Manistee, MI, May. 15, 19 – The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts announces auditions for the summer comedy, “The Foreigner,” on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 21 and 22, 7-9 pm. Auditions will be held onstage at the Ramsdell. For more info go to www.RamsdellTheatre.org/programs

The popular farce is directed by Rick Plummer and calls for five men and two women. “This Play is a staple of theaters worldwide,” Plummer says, adding, “it guarantees gales of laughter and unbridled merriment.”

“The Foreigner” plays one week only, Thursday through Sunday, July 25-28. Rehearsals are slated to begin in early June.

The comedy is set in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by “Froggy” LeSueur, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This time “Froggy” has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy young man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. So “Froggy,” before departing, tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. Once alone the fun really begins, as Charlie overhears more than he should—the evil plans of a sinister, two-faced minister and his redneck associate; the fact that the minister’s pretty fiancée is pregnant; and many other damaging revelations made with the thought that Charlie doesn’t understand a word being said. That he does fuels the nonstop hilarity of the play and sets up the wildly funny climax in which things go uproariously awry for the “bad guys,” and the “good guys” emerge triumphant.

Plummer says that a prepared audition monologue is not required, but those auditioning should simply come to auditions to read from the script and show off their comic timing and talents.

For further information about auditions, contact Plummer by email at rjplummer46@gmail.com or by phone at 231-852-0685.

We had a blast at the roaring 20s party at The Ramsdell! Thanks to all who came and celebrated the night away! Read about it here

NYE Roaring 20s Party in Review!: https://mailchi.mp/01f41d974830/campaignresults-575415

Manistee, MI, Oct. 10, 18 – The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts will celebrate the gift of a new grand piano by offering a concert “Meet Our New Piano” on Thursday, October 18th at 7:30 pm. Donated by a generous lover of the arts and music, this GX-3 Kawaii, 6’2” piano is an important addition to an already-celebrated European opera-house auditorium located within the Ramsdell at 101 Maple Street, Manistee.

Kawaii, an international and award-winning manufacturer, located in Hamamatsu, Japan, has been building quality pianos since 1927 and prides itself on producing some of the finest musical instruments in the world. Each piano is handmade, taking anywhere from six months to two years to produce. Literally hundreds of people will work on a single piano during this time, from the seasoning of the soundboard wood to the construction of the thousands of individual elements in the action. This particular model is comprised of over 10,000 precision parts, including wood, metal, and composites like carbon fiber. Kawai was the first manufacturer to use carbon fiber in its pianos, making them lighter, stronger, and 25 percent faster in the action than similar models and protecting the piano from much of the shrinking and swelling that wooden parts go through in the northern Michigan climate.

Thursday’s concert with feature the new Piano as the Star, along with Manistee’s own Carrie Selbee, an accomplished performer and accompanist. Amanda Feyen, choir director and elementary music teacher for MAPS, will be singing Broadway. Peter Bergin, a celebrated Michigan ragtime artist, will play works of Joplin and Blake. For the classical portion, Chas Helge, a native of Manistee will be playing Frescobaldi and Mendelssohn on cello with superb piano accompaniment, and Xavier Verna, Executive Director of the RRCA, will play a Piazzolla-inspired tango on marimba, again with intricate piano accompaniment. Andy Buelow, Executive Director of the West MI Symphony in Muskegon, will perform jazz, and Derrick Hall, a Traverse City church music director, will play and sing gospel and blues.

Tickets are available at MyNorthTickets.com or by calling 1-800-836-0717.

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018

LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the appointments of Xavier Verna of Bear Lake, Rick Treur of Grand Rapids, Debbie Mikula of Howell, Tyler Rossmaessler of Fenton and the reappointment of Omari Rush of Ann Arbor to the Michigan Council on Arts and Cultural Affairs. Omari Rush is appointed chair of the council.

The 15-member council, housed in the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, helps create an environment of artistic, creative and cultural activity to support Michigan’s quality of life and economic vitality.

“These individuals have a strong passion for maintaining and promoting the arts here in Michigan,” Snyder said. “I thank them for their willingness to serve on this council.”

Appointments: 
Verna is executive director of Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee. He previously served as the director of education for Sphinx Organization where he led and managed the recruitment, logistics, and execution of Sphinx’s national programs including the Sphinx Competition, Sphinx Overture Program, Sphinx Performance Academy and SphinxCon (now named SphinxConnect). Verna holds a bachelor’s degree of arts as well as a K-12 teacher certification from the University of Michigan. He will replace Rick Davies.

Treur is the director of alumni and community relations for Calvin College. Prior to his employment with Calvin College, Treur was a community services director, constituent relations representative and campaign manager. Treur served on the LaughFest Committee, the Rapid’s Streetcar Committee and the Pine Rest Foundation Board. Treur holds a bachelor’s degree from Calvin College and will replace Pamela DeVos.

Mikula is the executive director for the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, where she guides and leads a three-county arts service organization with a mission to support, strengthen and promote arts, culture, and creativity. She is also an adjunct instructor at Michigan State University. Mikula holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Michigan State University and will replace April Clobes.

Rossmaessler is the director of Economic Development at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as business development manager for Michigan Economic Development Corporation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and will replace Ritch Branstrom.

Reappointment: 
Rush is the executive director of CultureSource: Detroit, a member association for non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Southeast Michigan. Rush holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Florida State University and a master’s degree in music from the University of Michigan. Rush will continue to serve as chair at the pleasure of the Governor.

Verna will serve the remainder of a three-year term expiring Sept. 1, 2020. Treur, Mikula, Rossmaessler, and Rush will serve three-year terms expiring Sept. 1, 2021. Their appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.