– SPOLETO FESTIVAL: Â Scroll Below!
– ARTicles – May: other things to do & people to see.
-Â Piccolo Spoleto:Â click here.
– DoTheCharleston.com Tours: private, premium, personalized, satisfaction guaranteed…so you”ll come back (and we give back net proceeds to preservation…so you’ll come back)
– Dinner and a Show– try both – Dinner & Dancing: Tapas style, of course, to stay light as a feather. Wine pairings & spirits give you wings to float like a butterfly, responsibly. Meet Chefs at haute cuisine restaurants; dance with top instructors; and join us as at the shows:
– SPOLETO FESTIVAL <– Tickets and times, May 23 – June 8. Check back below for updates in DoTheCharleston.com ARTicles, Previews, REVIEWs, HiArtFilms, and special HiArtPromotions!
– Join us (of course there are many more events and shows here). Below are just some of the best of the best events -oye- mostly on their opening night performances. Join us, so you can be the first “in the know;” talk all about the events;  check back below for REVIEWs; and Like, Share, and add your comments on Facebook:
– Theatre, dance, music, and oh, so much more;
– Society & Scene Patrons’ social events, teas, cocktail parties, Artist receptions…more;
– Historical venues like The Cistern, City Hall, Dock Street Theatre, Sotille, Memminger; Spoleto HQ, CofC President’s Opening Night Fête, Homes & Gardens, Middleton Place…more!
– Join us (venue code & address list are at the bottom of page):
– Fri May 23:
“Opening Ceremonies”
– Opening Ceremonies City Hall.  The Four Corners of Law (Hail, Mail, Bail, or Jail). We’ve been blessed with perfect whether. So thank the heavens; give a bow to the Holy City’s church spires; and listen to the angelic voices of the temple choirs…their singing to you, “join us…”
– 3:30 – A Simple Space, ROB. Joyous leaping feats of topsy-turvy acrobatics to flip your wig, blow your mind, and take your breath away with eye-poping intimacy and live music. Take a date and your palms should get sweaty.
– 7:00 – Hubbard Street Dance, TDA. Chic elite stylistic dance company choreographing memorable muscular movements that move beyond contemporary dance. REVIEW:  “These penetrating urban dancers are black and white – no grey - you will love them! Don’t miss “walking into the opening,” because in a blink of the eye, they swoop into a natural graceful enchanting herd of gazelles. Intuitively and seamlessly darting here & there, then dividing at their pleasure at perhaps a wonton leopard. Fleet of foot with decorative arms like antlers, they mirrored the earthy acoustics of the resonating wooden flute amongst rolling african drums. This Spoleto show is the best ever for dance aficionados – it’s 3 shows in 1! Flip the switch on and add some color: Act 2 is a haunting mix of near & far spaces in a metropolis of individuals that are universally the same yet a world apart. The myriad of advancing choreography showed each unique dancer’s passions and longing while wrestling overwhelming questions about love and fear of their own being -and- of their relationship with their partner. Singing from the beginning emerged from a woodsy soulful singer backed by more acoustical wooden flutes. A wall of music similar to Ravel’s “Bolero” only in that it’s progression never gets old: like a blissful night of broken clouds passing through the moonlight. Switch off to Act 3 with shadows lighting up the harmonious shapely arms of rhythmic female dancers – what a finale! Hurry, last chance to get tickets!“  
– 9:00 – Opening Night Fête at the College of Charleston President’s Home & Gardens, 6 Glebe St. Don’t miss the Society Event of the Year with Artists and patrons from Charleston & around the world. Dance & wine & dine after the show, and pARTy for a purpose, for SpoletoUSA.org.
– Sat May 24
– 9:00 – Charenée Wade, CIS. Come be visually transported and immersed under the Cistern Yard’s pastel orange, green, and purple romantic lights against the ghostly grey Spanish Moss. Watch and listen to crisp full vocal ranges and exciting jazz scat singing and more, “…woo woo woo dee dee ba ba bee dee deep, Them There Eyes” Watch a past music video of her’s, below. REVIEW: “Charenée’s vocals dished-up more than jazz on the menu. From the first driving song, the drums and bass wet our taste buds with a whisky shooter. Later, the piano man plucked our feathers and tickled our fancy. Like in a restaurant lounge, she was hanging out with the piano man, and having a sing song conversation. Her music speaks to you. Her jazzy jokes enveloped us in her warm arms. So at-ease, it has to be her way of life. And she shared it with us with giggles & joyful music. More than a few of us got it, and we walked away singing to others about her character and her scatting, le pièce de résistance, of course.” 
– Thur May 29
– Bank of America Chamber Music, DST: REVIEW Program V: “THE EXQUISITE SMORGASBORD OF QUINTESSENTIAL CHAMBER MUSIC – Once again, the beloved emcee Geoff Nuttall has artificed a veritable cornucopia of chamber pieces. Three pieces mesmerized an audience swooning under the hypnotic sway of professionalism, expertise, and remarkable compositions by three (3) diverse composers. The first piece by the vibrant Renaissance man, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), “Caprice sur des aires danois et russesâ€, op. 79, was indeed a magical tapestry of interwoven harmonic threads that defied analysis, but heralded joy.  Electric violin, guitar, and keyboards were magnificent and balanced St. Saint-Saëns’ intricate complementary melodies, resulting in a sum greater than its constituent parts. The second piece musically delved, then dove, to express the depths of depression, despair, despondency, dejection, and defeat.  The non-diva-like diva, Charlotte Hellekant (mezzo-soprano) sang as she felt -and- felt as she sang “Priva son d’ogni conforto†and “Deh, piangete, o mesti lumi†of George Frideric Handel’s (1685-1759) Julius Ceasar. The third piece left us just shy of breathlessness, like a marathon – Viola Quintet in B-flat Major, op. 87, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47). Congratulations to such an outstanding retinue of seasoned, gifted musicians! Tara Helen O’Connor, flute.  James Austin Smith, oboe. Todd Palmer, clarinet. Inon Barnatan, piano. Geoff Nuttall, Mark Fewer, Gabriela DÃaz, Daniel Phillips, violins. Masumi Rostad, viola. David Ying, cello. Anthony Manzo, double bass. Pedja Muzijevic, harpsichord.” – Guest Writer, Dr. George Gatgounis, Esq.
– 9:00 Kat Edmonson, CIS  Don’t miss getting tickets. Watch her past Austin music video below. REVIEW: “Kat Edmonson is a dazzling discovery – a damsel in 8 Dimensions: (D1) She’s a breath of fresh air, a spirit to breath-in…relax… and (D2) “dream…lucky you, lucky lucky me.” (D3,4,5) She’s a head-turner and catches your eye, head to toe and all around her chic pixie hair cut. She sprinkles pixie dust which lights up her fairyland, the spanish moss, and Spoleto’s Cistern Yard. (D6) The moment she starts to sing, she catches your ear. You have to catch her live performance, because, this is like catching (D7) “the end of a rainbow.” (D8) Time with her is more than precious, it unfolds into an unforgettable memory, catching time, so it lasting forever. Walking into a Spoleto show is often like walking into a gold mine. Kat is like a diamond in a diamond mine, only there’s no digging, she sparkles right on the surface. Even so, you will dig her. She’s a natural gem – a pure and natural talent. She can “sit in front of a producer and sing unpolished tunes and lyrics…and hook him, and catch him.” Her lyrics hooked us and we hope Spoleto catches this shooting star, again. She’s a bright bluesy blue belle, a country chandelier, a soft sweet starlet, and a majestic melody maker. She sings her soothing, looping, crooning, drooping, and dripping feelings – the bait on her hook which makes you hang on her every word. She catches and holds Charleston…and the world… in the palm of her hand.” Â
– Fri May 30
– 9:00 – Aca Seca Trio, CIS. Smooth Latin Jazz Trio who all play and sing with the passions from their South American popular musical heritage.  REVIEW: This was more than a musical magic carpet ride. It started with the wizardry of Spoleto’s lighting fantasia. Walking under the College of Charleston Cistern Yard’s canopy of spanish moss – all lit up in hues of aqua blue – was like swimming into a sexy underwater grotto. The moss looked like billowing strands of seaweed and kelp. After the illusion of discovering Atlantis, the lighting hues then metamorphosed into a mauve sunset, and the musical magic carpet ride whisked away up into the enchantment of a cool jazzy castle in the sky…above South America…the Latin latitudes, attitudes, and interludes cooked up by these hot musicians. Their mesmerizing songs lift and loft the senses, transcending plateaus, soft landing on plush pillowy clouds. Their vocals floated over like a soft blowing breeze. Each of the three musicians’ charms cast a spell: their music, their voices, their passions, their stories, their jokes, their mannerisms, their beings…they were gorgeous. Last chance to come trip the light fantastic, tonight, May 31, at 8pm 
– Sat May 31
– 2:00 - Keigwin + Company, This stylish fashionable dance company will be a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. With a cutesy catty cat walk and driving sounds, the dancers will pounce.  propel, and push the envelope down the runway.  TDA
– 8:00 – Dorrance Dance/SOUNDspace, MEM
– Mon Jun 2
– 8:00 – Dorrance Dance/Delta to Dusk, MEM
– Tue Jun 3
– 8:00 – Ilona Jäntti, ROB
– Thur Jun 5
– 8:30 – Gregory Maqoma, ROB
– Fri Jun 6
“My Cousin Rachel”
– 3:30 – My Cousin Rachel, DST. The Gate Theatre from Dublin always brings it. They always have that it factor. Classy & distinguished; rich in traditions, wealth, and blue bloods; and dripping with mystery, suspense, and jocular melodrama. They’ll make a bloody good show of it. A wealthy guardian angel’s life suspiciously gets cut short. Is love lost or love gained? Whatever you deduce, you’ll love it.
– 7:00 – HÃ¥kon Kornstad, REC
– Sun Jun 8
– 3:30 “Festival Finale” at Middleton Place Plantation, with the hot duo “Shovels & Rope,” MID. Historic plantation; magnificent home & gardens; world class picnic and and micro brew beer garden; and fireworks to top it all off.
– – Venue Codes & addresses:
CIS = Cistern Yard at College of Charleston. 66 George St
DST = Dock Street Theatre. 135 Church St
MEM = Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St.
MID = Middleton Place Plantation, 4300 Ashley River Rd
City Hall = 80 Broad St
SOT = Sottile Theatre, 44 George St
TDA = TD Arena, 301 Meeting St.
ROB = Emmett Robinson Theatre CofC, 54 St. Philip Stt.
– DoTheCharleston.com TOURs: private, premium, personalized, satisfaction guaranteed…so you’ll come back (and we give back to preservation…so you’re kids and kids’ kids will come back).
– Sep 5, 9pm Elise Testone throws down her annual James Brown Dance Party at The Windjammer. Break down all your plans, now! Get on up and get on down to the beach. Better than beach music shag dancing – this is the best Blues Dancing! Dazzling Diva Elise will be starring with more show-stoppers, like Charlton Singleton, Michael Quinn, Zandrina Dunning, and more.
– Sept 5 -20, “Kate & Sam Are Not Breaking Up” by What If? Productions. (Special Discount Ticket Code: CHASCITY). This blow-out play is back for hurricane season (after premiering at Piccolo Spoleto – see REVIEW below). Preview: Rumors about the breakup of a movie star couple disenchant their fanatic fans. One crazy kidnaps them, of course…what…no. Yes. Then an internet “friend” flames the fires of hell. (Hope for a happy ending in the Garden of Eden). What if? is harsh adult content that’s laughable. At Threshold Theatre. Piccolo REVIEW: “You could never imagine that dreams of internet and Hollywood heroes could turn into a nightmarish, eye-popping, jaw-dropping, ear-screeching, and side-splitting cut-up comedy. Never google, never tweet, and never lie, when an “internet friend” comes over to play house. This house of cards is really shuffled up. Playwright Joel Kim Booster and director Kyle Barnette load the deck with wild cards, then unload an arsenal on the audience. Throwing knives can even be seen in the countless evil-eye glares. Evil so sick, it is wicked fun. The four funny fanatics are rangy actors who play off each other and build-up their characters, in more roles than one. These multiple personality posers push their acting to the cutting edge…to their dramatic destiny. 
Giulia Marie Dalbec (Kate) and Michael David Wilson (Sam) are on roofies. They are drippy druggy drama-queen sex symbols (yes Sam props-up his boobs). Andre Hinds (Bill) is on downers. He’s Internet Junkie Thing 1. He doesn’t smooth-over his hair and ruffled feathers, so his shy shuffle step trips-up the audience. This mad man isn’t mad, he’s a glad man who wants to cozy-up between the glam man and glam girl. He’s crazy in love and lovable in the craziest way. Eden Teichman (Becky) is on uppers and downers, but definitely a speed demon. She’s Internet Junkie Thing 2. She rips out her heart and gives you a piece of her mind, which is mind blowing, like a thousand Charleston hurricanes. Like the Tasmanian Devil cartoon busting out of the box and bursting onto the scene, this whirly girl is very cute like the others, but different, dark, daring, and dangerous. All hell lets loose when this psycho dynamo hop-scotches over the edge of this edgy cliff hanger. It’s a must see play, then see it again, to catch the clever caveats (Becky and Sam go off behind closed doors…hmm…). Spoleto and Piccolo have great players and What If” Productions comes to the table dealing wild cards, so…we all win and want to play more!” Play it again Sam.
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