Diane Wittry was seven years old when she first experienced a live performance of the three-ring Big Top presented by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. On Saturday, she'll be playing the role of 'Ringmaster' as she conducts the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in "Cirque de la Symphonie," a circus show set to live classical music and complete with world-class aerial performers. It all happens at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown.
"This is one show not to be missed," said Wittry, music director and conductor of The Allentown Symphony. Instead of offering it as part of the symphony's pops series, Wittry said she wanted it for the classical series so that it might create a better appreciation for classical music.
"Many of the musical pieces in this show are short and light and easily recognizable," Wittry explained. "It will be fun for all ages. We want people to have a good time watching. The music will sell itself."
The timing of the show couldn't be better for Valentine's Day weekend, she added. Saturday's concert will take place at 8 p.m., with a repeat performance on Sunday at 3 p.m.
"Great music adds to the excitement of a circus," Wittry said. "It's a concert of upbeat, engaging music."
The repertoire of music includes "Dance of the Comedians" from Smetana's "The Bartered Bride," or the "Danse of the Buffoons" by Rimsky-Korsakov. There also are selections from Bizet’s "Carmen," from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake Ballet," and the "Carnival Overture" by Dvorak.
While the Allentown Symphony will be comprised of some of the most accomplished musicians of the Lehigh Valley who will be playing on the stage below, the cirque performers will be some of the most accomplished international aerial artists who will be juggling, contorting their bodies and hanging from colorful streams of cloth in the space above. It will be a setting for pieces such as "Danse Macabre" by Saint-Saens or "Capriccio Espagnol" by Rimsky-Korsakov.
The six Cirque performers will include aerial artist Alexander Streltsov, gold medal winner among international cirque artists at the Festival Mondial Du Cirque De L'Avenir in Paris. His aerial partner will be Christine Van Loo, seven-time consecutive national champion, female Olympic athlete of the year, and athlete of the decade in acrobatic gymnastics. She was inducted into the USSA (acro-gymnastics) Hall of Fame and the World Acrobatics Society Gallery of Honor.
Vladimir Tsarkov, a veteran of Cirque de la Symphonie performances, will perform combinations of mime and juggling feats while joined by his wife, Elena Tsarkov, the "Lady in White," an award-winning ribbon dancer and contortionist. Gymnast Vitalii Buza has performed in productions at Sea World, Universal Studios and Walt Disney World. Aleksandr Deev has performed his spinning routines in Cirque Dreams productions at Busch Gardens and Six Flags parks.
Wittry said much technical work associated with the show involving rigging and counterweights had to be done at Miller Symphony Hall to accommodate the production. She said with space at a premium on stage, the acoustic band shell had to be moved back to accommodate the aerial artists who will be performing high above in front of her podium.
The challenge, she said with a laugh, is if her musicians take an interest in watching the performances happening behind her.
For further info: millersymphonyhall.org
ARTS ROUNDUP
The Reading Symphony Orchestra is taking on the best of pop music with a Motown theme for Valentine's Day. Featured guest artists Joy Lynn Jacobs and Destan Owens will join the musicians led by Andrew Constantine on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading. Selections will range from Smokey Robinson and The Supremes to Gladys Knight and Marvin Gaye.
Jacobs appeared in the Broadway revival of "The Music Man" and national Broadway tours of "Ragtime" and "Show Boat." She created the role of Power Woman for off-Broadway's "Menopause The Musical." She's performed in productions of "Anything Goes," "The King & I," "Man of La Mancha," "West Side Story," and the opera, "Carmen."
Owens also has a Broadway background, appearing in "Chicago," "Smokey Joe's Café," "Sisterella," and The Who's "Tommy." Off-Broadway and other credits include "Rent," "Dreamgirls," and "Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story." In addition to television and film, he’s been a soloist with various symphony orchestras across the country.
For further info: readingsymphony.org
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Various artists of Boyertown's Studio B have put together an on-the-road exhibit with a special Valentine's Day theme for the Humane Society Phoenixville at the Art Deska Gallery, 12 S. Main St., in historic downtown Phoenixville, Chester County. The gallery space, named for a longtime friend of The Humane Society, is dedicated to works from supporting artists. The venue is open throughout the week for adoptions, gallery and retail shopping, and pet information. The first Friday of each month will feature a new artist.
For further info: berkshumane.org
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Textile artist Barbara Schulman's intricate fabric quilts are the focus of a new exhibit, "Deciphering the Universe," in the Banko Family Gallery of the Banana Factory, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem. The exhibit, which runs through March 22, showcases a series of 15 quilts made from fabric designed by Schulman using dye, batik and discharge techniques. They are designed to represent the Bethlehem-based artist's understanding of and escape from the complexities of the world.
Schulman's work can be found locally at the Lehigh Valley Health Network. She is a former professor and head of the Fiberart Program at Kutztown University.
For further info: bananafactory.org
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"SATORI East" takes the stage of Peter Hall at Moravian College, Main and Church streets, Bethlehem, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Classical Japanese chamber music will be performed on shakuhachi, koto, and shamisen.
The program includes Nora Nohraku Suggs, shakuhachi, performing chamber music from across the centuries and around the globe.
For further info: 610-435-6036
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Mock Turtle Marionette Theater celebrates Valentine's Day early in the day with a performance by Lehigh Valley’s own, Dave Fry of Godfrey Daniels, on Saturday at 10 a.m., at the Charles A. Brown IceHouse, 56 River St., Sand Island, Bethlehem. A workshop will follow the performance.
For further info: mockturtle.org
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The "2015 Adult Student Exhibition" is underway in the David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries at The Baum School in Allentown, running through March 10. The annual exhibit is a showcase of art created by adult students currently enrolled in classes, including students from Lehigh Carbon Community College.
For more info: baumschool.org
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The talent of Berks County's art educators is being showcased in the Schmidt Gallery of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, through Feb. 24. The "After School, Berks County Art Teachers Exhibition" is just that – the work of art educators from the 20 public, private and charter schools in the county.
The event serves as both a venue for teachers to exhibit their personal art work and an opportunity for GoggleWorks and the community to celebrate the individuals who dedicate themselves to keeping arts alive in schools.
For further info: goggleworks.org
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The Tony Award-winning musical, "Million Dollar Quartet," comes to Baker Hall at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The 2010 Broadway production was directed by Kutztown University graduate and award-winning director/producer Eric D. Schaeffer.
Imagine yourself peeking into the Sun Studio storefront in Memphis on Dec. 4, 1956, during a live recording session of four legends – Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins – and hearing such songs as "Blue Suede Shoes,' "Great Balls of Fire," "Walk the Line," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On," and "Hound Dog," plus more. It was history in the making!
For further info: zoellnerartscenter.org
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Civic Theatre of Allentown presents a Lehigh Valley premiere – the Tony-nominated comic musical, "[title of show]," beginning Friday at 7:30 p.m., and running through March 1.
With music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell, "[title of show]" is a musical about writing a musical. Struggling writers Jeff and Hunter hear about a new musical theater festival, but the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to create something new with the help of their crazy friends, Susan, Heidi and Larry on the piano.
"[title of show]" – taken from the space on the festival's application form which asks for the [title of show] – follows the group on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression as they write and perform their show at the festival and learn lessons about themselves as people, friends and artists.
Civic director is William Sanders, with musical direction by Justin Brehm.
The show contains adult language situations and humor.
For further info: civictheatre.com
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The SteelStacks High School Jazz Band Showcase will be held Sunday and Feb. 22, at the Musikfest Café at the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem. The event showcases and awards outstanding high school musicians and ensembles, and also emphasizes the value of arts education in schools.
Slated for Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. is Belvidere High School, Pennridge High School, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, North Penn High School, and Reading High School.
The lineup for Feb. 22 starts at noon with Warren Hills Regional High School, Freedom High School, Easton Area High School, and Louis E. Dieruff High School. At 4 p.m., it's Saucon Valley High School, Pocono Mountain East High School, Phillipsburg High School, Joe’s Jazz Café (second Quakertown High School jazz band), and Quakertown Community High School.
For further info: steelstacks.org
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