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Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

LARRY FENNELLY: Music in many forms in abundance

Music lovers are likely to be beside themselves with glee for the next several days.

At Mercer University’s McCorkle Hall through Sunday is the Mercer Opera’s production of Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love.” This comic love story is directed by Martha Malone and sung in English. General admission tickets are $10.

In Mercer’s Fickling Hall today is Masterworks at noon, featuring both guest artists and faculty from the McDuffie Center for Strings presenting Schubert’s String Quartet in C Major.

Also on this weekend’s calendar is the Choral Society of Middle Georgia’s season-opening performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” at Vineville United Methodist Church at 4 p.m. Sunday. The group will also present the work in Milledgeville at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church.

Yet another major event is slated at Mercer’s Fickling Hall on Monday evening, when the Trio RPM presents works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Smetana and Larsen.

Next weekend will bring the 14th annual “All That Jazz” to the Anderson Conference Center. The Nov. 7 event, in addition to raising funds for the Tubman African American Museum, will honor a dozen prominent black artists. Music will be provided by Harold Thomas & Danger Zone.

THEATER, TOO

Let all this talk of music not obscure the fact that there’s theater available as well. Although Theatre Macon’s production of the British comedy “Noises Off” closes Saturday night, by Nov. 6 Warner Robins Little Theatre’s “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,” a big hit at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre,” will be running at the playhouse on South Pleasant Hill Road.

The following evening, the Youth Actors Company will open “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a comedy which not very long ago was still playing on Broadway.

The area colleges will bring us still more theater in November, beginning with the Macon State Company of Players’ production of Lanford Wilson’s “Balm in Gilead,” opening Nov. 10.

BOOK NEWS

If you check out the New York Times best seller list, you’ll find Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help” in a prominent position. Thanks to the Historic Macon Foundation, Stockett will be speaking in Macon on Nov. 15 at the Douglass Theatre. Mark your calendar.

While the Crossroads Writers’ Conference is not scheduled until Feb. 25-27, the organizers have a “half-silent” auction coming up at the Cox Capitol Theatre on Nov. 12 to raise funds. Renowned guitarist Terry Cantwell and the Macon Guitar Quartet will entertain.

ART SPACE

Today marks the official opening of Art Space at the Macon Mall’s East Wing, with currently almost a dozen tenants in place. Today and Saturday the mall will celebrate with a variety of activities (music, art, theater, photography, dance and quilting) intended for both adults and kids.

Larry Fennelly can be reached by e-mail at LarryFennelly@AvantGuild.com.