Acorn Productions Presents THE PHYZGIG VAUDEVILLE FESTIVAL, Kicks Off 12/26

Acorn Productions 12th annual Phyzgig festival, a celebration of physical comedy and variety entertainment for the family, will take place in downtown Portland between Christmas and New Year's Eve 2009. The week will begin with an adult-oriented cabaret show at SPACE Gallery on December 26th, and continue through the week with 5 mainstage vaudeville shows at the Portland Performing Arts Center, and 7 Phyzkidz shows at SPACE Gallery. New this season is a the addition of 2 Phyzkidz shows in Westbrook at the new Acorn Studio Theater. Acorn Productions is still receiving applications from performers wishing to appear at Phyzgig, and the company has already received a number of diverse proposals from artists all over the country. Over its first 11 years, Phyzgig has evolved into a well-known event that attracts audience members from throughout the region to Portland each holiday season, and the 2009 edition promises to feature more new performers than ever before.

Over the next month, Phyzgig's Artistic Director Avner Eisenberg (Avner the Eccentric) and Acorn's Producing Director Michael Levine will select 10 to 12 performers for Phyzgig 2009. As audiences have come to expect, these entertainers will create a full-blown week of zany insanity, featuring clowning, juggling, magic, slapstick humor, and other acts that defy classification. The event not only offers Portland audiences a rare look at form of entertainment with a rich and honored tradition, but has also helped to put Maine on the map as a state that nurtures the spirit of vaudeville. Phyzgig features three types of performances: Phyzkidz shows take place at SPACE Gallery and feature 3 performers in a format and venue designed for younger audience members, mainstage variety shows showcase 4 performers and the live Phyzgig band, appealing to audiences of all ages, while the cabaret show consists of 4 artists offering sophisticated humor for m ore mature audiences.

Phyzgig is presented by Acorn Productions, an organization dedicated to nurturing and developing the performing arts community in Southern Maine. Although the festival continues to showcase the work of performers from around the country, the focus continues to be on Maine artists who trained with the famed master of mime Tony Montanaro at the Celebration Barn Theatre in South Paris, Maine. Tickets for Phyzgig cost between $8 and $18 depending on the show and are currently on sale for all performances. Call Acorn Productions at 854-0065 or visit www.phyzgig.org.

CALENDAR INFORMATION

What: Phyzgig
When: December 26 - 31, 2009
Who: Acorn Productions
Where: Portland Performing Arts Center, SPACE Gallery, and Acorn Studio Theater
How Much: $6 to $18, depending on the performance
FMI: 854-0065 or www.phyzgig.org

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

CABARET SHOW
Saturday, December 26 at 8:30 p.m.
SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St., downtown Portland
Tickets $14 adults, $12 students and seniors, $10 kids twelve and under

PHYZKIDS PORTLAND
Sunday, December 27 at 2 p.m.
Monday, December 28 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tuesday, December 29 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Wednesday, December 30 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St., downtown Portland
Tickets $14 adults, $12 students and seniors, $10 kids twelve and under

PHYZKIDS WESTBROOK
Monday, December 28 at noon
Tuesday, December 29 at noon
Acorn Studio Theater, Dana Warp Mill, 90 Bridge St., downtown Westbrook
Tickets $12 adults, $10 students and seniors, $8 kids twelve and under

MAINSTAGE SHOWS
Monday, December 28 at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 29 at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, December 30 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, December 31 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Portland Performing Arts Center, 25A Forest Avenue, downtown Portland
Tickets $18 adults, $14 students and seniors, $12 kids twelve and under

 

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