23 February 2008
THE GRAND FINALE
The Festival ended on a robust note Saturday night with a moving performance of the musical Ragtime. The talented ensemble from the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Bermuda rocked the house with booming vocals that stirred with emotion. Rich orchestral sounds and historical costume design helped transport the audience to ragtime music's turn-of-the-century era.
A near sold-out City Hall Theatre crowd rose to its feet during a lengthy and jubilant standing ovation. It was a fitting end to a fantastic performance and a great Festival season.
When it was over, the 50-plus-member cast and crew, as well as a sizeable group of Festival coordinators and volunteers headed to La Trattoria for a closing party.
Ragtime principals Khalilah Smith and Marvin Ford rest their strong vocal chords while enjoying a post-performance meal.
More Ragtime principals: (left to right) 8-year-old Megan Zimmerer, Robbie Godfrey, Gabriele Dunkley, Burton Mazzone (who starred as the immigrant 'Tateh') and Tramaine Stovell.
Ragtime cast members drink and make merry at the Festival closing party.
Ragtime's 'Little Boy' Daniel Maguire shows us how much he enjoyed performing. "It was great,"he gushed.
Ensemble members celebrating their final night as Ragtime cast and crew.
Energy was high as the smooth jazz band the Milt Robinson Trio, provided the soundtrack for the festive evening.
Not to be outdone, Festival coordinators and volunteers fetted alongside the Ragtime ensemble. There was much to celebrate after an eventful and successful 34-day Performing Arts Festival run.
Well done, Festival Team!
Wife of Festival Chairman Pat Ellison (left) with Artistic Director Karen Pollard (centre) and Festival Director of Finance Mariette Savoie (right).
Festival General Manager Christine Barnes catches up with Front of House Coordinator Sean Pitcher.
Festival house managers Betty and John Dale with Festival hosts Kurt Birrer and Mary Frith.
Festival blog reporter Debbie Rigaud and Festival Videographer Charles Reilly are all smiles.
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18 February 2008
OUTREACH NEWS
During The Puppet State Theatre Company’s Outreach Programme performance of The Man Who Planted Trees, the witty puppet dog delivered most of the show’s punch lines and was the crowd favourite. The young audience of primary students was positively tickled by the comedic canine.
“The dog was the main character to me,” said one excited student. “He was funny,” giggled another.
Rick Conte, the puppeteer who also voices the character Dog, explained that Dog’s purpose is to entertain the audience while it’s being educated. Thanks to the laughs, the play delivers strong commentary on war, politics, celebrity and environmental responsibility with ease.
But what of the titular character? After all, it was the shepherd’s selfless actions--planting trees across a barren French landscape--that carried the moral lesson of the story.
Although they were smitten with the dog, the man’s example was not lost on the youngsters.
“He gave the people a good life,” acknowledged one boy, referring to the lush, thriving community that resulted from the shepherd’s tree-planting spree.
After the performance, the cast—including puppet and set designer Ailie Cohen—gave students insider info about how to create and manipulate a puppet. Volunteers were invited on stage to try their hand at puppeteering.
Students were also taught how to make their own puppets at home. But that’s not the only lesson the kids would take from the stage to the street. The Puppet State Theatre Company challenged the schools in attendance to each plant a tree. So far, three schools have agreed to participate in this tree-planting effort: Somersfield Academy, Victor Scott Primary and Gilbert Institute. We celebrate their commitment and hope their actions inspire other local schools to take part and plant trees.
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17 February 2008
QUOTABLE QUOTES
During the play The Man Who Planted Trees, a few priceless reactions came from children in the audience. Here we share two of them with you:
*During the scene when puppeteer Rick Conte pours water into a fountain, a young boy, apparently taken with the play's eco-friendly message, shouted out, "He should be watering the tree!"
Even the cast paused to chuckle in response.
*During the scene when the tree-planting shepherd is laid to rest, four-year-old Louis (pictured below with his father) commented, "Now the dog's going to plant the trees."
Tree narrator Richard Medrington signs an autograph for young ticket holders after the show.
Gerald Simons accompanied five-year-old Malina Raynor to a performance of The Man Who Planted Trees at Daylesford Theatre.
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17 February 2008
TREE TIME
Ticket holders crowded around Malcolm Swan's concession table to buy The Man Who Planted Trees DVDs after the show.
Backstage crew hang out with Puppet State Theatre Company members at the Daylesford Theatre car park.
Puppet State Theatre Company members Ailie, Rick, Elspeth and Richard.
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11 February 2008
WHAT A SING-SATION!
The popular Festival masterclass series continued this week with a choral lesson given by Tenebrae. Students were instructed in the vocal arts as Tenebrae members revealed secret techniques used by the professional chamber choirs. The room boomed with the voices of the 30 or so students in attendance. It was an aural treat to hear the improvements that resulted from the global performers' instruction.
Local singers chime in with Tenebrae during this week's Festival masterclass.
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11 February 2008
THANK YOU KINDLY
It’s been more than two weeks since the Festival held the Parsons Dance masterclass, and the dancers who attended are still buzzing about it.
“The dancers thoroughly enjoyed themselves and have not stopped talking about it yet!” wrote In Motion Director Lizz Pimentel.
A slew of Thank You cards and letters of gratitude arrived at the Bermuda Festival office. “The class was an amazing experience and definitely a memorable one,” raved one student. “These opportunities are very important to me because it gives me the experience for training and exposure to what others have to offer. It also gives me a chance to gauge where I need to improve on my skills and focus to accomplish my goals in dance," wrote another.
All in all, the consensus was summed up in one aspiring professional dancer's letter: “I thought the class was informative and a lot of fun.”
Cheerful shades of gratitude: Thank You cards and letters mailed to the Festival office.
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9 February 2008
ZEIDWIGING OUT
When young Dominique Burgess sat down to watch pianist ZeidwiG’s performance at the Fairmont Southampton, she had high expectations. “I hope he’s going to be funny,” she said.
The renowned pianist is famous for his stunt performances and hilarious hi-jinks. He pours humour into his lauded concerts for an entertaining show. In the audience, Dominique was delighted that ZeidwiG reached deep into his bag of tricks. The first half of his performance involved a ladder being pulled from inside his piano, and an attempt to jumpstart his stalled piano notes with jumper cables. But most importantly, he didn’t let Dominique’s expectations down. She chuckled along with the rest of the audience and was also wowed by his brilliant piano skills.
Of course, what ZeidwiG did do is raise the young audience member’s expectations even higher.
At the start of the second act, the primary school student whispered hopefully, “I think he’s got a lot more tools in his piano.”
It’s a good thing ZeidwiG was up for the challenge.
ZeidwiG signs an autograph for Dominique Burgess as she stands by with her uncle, Front of House Coordinator Sean Pitcher.
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6 February 2008
ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO & TAKE 6
When it comes to the powerhouse Festival performances of Angélique Kidjo and Take 6, chances are you either attended or you heard about it.
There was no in between.
Audiences raved about Angélique Kidjo's electric, high-energy performance and felt uplifted by the gospel sounds of Take 6. The dynamic Ms. Kidjo invited audience members on stage to 'shake it', and shake it they did!
"She's a firecracker!" shouted one awed ticket holder.
Angélique Kidjo (centre, in cream pants) crowded the stage with audience members she invited up to dance.
Backstage volunteers prepare Angélique Kidjo's yummy fueling station.
Kidjo was indeed a tough act to follow. But when it was time for her to pass the performance baton to Take 6, the gospel group did not disappoint. They swooned, harmonized and joked their way through a moving set. One woman who attended the opening night enjoyed it so much, she returned with her entire family on the second evening.
Now that's good news worth spreading!
The Take 6 performance inspired Wendy Warren to bring her whole family to see them on the following evening.
She is shown here with Joey Kibble of Take 6, her fellow Oakwood College alum.
Take 6 appealed to young and old, including ticket holders Saige Livingston (left) with her brother Donovan Livingston.
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1 February 2008
OUTREACH PROGRAMME
The Festival continues to offer Bermuda's students front row seats to the arts. Earlier this month, students got to listen to young gifted pianist Benjamin Grosvenor perform. The kids were especially touched by Grosvenor's playing. Perhaps this is because of their relative closeness in age to Grosvenor.
Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor (in blue) and Outreach Programme students.
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6 February 2008
BEHIND THE SCENES
When the stage performance has ended for a Bermuda Festival artist, the behind-the-scenes work for a Festival host is just getting started.
Many people don’t realise the level of work and organising that goes on behind the scenes. Each performer enjoys Bermuda-style hospitality courtesy of a dedicated team of Festival hosts. Coordinated by Mary Winchell and Ellie Pilling, Festival hosts and hostesses do such an amazing job taking care of the artists. From providing transportation to dishing up dinner parties, artists are treated like special guests during their stay in Bermuda. Hostesses also act as informal tour guides on occasion and take artists sightseeing.
Committee chairwoman Laverne Richardson has been volunteering as a hostess for four years. “We hold meetings, get committees together, delegate drivers and pickups, keep artists comfy and fed backstage,” she explains. “And depending on how long they’re here for, we have dinner parties for guests and invite over Bermudian friends.”
Other dedicated volunteers include Pauline Richards, Cindy Miller, Susan Butterfield, Janice Witkowski, Carol Ashton, Joyce Watlington, Felicité Davidson, Ann Spencer Arscott, Marijke Peterich, Debbie Butterfield and Susan Mutch, to name a few.
Members of the Italian Saxophone Quartet with hostesses Felicité Davidson (left) and Joyce Watlington (right).
Like expert wedding planners, the hosts deal with last-minute hiccups and unexpected changes without troubling the bride’s blissful experience. Take it from volunteer Alexia Cooper, who played host to Tango Fire: “It takes flexibility and you have to be resourceful,” she says. Alexia’s flexibility came in handy when she hosted Tango Fire. On the morning of their flight, Tango Fire woke up to a blanket of snow in Boston and their flight to Bermuda was cancelled. The Festival hosts had to quickly readjust their plans. “Everyone was called in order of importance–the drivers, the people preparing the dinner venue, the person making rum cakes, and so on,” says Alexia.
Alexia says her big car comes in handy for airport pickups. But it takes more than her vehicle to handle a large group of artists. There were 19 pieces of luggage in Tango Fire’s group—that’s personal items plus costumes for their performances! Parsons Dance consisted of 10 dancers and a pair of strobe lights—nothing these fabulous hosts and hostesses can’t handle.
“I don’t think the general public realizes how much of an impression the hosts leave on artists,” says Laverne. “A lot of them like to come back to Bermuda because of this impression.”
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26 January 2008
A TOUCH OF (MASTER) CLASS
On the 26th of January, Bermuda Festival held a masterclass for Bermuda's talented dance school students. Julie Blume from Parsons Dance spent a Saturday afternoon showing her class premiere dance moves. Here are a few visual highlights from the day:
Julie Blume instructs Bermuda's dance students.
The Festival's next masterclass is scheduled for 11 February at 6pm at the Bermuda School of Music. It's a choral masterclass given by Nigel Short, director of Tenebrae. The public is invited to watch. (There is limited availability - book online at www.bermudafestival.org.)
The Parsons Dance Company joined by backstage technicians and Festival organisers.
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17 January 2008
FESTIVAL OUTREACH PROGRAMME
Who needs professional reporters? Bermuda’s school children know exactly what questions to ask a global performer.
When guitarist Zaira Meneses held an intimate performance for the school children during Bermuda Festival’s Outreach program, she was blown away by the Q&A period.
“Oh my God—so many questions,” she exclaimed, scanning the many little hands raised in the audience.
Thanks to the kids’ curiosities, the audience learned that it was all thanks to a foot stool that Ms. Meneses took to the guitar. The idea of resting her foot on a tiny stool while playing was enticing to a young Meneses.
“This was very fascinating for me!” she gushed.
And what intrepid adult reporter would dare ask if the acclaimed guitarist is still taking lessons? One child did.
“Good question,” answered Ms. Meneses. “Yes, I am. We’re learning all the time.” But the number of raised arms doubled when Ms. Meneses sought volunteers to step on stage to play her guitar. One by one, Ms. Meneses helped position the selected child’s foot on that 'fascinating' little stool and showed them which strings to strum.
There were a lot of quick learners in the group. But the last student on stage needed no assistance from Ms. Meneses.
She stood back as he cradled the guitar on his lap with ease and began to strum a familiar tune. The audience watched in silent pride as one of their peers expressed his talent, playing the theme to the “James Bond” movie.
Ms. Meneses looked on, delighted with the boy’s guitar skills and impressed with Bermuda’s students as a whole.
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15 January 2008
OPENING NIGHT GALA
Those leg-baring skirts, that natty suit—it must be time to tango!
Although Tango Fire was set to heat up the stage on this opening night of The Bermuda Festival, ticket holders came dressed the part. Everyone at the pre-performance cocktail was invited to ‘dress to kill, tango-style’. And judging from the handkerchief-hemmed dresses on diamond-adorned ladies, and cool gents with undone buttons, City Hall & Arts Centre could have doubled as a grand hall in Buenos Aires!
The elegant crowd connected with each other over hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Everyone seemed to be buzzing about the festival. After all, this was the much-anticipated launch of Bermuda’s biggest cultural event! Blending in with the scene was His Excellency the Governor Sir Richard Gozney and Lady Gozney at their very first Festival event in Bermuda; Festival Partner for Tango Fire, Graham Pewter of Catlin Insurance; and Festival Chairman John Ellison.
We swirled through the crowd to get a cross-section of reactions to the Bermuda Festival. Here are a few:
“This is my first year attending. Every year I read about it in the paper but I never got here. My girlfriend called and said I should come out with her. I said, 'Sure', and here I am.” – Enid, Devonshire
“We come every year when we can. We really enjoy it. We have tickets to Tango Fire, the Parsons Dance and Ragtime. We’re looking forward to it!” – Caroline and Richard, Smith’s
“My tickets were a Christmas present from my brother. I was very excited to get them. I thought, 'Fabulous', because I’m very into dancing. I used to salsa and tango.” – Margot, Southampton
“I’ve been on the island for four years and this is my third season attending. Last year I saw the classical musician trio – piano, cello and violin - I was blown away. They were so good. This year we’re seeing Tango Fire, the jazzy father and son [Richard & Peter Stoltzman], the young pianist [Benjamin Grosvenor] and closing night at Ragtime.” - Deborah and Vorhees, Sandys
“I’m a volunteer. I’ll be ushering at times and tonight I’m helping out with house management. It’s great being a part of the Festival!” - Keena, Hamilton
“Our son and daughter-in-law purchased opening night tickets for us, but we had already bought ourselves tickets! Fortunately, we’d purchased them for the second night. So, we’ll be here tomorrow.” –Stephen and Angela, Pembroke
“I’ve been attending the Festival for about three years. The last time we saw the Canterbury Tales. It was funny in bits and serious in others. This year we’re seeing the young pianist [Benjamin Grosvenor]. I think he’s a mini Mozart!”
– Isabel, 12 [left]
“Last year I attended the Festival’s Shakespearian play. I liked it because they performed it interestingly and allowed audience participation. The audience was allowed to cast the characters—like a man could be Juliet. It was really cool.”
- Amélie, 15 [right]
“I’m a hostess for the festival. I transport the performers and also host them at my house. This year I’m hosting Take 6. I plan to show them a good time—that’s why I do it. I enjoy showing people my island home and showing them my hospitality with hopes that they will come back. I like to know that my input is part of the reason they return. I guess you can say I’m an ambassador.”
- Sabrina, Southampton
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