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Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

LARRY FENNELLY: There’s arts everywhere you look this weekend in midstate

Whether your tastes run to art, music, film or theater, you’re in for a spectacular weekend, and in the midst of it all — ready or not — the holiday countdown is about to begin.

Tonight is a First Friday, Saturday will see the Tubman African American Museum’s “All That Jazz,” and Sunday is packed: a Second Sunday concert in Washington Park, three showings of “Seraphine” by the Macon Film Guild and the first installment of Organ Music of Mendelssohn.

In the midst of all this, three plays are opening, plus Little Carnegie of the South’s Young Artist Series is featuring close to a dozen young performers, including Hally Davidson (flute) and Bryan Anderson (piano), in concert Saturday at 8 p.m.

ALL THAT JAZZ

The Tubman’s annual jazz concert is always a big event, but this year’s “All That Jazz” is going to be spectacular, even by Tubman standards. Scheduled for Saturday night at the Anderson Conference Center, this year’s fundraiser will include, in addition to music and food, a special one-night-only exhibition of works by more than a dozen prominent black artists, many of whom will be present.

THEATER WEEKEND

Opening tonight at Warner Robins Little Theatre is “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,” followed Saturday evening by the opening of the Youth Actors Company production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at Theatre Macon. Come Tuesday, the Macon State College Company of Players will open Lanford Wilson’s “Balm in Gilead,” followed Thursday by Forsyth’s Backlot Players presenting “Smoke on the Mountain: The Homecoming.”

MUSIC, TOO

The big music events this weekend are Sunday: “The Ten Tenors” at the Grand Opera House, and at Christ Church a performance of the complete organ music of Felix Mendelssohn in celebration of the composer’s bicentennial. The 7:30 p.m. concert will feature Mercer organist Bob Parris, Ellen Gifford Parris, and both graduate and undergraduate students. Part II of this event is slated for Nov. 15. Meanwhile, at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Macon State College will host “A Visit with Gena Branscombe,” a one-act work depicting the life of the American composer.

ART NEWS

Tonight’s First Friday festivities, in addition to featuring the opening reception for paintings by David Canady and ceramics by Sooyeon Kim at Macon Arts, will also see the Fall Members Show at the Contemporary Arts Exchange.

CROSSROADS AUCTION

The “Write, Rock ’n’ Roll” auction in support of the Crossroads Writers Conference is slated for Thursday evening at the Cox Capital Theatre. Organizers say treasures to be auctioned include “everything from signed copies of books by special guests like Steve Almond to a toolbelt worn by the literary hero of househusbands everywhere, Ad Hudler.” Terry Cantwell and the Macon Guitar Quintet will entertain.

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