Garrison Keillor News

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to host the premiere of THE ANDERSON BROTHERS PLAY BENNY MEETS ARTIE, devised, written, and performed by Peter and Will Anderson. Produced by Reardon-Anderson Music, LLC, THE ANDERSON BROTHERS PLAY BENNY MEETS ARTIE begins performances on Wednesday, December 26 for a limited engagement through Sunday, December 30.

The holiday hit of last Christmas season is back this year with some new cast members and more fun.

The following are acts performing at City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, in December for consideration in your upcoming calendar and cultural listings. All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-733-WINE (9463) or by visiting www.citywinery.com/chicago.

The holiday hit of last Christmas season is back this year with some new cast members and more fun.

Cloudgate Theatre announces its sophomore production, the world premiere of Strange Heart Beating, a mystery about a small town that's thrown into turmoil when a young girl goes missing. Addie Gorlin (previously NNPN Producer-in-Residence, Mixed Blood Theatre) will helm the production, written by Cloudgate Artistic Director Kristin Idaszak. The full cast and creative team will be announced in early 2019.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) is decked for the holidays and offers twelve ways to celebrate the season in 2018. On the Main Stage is IRVING BERLIN'S HOLIDAY INN. This Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' 50th anniversary hit is a new staging that was reimagined for the Broadway stage in 2016 and is based on the classic 1942 film of the same title starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. It celebrates seven holidays from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July and is the quintessential season showstopper. With over 20 Irving Berlin classic tunes and 13 celebratory production numbers, guests will be delighted with this entertainment spectacular for all ages.

The Eighth Annual Bickford Benefit Concert featuring an all-star ensemble of outstanding jazz artists from the Tri-State area comes to the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum for one night only on Monday, November 12, 2018 at 7:30 PM. The ensemble includes trumpeter/vocalist Bria Skonberg, cornetist Warren Vache, trombonist Mariel Bildsten, clarinetist Dan Levinson, pianist Rossano Sportiello, guitarist/vocalist Molly Ryan, bassist Rob Adkins, and drummer Mark McLean.  All of the ticket sales from this concert will go to support programming at the Bickford Theatre.

Annenberg Center Live presents the Portland Cello Project, Saturday, October 20, at 8:00 PM. Portland's premiere alt-classical group brings an orchestral ensemble that includes six cellos, brass, percussion, and guest vocals by Patti King of the Portland band The Shins, to pay tribute to Radiohead with a unique spin on music from the band's OK Computer album. Tickets are available at AnnenbergCenter.org or 215.898.3900.

Eowyn Ivey's debut novel The Snow Child is reborn as a magical new musical featuring a score that combines Alaskan string-band traditions and contemporary musical theater. On November 17t, SubCulture will present the show in a concert adaptation featuring KATE BALDWIN, MATT BOGART, FINA STRAZZA, GERARD CANONICO, SALLY MAYES and WILLIAM PARRY.

THE GREEN ROOM 42 will present KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler reuniting to celebrate the Alan Jay Lerner centenary with their new show 'Almost Like Being In Love' on Sunday, October 14 at 9:30 PM. The effervescent duo, described by Stephen Holden in the New York Times as 'ferociously entertaining,' will include songs like 'If Ever I Would Leave You,' 'Gigi' and 'I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face' in addition to other Lerner masterpieces.

Martin Farawell, Director of the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, has announced highlights of the upcoming 17th biennial four-day event, October 18-21, featuring bestselling authors, literary legends, Pulitzer Prize winners, slam champions, and Academy of American Poets Chancellors. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, Pulitzer Prize-winners Sharon Olds and Gregory Pardlo, as well as much-published and award-winning poets Sandra Cisneros, Sapphire, Eileen Myles, Ntozake Shange, Kwame Dawes, Alberto Rios, David St. John, Henri Cole, Gregory Orr, Mary Ruefle and David Young will be giving Featured Readings during the Festival and are among the dozens of acclaimed poets who will participate in the four-day event, which takes place at the

Cynthia Shaw enjoyed her Colorado childhood of piano lessons and music-making. But as time went on she developed bigger dreams: moving to New York to attend the esteemed Manhattan School of Music. However, this goal was a bit more difficult than she expected. As she struggles with her self-sabotaging demons, shaky memorization and insufficient technique, she masters a falling piano, a sweltering practice room, a music-hating neighbor, a condescending teacher and other obstacles that confront an innocent, young classical pianist who has decided to tackle the Big Apple! And the big question is, does she get in?

Peter and Will Anderson - the identical twins and Juilliard graduates hailed as "virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone" by The New York Times - begin the return engagement of their SONGBOOK SUMMIT concert series at Symphony Space for a four-week residency tonight, August 7, scheduled to run through September 2. The Andersons and their six-piece ensemble shine the spotlight on four iconic composers (one per week) in a celebration of the Great American Songbook. The show features an engaging video presentation, entertaining narration, and live performances from the jazz sextet featuring vocalist Molly Ryan.

Gettysburg Community Theatre (GCT) the not-for-profit 501c3 community theatre located at 49 York Street in historic downtown Gettysburg, will present a musical perfect for the whole family, A Year With Frog And Toad, based on the children's books by Arnold Lobel. The performances will be 8pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm Sundays August 10-26, 2018 and tickets are available online at www.GettysburgCommunityTheatre.org or by calling 717-334-2692. Tickets can be purchased at the door if there are seats available. A Year With Frog And Toad is GCT's All-Senior Citizen Cast production for 2018. Each actor is retired or semi-retired ages 55+ and enjoys rehearsing during the day, which then allows the theatre to be available for other rehearsals in the evening of working adults and school children. Past Senior Citizen productions at GCT have been Fiddler On The Roof, Once Upon A Mattress, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Nunsense. This production is made possible in part by grants from the Cultural Alliance of York County, The Robert C. Hoffman Trust held by the Adams County Community Foundation, and the Adams County Arts Council's Star Grant.

Peter and Will Anderson - the identical twins and Juilliard graduates hailed as "virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone" by The New York Times - have announced a return engagement of their SONGBOOK SUMMIT concert series at Symphony Space for a four-week residency from August 7 to September 2. The Andersons and their six-piece ensemble shine the spotlight on four iconic composers (one per week) in a celebration of the Great American Songbook. The show features an engaging video presentation, entertaining narration, and live performances from the jazz sextet featuring vocalist Molly Ryan.

Seattle's favorite cabaret trio, Bodacious Ladyhood makes Dorothy's Piano Bar & Cabaret's first appearance in Wine Country.

Originally founded in 1958, the Grammy-winning Phoenix Chorale announces its milestone 60th Anniversary Season with expanded programming, guest conductors from around the world, and continuing its Search for the next Artistic Director.

Seattle's favorite cabaret trio, Bodacious Ladyhood makes Dorothy's Piano Bar & Cabaret's first appearance in Wine Country.

Chris Thile will be hitting the airwaves for a broadcast of Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) at Atlanta's Fox Theatre on Saturday, May 19 at 5:45 p.m. Broadcast guests include Father John Misty, Neko Case and comic Rory Albanese. Chris will also perform duets with Madison Cunningham.

Schimmel Center with the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra presents the world premiere of The Struggle to Forgive: Confronting Gun Violence in America on Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Led by Music Director and Conductor Gary S. Fagin, the new cantata-which has a libretto by Fagin and features soprano Mikaela Bennett, mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel, and baritone Jorell Williams-gives voice to those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence in the United States, including victims and their families.