Celtic folk rock, online fun, dance at the Tark and more
Welcome back to Interlude, bringing you a warm, sunny selection of arts and entertainment that could almost make you forget it’s still March in Indiana.
Tune in for folk rock from the Isles
If you didn’t know “Scots-American folk rock” was a thing – or more specifically, “progressive Scots-American Celtic with acoustic folk rock undertones” – prepare to experience it at 7:30 tonight when Highland Reign performs Live at the Center from the Studio Theater.
Fronted by Leslie Miller on bagpipes, bodhran and vocals, the Indianapolis trio may have a little fun describing their music, but they’ve been delivering it for two decades with enough credibility to sell over 20,000 CDs and make regular tours of Ireland and Scotland. Find out how to catch the free livestream.
Coming up next week …
Monday at 7 p.m.: The Palladium Players will gather on-site and online for a fun discussion and reading of excerpts from Impromptu Entertainments, a collection of stage sketches written to be performed with minimal rehearsal. Learn how you can join them – at no charge! Registration closes today.
Tuesday at 7 p.m.: Beaming in from Pasadena for a special Classics in Context presentation, Disney Music producer and music historian Randy Thornton will discuss the use of classical masterworks in beloved animated films such as Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty. That’s certainly worth the price of a ticket, but hey, it’s actually free, so sign up to watch.
Next Thursday at 10 a.m.: Musician-educator “Miss Michelle” Marti kicks off another five-week round of Child & Adult Music Class for kids ages 1-5. Under the theme Teddy Bear’s Picnic, the Zoom sessions will run Thursday mornings from March 11 through April 8. Buy a ticket for your family.
Who runs the world?
Our pals at the Great American Songbook Foundation are kicking off National Women’s History Month with a salute to the many talented women who have left their mark on popular music, including Songbook Hall of Fame honorees like Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Doris Day. These towering talents broke the glass ceiling for women in the entertainment industry and paved the way for “all the single ladies” who have filled our lives with music ever since.
If these names are new to you, “let’s start at the very beginning” with the Strong Women of the Songbook blog. And if you’re interested in the contemporary artists who continue to serenade us with the Songbook today – think Diana Krall, Audra McDonald, Lady Gaga – read Women of the Songbook: Next Generation. Conveniently, handpicked Spotify playlists accompany both blogs for your listening needs, so make them your soundtrack for International Women’s Day, which happens to be Monday.
Your guests will be floored!
Seeking a unique and unforgettable space for a late-summer event? Look no further than the Palladium with its Festival Floor!
Available in August and September, the Festival Floor is installed at stage level, above the permanent seating, to turn the elegant concert hall into a 4,000-square foot ballroom ideal for dinners, awards ceremonies, wedding receptions, fundraising events and more.
The Center’s resident Central Indiana Dance Ensemble will perform this weekend on campus for the first time in well over a year.
The Mixed Rep program of classic, modern and contemporary pieces – including the third act of Marius Petipa’s landmark ballet Paquita – streams live from the Tarkington at 4 p.m. Sunday. Get your single or household tickets now.
This week in performing arts history
March 1: On this date in 1979, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler opened at Broadway’s Uris Theatre. It ran for 557 performances and swept the Tony Awards. The Center’s resident company Actors Theatre of Indiana has mounted a production twice, in January 2016 (pictured above) and in partnership with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra in February 2020.
March 2: On this date in 1989, Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor opened on Broadway at the Royale Theatre and ran for 476 performances. The Center’s resident Civic Theatre presented a production in February 2012.
March 5: On this date in 1963, country singer Patsy Cline died at age 30 in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee. Cline was one of the first country singers to cross over as a pop artist, with hits including “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Walkin' After Midnight.” Actors Theatre of Indiana presented Always … Patsy Cline in September 2013. Also on this date in an undisclosed year, the person designing this email was born.
