RECENT NEWS

Turtle Island Quartet Celebrates Coltrane, Hendrix in Denver

Last Saturday at the Lakewood Cultural Center, the Turtle Island Quartet wowed the audience with a program of music entitled, "A Love Supreme: The Music of John Coltrane."

New Circus: A Lesson in Evolution

From the ancient Romans via the Big Top to the modern stage, circus has kept us enthralled for thousands of years. Its remarkable ability to adapt and evolve to maintain the fascination of audiences over time is what makes it unique.

A Convincing Portrayal of Ibsen's Vision

Aquila Theatre's presentation of Henrik Ibsen's timeless classic An Enemy of the People was nothing short of a triumph.

This was the second of two successful productions mounted by the touring company as part of the Bermuda Festival 2010.

Hot 8 Brass Band Rocks Miller Center with New Orleans Soul

No group better exemplifies the indomitable spirit of New Orleans than the Hot 8 Brass Band, which galvanized a near-full house Sunday at the Miller Center for the Arts in a concert presented by Reading Area Community College's Downtown Performing Arts Series.

Theatre Company Rises to the Challenge

When there's no set and minimal props, all that's left is the acting. And the acting has to be very good for the play to fly. That the audience gave an enthusiastic round of applause at the end of the opening night performance of Shakespeare's As You Like It, is very clear evidence of very good acting.

PHILADANCO Shines in Edison

There's nothing quite so satisfying as a dance concert that explores not only a wide range of artistic expression but also keeps getting better as the evening goes on. That was certainly the case Friday night at the Edison Theatre.

PHILADANCO, a Philadelphia-based company, was engaging and frequently exhilarating. The concert was part of the Edison Theatre's OVATIONS! series.

Turtle Island Quartet to Record Hendrix Tribute

The musically diverse and award winning Turtle Island Quartet have chosen a unique way to celebrate its 25th anniversary this month by recording a Jimi Hendrix-inspired album titled Have You Ever Been… (Telarc). The group, joined by Stefon Harris and Mike Marshall, will step into the Skywalker Sound studio in California from Feb. 22-25 to lay down the tracks.

Puppeteer Creates Magic with Marionettes at Knickerbocker Theatre

Marionettes danced upon the Knickerbocker Theatre’s stage Saturday.

Joseph Cashore, with the help of wife Wilma Cashore, presented a series of brief but intimate stories with the elaborately stringed puppets. Among the tales: A harried new mother trying to comfort a squalling infant; a joyful horse exploring the world beyond its corral; a wise old man encountering an unexpected distraction; a violinist at work; a homeless man grappling with despair; a widow remembering her husband; and a young girl torn between the demands of homework and the pursuit of fun.

Aquila Theatre Company’s Provocative Presentation of An Enemy of the People Scores at N.C. State

After performing in Raleigh, NC, on Feb. 2nd and 3rd as part of the N.C. State University Center Stage series, the Aquila Theatre Company of New York City had a flock of new fans. First, a cast of seven, most of them playing multiple roles, tickled the Triangle’s funny-bone with an exuberant and highly entertaining presentation of William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It (1603), directed by Kenn Sabberton. Next up was a trademark Aquila reinterpretation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People (1882), adapted and staged by Aquila artistic director Peter W. Meineck. The latter drama pits brother against brother — in a modern-dress production — as wealthy businessman, civic booster, and small-town mayor Peter Stockmann (James Lavender) needs all the political muscle that he can muster to suppress a controversial water-quality report by Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Damian Davis).

© 2010 CVNC.org. Reprinted with permission of the author and Classical Voice of North Carolina, Inc.

Read article here: http://cvnc.org/reviews/2010/022010/Enemy.html

In The Studio: Turtle Island Quartet Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Jimi Hendix-Inspired Recording

Through their exploration of folk, bluegrass, swing, be-bop, funk, R&B, new age, rock, and hip-hop, Turtle Island Quartet has taken its audiences on a journey through many musical genres, eras, and places – the American landscape, Latin America, Europe, and India to name a few. Now the Grammy®-winning quartet ventures to Electric Ladyland with their new project Have You Ever Been…, to be recorded at the Skywalker Sound studio from February 22-25. Turtle Island Quartet will tackle works by legendary guitarist, songwriter and performer Jimi Hendrix, but also other compositions reflective of and inspired by Hendrix’s music including TIQ founder David Balakrishnan’s new composition “Tree of Life.”