2014 North Charleston Arts Festival Gala Set for May 2

The spring festival season is in full swing and the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival is just around the corner. In honor of the annual event, the City of North Charleston invites the public to don their Lowcountry best and head to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center Entrance Hall on Friday, May 2, from 7:00pm to 11:00pm for the Sweetgrass Soirée, a gala celebration. Tickets for the premier event are $50 and can be purchased by calling Sheri Pearson at 843-740-2538.

The soirée begins with a steel drum serenade compliments of Charleston’s most prominent steel drum band, The Island Trio. While enjoying a menu of Lowcountry favorites and the evening’s signature cocktail, the Sweetgrass Sipper, patrons will have an opportunity to meet this year’s Arts Festival design artist, Amiri Gueka Farris. Farris will be auctioning off an original piece and signing posters featuring his winning design, Gullah Islander Toss. Entertainment during dinner service includes a lively performance by Adande African Drum & Dance Company and a shoe tapping, hand clapping program full of traditional Gullah songs, spirituals, and gospel tunes by renowned a cappella singing group, The Plantation Singers. Following the performances, guests can dance the night away to music by Plane Jane. The band is built to keep the crowd on its feet with an extensive catalog of exciting hits from the sixties to the present. The evening’s line-up is sure to entertain and makes for an exciting kick off to the nine days of arts and cultural programs and activities offered during the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 2-10.

The North Charleston Performing Arts Center Entrance Hall is located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Ticket price includes parking. The Sweetgrass Soirée is co-sponsored by North Charleston Magazine. For more information about the event or the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, including the full schedule of events, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

North Charleston seeking sculptor for Performing Arts Center Monument Busts

Mayor Bourne & Mayor Summey
at the City's 40th Anniversary celebration

The City of North Charleston seeks to commission a sculptor to create depictions of the city’s two prominent mayors. The commissioned busts will be permanently featured on granite outdoor pedestals at the newly built outdoor monument at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston, SC. Each sculpture should be at least two feet tall and cast in bronze or another metal suitable for outdoor exhibition. Professional sculptors nationwide are invited to submit their qualifications and proposals for this unique public art opportunity via the online application. There is a $7 application fee and submissions are due by April 8, 2014.

A Selection Committee comprised of city officials and community leaders will choose one artist to create both sculptures. The committee is looking for design proposals that will generate excitement and interest for the community and compliment the outdoor monument where the busts will be installed. The total budget for this project is yet to be determined. Artists’ proposals should include all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: artist's design fees, materials, production costs, travel, documentation, shipping, and any permits, license, or insurance. Artists will be notified of the commission award by April 15, 2014. The sculpture installation will be approximately 120 days from the April 8 submission deadline.

In order to be considered for the commission, sculptors must prepare and submit the following RFP materials using the Slideroom.com online application:
A. Statement of Interest describing pecific interest in the project, potential approach, and any relevant past experience
B. Thorough proposal including costs, materials, process, and timeline for creating the busts.
C. Current resume/CV
D. A maximum of five quality digital photographs of artist’s previous work that accurately represent the artist’s aesthetics and style. All images must be accompanied by a brief description of the artwork, title, location, size, and completion date.
E. Optional: The artist’s web site may be listed. The artist may include up to three additional materials such as references, reviews, news articles, awards or other related information.
F. Application fee of $7.00, payable online

The City of North Charleston reserves the right to reject all applications and/or adjust the project time line. For more information about this public art project, contact Cultural Arts Director, Marty Besancon, at 843-740-5850 or mbesancon@northcharleston.org. For technical assistance, contact Arts Coordinator, AnneTrabue Nelson, at 843-740-5852 or anelson@northcharleston.org. To learn more about other programs and artist opportunities offered by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, visit http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

Annual North Charleston Arts Festival Set for May 3-11

 Nine-day celebration of the arts offers something for everyone

The annual North Charleston Arts Festival is just one month away, set to kick off on May 3 and conclude on May 11. Now in its 31st year, the nine day event has matured into one of the most comprehensive arts festival in the state, drawing thousands of residents and visitors to experience the talents of national, regional, and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Crafts, Photography, Media Arts, and Literature. Nearly 100 festival offerings are scheduled to take place in a variety of venues throughout North Charleston and the surrounding area, including libraries, community centers, schools, civic auditoriums, and parks.

Recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event, the North Charleston Arts Festival offers something for everyone. The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department organizes and presents the event each year, striving to maintain the spirit of a public celebration with the mission of presenting a broad, multidiscipline event schedule that provides a wide range of performances, exhibitions, and activities for people of all ages and backgrounds. Many of the offerings are free, and those that are ticketed are moderately priced.

“The variety of Arts Festival offerings and the inclusiveness of the event have really become a point of pride for the City of North Charleston,” says North Charleston Mayor, Keith Summey. “The event provides both our residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast a myriad of opportunities to experience high quality programming in every arts discipline in a variety of traditional and non-traditional settings.”

The Arts Festival Main Event, held on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center and Charleston Area Convention Center, offers free admission and parking to over forty performances on four themed stages: General Audience, Cultural Heritage, Youth Entertainment, and Bands.  Other features include judged fine art and photography exhibits; the 12th annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Exhibit; youth art from Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester county students; the Lowcountry Gem & Mineral Society show and sale; the Village Antiques & Collectibles show; children's activities at Box City and Creation Stations; art & craft vendors, a food court, and much more. 

Individual events take place throughout the nine days of the festival at various locations.  An exciting array of free and ticketed offerings include concerts, street dances, theatre presentations, film screenings, art workshops and demonstrations, an art walk, children’s programs, and a Grand Finale at the beautiful
North Charleston Riverfront Park. Examples of visual art exhibitions on view during the festival include a group display of contemporary works by artists from Pinar del Rio, Cuba; the 8th annual National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition; an Art & Fine Craft CoOp Gallery & Sale; the 7th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition; a Wearable Art Exhibit and Pop Up Shop; and The PODS Project, featuring interactive installations created within portable storage units. This year’s Grand Finale on May 11 features a Tri-County school showcase, music and dance performances, a slam poetry show, children’s activities, food trucks, and an evening concert by Rivers & Company. The event concludes with a fantastic fireworks display over the Cooper River.
 
Applications are now being accepted for participation in the Festival’s Art Walk and Opening Processional. Entry instructions for the Festival’s Judged Fine Art Exhibition, Judged Photography Exhibition, and Tri-County Youth Art Exhibition, as well as Volunteer sign-up forms are also available. Applications can be found at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply.

For more 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival information, including event details and venue information, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com or contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at (843) 740-5854.

Participants Sought for Opening Processional of 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is accepting applications from local performing arts groups of all ages for participation in the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival Opening Processional on Saturday, May 4, at 9:45am. In past years the processional has been led by African drummers and dancers and has included groups dressed in brightly colored outfits and costumes, volunteers carrying giant puppets, banners and other crafted props, jugglers, dance troupes, theatre groups, and more. Applications can be found on the Applications page at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. Deadline for applications is Friday, April 19, at 5:00pm.

The Opening Processional has kicked off the Arts Festival’s Main Event festivities at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex for over a decade. Participants parade around the complex toward the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Once the Processional enters the North Charleston Performing Arts Center Auditorium, the celebration continues with a Performance Spotlight, featuring 3-5 minute performances by pre-selected groups. Performance Spotlight slots may be requested on the Opening Processional application and are filled on a first come, first served basis. 

The North Charleston Arts Festival will be presented May 3-11, 2013, at various venues throughout North Charleston and the surrounding area. The nine-day event is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state, highlighting national, regional, and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Crafts, Photography, Media Arts, and Literature. For 3o years the festival has made quality arts programming affordable and accessible to the widest spectrum of the public, attracting over 30,000 residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast to participate in a fabulous array of free and modestly priced performances, workshops, exhibitions, and activities. The Main Event weekend at the North Charleston Performing Arts and Charleston Area Convention Center on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, offers free parking and admission to over 40 performances on four themed stages. Other Main Event activities include fine art and photography shows, the SC Palmetto Hands fine craft exhibit, a gem and mineral show, an antique show, activities for kids at Box City and Creation Stations, art and craft booths, and a food courtyard. The Arts Festival continues with over sixty free and ticketed events and exhibitions throughout the week at various locations, including street dances, concerts, theatre presentations, film screenings, workshops and demos, children’s activities, a National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, and the Grand Finale with fireworks. 

For more information on the Opening Processional, contact Nancy Rodriguez at (843)740-5851. Visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com for more information about the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival and other participation opportunities, including downloadable applications for judged art, photography, and youth art exhibitions; art & craft and food vendor space; and volunteers.

North Charleston Performing Arts Center Best of Broadway Series announces shows for 2012-2013 Season

The North Charleston Performing Arts Center Best of Broadway series announced today that LES MISÉRABLES will anchor their 2012-2013 season.  Cameron Mackintosh’s brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo will run February 19-24, 2013 for eight performances.  This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.

The Best of Broadway series also announced four other productions for 2012-2013:  ROCK OF AGES (October 4-5, 2012); SHREK THE MUSICAL (November 23-24, 2012); WEST SIDE STORY (December 18-19, 2012); BLUE MAN GROUP (January 11-12, 2013).  Best of Broadway will also present a one night only special performance by Mannheim Steamroller on December 1, 2012. All performances will be held at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

“The Best of Broadway series keeps getting better and better!” said Dave Holscher, General Manager of the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. “With great shows like LES MISÉRABLES, ROCK OF AGES, SHREK THE MUSICAL, WEST SIDE STORY and BLUE MAN GROUP, there is something for everyone to enjoy.”

“It’s hard to believe that the Performing Arts Center and the Best of Broadway series are entering their fourteenth year of presenting world class entertainment to the Lowcountry. This season’s line-up features both new and classic shows that audiences will love.” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey.

“We’re entering the ninth year of an outstanding partnership with the good people at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. We are committed to bringing the very best of Broadway to the Lowcountry and it doesn’t get any better than this season’s line-up!” said Nick Scandalios, Executive Vice President of Nederlander Producing Company of America.

Season ticket packages are now available and prices start at only $190.50. Tickets are available at the Coliseum Advance Ticket Office, by calling the Best of Broadway hotline (843) 202-ARTS (2787) or online at www.northcharlestoncoliseumpac.com. Individual show tickets will go on sale at a later date.

In addition to having the same seat for all performances, Best of Broadway season ticket holders enjoy many other benefits such as free parking, priority access to tickets for Coliseum & Performing Arts Center events before they go on public sale and special discounts & offers not available to the general public.

The Best of Broadway series features the best in national touring Broadway shows and is presented by the North Charleston Performing Arts Center and the Nederlander Producing Company of America.

...and in case you want it, here's even more information!

ROCK OF AGES
October 4-5, 2012
7:30 PM
The worldwide party musical ROCK OF AGES features a mix of 28 rockin’ 80’s tunes including DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’, WE BUILT THIS CITY, THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, HERE I GO AGAIN, CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING and I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS. In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker and in LA’s most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the 80’s. It’s five time 2009 Tony® nominee ROCK OF AGES, an arena-rock love story told through the mind blowing, face-melting hits of JOURNEY, NIGHT RANGER, STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON, PAT BENATAR, TWISTED SISTER, POISON, ASIA, WHITESNAKE and many more. Don’t miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on!

"Impossible to resist!”
- Charles Isherwood, New York Times

"Rock and comedy in perfect proportion!"
- David Cote, Time Out

SHREK THE MUSICAL
November 23-24, 2012
November 23 at 7:30 PM, November 24 at 2:00 PM
SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage.

In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a villain with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek.

Featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, WWOR-TV proclaims SHREK THE MUSICAL, “FAR, FAR AND AWAY THE FUNNIEST NEW MUSICAL ON BROADWAY!”

SHREK THE MUSICAL is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!

WEST SIDE STORY
December 18-19, 2012
7:30 PM

More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. Now it's back and mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY soars as the greatest love story of all time and remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere." As the Associated Press says, “WEST SIDE STORY remains Broadway’s best dance-driven musical. Five decades have not dimmed the extraordinary choreography or the score that pulsates throughout.”

BLUE MAN GROUP
January 11-12, 2013
January 11 at 7:30 PM, January 12 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM

Experience the Phenomenon. BLUE MAN GROUP is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine comedy, music, and technology to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The New York Times heralds the show as “One of the most delightful performance pieces ever staged.” E! Entertainment News exclaims, “BLUE MAN GROUP is what every live performance aspires to be.” The Baltimore Sun raves, “Blue Man Group packs a wallop. It’s a big, loud, funny, silly, visually arresting production!”

Although it is impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that BLUE MAN GROUP is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous show that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state. With no spoken language, BLUE MAN GROUP is perfect for people of all ages, languages, and cultures. BLUE MAN GROUP is now on the road for its first U.S. theatrical tour. This unique experience is a form of entertainment like nothing else; guaranteed to be an outing you will never forget.

LES MISERABLES
February 19-24, 2013
February 19-22 at 7:30 PM
February 23 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
February 24 at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DREAM THE DREAM

Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.

The New York Times calls this LES MISÉRABLES “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful.” The Star-Ledger says "a dynamically re-imagined hit. This 'LES MISÉRABLES’ has improved with age” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: ‘Les Miz’ is born again.”

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master Of The House” and many more.

Season tickets for the BEST OF BROADWAY shows are on sale now at the Coliseum Advance Ticket Window or call the season ticket hotline (843) 202-ARTS (2787). For more information or an online order form, visit www.NorthCharlestonColiseumPAC.com. 

Charleston area public safety representatives and military personnel planning 10th Anniversary 9/11 Service

A memorial service commemorating the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11 is being planned by local first responders, Charleston Air Force Base officials, the Charleston Fire Chief’s Association, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, and other public safety agencies for Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:00 am at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

Apart from music brought by Royal Missionary Baptist Church, the entire program will consist only of public safety and military personnel.

The public is invited to attend the event.  There will be no charge for admission or parking.