2017 Spoleto Festival USA Ticket Brochure

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA MAY 26 – JU NE 11, 20 1 7 CH A RL ESTON, SOU TH CA R O L IN A SP OLETOUSA.OR G

01

OPERA

EUGENE ONEGIN MUSIC BY PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY CONDUCTED BY EVAN ROGISTER DIRECTED BY CHEN SHI-ZHENG

Tchaikovsky’s full range of emotions is on display in Eugene Onegin—his grand opera based on Pushkin’s classic novel in verse.

Russia’s wintery beauty—expressed in both simple country life and the glittering aristocracy of St. Petersburg—is the backdrop for this story about the tragedy of first love. Directed by Festival-favorite Chen Shi-Zheng (Matsukaze, 2013; Monkey: Journey to the West, 2008; The Peony Pavilion, 2004, among others), this work indulges Tchaikovsky’s soaring lyricism in Tatyana’s “letter aria” as well as the familiar elegance of his dance music in the ballroom waltz. Celebrated soprano Natalia Pavlova portrays Tatyana, whose transition from a naive girl to a complex woman has given this work a reputation for the most sophisticated character development in opera. Cast as Onegin, baritone Franco Pomponi employs his dramatic intensity and virility to portray the cold nobleman.

Sung in Russian with English supertitles.

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Friday

May 26

6:30pm

Thursday

June 1

7:30pm

Sunday

June 4

2:00pm

Thursday

June 8

7:30pm

Tickets start at $40 APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS, 30 MINUTES SPONSORED BY BMW MANUFACTURING CO. OPERA PROGRAMMING IS ENDOWED BY THE ARTHUR AND HOLLY MAGILL FOUNDATION.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

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TATYANA’S BALL

Friday

May 26

9:00pm

Join Festival artists and patrons for an elegant evening of ballroom dancing and old-world merriment following the opening night of Eugene Onegin. See p 48 for more information.

02

03

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER Few singers successfully carry the torch passed on by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, and Betty Carter. Dee Dee Bridgewater has earned this distinction—and three Grammy Awards—in part, by mastering the same qualities as her predecessors: thinking more like an instrumentalist than a vocalist, scatting well-constructed yet improvised melodies, and interpreting songs in an original and personal way. Named a 2017 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, she is set apart by an uncommon but perfectly natural talent for communicating with an audience—a charisma that led to a Tony for her theatrical performance in The Wiz and international recognition as a leading light of the jazz vocal tradition. Bridgewater thrilled Festival audiences in 2004, and she and her band are returning to do it again.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON CISTERN YARD

Thursday

May 25

9:00pm

Friday

May 26

9:00pm

Tickets start at $35 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO

AMERICAN EXPRESS WOOLFE STREET SERIES

WORLD PREMIERE

AYODELE CASEL In this world premiere, Ayodele Casel creates a virtuosic piece exploring language, communication, identity, and legacy. Casel is a native New Yorker who turned to tap as part of her training to be an actor; two years after her introduction to the art form, she landed the only female role in Savion Glover’s Not Your Ordinary Tappers.

Her training and talents make her a performer of great versatility; “she floats over the floor delivering taps so clean, light, and quick they’re like a hummingbird’s thrumming” (Chicago Dance). Hailed by legendary tapper Gregory Hines as “one of the top young tap dancers in the world today,” Casel has been creating and presenting her own work since 1999, and adds Spoleto Festival USA to her list of eager recipients this season.

WOOLFE STREET PLAYHOUSE

Thursday

June 1

8:00pm

Friday

June 2

9:00pm

Saturday

June 3

8:00pm

Sunday

June 4

2:00pm and 7:00pm

Tickets start at $40 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR THE 2017 DANCE SERIES IS SPONSORED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SPONSORED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS

CONVERSATIONS WITH

Friday

June 2

5:00pm

Host Martha Teichner interviews Ayodele Casel at Woolfe Street Playhouse, 34 Woolfe Street.

DANCE

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04

05

THEATER

DRUID

WAITING FOR GODOT WRITTEN BY SAMUEL BECKETT DIRECTED BY GARRY HYNES

On a bare road in the middle of nowhere, two world-weary friends await the arrival of the mysterious Godot. While waiting, they speculate, bicker, joke, and ponder life’s great questions. As dusk begins to fall, two figures appear on the horizon.

Druid’s Artistic Director Garry Hynes—who directed the Festival’s production of Kát’a Kabanová in 2014 and Druid’s production of The Cripple of Inishmaan presented at the 2011 Festival—returns with one of the most significant plays of the 20th century. Francis O’Connor (The Importance of Being Earnest, 2016; My Cousin Rachel, 2014) again brings his inventive designs to Dock Street Theatre for this seminal work; his “insightful, artful simplicity,” Hynes’s vigor and instinct, and a magnificent cast of four—Gareth Lombard, Aaron Monaghon, Rory Nolan, and Marty Rea—together create “the freshest, funniest and most affecting production of the play in at least a quarter of a century” (The Irish Times).

The Festival’s 2017 production of Farnace (p 13) is also directed by Garry Hynes.

DOCK STREET THEATRE

Thursday

May 25

8:00pm (preview)

Friday

May 26

8:00pm

Sunday

May 28

3:30pm and 8:00pm

Monday

May 29

3:30pm

Tuesday

May 30

7:30pm

Wednesday

May 31

7:30pm

Thursday

June 1

7:30pm

Saturday

June 3

3:30pm and 8:00pm

Sunday

June 4

3:30pm and 8:00pm

Tuesday

June 6

7:30pm

Thursday

June 8

3:30pm and 8:00pm

Saturday

June 10

3:30pm and 8:00pm

Sunday

June 11

3:30pm

Tickets start at $40 APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS, 30 MINUTES SPONSORED BY FIRST CITIZENS BANK MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY NICHOLAS C. L. JONES

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

“ Druid Theatre’s production of the Beckett classic is exceptional and miraculous” – The Irish Times

CONVERSATIONS WITH

Monday

May 29

3:00pm

Host Martha Teichner interviews Garry Hynes— Druid artistic director and Farnace director—at the Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street.

06

07

MUSIC

SPOLETO CELEBRATION CONCERT CONDUCTED BY ANNE MANSON

After the great success of last year’s 40th-Season Celebration Concert, Spoleto Festival USA again plumbs the depths of its rich history in a jubilant evening of music making. Join artists from every corner of the Festival’s musical offerings—the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, Westminster Choir, and musicians from the Bank of America Chamber Music series—for a performance led by conductor Anne Manson (Kát’a Kabanová, 2014; Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra Concert, 2012).

Rediscover Charleston composer Edmund Thornton Jenkins, whose Afram ou La Belle Swita had its world premiere during the 2016 season, as well as arias from Mozart and Puccini. These and a few surprises will make for a joyous evening of memories and merriment.

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Tuesday

May 30

8:00pm

Tickets start at $30 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES SPONSORED BY SOUTH STATE BANK

AMERICAN EXPRESS WOOLFE STREET SERIES

MUSIC

843.579.3100

WORLD PREMIERE

CINEMA AND SOUND ORIGINAL MUSIC BY STEPHEN PRUTSMAN

In a similar vein to the Festival’s 2015 presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s

WOOLFE STREET PLAYHOUSE

City Lights, Cinema and Sound brings silent film shorts with original music composed by pianist Stephen Prutsman—known well to Bank

Wednesday

June 7

5:00pm

of America Chamber Music audiences. The suspense, surrealism, and

Thursday

June 8

7:00pm

silliness of these three early films is perfectly suited for the Woolfe

Friday

June 9

5:00pm

Street Playhouse, where Prutsman and a quartet from the Spoleto

Saturday

June 10

1:00pm and 5:00pm

Festival USA Orchestra will offer this charming and zany experience.

The Cameraman’s Revenge (1910) is a clever marital comedy—a tale

Tickets start at $35

of bugs and their jealousies and infidelities. Suspense (1913) crosscuts

APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR

between a woman under siege by a wandering criminal and a husband hurrying home to save her, if he can avoid the police. In Mighty Like

SPONSORED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS

A Moose (1926), Mr. and Mrs. Moose both decide to have a little corrective surgery on their faces without telling each other. Once they do, they each realize they can do better and set out to have an affair— hijinks ensue! Festival goers may remember Prutsman’s performance of his original score with Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Junior; as was true with those memorable performances, there is nothing quite like the magic of silent film and the creation of a live soundtrack.

Cinema and Sound is co-commissioned by Spoleto Festival USA, Schubert Club, and Festival Mozaic, with generous support from Michael Hostetler and Erica Pascal.

CONVERSATIONS WITH

Sunday

June 4

3:00pm

Host Martha Teichner interviews pianist Stephen Prutsman at the Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street.

08

09

MUSIC

DELLA MAE Since its formation in 2009, this Boston-bred, Nashville-based string band has established a reputation for blurring the lines between bluegrass, folk, soul, and old-time traditions. Della Mae’s live show is charismatic and energetic, and lead singer Celia Woodsmith’s unvarnished yet intimate vocals are a perfect match for Charleston’s Cistern Yard—a dreamy venue calling for a musical vision encompassing southern roots and a contemporary sensibility. The band received an IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Award) and a Grammy nomination for best bluegrass album, and toured the world as cultural ambassadors in the U.S. State Department’s American Music Abroad program—an experience that helped shape the band’s sound into one with a distinct recognition of culture and collaboration.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON CISTERN YARD

Friday

June 2

9:00pm

Tickets start at $30 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES

THEATER

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

MURMURS AURÉLIA AND HER GHOSTS A SHOW BY VICTORIA THIERRÉE CHAPLIN

What if objects could speak their own personal histories? What if walls could breathe out stories of disappointment and desires?

Aurélia Thierrée returns to Spoleto Festival USA (Aurélia’s Oratorio, 2007) with Murmurs—a dreamlike, largely wordless rumination on a woman’s adventure into a surreal and shifting landscape—her second collaboration with Victoria Thierrée Chaplin. Accompanied by featured performers Magnus Jakobsson and Jamie Martinez, Thierrée enchants and delights in this wonderful spectacle of low-tech circus artistry, filled with visual trickery, fantastical monsters, and magical sleight of theatrical hand. Innovatively using set design, objects, and puppetry to transform everyday things into manifestations of the soul, Murmurs straddles the delicate line between imagination and madness.

EMMETT ROBINSON THEATRE AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Friday

May 26

6:00pm

Saturday

May 27

2:00pm and 8:00pm

Sunday

May 28

3:00pm

Monday

May 29

2:00pm and 7:00pm

Tickets start at $45 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES SPONSORED BY RENAISSANCE CHARLESTON HISTORIC DISTRICT HOTEL

“ an elaborate and beautiful enigma” – The Times

10

11

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

SOFÍA REI Born in Buenos Aires, Sofía Rei is among the most inventive voices on the current New York City scene. “Her passion and clarity has been embraced from Carnegie Hall to the hippest downtown haunts” (The New York Times), and now extend to Spoleto Festival USA. Rei explores connections between South American folklore, jazz, flamenco, and electronic sounds, producing works that project an uplifting, melodic purity while maintaining driving rhythmic complexity. Rei’s Festival performances include six unique concerts (visit spoletousa.org/events/ sofia-rei for program details) in settings ranging from solo to quartet, with repertoire including famous and rarely heard songs from every corner of the Americas, along with original compositions.

SIMONS CENTER RECITAL HALL AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Saturday

May 27

5:00pm and 7:00pm

Monday

May 29

5:00pm and 7:00pm

Tuesday

May 30

5:00pm and 7:00pm

Tickets start at $40 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO

THEATER

BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE

THE TABLE DIRECTED BY MARK DOWN PUPPET BY NICK BARNES

Moses is a cantankerous three-man-operated puppet with a cardboard head that lives on a table. He wants to tell you an epic story about God and Moses, life and death, and puppetry—but he gets easily distracted.

In the ilk of Tommy Cooper and Eddie Izzard, this table-top philosopher and comedian is the funniest piece of cardboard you will ever meet.

Winner of a Fringe First award for this show, Blind Summit Theatre has received international acclaim for its brand of puppetry, earning the position of puppet directors for the London Olympic Opening Ceremonies in 2012; they were in Charleston last season creating the visual dimension of the Festival’s US-premiere production of The Little Match Girl (2016). The Table occupies a welcoming space between contemporary humor and historical reference, yielding a performance that is “dazzling” (The Scotsman), “astonishingly accomplished” (The Telegraph), and “brilliantly funny” (Time Out).

EMMETT ROBINSON THEATRE AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Tuesday

June 6

7:00pm

Wednesday

June 7

9:00pm

Thursday

June 8

5:00pm

Friday

June 9

8:30pm

Saturday

June 10

2:00pm

Tickets start at $25 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES

“ With considerable wit, Blind Summit once again prove[s] that when you are working in miniature, you don’t have to think small.”

– The Guardian

843.579.3100

12

13

OPERA

US PREMIERE

FARNACE MUSIC BY ANTONIO VIVALDI CONDUCTED BY DAVID BATES DIRECTED BY GARRY HYNES

Vivaldi—now best known for The Four Seasons—was most celebrated for his operas in his own time. In the 18th century, no other opera in Vivaldi’s robust catalogue received more performances than Farnace. Following defeat at the hands of the Romans, Farnace, King of Pontus, tries to avoid capture; the plot develops in a string of events involving disobedience, love across enemy lines, and a scheming mother-in-law. In an incisively theatrical production by Irish director Garry Hynes—whose entry into opera started with her “rapturous” (Opera) production of Kát’a Kabanová at the 2014 Festival—this work examines questions of great contemporary relevance: Will we allow duty or love to rule? What consequences will our sacrifices invite?

Will our children benefit or suffer from our choices? Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo stars in the title role; his performances during the Festival’s 2016 chamber music series were met with great adoration: “He’s the complete package for an opera singer: dramatic conviction, a rich tone, agile coloratura backed by unobtrusive breath control, expressivity whether singing in full-voice or a near whisper” (The Charlotte Observer).

The Festival’s 2017 presentation of Waiting for Godot (p 5) is also directed by Garry Hynes.

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

DOCK STREET THEATRE

Saturday

May 27

7:00pm

Monday

May 29

8:00pm

Friday

June 2

8:00pm

Monday

June 5

7:30pm

Wednesday

June 7

8:00pm

Friday

June 9

8:00pm

Tickets start at $45 APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS, 30 MINUTES MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE BRAND FOUNDATION OF NEW YORK, INC.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

14

CONVERSATIONS WITH

Monday

May 29

3:00pm

Host Martha Teichner interviews Garry Hynes— Druid artistic director and Farnace director—at the Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street.

15

DANCE

COMPANY WANG RAMIREZ

MONCHICHI Ballet- and martial arts-trained Honji Wang and gifted former B-boy Sébastien Ramirez transcend boundaries with Monchichi—a duet that draws on their own backstories to develop a new language. Ramirez— French with Spanish origins—crosses cultural and choreographic paths with Wang—born in Frankfurt to Korean parents—to create a portrait of a new, urban, mobile, and intercultural generation. In their open-minded world, classifications fall away as they connect.

“The language that bridges their differences, though, isn’t some blend of ballet and breaking” offered The New York Times. “It’s an outgrowth of hip-hop, and Ms. Wang dances it as adroitly as Mr. Ramirez.” This award-winning duo has electrified the European scene with their choreographic language fusing technical mastery with magnetic fluidity and poetry. Hip-hop meets contemporary dance in this emotionally sophisticated performance.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON SOTTILE THEATRE

Friday

May 26

8:00pm

Saturday

May 27

3:00pm

Sunday

May 28

5:00pm

Tickets start at $25 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR THE 2017 DANCE SERIES IS SPONSORED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SPONSORED BY HYATT PLACE & HYATT HOUSE

MASTER CLASS WITH COMPANY WANG RAMIREZ

Thursday

May 25

6:00pm

For more information and to register, visit spoletousa.org/events/master-classes.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

843.579.3100

“ a brilliant duo where humor surprises us in the midst of movement” – L’Indépendant

16

17

MUSIC

WESTMINSTER CHOIR CONCERTS CONDUCTED BY JOE MILLER

Lauded as “remarkable for its precision, unanimity and power” (The New York Times), Joe Miller’s Westminster Choir performs at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul in one of the Festival’s most well-loved traditions. The choir explores its striking sonic capabilities in a program titled A Thousand Years to Live, featuring works by American composers Dominick DiOrio, Kile Smith, and Paul Crabtree, ’ as well as Brahms’s Three Songs, op. 42 for a cappella choir, Ugis

Praulinš’s ˛ Laudibus in Sanctis, and music from the Sacred Harp and Ring Shout traditions.

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. LUKE AND ST. PAUL

Monday

May 29

5:00pm

Saturday

June 3

5:00pm

Tickets start at $35 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES SPONSORED BY THE HENRY AND SYLVIA YASCHIK FOUNDATION

MUSIC

MOZART’S GREAT MASS CONDUCTED BY JOE MILLER

Westminster Choir, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra combine forces to present works including Mozart’s great unfinished mass. Thought to be written as a peace offering to his father—who did not approve of Mozart’s marriage—the mass features solos (written for, among others, his wife Constanze) that require great virtuosity and range; these traits along with mighty choruses and grandiose orchestral writing make this work far more ornate than any church music of its time. This choral masterwork has captivated and delighted audiences with its sublime sonorities and powerful expression for more than 200 years.

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Tuesday

June 6

Tickets start at $30 APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS

7:30pm

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

18

19

THEATER

GABRIADZE THEATRE

RAMONA WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY REZO GABRIADZE

A tragic tale of two trains in love, Ramona—a shunting engine only able to move 300 meters each way—waits in a railway station for her heroic Trans-Siberian locomotive, Ermon, to return from his journey across the railroads of Russia. Georgian playwright and director Rezo Gabriadze is the architect of a unique theatrical style—one that marries humor and heartbreak in a world of marionettes and folk elegance. Returning to Spoleto Festival USA for a second appearance (The Battle of Stalingrad, 2003), Gabriadze Theatre offers a production full of extraordinary scenes created from ordinary objects; the director and his puppeteers crystallize, in miniature, the joy and heartbreak of love and the unrecoverable past.

Performed in Georgian and Russian with English supertitles.

EMMETT ROBINSON THEATRE AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Wednesday

May 31

6:00pm

Thursday

June 1

5:00pm

Friday

June 2

5:00pm

Saturday

June 3

2:00pm and 6:00pm

Sunday

June 4

2:00pm

Tickets start at $25 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

843.579.3100

“ an utter wonder” – The New York Times

20

21

DANCE

L-E-V

OCD LOVE This piece is about love that always misses—lovers out of sync.

Performed to deep, pulsing grooves created live by DJ Ori Lichtik, OCD Love explores themes of the heart through the lens of obsessive compulsion. Choreographers Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar—stars of Israel’s thriving dance scene—focused on repetition and frustration in the mesmerizing language they created. Neil Hilborn’s poem about the condition of OCD inspired this work: “I asked her out six times in thirty seconds. She said yes after the third one, but none of them felt right so I had to keep going.” This powerful contribution from the fiercely talented dancers of L-E-V digs deep in examining the particular challenges posed by OCD for life and love.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON SOTTILE THEATRE

Friday

June 2

8:00pm

Saturday

June 3

7:00pm

Sunday

June 4

7:00pm

Tickets start at $20 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR THE 2017 DANCE SERIES IS SPONSORED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA. MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE SIR JACK LYONS CHARITABLE TRUST

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

MASTER CLASS WITH L-E-V

Saturday

June 3

12:00pm

For more information and to register, visit spoletousa.org /events/master-classes.

22

23

OPERA

US PREMIERE

QUARTETT MUSIC BY LUCA FRANCESCONI CONDUCTED BY JOHN KENNEDY DIRECTED BY JOHN FULLJAMES

The two principal characters from Les Liaisons dangereuses are trapped in a bitter game of seduction and deception in Francesconi’s opera, based on Heiner Müller’s 1982 play. This Royal Opera production of Quartett brings together all the ingredients of great opera—love, hatred, and demise. Acclaimed composer Luca Francesconi’s score (commissioned by La Scala, Milan, in 2011) calls for two singers and two orchestras—one live, and one pre-recorded and electronically treated—and is conducted in these performances by Festival Director of Orchestral Activities John Kennedy. John Fulljames’s production presents a fully immersive experience that has enraptured audiences with its dark comedy and passion, in an 18th-century game of love played out in an apocalyptic future.

Contains material of an adult nature.

Sung in English with English supertitles.

MEMMINGER AUDITORIUM

Sunday

May 28

7:30pm

Wednesday

May 31

7:00pm

Saturday

June 3

3:00pm

Tickets start at $40 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 20 MINUTES

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

843.579.3100

24

“ a triumph, an intricately crafted work” – Musical Criticism

CONVERSATIONS WITH

Saturday

May 27

3:00pm

Host Martha Teichner interviews Director John Fulljames and Conductor John Kennedy at the Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street.

25

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE As a trumpeter, multi-Grammy winner Terence Blanchard extends a

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON CISTERN YARD

jazz tradition embodied by Louis Armstrong, grounded in their shared hometown of New Orleans. His sought-after sound both as a performer

Saturday

June 3

9:00pm

and composer can be heard on almost every Spike Lee film, among others; he has carved out a singular place in contemporary culture

Tickets start at $30

that extends well beyond jazz’s reach. Terence Blanchard featuring

APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES

the E-Collective comes to the Cistern Yard with a distinctly groovebased quintet, teeming with funk, rock, R&B, and blues sounds. This revolutionary ensemble thrives on the perfect mixture of Blanchard’s genius and the innovations of his bandmates: guitarist Charles Altura, pianist/keyboardist Fabian Almazan, bassist DJ Ginyard, and drummer Oscar Seaton. It represents the natural next dimension for a master trumpeter who has helped shape modern jazz’s contours.

“ a trumpeter of expressive urgency and a composer of expansive vision” – The New York Times

SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO TRUMPETING TRUTH: A CONVERSATION WITH TERENCE BLANCHARD

Saturday

June 3

3:00pm

For more information on jazz talks, see p 36.

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP Cuban

musician

Pedrito

Martinez’s

world-class

status

as

a

percussionist, singer, and bandleader has garnered a fervent following. Marrying enticing dance music with rich folklore, he and his powerhouse quartet seamlessly blend “the styles of timba, gospel, guaguanco, blues, jazz, and classical music into their own sound that bursts with energy and never ceases to groove” (All About Jazz). Each bandmate contributes something integral: Peruvian percussionist Jhair Sala’s timing and intuition fuse with Martinez’s, and the two drummers play as one; pianist Edgar Pantoja-Aleman bends genre boundaries with a constant supply of heat and skill; and bassist Yunior Terry considers his bass “one more dancer out there on the dance floor.” Together, the quartet is “writing a new chapter in Cuban music history, and their shared excitement is irresistible” (NPR’s All Things Considered).

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON CISTERN YARD

Saturday

May 27

9:00pm

Sunday

May 28

9:00pm

Tickets start at $30 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

26

27

MUSIC

BANK OF AMERICA CHAMBER MUSIC DIRECTED AND HOSTED BY GEOFF NUTTALL

Spectacularly skilled musicians and brilliantly crafted programs are only part of the secret to success at Bank of America Chamber Music— the series is set apart by the unmatched stage chemistry and rollicking good time these musicians have as they play together. Director and violinist Geoff Nuttall’s signature wit and joie de vivre mark each of the 11 revelatory programs—each performed three times—whether he is playing with his St. Lawrence String Quartet, or acting as emcee for his friends. Returning favorites this season include countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, whose introduction on this series in 2016 was a tremendous success; percussionist Steven Schick—a “solo percussion knockout” (ArtsATL) last heard at the Festival in 2013; as well as oboist James Austin Smith, violinist Livia Sohn, and pianists Pedja Muzijevic and Stephen Prutsman (see p 8), among others. They are joined by several newcomers, including composer-in-residence Jaroslaw Kapuscinski, whose inventive creations feature musical instruments used to control multimedia content; composer/cellist Joshua Roman, whose versatility and adventurous spirit have gained international attention; Swiss-born Gilles Vonsattel, an “immensely talented pianist” who plays “with intelligence and imagination” (The New York Times); and the Rolston String Quartet, a young Canadian ensemble that won the 2016 Banff International String Quartet Competition. This series is simply not to be missed.

SPONSORED BY BANK OF AMERICA ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE ROBERT AND JANICE MCNAIR FOUNDATION. THE ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET IS THE ARTHUR AND HOLLY MAGILL QUARTET IN RESIDENCE. FULL PROGRAM DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN APRIL 2017 AT SPOLETOUSA.ORG. DETAILS ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA CHAMBER MUSIC SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN BE FOUND AT SPOLETOUSA.ORG/CHAMBER-MUSICSUBSCRIPTIONS.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

843.579.3100

DOCK STREET THEATRE PROGRAM I

Friday Saturday

May 26 May 27

1:00pm 11:00am and 1:00pm

May 28 May 29

11:00am and 1:00pm 11:00am

May 29 May 30

1:00pm 11:00am and 1:00pm

May 31 June 1

11:00am and 1:00pm 11:00am

June 1 June 2

1:00pm 11:00am and 1:00pm

June 3 June 4

11:00am and 1:00pm 11:00am

June 4 June 5

1:00pm 11:00am and 1:00pm

June 6 June 7

11:00am and 1:00pm 11:00am

June 7 June 8

1:00pm 11:00am and 1:00pm

June 9 June 10

11:00am and 1:00pm 11:00am

June 10 June 11

1:00pm 11:00am and 1:00pm

PROGRAM II

Sunday Monday PROGRAM III

Monday Tuesday PROGRAM IV

Wednesday Thursday PROGRAM V

Thursday Friday PROGRAM VI

Saturday Sunday PROGRAM VII

Sunday Monday PROGRAM VIII

Tuesday Wednesday PROGRAM IX

Wednesday Thursday PROGRAM X

Friday Saturday PROGRAM XI

Saturday Sunday

Tickets start at $20 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES CONVERSATIONS WITH

Sunday

June 4

3:00pm

Host Martha Teichner interviews pianist Stephen Prutsman at the Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street.

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DANCE

MARÍA PAGÉS COMPANY

YO, CARMEN The passionate María Pagés embodies the legendary character of Carmen in a vibrant ode to femininity. Accompanied by some of Spain’s most talented musicians, she stands out once again as an iconic figure of flamenco. From the tale of the sultry gypsy with a fateful destiny emerges a multifaceted, sincere, and forceful woman. Pagés sketches a portrait of the eternal feminine free of prejudice and conventions, endowed with the voice of all women. The fiery bodies of the dancers undulate and prance, their feet rooted to the floor while pounding out fierce rhythms. This company’s performances at the Festival in 2003 brought people to their feet with cheers of exuberant appreciation, just as Yo, Carmen surely will. “It is not often that one gets to see a true master at work, but when it happens, it is magical” (Live, Singapore).

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Saturday

May 27

8:00pm

Sunday

May 28

2:00pm and 8:00pm

Tickets start at $35 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES THE 2017 DANCE SERIES IS SPONSORED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SPONSORED BY EASTERN DISTRIBUTION

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

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“ Pagés is not just a dancer; she is a master storyteller and dance is her pen.”

– Live (Singapore)

31

PHYSICAL THEATER

COMPAGNIE XY

IL N’EST PAS ENCORE MINUIT Returning to Charleston after their triumphant Festival debut in 2013 (Le Grand C), Compagnie XY brings a new piece of French circus—this time, a metaphor for the ways in which humanity faces instability and imbalance. In Il n’est pas encore minuit, skillful bodies in motion evoke aspects of the human experience: the inevitable fall, the state of weightlessness, the euphoria of uplift. This troupe has defined and refined the rhythm and style that now shapes the aesthetic of their physical theater, drawing meaning and beauty as well as gasps and wonder as they catapult each other and stack one another four people high. Compagnie XY’s extraordinary feats and continuous surprise create an edge-of-your-seat experience for audiences of all ages.

MEMMINGER AUDITORIUM

Tuesday

June 6

6:00pm

Wednesday

June 7

7:00pm

Thursday

June 8

8:00pm

Friday

June 9

6:00pm

Saturday

June 10

5:00pm

Sunday

June 11

2:00pm

Tickets start at $40 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES SPONSORED BY SHERMAN CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF FACE, THE FRENCH-AMERICAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

843.579.3100

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DANCE

GALLIM DANCE

WHALE Created by acclaimed choreographer Andrea Miller, W H A L E uses radical physical language and an impulsive narrative pace to juxtapose love, sex, and domesticity. Gallim Dance returns to Spoleto Festival USA (I Can See Myself in Your Pupil, 2010) to probe the human pursuit of love and being loved, and offers a kinetic navigation of the expectations, anxiety, vulnerability, and forgiveness surrounding this struggle. Both intimate and cinematic, W H A L E invites an exploration of life’s most essential themes, guided by Miller’s virtuosic and fresh choreography.

This program contains nudity.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON SOTTILE THEATRE

Thursday

June 8

7:00pm

Friday

June 9

7:00pm

Saturday

June 10

3:00pm

Tickets start at $25 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES THE 2017 DANCE SERIES IS SPONSORED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

“ marvelously daring” – Arts Journal

MASTER CLASS WITH GALLIM DANCE

Saturday

June 10

11:00am

For more information and to register, visit spoletousa.org/events/master-classes.

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WELLS FARGO JAZZ

CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET FEATURING GERALD CLAYTON, LARRY GRENADIER, AND ERIC HARLAND In 2015, saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd was inducted as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master—a distinction reserved for living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of the genre. His work is rooted in fusing jazz with non-Western musical styles, ever broadening as he continues his “compulsion to draw connections—between cultural ideals, between stylistic traditions, between modernity and what he calls ‘the wisdom of the ancients’” (The New York Times). Lloyd will return to Spoleto Festival USA (previously here in 2001 and 1994) with a quartet of dynamic musicians a generation or more his junior: pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Eric Harland.

Audiences can expect astonishing “postbop fire, bluesy crosstalk and lucid incantation” (The New York Times), to name just a few possibilities. His endless pilgrimage as a “sound seeker” makes each performance an inimitable offering.

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Friday

June 2

7:00pm

Tickets start at $20 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

JAZZ TALKS FUD AT 100: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Sunday

May 28

5:00pm

Born in Charleston in 1906, Joseph “Fud” Livingston worked alongside the legends of early jazz, and authored the classic song, “I’m Thru With Love.” Mayor John Tecklenburg—a musician and Livingston’s great nephew—and historian Karen Chandler—co-founder of the Charleston Jazz Initiative—discuss Livingston’s legacy with music critic Larry Blumenfeld. This event will be held at Simons Center Recital Hall at College of Charleston, 54 St. Philip Street.

The Spoleto Celebration Concert (p 7) program includes Livingston’s work.

TRUMPETING TRUTH: A CONVERSATION WITH TERENCE BLANCHARD

Saturday

June 3

3:00pm

Multiple Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard (p 25) discusses with music critic Larry Blumenfeld how arts, advocacy, and social justice issues intersect in his career as a bandleader, film composer, and educator, and within the music community. This event will be held at Simons Center Recital Hall at College of Charleston, 54 St. Philip Street.

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37

MUSIC

RHIANNON GIDDENS With a prodigious voice, fierce spirit, and elegant presence, Rhiannon Giddens has crafted an American roots music experience like none other. Her show-stopping voice “sweeps, soars and snarls, driven by equal parts classical training and folksy instinct” (Rolling Stone). A common thread runs through Giddens’s versatile career—which included being the frontwoman for the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops (heard at the Festival in 2010 and 2008): she revives and recasts traditional songs from a variety of sources, at once displaying a great reverence for history while introducing her own powerful perspective. T-Bone Burnett, who produced her first solo album, remarks on Giddens: “It was clear the first time I heard her at rehearsal that Rhiannon is next in a long line of singers that includes Marian Anderson, Ethel Waters, Rosetta Tharp, Odetta, Mahalia Jackson, and Nina Simone. We need that person in our culture.” Spoleto Festival USA presents the latest contributions from this original and tenacious voice.

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Friday

June 9

7:30pm

Tickets start at $20 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES

SPONSORED BY SPOLETO SCENE

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

BUTLER, BERNSTEIN & THE HOT 9 As a pianist and singer, Henry Butler’s place in the pantheon of New

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON CISTERN YARD

Orleans musical greats is secure. He tells stories through the rise, swing, and rumble of his fingers as they channel sounds from a diverse

Thursday

June 1

9:00pm

array of genres: jazz, Caribbean, classical, pop, blues, and R&B, among others. Trumpeter, bandleader, and arranger Steven Bernstein—a

Tickets start at $30

veteran of New York City’s downtown scene and a Grammy-award

APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES

winner—refers to himself as a “retro-futurist.” The fiery unit they call the Hot 9 uses New Orleans tradition and early 20th-century blues as a launching point toward exploration that is “both historically aware and fully prepared to cut loose” (The New York Times).

SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO

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MUSIC

MUSIC IN TIME DIRECTED AND HOSTED BY JOHN KENNEDY

DIALOGUES WITH PEDJA MUZIJEVIC A longtime Festival chamber music favorite, pianist Pedja Muzijevic makes a guest appearance on the Music in Time series to offer his inventive Dialogues program. Four Haydn sonatas are interspersed with three modern works by Jonathan Berger, John Cage, and Morton Feldman, to offer listeners a fresh landscape for hearing works anew.

In the words of Muzijevic: “I am actually more interested in placing music of different styles and ranges of expressions next to each other and observing whether hearing one helps us hear the other in a different way. A bit like the I. M. Pei pyramid next to the Louvre or a watermelon and feta cheese salad. Their aesthetics and flavors don’t merge or unite. Quite the contrary—their individual characteristics seem even more pronounced. But they make us experience them in a new and vibrant way.”

SIMONS CENTER RECITAL HALL AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Thursday

June 1

Tickets start at $30 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR

7:00pm

AMERICAN EXPRESS WOOLFE STREET SERIES

MUSIC IN TIME AT WOOLFE STREET PLAYHOUSE DIRECTED AND HOSTED BY JOHN KENNEDY

TEMPUS FUGIT Music, like culture, is rapidly changing and innovation abounds. New musical works from a new generation of composers from around the globe come together in a program featuring members of the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra led by conductor Jeffrey Means. Included are Tempus Fugit by Argentina’s Jose Manuel Serrano, Abysses by Estonia’s Helena Tulve, and Encore/Da Capo by Italy’s Luca Francesconi.

Sunday

May 28

9:30pm

SOUNDING PEACE We celebrate the centenary of American composer Lou Harrison with some of his generous and beautiful music integrating musical traditions from around the world. Amplifying his legacy is the work of younger composers Ted Hearne and Jonathan Holland, whose Synchrony is a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Wednesday

May 31

9:00pm

LECTURE ON THE WEATHER John Cage composed his classic performance piece Lecture on the Weather as a celebration of the USA’s Bicentennial in 1976. Using texts

by Henry David Thoreau, recordings of nature, and projections, Cage’s work is a prescient and timeless sonic rumination on environmental and social concerns. An excerpt from the work reads: “More than anything else we need communion with everyone. Struggles for power have nothing to do with communion. Communion extends beyond borders: it is with one’s enemies also. Thoreau said: ‘The best communion men have is in silence.’” Also on the program will be Canadian composer Anne Southam’s Natural Resources.

Monday

June 5

5:00pm

S WOOLFE STREET PLAYHOUSE

Tickets start at $20 ALL CONCERTS APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR SPONSORED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS

MUSIC

843.579.3100

40

41

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

EVAN CHRISTOPHER’S CLARINET ROAD EVAN CHRISTOPHER, CLARINETS BRIAN SEEGER, GUITARS ROLAND GUERIN, BASSES

When he left California for New Orleans in 1994, Evan Christopher began a journey along what he calls “clarinet road,” working to honor and extend the legacies of such early Creole clarinetists as Sidney Bechet, Barney Bigard, and Omer Simeon. With a sound and style that combines virtuosity, immaculate taste, and enthusiasm, his music explores the full range of possibilities in this tradition. A creator in his own right, he composes works in the vein of the greats while bringing something of himself—”contemporary early jazz,” he calls it. At Spoleto Festival USA, his trio includes close New Orleans associates, guitarist Brian Seeger and bassist Roland Guerin. Together, they will make stirring 21st-century music drawing upon styles roughly a century old.

SIMONS CENTER RECITAL HALL AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Wednesday

June 7

7:00pm

Thursday

June 8

7:00pm

Friday

June 9

5:00pm and 7:00pm

Saturday

June 10

5:00pm and 7:00pm

Tickets start at $35 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR SPONSORED BY WELLS FARGO

AMERICAN EXPRESS WOOLFE STREET SERIES

THEATER

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

ANGEL 2014, Kobanî, Northern Syria: there is a siege as fierce as Stalingrad.

ISIL, having steam-rolled through Iraq, expects to take the town easily. The desperate Kobanis have only their determination and aging Russian rifles. Defeat seems inevitable, but a heroine emerges: a crackshot sniper—a member of a band of Kurdish female fighters— with 100 kills to her name. She is the angel of Kobanî. Inspired by a true story, Henry Naylor’s one-woman monologue won prestigious awards at the Adelaide and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, as well as critical praise: “It’s riveting; war reportage in verbal form” (The Times).

WOOLFE STREET PLAYHOUSE

Friday

May 26

7:00pm

Saturday

May 27

8:00pm

Sunday

May 28

1:00pm

Monday

May 29

2:00pm and 8:00pm

Tickets start at $35 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR SPONSORED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS

“ a compelling, thoughtprovoking, symbolic piece of theatre” – Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

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43

DANCE

WE LOVE ARABS Prolific choreographer and dancer Hillel Kogan presents We Love Arabs—a pithy work that examines the Arab-Israeli conflict with humor and subtlety. Earning the “Outstanding Creator of 2013” award from the Israeli Dance Critics Circle for this piece, Kogan performs with Adi Boutrous, speaking as well as navigating space together, seeking a way to break through prejudices. “Where we stand in space defines the way we move,” he suggests, translating and addressing cultural ideas in a physical world. The Jerusalem Post called it “witty, provocative, political and hilarious,” declaring admiration for Kogan’s “mind, originality, as well as his deep stage comprehension.”

We Loves Arabs is both strong and soft, cultivating an atmosphere where preconceptions do not block progress, and spreading a sense of exhilaration as the two dancers find a choreographic resolution.

EMMETT ROBINSON THEATRE AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Monday

June 5

7:00pm

Wednesday

June 7

6:00pm

Thursday

June 8

8:30pm

Friday

June 9

5:00pm

Saturday

June 10

8:00pm

Tickets start at $35 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR THE 2017 DANCE SERIES IS SPONSORED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

“ We Love Arabs is a true masterpiece by all measures.”

– The Jerusalem Post

MASTER CLASS WITH HILLEL KOGAN

Saturday

June 10

1:00pm

For more information and to register, visit spoletousa.org/events/master-classes.

MUSIC

MAHLER 4 AND DREAMING CONDUCTED BY JOHN KENNEDY

John Kennedy leads the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in Gustav Mahler’s beatific Symphony no. 4, a yearning for a peaceful life on earth with his setting of the poem “Das himmlische Leben”—”The Heavenly Life.” Soprano Pureum Jo, who sang the title role in the opera Matsukaze at the 2013 Festival, returns as soloist. Also on the program is the US-premiere performance of Dreaming by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir, which won the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2012. The committee had this to say about the work: “Dreaming opens the sphere of the symphony orchestra in an unusual and innovative way. The music behaves like a shifting landscape, bringing an experience of chronological time to halt—like in dreams.”

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER MARTHA AND JOHN M. RIVERS PERFORMANCE HALL

Saturday

June 3

8:00pm

Tickets start at $30 APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES SPONSORED BY SOUTH STATE BANK

843.579.3100

44

45

MUSIC

WELLS FARGO FESTIVAL FINALE THE REVIVALISTS FEATURING

The Revivalists have rightfully earned their reputation as the next breakout band from the music capital of New Orleans. The group’s blend of soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting comes to life through a meticulously crafted and ever-evolving live performance.

This groove-oriented jam band combines “brittle stabs of funk guitar, dub-influenced keys, and colorful splashes of brass” (Rolling Stone) for a sound meant for the Festival Finale.

Arrive early to explore Middleton Place’s stunning landscaped gardens and enjoy refreshments from the Beer Garden while local and regional bands play the main stage throughout the afternoon. A performance schedule for live music prior to The Revivalists will be posted at spoletousa.org. The evening will conclude with a spectacular display of post-concert fireworks bringing the 2017 Festival to a celebratory close.

MIDDLETON PLACE

Sunday

June 11

Gates and Beer Garden open at 3:30pm Live music starts at 4:00pm The Revivalists perform at 8:30pm Tickets start at $40 for adults; $15 for children (ages 6 – 12) Children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge.

Middleton Place is located 14 miles from downtown Charleston. Seating is on the lawn and unreserved. The ticket price includes admittance to Middleton Place.

Patrons are welcome to bring their own chairs, blankets, and picnics; food and beverage will also be available for purchase. This event is rain or shine.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

46

47

CHARLESTON

BEHIND THE GARDEN GATE THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY’S NATIONAL OPEN DAYS PROGRAM CHARLESTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Many of Charleston’s most charming gardens are hidden away behind

Purchase tickets for both weekends to see all 16

gates and ivy-covered walls. These inviting sanctuaries beckon

gardens. Tours are self-guided.

visitors each year to come and experience the ultimate garden-visiting opportunity in the beautiful Holy City.

Saturday

May 27

between 10:00am and 4:00pm

Saturday

June 3

between 10:00am and 4:00pm

For the fifth year, Spoleto Festival USA will collaborate with the Charleston Horticultural Society and The Garden Conservancy to open these garden gates. Each weekend features eight different private gardens—promising two full days of discovery and wonder in these gardens of Charleston.

All tickets are $75 Garden descriptions and more information may be found at gardenconservancy.org/open-days/charleston.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

TATYANA’S BALL Following the effervescent opening night of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (p 1), join Festival artists and patrons for an elegant evening of ballroom dancing and old-world merriment. Recreate Tatyana’s Ball with lush waltzes performed by a 50-piece Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra with champagne for toasting and a sumptuous seated dinner in a magical vintage setting.

Black tie attire

CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER BANQUET HALL Friday

May 26

9:00pm

$385 per person ($200 tax deductible)

843.579.3100

48

49

BECOME INSTRUMENTAL IN THE FESTIVAL’S SUCCESS For 17 days each spring, Spoleto Festival USA transforms historic Charleston—one of America’s most beautiful cities—into a cultural gathering place where artists are nurtured, ideas are shared, and audiences are enchanted. The Festival’s unique tradition as an exceptional setting for world-class performing arts will only continue with the generosity of civic-minded people like you. By becoming a donor, you are assisting in meeting the enormous cost of producing original operas, commissioning new works from important creators in the global arts community, bringing young rising stars together with acclaimed voices in their respective fields, and delivering unmatched talent on Charleston stages.

MAKE A GIFT

SPOLETO SOCIETY Members of Spoleto Society ($1,250+) enjoy unparalleled opportunities to experience the best of what the Festival has to offer—benefits range from personal ticketing assistance through our patron services manager to the opportunity to meet artists at exclusive parties throughout the Festival.

FESTIVAL CIRCLE Members of Festival Circle ($100+) receive an array of benefits, including advance access to tickets during our donor pre-sale and an invitation to the final dress rehearsal of a featured production.

SPOLETO SCENE Members of Spoleto SCENE ($125 individual membership), the Festival’s young patrons group (ages 21 – 39), enjoy specially priced SCENE selection ticket packages, invitations to SCENE-only parties, happy hours, and behindthe-scenes opportunities during the Festival.

BRAVO SOCIETY Members of the Bravo Society have demonstrated a significant, yet simple, commitment both to Spoleto Festival USA today and to the Festival’s vibrant future. There are a variety of ways that individuals may support the Festival through planned giving. To learn more about the Bravo Society, please contact the development office at 843.720.1179.

SPOLETOUSA.ORG/SUPPORT 843.720.1176

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

50

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS

City of Charleston Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation BMW Manufacturing Co. The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation South State Bank

South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts County of Charleston The Brand Foundation of New York, Inc. Sherman Capital Markets, LLC

French-American Cultural Exchange

Arthur and Holly Magill Foundation

Eastern Distribution

Christel DeHaan Family Foundation

Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust Renaissance Charleston Historic District Hotel

The Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Charitable Trust

Hyatt Place & Hyatt House

THIS SEASON OF SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART THROUGH FUNDS FROM THE SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA ENDOWMENT, GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WELLS FARGO, BANK OF AMERICA, AND BY THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FUNDERS LISTED ABOVE.

PICCOLO SPOLETO Piccolo Spoleto, the official outreach companion to Spoleto Festival USA, partners with the Festival each Spring to host an exuberant 17day celebration of the arts and community. Every year, Piccolo Spoleto features hundreds of free and modestly priced events with a focus on accessibility and participation in the arts. Detailed program information and advance ticketing will be available in late April at www. piccolospoleto.com or by phoning the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs at 843.724.7305.

IMAGERY CREDITS: Doug Hickok, covers; Alamy stock photo, pp 1, 2, 13, 14; provided, pp 3, 8, 10, 11, 19, 20, 35, 36, 38, 45, 46; Michael Higgins, p 4; Matthew Thompson, pp 5, 6; Julia Lynn Photography, pp 7, 17, 40, 44, 51; Crackerfarm, p 9; Nigel Bewley, p 12; Morah Geist, courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow Dance, pp 15, 16; William Struhs, pp 18, 27, 28, 49; Regina Brocke, pp 21, 22; © ROH/ Stephen Cummiskey, pp 23, 24; Brandt Vicknair, p 25; Daniele Moir, p 26; David Ruano, pp 29, 30; Christophe Raynaud de Lage; pp 31, 32; Nir Arieli, pp 33, 34; Dan Winters, p 37; Jacob Blickenstaff, p 39; April Renae, 41; Kristian Koren, 42; Gadi Dagon, 43; courtesy of The Garden Conservancy, p 47; Shutterstock stock photo, p 48

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CHARLESTON ACCOMMODATIONS GUIDE ANSONBOROUGH INN

HYATT HOUSE CHARLESTON –

(Circa 1900) This 4-Diamond AAA-Rated boutique inn offers complimentary breakfast and afternoon wine and cheese reception. We are walking distance to most Spoleto Festival USA events. 21 Hasell St. | ansonboroughinn.com | 800.723.1655

HISTORIC DISTRICT

BELMOND CHARLESTON PLACE

GO!

As Charleston’s luxury destination, Belmond Charleston Place offers the ideal launch point for Spoleto Festival USA. Receive 10% off tickets, enjoy dinner for two at Charleston Grill, continental breakfast for two daily and welcome amenities. Rates from $439 per room, per night.

Please note, package is subject to availability and restrictions may apply. Valid for travel May 24 – June 13, 2017. 205 Meeting St. | belmond. com/charlestonplace | 800.611.5549

HISTORIC DISTRICT

Learn more about Go Spoleto! hotel and ticket packages at spoletousa.org/gospoleto or when making your hotel reservation with a Go Spoleto! hotel partner.

GO!

Guests will enjoy spacious rooms, an indoor heated pool, complimentary breakfast buffet, and free WiFi. Located on Upper King Street the Historic District of Charleston offers boutique shopping, exquisite dining, and close proximity to Spoleto Festival USA events. 560 King St. | hyattplacecharlestonhistoricdistrict.com | 843.414.4900

The Charleston Marriott is conveniently located downtown, one mile from historic district with complimentary parking, recently renovated guestrooms and meeting space, fitness center and pool, and shuttle service to downtown. 170 Lockwood Blvd. | marriottcharleston.com | 843.723.3000

RENAISSANCE CHARLESTON HISTORIC DISTRICT HOTEL

An upscale location within steps of the festivities, each turn will surprise and delight. Featuring luxurious full-service accommodations, unique designs that meld historic charm with modern sophistication, plus palate-pleasing culinary delights. 68 Wentworth St. renaissancecharlestonhotel.com | 843.534.0300

GO!

Historic hotel in the grand tradition. In the historic district and walking distance to many Festival venues, restaurants and shops.

Rooms and spacious penthouse suites with unsurpassed views of Charleston. Parking, valet.

387 King St. | francismarioncharleston.com | 877.756.2121

PARKING GUIDE

SPOLETO!

HYATT PLACE CHARLESTON –

CHARLESTON MARRIOTT

FRANCIS MARION HOTEL

GO!

GO!

Located in Charleston’s trendy Upper King Historic District where boutique shops, award winning restaurants, and historic sites are within a few blocks. Perfect for Spoleto Festival USA travelers, this hotel offers residential-style accommodations with upscale amenities including an indoor heated pool, complimentary breakfast buffet, and free WiFi. 560 King St. | hyatthousecharlestonhistoricdistrict.com | 843.207.2299

SEE MAP ON PAGE 52

P1 VRTC Garage 63 Mary Street

P6 Marion Square Garage 399 King Street

P11 Wentworth Garage 81 Wentworth Street

P16 Queen Street Garage 93 Queen Street

P2 Visitor Center Lot 375 Meeting Street

P7 College of Charleston Garage 91 St. Philip Street

P12 Majestic Square Garage 153 Market Street

P3 Aquarium Garage 24 Calhoun Street

P8 George Society Lot 31 George Street

P13 Cumberland Street Garage 160 Meeting Street

P17 Garage at King and Queen Streets 114-128 King Street

P4 Camden Garage 47 John Street

P9 St. Philip Street Garage 34 St. Philip Street

P14 Concord Garage 1 Cumberland Street

P5 Gaillard Garage 32 Alexander Street

P10 Charleston Place Garage 85 Hasell Street

P15 Market/Horlbeck Lot 131 Market Street

P18 East Bay Garage 25 Prioleau Street

PARKING GARAGES: There are many parking garages located throughout downtown Charleston. Garages typically charge by the hour.

SURFACE PARKING LOTS: Surface lots either charge by the hour or a flat daily rate.

METERED PARKING: Most meters are checked 9:00am until 6:00pm Monday through Saturday.

Parking at meters is free on Sunday and city holidays.

RESIDENTIAL AREAS: Visitors can park for free

for one to two hours on residential streets. Time limitations are posted in these areas.

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3

Emmett Robinson Theatre at College of Charleston, 54 St. Philip St.

7

Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St.

4

College of Charleston Cistern Yard, 66 George St.

8

Charleston Library Society, 164 King St.

5

College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, 44 George St.

9

Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church St.

6

Charleston Gaillard Center/ Spoleto Festival USA Box Office, 95 Calhoun St.

10 Opening Ceremonies, City Hall,

P markers indicate parking garages and surface lots.

MID Not on the Map: Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Road, approx. 14 miles from Downtown Charleston

80 Broad St.

53

2017 EVENT CALENDAR 25 MAY: THURSDAY 8:00pm 9:00pm

Waiting for Godot (preview) DST Dee Dee Bridgewater CIS

26 MAY: FRIDAY 1:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:00pm

Chamber I DST Murmurs ROB Eugene Onegin CGC Angel WSP Monchichi SOT Waiting for Godot DST Dee Dee Bridgewater CIS Tatyana’s Ball CGC

27 MAY: SATURDAY 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Behind the Garden Gate Chamber I DST Chamber I DST Murmurs ROB Conv | John Fulljames and John Kennedy CLS Monchichi SOT Sofía Rei REC Farnace DST Sofía Rei REC Angel WSP Murmurs ROB Yo, Carmen CGC Pedrito Martinez Group CIS

28 MAY: SUNDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm

Chamber II DST Angel WSP Chamber II DST Yo, Carmen CGC Murmurs ROB Waiting for Godot DST Jazz Talk | Fud at 100 REC Monchichi SOT

INDEX

The Table, 12 Waiting for Godot, 5

OPERA

DANCE

Eugene Onegin, 1 Ayodele Casel, 4 Farnace, 13 Monchichi, 15 Quartett, 23 OCD Love, 21 We Love Arabs, 43 THEATER W H A L E, 33 Angel, 42 Yo, Carmen, 29 Murmurs, 10 Ramona, 19 PHYSICAL THEATER Il n’est pas encore minuit, 31

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm

Quartett MEM Waiting for Godot DST Yo, Carmen CGC Pedrito Martinez Group CIS Music in Time | Tempus Fugit WSP

29 MAY: MONDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm

Chamber II DST Chamber III DST Angel WSP Murmurs ROB Conv | Garry Hynes CLS Waiting for Godot DST Sofía Rei REC Westminster Choir Concert CTL Murmurs ROB Sofía Rei REC Angel WSP Farnace DST

Chamber III DST Chamber III DST Sofía Rei REC Sofía Rei REC Waiting for Godot DST Spoleto Celebration Concert CGC

31 MAY: WEDNESDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 9:00pm

Chamber IV DST Chamber IV DST Ramona ROB Quartett MEM Waiting for Godot DST Music in Time | Sounding Peace WSP

Tickets available online and over the phone beginning January 18.

Visit spoletousa.org/support for information about the donor pre-sale.

ONLINE:

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

BY PHONE:

843.579.3100 IN PERSON:

30 MAY: TUESDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

Spoleto Festival USA Box Office Charleston Gaillard Center 95 Calhoun Street Charleston, SC 29401

BEGINNING MONDAY, MAY 1: Monday – Sunday 9:00am – 5:00pm Sunday, June 11 9:00am – 2:00pm

FOLLOW THE FESTIVAL

1 JUNE: THURSDAY 11:00am Chamber IV DST

MUSIC

Bank of America Chamber Music, 27 Della Mae, 9 Mahler 4 and Dreaming, 44 Mozart’s Great Mass, 18 Music In Time, 39 Cinema and Sound, 8 Rhiannon Giddens, 37 Spoleto Celebration Concert, 7 Westminster Choir, 17

WELLS FARGO JAZZ

Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9, 38 Charles Lloyd Quartet, 35 Dee Dee Bridgewater, 3 Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road, 41 Pedrito Martinez Group, 26 Sofía Rei, 11 Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective, 25

AND MORE...

Accommodations, 51 Behind the Garden Gate, 47 Conversations With, 4, 5, 8, 13, 23, 27 Jazz Talks, 36 Master Classes, 15, 21, 33, 43 Tatyana’s Ball, 48 Sponsors, 50 Wells Fargo Festival Finale, 45 Venue Guide, 52

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

1:00pm Chamber V DST 5:00pm Ramona ROB 7:00pm Music in Time | Dialogues with Pedja Muzijevic REC 7:30pm Eugene Onegin CGC 7:30pm Waiting for Godot DST 8:00pm Ayodele Casel WSP 9:00pm Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 CIS

2 JUNE: FRIDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:00pm

Chamber V DST Chamber V DST Ramona ROB Conv | Ayodele Casel WSP Charles Lloyd Quartet CGC Farnace DST OCD Love SOT Ayodele Casel WSP Della Mae CIS

3 JUNE: SATURDAY 10:00am Behind the Garden Gate 11:00am Chamber VI DST 1:00pm Chamber VI DST 2:00pm Ramona ROB 3:00pm Jazz Talk | Trumpeting Truth REC 3:00pm Quartett MEM 3:30pm Waiting for Godot DST 5:00pm Westminster Choir Concert CTL 6:00pm Ramona ROB 7:00pm OCD Love SOT 8:00pm Ayodele Casel WSP 8:00pm Mahler 4 and Dreaming CGC 8:00pm Waiting for Godot DST 9:00pm Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective CIS

4 JUNE: SUNDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm

Chamber VI DST Chamber VII DST Ayodele Casel WSP Eugene Onegin CGC Ramona ROB Conv | Stephen Prutsman CLS Waiting for Godot DST Ayodele Casel WSP OCD Love SOT Waiting for Godot DST

5 JUNE: MONDAY 11:00am Chamber VII DST 1:00pm Chamber VII DST 5:00pm Music in Time | Lecture on the Weather WSP Bold = opening performance

7:00pm 7:30pm

We Love Arabs ROB Farnace DST

6 JUNE: TUESDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:30pm

Chamber VIII DST Chamber VIII DST Il n’est pas encore minuit MEM The Table ROB Mozart’s Great Mass CGC Waiting for Godot DST

7 JUNE: WEDNESDAY 11:00am Chamber VIII DST 1:00pm Chamber IX DST 5:00pm Cinema and Sound WSP 6:00pm We Love Arabs ROB 7:00pm Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road REC 7:00pm Il n’est pas encore minuit MEM 8:00pm Farnace DST 9:00pm The Table ROB

8 JUNE: THURSDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 3:30pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

Chamber IX DST Chamber IX DST Waiting for Godot DST The Table ROB Cinema and Sound WSP Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road REC W H A L E SOT Eugene Onegin CGC Il n’est pas encore minuit MEM Waiting for Godot DST We Love Arabs ROB

9 JUNE: FRIDAY 11:00am 1:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

Chamber X DST Chamber X DST Cinema and Sound WSP Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road REC We Love Arabs ROB Il n’est pas encore minuit MEM Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road REC W H A L E SOT Rhiannon Giddens CGC Farnace DST The Table ROB

10 JUNE: SATURDAY 11:00am Chamber X DST 1:00pm Chamber XI DST

1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm

SPOLETOUSA.ORG

54

Cinema and Sound WSP The Table ROB W H A L E SOT Waiting for Godot DST Cinema and Sound WSP Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road REC Il n’est pas encore minuit MEM Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road REC Waiting for Godot DST We Love Arabs ROB

11 JUNE: SUNDAY 11:00am Chamber XI DST 1:00pm Chamber XI DST 2:00pm Il n’est pas encore minuit MEM 3:30pm Waiting for Godot DST 3:30pm Festival Finale featuring The Revivalists MID SAVE THE DATES

Spoleto Festival USA 2018 May 25 – June 10 SENIOR AND MILITARY DISCOUNTS

Senior citizens and military personnel may receive discounts on select performances with valid identification.

Discounts may apply only to certain seating sections.

STUDENT DISCOUNTS

For information about our Spoleto Student Ticket program, please visit spoletousa.org.

GROUP SALES

Discounted rates are available for groups of 12 or more on selected performances.

For more information, call 843.720.1116.

Please call the box office at 843.579.3100 to request accessible seating.

Program, artists, venues, and pricing are subject to change without notice. All running times are approximate.

LATE SEATING: Patrons arriving late to a performance will be seated solely at the house manager’s discretion.

All audience members, regardless of age, must have a ticket.

Lawn chairs are prohibited at all College of Charleston Cistern Yard events.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA 14 GEORGE STREET CHARLESTON, SC 29401-1524 SPOLETOUSA.ORG

NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE

PAID

COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT #1183

FOR 17 DAYS AND NIGHTS, SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA FILLS CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA’S HISTORIC THEATERS, CHURCHES, AND OUTDOOR SPACES WITH PERFORMANCES BY RENOWNED ARTISTS AS WELL AS EMERGING PERFORMERS IN

Design: SDCO Partners, Charleston, SC

DANCE, MUSIC, OPERA, AND THEATER.