Download To PDF Version - The Columbia Festival of The Arts

Ron Nicodemus
Nicodemus Communications Group
President
Tom Coale
Talkin & Oh, LLP
Vice President
Ronnie A. Wooten
BB&T
Treasurer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Robert Neal Marshall [email protected] 410-715-3044
Columbia Festival of the Arts British Invasion Fall
Festival Explodes This Weekend
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Columbia, Maryland (September 28, 2015) – This coming weekend, October 2
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through 4 officially launches Columbia Festival of the Arts British Invasion themed
Fall Festival The British Invasion presents eleven dynamic events offered in multiple
venues throughout Columbia. Over the three days, audiences will experience opera,
theatre, chamber concerts, literary events and more. Authentic British high tea can be
enjoyed each day. Tickets & information available via website columbiafestival.org
British Invasion Fall Festival Schedule of Events:
Laura Wetherald
Howard County Government
Secretary
Lawrence D. Coppel
Gordon Feinblatt LLC
Immediate Past President
Todd Olson
Executive Director
Kevin J. Kelehan
Carney, Kelehan et al, LLP
Legal Counsel
Gary J. Stacharowski
Certified Public Accountant
Trustees
Robert A. Altieri
Howard Bank
Ron Briggs
Friday. October 2, 2015 4:00pm
Opening British High Tea
With Jody Marshall on Celtic dulcimer and Andrea Hoag on fiddle
Slayton House Dance Studio
The British Invasion Festival kicks off with an Englishinspired Afternoon Tea with savories, scones, sweets, and
Celtic dulcimer. The Washington Post says that Jody
Marshall “deftly balances the artful and the playful...lovely,
lively, and shimmering." Nominated as “Best Folk
Instrumentalist” by the Washington Area Music Association,
Jody’s performance credits include the Corcoran Gallery of
Art, the Maryland Renaissance Festival, the Kennedy
Center, and the White House. Tickets: $20
Friday. October 2, 2015 5:30pm
Literary Event: Shackleton of the Antarctic
With Dr. T. H. Baughman
Slayton House Dance Studio
In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton departed London for the
Antarctic. En route, his ship was beset in the ice and sank.
Facing all the horrors that the Antarctic could bring to bear,
he successfully managed to get his men to temporary refuge
on the desolate Elephant Island, then embarked on an 800mile open-board journey in order to rescue them. This
expedition and the subsequent events have become one of
the greatest real-life adventure tales ever told, elevating
Shackleton among the ranks of great leaders. Combining
scholarly analysis with masterful storytelling, Professor T.H.
Baughman is one of the foremost experts on polar history.
Dr. Baughman is a professor at University of Maryland Eastern Shore and has spent
19 seasons in the Antarctic; he lectures around the world about leadership under
pressure. Tickets: $10
[CONT/-]
Larry Evans
LG-TEK
Renee Foose
Howard County Public Schools
Michael LaVina
Baltimore Washington Financial
Advisors
Michelle Miller
Columbia Association
Lee Sachs
Arts Advocate
Kelli Shimabukuro
Howard County Library System
Mary Kay Sigaty
Howard County Council
Stephanie Waters Thompson
BellaRose Associates
Marie Westhaver
Howard Community College
Board Emeritus
Steven Sachs
Willis
Team Members
Diana S. Forbus
Development & Support Services
Coordinator
Martha Rose
Bookkeeper
Dave Simmons
Programming Coordinator
Robert Neal Marshall
Marketing & Communications
Director
Sustaining Sponsor
THE ROUSE COMPANY
FOUNDATION
Friday. October 2, 2015 7:00pm
Gerald Dickens’ Great Expectations
Slayton House Theatre
Gerald Dickens – the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens – invites the audience to join him in
a stunning theatrical interpretation of Charles Dickens’ masterpiece Great Expectations. Based on
readings performed by Charles Dickens during his own British and American tours, Gerald Dickens
performs every character in this literary masterpiece. This Great Expectations keeps you on the
edge of your seat as Gerald retells his ancestor’s beloved coming of age story featuring the young
orphan Pip, the eccentric Miss Havisham, beautiful Estella, escaped convict Abel Magwitch, and
other colorful characters. Gerald infuses his own talent and personality into his great-greatgrandfather’s story with special knowledge and insight. Tickets: $30
Friday. October 2, 2015 9:45pm
40 Thieves Irish Band
Slayton House Theatre
40 Thieves has established themselves as one of the best-loved Irish bands in
the Metro DC area. From the cozy confines of Irish pubs to the wide-open
stages of the festival circuit, this rocking ensemble has wowed crowds by
wedding old fashioned and newfangled Irish music with straight ahead rock
and roll. Vocalist Melanie Caudron's rich, mellow croon meshes beautifully with
Dave Dresser's gritty guitar, Randy Latimer's classically honed Cape Breton
fiddle, Guinness-inspired grooves by drummer Jim Sullivan, and Charlie
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McNamara’s bass. Tickets: $22 (1 beverage included)
Saturday. October 3, 2015 2:00pm
Hub Opera Ensemble’s THE TURN OF THE SCREW
A lyric opera with Music by Benjamin Britten and Libretto by Myfanwy Piper
Based on the tale by Henry James
Slayton House Theatre
Based on the novel by Henry James, Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw is one of the
most thrilling works written for the operatic stage, in which nothing is really as it seems. Hub
Opera’s mission is to provide young artists opportunities to spread the joy of professional opera
to communities that do not have easy access to the arts. Founded in 2010 and based in
Hagerstown, The Hub Opera Ensemble is devoted to bringing quality professional opera to
communities where the art form is not yet represented. Additionally, the ensemble provides
opportunities for aspiring young artists and business professionals to reach out to the
community and share their passion for opera and performing arts education. Tickets: $40
Saturday. October 3, 2015 4:30pm
British High Tea
With a performance of Shakespeare’s Lovers
Slayton House Dance Studio
Shakespeare and Afternoon Tea make for a quintessential English Experience! Explore the
complexity of love through the words of William Shakespeare while you enjoy tea, savories,
scones, and sweets. Embark on a journey of timeless love as some of the Bard’s best-loved
romantic scenes and sonnets are performed. Tickets: $20
[Cont/-]
5575 Sterrett Place
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Suite 280
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Columbia, MD 21044
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410.715.3044
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Fax 410.715.3056
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www.columbiafestival.org
Saturday. October 3, 2015 7:00pm
Classic Albums Live presents Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Featuring the Columbia Orchestra
Jim Rouse Theatre
The album that has been called a decisive moment in the history of Western
civilization comes to Columbia - not a tribute band, these world-class musicians
take on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, note for note, cut for
cut, allowing the audience to experience this remarkable album in its entirety.
Musicians from the Columbia Orchestra will join Classic Albums Live on stage as
they perform Beatles’ classics like “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Getting
Better,” and “When I'm Sixty Four.” Founded in 1977, the Columbia Orchestra is a
full symphony orchestra that rehearses in Howard County. Conductor and cellist
Jason Love, winner of the American Prize for Orchestral Programming leads the orchestra in his sixteenth year as Music
Director. Tickets: $38-$48
Saturday. October 3, 2015 9:45pm
The Neo-Futurists present Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes
Slayton House Theatre
Is it even possible to perform 30 short plays within 60 minutes? It is if you are the
audacious and unforgettable ensemble of writers, actors, and performers called The
Neo-Futurists. The group creates hilarious theatre that is a fusion of sport, poetry and
living-newspaper. The 30 plays – lasting between 30 seconds and three minutes - tend
to be a mixture of autobiography and performance art, as with much of the NeoFuturists' work. An amalgam of performance and political satire, the Neo-Futurists
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present experimental theatre at its finest. Tickets: $30 (1 beverage included)
Sunday. October 4, 2015 12noon
41 N 50 W Based on the 1912 Titanic US Senate Hearings
A staged reading of the Titanic story you never knew
By Robert Neal Marshall Directed by Todd Olson
The Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall at Howard Community College
The legend of The Titanic has endured for over a century with well-known tales of
sacrifice and human tragedy. But few know the events that transpired immediately
after the ill fated White Star Liner sank near her last reported position of 41 North 50
West. For 18 days a U.S. Senate Inquiry was held in New York to determine the
causes of the disaster. Revealed in this play are the stunning unknown back stories,
including unsung heroes, irresponsibility, misinformation, and unregulated new
technologies that echo still, a century later. Experience the direct testimonies from
witnesses and survivors, including those who raced to help The Titanic, and see the
pieces of a chilling puzzle come together. Tickets: $10
Sunday. October 4, 2015 2:00pm
Columbia Voices
A play in progress about the founding of Columbia
By Gwydion Suilebhan
The Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall at Howard Community College
[Cont/-]
5575 Sterrett Place
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Suite 280
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Columbia, MD 21044
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410.715.3044
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Fax 410.715.3056
•
www.columbiafestival.org
Earlier this year, Columbia Festival of the Arts awarded a commission to
playwright Gwydion Suilebhan for the creation of a new play inspired by
Columbia’s founding in 1967. Just a few short months later, we are now able to
showcase this work-in-progress with a staged reading of select scenes.
Participants in this creative process, audience members will be able to react,
offer feedback, and tell more stories about what it was like in the early days of
Columbia. The final version of the play that will be presented as a fully realized
production in 2017 as the Festival celebrates 30 years and Columbia turns
50. Suilebhan, a Maryland native and former Columbia resident, has been
interviewing both pioneers of the “New City Upon A Hill” and newcomers, transforming their stories into a theatrical piece
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that investigates who we were, why Columbia exists, and why it matters in the 21 century. Tickets: $10
Sunday. October 4, 2015 2:00pm
Closing British High Tea
With Celtic Harpist Jo Morrison
The Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall at Howard Community College
Enjoy British High Tea complete with finger sandwiches, scones, dessert, and Celtic Harp by
Jo Morrison, who is nationally known for her evocative interpretation of Scottish and Irish harp
music. Drawing on her Scottish heritage, Morrison paints vivid Celtic imagery through her
performances - using exciting, upbeat dance tunes and evocative, emotional airs, touching
the souls of her audiences. Equally at home at The Smithsonian, Strathmore Hall, or the
Maryland Renaissance Festival, Morrison promises a satisfying musical ending to our Fall
Festival. Tickets: $20
Columbia Festival of the Arts
Founded in 1987, Columbia Festival of the Arts is Howard County’s largest ongoing arts event. Columbia Festival of the
Arts “Arts For Every Season” presents four weekend-long arts festivals throughout the year, featuring world-class
performances, exhibitions, concerts, music, theatre, family activities, master classes, workshops and community
dialogues. The Festival brings together the arts community, businesses, local schools, and individuals to create events
that shine a spotlight, not only on the arts, but also on the Howard County community as a Maryland showplace. For more
information, please visit www.columbiafestival.org.
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5575 Sterrett Place
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Suite 280
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Columbia, MD 21044
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410.715.3044
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Fax 410.715.3056
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www.columbiafestival.org