It' s another exciting week at the Summer Arts Festival, leading up to -- and going past the 12th Annual Huntington Folk Festival on Saturday the 29th. Here is the schedule:
The Tuesday Night Family Series continues on Tuesday, July 25 with "Cinderella" - Broadhollow Theatre Company - The timeless, "rags to riches" fairy tale in an adaptation that will charm its way into your heart and remind audiences that dreams really can come true. Poor Cinderella is endlessly mistreated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and denied a chance to go to the royal ball. With a little help from her mice friends - and a lot of help from her Fairy Godmother - Cinderella's dreams come true. She goes to the ball, meets the Prince and falls in love!
*Come early for our fun, easy and free craft for children at 6:30p.m. every Tuesday night before the Family Night Series performance begins.
Wednesday, July 26 - Huntington Community Band - Pre-concert @ 7:30 -Tonight's HCB concert theme is: "SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST!" featuring an exciting evening of much anticipated music with the annual performance of Tchaikovsky's immortal "1812 Overture" accompanied by LIVE cannon (Jim McAward, HCB Cannoneer). Robin DeSantis (NYSSMA 3rd Vice President) joins us as our guest conductor. A "very" special young person will also make their debut tonight conducting the HCB so, bring the kids and enter to win a chance to conduct the HCB! Bring folding chairs or large blankets. *A special PRE-CONCERT of musical entertainment begins at 7:30PM!
Thursday, July 27 - World Music/Classical Crossover - Brasil Guitar Duo (João Luiz and Douglas Lora) - 2006 winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Brasil Guitar Duo is equally at home on a classical or a world-music series. The duo actively strives to expand the repertoire for two guitars, with Lora contributing works of his own and Luiz arranging both classical and Brazilian music. Appearing frequently in diverse non-traditional spaces, the Duo brings a broad repertoire of classical guitar duos (Bach, Sor, Scarlatti, Debussy, etc.) combined with such traditional Brazilian dance forms as choro, samba, maxixe, and baião.
* The Northport Community Band will be performing at 8:30pm at the Robert W. Krueger Bandstand in Northport Village Park at the foot of Main Street, Northport. Listeners can sit on blankets or lawn chairs in front of the bandstand, or even enjoy the music from their boats. The band's musicians are volunteers from all walks of life and include local students, teachers and professional musicians.*
Friday, July 28 - L.I. Spotlight - Miles to Dayton - Based in Pt. Jefferson Station, M2D's music happens at a personal level, their message of love blending elements of folk, rock, classical, and funk into an irresistible invitation. The M2D recipe is simple: four-part vocal harmony, clever songwriting, improvisational violin and cello, and an infectious rhythm section that stirs up the creative stew. At the heart of their unique marriage of styles lies a real-life marriage: vocalist Krista Preddice shares the microphone with husband Jonathan Preddice, principal songwriter who also shines on guitar, cello, accordion, and trumpet. Bassist Dave March (Krista's brother) and dynamic violinists Leanne Strom and Alisa Rabbitt (Jon's sister) add depth to the vocal harmonies; drummer Brian Kroll, propels the music forward with an exciting and funky edge.
Saturday, July 29 - 12th Huntington Folk Festival (co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Huntington Arts Council) Prior to the evening concert, Michael Kornfeld, who is president of both FMSH and NERFA and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, and Joe Pszonek, who created and hosts shows on Radio Nowhere Internet Radio, will host unplugged showcases and song swaps from 1-6 p.m. These will take place near canopy tents on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage and will feature some three-dozen artists/acts from New York and several other states. The day's musical festivities begin with an open mic at noon. For details go to FMSH.org
- GENERATIONS is the theme for the 12th Huntington Folk Festival, and Sarah Lee Guthrie's lineage is undeniable (Arlo's daughter, Woody's grandaughter). But close your eyes and forget that her last name is synonymous with the widening current of American folk music, you'd still be drawn to the clarity and soul behind her voice. There is a gentle urgency to her interpretations of the songs she sings and the classic music of her heritage. It flows from the continuity of her family, her vital artistic life today and the river of songs that have guided her to where she now stands.
The Mammals (feat. Mike & Ruthy) - In 2016 Hudson Valley based songwriters Mike Merenda and Ruthy Ungar (aka Mike + Ruthy) enjoyed a high-water mark year buoyed by critical acclaim for their June release, Bright As You Can (Thirty Tigers) and a commitment to touring once again as a crack five-piece ensemble - reintroducing a high-energy folk rock sound that they helped define in the early 2000's as "Trad is Rad" trailblazers. Mike + Ruthy are "musicians' musicians" who have found fans and friends in the Americana world and beyond. He's a songwriting guitar-slinger with a knack for clawhammer banjo. She's a fiddler and uke-chanteuse who grew up in the American roots underground (the daughter of GRAMMY-winning fiddler and composer Jay Ungar).
Opening at 8 pm is a special on-stage song swap-NERFA Presents Young Folk: Alice Howe and Mike Teesco
These are the afternoon schedules for the AcousticMusicScene.com and Radio Nowhere tents on the hill overlooking the Chapin Rainbow Stage:
AcousticMusicScene.com (Host: Michael Kornfeld)
12:00 Open Mic
1:00 Opening Round: Jeremy Aaron, Chris J. Connolly, Hank Stone
1:30 NOOM: Ray Lambiase, Lori Llyn, Toby Tobias
2:00 Hudson Valley Voices: Susan Kane, Judy Kass
2:30 I'm From New Jersey: Mara Levine, Katherine Rondeau, John Sonntag
3:00 Folk from Upstate New York: Bill Buttner, Gina Holsopple, Colleen Kattau
3:30 Hard Luck Café @ 25: Marci Geller, Josh Joffen, Steven Pelland
4:00 Huntington's Own: Annie Mark, Lois Morton
4:30 2017 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artists: Clint Alphin, Emily Mure, Christine Sweeney
5:00 2017 Kerrville New Folk Finalists: Emily Barnes, Catherine Miles and Jay Mafale (The YaYas), The Whispering Tree
5:30 Bluegrass & Roots: Greg Cornell & The Cornell Brothers, He-Bird, She-Bird
Joltin Joe's Radio Nowhere Streaming @ Radionowhere903.com
(Host: Joe Pszonek)
1:00 Rorie Kelly
1:15 Emily Barnes
1:30 Tom Staudle
1:45 Cosby Gibson
2:00 Alexis Van Aulock
2:15 Folkapotamus
2:30 Karen Dahlstrom
2:45 Nico Padden
3:00 He-Bird, She-Bird
3:15 Christine Sweeney
3:30 Katherine Rondeau
3:45 Judy Kass
4:00 Susan Kane
4:15 John Sonntag
4:30 Bill Buttner
4:45 Sweet Little Bloodhound
5:00 Mara Levine
5:15 Stuart Marcus
5:30 Alice Howe
5:45 Marci Geller
Sunday, July 30-Folk-Rock Harmonies THE SWEET REMAINS
(Rich Price, Greg Naughton and Brian Chartrandis) is an unusual band on today's music scene, headed by 3-gifted and charismatic singer-songwriters, each of whom contribute to the writing and 3-part harmonies that define the band's sound. Driven by strong lyrical and melodic writing, their songs easily appeal to fans of modern folk-rockers like Jason Mraz, Ray Lamontagne, and John Mayer. However, it is their lush harmonies that distinguish The Sweet Remains from the throngs of guitar-toting troubadours and harken back to super-groups of the 60's and 70's like CSN, the Eagles, and Simon & Garfunkel.
All performances during the Summer Arts Festival are free and held at the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park, Huntington. The festival runs from June 27th through August 13th. All performances begin at 8:30 p.m. unless it is a Tuesday evening because the "Family Series" events begin at 7:30 p.m. The Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Canon U.S.A. is a presenting sponsor. Additional support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts and the County of Suffolk. For more information and to download a full calendar of the Festival performances go to www.huntingtonarts.org or call 631-271-8423.