Roanoke Arts Festival Schedule
August 23rd, 2007 by Biz2Biz
Press Release
ROANOKE ARTS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE RELEASED
JUDY COLLINS, RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO, LITTLE FEAT
AMONG PERFORMERS FOR OCT. 4-7 EVENT
‘A Movable Feast’ of performing and visual arts planned
ROANOKE, Va., (August 15, 2007) – The arts are taking over Roanoke!
The city nestled in southwest Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains is hosting the first Roanoke Arts Festival Oct. 4-7. The four-day extravaganza will feature a “moveable feast” of performing and visual arts appealing to a wide range of regional audiences and visitors alike.
“Roanoke is a beautiful place to visit, especially in the fall,” said Mayor Nelson Harris. “This October, the city will be transformed into the arts capital of Virginia with riveting performances, dazzling art – and a whole lot of fun.”
The Roanoke Arts Festival schedule, released today, will feature more than 20 performances, events and exhibitions at multiple venues across the city. From world-renowned performers such as Judy Collins to jazz legend Ramsey Lewis and rock ‘n’ roll mainstays Little Feat, and from opera, theater and ballet to “ephemeral art” and photography exhibitions, the Festival will celebrate the world of arts and culture in Roanoke’s historic setting.
Tickets are now on sale. For ticket information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.RoanokeArtsFest.org.
The Festival opens Oct. 4 with a performance by the Ramsey Lewis Trio and a production of "Hank Williams: Lost Highway" at Mill Mountain Theatre. It picks up momentum Oct. 5 with concerts by Collins and the Audubon Quartet; poetry and fiction readings from Hollins University students, faculty and alumni; and the one-man play "The Neon Man and Me," by Richmond's Slash Coleman about his friend and Roanoke's late sign-making wizard, Mark Jamison.
The Festival’s third day features the classical James Piano Quartet, the Southwest Virginia Ballet and an Americana-themed "Great American Concert" by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Opera Roanoke. A highlight will be maestro David Wiley performing George Gershwin's classic "Rhapsody in Blue," while conducting the orchestra from the piano.
The Festival’s final day, Oct. 7, is capped with a performance by Little Feat, a third performance of “Paper Cup Ocean,” an original full-length play at Mill Mountain Theatre's Waldron Stage written by Hollins alumna Rachel Nelson and directed by Ernie Zulia, a viewing of the Silent Film classic “The General” with Buster Keaton, and an original production by the Roanoke Ballet Theatre.
Throughout the Festival, there will be ongoing shows at four area museums, including the O. Winston Link Museum presenting “Civil War Photographs from the David L. Hack Collection” from the Chrysler Museum of Art, featuring rare and seldom-seen photographs made from the original glass-plate negatives, and the Science Museum of Western Virginia’s colorful and original “In the Glow: The Science Behind the Art of Neon.”
“For our first year, we are delighted to feature so much variety and quality in the performing and visual arts,” Harris said. “With Roanoke’s spectacular setting, friendly people and year-round appreciation of the arts, we look forward to welcoming arts fans from throughout Virginia and the region.”
FOR TICKET INFORMATION AND COMPLETE SCHEDULE
See complete News Release including sponsorship details
Contact:
Thomas Becher, APR
tba: Thomas Becher Agency, Inc.
540-772-4404
tbecher@tbtheagency.com