Category Archives: News
19th performance of Monkey added
All that monkey business about the biggest buzz not going to Monkey: Journey to the West might be a little premature. Tickets have been selling so well that Spoleto just announced yet another addition to the Monkey King’s performance schedule, the second since the festival began on May 22. The new date is June 5 [...]
Inside info on Amistad
I’ve learned since the opening of Amistad last week that Michael Forest, the tenor who plays the Trickster God, a key and technically tricky role in Anthony Davis‘ revision of the 1997 opera, was a late addition to the production. While other cast members began rehearsing in February, Forest was brought in in March.
There’s more. [...]
Additional show of Taylor Mac
Spoleto announced this morning the addition of another date to the schedule of performance artist Taylor Mac. The show is Mon. June 2 at 10 p.m. at Emmett Robinson Theatre at the Simons Center for the Arts. Tickets went on sale at noon today. For more, call 843.579.3100 or to www.spoletousa.org.
New home for PURE?
After watching Vaud Rats Wednesday night, I talked to Rodney Rogers, co-founder of PURE Theatre, which presented K. Brian Neel in Vaud Rats for Piccolo Spoleto. The performance was in Lance Hall, about as small a space as I ever seen theater in. Afterward, a downpour gave us an excuse to stick around Lance Hall [...]
Connecting the dots
What does it all mean!?!?
SINGING SAWS
Esme Appleton plays a hand saw in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Mark Jaster plays a hand saw in Low Tide Hotel (he also plays a ukulele (see below), bass drum, concertina, snare drum, and gong).
SIRENS
One scene in Monkey: Journey to the West features the Spider Women, [...]
Monkey wasn’t first choice
During a public board meeting yesterday, Nigel Redden, executive director of Spoleto, revealed that Chen Shi-Zheng’s Monkey wasn’t the first choice for this year’s festival. The Gate Theater’s Sweeney Todd was the first choice, but disagreements about staging and internal conflicts among the Gate’s ranks conspired to derail plans for the production.
“The whole thing unraveled,” [...]
Heir apparent?
It looks like there soon might be a new director of Spoleto’s chamber music series. This morning, Charles Wadsworth, the series’ current director, announced that Geoff Nuttall, the first violinist for the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Spoleto’s ensemble-in-residence, has been named the series’ new associate director.
Wadsworth’s announcement, along with evident health issues resulting from age, [...]
A new date added to Monkey
A new date has been added to the roster of performances of Monkey: Journey to the West due to “popular demand,” according to a press release. That new date is Sun. June 1 at noon. For tickets, go to Spoleto’s website or call (843) 579-3100.
Opening ceremonies
The two Spoletos have reunited. That’s the message received today during the opening ceremonies of the 32nd Spoleto Festival USA. Mayor Joe Riley and Mayor Massimo Brunini, of Spoleto, Italy (pictured, from left) made it crystal clear — they were on message, as they say — that the two cities were reunited, and that the [...]
Give him the fingers
During the dress rehearsal on Journey to the West Wednesday night, the mechanics of the Great Buddha’s hand were not working properly. Monkey was supposed to get trapped in Buddha’s fingers, and then be imprisoned for the next 500 years, but they didn’t close.
A chance encounter with some pit musicians last night at Vickery’s on [...]
