Music concerts, a film premiere and lectures highlight Fanfare's final two weeks
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
by: Tonya Lowentritt
LET IT BE – Southeastern Louisiana University dance student Lindsy Brown of Slidell will perform
in Martie Fellom's piece, "Cross Words," as part of the dance concert "Let It Be"
on Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Southeastern's Vonnie Borden Theatre.
HALLOWEEN LECTURE – Southeastern Louisiana University History and Political Science Department Head
William Robison will present the final Then and Now Lecture on Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. in
Pottle Auditorium. Robison will present "My Kingdom for a Hearse! The Life, Death,
and Abandoned Bones of Richard III."
HAMMOND – A film premiere, two music concerts and a trio of lectures highlight the fourth week of Fanfare, Southeastern Louisiana University's annual October-long arts festival.
Fanfare's fourth week begins on Monday, Oct. 21, with the Then and Now Lecture Series film premiere of "McCrea 1971: Louisiana's Forgotten Rock Festival" scheduled at 7 p.m. in the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts.
In June 1971, over 60,000 fans from across the United States flocked to the small crossroads of McCrea, La., for the Celebration of Life music festival. Local uproar, an expensive legal battle, and disruptive summer weather wreaked havoc on the eight-day lineup, which originally included the likes of Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, and the Amboy Dukes. Shortages of food, water and medical facilities contributed to the misery.
The film, by Southeastern history graduate students Nicholas Brilleaux and Scott Caro, uses long-lost footage and interviews with musicians and attendees to present the story of Louisiana's forgotten rock festival.
A Then and Now lecture by Southeastern English faculty member Tasha Whitton is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23. Whitton will present "Austen, Bronte, Shakespeare, and Meyer (Oh my!): 'Twilight' in the Literary Tradition" at Pottle Music Building Auditorium at 1 p.m. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of English.
Whitton will discuss why we read and how we respond to contemporary literature, as well as why some writers are accepted into a canon of academic work while others are not.
"The young adult genre has exploded in the last decade with series including 'Harry Potter,' 'Twilight,' and 'The Hunger Games,'" Whitton said. "But, as some series have found their way into the classroom, others have found themselves the subject of ridicule. Come hear why Meyer deserves a second look and how bullying has always been part of canon formation."
Also during Fanfare's final two weeks:
▪ The Dance Performance Project will present "Let It Be" at 7:30 p.m. in Vonnie Borden Theatre. Four Southeastern dance faculty members will put their creative and choreographic spin on the timeless classic, "Let It Be." General admission tickets are $5.
▪ Multimedia performance artist and Southeastern alumnae Caesandra Seawell will present a lecture at the Contemporary Art Gallery on Thursday, Oct. 24, at noon.
▪ The Southeastern Wind Symphony will present a concert on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond. "POTUS: Music of the Presidency" is a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. General admission tickets are $10 and are available at the Columbia Theatre, 985-543-4371. Southeastern students are admitted free with their student I.D. card.
▪ On Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. the Columbia Theatre will present "Smokey Joe's Café" as part of its Direct from Broadway Cinema Series. Smokey Joe's Café, a big hit with audiences and critics alike, was the winner of a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and the recipient of seven Tony nominations. Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for seniors and students and are available at the Columbia Theatre box office at 220 East Thomas Street or at 985-543-4371.
▪ The final Then and Now Lecture on Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. in Pottle Auditorium features History and Political Science Department Head William Robison, discussing "My Kingdom for a Hearse! The Life, Death, and Abandoned Bones of Richard III." The more-or-less annual Halloween lecture returns with Robison discussing the amazing discovery in a Leicestershire parking lot of the body of Richard III, the English king who became William Shakespeare's greatest literary villain and the subject of a modern controversy about whether he murdered his royal nephews in the Tower of London or was merely the victim of Tudor propaganda. Film clips will be shown, and candy will be thrown at the free lecture.
▪ Also on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m., the Southeastern Chamber Orchestra will present its Spooktacular 3 concert at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. General admission tickets are $10; faculty, staff, seniors are $5, and patrons under 18 and college students are admitted free with I.D.
▪ On Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m., Columbia Cinema returns with a showing of "The Pact" in the downtown Hammond theater. The Pact mixes genre elements to breathe new life into the classic haunted house genre. With an assured hand, director Nicholas McCarthy tactfully cranks up the tension and carefully peels away each twist to build toward a blood-tingling finale. The film is rated PG-13, and general admission tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students.
Fanfare tickets are on sale at the Columbia/Fanfare box office, 220 E. Thomas Street, 985-543-4371. Some tickets may be purchased online at columbiatheatre.org. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and one hour prior to Columbia performances. For a complete schedule, contact the Columbia/Fanfare office at 985-543-4366 or visit columbiatheatre.org.
