An art for all seasons

Published 8:00 am Monday, August 6, 2012

With tonight’s opening of four new exhibits at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts and this week’s premiere of Theatre Guild Valdosta’s musical, “Into the Woods,” the region’s 2012-13 arts season returns.

Plays, musicals, concerts, art exhibits, recitals and more are all part of the coming year’s entertainment. Community members, students and touring professionals will present these shows. We heard from several arts organizations and school arts groups. The following list is comprehensive but local folks will discover even more shows in the weeks and months to come.

ANNETTE HOWELL TURNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Where: 527 N. Patterson St.

Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; closed Sundays and Mondays. Most opening receptions, however, are 5-7 p.m. Mondays on designated dates.

Admission: Free.

More information: Call (229) 247-2787; or visit www.turnercenter.org

EXHIBITS

• Artists Dominick Gheesling, Vincent Keesee, Donna Leigh Jackins, South Georgia Regional Library youth. Shows run Aug. 6-Sept. 19.

• Artists Scott Fox; Smith, Pearl, McClain; GAEA Members; Southern Artists League. Shows run Sept. 24-Nov. 1.

• Artists Jeffrey Baisden; Volkmann, Moskovitz, Hofreita; Leslie Peebles. Shows run Nov. 5-Jan. 9, 2013.

• Hispanic-American Visual Artists Project, Drawproject 2013. Shows run Jan. 14-Feb. 20, 2013.

• High School Competition, Youth Art Exhibit, Art Contest Display. Shows run Feb. 24-March 25, 2013.

• Spring Into Art 2013. Show runs April 8-June 5.

ANNETTE HOWELL TURNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS PRESENTER SERIES

Where: Shows play at Mathis City Auditorium, 2300 N. Ashley St.

Reservations, more information: Visit www.turnercenter.org; call (229) 247-2787; or visit the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, 527 N. Patterson St.

NOTE: These shows are professional, touring productions.

SHOWS

KING MICHAEL: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 27. This tribute to the King of Pop focuses on Michael Jackson as a young man up until his passing. A show which has been called “a music phenomenon,” “King Michael” features two performers playing Jackson during the evening.

NUNSET BOULEVARD: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 23. This Presenter Series show stars Cindy Williams, famous for playing Shirley Feeney on the 1970s TV show “Laverne & Shirley.” Williams reprises her role as Mother Superior from the original “Nunsense.”

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD: 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14. This musical extravaganza celebrates the expected movie musicals, such as a full-costume splashfest with “Singin’ in the Rain,” but it does something different. It doesn’t just take selections from movie “musicals,” it includes songs from other movies: Jake and Elwood shaking their tail feathers from “The Blues Brothers,” for example.

A CHORUS LINE: 7:30 p.m., March 11. “A Chorus Line” opened in 1975 on Broadway with a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and music by Marvin Hamlisch. Nominated for a dozen Tony Awards, the show won nine, including best musical, and it also scored a Pulitzer Prize for drama.

COOK HIGH THEATRE WING

Where: Carolyn Harris Performing Arts Center, Cook High School, Adel.

Director: Jeremy Williams.

SHOWS

THE MIRACLE WORKER: Anne Sullivan struggles to teach blind and death Helen Keller. Show plays Oct. 4, 6.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: Never having attended church, a family of six children go to a worship service for the free snacks and are cast in the principal roles for the Christmas pageant. The regular church-goers are none to happy that these wild ones will tell the Christmas story from a different perspective. Show plays Dec. 13, 14.

WINTER SHOWCASE. Show plays Feb. 5, 2013.

SPRING SHOW: To be announced. Show plays April 4, 5, 2013.

GINGERBREAD PLAYERS

Where: The Dosta Playhouse, 122 N. Ashley St.

More information: Call (229) 24-STAGE; or visit www.theatreguildvaldosta.com

Note: Gingerbread Players is the children’s organization of Theatre Guild Valdosta.

SHOWS

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: Never having attended church, a family of six children go to a worship service for the free snacks and are cast in the principal roles for the Christmas pageant. The regular church-goers are none to happy that these wild ones will tell the Christmas story from a different perspective. Show plays Nov. 29-30, Dec. 1-2.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH: After “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” this is probably the most famous children’s book by British author Roald Dahl. In this outing, a young orphan boy named James has strange adventures after entering a giant, magical peach. Mostly with talking insects. Show plays March 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 2013.

LITTLE ACTORS THEATRE

Where: Shows play at Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center, 3101 N. Forrest St.

More information: Visit www.littleactorsvaldosta.com

Director: Diane Tovar.

NOTE: These shows are by kids for kids.

SHOWS

HOW THE WEST WAS DUN: A comic Western melodrama with the subtitle, “Or Left High and Dry in Low Humidity Chasm.” Auditions are scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, Valdosta Church of the Nazarene on North Forrest Street Extension. Show plays Oct. 6-7.

GUYS AND DOLLS JR.: A kid-friendly adaptation of the “Luck Be a Lady” high-rolling musical. Show plays March 9-10, 2013.

MISSOULA DRAMA CAMP: Professional theatre camp for children and youths, runs July 8-13, 2013, and ends with performances of a show.

LOWNDES HIGH SCHOOL OFF-BROADWAY

Where: Auditorium, Lowndes High School, off Norman Drive.

Director: Phyllis Childree.

SHOWS

DROP DEAD JULIET: A comedic take on Shakespeare’s tragic story of two young lovers. Show plays: Sept. 8-9.

11 VARIATIONS ON FRIAR JOHN’S FAILURE: LHS continues the “Romeo and Juliet” theme with this intriguing play if Friar John had acted differently in dealing with the doomed lovers. This will also be the high school regional one-act competition. Show plays Oct. 27-28.

5, 6, 7, 8: The annual student-created and led show song-and-dance revue. Show plays Nov. 3-4, 8-9.

SPRING MUSICAL: To be announced. Show plays March 14-17, 2013.

SENIOR SHOWCASE: Graduating seniors show their talents and skills. Show plays May 10, 2013.

CHILDREN’S PRODUCTION: Show, times and dates to be announced.

THEATRE GUILD VALDOSTA

Where: The Dosta Playhouse, 122 N. Ashley St.

More information: Call (229) 24-STAGE; or visit www.theatreguildvaldosta.com

SHOWS

INTO THE WOODS: “In this fractured fairy tale, a Baker and his Wife, who learn they’ve been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone’s wish is granted at the end, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results.” Show plays Aug. 9-12, 16-18.

LOVE, SEX, & THE IRS: “Here is a wild farce with twists of fate, sight gags, mistaken identities and hilarious comic lines. Jon Trachtman and Leslie Arthur are out-of-work musicians who room together in New York City. To save money, Jon has been filing tax returns listing the pair as married. The day of reckoning comes when the Internal Revenue Service informs the ‘couple’ they’re going to be investigated by a Mr. Spinner … The show plays Oct. 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20.

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL: Set in the 1940s, this is the story of an older woman who wants to leave Houston for her old hometown of Bountiful, Texas. Her family tries stopping her, but she persists and finds her way to a place near her old hometown … The show plays Jan. 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 2013.

CLIFFHANGER: A college department head wants to force a philosophy professor into retirement, pushing the mild-mannered professor to the point of violence. Variety described the show’s mix of comedy and mystery as combining “the warmth and humor of ‘On Golden Pond’ with almost as many plot twists as ‘Deathtrap.’” The show plays May 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 2013.

VALDOSTA HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA

The Times requested season information but did not receive a response.

VALDOSTA MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAYERS

Where: Most shows play at Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center, 3101 N. Forrest St.

Director: Toni Jarvis.

SHOWS

POE DUNKED: The eighth-grade show imagines Edgar Allan Poe’s creepy 19th century stories set in comic modern situations, such as one of this show’s bits titled “Poe at the Waffle House.” Show plays for the public Oct. 11. It will also be performed as part of the middle school regional one-act competition which is again hosted by Valdosta Middle School, on Oct. 13. VMS then hosts the state competition, at VHS PAC on Nov. 3.

THE YEARBOOK: The seventh-grade show features skits about high school life. Features two separate casts. One cast performs Nov. 6. The second cast performs Nov. 8.

AN EVENING OF SHORTS & SKITS: This sixth-grade show plays in the Valdosta Middle School cafetorium. Show plays Nov. 29.

REGIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: As it has for the past several years, VMS hosts the regional middle school film competition at VHS. Plays Jan. 22, 2013.

FAME: The spring musical features the 1980s phenom. Show plays March 20 for elementary schools, for the public March 21-22.

VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY ART

Where: VSU Art Gallery, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood.

Gallery hours: The gallery is open Mondays through Fridays.

More information: Call (229) 333-5835; or visit www.valdosta.edu/art

EXHIBITS

VSU ART FACULTY EXHIBITION: VSU Art Department faculty showcase their works, Aug. 20-Sept. 7, with a free, public reception, 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20.

TRUTH IN ANIMALS: Mixed-media paintings and installations by Linda Mitchell, Sept. 17- Oct. 5, with a free, public reception, 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17.

JUST SUPPOSE: Images by Jerry Uelsmann and Maggie Taylor, Oct. 15-Nov. 3, with a free, public reception, 7-8:30 p.m. Friday Nov. 2.

FALL SENIOR EXHIBITION: Graduating seniors showcase their works, Nov. 11-Dec. 3, with a free, opening reception: 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13.

VALDOSTA NATIONAL 2013: Annual, nationwide all-media juried competition, Jan. 14-Feb. 3, with a free, public reception, 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14.

EVERYDAY SOMETHING NEW: Recent Works by Mathew McConnell, Feb. 11-March 1, with a free, opening reception, 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11.

STUDENT COMPETITION: All-media juried competition for VSU students, March 11-April 5, with a free, public reception, 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 11.

SPRING SENIOR EXHIBITION: Graduating seniors showcase their works, April 14-29, with a free, public reception, 1-3 p.m. Sunday, April 14.

VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY MUSIC

Where: Most concerts are held in Whitehead Auditorium, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood.

Admission: Most recitals, etc., are free and open to the public.

More information: Visit www.valdosta.edu/music/

SHOWS

AUGUST:

21, Saxophone Quartet, 7:30 p.m.

26, Nephina/Nina Lutz, violin & Nephtali Santiago, guitar, 3 p.m.

27, Faculty Recital: Tod Leavitt, contrabass, 7:30 p.m.

30, Faculty Recital: Maila Springfield, piano & David Springfield, trombone/piano, 7:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER

4,  Faculty Recital, Joren Cain, saxophone, 7:30 p.m.

20, Student Recital, Curtis Thornton, tuba & Brian Summerlin, trumpet, 7:30 p.m.

21, Guest Artist Recital, Dan Sweaney, viola, 7:30 p.m.

23, PDQ Bach Recital, 3:00 p.m.

24, Wind Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

25, Jazz Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

26, Faculty Chamber Recital/Brahms & Schumann: Lyle Indergaard, piano; M. Brent Williams, violin; Lauren

Burns, viola & Steven Taylor, cello, 7:30 p.m.

27, Student Recital: Teal Ewer, trumpet, 7:30 p.m.

30, Faculty Recital: Elizabeth Goode, flute & Susan Eischeid, oboe, 3 p.m.

30, Student Recital: Danielle McNeil, violin, 7:30 p.m.

OCTOBER

1, Guest Artist Recital: Jihye Chang, piano, 7:30 p.m.

2, Student Recital: Emmanuel Johnson, saxophone & Shiree Williams, saxophone, 7:30 p.m.

7, Faculty/Guest Recital: Elizabeth Goode, flute & Joshua Pifer, piano, 7:30 p.m.

8, Guest Artist Recital, Nalini Vinayak, sitar; Devisprasad Chabukswar, table & Srinivasa Kishore, udu, 7:30 p.m.

9, VSU Choirs Concert: Concert Choir, Spotlighters & Chamber Singers, 7:30 p.m., First Christian Church.

10, Student Recital, Sarah Carter Sweatte, piano & Nathan Jones, piano, 7:30 p.m.

11, Pops in the Park, 6 p.m., Fine Arts Amphitheatre

12, Graduate Recital: Darius Ocetek, voice, 7:30 p.m.

17, Guest Artist Recital: Michael Hernandez, saxophone, 7:30 p.m.

18, Faculty Recital: Daniel Rowland, tuba, 7:30 p.m.

19, Student Recital: Kameron Crutcher, voice, 7:30 p.m.

20, Student Recital: Carmen Turner, voice, 7:30 p.m.

27, Opera Performance,  Candide, 7:30 p.m.

28, Opera Performance, Candide, 3 p.m.

29, Brass Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

31, William’s Violin Studio Recital, 7:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER

1, Student Chamber Showcase: 7:30 p.m.

2, Azalea String Quartet: 7:30 p.m.

4, Student Recital: Billy Robinson, tuba, 3 p.m.

4, Pan Am Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

6, New Jazz Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

9, High School Choir Festival Performance, 4 p.m.

10, Student Recital: Joy Yates, trumpet & Blake Rothermel, trumpet, 3 p.m.

11, Student Recital: Paul Johns, clarinet & Erin Whalley, clarinet, 7:30 p.m.

12, Guest Artist Recital: Bernhard Scully, horn, 7:30 p.m., St. John Catholic Church.

14, Flute Studio Recital, 7:30 p.m., VSU Choir Room.

15, Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m., Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center PAC

18, Student Recital: Jamie Richardson, percussion, 3 p.m.

18, Twentieth-Century American Piano Music Concert, 7:30 p.m.

19, Student Jazz Combos, 7:30 p.m.

20, Student Recital: Nick Clisby, percussion, 7:30 p.m.

26, Student Recital: Aaron Savage, percussion, 7:30 p.m.

27, Jazz Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER

2, VSU Choirs, Candlelight Concert 3, 5 & 7 p.m.

3, South Georgia String Project, 6 p.m.

VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY THEATRE & DANCE

Where: Theatres in the VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood.

More information: Call (229) 333-5973; or visit www.valdosta.edu/comarts

 SHOWS

LOVE, LOSS & WHAT I WORE: “ A chamber play of monologues and ensemble pieces about women, clothes and memory covering all the important subjects — mothers, prom dresses, mothers, buying bras, mothers, hating purses and why we only wear black.” The show runs Sept. 6-12, Lab Theatre.

FRESH TRACKS: The VSU Repertory Dancers in Concert. “Once again, Sawyer Stage will be alive with expressive movement through a variety of dance genres. This year’s annual concert presents fresh works and renewed repertoire choreographed by VSU’s Dance faculty for the VSU Repertory Dance Company.” The show runs Oct. 4-7.

MOLIERE’S THE WOULD BE GENTLEMAN: “A rousing comedy combining elements of music, dance, and fantasy, one of Moliere’s most popular works follows the tale of a newly rich bourgeoisie merchant who would like to be a part of the nobility.” The show runs Nov. 8-14, Sawyer Theatre.

FREE TO BE … YOU & ME: The annual touring children’s show. “Instead of telling children who they should be, ‘Free to Be … You and Me’ opens them up to the possibilities of who they could be.” For tour information or to book a tour date for February or March, 2012, contact show director Jacque Wheeler, (229) 333-5820. This show presents public performances, Feb. 1, 2, 2013, Sawyer Theatre.

THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH: This 1943 Thornton Wilder play “broke from established theatrical conventions and walked off with the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama. Meet George and Maggie Antrobus (married only 5,000 years), their two children (though it hasn’t always been the same two) Gladys and Henry, and their eternal Sabina, the maid …” The show plays Feb. 21-27, 2013.

PIPPIN: VSU’s annual musical. “Once upon a time, a young prince longed to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment. He sought it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, he found it in the simple pleasures of home and family.” The show plays March 28-April 3, 2013. Sawyer Theatre.

EMERGING ARTISTS SHOWCASE: Musical theatre performances and student dance choreography on alternating days. Musical Theatre Showcase runs April 18, 20, 2013. Student Choreography Showcase runs April 19, 21, 2013. Sawyer Theatre.

SPECIAL VSU THEATRE & DANCE EVENTS

AND THE TONY GOES TO …: The 14th Annual Cabaret Fundraiser. A meal and a show featuring music from Broadway’s Tony Award winners — all while helping raise funds for VSU Theatre & Dance student scholarships. This event occurs Nov. 18, St. John’s Parish Hall, 800 Gornto Road.

CINDERELLA BALLET: Valdosta School of Ballet and VSU Theatre & Dance partner to raise money for VSU Theatre & Dance student scholarships. This show plays Jan. 19, 20, 2013, Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center, 3101 N. Forrest St.

DANCING WITH THE VALDOSTA STARS: VSU Theatre & Dance partner with VSU Music to raise funds for both departments’ student scholarships, by featuring well-known Valdosta residents dancing with area dance professionals and students. This event occurs April 13, 2013, VSU Student Union Grand Ballroom.

VALDOSTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Where: Whitehead Auditorium, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood. Exceptions noted.

More information: Call VSU College of the Arts Outreach, (229) 333-2150; or visit http://www.valdostasymphony.org/

Conductor: Howard Hsu.

CONCERTS

SEPT. 15: The orchestra presents Shchedrin’s “Symphonic Fanfares”; Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 107, featuring the VSO’s Steven Taylor on cello; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique.”

NOV. 17: The orchestra presents Higdon’s “String”; Schumann’s “Konzertstücke for Four Horns, Op. 86”; Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183.

THE NUTCRACKER: Dance Arts and Valdosta Symphony Orchestra partner for the third year on this long-running Valdosta Christmas tradition. The show plays Nov. 30; Dec. 1, 2.

JAN. 26, 2013: The orchestra presents Berlioz’s “March troyenne from Les Troyens’; Debussy’s “Preludes” (orchestra by Colin Matthews): “La fille aux cheveux de lin,” “La cathédral engloutie,” “Minstrels”; Decruck’s Sonata in C# for Saxophone (Georgia Premiere), with Joren Cain, saxophone; Ravel’s “Alborada del gracioso”; Debussy’s “La Mer.”

MARCH 9, 2013: The orchestra presents Hayden’s “Die Schöpfung — The Creation,” with Paul Neal, conductor.

APRIL 27, 2013: The orchestra presents Bates’ “White Lies for Lomax”; Strauss’ “Don Juan”; Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, featuring Alexander Schimpf, piano, first-prize winner of the 2011 Cleveland International Piano Competition.

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