This and That from Here and There~Season 07-08
(E) - Weekend Evening     (S) - Sunday Sounds
(F) - Family Fun Series    (T) - Theater Productions

 Joanne Shenandoah in Concert

Special Pre-Season Event

A GRAMMY Award and ten time Native American Music Award winning artist and Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy, Joanne Shenandoah has fulfilled the promise of her Native American name, Tekaliwah-kwa (She Sings).  Since emerging as an artist in 1989, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House, The Kennedy Center and the Parliament of the World’s Religions in South Africa. With fifteen CDs and numerous guest artist cuts to her credit, Joanne has also made frequent TV appearances, starred in a PBS special, and been featured in films, including the upcoming “The Last Winter,” a global warming thriller. "She's become one of the most acclaimed Native American recording artists of her time." – Associated Press

Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ciccone Theatre 

Tickets: $10.00;  FREE  for Bergen Community College students (credit only) 

From the Heart of Little Hawk  Stories, Songs & Legend

Share the world of Little Hawk through Native American Indian culture, traditions, dance and music with a storyteller of Mohawk and Micmac heritage. Audience members become engaged in song, dance and sign language with Little Hawk as he draws a “gathering” with the beat of his drum.  Stories of earth and sky, animals and nature enlighten and entertain, as we also learn about preservation of and respect for the environment, an appreciation of Native American culture, the value of self-esteem and respect for others.  Little Hawk takes us on a mesmerizing adventure as he brings his traditions to life.

Saturday, September 29th, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10 for adults;  $8 for children 17 & under

Friday, October 5th, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ciccone Theatre

Tickets: $24.00; $22.00 for students & senior citizens (65+); 

$20.00 for all of Bergen Community College

Carmel Quinn ~Songs & Stories from Ireland

The captivating Carmel Quinn has been charming audiences for decades ever since she captured the American public’s heart as part of the Arthur Godfrey family on his famed ‘50s television show. Whether singing, sharing Celtic lore, or telling her wonderfully outrageous tales, she immediately has an audience in the palm of her hand.  A favorite of the best talk show hosts, from Carson to Cavett, from Merv to Regis, Carmel will have you singing, laughing and reminiscing.  A star of television & stage and an ever-popular recording artist, Carmel is the only performer to have graced Carnegie Hall’s stage for 25 consecutive years.

Sunday, October 7th 2007 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $14.00;  $12.00 for students & seniors (65+); 

$10.00 for all of Bergen Community College

In an old covered cart like those which disappeared from main paths many years ago along with the clouds of dust that preceded paved roads, the CIRCUS would arrive at a theater’s empty stage, under the shade of a tree, or at a makeshift platform in the park, and then the fun and excitement began.  Marionetas de la Esquina, a puppet theater company from Mexico, has been entertaining children and adults alike since 1975.  They perform some shows in English and others in Spanish, and have given more than 11,000 performances.  Be entranced by these amazing puppets, as well as by music, color and cheer…and all the surprises of the circus!  Note: The morning show will be presented in English and the afternoon show en Español.

Saturday, October 27th, 2007 at 11 a.m. in English and at 2 p.m. en Español

“If music be the love of food, play on!”  Singer, Songwriter, Entertainer Christine Lavin sings of men, women, life, love and FOOD in One Meat Ball ... the Concert.  With her liquid-silver voice and comic genius, Christine mixes these ingredients in a concert that recognizes in food the obsessions, gratifications, stimulants, antidotes and metaphors that define a good deal of life itself.   It is a smart and witty concert of different musical styles and gusto.  Joining Christine will be guests from the original album, “One Meat Ball,”  including Grammy Award-Winning Songwriter Julie Gold (“From A Distance”) and the 8-voiced, award winning ensemble, The Accidentals.  “A comic observer of contemporary manners.” -The New York Times.

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ciccone Theatre

Tickets: $22.00;  $20.00 for students & senior citizens (65+); 

$18.00 for all of Bergen Community College

Simple Gifts  ~ Music from Around the World

Three women musicians plus twelve instruments equals one very good time.  Drawing on an amazing variety of ethnic folk styles, Simple Gifts plays everything from down-home American reels to lively Irish jigs, from hard-driving Klezmer to haunting Gypsy melodies, all while spicing the mix with Balkan dance music and Scandinavian twin fiddling.  Combining tradition with innovation, they create and play some of the finest and most original folk arrangements today, with the assorted instruments making unusual appearances in the unlikeliest musical places.

Tickets: $12.00;  $10.00 for students & seniors (65+);

$8.00 for all of Bergen Community College

(See full description under the evening program section)  These are full 2 hour shows with an Intermission 

Saturday, November 17th, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. 

Tickets: $22.00; $20.00 for kids, students & seniors (65+);   $18.00 for all of Bergen Community College

Crabgrass Puppets’ Mr. Punch’s Christmas Carol 

Now celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Crabgrass Puppet Theatre performs for over 100,000 people in theaters, schools and museums throughout the eastern U.S. as well as at more than 20 regional, national and international puppet festivals. Mr. Punch's Christmas Carol is a fast-paced and funny holiday show with all the trimmings, told with colorful and expertly made hand puppets, rod puppets and shadow puppets. Whimsical scenery, hilarious sound effects and a soundtrack of seasonal favorites combine to bring this classic tale to life. Outrageous holiday hilarity, full of ghosts, giggles, geese and Tiny Tim, too!  

Saturday, December 15th, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10 for adults;  $8 for children 17 & under

Zydeco for Kidz with

Terrance Simien An Interactive Concert

This multicultural performance has reached over 60,000 students, educators and families at schools, arts centers and music festivals around the country - enthusiastically received from Arizona to the Outer Banks, from NYC to Charlotte, NC and from Atlantic City to New Orleans. The program is centered on the indigenous Zydeco music of the French speaking Creoles of south Louisiana. In addition to enjoying the foot stompin’, hand clappin’ music, kids will learn the real meaning of Mardi Gras and how to make a rub-board.

Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience

This foot-stomping, finger-snapping, early Mardi Gras party will warm up a winter night with the hot sounds of Zydeco, Cajun classics and R&B. Terrance Simien’s soulful voice inspires frequent comparisons with Aaron Neville and Sam Cooke.  A New Orleans Jazz Fest regular, his 2 latest CDs were universally acclaimed.  “The Tribute Sessions” honors ten legendary and inspirational artists, including Canray Fontenot, Sam Cooke, Clifton Chenier and Bob Marley.  “Across the Parish Line,” Simien’s 7th and latest album, journeys back across Simien’s musical career and reflects his open approach to Zydeco, embracing all kinds of music and featuring legendary artists with whom he’s worked, including Paul Simon, the late Rick Danko, Marcia Ball and David Hidalgo from Los Lobos. This amazing singer/songwriter also wields a mean accordion and his band adds to the contagious energy and fun with bass, keyboards, drums, rub-boards and guitar. You’ll be dancing in the aisles!

Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.  in the Ciccone Theatre

Charlotte Blake-Alston

~Stories, Songs & Poetry ~   

Speaking her stories with exuberant energy, Charlotte beckons and holds you like an amusement park ride. Time is suspended as audiences soar on every word, song, rap, inflection, poem, gesture, impersonation or drum beat.  Her tales are enhanced by the sounds of traditional instruments, including djembe, berimau, nkoning, mbira and the 21-stringed kora.  Sharing a rich repertoire, Charlotte models her role after that of the Griot, the keeper of the traditions and stories in African villages.  A former teacher, she uses her craft to foster an appreciation and understanding of differences among people, through active, joyful entertainment.  Charlotte has received numerous honors including the prestigious Pew Fellowship in the Arts, as well as numerous awards from her home-state of Pennsylvania.  “ …eloquent storytelling…” -The New York Times

Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10 for adults;  $8 for children 17 & under

Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson in Concert 

A Mississippi native, Johnson traveled north to Memphis at 15 and saw Muddy Waters performing on the legendary Beale Street scene.  Soon afterwards, his family moved to Chicago, and there Luther honed his skills as a performer - singing, dancing and playing bass guitar. Johnson has since emerged as the bona fide leader of the West Side guitar style, playing his unique blend of blues, soul and funk, with incredible guitar riffs and plaintive vocals. Inspired by such music legends as Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, B.B. King and Magic Sam, “Guitar Jr.” is no stranger to critical acclaim, having captured numerous awards.  His rendition of "Walking the Dog," a live performance from the 1982 Montreux Festival, was part of the Grammy Award winning album “Blues Explosion” and he has also been a Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ciccone Theatre

Tickets: $22.00;  $20.00 for students & senior citizens (65+); 

$18.00 for all of Bergen Community College

In exotic Eastern Europe, the roots of World Music go back centuries through many faiths and nationalities. Musicians had to know as many musical styles as the diverse languages of the people with whom they lived and worked.  Confidently crossing the border between mature mastery and village madness, Veretski Pass, an ensemble of veteran klezmer artists, plays Old Country Music, melodies from Medieval Poland, dances from Bessarabia, Ruthenia, and Bukovina, music with origins in the Ottoman Empire (once fabled as the borderlands of the East and the West). This virtuosic group combines energy and musicianship in performances of depth and power, fire and finesse, warmth and wonder, with expertly played violin, viola, bass viol, button accordion, bass drum and tsimbl.

Sunday, February 17, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $14.00;  $12.00 for students & seniors (65+); 

with SignStage Theatre Presented in American Sign Language & Spoken English   

Based on the Roald Dahl book, James & The Giant Peach tells what happened to James when a rhinoceros came and changed everything!  Suddenly he was an orphan sent to live with his mean Aunt Spiker and cruel Aunt Sponge. While working in their garden, a mysterious man gives James a gift that changes his life again.  Join James on his exciting adventure inside the biggest peach the world has ever seen! This is a tale of friendship, love, sadness and triumph. SignStage specializes in Sign Language Theatre where deaf and hearing actors perform together using their voices and hands. You’ll SEE things you’ve never HEARD!

Saturday, March 15th, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

$8.00 for all of Bergen Community College

Bergen Sinfonia ~ Classics for Strings 

The Bergen Sinfonia, a professional orchestra of the finest musicians in the NY/NJ metropolitan area, presents a program featuring some of the world’s greatest music for string orchestra. Received with a standing ovation on its “brilliant” debut performance at Bergen Community College last season, the Bergen Sinfonia returns under the leadership of Music Director Murray Colosimo to present another adventurous program of masterworks for strings by Baroque, Romantic and American composers - highlighted by a performance of George Frideric Handel's famous “Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1.”  Don’t miss this rare opportunity and major musical event!

Sunday, April 27^th , 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $16.00;  $14.00 for students & seniors (65+); 

$12.00 for all of Bergen Community College

Pro Arte Chorale ~ Bernstein and Britain: Voices Across the Ocean

Bergen County’s renowned Pro Arte Chorale presents Bernstein and Britain: Voices Across the Ocean featuring Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” Rutter’s “Requiem” and favorite Spirituals. This wonderful program, comparing styles of American and British repertoire, features Conductor/Music Director David Crone and Accompanist Janet Montgomery with percussion accompaniment, boy soprano and soprano soloist.  Pro Arte Chorale is an Honorary Resident Arts Group at Bergen Community College and is sponsored in part by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and The New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.  Recent performances have included Carnegie Hall, the PNC Performing Arts Center and NJ-PAC.

Sunday, May 4th 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $14.00;  $12.00 for students & seniors (65+); 

$10.00 for all of Bergen Community College

Nouveau Magic with Margaret Steele & Michael Carbonaro

Colorful scarves appear, glittering balls multiply, doves soar and kids magically float in the air in this hilarious, musical, freshly original production that has dazzled spectators on 5 continents! Margaret and Michael have performed thousands of magic shows separately and together all over the world. Between them they have been featured on The Discovery Channel Canada, WNBC's “Today in New York”, FOX Network's “Good Day New York,” Milton Bradley’s “Magic Works” toy series commercials and at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, Trump Castle, Busch Gardens, Caroline’s Comedy Club, Holland America Cruises and with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. "Polished Performance!" – The New York Times

Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10 for adults;  $8 for children 17 & under

$20.00 for all of Bergen Community College