News from the Center for the Performing Arts:
- The Center announced its lineup for opening week, Jan. 22-30. Among the events: A gala concert with Michael Feinstein, Chris Botti and the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and a "Now Hear This at the Palladium" competition for local musicians and performers. The Wright Brothers will perform a concert celebrating the construction team and the classical accoustics will be tested by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Miro Quartet.
While we wait for it to open, here's some news from some of the companies that will be calling the Center home. To be clear: These events aren't happening at the Center, but are upcoming events from what will be some of its resident companies.
- Indianapolis Children's Theatre (a division of Indianapolis Civic Theatre) will be revisiting "Schoolhouse Rock" Oct. 11-16. Most of the run will be for school groups, but there will be a pair of public performances on Oct. 16.
-- Actors Theatre of Indiana will be presenting the Rodgers and Hammerstein revue "A Grand Night for Singing" July 7-Aug. 1 at the Carmel Community Playhouse. The cast includes Bradley Reynolds, a 1980 Speedway High School grad who is up for a Tony Award this year as a producer of the Broadway revival of "Ragtime."
--Carmel Repertory Theatre is holding auditions this week for the local premiere of "13," which will open its 2010-2011 season. The musical, composed by Jason Robert Brown, calls for an all-teen company. In the meantime, CRT's production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" opens this weekend.
--Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre revisists past pieces in "Reincarnation," being offered for two shows this weekend at Pike Performing Arts Center.
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Excitement - I'm missing the point somewhere...
There is no way Carmel will be able to support this monstrosity unless they shut down some city services and some public safety.
Brainard has gone wild with spending, and if he ain't removed we can be seeing bankruptcy.
Since it is baseball season, I will describe the opening lineup as a swing and a miss.
It's not just that the acts aren't that big of names. I also find it concerning that you're going to end up with a pretty poor artistic direction if you think Chris Botti and Michael Feinstein are great. Looks like they are building a palace for the Sandy Patti's of the world to play....
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I don't know much about music - or arts administration, for that matter - but Sam T's reference to the idea of fine-tuning the facility first before bringing the Beatles back from the dead or whatever (thanks, Mary, for that laugh!) makes sense to me.
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I love the name "Now Hear This at the Palladium" as a chance for local musicians to shine.
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I don't think I know the Wright Brothers' music, but I did get a tour of the Palladium a few weeks ago (complete with souvenir hardhat) and was impressed by how seriously and carefully everyone seemed to be working on their various construction projects throughout the facility. At the risk of sounding condescending, these people acted like craftspeople and artisans, not...my stereotype of wolf-whistling stand-abouts.
When the man who gave us the tour said there would be a "thank you" concert for the construction workers and their families after the whole project was finished, I thought, "What a great idea!"
So if the Palladium construction workers told the suits that they would like to hear the Wright Brothers at their celebration, that's good enough for me.
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I'm glad to have a second chance to see/hear Civic's production of "Schoolhouse Rock." I missed it the first time around, and although I rarely make time to see children's theatre, this particular piece stars several of my favorite local performers.
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Adorable Bradley Reynolds! 'Loved him in every ATI show I've seen him in. I forgot that his Broadway production of "Ragtime" is up for a Tony. Wouldn't it be great if he won?! Would he be the first Hoosier to win a Tony?
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'Wish I had time to see GHDT's show this weekend. After I saw the pregnant vampire dance ('sorry - I can't remember the name of that piece) several Halloweens ago, I tried to catch every show offered by GHDT. That was before I started blogging about theatre, though. I know that dance is very theatrical, but I wish someone would devote a blog just to writing about Indianapolis-area dance performances.
Hope Baugh
Indy Theatre Habit
The first one that comes to mind are Cole Porter's Tony for Best Score for "Kiss Me, Kate."
And Heather Headley, who grew up in Fort Wayne, won Best Actress for "Aida."
I'm sure there must be more. Anyone?
This stuff is not the business of government. When government decides what entertainment we get to watch it is over.
The fact that Carmel's politicians consider themselves Republicans is a joke of the highest order. Carmel is being run like communist China, subsidizing business, deciding what does and doesn't get to be in their designated pet project areas, different rules for businesses that don't give $$$ to the politician's campaign coffers, and on and on and on.
All of this mess is destined to crash and burn. If those in charge of the mess had some brains Carmel might be able to survive this, but these guys aren't nearly the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. They are the same rubes that came into power many years ago. Only in the last five to seven years they figured out how to game the TIF system a la Chicago.
The PAC is going to be a joke, a $200 million joke. Property taxpayers should refuse to pay the freight when they are billed to pay the bond that was floated on their backs to pay for this ego trip.