Seeking: Oud and Dumbek Players

An unusual request.

The Bloomsburg University's Women's Choir is performing an Andalusian/Arabic song, "Lamma Badaa Yatathanna." They are seeking  someone who can perform on the dumbek and someone who can perform on the oud. If you are a "performance caliber accompanist" on one of these instruments (or know of someone who is) and are game to perform with the group, contact director Eileen Hower.

For myself: I'd love to hear the song with the traditional instruments.

Love is Hard

The Bloomsburg University Players open their fall season with Jack and Jill by Jane Martin.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 30 and 31, and Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7 and 8, as well as 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, in the Theatre Lab, located behind the University Store. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and non-BU students and free for BU students with a student ID.


 “Many plays explore the search for the perfect mate, Jack and Jill looks at what happens after that person is found,” said Bruce Candlish, associate professor of music, theatre and dance. “It playfully portrays the hard work of love.”

Senior Lauren Shover from Camp Hill directs and designed the set and sound; junior Sydney Hare, Sunbury, and sophomore Emily Miller, Mercer, designed costumes and junior Rebecca Kestel, Abington, designed lights.

The cast features senior Ben Deivert, Northumberland; junior Rachel DelVecchio, Bethlehem; senior Gabriella Russo, Effort; senior Philip Czekner, Harleysville; junior Jaryn Wilcox, Canton; and junior Dan Clark, Abington. Junior Courtney Costello, Pittston Township, is the stage manager.

BU Players previously staged Martin’s Anton in Show Business and this latest production features some of the same offbeat humor says Candlish.

Tickets for Jack and Jill are available at the Performing Arts Box Office in the lobby of the Haas Center for the Arts or at the door before each performance.

On exhibit: town and gown edition

A few exhibits to check out in both downtown Bloomsburg and in Bloomsburg University's Haas Gallery.

Ben Pranger is showing sculpture and works on paper in a Haas Gallery show titled "The Icy Heights." He'll have a reception on the closing day, Tuesday, Sept. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. and closed Sunday.

Artspace gallery on Center Street, Bloomsburg is featuring hand-pulled prints by Marilyn Paul Watercolor paintings by Vicki Renn through Sunday, Sept. 30. Artspace is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Marching Music

The Bloomsburg University's Husky Marching Band will give a free post-band-camp performance Friday, Aug. 24, ta 4 p.m. at BU's Redman Stadium. Title of the show this year: LIVE at the Husky Jazz Lounge. Photo: The band rehearses marching earlier this week. More photos at: bloomufocus.com.

Get your tickets early. Some of these may sell out.

Bloomsburg University has announced its 2012-2013 Celebrity Artist Series season with a set of shows that range from modern dance to Monty Python.

Some of these shows will likely sell out ... Spamalot, Kathy Mattea in particular. So if you're going to get tickets ... sooner rather than later would be a good idea. A few will likely be near sellouts ... The Midtown Men comes to mind ... the chinese circus too. Fact: almost all of the seats in Haas Auditorium are pretty good ... but if you want the best seats, where you can see the dancers and performers glistening ... get your tickets early.

First show in the series is Squirm Burpee by a troupe that calls itself the Handsome Little Devils.
(In the 8 to 5, I do a lot of the promotional materials for the series, and  initially I had a tough time wrapping my head around what the show was ... the more I looked into it the cooler it seems. I have an 8-year-old and I think she might dig this. — EGF.)  Looks like we should expect comedy, juggling, song, dance and a plot with a Snidely Whiplash type character — Baron Vegan von Hamburger. Satisfyingly silly.

This is set for BU's Parents' Weekend, Saturday, Sept. 15, ... so tickets will get scarce if you wait. Showtime is 7 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Tickets run. $34.50/$19.50 Child/$17 BU student. Details from BU.

The rest of the series.

• Saturday, October 20 — Koresh Dance Company, 8 p.m.
• Friday, November 16 — Cirque Chinois, 8 p.m.
• Sunday, December 9 — The Midtown Men, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, February 8 — Monty Python’s Spamalot, 8 p.m.
• Sunday, February 17— Luciana Souza, 7:30 p.m. (Carver Hall's Gross Auditorium)
• Friday, April 5 — DALA, 7:30 p.m. (Carver Hall's Gross Auditorium)
• Friday, April 26 — Kathy Mattea, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, May 11 — Nai-Ni Chen with the Ahn Trio, 8 p.m.

Spamalot and Mattea will be big sellers. Luciana Souza is a Brazilian superstar and DALA is a upcoming Canadian folk duo ... the venue for those is Carver Hall's Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. It's a beautiful and intimate setting. I've been told that Koresh is known for the striking athleticism of their work. The Ahn Trio has been to Bloomsburg a number of times. I have some of their discs and they really bring an both a perspective to classical music that's both fresh and approachable ... they have a really elegant take on the Doors (looks like authentic cell-phone video from a show with decent quality). This time, they're performing with a dance troupe ... different. I'm not a Broadway guy so I don't know anything about Midtown Men or the Cirque Chinois at this point. — EFG.

Boogie down Romanian style

Romanian Dance leader Mihai David will be the leader for a dance and party Sunday, Aug. 19, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Bloomsburg University's Centennial Hall. The visit is sponsored by Bloomsburg's International Student Association and the Susquehanna International Dancers and a free and open to the public. There will be a reception afterwards off-campus on Millville Road.

Roadtrip: Sunbury RiverFest Aug. 16-18

Could be a last arts-related (mini) road trip before school starts again.

Sunbury is hosting its annual RiverFest Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16 to 18. The riverfront area will be packed with food and craft vendors (200 booths) and live entertainment (on three stages Friday and Saturday). There are also games, train rides, and Highlights of Sunbury's Recreation Area (demonstrations) and a very large car show.