KCTC SummerFest 2009

Loving ‘Big Love’ 2x’s 2Nite! + ‘Snapped’ @ SummerFest 09

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:46:52 +0000

Last night’s preview of BIG LOVE from KCTC (Kentucky Classical Theatre Conservatory) was a runaway hit and had a full house in attendance at ArtsPlace, many who came early for the welcome reception and stayed after the preview for the audience/cast chat. BIG kudos to KCTC’s Trish Clark, director Sully White and their fab-u cast and crew and BIG thanks to Jim Clark and Melissa Wilkeson of LexArts for their tremendous support!

KCTC’s preview scene from BIG LOVE, by Charles Mee, will run TWICE tonight, July 31, 2009 at ArtsPlace, at 7 pm and again at 9 pm. Yes, attendance is free, and yes, donations will be gladly accepted! Reservations are encouraged! Call us at (859)608-3805 to reserve your seat!

Click below to see a Pre-Show Video for KCTC’s BIG LOVE preview!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=134308860420&h=dk6tL&u=mvSLU

You’re invited!

To a most unusual Wedding…

Kentucky Classical Theatre Conservatory

presents Charles Mee’s

BIG Love!

A “work in progress”

(No Relation, Marital or Otherwise, to the HBO Series Big Love)

Big Love is playwright Charles Mee’s audaciously updated Greek Play, Suppliant Maidens by Aeschylus.

Take a sneak peak at 50 brides and their doomed grooms, Complete with murderous acts, baths, and food fights!

Who: KCTC Instructors: Director Sully White, Choreographer Tracey Bonner, Actor Ellie Clark

KCTC Students and Actors: LoraBeth Barr, Scott Heierman, Jessie Hungerford, Jacob Sexton & Avery Wigglesworth

Special Guest Actors: Evan Bergman, Tim Hull, and Robert Parks Johnson

WHEN: Friday, July 31 @ 7:00 pm, and again @ 9:00 pm

(This preview runs one hour in length)

Where: Artsplace, 161 North Mill Street, Lexington, KY

Why: We are “work-shopping” this play and invite Feedback from you after the performance!

How: Performance is free. Limited Seating! Please call (859) 608-3805 to reserve seats.

__________________

For a look at LEXGO’s “Snapped” photos of our wonderful audience and their enjoying their picnics, taken at last Friday’s performance of Once On This Island, click on the link below!

http://www.kentucky.com/928/gallery/873716.html#http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2009/07/25/00/843-090724SummerfestSNAP23.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.79.JPG

Once On This Island “will stay in our hearts”

admin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:41:52 +0000

Friday was a warm sunny evening for the huge audiences who came out early to the Arboretum to set up their picnic baskets, blankets and chairs for KCTC and Dr. Nick Kouns present SummerFest’s Once On This Island. Our audiences were delighted with a wonderful night of memorable songs and dance as the sun set and the slipper moon and stars glowed as brightly as director Margo Buchanan’s enormously talented “Island” cast and crew, and they rewarded the “Island” cast with a spontaneous and rousing standing ovation at its conclusion!

Once On This Island continues Saturday and Sunday, July 24, 25, and 26 with an 8:45 p.m. curtain. The gates at the Arboretum open at 7 p.m. General admission at the gates will be available for all “Island” performances for $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under, be sure and bring your own blanket or chair! For reserved seating (including the chair) or a blanket area, you can use our on-line reservation system, or call us at (859)608-3805.

We are pleased to announce Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry is scheduled to welcome our SummerFest audiences to Once On This Island at tonight’s Saturday, July 25th performance.

“SummerFest delivers a show with a story that will stay in our hearts.” – Rich Copley, LEX H-L

To read the full review of Once On This Island by Rich Copley of the Lexington Herald-Leader, click on the link below, or pick up a Herald-Leader today (review is on page D-4) and support our local newspaper and their continuing coverage of the arts!

http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/07/23/review-summerfests-once-on-this-island/

To view photos of the gorgeous Once On This Island, presented by KCTC and Dr. Nick Kouns, from our official SummerFest 09 photographer Patrick Morgan, click on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmorgan67/sets/72157621677331925/

Coming July 30, 31: KCTC Preview of “BIG Love” @ ArtsPlace!

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:08:24 +0000

Click below to see a Pre-Show Video for KCTC’s BIG LOVE preview!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=134308860420&h=dk6tL&u=mvSLU

You’re invited!

To a most unusual Wedding…

Kentucky Classical Theatre Conservatory

presents Charles Mee’s

BIG Love!

A “work in progress”

(No Relation, Marital or Otherwise, to the HBO Series Big Love)

Big Love is playwright Charles Mee’s audaciously updated Greek Play, Suppliant Maidens by Aeschylus.

Take a sneak peak at 50 brides and their doomed grooms, Complete with murderous acts, baths, and food fights!

Who: KCTC Instructors: Director Sully White, Choreographer Tracey Bonner, Actor Ellie Clark

KCTC Students and Actors: LoraBeth Barr, Scott Heierman, Jessie Hungerford, Jacob Sexton & Avery Wigglesworth

Special Guest Actors: Evan Bergman, Tim Hull, and Robert Parks Johnson

When: Thursday, July 30 @ 7:00 pm

Friday, July 31 @ 7:00 pm, and again @ 9:00 pm

(This preview runs one hour in length)

Where: Artsplace, 161 North Mill Street, Lexington, KY

Why: We are “work-shopping” this play and invite Feedback from you after the performance!

How: Performance is free. Limited Seating! Please call (859) 608-3805 to reserve seats.

SummerFest’s ‘Once On This Island’ Hits High Notes! July 24, 25, 26 @ 8:45 pm

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:34:24 +0000

The sun finally came out Thursday afternoon in time to turn the KCTC SummerFest stage for Once On This Island into the warm, tropical island paradise it was meant to be! A large audience set up their picnic baskets, blankets and chairs and enjoyed a wonderful opening night of memorable songs and dance under the stars from director Margo Buchanan’s enormously talented cast and crew.

Once On This Island continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 24, 25, and 26 with an 8:45 p.m. curtain. The gates at the Arboretum open at 7 p.m. General admission at the gates will be available for all “Island” performances for $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under, be sure and bring your own blanket or chair!

We are pleased to announce Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry is scheduled to welcome our SummerFest audiences to Once On This Island prior to the Saturday, July 25th performance. (Rescheduled from our rained-out Wednesday, July 22 show.)

To read the review of Once On This Island by Rich Copley of the Lexington Herald-Leader, click on the link below, or pick up a Herald-Leader where it will appear in print on Saturday and support our local newspaper and their continuing coverage of the arts!

http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/07/23/review-summerfests-once-on-this-island/

To view photos of the gorgeous Once On This Island, presented by KCTC and Dr. Nick Kouns, from our official SummerFest 09 photographer Patrick Morgan, click on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmorgan67/sets/72157621677331925/

6:30 pm UPDATE: July 22 Opening Night of Once On This Island is Still On!

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:38:28 +0000

As we write this at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday July 22, the rain HAS stopped and our goal is to proceed with tonight’s opening of Once On This Island. They had a great final dress rehearsal last night!

While our normal start time of 8:45 p.m. may be delayed slightly due to weather, we do NOT call off any schedule performance at SummerFest prior to 9:15 p.m.

As with any outdoor performance venue, we encourage our audiences to bring your rain gear including jackets, hats and plastic tarps to go under your blankets, as the ground is obviously wet from today’s rain.

KCTC SummerFest’s rain policy is on our website, simply click on the “Plays & Tickets” link/page to view it in full. Thanks to everyone for your interest and understanding!

SummerFest 2009 Once On This Island opens Tonight, July 22 @ 8:45 pm

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:37:10 +0000

Thanks to many thousands who have came out the last two weeks to the Arboretum and enjoyed the “solid as a rock Henry IV, Part I” from Director Joe Ferrell and the “deliciously creepy Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” from Director Patti Heying at SummerFest 2009. Sunday night we were pleased to have State Representative Kelly Flood take to the SummerFest stage once again to welcome our audiences as the the many stage doors that adorned Kay Lea Meyers’ wonderful set of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were spun, opened and shuttered for the last time in foggy old London town…

… to make way for our final SummerFest 2009 destination: the warm and sunny Caribbean for our “Island Vacation” of Once On This Island, the Tony-nominated, family-friendly musical which opens Tonight, Wednesday, July 22 at 8:45 pm and runs nightly through Sunday, July 26.

We are pleased that Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry is scheduled to offer welcoming remarks to our audience at tonight’s opening of Once On This Island!

Director Margo Buchanan has assembled a top-notch cast of singers and performers from UK Opera Theatre and the Central Kentucky theatre community for Once On This Island. Our “Island” cast includes Alicia Helm McCorvey, Peggy Stamps, Pam Perlman, Tai-Kristen Smedley, Adam Fister, Taylor Eldred, Luther Lewis III, Manuel Castillo, Jason Thompson, Tyshaun Lang, Tamera Izlar, Katie Berger, Clark Davis, Juanita Thurman, Emmanuel Wright, Julie-Ann Aguhob, Tarynn Grundy, Joseph Waterbury-Tieman, and Tamia Bowden, as well as choreographer Dr. Aminata Cairo and music director David Erem.

Media for Once On This Island, the final show of KCTC and Dr. Nick Kouns presents SummerFest 2009:

- Tune into WUKY-FM 91.3 for “Curtains @ 8″ on Thursday, July 23 from 8 to 9 pm with host Nick Lawrence and the director and several cast members of “Island”. www.wuky.edu

- Turn on WKYT-TV 27 CBS on Wednesday, July 22 from 12:30 to 1 pm when hosts Bill Bryant and Barbara Bailey will welcome “Island” Director Margo Buchanan and performer Alicia Helm McCorvey. (And tune in later in the week for a musical performance of “Forever Yours” from Once On This Island on WKYT’s Morning show!) www.wkyt.com

- Check out the great “Arts+Life” cover story and photos featuring Once On This Island by arts columnist Rich Copley from the Sunday, July 19, 2009 Lexington Herald-Leader by following this link: http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/07/18/summerfest-once-on-this-island-will-have-an-operatic-note/

KCTC SummerFest General admission tickets for Once On This Island are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under. Reserved Chair Seating (includes the chair!) is $12 per person, Reserved Blanket Area is $49 (for up to 4 people). The SummerFest gates at the Arboretum open nightly at 7 pm, and the show’s curtain is at 8:45 pm. This wonderful musical is family-friendly. We hope to see you all at the Arboretum!

July 19: Last Chance to See Riveting ‘Jekyll & Hyde’; Opening July 22: Once On This Island

admin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:05:59 +0000

Tonight, Sunday July 19th at 8:45 pm is your last chance to see the riveting Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the second show of KCTC and Dr. Nick Kouns presents SummerFest 2009! Saturday night’s huge audience for ‘Jekyll’ stretched out beyond the Arboretum sidewalk and most everyone came well prepared for the chilly night with warm jackets and blankets to enjoy this thrilling night of theatre under the stars in Central Kentucky.

The Arboretum, SummerFest’s home since our launch three years, is located in the heart of Lexington’s 3rd District; we were pleased to have 3rd District Urban County Councilwoman Diane Lawless join KCTC SummerFest Board president Joe Cannon Artz on stage to welcome our audience to last evening’s performance by talented local actors for our community-based audience!

Gates open at the Arboretum on Alumni Drive in Lexington at 7 pm, with an 8:45 pm curtain. General admission is $10 for adults. Reserved Chair Seating is $12 per person (Yes, it includes the chair!), a reserved blanket area for 4 is $49.

Candace Chaney, H-L Contributing Theatre critic wrote “A refreshing departure from SummerFest’s usual fare, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an innovative, well-wrought, highly entertaining exploration of the human psyche.” To read Ms. Chaney’s entire review as posted on LEXGO on the Herald Leader’s web site, click on this link:

www.kentucky.com/lexgo/stage/story/864465.html.

To enjoy a photo show of ‘Jekyll’ by our SF 09 photographer Patrick Morgan, click on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmorgan67/sets/72157621480233877//

Coming Next Week, July 22-26: Once On This Island

Directed by Margo Buchanan, with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, Once on This Island is a Tony-nominated, family-friendly Caribbean musical that’s sure to be a great “Island Vacation” for audiences of all ages.

Add your support to your local newspaper and their arts coverage by picking up a copy of the Sunday July 19, 2009 Herald-Leader for a wonderful Preview story and photos on Once On This Island by H-L Arts columnist Rich Copley.

You may also follow this link to view the ‘Island’ story:

http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/07/18/summerfest-once-on-this-island-will-have-an-operatic-note/

Thrills and Chills @ Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:17:15 +0000

SummerFest’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Thrills and Chills!

From spine-tingling thrills and the cool night’s chill, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde large audience numbers spilled up to the edges of the sidewalks at the Arboretum Friday night for a great night of theatre under the stars. Director Patti Heying and her wonderfully talented cast and crew are putting on a riveting show with Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for KCTC and Dr. Kouns’ sponsored SummerFest 2009.

Below is a link to SummerFest photographer Patrick Morgan’s dramatic photos from “Jekyll”.

We encourage you to come out and see it for yourself TONIGHT, Saturday, July 18 and Sunday July 19. Gates open at the Arboretum at 7 pm and the curtain is at 8:45 p.m. General admission for Adults is just ten bucks! Reserved Chair seating is $12, and a reserved blanket area (for 4) is $49.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmorgan67/sets/72157621480233877/

See Here! SummerFest 2009 Photos: Jekyll & Hyde, and Henry IV

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:52:32 +0000

SummerFest’s 2009 shows to date, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (July 15-19) and Henry IV, Part I(July 8-12) have had gorgeous costumes, lush lighting, and well-designed sets for our talented casts to embody and our wonderful audiences to enjoy. Below are two links to click on to view the photos.

The first set is of Jekyll photos. They were taken by the H-L’s Rich Copley at ‘Jekyll’ dress rehearsal on Monday night and are posted on his H-L blog site, Copious Notes.

http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/07/14/first-look-summerfests-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde/

The second set is of Henry IV by our SF 09 Season photographer (and Renaissance man) Patrick Morgan. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmorgan67/sets/72157621226889520/

Coming Soon: A Full Set of performance photos of ‘Jekyll’ by Patrick Morgan.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performs tonight thru Sunday at the Arboretum at 8:45 pm. Hope to see you there!

Kudos on a ‘Deliciously creepy evening’

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:20:39 +0000

Thanks to Walter Tunis (Sir John Falstaff in last week’s Henry IV, Part I, and H-L Contributing Music Critic) for letting us share his great shout out to director/entire cast/crew of SummerFest’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with you…

cheers and kudos to ms. heying and the entire cast/crew of ‘dr. jekyll and mr. hyde’ for a deliciously creepy evening at the arboretum last night. you have a wonderfully paced, thoroughly intriguing production on your hands that looks and sounds great with top flight acting throughout. all that was missing last night
was the fog. have a great run! -Walter Tunis