General Admission $12
($9 Seniors/Students, $5 Children 12 and under)
The Southern Tier's premier school of classical ballet comes to the Opera House for a special return engagement The Ballet's preprofessional and advanced students, under the direction of Artistic Director Monika Alch, will perform in this program of excerpts from Le Corsaire, Carmen and Esmeralda along with several contemporary works.
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 Dan Berggren, Dan Duggan and Peggy Lynn
General Admission $15
Folk in Fredonia Music Series "Extra"
Seasoned solo performers Dan Berggren, Dan Duggan and Peggy Lynn have combined talents to create the dynamic trio Jamcrackers, named in honor of the river drivers who broke up log jams. These loggers worked hard to find solutions and to get things rolling on a job that couldn't be done alone. Dan, Dan and Peggy feel the same way about their music. These good friends and accomplished musicians bring a rare blend of humor, history and musical spirit to their performances.
Award-winning educator and songwriter Dan Berggren has deep roots in the Adirondacks. His music, which reflects the spirit and the hard-working people of that region, has traveled around the world from Central Africa to Transylvania. Author and environmental activist Bill McKibben says, "Dan is a throwback to the old role of the folk singer ... he's articulating things that need to be said, right now."
National Hammered Dulcimer Champion Dan Duggan is known from Maine to California for his wizardry on the hammered dulcimer, flat-picking guitar and keyboards. His dulcimer talent is spotlighted on Paul Simon's Grammy-nominated album "You're the One." Dan's original tunes are published in the collection "Coming Home."
Peggy Lynn writes and performs songs about the women and natural beauty of the North Country; and her bluesy alto voice melts every audience. With Sandra Weber, she coauthored "Breaking Trail: Remarkable Women of the Adirondacks." In 2005, Peggy and Dan Berggren received the Adirondack Mountain Club's Education Award.
A Jamcrackers' performance is genuine and contagious. The trio's diverse blend of folk and blues, ballads and gospel and dance tunes sparks a rare chemistry and guarantees a good time.
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 $12
($10 Opera House members)
Victorian Dazzle Festival
For more than 40 years, the Bar-room Buzzards have been entertaining audiences with their unique brand of jazz, Dixieland and ragtime music.
Widely known for their appearances on the PBS-televised Mark Russell comedy specials, the quartet also has performed at jazz festivals throughout the nation including in New Orleans, San Diego, Savannah, GA, Indianapolis and Columbus, OH, and in numerous concert halls and theatres.
Recently inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, the Buzzards are one of western New York's cultural gems. Enjoy their performance as part of Festivals Fredonia's annual Victorian Dazzle Festival.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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! Several regional tellers 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.
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.
