A sneak peek at some area arts organizations’ 2014-15 seasons

Published 5:00 am Sunday, July 27, 2014

Beethoven. Tennessee Williams. Non-stop art. Two versions of “The Wizard of Oz.” The 2014-15 arts season is coming.

The Times recently polled and trolled a few area arts organizations for a peek into their coming seasons. This list is impressive but is by no means the full spectrum of shows, plays, exhibits and concerts opening in the coming months and into next year. In addition to these shows, there will be more children’s productions and high school musicals. The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts and The Times will announce the Presenter Series of visiting professional shows in August — though we do have the Presenter Series dates below. Peach State Summer Theatre concludes its 2014 season today, but is already looking toward the 2015 shows — these shows will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

Next week, the arts center opens a new series of exhibits and Theatre Guild Valdosta returns to the Dosta Playhouse stage.

So, consider this a cool taste of the arts to come, something to fill your calendars for the rest of this year and even into next year.

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, are5-7 p.m. Mondays on designated dates.

Admission: Free.

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

EXHIBITS

Bruce Bobick, watercolors, Price-Campbell Foundation Gallery; “The Sporting Art of Bucky Bowles,” Sallie & Harmon Boyette Gallery; Marty Haythorn & Friends: “The River of Life in the Azalea City,” Josette’s Gallery; South Georgia Regional Library Summer Art Program, Roberta George Children’s Gallery, opens with a free, public reception, 5-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4. Shows run through Sept. 17.

News series of exhibits opens Sept. 22, running through October.

New series of exhibits opens Nov. 3, running through the end of the year.

New series of exhibits, including the annual Drawproject auction for art scholarships, opens Jan. 12, running through February.

Youth Art Month exhibits open March 1, running through early April.

Spring Into Art 2015 opens April 13 and runs through early June. Admission charged for opening.

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. They are scheduled to be announced in August. There will be three shows this season.

SHOW DATES: Oct. 28, Nov. 20, Feb. 3.

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.

SHOW

“The Wizard of Oz:” The musical stage adaptation of the movie adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale of Dorothy and her journey to the magical Oz. Performance Dates: March 20-22, and 27-29, 2015. Audition Dates: Jan. 26 and 27, 2015.

LITTLE ACTORS THEATRE

Where: 1794 E. Park Ave.

Children’s theatre organization.

More information: Contact director Diane Tovar, (229) 292-4742; or visit www.littleactorstheatrevaldosta.com.

SHOWS

“Haphazardly Ever After:” A king and queen look for ways to compel their four grown children to move out of the castle. Performances in the fall. Auditions: 10 a.m., Aug. 16.

Spring Show traditionally plays in early March.

THEATRE GUILD VALDOSTA

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

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

The local theatre organization continues presenting its traditional Main Stage season of shows while upping its number of Stage Two productions.

SHOWS

• “She Loves Me:” The Guild’s annual musical with music and lyrics by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (“Fiddler on the Roof”) and book by Joe Masteroff (“Cabaret”). Guild synopsis: “Georg and Amalia are two feuding clerks in a European parfumerie during the 1930s who secretly find solace in their anonymous romantic pen pals, little knowing their respective correspondents are none other than each other. Funny, intelligent, honest and sentimental, ‘She Loves Me’ is a warm romantic comedy with an endearing innocence and a touch of old world elegance and nostalgia, yet as universal and relevant as ever in this age of internet romances.” Performance Dates: August 7-10, and 14-16.

• “Seeing Stars in Dixie:” A show by Ron Osborne, a Stage Two Production. Synopsis: “It’s 1956 and Hollywood has arrived in Natchez, Mississippi with its brightest stars to film Raintree County. Meanwhile at Clemmie’s, a Natchez tea room, the widowed proprietor who has a fascination with movies and a secret admirer, oversees her own cast of characters: Tootie, her take charge friend; Jo Beth, a former beauty queen; Glease, a man more comfortable with women than macho men, and Marjorie, an unethical social climber. Competition for a small role in the movie brings out the best and worst of these memorable characters. Twists, turns and revelations lead Clemmie to trade a moment of fame for love and the chance to impact the lives of people dear to her.” Performance Dates:  Sept. 12-14.

• “Victims and Villians: A Musical Review:” A Stage Two production. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-5. Audition Dates: TBA.

• “POE-pourri:” Staged readings of various works of Edgar Allen Poe presented by The Golden Stagers as a Stage Two production. Performance Dates:  Oct. 24-26.

• “A Tuna Christmas:” The sequel to “Greater Tuna,” by Ed Howard, Joe Sears, and Jaston Williams. Synopsis: Two men traditionally play all of the characters in this comedy series of shows set in the fictional community of Tuna, Texas. Here, the population hope to avoid a Christmas pageant disaster. Performance Dates: Dec. 4-7, and 11-13. Audition Dates: Oct. 27 and 28.

• “Kill Me, Deadly:” A noir parody by Bill Robens. Synopsis: “Charlie Nickels has a hard life as a gumshoe in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, and things are only made harder by the murder of a client and the theft of her 300 karat diamond. With the help of his wise-cracking secretary, Ida, Charlie seeks out the many suspects: smarmy bookworm Clive, equestrian beauty Veronica, snooty butler Wilson, sensitive muscle Louie, and mob boss Bugsy Siegel. At the center of the case is femme fatale Mona, a nightclub singer who captures Charlie’s affections … and suspicions. Packed with romance, intrigue, and murder, this detective noir is a smart parody that will keep you guessing until the end.” Performance Dates: Jan. 22-25, and 29-31, 2015. Audition Dates: Dec. 8 and 9.

• “John Brown’s Body:” Presented by The Golden Stagers as a Stage Two production. Performance Dates: Feb. 6- 8, 2015.

• “The Fox on the Fairway:” A play by Ken Ludwig, who authored other comedies such as “Leading Ladies” and “Lend Me a Tenor” which have both been performed by the Guild in the past. Synopsis: “A tribute … to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s, ’The Fox On the Fairway’ takes audiences on a hilarious romp which pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private country club. Filled with mistaken identities, slamming doors, and over-the-top romantic shenanigans, it’s a furiously paced comedy that recalls the Marx Brothers’ classics. A charmingly madcap adventure about love, life, and man’s eternal love affair with … golf.” Performance Dates: May 7-10, and 14-16, 2015. Audition Dates: March 23 and 24, 2015.

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.

Admission: Free.

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

EXHIBITS

• Faculty Exhibition: VSU art faculty’s annual season-opening exhibit. Run dates:  Aug. 25-Sept. 12. free, public reception: Reception: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25.

• Artists Jack King, sculpture, and Bryce Speed, mixed-media painting. Run dates:  Sept. 22-Oct. 10. Free, public reception: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22.

• Artists Matt Mitros and Laura Tanner, mixed-media wall constructions. Run dates: Oct. 20-Nov. 7.

• Free, public reception: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20.

• Fall Senior Exhibition: VSU graduating seniors exhibit. Run dates: Nov. 16-Dec. 8. Free, public reception: 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.

• Valdosta National 2015: Annual nationwide juried show. Run dates: Jan. 20-Feb. 6. Free, public reception: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20.

• Karl Zerbe: “Civil Right Expressionist Paintings, Brush Drawings and Collages, 1960-1963.” Run dates: Feb. 16-March 6. Free, public reception: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16.

• Student Competition: Annual juried show for VSU students. Run dates:  March 16-April 10. Free, public reception: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 16.

• Spring Senior Exhibition: VSU graduating seniors exhibit. Run dates: April 19-May 4. Free, public reception: 1-3 p.m. Sunday, April 19.

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

• “The Spitfire Grill:” Music and Book by James Valcq. Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley. Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff. VSU synopsis: “A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah’s Spitfire Grill. It is for sale but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy suggests to Hannah that she raffle it off. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the grill wins. Soon, mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely cooking’ at the Spitfire Grill.” Run dates: Sept. 18-24. Lab Theatre.

• “No Boundaries:” VSU Repertory Dancers’ annual dance concert. VSU synopsis: “Join the VSU Repertory Dancers as they explore the world of dance without boundaries. This year’s annual dance concert will present original choreography as well as restagings from our extensive repertoire by Sarah Wildes Arnett, Eric Nielsen and Catherine Schaeffer.” Run dates: Oct. 9-12. Sawyer Theatre.

• “She Stoops to Conquer:” A play by Oliver Goldsmith. VSU synopsis: “Mr. Hastings has gone to the country with his best friend to meet Kate, his future wife whom he has never met. Because of a practical joke, the young men eventually arrive in the ancient Hardcastle house thinking it is a country inn. They treat the future father-in-law as if he were the innkeeper and demand much from the willing but bewildered hosts. Kate, the well-bred daughter of Mr. Hardcastle, discovering the delusion the two young men are under, stoops to conquer her dashing fianceé by pretending to be a kitchen maid and allowing him to court her without the pretensions of polite and artificial society. The play is filled with the exuberant hijinks of Tony Lumpkin, a boisterous but lovable prankster who causes much of the joyous mayhem in the play. Mrs. Hardcastle’s ridiculous aspirations to high society deliciously contrast with her husband’s plain, dowdy ways. Against this wacky background of improbable characters, a pair of young lovers somehow meet and journey to happiness. The set-up of the plot invites jabs at antique conceptions of class, snobbery, and stereotypes and Goldsmith rings comic variations on the wages of snootiness high and low. ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ was a hit when it premiered in 1773 and has proven its enduring appeal for over two centuries.” Run dates: Nov. 6-12. Sawyer Theatre.

• “Pinocchio:” Stage adaptation based on the stories of Carlo Collodi. VSU Theatre & Dance’s annual touring children’s show. VSU synopsis: “Pinocchio, who first appeared in 1883, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the children’s novel, ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio,’ by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi. Carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, Pinocchio was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamed of becoming a real boy.  Pinocchio is prone to telling lies and fabricating stories, but he is never able to fool others with his lies.” Run dates: in addition to the school tour, two public shows will be performed Feb. 6-7. Sawyer Theatre.

• “Summer and Smoke:” A play by Tennessee Williams. VSU synopsis: This play “tells the story of Alma, a minister’s daughter, who cannot resist her attraction to the rakish and inspiring young doctor, John, who lives next door. Like moths to a flame, their relationship becomes an emotional battle of wills when her spiritual devotion is pitted against his sensuous need for physical desire. Stylistically, ‘Summer and Smoke’ is Williams’s realistic compromise between the poetic expressionism of ’The Glass Menagerie’ and the violent theatricality of ’A Streetcar Named Desire.’ Although ‘Summer and Smoke’ is more conventionally realistic than the other two, it is also his most allegorical statement on the conflict between the soul and the body, between innocence and experience, and between eternity and life — themes taking various forms in all of Williams’s plays.” Run dates: Feb. 19-25. Lab Theatre. Note: Show contains adult themes.

• “The Wiz:” Book by William F. Brown. Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls. From the story  “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. VSU Theatre & Dance’s annual musical. VSU Synopsis: “Ease on down the road! This beloved Broadway musical sets Dorothy’s adventures in the Land of Oz to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel, funk, and soul! Featuring the songs “Believe in Yourself,” “Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day),” and “Ease on Down the Road,” “The Wiz” won seven 1975 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.” Run dates: April 3-9. Sawyer Theatre.

• Fifth Annual Emerging Artists Showcase: An alternating program of Student Choreography and Musical Theatre. VSU synopsis: “VSU Theatre and Dance continues the Emerging Artists Showcase tradition. Audiences, who so enjoy watching our student artists develop their talents, can enjoy a performance or two of alternating programs. One program features our students graduating from the musical theatre program, the other performance includes upper-level dance majors presenting choreography of their own creation. Each performance of the showcase will spotlight our outstanding students.” Run dates: April 23-26. Sawyer Theatre.

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 visitwww.valdostasymphony.org

Conductor: Howard Hsu.

CONCERTS

• “VSO Celebration!” Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, with Rachel Barton-Pine, violin; Mussorgsky/Ravel’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”  Run date: Sept. 27.

• “Majestic Mastery:” Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 with Awadagin Pratt, piano. Run date: Nov. 15.

• Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker:” VSO and Dance Arts, Inc. continue their partnership in presenting this Christmas classic. Run dates: Dec. 5-7.

• “Visions of Love:” Bernstein’s “West Side Story Overture,” Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll,” Saint-Saens’ “Baccalaureate” from “Samson and Delilah,” Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake Suite” Op. 20 (selections), Mascagni’s “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria rusticana. Run date: Feb. 14, 2015.

• Flicker-Symphonic Celebration of the Silent Age: Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” Saint-Saens’ “Danse Macabre,” Op. 40, Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite No. 1,” Op. 4, Sibelius’ Finlandia, Op. 26, Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite” (1919). Run date: March 14, 2015.

• Beethoven’s 9th: Strauss’ “Solemn Entrance,” Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125, with Tamara Hardesty, soprano, and Soon Cho, mezzo soprano. Run date: May 2, 2015.

VSO Celebration!

September 27, 2014

• Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 – Rachel Barton-Pine, violin

• Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition

Majestic Mastery

November 15, 2014

• Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 – Awadagin Pratt, piano

Tchaikovsky Nutcracker with Dance Arts, Inc.

December 5-7, 2014

Visions of Love

February 14, 2015

• Bernstein West Side Story Overture

• Wagner Siegfried Idyll

• Saint-Saens “Bacchanale” from Samson and Delilah

• Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20 (selections)

• Mascagni “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria rusticana

Flicker – Symphonic Celebration of the Silent Age

March 14, 2015

• Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain

• Saint-Saens Danse Macabre, Op. 40

• Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46

• Sibelius Finlandia, Op. 26

• Stravinsky Firebird Suite (1919)

Beethoven’s 9th

May 2, 2015

• Strauss Solemn Entrance

• Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 – Tamara Hardesty, soprano Soon Cho, mezz