» Arts and entertainment

Monday, February 08, 2010 | No comments posted. ‘Sound of Music’ opening at Sprague Theater Feb. 19

In celebration of the Sprague Theater’s 10th anniversary, the Bandon Playhouse will “come alive” with the classic and endearing musical, “The Sound of Music.”

The show opens Friday, Feb. 19, and runs three weekends through March 7. It is based on the book “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers,” and features an unforgettable Rodgers and Hammerstein score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi” and “Climb Every Mountain,” according to a press release.

A spirited young postulant named Maria is sent to serve as a governess for Captain Von Trapp, a widower with seven children. Her unorthodox methods quickly win over the children but clash with the regimental conduct the captain insists upon.

“What should be the happy ending after the fairy tale romance — the lonely mountain girl gets her prince — is delayed by the invasion of Austria. The happy ending does come however, when they escape,” said Bandon Playhouse president Paul Hay.

Hay added that the Bandon Playhouse also is excited about offering new ticket pricing to start off its 34th season. “The members of the Bandon Playhouse and the community shared their concerns that a lot of families might not be able to attend this great show because of the economy,” Hay said. “So we listened and lowered our ticket prices to accommodate their requests.”

Tickets for “The Sound of Music” will cost $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students (with IDs) and $8 for children (12 and younger).  Tickets are available online by visiting bandonplayhouse.org/season, at Pazaz Printing and Copying Center (541-347-2900) or at the Sprague Theater ticket office (541-347-7426).

Ballroom Valentine’s dance

A Valentine’s Day ballroom dance is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Odd Fellows Hall on state Highway 42S in Bandon.

A beginning level dance lesson at 7:30 p.m.. will be followed by dancing from about 8:15 on. Amy Levin and Don Canavan will teach Bolero — a simple, slow Latin dance suited for beginning ballroom dancers. Levin and Canavan are the founders of the Bandon Oregon Ballroom Dance Association.

This dance is sponsored by BOBDA for the entire community. Both experienced dancers and those wanting to learn more about ballroom dance are welcome. “Whether you are young, old, old and acting young, young and acting old — ballroom dance is an activity you can start any time, and continue throughout a lifetime,” said BOBDA member Dwight Comer.

No partner is required. BOBDA dances are always alcohol- and smoke-free. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 a person. Dress is casual or elegant, whichever the dancer prefers, Comer said. Since this is a Valentine’s Day dance, those attending are asked to wear something red.

To learn more about BOBDA, e-mail DanceBandonWithBobda@gmail.com.

‘Wall of Opportunity’ at gallery

The 2nd Street Gallery presents its annual “Wall Of Opportunity,” which showcases works by local artists.

Included in this year’s collection are works by oil painter Dan Dunn, acrylic painter Don McMichael, pastel artist Ava Richey, collage artist Susan Lehman, woodcarver Pete Bauer, ceramic artist Ron Looby, glass artist Kirk Day and photographer Kelly Herrick.

The show will runs through Feb. 27, and can be viewed daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. For additional information, contact gallery director Richard Rahmlow at 541-347-4133 or e-mail info@2ndstreetgallery.com.

Mardi Gras fundraiser planned

Good food, plenty of fun and some toe-tapping “swamp rock” are planned for the Mardi Gras Swamp Fest, to be held from 7 to 11 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Harbortown Events Center, 325 Second St., in Bandon. The Coos Historical & Maritime Museum and Kirk and Betty Day and the Harbortown Events Center are sponsoring the fund-raising dinner and dance, which benefits the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum.

McFarlin’s Pub in Bandon is catering the event and those attending will dine on McFarlin’s “famous” barbecued pork sandwiches and other dishes featuring a Mardi Gras flavor. Guests will dance to the swamp rock offerings of Kelly Thibodeaux and the Etouffee Band.

The evening will also feature a no-host bar, face painting,  fortune telling, photographs and a door prize: “Huey,” a 6-foot-long plush alligator. Huey currently can be seen in the window of Benetti’s Italian Restaurant, 260 S. Broadway, in downtown Coos Bay.

Tickets for the evening’s dinner and entertainment are $25 in advance ($30 at the door) and are available from museum board members and at outlets throughout the county, including, in North Bend, the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum and Books by the Bay; in Coos Bay at Farr’s True Value Hardware and The Shop in the Hub Building on Broadway; in Coquille at Farr’s True Value Hardware; in Myrtle Point at the Myrtle Point Herald; and in Bandon at Winter River Books and Gibson Graphics.

Teacher art show at hospital

“The Teachers,” an exhibit of works by 12 teachers of art is on display at the Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center.

The new show features works by John Bealey, Bittin Duggan, Jen Ells, Jean Kreiter, Susan Lehman, Terry Magill, Angela Haseltine Pozzi, Josie Reid, Jane Snoddy, Pat Snyder, Anne Sobbota and Georganne White.

Also on display are self-portraits by high school students in Jen Ells’ art classes at Bandon High School.

The show is sponsored by AVK Arts. The Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. “The Teachers” will remain on display through March.

Elsewhere

Burns Night at The Mill

The Coastal Celtic Society presents its eighth-annual Scottish Burns Night celebration beginning at 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, at The Mill Casino-Hotel, Salmon Room, 3201 Tremont Ave., in North Bend.

Proceeds of the event support the Coastal Celtic Society’s Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit charity promoting Celtic culture through music, dance, education and the arts.

Burns Night is celebrated annually by Scots around the world in memory of Robert Burns (1759-1796), Scotland’s national poet and songwriter, known worldwide for the song “Auld Lang Syne.”

Cost of the event is $35 per person and tickets are available online at www.themillcasino.com/entertaiment/concerts or may be ordered by calling (800) 953-4800.

The Burns Night Celebration includes entertainment by bagpipers Brandon Hatley, Wiley McKinnon and Tom Shine, harpist Sandy MacPherson, and singer/guitarist John MacRae.

Scottish attire is suggested but not required.

For more information or to order tickets, call Robert More at 541-217-1118.

‘Gifts from the Sea’ exhibit

Artworks inspired by the coastline of Southern Oregon will open at the Old City Hall in Coquille at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, a 1912 building on the National Registry of Historic Places. The exhibit will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 13 and 14 only, and shown by appointment from Feb. 15 to 27.

The exhibit features Port Orford artists and is called “Gifts from the Sea: From Port Orford with Love.” It was put together for Coquille’s 125th anniversary as an incorporated city. Featured artists include Karen Auborn, Bill Gaetjens, Julie Hawthorne, Curtis Hempt, Elaine Roemen, Donna Roselius, Georganne White and Shane Haggerty. Some of these artists recently showed their work at the Hult Center in Eugene and the Coos Art Museum.

On Saturday, Feb. 13, an added feature of the weekend exhibit will be a special presentation by Leesa Cobb, executive director of the Port Orford Ocean Resource Team. POORT has worked since 2000 to create the Port Orford marine reserve. Cobb and the POORT board of directors will talk about the marine reserve and further plans for a marine research laboratory, a marine interpretive center and more. Seafood samples and beverages will be served.

On Valentine’s Day, Sunday, Feb. 14, a gala artists’ reception and dance will be held, featuring live music by the Frosty West Quartet as well as champagne and hors d’oeuvres, beginning at 6 p.m. Call 541-824-0779 for reservations or more information.

For more information, call 541-332-9100 or 541-824-0779.

Young Artists Show at CVAC

Coquille Valley Art Center invites young artists, ages 3 to 18, to participate in the Young Artists Show. The exhibit will be held from Feb. 2 to 26. Painting, sculpture, drawing, computer art and photography will be accepted.

A reception for the public will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. Ribbons and prizes will be awarded for each age group.

Concert series begins Feb. 14

Coastal Community School of Music and the Arts announces a 2010 Concert Series, which begins at 3 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 14, at the Egyptian Theatre in downtown Coos Bay.

In conjunction with the Oregon Coast Music Association and The Egyptian Theatre, the series, entitled “Ida Jo and Friends” will feature local performing artists.

The February concert, “Songs of Love”, will include Ken Graber and Aaren Tucker. Graber is the choral director at Marshfield High School and Sunset Middle School. A resident of the area since 1989, he also conducts the choir at the First Presbyterian Church in North Bend. He is a graduate of Western Oregon University in Music Education. For the past seven years, Graber has been a member of the barbershop quartet, South Coast Harmony.

Tucker hails from Southern California and now attends Southwestern Oregon Community College.  A student of classical voice, she was a member and soloist with the Welsh Choir of Southern California. Last year, she appeared on stage at SOCC in the musical “Songs for A New World,” directed by Ida Jo Gates, with whom Tucker currently studies.

The concert series is the brainchild of Gates, whose passion is music education and performance. The cost of each concert is $5, with tickets available only at the door. The proceeds will be split equally among the three sponsoring nonprofit entities: the Oregon Coast Music Association, The Egyptian Theatre and the Coastal Community School of Music and the Arts.

Future concerts in the series include “Mozart Madness” on Sunday, March 14; “Positively Poulenc” (highlighting the music of French composer Francis Poulenc) on Sunday, April 11; and “Memories of Mother” (a tribute to the music loved by our mothers and grandmothers) on Sunday, May 9. The performers in upcoming concerts will include the Blossom Gulch Children’s Choir and the SOCC Chamber Choir in addition to vocal and instrumental soloists.

For more information, call Gates at 541-756-4171.