Amity Island had everything. Clear skies. Gentle surf. Warm water. People flocked there every summer. It was the perfect feeding ground.
In this 1975 classic (#56 on the AFI's list of the Top 100 Movies from the Past 100 Years), when a gigantic great white shark terrorizes the small town of Amity Island, the police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it. Winner of three Oscars and nominee for Best Picture, "Jaws" stars Roy Sheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film was an instant blockbuster, a phenomenon, and today is still one of the highest grossing films in motion picture history. Rediscover the timeless film that continues to make entire generations afraid to go into the water.
Rated PG, 124 mins.
Tickets are available only at the door the night of the show
Based on the true story of English journalist George Hogg, this moving film chronicles Hogg's (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) efforts in the 1930s to lead 60 orphans over the Liu Pan Shan mountains in war-ravaged China and into the safety of the Mongolian desert. Joining Hogg and the children are an American nurse (Radha Mitchell) and the fearless leader of a Chinese partisan group (Chow Yun-Fat). The journey isn't easy, but as these unlikely allies boldly forge forward through snow-covered mountains and unforgiving desert, they learn the true meaning of responsibility, courage and love.
“An engaging account of one man's journey through war and those circumstances that give meaning to the saying 'Heroes are made, not born'." - Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel.
Rated R for violent content, 114 mins. English & Mandarin w/subtitles
Conducted by Al Pierson
Reserved Seating $25
($24 Seniors, $23 Opera House Members)
Great Performers Concert Series
Countless people remember with nostalgia the tradition of Guy Lombardo with his Royal Canadians playing at New York's Waldorf-Astoria on New Year's Eve. Since the death of Guy Lombardo in 1977, "Auld Lang Syne" has continued to be performed by various bands before enthusiastic audiences throughout the world.
Those who look back remember that distinctively recognizable style - the exaggerated saxophone vibratos, the clipped brass phrases and a vocal styling that immediately identifies the orchestra as Guy Lombardo's. But the most important ingredient of the Lombardo band was its consistency in playing wonderful tunes like "Seems Like Old Times," "Boo Hoo," "Coquette" and "Sweethearts on Parade."
Guy Lombardo's music lives on as Al Pierson takes the baton to perform "the sweetest music this side of Heaven."
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
General Admission $10
($8 Opera House members, seniors & students)
Fresh from their appearance in the finals of Country Music Telvision's "Can You Duet?" this unlikely duo is well on its way to country stardom.
Consisting of Fredonia native Ruth Collins and small-town Georgia girl Victoria Gibson, this duo met while working at The Cheesecake Factory in a Nashville suburb. After supporting each other's solo gigs by playing back-up and harmonizing on one another's songs, the two formalized their partnership at the urging of Victoria's mother.
When they heard about Country Music Television holding auditions for a new reality show called "Can You Duet?" in late 2007, the two waited six hours in line before finally being ushered into Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon to audition in front of Naomi Judd. It was worth the wait. They made the show and ultimately finished in sixth place.
The exposure the duo received on the show has resulted in engagements across the U.S. from Indianapolis to Detroit to Baltimore and now ... to Fredonia!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
Colin Firth stars in this unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship. As Blake Morrison (Firth) deals with his father Arthur's (Jim Broadbent) terminal illness and imminent death, his memories of everything funny, embarassing and upsetting about his childhood and teen years come rushing back. These memories are interspersed with tender, heartrending scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father and their history of conflict. In the end, he learns to accept that one's parents are not always accountable to their children.
“Taps into the conflicting feelings so many of us can have about parents who haunt us because they're difficult, which is part of what makes them so irreplacable.” - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"Worth every last teardrop." - Christy DeSmith, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Rated PG-13 for thematic material and brief language, 92 mins.
Featuring the timeless lyrics and melodies of the iconic super group ABBA, Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in this long-awaited feature film adaptation of the hit musical seen by more than 30 million people worldwide.
Donna, (Streep) an independent hotelier in the Greek isles, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends (Christine Baranski and Julie Walters). Meanwhile, Sophie, Donna's spirited daughter, has a plan of her own. She secretly invites to the wedding three men from her mother's past in hopes of meeting her real father and having him escort her down the aisle.
“The most fun to be had at the movies this or any other recent summer.” - Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter
"A film that actually earns the exclamation mark that adorns its title, thanks to the exuberance that Streep and her costars bring to the job of reviving the rituals of the movie musical." - Sandra Hall, Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald
Rated PG-13 for sex-related comments, 108 mins.
With Nels Cremean, Bruce Kikola, The Travelin' Seniors, The Unexpected Guests and Kevin Way &The Grand Orchestra
General Admission $12 ($10 Seniors, $5 Students/Children)
Nels CremeanIt's contemporary vaudeville on the Opera House stage! Marvel at the magic and illusions of Bruce Kikola. Laugh at the comedy of The Unexpected Guests. Watch in awe the juggling antics of Nels Cremean; and sit back and tap your toes to the song and dance of The Travelin' Seniors. Kevin Way & The Grand Orchestra entertains before the show and during intermission. It's fun for the whole family!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
Audiences across the globe are finding that WALL-E isn't quite as much "a kid's film" as it is simply "the best American film of the year to date" (Ty Burr, Boston Globe). For hundreds of years, WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) has been taking out the trash, and collecting precious knick-knacks in order to stave off the boredom of his dreary routine. Little does WALL-E realize that he has recently stumbled onto a secret that could save the earth and once again make the ravaged planet safe for all humankind.
“The idea that a company in the business of mainstream entertainment would make something as creative , substantial and cautionary as WALL-E has to raise your hopes for humanity.” - John Anderson, Washington Post
"You leave WALL-E with a feeling of the rarest kind: that you've just enjoyed a close encounter with an enduring classic." - Peter Travers, Rollign Stone
"You'd have to be a machine for your heart not to melt." - David Ansen, Newsweek
Rated G, 97 mins. Animated.
Carmen & Dick Gilman FREE Admission (ticket required)
Folk in Fredonia Music Series
Fredonia folk music favorites Carmen & Dick Gilman invite their musician friends from throughout the state to join them on the Opera House stage for an afternoon of great music, dance and a story or two!
The unofficial kickoff to the Folk in Fredonia Music Series, this event is great fun for the whole family!
Sponsored by The Gilman Family
Although admission to this event is FREE, tickets are required and may be reserved by calling the Box Office at 716-679-1891.
Featuring Maria Ferrante and Lincoln Mayorga
Presented by the Chautauqua County Historical Society
General Admission $20
($15 Seniors & Students)
Internationally acclaimed Soprano Maria Ferrante and Pianist Lincoln Mayorga make their debut Chautauqua County appearance in this fund-raiser for the Chautauqua County Historical Society.
With Mayorga's accompaniment, Ferrante breathes new life into 19th century parlor songs from the collection of the American Antiquarian Society. She'll sing songs of love and loss, of joy and care, of sweet innocence and community ... now-forgotten musical gems that our great-great-grandparents sang while sitting around the "piano in the parlor." There's a spirit in this music we can learn from and embrace today!
Sponsored by the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation with major support from Lake Shore Savings Bank.
Ron & Nancy OneSong General Admission $15
Opera House Rental - Presented by Medina Stone Farm
Created and performed by Ron & Nancy OneSong, this live production is a salute to country music presented by one of the area's finest country music duos.
Ron & Nancy OneSong specialize in traditional American music, including country, bluegrass, western & gospel. Performing as a duo since 1994, they have combined their talents to create a sound reminiscent of the past. The name "OneSong" is a reference to music being the "universal language."
They have appeared nationally and internationally at festivals and special events, including at Ryman Auditorium and the Bell Buckle Cafe in Tennessee and abroad in England, France and Canada. They have opened for country music entertainers including Tommy Cash, Stonewall Jackson and John Anderson.
In the summer of 2000, Ron & Nancy launched an all-new music venue, "The Medina Stone Farm," with the goal of sharing their love of traditional country music in an authentic rural setting. The Medina Stone Farm is situated on nearly 100 acres along the historic Erie Canal and welcomes individuals and groups for country music shows and barn dances.
The duo has been featured guests on many radio shows including WXRL Radio's "Grand Old Country," "Country Gold Classics with Jack Boland" in Philadelphia, "The J. Gregory Jamboree" in Bell Buckle, TN, and on "Farmer Brown's Barn" and "Bill Knowlton's Bluegrass Ramble" in Syracuse, NY. In addition, the two have produced their own radio show on WXRL Radio in Lancaster, NY, using an old-time format with a mix of vintage recordings, guest interviews and live performances.
The duo was inducted into the New York State Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003. An autobiography of their music career was published in August 2007.
For tickets, call the Box Office at 716-679-1891. For group sales, call the Medina Stone Farm at 585-798-9238.
General Admission $15
($13 Opera House Members)
Twelve-time Grammy Award nominee for Best Polka Band, Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push has been performing for more than 20 years and has evolved into providing the most progressive sound in polka music of the past 3 decades.
Inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame, this Boston-based band created and trademarked the "push" style of polka music, which is now well-known among musicians and polka audiences everywhere. Equally adept at both the traditional and the innovative, Chicago Push is all about keeping polka music alive.
With 16 albums, Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push are fan favorites from Boston to Baton Rouge and from Fresno to Fort Lauderdale!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
Sponsored by Arkwright Printing
The Wondermakers Oct 17 2008 - 12:30pm
General Admission $5
Through the use of theater games, creative dramatics, comedy, improvisational techniques and audience participation, students learn the "ingredients" that go into a good story and will be inspired to create their own stories, poems and plays. This highly interactive program features The Wondermakers, actors/improvisers who have studied at Second City Toronto and Chicago and at City Limits NYC. Part of the Fredonia Storytelling Festival.
This event is presented primarily for school groups, but is open to the public as well. $5 admission collected at the door.
A Master Class with Willy Claflin
$25 Workshop Fee
Fredonia Storytelling Festival
"Mother Moose, Mother Moose, where have you been?
-- I've been to the kitchen and back again
"Mother Moose, Mother Moose, what did you do there?
-- I made the whole universe out of thin air!"
As Maynard Moose says, "It's one thing to make a universe out of thick air. But to make a universe out of thin air, you have to stir and stir and stir!" Here is a fool-proof recipe for cooking up your own original stories. We'll make lists of problems and characters (human and animal), cut them up and shuffle them, pick random combinations and set our protagonists out to seek their fortunes! Our main characters will find that their first two attempts to solve their problems both fail, and success won't come until the third final attempt. (This way our tales will have a good middle, as well as beginning and end.)
Once we have our unexpected plots in hand, we'll turn to a series of games and exercises designed to add detail. What did our main character hear, see and smell? What was she/he thinking about during the unfolding adventure?
Finally, we'll move to the telling itself: how can we learn to tell the tale in a confident fashion, without having to memorize every word?
Students are guaranteed to come away with a new tale to tell.
Willy Claflin & Maynard Moose Featuring Maynard Moose
FREE Admission (ticket required)
D.R. Barker Library Community Series
Acclaimed storyteller Willy Claflin and his sidekick Maynard Moose entertain the kid in all of us in this afternoon of storytelling at its funniest. Part of the Fredonia Storytelling Festival. Sponsored, in part, by the D.R. Barker Library and the Fredonia Teachers' Association.
Although admission to this event is FREE, tickets are required and may be reserved by calling the Box Office at 716-679-1891.
Featuring Willy Claflin
With Dennis Collins, Sharon Holley and Doug Manly
General Admission $10
An evening of storytelling for adults ... Hosted by Doug Manly and featuring acclaimed storyteller Willy Claflin, this evening of wild and witty stories is guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and make you laugh out loud! Regional tellers Dennis Collins and Sharon Holley also will be featured with stories ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. The ticket includes a reception with the storytellers and light refreshments following the performance. Part of the Fredonia Storytelling Festival.
Sponsored by Ann & Doug Manly.
Reserved Seating $22
($20 Seniors, $18 Opera House Members)
DFT Communications Spotlight Series
In the tradition of the hilarious Harvey Korman and Tim Conway sketches from the old Carol Burnett Show, "The Queen of Bingo" tells the tale of Sis and Babe, two sisters on the other side of 50 who want to add a little fun and excitement to their lives ... but where to find it?? Bingo!!
"The Queen of Bingo" explores the worlds of Bingo, family ties, diet crazes, widowhood, hot flashes and winning! The audience joins in the fun during the "Middle Bird Special" - a real Bingo game in which some lucky audience member wins a FREE 10 lb. frozen turkey!
Theatergoers young and old will howl with laughter as two zany guys, playing two crazy gals, light up the stage in this raucous comedy hit!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
General Admission $18
($15 Opera House members)
Folk-in-Fredonia Music Series
The word "legend" is often used to describe veteran folk/rocker Jonathan Edwards, whose 1971 million-selling song "Sunshine" ("go away today...") brought him instant fame. Edwards was born in Minnesota and detoured into blues and rock before realizing he was hooked on folk music. During his 36-year career he has recorded 15 albums, performed throughout North America and in Holland, and collaborated with artists such as Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, Maura O'Connell, Christine Lavin and Cheryl Wheeler. His 1987 children's album, "Little Hands," was selected by the National Library Association as a "Notable Children's Recording."
His varied career has included theater, commercials, record production and two movie soundtracks. He narrated and performed in the Media Artists series "Cruising America's Waterways," which started airing on PBS-TV stations in 2001. "Sunshine" can be heard in the 2004 Will Ferrell movie, "Anchorman." His most recent CD, "Live in Massachusetts," was released in 2006; and Media Artists just released a 90-minute documentary of his career, "That's What Our Life Is."
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
General Admission $10
($8 Seniors/Students, $5 Children 12 and under)
Carousel Family Series
Unpredictable thrills, side-splitting comedy and daredevil stunts are the signature style of Circo Comedia, starring the duo of Jean Saucier and Patrick Cote.
In the tradition of the Quebec Circus, master quilibrist, juggler, trick cyclist, acrobat and magician Saucier performs his feats from dizzying heights, while burlesque clown, expert roller skater and drummer Cote tries (unsuccessfully) to be the perfect assistant.
This is family entertainment at its finest -- deliriously funny and filled with unforgettable moments!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
Featuring John & Stephanie Sikora with Ann Kennedy
General Admission $15
($13 Opera House Members, $6 Students)
DFT Communications Spotlight Series
Acclaimed baritone and soprano John & Stephanie Sikora are joined by soprano Ann Kennedy in this program of selections from the world's greatest operas, operettas and musical theatre.
The Sikoras are both well-known throughout the United States, having sung with many regional opera companies and symphonies, he in leading roles such as Badilio/Barber of Seville, Figaro/Marriage of Figaro, and Rocco/Fidelio, and she in productions of The Merry Widow, Mikado, Die Fledermaus and Hansel and Gretel. Both also recently appeared in Paris, Nice and Frejus, France, in performances of Bach's Kaffee Kantata with the Association pour le Developpment de la Musique Baroque.
John also was heard in the world premier of Holy Blood and Crescent Moon at Cleveland Opera and has been featured in countless solo engagements that include Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth.
Stephanie has sung more than 100 performances with Cleveland Opera on Tour and also has appeared in An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan under the baton of Robert Page, in Bernstein's Broadway conducted by Leonard Slatkin and in the world premier of Song in Sparrow conducted by Jahja Ling.
The Sikoras will be joined by soprano Ann Kennedy, a western NY native who has sung in many venues in NYC including with the Metropolitan Museum of Art Christmas Concert Series, at the Riverside Church and St. Paul's Cathedral and in the Trinity Concert Series.
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
General Admission $10
Your chills will be multiplyin' and the mood electrifyin' as you sing along to Grease's hit tunes with the gang from Rydell High. Hosted by a special "celebrity" guest who will introduce the film, teach you to Hand Jive and make sure you have a whole lotta fun, this screening of the now-classic movie will have you shouting "tell me more, tell me more!"
Audience members are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters from the movie, meaning anybody can be a T-Bird or a Pink Lady! Subtitled song lyrics and audience participation goody bags help make sure every "Sandy" and "Danny" have their moment in the spotlight. And don't worry if you sing off-key ... "there are worse things you could do!"
You may not have been lived through the 50s, but this Grease Sing-Along will make you feel a least a little cool!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
Featuring Das Puppenspiel Puppet Theatre and John Kirk & Trish Miller
General Admission $15
($10 Seniors, $5 Students/Children)
Carousel Family & Folk in Fredonia Music Series
Internationally known Das Puppenspiel Puppet Theatre teams up with folk musicians John Kirk & Trish Miller in this special program of Appalachian storytelling and music.
Presented in two parts, this unique performance features Das Puppenspiel in the show's first half presenting a series of tales that find Jack (of "the Beanstalk" fame) as he journeys through all sorts of magical adventures. Large, beautifully crafted "bunraku' style puppets and authentic Appalachian music performed live by musician John Kirk combine to bring these funny and delightful tales to life.
In the show's second half, John Kirk is joined by Trish Miller for a performance of traditional folk music. This husband and wife duo are Opera House favorites known for their diverse musical talents and step dancing abilities. Their down-home, roots-based performances have entertained audiences from Maine to California and from Michigan to Florida!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
General Admission $15
($13 Opera House members)
Folk in Fredonia Music Series
Since its founding in 2002, Le Vent du Nord has quickly become one of the most recognizable and esteemed bands of the Quebec traditional music world. Exploding onto the folk music scene, the group was awarded the Juno (the Canadian Grammy) for Traditional Album of the Year for its first recording.
Named North American Traditional Artist of the Year in 2005, the band has continued to bring its Celtic-based, French Canadian folk music to audiences throughout the world. Touring extensively in the U.S., Canada, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, France, the U.K., Sweden and Norway, the band has played alongside such renowned artists as The Chieftains and Flook.
The band's music is both fresh and bound to tradition and utilizes fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, guitar, bass, piano and four-part harmonies. Le Vent du Nord members sing original songs and songs taken from traditional repertoire in their native French, to the delight of their audiences -- for whom more often than not it is a foreign language -- and the audiences keep asking for more. It's infectiously beautiful music and just plain old, good, clean fun!
Attending from out of town? Consider staying at one of the area's beautiful inns or bed & breakfasts as part of an overnight performance package.
Sponsored by Barbara Weaver
