Culturology 7-7: Musicals and opera

by Travis Ryder
 
There are three musical theater presentations in three different corners of the KAXE region this weekend.

Central Lakes College Dryden Theatre hosts performances of the musical "Annie" Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. This is the debut weekend for the show which continues with dates through July.

Paul Bunyan Playhouse has its first week of the show "Lend Me A Tenor" tonight through Sunday, 8 p.m., at the Chief Theater in downtown Bemidji. This show runs next week as well.

And Puccini's comic opera "Gianni Schicchi" comes to the Mesabi East auditorium in Aurora. The performances are Friday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. It's part of the Northern Lights Music Festival happening now on the east end of the Range, which also includes performances of "Peter and the Wolf", Saturday in Aurora and Sunday in Ely, narrated by state Senator David Tomassoni.

Also happening in the region this week:

Friday
Concordia Language Villages present their gathering, called "International Day", at the German Village 11 miles north of Bemidji on County Highway 20. That's from 1 to 5:45 Friday.

MacRostie Art Center hosts a reception for its current artists, furnituremaker Pete Pestalozzi, antler basketmaker Cathryn Peters, and photographer Gayle Streier. The free 5-to-7 p.m. reception is in downtown Grand Rapids.

Saturday
The Hibbing Jubilee includes a new event called "Art on the Avenue" around City Hall starting at 10 a.m. and the big parade Saturday at 3 p.m.

A fundraiser event for a new cable access channel called Upstream TV in Bemidji is happening Saturday night at Brigid's Cross. Interactive games, live music, and a chance to share program ideas are all part of the evening.

The professional vocal ensemble From Age to Age perform twice in the Brainerd Lakes this weekend, with a show Friday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Pequot Lakes and Saturday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Crosby. Both performances start at 7:30. Brainerd High School alumnus Andrew Miller is the group's director.

Sunday
Doug Livingston presents a workshop on photography of native plants at Northland Arboretum in Brainerd from 1 to 3:30 Sunday.

Tuesday
Workshop on Puppet Building and another on Improvisation start July 12 and run Tuesdays and Thursdays with Teresa Linnihan of Brave New Workshop and the New York Puppeteers' Cooperative. Contact us or the MacRostie Art Center for details.

Minnesota History Datebook
162 years ago this week, Bavarian immigrant Anthony Yoerg opens Minnesota's first brewery in St. Paul below what is now the River Center parking ramp, July 6, 1849.

July 4, 1868: Dr. Thomas Foster nicknames Duluth "Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas" during a rousing Independence Day speech at Minnesota Point.

July 5, 1928: The Minnesota National Forest is renamed the Chippewa National Forest.

56 years of riding the rails in Duluth's streets began and ended this first week of July:
July 6, 1883: Mule cars on rails begin carrying passengers on Superior Street in Duluth.
July 8, 1939: The final day of operation for Duluth's streetcars, which are replaced by rubber-tired electric trolley buses.