Center Stage Maine Center for the Arts offers vast array of acts this season

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Families and classical music lovers can look forward to the 2004-2005 season at the Maine Center for the Arts in Orono, which features, among its broad lineup for the year, entertaining events for young people and exciting events for the classically inclined. The highlights for families are likely to include a puppet version of “Beauty and the Beast,” the percussive Tap Dogs, the National Acrobats of Taiwan, Bangor Community Theatre’s production of “Kiss Me Kate” and a Broadway touring production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” while music lovers will enjoy the Emerson String Quartet, an all-Bartok program by the Borromeo String Quartet, and Chanticleer, the 12-man vocal ensemble from San Francisco.

But, says John Patches, MCA executive director, the season is a panoply of offerings – modern dance, blues, opera, theater, rock, Celtic music and gospel – for a wide range of theatergoers in eastern and northern Maine.

“It’s another season that solidifies our role as the center for arts and entertainment in our region,” he added.

Before the season kicks off officially on Oct. 2 with the gala concert Three Mo’ Tenors, an African-American variation on the operatic Three Tenors concerts, several events will take place in September.

One of the best-timed events for the upcoming election is Capitol Steps, a group of congressional staffers turned songwriters who will perform Sept. 8. Their omnipartisan political satire comes with a warning from the Surgeon General: Being an audience member could cause your sides to split.

Three additional performances in September include The Boston Trio on Sept. 12, Ahmad Jamal, the legendary jazz pianist on Sept. 17, and Tap Dogs, the six guys whose industrial noise-party has made them famous, on Sept. 25.

October is the fullest month, with eight shows, including the gala. Particularly fun for families will be the Kennedy Center touring production of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” in musical form on Oct. 8, and Jars of Clay, the young, hip Christian music group, on Oct. 17.

“Tom Sawyer” is also part of the annual educational outreach series that offers daytime shows for young people. Some are included in the regular season, but others, such as “Very Eric Carle,” on Sept. 21 and 22, “Beauty and the Beast,” on Nov. 3, “A Christmas Carol,” on Dec. 9 and 10, and Laser Vaudeville on April 6 and 7, are geared toward school children.

Cultural exchange and arts education are also the underlying principles of a four-day community outreach visit, with a show on Oct. 21, by San Francisco’s AXIS Dance Company, whose members are dancers with and without disabilities.

A smorgasbord of music will complete the month with “Celebrating the Blues,” with Dr. John and his band, as well as two returning blues favorites, Charlie Musselwhite and Shemekia Copeland, on Oct. 12, a New York touring production of the American opera “Porgy and Bess” on Oct. 15, Natalie MacMaster, the Cape Breton fiddler, on Oct. 23 and Emerson String Quartet on Oct. 30.

Perhaps the two most popular shows – and the ones that are selling most quickly at the box office -are Jethro Tull, the old rock ‘n’ roll band, on Nov. 13, and ABBA Mania, a Beatlemania-type revival group, on Feb. 18.

“We’ve never done anything like the ABBA Mania before,” said Adele Adkins, associate director at MCA and co-programmer of the season. “But revival groups are so popular. And what’s so amazing is that it’s spanning the ages at the box office with people who are kids and people who are in their 80s buying tickets.”

Adkins also called attention to Bang on a Can, on May 1. This group combines classical training with a rock ‘n’ roll milieu.

“If a lay person without an interest in classical music were to go to this event, they might not know it was classically based,” she said. “The mission of the group is to take classical music to the rock generation. It’s very jazzy.”

Near the holidays, the special treats for families are the Hat City Music Theater production of “Hansel and Gretel” on Nov. 20 and 21, and the Broadway Spirit of Christmas, a collection of holiday tunes and vignettes from popular culture on Nov. 28. Deep into winter, family audiences might also enjoy the National Black Light Theatre of Prague and its March 3 production of “Fantasy Travelers,” lauded at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a unique mix of light and projections to create magical storytelling.

Garth Fagan Dance Company, one of the foremost representatives of modern dance, will perform on Jan. 28. For more traditional dance lovers, “Romeo and Juliet” will be presented by the St. Petersburg State Ballet Theatre on March 19.

Several popular shows are new to the area this season, including Cookin’, a theatrical event that combines martial arts with food preparation, on Feb. 2; “Over the Rainbow,” a concert celebration of Harold Arlen by Broadway singers Tom Wopat and Faith Prince, on Feb. 8; the Soweto Gospel Choir, on Feb. 13; the International Sejong Soloists with Lynn Harrell on cello, on April 10; and Marcolivia Violin Duo, an accomplished twosome of internationally known musicians, on May 22.

Returning acts include Opera Verdi Europa with “AIDA,” on Feb. 18; jazz musician Michael Kaeshammer with his jazz trio, on March 22; and the ever-popular Aquila Theatre Company performing “The Invisible Man,” on April 3.

John Patches has been at the MCA helm for a dozen years now. In addition to programming the season with Adkins, he also is undertaking a $10-million renovation project that will expand the center’s ability to offer larger touring shows with bigger sets. Fund-raising is underway, and announcements about the renovation are expected to take place later this month.

Alicia Anstead can be reached at 990-8266 and aanstead@bangordailynews.net.

Maine Center for the Arts 2004-2005 season

For performance times and other information, call the box office at 581-1755 or at 1800-MCA-TIXX. Or visit www.MaineCenterfortheArts.org.

Sept. 8 Capitol Steps

Sept. 12 The Boston Trio

Sept 17 Ahmad Jamal and his trio

Sept. 25 Tap Dogs

Oct. 2 GALA: Three Mo’ Tenors

Oct. 8 “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”

Oct. 12 Celebrating the Blues with Dr. John and his band, Charlie Musselwhite and Shemekia Copeland

Oct. 15 “Porgy and Bess”

Oct. 17 Jars of Clay

Oct. 21 AXIS Dance Company

Oct. 23 Natalie MacMaster

Oct. 30 Emerson String Quartet

Nov. 13 Jethro Tull

Nov. 20 and 21 “Hansel and Gretel

Nov. 28 Broadway Spirit of Christmas

Jan. 28 Garth Fagan Dance Company

Feb. 2 Cookin’

Feb. 8 Over the Rainbow with Tom Wopat and Faith Prince

Feb. 13 Soweto Gospel Choir

Feb. 18 “AIDA” by Opera Verdi Europa

Feb. 20 ABBA Mania

Feb. 27 Borromeo String Quartet

March 3 National Black Light Theatre of Prague

March 12 “Fiddler on the Roof”

March 19 “Romeo and Juliet” by St. Petersburg State Ballet Theatre

March 22 Michael Kaeshammer Jazz Trio

April 3 “The Invisible Man” by Aquila Theatre Company

April 10 International Sejong Soloists with cellist Lynn Harrell

April 14 National Acrobats of Taiwan

April 24 Chanticleer

May 1 Bang on a Can

May 20-22 “Kiss Me Kate” by Bangor Community Theatre

May 22 Marcolivia Violin Duo