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Taking the stage on Friday, September 8th at 7pm is Broadway actress Karen Curlee performing her one woman show: “What is This Thing Called Love?” For more than 25 years, Karen Curlee appeared in chorus and feature roles on Broadway in six long-running shows (Cats, A Chorus Line, Me and My Girl, Blackstone, The Tap Dance Kid and Showboat). She has played lead roles in musicals off Broadway and regionally; roles include Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Marta in Company, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and Kate in The Taffetas.

The show will also feature her husband Mark Stewart, Paul Simon’s music director, and local pianist Carrie Selbee. Curlee says, “When I started working on new music more appropriate for “a woman of a certain age”, I found out that all the Broadway songs about love and relationships were far more interesting and nuanced – as love truly is when one has time to live a life. When Sarah Helge suggested I do a show at the Ramsdell, I was thrilled to gather up all my favorites to create this evening of music. Mark and I have been singing together for years, so it was a natural fit to add those songs to a night about love.”

Mark Stewart is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and instrument designer who has been heard around the world. Since 1998 he has recorded, toured and been Musical Director with Paul Simon. He is currently a curator at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and a visiting lecturer at MIT in Cambridge. Carrie Selbee has been involved in all things piano since she was six years old. She currently is one half of the jazz duo, Carrie and Roger, with the highly acclaimed drummer, Roger Tarczon. She does extensive accompanying for the Manistee area schools and is an accompanist for the Manistee Community Chorus.

Sarah Helge, president of the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts board of directors shares her excitement for the show. “It’s not often that a bonafide Broadway singer, dancer, actress is able to perform in Manistee. Karen’s engaging personality and extraordinary talent will make for a fabulous evening of entertainment.”

Tickets are $13 for students and $27 for adults. Join Curlee on a dynamic musical adventure to explore what we call love. Concessions will be sold at 6:30pm. The show starts at 7:00pm in the theatre.

This Saturday on July 22nd, the Ramsdell Theatre presents “Two Cellos- Two Friends.” The
concert features Grammy Award winner Eugene Friesen and Interlochen’s own Crispin
Campbell. The two are very excited to engage the audience with their Classical, Brazilian,
Gypsy, Jazz, and Blues arrangement of compelling music they bring to every performance.
Campbell is always elated to be on stage with Friesen, “Playing music with Eugene Friesen is
always an adventure in paving new trails with what the cello can do. His energy permeates the
room, and the audience will be in for an amazing ride. We’ve been friends for years, and every
time we perform it’s as fresh as the first time!”

Their performance starts at 8:00pm and tickets are $20 for adults, $13 for students, and $30 for box tickets. Xavier Verna, executive director of the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, is excited to welcome the dynamic duo to the theatre. He says, “Cris has demonstrated great collaboration with the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts. It’s exciting to see how two great institutions can provide such a great service to a local community. I look forward to welcoming both Cris and Eugene to the prestigious Ramsdell Theatre.” Join us this Saturday to be a part of the creative energy these two bring to the stage
as two friends with their two cellos perform an astounding concert.

For tickets visit MyNorthTickets.com or call 1-800-836-0717

The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts presents The Metropolitan Opera’s (MET) 2017-18 season. The MET features over 220 performances of 26 works, including two Met premieres, one co-commissioned by the company and one an older masterpiece having its first Met performances; a variety of repertory favorites, three in new productions; and performances of Verdi’s towering concert work for soloists, orchestra, and chorus, the Requiem. The Ramsdell will air 10 performances this upcoming season.

The first live showing at the Ramsdell is on Saturday, October 7 with a new production of Bellini’s Norma, conducted by Carlo Rizzi, directed by Sir David McVicar, and starring Sondra Radvanovsky, one of the world’s leading interpreters of the role, opposite Joyce DiDonato as Adalgisa and Joseph Calleja as Pollione. On November 18, composer Thomas Adès conducts the North American premiere of his The Exterminating Angel, a Met co-commission, based on the screenplay by Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza of Buñuel’s 1962 absurdist film. The opera, which will be sung in English, will be staged by the librettist Tom Cairns, who is making his company debut. A new production of Puccini’s Tosca will air on January 27, with Met Music Director Emeritus James Levine conducting Sir David McVicar’s staging. Sonya Yoncheva stars in the title role opposite Vittorio Grigolo as her devoted lover Cavaradossi and Bryn Terfel as Scarpia. Later performances will star Anna Netrebko as the title character with Marcelo Álvarez as Cavaradossi and Michael Volle and Željko Lučić as Scarpia. A new staging of Così fan tutte,set in the 1950s on Coney Island, airs on March 31 and is conducted by David Robertson and directed by Phelim McDermott. The new production will star an ensemble cast including Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara in her role debut as the maid Despina. On April 28, Massenet’s operatic adaptation of the Cinderella story, Cendrillon, has its Met premiere, conducted by Bertrand de Billy and directed by Laurent Pelly, with Joyce DiDonato in the title role and Alice Coote as Prince Charming. In November and December, James Levine will conduct four concert performances of Verdi’s Requiem, featuring soloists Krassimira Stoyanova, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Aleksandrs Antonenko, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, along with the Met’s orchestra and chorus.

Tickets go on sale on July 19. Purchase them at MyNorthTickets.com or by calling 1-800-836-0717. $20 Adults | $10 Students | Children under 10 Free

Thanks to the News Advocate for writing a review on our pilot bucket drumming project! The concert was held last Friday, June 23rd in Hardy Hall. It featured local Manistee County students as well as kids from the Next Generation Learning Center. This program was sponsored by Next Generation Learning Center and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.

“A child’s introduction to music can be the foundation for a lifetime of creative expression, and the lessons learned through music reach far beyond the basics of counting, rhythm and good sound.” -News Advocate

-News Advocate