MUSIC Forum at canaaninstitute.org

[Mike_L]

An evening with HOT TUNA Acoustic at Ithaca's State Theatre - Dec. 2 - ON SALE FRIDAY 5/8 at 10 AM

A Musical Odyssey - 50 years strong arrives in Ithaca! Hot Tuna will play the State Theatre after far too long an absence this December 2nd at 8PM.

The band, consisting of former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady have recently celebrated half a century of playing together. Don’t miss this special ACOUSTIC engagement in Ithaca this December.

Tickets will be $28.00 (plus facility restoration fee) and will go on sale Friday, May 8th at 10AM at the State Theatre Box Office without service charge. Tickets will also be available online at stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272. A limited amount of gold circle seating will be available by calling the State box office at 607.277.8283. This is also the number for information or directions.

For more information about the show and media, videos, etc. visit dansmallspresents.com.


ABOUT HOT TUNA, JORMA and JACK... (from their website)

From their days playing together as teenagers to their current acoustic and electric blues, probably no one has more consistently led American music for the last 50 years — yes! — than Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, the founders and continuing core members of Hot Tuna.

The pair began playing together while growing up in the Washington D.C. area, where Jack’s father was a dentist and Jorma’s father a State Department official. Four years younger, Jack continued in junior high, then high school — while playing professional gigs as lead guitarist at night before he was old enough to drive — while Jorma (who had played rhythm guitar to Jack’s lead) started college in Ohio, accompanied his family overseas, then returned to college, this time in California.

Along the way, Jorma became enamored of, then committed to, the finger-picking guitar style exemplified by the now-legendary Rev. Gary Davis. Jack, meanwhile, had taken an interest in the electric bass, at the time a controversial instrument in blues, jazz, and folk circles.

In the mid 1960s, Jorma was asked to audition to play guitar for a new band that was forming in San Francisco. Though an acoustic player at heart, he grew interested in the electronic gadgetry that was beginning to make an appearance in the popular music scene — particularly in a primitive processor brought to the audition by a fellow named Ken Kesey — and decided to join that band; soon thereafter he summoned his young friend from Washington, who now played the bass.
Thus was created the unique (then and now) sound that was The Jefferson Airplane. Jorma even contributed the band’s name, drawn from a nickname a friend had for the blues-playing Jorma. Jack’s experience as a lead guitarist led to a style of bass playing which took the instrument far beyond its traditional role.

While in The Jefferson Airplane, putting together the soundtrack of the 60s, the pair remained loyal to the blues, jazz, bluegrass, and folk influences of the small clubs and larger venues they had learned from years before. While in San Francisco and even in hotel rooms on the road, they would play together and worked up a set of songs that they would often play at clubs in the Bay Area and while on the road, often after having played a set with the Airplane.


This led to a record contract; in fact, they had an album recorded before they decided to name their band Hot Tuna. With it they launched on an odyssey which has itself continued for more than 35 years, always finding new and interesting turns in its path forward.

The first thing an early Hot Tuna fans discovered at their concerts of the early 1970s was that the band was growing louder and louder. In an era in which volume often overtrumped musicianship, Hot Tuna provided both. The second thing a fan would discover was that Jack and Jorma really loved to play. “Look around for another band that plays uninterrupted three- to six-hour sets,” wrote reviewer Jerry Moore. What Moore could not have known was that had there been no audience at all, they would have played just as long and just as well, so devoted were they to making music. Of course, the audience wasn’t superfluous by any means; it energized and continues to energize their performances.


Album followed album — more than two dozen in all, not counting solo efforts, side projects, and appearances on the albums of other bands and performers — and they continued to develop their interests and styles, both together and in individual pursuits. In an era in which old bands reunite for one last tour, Hot Tuna can’t because Hot Tuna never broke up.

Along the way, they have been joined by a succession of talented musicians: Drummers, harmonica players, keyboardists, backup singers, violinists, mandolinists, and more, all fitting in to Jorma and Jack’s current place in the musical spectrum. And along the way there was no list of outstanding guitarists that didn’t include Jorma, nor was there anyone who seriously thought there is a better bass player than Jack.

After two decades of acoustic and electric concerts and albums, the 1990s brought a new focus on acoustic music to Hot Tuna. More intimate venues with a more individual connection to the audience became increasingly frequent stops. Soon, the loud electric sound (and the semi trailer load of equipment) disappeared entirely from Hot Tuna tours. Maturity brought the desire to do things not instead of but in addition to being a touring band. Both had become interested in teaching, passing along what they had learned and what they had uniquely developed to a new generation of players.


In 1998 Jorma and his wife Vanessa opened Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp, in the beautiful rolling Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio.

Here, on a sprawling and rustic yet modern campus, musicians and would-be musicians come for intensive and enjoyable workshops taught by Jorma, Jack, and other extraordinary players, learning things that range from different styles of playing to songwriting and even storytelling (the musician in performance has to say something while changing that broken string!), to making a song one’s own.
In addition, there is now BreakDownWay.com, a unique interactive teaching site that comes closest of anything yet to make individual instruction available to students anywhere there is a computer and an Internet connection.

But the teaching doesn’t replace Hot Tuna’s busy tour schedule; it’s in addition to the tours. Nor have they lighened up their individual schedules. Jack released his first solo CD, Dream Factor, on Eagle Records in 2003. He has a busy and elaborate website at jackcasady.com. Jorma has a website, too, and achieved enormous critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for his 2003 solo album, Blue Country Heart. (Both are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame due to their pioneering work in The Jefferson Airplane.) As 2006 began, they launched another exciting website, Hot Tuna Tunes, where fans may inexpensively download professionally made recordings of full Hot Tuna concerts in both MP3 and lossless encodings, suitable for portable player and home-burned CDs respectively. Hot Tuna Tunes is added to all the time, so it’s almost as if Hot Tuna were releasing numerous live concert albums every year. Collect the entire set!

For the last few years, Jorma and Jack have been joined in most of their Hot Tuna performances by the mandolin virtuoso Barry Mitterhoff. A veteran of bluegrass, Celtic, folk, and rock-influenced bands including “Tony Trischka and Skyline” and “Bottle Hill,” Barry has found a new voice in working with Hot Tuna, and the fit has been good — watching them play, it’s as if he’s been there from the beginning and they’re all having the time of their lives.
Beginning in 2004, Hot Tuna returned to some of its own roots by adding an electric set to their acoustic one. For the electric sets, they are joined by Erik Diaz, a sharp young second-generation drummer with the energy, talent, and skill to match anything that Jack and Jorma — once famous for working drummers nearly to death — throw at him.

While the days of the six-hour uninterrupted sets are long over, Erik does much to help rekindle the feeling that permeated the legendary Hot Tuna concerts of decades ago. It is in the electric sets, too, that Barry brings out a wide array of electric mandolins and similar instruments that most people have probably never seen or heard before. It’s all a real treat.

Jorma and Jack certainly could not have imagined, let alone predicted, where playing would take them. It’s been a long and fascinating road to numerous exciting destinations. Two things have never changed: They still love to play as much as they did as kids in Washington D.C., and there are still many, many exciting miles yet to travel on their musical odyssey.

dan

p: 607.280.2900
m: 607.280.2902
w: dansmallspresents.com
a: p.o. box 736 ithaca, ny 14851-0736
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

RAH RAH RAH RA RA RIOT - September 9th at Castaways - on sale this SAT. May 9 at 9AM

Fresh off a tour with Death Cab for Cutie, local indie band Ra Ra Riot will return triumphantly to Ithaca onSeptember 9th at Castaways to kick off DSP’s fall club calendar. The band hails from nearby Syracuse, NY and have garnered a ton of praise for their Barsuk debut The Rhumb Line. Advance tickets will be $15.00 and go on sale via the dansmallspresents.com site on Saturday the 9th of May at 9AM. For more information call 607.280.2900.


MORE ON RA RA RIOT

It’s not often you stumble across a danceable indie rock band with a cello and violin. Even if you do, chances are the music won’t be half as good as Ra Ra Riot.

Formed in 2006 as an energetic chamber pop sextet, Ra Ra Riot quickly caught the attention of national media and secured recognition with a self titled EP. 



With their latest release, Ra Ra Riot join label mates Death Cab For Cutie and Rilo Kiley on Barsuk Records. “The Rhumb Line,” released in August 2008, is a mature debut full length and sophisticated effort from this talented group, bringing to life an intense realism in a characteristically positive light. Fresh off a European tour with Los Campesinos! and Vampire Weekend, Ra Ra Riot is getting hotter by the minute and promises only greater things to come.

Their songs range from upbeat, catchy, Converse-tapping tunes to thoughtful, haunting melodies. The music is well-orchestrated and layered with lingering melodies weaving warm earmuffs you’ll never want to remove.



But as their music might tell you, it hasn’t been all major keys for this Syracuse sextet. The group has endured a couple of heartbreaks, including the devastating loss of founding member and creative force, drummer John Ryan Pike in 2007, and the theft of years worth of creativity in the form of notebooks, journals, computers and demos last year in Montreal.




But on they went, using music as a healing tool. Their tenacity has paid off in a big way. Their energetic live performance, which earned them a reputation and buzz at last year’s SXSW festival, only seals the deal.

 In short, it’s tough not to like this band. I’ve never listened to “a frothing cauldron of gruel,” but according to the band’s Myspace page, that’s exactly what they sound like. Somebody get me a cauldron. NICHOLAS GRIZZLE


dan
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

State Theatre of Ithaca Welcomes Doug Levine as Executive Director

State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc.(STI) and Dan Smalls Presents, Inc. (DSP) announced this week that Doug Levine has been hired as Executive Director of the State Theatre. He will manage day-to-day operations and development for the theatre beginning August 17.

Levine spent the past five years at The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Membership, Public Relations and Special Events. Levine received his MBA from Ithaca College in 2004. An active member of the community, Levine manages the local rock band Hubcap and serves on the boards of 93.5 WVBR FM and the Ithaca Adult Hockey Association. He is also active in local fundraising initiatives, having produced five annual benefit concerts for The Cayuga Waterfront Trail that have raised more than $20,000 since 2004. He is a native of Philadelphia and lives in Ellis Hollow with his wife Treva and 2 young children. Together, they run the “Music in the Hollow” concert series, which brings free live music to the Ellis Hollow community throughout the summer.

Mack Travis, Chair of the Board of Directors of STI, states, “Doug’s passion for The State Theatre and knowledge of the local business community made him the perfect candidate for this position. Doug’s background and skills are an ideal fit. The board and staff are delighted to have Doug join our organization.”

Levine will manage day-to-day theatre operations with a strong focus on development and oversight of STI staff. He will be guided and supervised by the theater’s contracted management company, DSP, and current Executive Producer, Dan Smalls. Smalls and DSP will continue to book, promote and produce all shows at the State as the theatre’s exclusive talent buyer.

“This position and the partnership with DSP allows for continued growth and the ability to make a smooth transition into the new operational model. Having Dan on board as a mentor will be a huge benefit. He has a proven record booking successful shows in this theatre and he’ll continue to handle those duties,” Levine said. He continued, “I look forward to the wonderful opportunities that lie ahead and the challenges that come with such an endeavor. It’s been wonderful watching the theater’s rebirth over the past few seasons. Now I am happy to become a part of that process.”

“He’s the perfect candidate,” Smalls said. “We’ll be an incredible team… with Doug being the face of the building and me as the face of the events… we’ll finally cover all the necessary bases and keep the State’s recent resurgence moving steadily forward. Our model is already performing better than 90% of the theaters nationwide. Together we can continue to close the income gap.” Theatres like the State generally operate on a 50/50 earned to unearned income model. That means revenue from tickets and sponsorships only cover half the normal operational costs of most venues. The State is already operating at a 70/30 ratio placing it in the top 10 percent nationwide. That said, community support will continue to be a vital component for keeping the State successful.

Levine concludes, “It is with a little sadness that I leave my position at The Chamber. I started as an intern during the summer of 2003 and have been in my current position for the past five years. My experience at the Chamber has been fantastic. Besides getting to really know the local business community, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some fabulous people, most notably, Chamber President, Jean McPheeters. Besides being a wonderful boss, Jean is the best mentor anyone could imagine and I am sure that much of the knowledge I learned from her will be carried over to my new role at The State.”

State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. took over from Historic Ithaca as owner and steward of the 80-year-old theatre on December 15 and concluded a highly successful spring season last month. The re-tooled operational model is a hybrid between a pure “presenting house” where the theatre assumes risk on all shows, and a pure “rental house” where shows are presented by outside promoters. The 2009/2010 State Theatre subscription season will be announced Thursday and Friday with additional events are added as they are booked. Find out more at www.stateofithaca.com.


for more information:
dan smalls

p: 607.280.2900
m: 607.280.2902
w: dansmallspresents.com
a: p.o. box 736 ithaca, ny 14851-0736
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

State Theatre announces 2009-2010 Subscription Season



State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. and Dan Smalls Presents, Inc. today announced the 2009-2010 Subscription Season at the State Theatre in Ithaca. The subscription season consists of all the shows available for package discounts and contained in the State 0910 brochure to be mailed to local residents and available at the State Box Office beginning later in June. The State will offer three subscription series this season as well as the option to build your own. This announcement also includes the first Headline shows to be announced by the State's exclusive talent buyer, Dan Smalls Presents, Inc. for the coming season. The State Web Site will go live with these events later today. Subscription sales begin on July 10th and Single Tickets to events go on sale July 31st. Patrons can be the first to purchase tickets to the Headliners shows in addition to their subscription purchases.



This season, The State will present five shows in the Tompkins Trust Company Family Series. These include:

The Queen of the family music scene – LAURIE BERKNER on 9/26 at 11am

Indie Family music all-star JUSTIN ROBERTS together with Family Reading Partnership’s Read Along Songs on 10/3 at 3pm

The Classic children’s story STREGA NONA brought to life on February 14th at 3pm

The return of GALUMPHA for Chili-cookoff weekend on February 20th at 3pm

Cleveland Signstage’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY for both hearing and deaf audiences on May 1st at 3pm



The Gateway Commons Classics Series will include:

The legendary GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA on Veterans Weekend, November 7th at 8pm

The divine holiday show from SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK on December 4 at 8pm

And the timely THREE IRISH TENORS on March 7th at 8pm



The State Theatre Comedy Series will include:

Outback Concerts RODNEY CARRINGTON on September 30 at 7:30pm

The annual appearance of SECOND CITY on October 2nd at 8pm

The much requested return of BRIAN REGAN on November 8th at 8pm

He’s Just Not That Into You writer and coedian GREG BEHRENDT on February 13th at 8pm

And the hilarious REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY presenting the Complete Works of William Shakespeare abridged on April 15th at 8pm



Dan Smalls Presents has announced its first shows of the season including:

Railroad Earth on September 10th at 8pm

They Might Be Giants on October 1st at 8pm

Built To Spill on October 8th at 8pm

Lyle Lovett and his Large Band on November 11th at 8pm

Dark Star Orchestra on November 18th at 8pm

An evening with Hot Tuna Acoustic on December 2nd at 8pm

As always there will be plenty more announced as they are booked.



The Ithaca Ballet will present four shows… The Story of Babar in October, The Nutcracker in December, Winter Contemporary Rep in February and the premiere of Giselle in April.

Beatlemania Now returns of October 10th.

Church Basement Ladies arrive on February 9th.

Light in Winter returns January 22 and 23.

And so many more to be announced as the summer and season progresses.



State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. took over from Historic Ithaca as owner and steward of the 80-year-old theatre on December 15 and concluded a highly successful spring season last month. The re-tooled operational model is a hybrid between a pure “presenting house” where the theatre assumes risk on all shows, and a pure “rental house” where shows are presented by outside promoters. The new model is based on a format that removes a substantial portion of risk from the theatre yet continues to provide diverse and wide-ranging programming for the residents of the Finger Lakes region. Find out more at www.stateofithaca.com.
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Just a note - the Lyle Lovett show date is TBA but confirmed. Sorry for the mistake in the previous email...

dan
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. To Celebrate 1 Year Anniversary

Ribbon Cutting: Wednesday, February 10th at 3:30 PM
107 West State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850

(Ithaca, NY) The State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. will celebrate its one year anniversary under new management with a ribbon-cutting celebration under the recently restored marquee on Wednesday, February 10th at 3:30 PM. Located at 107 West State Street, in the heart of downtown Ithaca, The State Theatre is the crown jewel of Tompkins County’s arts community, attracting close to 50,000 patrons each year. The ribbon-cutting event will be followed by a private function to thank the theatre’s many friends and supporters who have helped make year one such a success.

Just one year ago, The State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc., a newly formed 501c3 not-for-profit organization, purchased the State Theatre from Historic Ithaca. This allowed Historic Ithaca to return to its core mission of promoting architectural preservation programs and services in the Ithaca community. Over the past twelve months, many significant changes have been made at The State Theatre. A new board of directors has been formed and a new Executive Director has been hired. An innovative and sustainable business plan has been adopted to ensure a healthy future for this community treasure. This re-tooled business model is a hybrid between a pure “presenting house” where the theatre assumes risk on all shows, and a pure “rental house” where all shows are presented by outside promoters. Using the hybrid presenting/rental house model, The State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. is focused on taking less risk which will result in more stable operations.

Many physical improvements have been made to the building as well. The ceiling under the marquee has been repaired, re-plastered and repainted and the entire front façade of the theatre has received a major facelift as well. This past January, major upgrades were completed to the stage and fly-gallery. A $92,000 rigging project added 13 counterweight line sets to the existing system allowing greater programming options and a more professional production space.

The State Theatre of Ithaca is off to an unprecedented start for the 2009-10 season. Two upcoming February performances (John Prine on Feb 17th and The Avett Brothers on Feb. 26th) have each sold out weeks in advance. The State Theatre currently outperforms most theatres in the country by covering 78% of its operating budget from ticket sales versus the normal 50%. Most theatres have to rely on 50% of their operating revenue to come from donations and grants. The State already performs better than 95% of theatres in the United States.


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_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

STATE THEATRE 2010-2011 FIRST SNEAK PEAK

DSP is proud to announce its first two shows of the fall 2010 season at the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY including a double dip in the region...

JOHN HIATT SEPTEMBER 23rd at 8PM ON SALE 5/7 at 10AM
John Hiatt began his solo career in 1974 and over the next decade ran through a number of different styles from rock 'n' roll to new wave pop before he finally settled on a rootsy fusion of rock 'n' roll, country, blues and folk. Several of his songs have become hits for other artists, including Bonnie Raitt's "Thing Called Love." He'll return to the State Theatre in Ithaca on Thursday, September 23rd at 8pm. Tickets will cost $29.50 and will go on sale Friday, May 7th at 10AM. A limited amount of gold circle seating is also available. Call or visit the box office or website for more information. Tickets are available at the State Theatre Box Office, 105 West State Street in Ithaca, WITHOUT SERVICE CHARGES. Tickets are also available online at stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272. He most recently played the State in a songwriter's night with Lyle Lovett several years ago. This is the return we've been constantly asked for...
Full information at: http://www.dansmallspresents.com/


ARLO GUTHRIE and THE BURNS SISTERS - 2 BIG SHOWS
You can get anything you want... and after three years, the legend returns with special guests in tow. ARLO GUTHRIE rides back into central NY for two big shows this fall - November 6th at the State Theatre in Ithaca and November 7th at the beautiful Harro East Ballroom in Rochester. Two chances to partake of the Thanksgiving massacree and the bonus of support act and collaborator, The Burns Sisters, who will be on the whole "JOURNEY ON" tour with Arlo...

STATE THEATRE November 6th - 8PM - ON SALE 5/7 at 10AM

Tickets will cost $36.50 and $29.50 and are available without service charge at the State Theatre Box Office located at 105 West State Street in Ithaca. Tickets are also available online at stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272. A limited amount of Gold Circle Seating will be available. Call the box office for more information at 607.277.8283.

HARRO EAST BALLROOM November 7th - 8PM - ON SALE 5/7 at 10AM

Tickets will cost $45.00 in advance for this intimate performance. This will be a seated show, first come, first served. Space is extremely limited so buy now... Tickets are available in person at the State Theatre Box Office in Ithaca, Abilene Bar and Grill (153 Liberty Pole Way) in Rochester and The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St.) in Rochester. Ticket are also available online via this link or by calling 800.919.6272. For more information call 607.280.2900.

Full information at: http://www.dansmallspresents.com/

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_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD SET FOR STATE THEATRE IN ITHACA ON NOVEMBER 3RD

Michael Franti & Spearhead are set to appear at the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY on November 3RD. The date is one of many on Franti & Spearhead’s “The Sound of Sunshine Tour” across North America in support of Franti’s upcoming album, THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE, to be released September 21st through Capitol Records/Boo Boo Wax. The album’s title track and first single, “The Sound of Sunshine”, just hit #1 on the AAA chart. Tickets will go on sale FRIDAY, JULY 30th at 10AM. Tickets will cost $29.50 and be available without service charges at the State Theatre Box Office located at 105 West State Street in Ithaca. Tickets are also available online at stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272 and to check out a video of Michael announcing the tour, head to www.michaelfranti.com. For more information you may contact dan smalls presents at 607.280.2900. For directions to the venue call 607.27STATE.

"I’m so excited to be hitting the road again this fall and sharing our new music live with our fans. To play music that makes people feel energized and passionate about life in these stressful times, is a privilege that I'm grateful to have. We've been doing a lot of acoustic street performances these days outside the venues we've been playing in and I look forward to seeing longtime fans again and meeting new ones in every city we play in," says Michael.

Throughout his career, Franti has earned and maintained a reputation as one of the best live acts in the business. Playing music off of the new album, Franti & Spearhead are sure to deliver an electrically charged, and ultimately unforgettable, musical experience for fans.

THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE is Michael Franti & Spearhead’s seventh studio album and the follow-up to 2008’s Top 40 hit All Rebel Rockers. The album’s title track, “The Sound of Sunshine,” is currently #1 on the AAA chart and is one of AAA’s fastest moving singles. The single has also begun impacting the Hot AC charts.

Michael Franti is the creator and lead singer of Michael Franti & Spearhead. For over two decades, the Bay Area born Franti has been bringing our world exceptionally powerful, deeply felt music. Franti first formed the punk band The Beatnigs while studying at the University of San Francisco, and later the far more hip hop-inflected The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. In the mid-Nineties, Franti created Spearhead,

and increasingly in recent years, he’s found his own voice musically and his own

organic brand of popular success. Franti’s impressive series of recordings have vividly reflected his status as a musical citizen of the world.

For further ticket information, official Michael Franti news and to check out the latest v-blogs on FrantiV, go to www.michaelfranti.com.
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

MARSHALL TUCKER BAND SHOW RESCHEDULED TO 12/2/10 at the State Theatre



Due to unforeseeable circumstances, this Friday's planned Marshall Tucker Band concert at the State Theatre has been rescheduled to December 2nd, 2010. All previous tickets will be honored - there is no need to exchange them. The State Theatre box office will be calling all ticket buyers to inform them of the change. Tickets will remain on sale for the rescheduled date.
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Donna the Buffalo, Railroad Earth AND Sim Redmond Band play The State Theater's Halloween Bash 10/31
Donna The Buffalo
State Theater
With Railroad Earth
AND The Sim Redmond Band
Sunday, October 31st, 2010

$26.50
doors 8, show 10pm
(607) 277-8283
107 West State Street
Ithaca, NY 14851
http://www.stateofithaca.com

Donna the Buffalo's eclectic and often socially conscious music has it's base in traditional mountain music and is infused with elements of Cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country. The group’s core are vocalists Tara Nevins, who plays fiddle, guitar, accordion, and scrubboard, and guitarist Jeb Puryear. Keyboardist Dave McCracken, bassist Kyle Spark, and drummer Vic Stafford complete the ensemble.

Donna the Buffalo represents one of the most respected brands in the world of touring roots acts. For 21 years DTB has performed feel good, infectious music that often moves listeners physically and spiritually. In the words of a longtime fan, "Their songs are well known to contain lyrics offering poetry and sage commentary on the attractions and struggles with love and politics in this life. Their magnetic musical mix has often been described as dance music, and, for sure, there is everything from foot-tapping to get-up-and-feel-ecstatic moving in their sound; but there is also some deeply satisfying solace in what DTB has to say and how they say it. The dynamic songwriting tandem of Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins have penned over 140 songs in their collaboration with DTB."

Their fervent fan base, self-named The Herd, follows the band with zeal and has created a unique and supportive community online and at DTB shows across the nation. As an extension of this community and the band's own dedication to live roots music, Donna started, and are still the driving force behind, the Finger Lakes Grass Roots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY. 2010 marks the festival's 20th year. Stemming from its success, a second Grass Roots Festival was started in Silk Hope, North Carolina in 2002: the now biannual Shakori Hills Grass Roots Festival.

Over the years, Donna the Buffalo has had the opportunity to collaborate and/or record with musicians such as Jim Lauderdale, Preston and Keith Frank, Bela Fleck, Mamadou Diabate, Claire Lynch, David Hidalgo, The Duhks and Amy Helm, just to name a few. In 2009, Nevins also toured with former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann's band BK3.

The band's 2008 release Silverlined, on Sugar Hill Records, rose to #8 on the Americana Music Chart. With a twenty-one year tenure to celebrate, hundreds of gigs ahead of them, and an ever-evolving grassroots sound; it looks like Donna the Buffalo is riding a cloud that is truly Silverlined.
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

State Theatre season rolls on with two great shows…
Ailey 2 Dance Company on Wed., Oct. 13
Capitol Steps on Fri., Oct. 15

The State Theatre in Ithaca is proud to present the next two shows in the 1011 season which will feature something for everyone. The shows are the first in each series for the season.

On Wednesday, October 13, the world-renown Ailey 2 Dance Company returns to Ithaca to kick off the Gateway Commons Classics Series. Tickets are on sale now at the State Theatre Box Office, located at 105 West State Street without service charge and cost $19.50-$32.50. Tickets are also available online at http://www.stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272. The show starts promptly at 7:30PM.

The genius of Alvin Ailey forever changed the perception of American dance. His Ailey II Company have become one of the most popular dance companies in the country, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs. The company has earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance. Ailey created this smaller incarnation to bring the magic of his grand scale big city shows to markets like Ithaca.

Then on Friday, October 15th, The Capitol Steps hit the State Theatre stage in the first show of the C.S.P. Management Comedy Series at 8pm. All seats cost $24.50 and are on sale at the same locations mentioned above.

The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. Although not all of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.

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Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

ITHACA BALLET subscriptions on sale, first shows to play October 23-24 at the State Theatre…

The ITHACA BALLET is proud to announce that subscriptions are on sale now for the 1011 season at the State Theatre in Ithaca. For all the information and to download a subscription form visit: http://stateofithaca.com/ithacaballet/index.html



Performances this season include:

Peter and the Wolf – October 23 and 24

The Nutcracker – December 10, 11, 12

Winterdance February 12

Sleeping Beauty, April 30 and May 1



Prices for both these performances and season subscriptions are in table form at the end of this release.



As mentioned, the season kicks off with Peter and the Wolf in a few short weeks with 3pm matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24. Tickets are available without service charge at the State Theatre Box Office, located at 105 West State Street. Tickets are also available online at stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272.



For this first show, the featured ballet is Peter and the Wolf with original choreography by Lavinia Reid to a (familiar) score by Sergei Prokoviev.

New Company Apprentice, James Potter, is playing "Peter" and Guest Alumnus, Trenton Loughlin is playing the Wolf. Other featured dancers include Principal Dancers Rosie Grady Sayvetz, Rachel Myers and Julia Hellmich playing the Bird, the Cat, and the Duck, respectively.

Also on the show is Haunted House with choreography by Company founder Alice Reid to the "Night on Bald Mountain" music by Modest Mussorgsky. Principal Dancer Teresa Lynn with Guest Johann Studier are featured as "the Lovers", and there are also children playing, and skeletons , assorted ghouls , and Vampira lurking in the Haunted House.

The third piece is a beautiful little neoclassical gem called Jupiter to the Gustav Holst score from the Planets. The choreography is by Cornell PhD and Ithaca Ballet Alumnus, Bonnie Valant-Spaight and features 4 women and and one man.



1011 Season Prices for the ITHACA BALLET at the State Theatre in Ithaca…



Single Tickets (except 12/10 Nutcracker):

Adult: $19

Senior: $16

Student: $13

Child: $7



12/10 Nutcracker (with Finger Lakes Symphony):

Adult: $21

Senior: $18

Student: $15

Child: $9



NEW: ITHACA BALLET SEASON SUBSRIPTION:
ON SALE FRI 9/24
Adults: $65
Seniors: $54
Students: $44
Children $24
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Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Dan Smalls Presents is proud to welcome PAULA POUNDSTONE to the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY on Thursday, March 10th, 2011. Tickets will cost $29.50 and $24.50 and will go on sale tomorrow to members and this Friday to the general public at 10AM. A limited amount of Gold Circle Seating will be available. Tickets will be available without service charge at the State Theatre Box Office, located at 105 West State Street in Ithaca (607.27STATE). They are also available online at stateofithaca.com or by calling 800.919.6272. You've seen her on HBO, TV, heard her on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me... now see her live on the State Theatre stage!

Appearing on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of Diet Pepsi, PAULA POUNDSTONE is famous for her razor-sharp wit and spontaneity. The Boston Globe said, “Poundstone improvises with a crowd like a Jazz musician…swinging in unexpected directions without a plan, without a net.” Paula is so quick and unassuming that audience members at her live shows often leave complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter and debating whether the random people she talked to were “plants”. Paula grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts and by the time she was nineteen was traveling on a Greyhound bus across the country – stopping in at open mic nights at comedy clubs as she went. She credits her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bump, with being the first one to spot her comedic talents. Bump wrote in a letter to Paula’s parents: “I have enjoyed many of Paula’s humorous comments about our activities.” In 1979 Paula began nurturing her standup comedy talent as part of the Boston comedy scene, and then moved to San Francisco where she continued to flourish. By 1990 she’d relocated to Los Angeles and had starred in several comedy specials for HBO, as well as appeared on Saturday Night Live when friend and mentor Robin Williams hosted the show. Paula’s first one-hour HBO special, “Cats, Cops, and Stuff.” made her the first woman to ever receive the Cable ACE for best standup comedy special. She also starred in a self-titled talk show series for HBO (for which she won her second Cable ACE Award for Best Program Interviewer, beating out other, more recognized names in that field.) In 1992, Poundstone forsook what she considered the ‘staid’ 5-minute standup set on late night talk-shows for something she thought would be more real with the audience and filed memorable field commentary of the Presidential Election for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This led to her own show on ABC, aptly named, “The Paula Poundstone Show”, and behind-the-scenes coverage of that year’s EMMY Awards for which she was critically acclaimed. During this time, she also became the first woman to perform at the White House Correspondents dinner. By the mid-90’s, Poundstone had shifted her performances from comedy clubs to performing arts centers and theatres where her interactions with the crowd became the stuff of legend. In 1996, Paula taped her second hour special for HBO, “Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard,” – the first time that elite university has ever allowed it’s name to be used in the title of a television show. The Boston Globe also said about Paula, “You know Poundstone’s a great comic the way you know any fine performer when you see one—there’s a disarming ease in her craft, an immediate sense that she’s so quick on her feet you need never worry about the possibility of something going wrong.” Paula’s off-kilter sensibility and impeccable timing made her a perfect fit for NPR’s “oddly informative”, weekly news quiz program, “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me,” which she joined as a regular panelist seven years ago. Hosted by Peter Segal, the show is broadcast in 50 states and gives Paula a chance to match wits with some of today’s leading pundits – not to mention interact with some of the people at the forefront of our nation’s eyes, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow. The show tapes weekly before a live audience at the Chase Auditorium in Chicago, or on location. It took Paula eight years to write her first book, There’s Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say. (Harmony Books, a division of Random House, Hardcover pub: November 2006, with foreword by Mary Tyler Moore) “That’s because I was writing it in real time,” Poundstone jokes. Part memoir, part monologue, Paula’s unique laugh-out-loud book features biographies of legendary historical figures including Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc and Sitting Bull, among others, from which she can’t help digressing to tell her own. The paperback edition is also available nationwide. In 2007 BRAVO premiered Paula’s newest standup comedy special: “Paula Poundstone: Look What the Cat Dragged In” The show was taped before a live audience in Los Angeles at the landmark Orpheum Theatre. Other credits include: Frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion;” Voice of Judge Stone on ABC’s Saturday Morning “Science Court” aka “Squigglevision”, and “Paula”, the mom in Cartoon Network’s “Home Movies. Paula has made numerous appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman;” ”Sesame Street;” “To Tell The Truth” and “Comic Relief.” Paula won an EMMY Award for her field pieces on PBS’s “Life & Times,” and is also the author, along with her high school math teacher, Faye Ruopp, of three math text books for children published by Heinemann Press: The Sticky Problem of Parallelogram Pancakes; Venn Can We Be Friends? and You Can’t Keep Slope Down Paula’s published several magazine articles, and for five years wrote a back-page column in Mother Jones. In 2009 Paula released her first comedy CD: I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them In Maine, 60 minutes of the smartest comedy recorded live at the sensational Stone Mountain Arts Center – because as Paula says, “It’s very hard to do it any other way.” The new CD is available at www.amazon.com , iTunes, and at www.paulapoundstone.com. Paula continues as the National Spokesperson for (ALTAFF), The Association of Library Trustees Advocates Friends & Foundations, a national network of enthusiastic library supporters who believe in the importance of libraries as the social and intellectual centers of communities and campuses. Paula is supporting libraries on a local level by partnering with promoters and the local Friends organization in cities where she performs. The local Friends group receives tickets for use in fundraising or promotion as well as a portion of the book and CD sales after the performance where she makes herself available for signings. Says Poundstone: “It’s funny that we think of libraries as quiet demure places where we are shushed by dusty, bun-balancing, bespectacled women. The truth is libraries are raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy and community. Librarians have stood up to the Patriot Act, sat down with noisy toddlers and reached out to illiterate adults. Libraries can never be shushed. If you haven’t been to your library lately, you’re overdue.” Paula began fostering children in the early 1990’s, and went on to become a parent to three children of her own, Toshia 18, Allison 15, and Thomas E., 12, The family lives in Santa Monica, California.

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Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

State Theatre Rewards Young Artists

Children Who Submit a Drawing Receive Free Tickets to

“Harold and The Purple Crayon,” Sun., Nov. 21



(Ithaca, NY) The classic children’s book “Harold and the Purple Crayon” comes to life at The State Theatre of Ithaca, Sunday November 21st, and children can attend free just by drawing on their imagination.



Children will receive a free ticket to the show simply by drawing a picture that answers the question, “Where would you go and what would you do if you had Harold’s magical purple crayon?”



In the classic story, Harold is a curious four-year-old boy who has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it with his purple crayon. His imaginative drawing takes him on a wonderful moonlight adventure, ultimately leading back to his own home and bed.



Children under age of 6 who submit a personal drawing will automatically receive a free ticket to the show with the purchase of an adult ticket. Drawings must be dropped off at The State Theatre Box Office, 105 West State Street/ MLK Blvd., by 5pm, Nov. 18. All submitted drawings will be projected on the State Theatre stage prior to the show. Along with that, there will also be prizes and games before the show.



The performance of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” is 3pm, Sun., Nov. 21. This show is sponsored by Sciarabba Walker and Co. LLP and Wegmans. It is the second installment of the Tompkins Trust Company’s Family Series for the 2010/11 season. Tickets for the show are $10 for children, $12 for seniors and $15 for adults. For tickets, Call (607)27-STATE or visit www.stateofithaca.com.
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Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

THE NUTCRACKER RETURNS TO THE STATE THEATRE IN ITHACA DECEMBER 10-12

Magical toys, dancing snowflakes and belly dancers, all topped off with visions of sugar plums dancing on the stage! It’s time for the return of a holiday tradition at the State Theatre in Ithaca with the Ithaca Ballet’s Nutcracker December 10-12. Once again, the Friday evening performance at 7:30 will be particularly magical because it features the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra conducted by Diego Garcia playing the familiar Tchaikovsky score live. The Saturday and Sunday matinee performances are at 3:00 PM. Tickets prices range from $7 to $21 and are available at the State Theatre box office, online at www.stateofithaca.com, or by calling 277-8283. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available for all shows.

Many of the 70 dancers in the 2010 Nutcracker are part of the Ithaca Ballet company. However, some are guest dancers from the Ithaca community and beyond, and a large number are guest children who train with the Ballet Center of Ithaca. This year, the role of Clara is being played by company dancer Ana Zimmerman with Ballet Center student Michael Hill as her Nutcracker Prince. An Ithaca Ballet alumnus, Trenton Loughlin, returns to Ithaca to portray the Nutcracker and the Snow King. Senior company dancer Emma Fitzpatrick debuts as the Snow Queen, and Principal Dancer Nadia Drake returns as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Johann Studier, a resident guest artist formerly with the Houston Ballet, reprises his role as the Sugar Plum Cavalier. In the gorgeous Waltz of the Flowers, principal dancer Beth Mochizuki dances the role of the Dewdrop Fairy. Finally, veteran character actors Allen MacNeill and Tom McHugh return in the roles of the magical Herr Drosselmeyer and the comical Mouse King respectively. Overseeing the entire production is Cindy Reid, the Artistic Director of the Ithaca Ballet. The Nutcracker is truly a team effort and a community treasure.

Choreographed by Lavinia Reid, the Ithaca Ballet’s Nutcracker is a treat for the whole family and a Finger Lakes tradition. Children of all ages will delight in Clara's victory over the mice and her voyage to the Land of Sweets. This year’s performances are supported in part by the Cayuga Radio Group ... and others

1011 Season Prices for the ITHACA BALLET at the State Theatre in Ithaca…

Single Tickets (except 12/10 Nutcracker):
Adult: $19
Senior: $16
Student: $13
Child: $7

12/10 Nutcracker (with Finger Lakes Symphony):
Adult: $21
Senior: $18
Student: $15
Child: $9
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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