Spotlight
2nd Annual Manchester and the Mountains Poets and Writers Weekend April 24 – 26, The Rice House and Old Forge (Located Directly Behind Ye Olde Tavern)Main Street, Historic Route 7A, Manchester Center, 802-362-6313, some free sessions, others either $25 or $35 each,
greatermanchesterarts.org.
2nd Annual Manchester and the Mountains Emerging Poets and Writers Weekend entitled Building Momentum. Sessions include Writing Memoir, Writing Children’s Literature, Journalism Workshop, Student Art and Writing, Writing Poetry and Poetry Workshop, Fiction, Playwriting, Readings, Publishing Panel, Storytelling, Children’s Book Illustration, Creative Writing and an Evening at the Equinox Resort featuring words, dance, music and visual art.
“Dr. Bebop”, 8pm, Saturday, April 25, Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, Studio 222, Tickets: $20 general admission $15 for students or call 802-254-9088 to reserve tickets, or purchase online at vtjazz.org.
Howard Brofsky, “Dr. Bebop”, never fails to draw the largest audience of the season. His soulful repertoire provides the perfect musical backdrop for his handpicked selection of New York based musicians to explore their own creativity. This creative freedom is a surefire recipe for a delicious musical feast. The history of the Vermont Jazz Center reaches back to the early 1970’s, when the late founding Director, jazz guitarist Attila Zoller, would invite musicians from New York City to unwind and create at his home in Newfane. These beginnings and a summer workshop series naturally led to the creation of the Vermont Jazz Center. The Jazz Center is a now a year-round program that hosts monthly concerts featuring some of the world’s most innovative jazz musicians—it’s always enjoyable, always swinging.
Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina, May 3, Sunday, 2pm, BMAC, Brattleboro Regular gallery admission applies: $6 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students, free for BMAC members and children 5 and under, brattleboromuseum.org.
Celebrate Audrey Hepburn’s 80th birthday with a screening of the 1954 film Sabrina starring Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden. Following the film, photographer and author Juliet Cuming of Dummerston, Vermont, will sign copies of her new book, Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina, which features photographs by Cuming’s fatherin- law, famed fashion and celebrity photographer, Mark Shaw.
SALMAGUNDI, Extraordinary Theatre Arts Festival, May 11- 17, NEYT Theatre, 100 Flat Street, Brattleboro, 802-246-6398, Ext. 101, http://www.neyt.org
The New England Youth Theatre, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2009, is bringing a unique annual festival of theatre arts workshops, master classes and performances to Brattleboro. As its culinary name implies, SALMAGUNDI is a smorgasbord of unique theatre offerings, presented by distinguished artists from around the world and from our very own region. Programs are designed for a wide range of ages,
from youth through adult. The table is set with virtuosos such as Actor’s Studio veteran Thomas G. Waites, Tony Award winner Norbert Butz, Shakespeare virtuosos Clare Reidy from Shakespeare & Company and David Vann from the UK, Vermont’s own Rob Mermin, founder of Circus Smirkus, visionary production designer and art director Lawrence Sampson and many, many others. The SALMAGUNDI menu includes nineteen daytime workshop sessions and ten evening events, with something for every taste and interest. With workshops like “He’s Got Rhythm: Shakespeare’s Heartbeat” and performances such as Silents Are Golden and Vamping — it’s all scrumptious.
Sixth Annual Jamaica Fiber Festival — Community Street Fair Celebrating All Things Fiber, May 16, 10am – 4pm, Rain or Shine, 3796 VT Rte 30, Jamaica Village 802-874-7201, jamaicafiberfestival.org.
Walk along Main Street from one end of the town to the other and explore shops and see what’s new in town. Discover handspun yarn, fiber arts, crafts, sheep, and spinning. Hear live music, and eat great food. Proceeds will benefit the Jamaica Town Hall maintenance fund. Enjoy sheep shearing, wet felting and needle felting demonstrations. Bring your own project for community weaving at Margie’s Muse — sit at the loom and see how it works!
Roots on the River, The Family Friendly Roots Music Festival, June 11 – 14, various times, various locations, Bellows Falls, rootsontheriver.com
The10th annual Roots on the River (aka FredX) Is a smokin’ fourday festival that includes many of the best roots musicians in North America. As always the festival revolves around three performances by the fabulous Fred Eaglesmith and his band, the Flying Squirrels.
What makes Fred and his music so special? It’s a combination of things. Part of it is the songs — short, gritty novels about real people and their trials and tribulations through life. Part of it is his performing style — in your face, full of monologues that make you
laugh and think at the same time. Says Fred: A plumber goes home at night and says, ‘I did good work’. That’s what I’m interested in, doing
good work…If this is your first trip to Roots on the River fasten your seat belt and groove along for the ride.
Preserving Vermont’s Heritage, Preservation Trust of Vermont’s Annual Conference, June 12, Isle of Vermont, ptvermont.org
Salute the importance of preservation. Hear professional presenters and participate in hands-on workshops and guided tours of local historic sites. The excitement around preservation, community, and collaboration is the mark of the Preservation Trust of Vermont. The Trust provides assistance to other groups and individuals who are involved in historic preservation, undertakes educational programs, holds easements on individual properties, and accepts gifts of property.
Ethan Allen Colonial Fair: Step into History, June 20 – 21, 10am – 5pm both days, Colgate Park, Rte 9 West Bennington, Admission: $5 per person, $10 per family with children under 12 free, 802-442-4411, ethanallencolonialfair.com.
Step into Vermont’s history: Held for the first time in Bennington, a core component of the Annual Ethan Allen Colonial Fair will be 150 re-enactors assembled under the leadership of Major General David Bernier. All kinds of interactive exhibits, live music and period song and dance, farm and home crafts, games and great food. Nearby driving and walking tours to Old First Church, the Bennington Monument, The Bennington Museum — all will be open and ready for visitors. The June Arts Festival will be in high gear. And the next generation of Moose will be on display throughout Bennington. A perfect event for the whole family on Father’s Day Weekend. Come one, come all!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, June 25 – 28, Rotary Stage, Brattleboro Memorial Park, vermonttheatrecompany.com.
In 1990 VTC produced Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream starting an annual tradition of Shakespeare in the Park. 19 years later, 19 productions, 12 different shows, 6 directors, hundreds of actors and thousands of picnickers, VTC’s Shakespeare productions are still going strong. In 2001, Shakespeare founder, Robert Kramsky, “retired” from doing every summer production. His retirement was short lived and in 2004, he came out of retirement to direct one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, Taming of the Shrew and returned again in 2007 for All’s Well That Ends Well. Head over to Living Memorial Park for an evening of outdoor picnicking and classic theatre.
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the VSO at two Summer Festival Events — Picnicking, Pops and Fireworks Concerts in Manchester and Grafton:
Manchester, July 2, 7:30 p.m. at Hildene Meadows, Gates open for picnicking at 5 p.m. Call 1(800) VSO-9293 for tickets and prices. Grafton, July 3, 7:30 p.m. at Grafton Ponds, Visit BrattleboroMuseum.org for ticket information. Also enjoy three days of live
music at various locations as part of the Grafton Music Festival. Details at GraftonMusicFestival.com.
Superb music performed by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, followed by dazzling fireworks under the stars—what better way to kick off the holiday weekend? This year’s program, Summer Festival Tour, includes Gershwin’s American in Paris, a medley from Les Misérables, selections from South Pacific, and much more! Bring a picnic, blanket, and bottle of wine… and enjoy this unique Windham County tradition!
