ROCK ISLAND, IL (11/10/2011)(readMedia)-- Opera@Augustana will present Paul Hindemith's

Christine Harb, a Undecided major, is a First Year at Augustana. Harb is from Davenport, Iowa.

Kaleigh Wall, a Art major, is a Junior at Augustana. Wall is from Eldridge, Iowa.

Elyzia Powers, a Undecided major, is a First Year at Augustana. Powers is from Silvis, Ill..

The opera's libretto is by American playwright Thornton Wilder, after his play of the same name. Wilder captures a series of Christmas dinners celebrated by the Bayard family over 90 years and blends them into a one long meal. The tender story follows four generations as they experience birth, death, growth and loss.

"When I listened to it, I found a story that focuses on family during the holidays," said Dr. John Pfautz, director of Opera@Augustana. "It gives us insight into 90 years of a family's holiday dinner, allowing us a glimpse of family traditions, continuing patterns from generation to generation, and lasting family values."

Playing the second-generation father of the Bayard family is Dylan Hinrichs '13, a vocal music education major from Sterling, Ill. One of 11 Augustana students featured in the opera, Hinrichs appreciates the storyline's complexity. "There are a lot of hidden messages lying under the surface of the plot," he said. "Many of the underlying themes are quite controversial and up for different interpretations."

Hinrichs is no stranger to the stage as a performer or as a director. A member of the Augustana Choir and the Augustana Chamber Singers, Hinrichs played Gunther in the Truce of Carols opera last season. He directs a children's choir and performs with an adult church choir. Last summer, he directed a musical for middle-school students.

"The most challenging part of The Long Christmas Dinner is the music," he said. "Hindemith is a 20th-century composer who incorporated several contemporary musical styles, which can be difficult for singers."

The challenging musical score helped convince Dr. Pfautz to present this particular opera. "Pedagogically, it's appropriate that Opera@Augustana presents repertoire that teaches something to the performers as well as the audience. I'm so pleased with how the students have risen to the occasion."

Amana - It's been a long time since cynical Eve has believed in anything, let alone Christmas, Santa Clause, or love. When her car slides off an icy road on Christmas Eve, she finds herself in a different world in the home of Simon, a woodcarver and Christmas believer who wholeheartedly embraces the magic of the season. As the night unfolds, Simon and Eve, believer and nonbeliever, clash time and time again as Eve's long suppressed wounds rise to the surface to be healed by the love that is Christmas.

Written by Catherine Bush, Wooden Snowflakes opens Thursday, Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 18. The cast consists of Deborah Kennedy and Tom Milligan of West Amana. Rated Theatre PG, Wooden Snowflakes will play on The Old Creamery's Studio Stage in Middle Amana.

Show times are Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Group and student rates are available.

Wooden Snowflakes is sponsored by The Gethmann Organizations.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 40 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest. We thank KGAN and Fox 28, our 2011 season media sponsor.

###

ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS - The old adage "the show must go on" has proven all too true after an accident left actor Lora Adams with a torn ankle ligament. "We seriously looked at doing another show where I could sit, but in the end we decided to push back the opening a few days so I could heal enough to do the show," said Adams.

The play, which features Adams and Steve Lasiter will open on Tuesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm, with additional performances on the 17th, 18th and 19th at 7:30 pm and Sunday the 20th at 2:30 pm.  "Ideally, we would have liked to do all 8 performances, but "A Tuna Christmas" is scheduled to open right after on November 25th so we hope that we can fill the seats for these performances," said associate producer Tristan Tapscott.

"The Turn of the Screw" is being directed by Patti Flahrety, stage managed by Joe Maubach with lighting design by Tristan Tapscott and costumes by Candace Eastman.

The performance on Thursday, November 17th is a fundraising event for the Bettendorf Rotary.

The Turn of the Screw runs November 15, 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm and November 20 at 2:30 pm. Admission is $20 general admission, $18 Seniors (60+) and $15 students. The District Theatre is located at 1611 2nd Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201. Reservations can be made by calling 309-235-1654.  More information can be found at www.districttheatre.com

Amana - Want a sweet treat this holiday season? Come and see The Old Creamery Theatre for Young Audiences production of Raggedy Ann and Andy's Yuletide Adventure. Help Raggedy Ann & Andy outsmart the witch and have a wonderful holiday adventure in Grandma's attic.

The show opens Saturday, Nov. 26 at 11 a.m. on The Old Creamery's Main Stage.

Written by Gene Mackey and based on characters created by Johnny Gruelle, the cast of Raggedy Ann & Andy's Yuletide Adventure consists of Kamille Zbanek of Ely, John Hill of Rockford Il, Laura Ambrose of Minneapolis Minn., Jackie McCall of Marengo, Nicholas Hodge of South Amana and Steve Weiss of Central City.

Tickets are $8 per person. Show times are 11 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10 and 17. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Group and student rates are available.

The Old Creamery Theatre for Young Audiences shows are sponsored by Scheels of Coralville with Mix 96.5 as the media sponsor.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 40 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest. We thank KGAN and Fox 28, our 2011 season media sponsor.
Ron Paul Two-Day Tour to Include 'Restore America Now' MeetingsInterviews, voter outreach, GOP fundraiser, and Thanksgiving Family Forum round out visit
ANKENY, Iowa - 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul will return to Iowa for a two-day comprehensive tour consisting of media, voter and GOP outreach activities.

The visit will occur on Friday and Saturday, November 18-19.  Day one of Dr. Paul's visit will include a live in-studio interview with WHO Radio's Jan Mickelson, followed by three 'Restore America Now' meetings.  Day two includes a Warren County Republican Party breakfast fundraiser, an editorial board meeting with the Des Moines Register, followed by a Thanksgiving Family Forum held by The Family Leader.

"Ron Paul's latest visit gives our campaign ample opportunity to reach voters directly and indirectly concerning the pressing issues Iowans are facing," said Drew Ivers, Iowa Chair for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign. 

"A national debt now equal to GDP, and joblessness, are on Iowans' minds.  Make no mistake Ron Paul will be as forthcoming with the people as he's been throughout this whole election cycle," said Mr. Ivers.

Details of the visit are as follows.  All times Central.

Friday, November 18, 2011

10:00 a.m.
Interviewed live in-studio w/ Jan Mickelson
WHO Radio - 1040 AM
2141 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50312

1:00 p.m.    
Benton County 'Restore America Now' Meeting
Pizza Ranch
219 West 4th Street
Vinton, Iowa 52349

4:00 p.m.
Jones County 'Restore America Now' Meeting
Lawrence Community Center
600 East Main Street
Anamosa, Iowa 52205

7:00 p.m.
Cedar Rapids 'Restore America Now' Meeting
The Hotel at Kirkwood Center
7725 Kirkwood Blvd. S.W.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

Saturday November 19, 2011

9:00 a.m.
Warren County GOP Breakfast Fundraiser
Indianola Christian Union Church
705 East Euclid Avenue
Indianola, Iowa 50125

11:00 a.m.
Editorial Board Meeting
Des Moines Register
715 Locust Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50309

4:00 p.m.
The Family Leader - Thanksgiving Family Forum
First Federated Church
4801 Franklin Ave
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
###

Ballet Quad Cities

Artist Robert Kameczura's gallery opening dedicated to Ballet Quad Cities

An evening with Artist Robert Kameczura dedicated to Ballet Quad Cities will be held on Wednesday November 16, 2011 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the Phoenix Fine Art Gallery 1530-5th  Avenue Moline, Illinois. www.atthephoenix.com
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Robert has photographed and worked with professional dancers in Chicago for 30 years.  25% of the sale for the evening are reserved for Ballet Quad Cities.  To learn more about Robert's art work visit his web site at www.kameczure.com

Nutcracker Tickets On Sale Now!


Visit the Adler Theatre Box Office or Ticketmaster to purchase your Nutcracker tickets now! Family 4-packs are available.
Want to win a family 4 pack of tickets to the Nutcracker this December?  Become a fan of Ballet Quad Cities on facebook and you could win a package to attend our holiday classic at the Adler Theatre!
Waltz of the Flowers
Special Nutcracker performance for civic groups

On Thursday night December 8th Ballet Quad Cities is inviting civic groups to have a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes of The Nutcracker ballet during dress rehersal.  Tickets are $20.00 each and we ask for a group of 15 or more.  All ticket sales that evening go to our Anti-Bullying program that we take to area schools.  Call 309 786 3779 to learn more.
Perfect for a holiday party with a differnt twist!
Meet the dancers, see the dressing room and have the best seats in the house.

Iowa City, IA - November 7, 2011 - Original holiday stories sure to warm your heart.

Get out of the cold and enjoy an evening of heart-warming holiday storytelling with Riverside Theatre's production of Small Miracles, a moving, one-man show by Resident Artist and Production Manager Ron Clark, November 25-27.

"It's a nice thing to do on a holiday weekend with family and friends," Clark said.

Small Miracles takes the audience on a nostalgic, heartfelt journey as Clark shares his recollections of growing up in a small Iowa town where the mayor/street cleaner doubled as Santa, a courageous dog, a 10-cent silver bell that became a family heirloom, a terrifying audition for the fifth grade Christmas pageant, and his stint at a department store Santa.

"It's about as sentimental as you can get," Clark said.

Clark's vivid storytelling will captivate you and bring to mind your own fond memories. This show is perfect for the whole family.

"The joy of performing this piece comes from the collective memory between me and the audience. As I look at the audience I see a connection not just between me and the audience, but in the joy of the recollections of holidays past," Clark said. "In a perfect world I would have my own children and grandsons gathered around me for these stories."

In addition to Small Miracles, Clark's writing for the theatre includes the plays Kindred Hearts, Grocery Stories, and Coffee and Hope, as well as many monologues over the years for Walking the Wire, Riverside's annual monologue festival.

Clark, a professional actor and director, founded Riverside Theatre in 1981 along with Jody Hovland and Bruce Wheaton. Clark graduated from the University of Iowa with a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in 1980.  In addition to his work at Riverside, Clark is a Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Cornell College.

Small Miracles features original composition by Dan Knight and lighting design by Zachary Begley and Rachel Dudley.

Tickets for Small Miracles, November 25-27, are $20 with discounts available for those over 60, those under 30, and youth. Tickets are available by phone at (319) 338-7672, online at www.riversidetheatre.org or in person at the Riverside Theatre Box Office, located at 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City, IA.

Small Miracles is sponsored by Lensing Funeral & Cremation Services.

###
Amana - Let us entertain you in 2012 and save you some money too! Season ticket packages are available now through June 1, 2012! Call the box office or visit the web site for money saving season ticket package options 800-35-AMANA or www.oldcreamery.com

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. For a complete list of our 2012 season offerings, call us or go online.
new holiday show. Christmas Eve takes a strange turn as Gunner falls through the ice on his Skidoo and is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, in the form of folk singing legend Sven Yorgensen no less. Whether you are new to Bunyan Bay or you are visiting again, you'll be laughing long after the fruitcake ferments.

A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol opens Thursday, Nov. 17 on The Old Creamery's Main Stage in Amana and runs through Dec. 18.

The cast consists of James Fleming of New York; Amber Snyder of Memphis, Tenn.; Jeff Haffner of Cleveland, Ohio; D. Allan Boettger of Cedar Rapids and The Old Creamery's Marquetta Senters of South Amana. Directed by Sean McCall, with musical direction by Tim Daugherty, A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol is rated Theatre PG-13. Books and lyrics are by Phil Olson with music by Paul Olson.

Tickets are $27 for adults and $17.50 for students. Show times are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. While walk-ins are always welcome if seats are available, reservations for this show are highly recommended. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Group and student rates are available.

A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol is sponsored by Rockwell Collins with Z102.9 as the media sponsor.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 40 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest. We thank KGAN and Fox 28, our 2011 season media sponsor.

A Message from Mel Brooks:

Dear townspeople,

It's true?35 years ago I created a monster, and now he's roaming loose around the country. In fact, he's heading straight for your village. What do you want from me, an apology? You should be thanking me! Sure, sure, he has the body of a Ford Edsel and the brains to match, but nothing's funnier than that big dumb lug "Puttin' on the Ritz" in my newest musical, Young Frankenstein. This show has all the great gags from the original movie, plus some new zingers, music, and dancing we threw in just for fun. And for a limited time only, you can see it performed in living color! If you enjoyed The Producers, you're just the kind of sucker who will like Young Frankenstein. So go, get your tickets. Laugh at the monster, and thank me later.

Mel Brooks


Top Ten Reasons To See Young Frankenstein

 

No. 10 - Go green ... in complexion.

No. 9 - You keep fantasizing about meeting someone tall, dark, and gruesome.

No. 8 - It's been a while since you took in something "cerebral" at the theater.

No. 7 - Facebook keeps suggesting you reconnect with Abby Normal.

No. 6 - You've been meaning to brush up on your classic literature.

No. 5 - Mother wants to introduce you to a nice doctor she met. "He's got a good Jewish name," she says.

No. 4 - You have a closet full of pitchforks and torches and nowhere to go.

No. 3 - We hear Transylvania is lovely this time of year.

No. 2 - This could be your last roll in the hay until 2012.

And the No. 1 reason to see Young Frankenstein...

 

Tickets are as low as $31.50!

 

Young Frankenstein
Sunday, November 13; 7:00 pm
Adler Theatre

On Sale Now
Find Tickets

Pages