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May 13, 2004 WUSA TV Washington DC
Each spring, Charleston, South Carolina hosts Spoleto Festival U.S.A., the most comprehensive arts festival in the country. For more than two weeks, the world's finest dancers, musicians and actors take the stage in a spirited homage to the arts that includes 12 opera performances, 13 music theater, 8 dance performances, galas, live and silent auction, lecture series and more. The festival culminates in a splendid finale at Middleton Plantation - complete with symphonic fanfare and fireworks.
Simultaneous with Spoleto, May 28 to June 13 the City's Office of Cultural Affairs offers a companion festival, Piccolo Spoleto, which showcases the best of regional talent. Informal, affordable and often a little zany and offbeat, the typical Piccolo program includes sidewalk art shows, jazz, classical music, film, crafts, theater, dance, Tibetan teachings and a long list of daily activities for children. Walking tours and four free performances by the Atlanta Seed and Feed Marching Abominable. Their explosive sound, brilliant color and contagious comedy all combine to make this zany 29-year-old Atlanta marching band a thrilling, over-the-top musical experience. Whimsically costumed, this all-volunteer tribe of not-so-serious musicians, twirlers and dancers play high-energy pop, rock and swing tunes in addition to traditional Sousa marches for each of its four free Memorial Day weekend performances.
Spoleto Festival USA 2004 Season to Mark Peony's Farewell
Opera lovers who descend upon this historic city in June 2004 will enjoy a rare opportunity to witness The Peony Pavilion, the 18-hour Chinese opera that inspires rave reviews wherever it lands.
From New York to Paris to Perth, the Peony Pavilion has attracted rapturous reviews. Presented in two complete cycles, the 2004 Spoleto Festival USA visit marks the last time this production will be performed.
The Peony Pavilion is a Kunju opera, considered to be on of China's great cultural treasures. Written over 400 years ago by Tang Xianzu, this epic tale of love more powerful than death unfolds over six episodes, encapsulating all corners of Ming society from invaders to bandits and scholars to courtesans. Director Chen Shi-Zheng's spectacular production features over 160 characters, more than 600 hand-embroidered costumes and an 1,800-gallon pond filled with ducks, goldfish and plants.
Charleston Place Hotel has created a special Peony Package that mirrors the rarity and exquisite beauty of this opera. The package offers guests four nights of elegant, club-level accommodation. This ensures guests a private concierge, all-day complimentary beverage service, continental breakfast, afternoon tea, Asia-inspired hors d'oeuvres and after dinner cordials and dessert. All of this is to be provided in the rarefied quarters of the award winning hotels' Club Level Lounge. The package also provides two tickets to all six episodes of the epic opera.
The rate for the four-night Charleston Place's Peony Package (based on double occupancy) is $1,800, plus tax and gratuity. The package is available for the opera's two performance series: June 3 through 6 or June 10 through 13. Accommodation-only rates start at $299 for deluxe or $399 for Club Floor. The hotel features 442 rooms and 42 suites.
http://www.charlestonplacehotel.com, one of the top 10 Hotels in North America" by Condé Nast Traveler, for reservations call 1-800-611-5545.
The Vendue Inn
Charleston
Spoleto Festival USA Information
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http://www.seedandfeed.org/
Montreal the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
25th Anniversary of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
On Wednesday, June 30, 2004, this year's Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will open with a huge free outdoor show at the downtown site, presented by Loto-Québec and Bell. There are about 150 concerts on sale starting this Saturday.
Three levels of government threw in an extra 850,000 dollars which has been devoted exclusively to some of the super-special evenings, of which several will be completely free of charge. Altogether it required an additional operating budget of $4M. So everyone is equally grateful to our major partners from the private sector, as well as the TV broadcasters who've contributed to producing shows. The balance comes from Festival revenues.
Some of the exceptional events
A pre-opening show to this year's Festival, on Tuesday, June 29th, 2004, there will be a 25th Anniversary Gala at the Bell Centre to kick things off with Diana Krall, the biggest jazz star in the world today. She'll be bringing along a few surprise guests, as well. Diana's spectacular trajectory to stardom began at the Festival, 8,000 tickets have already been sold with only 2,000 remaining.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 Loto-Québec and Bell present the Grand Opening Party. Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the end of apartheid with South Africa's most celebrated musicians, the a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Johnny Clegg. Also invited is Goodwill Zwelithini, King of the Zulus, and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, whose address will be visible on giant screens around the site, broadcast live on TV5, and subsequently on the CBC and elsewhere in the world.
Sunday, July 4, 2004: It's Independence Day for our neighbors to the south, so everyone's invited to Labatt Bleue's mega-Show with the Funk Brothers. A mini-festival of soul music is in store, featuring the legendary group from Detroit who cranked out more hits from their Motown studios than the Beatles, Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones combined. Never heard of them? That's understandable. The Funk Brothers are to American music somewhat like the Buena Vista Social Club is to Cuban, in the sense that, once again, a film will be coming out about these elderly and virtually unknown musicians who've nonetheless made a major contribution to a shared national musical heritage. At this very moment, the Funk Brothers are cooking up something very special indeed that'll include a string of their greatest R & B hits, along with several guest artists.
Saturday, July 10th 2004. Another free special event will take place at Place des Nations on Île Sainte-Hélène, the very place where the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal began in 1980 topped off by a show by the Vic Vogel Big Band, who'll be back this year for the celebration. The general public is cordially invited at 6 p.m. for a musical .
Vic Vogel is the only artist who's taken part in all 25 editions of the Festival. Accompanied by his Big Band, he'll be presenting a free concert at 7 p.m. after a Dixieland band fanfare warms up the crowd. Anyone who brings along memorabilia from the first edition (something like a ticket stub, membership card or T-shirt) will receive a gift from the Festival.
July 11th, 2004 The Jazz Festival meets Cirque du Soleil. Jointly celebrating the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal the 20th anniversary of Montreal's equally famous entertainment success story Cirque du Soleil and an excellent opportunity for festival goers to experience several of the Cirque's best-known and most loved acts, staged by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. As you'd expect of Cirque du Soleil, there'll be wonderful music throughout, as well. A high-definition TV production of the show is in the works to broadcast the charms of this City of Festivals around the world. And in Canada, the dual anniversary spectacular will be broadcast live on both CBC and Radio-Canada.
To close the 25th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Oliver Jones agreed to come out of retirement to share the stage with Oscar Peterson, whose sister Daisy was Oliver's teacher way back when. The two men have made their marks around the world with superb technique and distinctive ways of speaking to us through their music. Unfortunately this concert is already sold out.
Souvenirs
25th Anniversary CD compilation
Festival commemorative postage stamp
In addition to all the special events for this year's anniversary special, many internationally renowned artists will be taking to the stages with many local performers as part of the regular programming for 2004. Keep checking the website for updates to the schedule.
Jazz It Up Festival Fun Pack Includes:
Gala du 25e anniversaire du Festival - Diana Krall and Guests Centre Bell June 29 8:00 p.m. $105.65
Wynton Marsalis PdA June 30 6:00 p.m. $56.44
Opening Concert: Tony Bennett PdA June 30 8:30 p.m. $96.70
Elvin Jones Jazz Machine PdA July 1st 6:00 p.m. $44.94
Ariane Moffatt Métropolis July 1st 9:00 p.m. $49.54
George Benson and Richard Bona PdA July 2 8:30 p.m. $62.19
The Rite of Strings avec Jean-Luc Ponty Al Di Meola et Stanley Clarke PdA July 4 6:00 p.m. $56.44
k.d. lang and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra PdA July 7 8:30 p.m. $96.70
Colin James Band, George Thorogood & the Destroyers Métropolis July 6 & 7 9:00 p.m. $52.99
Ibrahim Ferrer PdA July 8 8:30 p.m. $85.20
Dianne Reeves PdA July 9 8:30 p.m. $62.19
Closing concert with the Oliver Jones and Oscar Peterson trios PdA July 10 8:30 p.m. $115.10
All prices are per ticket, in Canadian dollars and include service charges and taxes. To have access to the above tickets, you must go through Alio when you book your accommodations and/or your transportation and/or your Festival Fun Pack. For example, at $309 per person, you could spend 2 nights at the Festival, see the Diana Krall show and enjoy all on-site advantages of your Jazz It Up Festival Fun Pack.
Contact an Alio agent right away by dialing (toll-free) : 1 800 280-9967; by fax at 1 877 426-1100; by e-mail at fijm@alio.ca or by visiting the Festival Web site at : http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/packages
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
2004 AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL
In just two years the Austin City Limits Music Festival has become one of the premiere music events in the country. During the first two Festivals, fans saw amazing live performances by Wilco, Ryan Adams, Al Green, Jack Johnson, Nickel Creek, R.E.M., Lucinda Williams, Ben Harper, Los Lonely Boys and many more. This year the ACL Festival is set to present more than 130 bands and 30 hours of non-stop music on eight stages September 17-19 in Austin's Zilker Park.
A limited number of three-day passes were offered starting April 24 and according to the website were available yesterday May 12, 2004. Tickets are $70 dollars (plus service and processing fees) for the three-day event. The tickets are only available through credit card purchase online at http://www.aclfestival.com. Kids 10 and under will be admitted for free if accompanied by an adult with a ticket. Ticket prices will increase on June 10 when the artist lineup is announced or when this limited quantity of three-day passes is sold.
Each year the Austin City Limits Music Festival brings together over 150,000 music fans from all over the world for a weekend of breathtaking music in the heart of Austin, TX. Austin has always been known as the "Live Music Capital Of The World," and with the return of the ACL Festival, that statement has never been more accurate.
In the spirit of the legendary public television show – Austin City Limits, the longest-running popular music show in the United States — the artists performing at the Festival will continue to represent the same wide variety of music genres found on the groundbreaking program.
Many area hotels are providing discount packages combining rooms and Festival passes. Visit the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau website at www.austintexas.org for more information.
For general information on travel, accommodations and the event itself log on to: http://www.aclfestival.com.
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