Out and About for the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine March 15-21

Out and About for the Mid Coast Lakes Region of Maine March 15-21
March 14, 2018
Out and About for the York/Sanford Lakes Region of Maine March 15-21
March 14, 2018

Out and About for the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine March 15-21

“Bel Sole: Ed DesJardins & Karen Biser,” Cumston Hall, Monmouth

Mar. 15, Thursday, 5pm, “Shakespeare Slam Competition,” hosted by the Recycled Shakespeare Company, Similar to Slam Poetry, a Shakespeare Slam is a competition to present Shakespeare through spoken word. Contestants will be judged on their ability to memorize the Shakespearean text of their choosing, their voice and performance, and the understanding of the text they present. Contestants can enter as an individual or get some friends and form a group to present a scene. Winners will receive prizes for the following categories: Individual-Minor (17 or younger), Individual-Adult, Group- Minor (all judged members must be less than 18 years of age), Group Adult. Participants can enter as both an individual and in a group, up to two performances per person in each category. How to sign up: Please fill out the online form at https://www.signupforms.com/registrations/13009 or email RecycledShakespeare@gmail.com, or call 207-314-8607, free, Waterville Public Library, 73 Elm Street, Waterville. FMI: 207-314-8607, www.watervillelibrary.org.
Mar. 16-18, Friday-Sunday, 7:30pm, “Dry Land,” Set in a present-day Florida high school, Ruby Rae Spiegel’s play is the story of two girls struggling amidst the pressures and expectations of society. For an independent study in theater, Bates student Rebecca Berger ’19 of Bethesda, Md., directs this exploration of the harsh realities of young adulthood, abortion and female friendship, student directed, free, Black Box Theater, 329 College Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207-786-6161, www.bates.edu.
Mar. 16-18, Friday-Sunday, 7:30pm/Fri. and Sat, 2pm/Sun, “Marjorie Prime,” Pulitzer Prize Finalist, With the help of artificial intelligence, an elderly woman gets a handsome and younger version of her deceased husband back to keep her company. But is this really what she wants? This fascinating and powerful Pulitzer Prize finalist explores the mystery of memory, our longing for connection, and the limits of what and who technology can replace. Special Events: Opening Night BREWHaHa – Friday, Mar 16 – lobby opens for beer sampling at 6:30. Curtain at 7:30 (courtesy of Baxter Brewing Co.); Post Show Talkback with actors – Sunday, Mar 18 – Download the free Study Guide. (when available), $20, $5/18 and younger, $17/groups of 10+, The Public Theatre, 31 Maple Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207-782-3200, www.bates.edu.
Mar. 16, Friday, 8pm, “Bel Sole: Ed DesJardins & Karen Biser,” the singer/songwriter/guitar duo will deliver their natural, acoustic, and harmony-driven signature sound in a mix of their own work and a few well-chosen favorite covers. Their original material ranges from poignant to powerful to whimsical. For this concert, Bel Sole will be joined onstage by a stellar rhythm section, with David Thibodeau on bass and Alfred Lund on percussion, for a full band experience, $20, Cumston Hall, 796 Main Street, Monmouth. FMI: 207-557-3955, www.facebook.com/BelSoleMusic.
Mar. 17, Saturday, 7pm, “Midcoast Symphony Orchestra ‘Celebration Pops’,” Under guest conductor Yoichi Udagawa “Celebration Pops” is the most light-hearted Series of the year and may be the best suited in our concert year for those new to orchestral performance. The program includes Aaron Copland’s Hoedown, Hooray for Hollywood by John Williams, Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, A Tribute to Henry Mancini, Cavalliera Rusticana by Mascagni, and several other popular pieces and beloved melodies. Guest pianist Charles Floyd brings boundless grace and fire to the stage and will join the orchestra for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. About our guest conductor “Udagawa took the orchestra on an astonishing and fearless musical flight…” wrote one reviewer about the dynamic conductor. His performances have been hailed as “powerful and emotionally evocative,” and his relaxed manner and ability to speak from the podium have helped new audiences as well as enthusiasts gain a greater appreciation for symphonic music. Music Director and Conductor of the Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra, the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Udagawa leads an active season of rehearsals and concerts full of diverse and varied programs. He is also a cover conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra. Our guest pianist Charles Floyd is also a conductor and composer. He began studying piano at age four and by age 20 had been heard in solo recital, chamber music, and concerto performances throughout the United States and Spain. He has received numerous awards and grants, including the Aspen School of Music Fellowship, Oberlin Conservatory’s Rudolf Serkin Award, and the National Chopin Competition of New York’s Kosciuszko Foundation. He is an annual guest conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. His performances have included “Gospel Night at Pops,” a PBS telecast of “Evening at Pops,” and has critically acclaimed performances as pianist of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with conductor Keith Lockhart, $20, free/18 and under, Gendron Franco Center, 46 Cedar Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207-846-5378, www.midcoastsymphony.org.
Mar. 17, Saturday, 7:30pm, “St. Paddy’s Day with Dave Rowe,” Auburn, Maine, native Dave Rowe, grew up with folk music flowing through his veins. His father, Tom, was a member of Schooner Fare, a trio with local roots that began as a pub band, playing beer-hall favorites, especially sea music and Celtic songs which they’d learned in the Canadian maritimes. Inevitably, Dave picked up the music and began entertaining in Irish pubs. With fifteen critically-acclaimed recordings under his belt and a career in the music business that has endured for nigh on 30 years, Dave is a force to be reckoned with. Now a long-time staple of pubs and music halls throughout New England, Dave has spent most of his life playing sing-alongs like The Wild Rover, The Old Dun Cow, and The Drunken Sailor as well has his own original songs, all while having a rollicking good time for himself. Having learned the craft at the feet of his father’s trio and from masters who were like kin to him—entertainers such as the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Tom Paxton, and the Shaw Brothers—Dave is a singular entertainer, able to relate to even the most reticent audience members and get them singing along. He firmly believes that singing is balm for the soul, and that singing together—whether in choirs, in pubs, at concerts, or in kitchen parties—is a primary part of the human experience, cash bar with beer and wine served by Wandering Brews, $15, First Universalist Church of Auburn, 169 Pleasant Street, Auburn. FMI: 207-783-0461, uuconcerts.org.
Mar. 17, Saturday, 7:30pm, “Colby Wind Ensemble directed by Eric Thomas,” the ensemble delves into the world of program music, featuring marches by composer Julie Giroux- “March of the Sundried Tomatos,” recounting a cooking debacle, and “Tiger Tail March,” depicting a typical Louisiana parish day- and “Imbizo” using scales and rhythms from the African continent. Completing the program are “Highlights of Chess” and the movements “Gollum” and “journey in the Dark Lord of the Rings” from Symphony no. 1 of Johan de Meij. The concert is free of charge. Doors to the chapel open at 7pm for seating. There are no reserved seats. Space is given on a first come first served basis, free, Lorimer Chapel, Colby College, Waterville. FMI: colby.edu/musicdept.

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