball field. The Olympics always seem to be replete with these inspirational moments and stories: consider Tanith Belbin (who gave up her Canadian citizenship to a first-ever ice dancing medal for the U.S.); also consider the unexpected giant slalom gold medal by Julia Mancuso, America’s first alpine skiing gold since 1984. After Mancuso skied to victory, her mother captured the essence of her daughter’s inspiration: “Just watch her. She’s been getting ready for this since she was three.”
This week, I had a couple of personal brushes with inspiration in action. A budding athlete I know has discovered his passion for baseball. While only five, his potential is clearly evident, especially to this grandfather. Whether playing catcher, shortstop or raking the ball off the tee all the way to the fence, he has found magic in the game his dad, uncle and grandpa dearly love. (We are all still coping with that interlaced NY on his new cap and jersey – will the baseball Gods forgive?) All those nights watching the Braves and visiting the ballpark, coupled with possessing the perfect nickname for an infielder (DP for David Paul), might have contributed to his newly realized inspiration. Whatever the source, after game one this week, the newest Yankee to wear #1 opted to spend an additional hour at the park, hitting and fielding, and then later slammed shots into the garden in his backyard for two more hours after he arrived home.
Example number two arrived in an email from a self-confessed proud mom. Last summer, her daughter was Edwina Spoonapple, advice-giver extraordinaire from Paw-Paw, Michigan, in “Dear Edwina, Jr.,” the inaugural Camden Summer Theatre youth musical. After that experience, which the young actress handled with aplomb and maturity beyond her years, the stage became her oyster. Voice lessons, auditions and a new part in Stage Aurora’s production of “Grease” have honed her passion to white heat. So this weekend, consider a visit to FCCJ’s North Campus to see “Grease,” with St. Marys’ Dowling Payne as Patti Simcox, really obnoxious cheerleader, yearbook editor and prom decorator. According to her mom, “she has loved being obnoxious.” She also added “this experience has been great for Dowling…she’s learned valuable life lessons along the way.” Call (904) 765-7372 for tickets or visit www.stageaurora.com. Dowling is in shows on 3.4 & 3.11 at 8 p.m. and the 3.5 matinee at 3 p.m.
There it is. Inspiration: authoring dreams and invigorating effort.
Opportunities for this week and the future: get a new coiffure for “Hairspray” at TUC through 3.5, don’t miss consummate pianist Emanuel Ax with JSO at TUC 3.2-4; enjoy The Florida Ballet’s repertory showcase “Spectrum,” at Florida Theatre, 3.4; make plans to experience Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7.
2.25.06
Inspiration is a unique and ephemeral thing. It emanates from people and experiences both expectedly and without warning. It transcends age, socio-economics, gender and ethnicity. And it can offer both anticipated and unimaginable results. The nature of this unique human convention makes the youthful dream and their elders take risks. Inspiration causes children to imagine future exploits of bravery and glorious proficiency in all manner of arts and athletics. It brings adults dreams of new beginnings, new inventions, and is the progenitor of opportunities, spiritual and material.
Inspiration is present in the remarkable achievements of athletes for whom the physical becomes secondary to the mental and emotional. I see it in the growing dreams of children whose lives become focused on that which they are learning to love passionately: the play, the dance and the ball field. The Olympics always seem to be replete with these inspirational moments and stories: consider Tanith Belbin (who gave up her Canadian citizenship to a first-ever ice dancing medal for the U.S.); also consider the unexpected giant slalom gold medal by Julia Mancuso, America’s first alpine skiing gold since 1984. After Mancuso skied to victory, her mother captured the essence of her daughter’s inspiration: “Just watch her. She’s been getting ready for this since she was three.”
This week, I had a couple of personal brushes with inspiration in action. A budding athlete I know has discovered his passion for baseball. While only five, his potential is clearly evident, especially to this grandfather. Whether playing catcher, shortstop or raking the ball off the tee all the way to the fence, he has found magic in the game his dad, uncle and grandpa dearly love. (We are all still coping with that interlaced NY on his new cap and jersey – will the baseball Gods forgive?) All those nights watching the Braves and visiting the ballpark, coupled with possessing the perfect nickname for an infielder (DP for David Paul), might have contributed to his newly realized inspiration. Whatever the source, after game one this week, the newest Yankee to wear #1 opted to spend an additional hour at the park, hitting and fielding, and then later slammed shots into the garden in his backyard for two more hours after he arrived home.
Example number two arrived in an email from a self-confessed proud mom. Last summer, her daughter was Edwina Spoonapple, advice-giver extraordinaire from Paw-Paw, Michigan, in “Dear Edwina, Jr.,” the inaugural Camden Summer Theatre youth musical. After that experience, which the young actress handled with aplomb and maturity beyond her years, the stage became her oyster. Voice lessons, auditions and a new part in Stage Aurora’s production of “Grease” have honed her passion to white heat. So this weekend, consider a visit to FCCJ’s North Campus to see “Grease,” with St. Marys’ Dowling Payne as Patti Simcox, really obnoxious cheerleader, yearbook editor and prom decorator. According to her mom, “she has loved being obnoxious.” She also added “this experience has been great for Dowling…she’s learned valuable life lessons along the way.” Call (904) 765-7372 for tickets or visit www.stageaurora.com. Dowling is in shows on 3.4 & 3.11 at 8 p.m. and the 3.5 matinee at 3 p.m.
There it is. Inspiration: authoring dreams and invigorating effort.
Opportunities for this week and the future: get a new coiffure for “Hairspray” at TUC through 3.5, don’t miss consummate pianist Emanuel Ax with JSO at TUC 3.2-4; enjoy The Florida Ballet’s repertory showcase “Spectrum,” at Florida Theatre, 3.4; make plans to experience Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7.
2.25.06
An Invitation to Crooked Rivers "Gatherings"
This column was published in the 2.22.06 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
Last November, I wrote a column about my experience at the first “participation gatherings” for Crooked Rivers Sisters Three. I remember meeting some warm, interesting and enthusiastic people. I wrote about meeting Lori and her sweet children, Brenton and Kayla. Lori and her kids were joined by Casey and Steve, with their children Ben and Madison; their family was in the initial one-act scenes and can’t wait to share in the full-length event. Alicia, a high school drama student and a dancer, brought her younger sister Chelsea to join; they couldn’t wait to get started. I also met the theatre-loving Marcie. She read about Crooked Rivers and came to be a part of the whole process. And, finally, I was acquainted with Margaret, a distinguished lady, now retired from her career with an Ohio school system.
This weekend I am looking forward to meeting new potential cast members that want to be a part of the Crooked Rivers family and to help tell the stories of Camden County’s history. The second and final round of “participation gatherings,” to recruit and inform possible Crooked Rivers Sisters Three participants, are being held this Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25 & 26) from 2-4 p.m. at the Camden County High School Auditorium, located at 6300 Laurel Island Parkway in Kingsland. To get a sense of the spirit of the event or to determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, you are invited to attend one of these “gatherings.”
To give you a sense of the kinds of stories that you will experience in Crooked Rivers, last November I revealed a few of the plot elements. I mentioned then a story of how pre-teenage boys used to drive the roads of Camden County, avoiding the state police with the help of local law enforcement. Also revealed was the story of how local white citizens dealt with a bigoted sheriff that refused to “do right” when it came to punishment of a man that committed violence against local black residents. You can also look forward to stories about how locals smuggled booze during Prohibition and the adventures of one resident exploring Cumberland Island as a boy. Intertwined with these stories of personal and civic history, you will find the lighthearted antics of a children’s chorus called the Sand Gnat Choir, and the comic relief of the gator-hatted Alligator Quartet as they loudly reveal the nature of local delicacies for the audience.
Get a sense of the play, get a chance to be a part of the family and explore our community’s history and it’s possibilities at the “participation gatherings” this weekend at the CCHS Auditorium.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: catch the musical “City of Angels” at JU’s Terry Concert Hall, through 2.24, 7:30 p.m.; enjoy the Huck Finn tale as a musical in “Big River” at Florida School of the Arts, St. Johns River Community College, 2.23-24 at 7:30 p.m. and 2.25 at 2:30 p.m.; classic American drama in “Of Mice and Men,” Limelight Theatre, through 2.28; catch the explosive violinist Mark Wood with JSO at TUC, 2.24, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.; groove on soul and classic Motown at the “’70s Soul Jam” at TUC, 2.24, 8 p.m.; mellow with The Degas String Quartet, Cummer Museum Concert Series, 2.26, 3 p.m. (Free); make plans to experience Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.18.06
Last November, I wrote a column about my experience at the first “participation gatherings” for Crooked Rivers Sisters Three. I remember meeting some warm, interesting and enthusiastic people. I wrote about meeting Lori and her sweet children, Brenton and Kayla. Lori and her kids were joined by Casey and Steve, with their children Ben and Madison; their family was in the initial one-act scenes and can’t wait to share in the full-length event. Alicia, a high school drama student and a dancer, brought her younger sister Chelsea to join; they couldn’t wait to get started. I also met the theatre-loving Marcie. She read about Crooked Rivers and came to be a part of the whole process. And, finally, I was acquainted with Margaret, a distinguished lady, now retired from her career with an Ohio school system.
This weekend I am looking forward to meeting new potential cast members that want to be a part of the Crooked Rivers family and to help tell the stories of Camden County’s history. The second and final round of “participation gatherings,” to recruit and inform possible Crooked Rivers Sisters Three participants, are being held this Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25 & 26) from 2-4 p.m. at the Camden County High School Auditorium, located at 6300 Laurel Island Parkway in Kingsland. To get a sense of the spirit of the event or to determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, you are invited to attend one of these “gatherings.”
To give you a sense of the kinds of stories that you will experience in Crooked Rivers, last November I revealed a few of the plot elements. I mentioned then a story of how pre-teenage boys used to drive the roads of Camden County, avoiding the state police with the help of local law enforcement. Also revealed was the story of how local white citizens dealt with a bigoted sheriff that refused to “do right” when it came to punishment of a man that committed violence against local black residents. You can also look forward to stories about how locals smuggled booze during Prohibition and the adventures of one resident exploring Cumberland Island as a boy. Intertwined with these stories of personal and civic history, you will find the lighthearted antics of a children’s chorus called the Sand Gnat Choir, and the comic relief of the gator-hatted Alligator Quartet as they loudly reveal the nature of local delicacies for the audience.
Get a sense of the play, get a chance to be a part of the family and explore our community’s history and it’s possibilities at the “participation gatherings” this weekend at the CCHS Auditorium.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: catch the musical “City of Angels” at JU’s Terry Concert Hall, through 2.24, 7:30 p.m.; enjoy the Huck Finn tale as a musical in “Big River” at Florida School of the Arts, St. Johns River Community College, 2.23-24 at 7:30 p.m. and 2.25 at 2:30 p.m.; classic American drama in “Of Mice and Men,” Limelight Theatre, through 2.28; catch the explosive violinist Mark Wood with JSO at TUC, 2.24, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.; groove on soul and classic Motown at the “’70s Soul Jam” at TUC, 2.24, 8 p.m.; mellow with The Degas String Quartet, Cummer Museum Concert Series, 2.26, 3 p.m. (Free); make plans to experience Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.18.06
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Celebrating Mozart's Contributions In Concert
This column was published in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper on Wednesday (2.15.06).
Announcements and reminders first: if you help with sound and lighting at a church, a civic group or a local performing group, Arts Camden and Crooked Rivers, Sisters Three is offering a one-day stage lighting and sound workshop Saturday (Feb. 18) from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. Technical staff from the CCHS Auditorium will conduct the workshop, which will include information about stage lighting, sound instruments and their use in performance settings. The cost is $20, payable at the door; lunch is included. Call 729-7463 to make a reservation.
A second event to remember are the “participation gatherings” to recruit and inform potential Crooked Rivers Sisters Three participants on Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25 & 26) from 2-4 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. If you want to get a sense of the spirit of the event and determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, attend one of these “gatherings.”
There are many arts-related thoughts that I considered sharing this week: another opportunity to see my angel-voiced son as Valjean in Les Misérables, this time with my sibling’s family and his grandmother in Minneapolis/St. Paul, a city with more performance space seats than any U.S. city other than NYC (he is maturing in the role, the youngest ever to have played it at 29); the artistry and beauty of the opening ceremonies of the XX Winter Games in Torino, Italy (I had never imagined skating trees or fire spouting skaters!); and a nod to the longest-running show in Broadway history, “The Phantom of the Opera,” which comes alive May 17th at the Times-Union Center.
But what remains with me most after this weekend spent with family and at performances, is the delight shared on Saturday night in St. Luke’s, a remarkable old church in St. Paul, MN, when more than 200 students, alumni, parents, friends and faculty of the St. Paul Academy performed their annual choral and orchestra Winter Concert. After accomplished performances by student musicians and singers, came this culminating event. The nave of the sanctuary, filled with singers of all ages (including my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew), strings, woodwinds and percussion, projected the magnificence of Mozart’s final musical accomplishment, “Requiem.” The history of this piece is remarkable in itself, but its power and ability transcend space, time and history is what I came away remembering. And contemplating this too: how significant must a person’s accomplishments be for the whole world to celebrate your art for an entire year, 250 years after your death? In the program for the Winter Concert, Burt Pinsonneault wrote, “(Mozart’s) work has become seminal to the art and culture of our civilization.” How significant indeed!
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: brilliant political satire from the Capitol Steps at FCCJ’s South Campus Wilson Hall, 2.15-19, 7:30 p.m.; get “doo-wopped” with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, 2.19, Florida Theatre, 8 p.m., let Edward Albee’s “A Delicate Balance” get under your skin, Players by the Sea, 2.17&18, 8 p.m.; direct from Broadway, “Forever Tango” at TUC, 7 p.m.; consider Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7;
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.12.06
Announcements and reminders first: if you help with sound and lighting at a church, a civic group or a local performing group, Arts Camden and Crooked Rivers, Sisters Three is offering a one-day stage lighting and sound workshop Saturday (Feb. 18) from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. Technical staff from the CCHS Auditorium will conduct the workshop, which will include information about stage lighting, sound instruments and their use in performance settings. The cost is $20, payable at the door; lunch is included. Call 729-7463 to make a reservation.
A second event to remember are the “participation gatherings” to recruit and inform potential Crooked Rivers Sisters Three participants on Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25 & 26) from 2-4 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. If you want to get a sense of the spirit of the event and determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, attend one of these “gatherings.”
There are many arts-related thoughts that I considered sharing this week: another opportunity to see my angel-voiced son as Valjean in Les Misérables, this time with my sibling’s family and his grandmother in Minneapolis/St. Paul, a city with more performance space seats than any U.S. city other than NYC (he is maturing in the role, the youngest ever to have played it at 29); the artistry and beauty of the opening ceremonies of the XX Winter Games in Torino, Italy (I had never imagined skating trees or fire spouting skaters!); and a nod to the longest-running show in Broadway history, “The Phantom of the Opera,” which comes alive May 17th at the Times-Union Center.
But what remains with me most after this weekend spent with family and at performances, is the delight shared on Saturday night in St. Luke’s, a remarkable old church in St. Paul, MN, when more than 200 students, alumni, parents, friends and faculty of the St. Paul Academy performed their annual choral and orchestra Winter Concert. After accomplished performances by student musicians and singers, came this culminating event. The nave of the sanctuary, filled with singers of all ages (including my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew), strings, woodwinds and percussion, projected the magnificence of Mozart’s final musical accomplishment, “Requiem.” The history of this piece is remarkable in itself, but its power and ability transcend space, time and history is what I came away remembering. And contemplating this too: how significant must a person’s accomplishments be for the whole world to celebrate your art for an entire year, 250 years after your death? In the program for the Winter Concert, Burt Pinsonneault wrote, “(Mozart’s) work has become seminal to the art and culture of our civilization.” How significant indeed!
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: brilliant political satire from the Capitol Steps at FCCJ’s South Campus Wilson Hall, 2.15-19, 7:30 p.m.; get “doo-wopped” with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, 2.19, Florida Theatre, 8 p.m., let Edward Albee’s “A Delicate Balance” get under your skin, Players by the Sea, 2.17&18, 8 p.m.; direct from Broadway, “Forever Tango” at TUC, 7 p.m.; consider Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7;
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.12.06
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Students' Passion for Theatre Is Inspiring
This column appeared in the Tribune & Georgia newspaper on Wednesday (Feb. 8, 2006).
I have witnessed this event for more than 25 years, going all the way back to when it was held at Valdosta State University. The mission that year continues to be the mission still for the hundreds of volunteers across Georgia that sponsor the Georgia State Thespian Society, a chapter of Educational Theatre Association. Undertaking this annual Conference, these largely sane (by most standards) individuals could be seen as engaging in severe risk-taking behavior. But a fierce dedication drives these teachers, volunteers and parents to organize, fundraise and plan so they can collectively bring more than 2,000 students together in one place for a weekend dedicated to “doing theatre.” More than 20 students from Camden County High School were a part of this year’s Conference, held Feb. 3-5.
Each year, at the Georgia State Thespian Conference, attendees meet and learn from professionals in every phase of the business, from the technical to the stage, that provide learning and support for students’ passions. This year, students attended more than 50 workshops, including ones featuring magic tricks, African, jazz and tap dance, techniques of stage combat, special effects makeup, interpreting Shakespeare, set design, and proper exercises to promote breath control. These learning experiences were combined with a festival of One Act and full-length plays, including student performances of more than 12 shows, such as “Les Misérables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Wiz,” and “Godspell,” In addition, students took part in the annual Individual Events competition in solo and duet acting and singing, as well as in technical theatre. At the State Conference each year, students audition for and earn thousands of dollars in scholarship money to colleges and universities across the country.
This all takes place in less than 48 hours, with an intensity and fervor that is legendary. Each year, when the Conference is over and the students are home, exhausted and delirious, and the adult sponsors and volunteers lay down for that well-deserved afternoon nap, I am moved by the power of the experience and by the sensational kids I witnessed. I am also left wanting to offer this caveat: Don’t judge our children by the actions of a few or by what you hear from those that don’t really know them. Judge them by their commitment to their passion for the arts and to each other.
A reminder about an interesting opportunity if you help with sound and lighting at a church, a civic group or a local performing group: Arts Camden and Crooked Rivers, Sisters Three is offering a one day lighting and sound workshop and seminar on Saturday (Feb. 18) from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. Technical staff from the CCHS Auditorium will conduct the workshop, which will include information about stage lighting and sound instruments and their operation. The cost is $20 payable at the door and lunch will be provided on site for $6 from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Call 729-7463 to make a reservation.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: the “elusive butterfly” guy, Gordon Lightfoot, Florida Theatre, 2.8, 8 p.m., for pickers, enjoy the Palatka Bluegrass Festival at The Rodeheavers Boys Ranch, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 2.8-11; a great weekend for moviegoers with “Firewall,” “Curious George,” and “The Pink Panther” debuting 2.10 in local movie venues; travel back to Harlem’s high times with “Ain’t Misbehavin’” Ritz Theatre, 2.11, 7:30 p.m.; enjoy the fine fingering of The California Guitar Trio, Florida Theatre, 2.12, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.1.06
I have witnessed this event for more than 25 years, going all the way back to when it was held at Valdosta State University. The mission that year continues to be the mission still for the hundreds of volunteers across Georgia that sponsor the Georgia State Thespian Society, a chapter of Educational Theatre Association. Undertaking this annual Conference, these largely sane (by most standards) individuals could be seen as engaging in severe risk-taking behavior. But a fierce dedication drives these teachers, volunteers and parents to organize, fundraise and plan so they can collectively bring more than 2,000 students together in one place for a weekend dedicated to “doing theatre.” More than 20 students from Camden County High School were a part of this year’s Conference, held Feb. 3-5.
Each year, at the Georgia State Thespian Conference, attendees meet and learn from professionals in every phase of the business, from the technical to the stage, that provide learning and support for students’ passions. This year, students attended more than 50 workshops, including ones featuring magic tricks, African, jazz and tap dance, techniques of stage combat, special effects makeup, interpreting Shakespeare, set design, and proper exercises to promote breath control. These learning experiences were combined with a festival of One Act and full-length plays, including student performances of more than 12 shows, such as “Les Misérables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Wiz,” and “Godspell,” In addition, students took part in the annual Individual Events competition in solo and duet acting and singing, as well as in technical theatre. At the State Conference each year, students audition for and earn thousands of dollars in scholarship money to colleges and universities across the country.
This all takes place in less than 48 hours, with an intensity and fervor that is legendary. Each year, when the Conference is over and the students are home, exhausted and delirious, and the adult sponsors and volunteers lay down for that well-deserved afternoon nap, I am moved by the power of the experience and by the sensational kids I witnessed. I am also left wanting to offer this caveat: Don’t judge our children by the actions of a few or by what you hear from those that don’t really know them. Judge them by their commitment to their passion for the arts and to each other.
A reminder about an interesting opportunity if you help with sound and lighting at a church, a civic group or a local performing group: Arts Camden and Crooked Rivers, Sisters Three is offering a one day lighting and sound workshop and seminar on Saturday (Feb. 18) from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. Technical staff from the CCHS Auditorium will conduct the workshop, which will include information about stage lighting and sound instruments and their operation. The cost is $20 payable at the door and lunch will be provided on site for $6 from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Call 729-7463 to make a reservation.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: the “elusive butterfly” guy, Gordon Lightfoot, Florida Theatre, 2.8, 8 p.m., for pickers, enjoy the Palatka Bluegrass Festival at The Rodeheavers Boys Ranch, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 2.8-11; a great weekend for moviegoers with “Firewall,” “Curious George,” and “The Pink Panther” debuting 2.10 in local movie venues; travel back to Harlem’s high times with “Ain’t Misbehavin’” Ritz Theatre, 2.11, 7:30 p.m.; enjoy the fine fingering of The California Guitar Trio, Florida Theatre, 2.12, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.1.06
Monday, January 30, 2006
Thinking About Athletes As Artists
This column appeared in the Wednesday, 2.1.06, edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
It all came back to me this week while reliving a moment from my childhood. And brought to mind an unrelated photo that I saw more than 20 years ago. Both memories stirred a common theme, however, about how tied together the arts and athletics are in lessons about commitment, risk-taking and life learning.
What transported me was some ballet, theatrics and ensemble work I saw on a wooden floor last Friday evening at Camden High. These artists of the hardwood, engaged in ensemble play as good as any ever imagined by “Bounce Pass” Berlin Rowe, showed their audience they had not forgotten how good a play can be when all the actors work toward delivering their lanes with the same intensity.
OK, enough with the puns already! It is true that CCHS’ senior roundballers and their teammates played just that way, even though on a different kind wooden stage. Watching them, I hearkened to my youth when Rick Mount, the gunslinger from Lebanon, Indiana lit up our gym for nearly 100 points total in two appearances. (My friend Denny Hoff bragged to me with pride, the day after Mount scored 44 in his senior appearance: “Hey, he only scored 16 on me in the second half!” Laughingly, I suggested this was because Mount’s arms and legs were exhausted from hoisting the rock so much in the first half.) Mount’s only problems were he never was a true team player, could never master the balletic artistry of defense nor the commitment to real team play, whether at Lebanon, Purdue University or the ABA’s Pacers. And that was what I was struck by. Our local hoops artists, men and women both, showed that commitment to the ensemble, to the artistry of team defense and to the elegance of dancer-like offensive positioning would make them winners. Congratulations to our senior athlete-artists of our “other” hardwood.
As I conceived of our athletes as artists, however, I was reminded of a photo (I must have seen it in Sports Illustrated) that I looked at over and over when it appeared. It was in the post-Trump, post-WFL era, after he had arrived in Dallas to blaze trails for the Cowboys. There he was, maybe the greatest running back of the era, in tights and tunic spotting the beautiful ballerina for the Fort Worth Ballet. She must have never felt so secure as in those strong hands and arms. And I marveled at his honesty and the depth of his self-knowledge to appear so and to do it with charm and in the typically Herschel-like work ethic. In the accompanying article, Georgia’s biggest Dawg noted that his on-stage training and its demands were as significant as anything he had undertaken on the gridiron. When I got a chance to meet him many years after seeing this photo, I complimented him on taking this chance, this challenge; and that the photo and story had broadened my appreciation of him. He just smiled and said: “You can’t just stay at only one thing.”
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: “Almost Abba” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, I got a chance to see it last weekend, lots of fun and memories, through 2.5; athletic Australian hoofers in “Tap Dogs,” UNF, 2.2, 7:30 p.m.; jousting and jesters at the Hoggetown Medieval Faire, 2.4 & 2.5, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Alachua Cty Fairgrounds, Gainesville; “20th Anniversary Extravaganza” by Douglas Anderson School of the Arts alumni and students, TUC, 2.3, 7:30 p.m., stunning athletes as a human circus as Acrobats of China perform at FCCJ’s Wilson Ctr., 2.3, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.1.06
It all came back to me this week while reliving a moment from my childhood. And brought to mind an unrelated photo that I saw more than 20 years ago. Both memories stirred a common theme, however, about how tied together the arts and athletics are in lessons about commitment, risk-taking and life learning.
What transported me was some ballet, theatrics and ensemble work I saw on a wooden floor last Friday evening at Camden High. These artists of the hardwood, engaged in ensemble play as good as any ever imagined by “Bounce Pass” Berlin Rowe, showed their audience they had not forgotten how good a play can be when all the actors work toward delivering their lanes with the same intensity.
OK, enough with the puns already! It is true that CCHS’ senior roundballers and their teammates played just that way, even though on a different kind wooden stage. Watching them, I hearkened to my youth when Rick Mount, the gunslinger from Lebanon, Indiana lit up our gym for nearly 100 points total in two appearances. (My friend Denny Hoff bragged to me with pride, the day after Mount scored 44 in his senior appearance: “Hey, he only scored 16 on me in the second half!” Laughingly, I suggested this was because Mount’s arms and legs were exhausted from hoisting the rock so much in the first half.) Mount’s only problems were he never was a true team player, could never master the balletic artistry of defense nor the commitment to real team play, whether at Lebanon, Purdue University or the ABA’s Pacers. And that was what I was struck by. Our local hoops artists, men and women both, showed that commitment to the ensemble, to the artistry of team defense and to the elegance of dancer-like offensive positioning would make them winners. Congratulations to our senior athlete-artists of our “other” hardwood.
As I conceived of our athletes as artists, however, I was reminded of a photo (I must have seen it in Sports Illustrated) that I looked at over and over when it appeared. It was in the post-Trump, post-WFL era, after he had arrived in Dallas to blaze trails for the Cowboys. There he was, maybe the greatest running back of the era, in tights and tunic spotting the beautiful ballerina for the Fort Worth Ballet. She must have never felt so secure as in those strong hands and arms. And I marveled at his honesty and the depth of his self-knowledge to appear so and to do it with charm and in the typically Herschel-like work ethic. In the accompanying article, Georgia’s biggest Dawg noted that his on-stage training and its demands were as significant as anything he had undertaken on the gridiron. When I got a chance to meet him many years after seeing this photo, I complimented him on taking this chance, this challenge; and that the photo and story had broadened my appreciation of him. He just smiled and said: “You can’t just stay at only one thing.”
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: “Almost Abba” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, I got a chance to see it last weekend, lots of fun and memories, through 2.5; athletic Australian hoofers in “Tap Dogs,” UNF, 2.2, 7:30 p.m.; jousting and jesters at the Hoggetown Medieval Faire, 2.4 & 2.5, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Alachua Cty Fairgrounds, Gainesville; “20th Anniversary Extravaganza” by Douglas Anderson School of the Arts alumni and students, TUC, 2.3, 7:30 p.m., stunning athletes as a human circus as Acrobats of China perform at FCCJ’s Wilson Ctr., 2.3, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.1.06
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