Nothing slow about summer

There was good news this week for fans of the Macon Symphony Orchestra. Readers may recall that ticket sales for the 2017-2018 season were delayed by the Grand Opera House’s plans to reconfigure the seating, a move which would necessitate re-numbering.

The good news is that the revised ticket order form has now gone out. Not only will we be greeted by enlarged restrooms and an improved air conditioning system, but MSO music director Jerry Steichen has put together a dynamite season, beginning with “Opening Night with Jerry and Friends,” the “friends” being two big-name Broadway talents.

In February comes the aptly-named “The Heart of the Season: An Evening of Love Notes.” Rising star Jasmine Habersham will be featured in this collection of hits. Closing the season is “A Purely Classical Closing” with renowned violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti of McDuffie Center for Strings fame.

Tucked in January’s line-up is “Soulful,” the annual pops concert at the City Auditorium.

Speaking of pops, our own Macon Pops has announced the line-up for its fifth season: “Jazz that Rocks! Music of Chicago, Blood & Tears, Steely Dan” is set for Aug. 26 on the lawn of Middle Georgia State University. Coming in November is “The Beatles: Rubber Soul and Revolver” and, in March, “Latin Pop Revolution.”

SILVER LINING

While the summer calendar is not as robust as during the fall and spring, the reduction in activity brings the opportunity to explore some events that we often can’t squeeze in. For example, the June calendar from the Douglass Theater lists 15 events, including the Macon Film Guild’s screening of the movie “Graduation,” the National Theatre Live’s broadcast of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and the Jazz in the Courtyard event with the Ken Trimmins Jazz Quartet.

Note also that the Music and the Arts at Vineville series runs throughout the summer. Up next is the group “A Mighty Wind.”

Theater fans will be elated to hear that Theatre Macon plans a special production of “Driving Miss Daisy” this month at Mercer University’s Tattnall Square Center for the Arts (June 16-17 and 22-24).

FELICITOUS TIMING

After last weekend’s huge turnout to say farewell to Gregg Allman, I can’t help but observe that just a week or so previous, the magazine AAA Living featured a short article on the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House. Is that a burning bush? Yes, Macon’s musical passions still run high. May it always be so.

This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Nothing slow about summer."