2011 - 2012 Season Archive
Music Events
OCTOBER
October 2
Chamber Orchestra & Small Ensembles*
John Sumerlin, Director
7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
October 7
Hands Across the Sea
RIC Wind Ensemble
Joseph Foley, Conductor
with Guest Norman Bolter
8 p.m. Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General Admission $10
October 10
RIC Symphony Orchestra
Edward Markward, Conductor
with Guest Patricia McCarty, Viola
8 p.m. Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General Admission $10
October 26
Cutting Edge Concerts - Eclectic Creativity*
with Michael DeQuattro, Percussionist*
Wednesday Chamber Music Series
1 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Question/Answer Session Follows
Donations Welcome
October 26
RIC Jazz Workshop
Combos Performance*
Greg Abate, Director
7 p.m. Forman Theatre in the Nazarian Center
October 28
Annual Halloween Collage Concert
Music Educators National Conference
8 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
(Free with Costume)
NOVEMBER
November 9
Cutting Edge Concerts - Fanfare*
with Judith Lynn Stillman, Piano*
Wednesday Chamber Music Series
1 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Question/Answer Session Follows
Donations Welcome
November 13
Chamber Orchestra & Small Ensembles*
John Sumerlin, Director
7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
November 14
Muir String Quartet
Performing Arts Series
7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Reserved seating $35
November 21
Proteus String Quartet
7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
DECEMBER
December 2
Orchestral Showpieces for Band
Joseph Foley, Conductor
with Guest Stephen Martorella
RIC Wind Ensemble
8 p.m. Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General Admission $10
December 5
RIC Symphony Orchestra
Edward Markward, Conductor
with Guest Mary Phillips, Mezzo-Soprano
8 p.m. Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General Admission $10
December 7
Cutting Edge Concerts - Musicals in the Making*
with Curt Columbus, Artistic Director of Trinity Repertory Company, and Judith Lynn Stillman, Piano
Wednesday Chamber Music Series
1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Question/Answer Session Follows
Donations Welcome
December 9
RIC Winter Choral Concert
RIC Chorus, Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus & Men's Chorus
Teresa Coffman, Conductor
8 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
December 12
RIC Concert Jazz
Band Winter Concert
Joseph Foley, Conductor
with Greg Abate
8 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
*Admission Free
February
Wednesday, February 8, 1:00 PM
Wednesday Chamber Music SeriesFlying Winds: U.S. Air Force New England Winds
Judith Lynn Stillman
Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Free Admission / Donations Welcome
On Feb. 8, the Wednesday Chamber Music Series will present Flying Winds: U.S. Air Force New England Winds. This select group of professional airmen-musicians will collaborate with series director and pianist Judith Lynn Stillman to provide a world class and inspiring concert.
Friday, February 10, 7:00 PM
Young Men's Choral FestivalSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Free Admission
The Young Men's Choral Festival, hosted by the RIC Chorus, will be held on Feb. 10. James Marvin, former director of choral activities at Harvard University, will be guest clinician.
Sunday, February 26, 7:30 PM
RIC Chamber Orchestra and Small EnsemblesAuditorium in Roberts Hall
Free Admission
Conducted by John Sumerlin.
March
Friday, March 2, 8:00 PM
Songs and DancesRIC Wind Ensemble
RIC Dance Company
Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
In the March 2 performance of Songs and Dances, the RIC Wind Ensemble will be joined by members of the RIC Dance Company, under the direction of choreographer and RIC professor Kathleen Smith, with music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams. Also to be performed are Frank Ticheli's Angels in the Architecture, Arturo Marquez's Danzón No. 2 and Eric Whitacre's Sleep.
Monday, March 5, 8:00 PM
17th Annual Samuel and Esther Chester Performance Award ConcertThe RIC Symphony Orchestra
Zhongling Li
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
Free Admission
The RIC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edward Markward, will present the 17th Annual Samuel and Esther Chester Performance Award Concert on March 5. Violinist Zhongling Li, winner of the Harvard Musical Association's Arthur Foote Prize, will be the guest performer in the concert, which will include Bernstein's Overture to Candide and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and Copland's Violin Concerto and Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo.
Thursday, March 8, 8 PM
Faculty Chamber Players Concert
Faculty Woodwind Quartet, Proteus String Quartet, and Faculty Chamber Players
World premiere by Barbara Kolb and the original Applachian Spring by Aaron Copland
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General Admission $10
Friday, March 9, 8:00 PM
RIC Spring Choral ConcertSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
On March 9, the RIC Spring Choral Concert with the RIC Chorus, Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus and Men's Chorus, will be performed. Featured works include Bach's Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV106 and Brahms' Neue Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 65.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 1:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Phoenix from the Ashes: A Holocaust Remembrance Concert
Judith Lynn Stillman, Artistic Director/Pianist
Lori Phillips, Soprano, New York Metropolitan Opera
Sidney Taussig, Honored Guest, Holocaust Survivor
Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Free Admission / Donations Welcome
Dramatic soprano Lori Phillips, joined by Judith Lynn Stillman on piano, will present the New England premiere of Phoenix from the Ashes: A Musical Remembrance of the Holocaust on March 21 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The event will feature the premiere of Phoenix from the Ashes, seven songs for soprano and piano with texts from Children's Poems from Terezin, composed by Judith Stillman.
April
Sunday, April 1, 7:30PM
RIC Chamber Orchestra and Small EnsemblesSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Free Admission
Conducted by John Sumerlin.
Monday, April 9, 8:00 PM
Proteus String QuartetAuditorium, Gaige Hall
Free Admission
The Proteus String Quartet, all faculty members at RIC, will perform in concert on April 9. The quartet, which is in residence at the college, includes John Sumerlin on violin, Samuel Breene on violin, Susan Culpo on viola and Steven Laven on cello. Music by Smetana and Borodin.
Wednesday, April 11, 1:00 PM
Fanfare!Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Free Admission / Donations Welcome
Fanfare! on April 11, will pair Paul Merkelo, principal trumpet of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, with Stillman on piano, in bravura works for trumpet and piano.
Friday, April 27, 8:00PM
Spring ConcertThe Wind Ensemble
Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
The Wind Ensemble's Spring Concert on April 27 will feature guest appearances by the Duxbury (Mass.) High School Wind Ensemble, and one of the country's most in-demand classical saxophonists, Otis Murphy. In addition, the RIC Wind Ensemble will perform the world premiere of James Bohn's Felix Dines and Pines, a new musical score to the 1927 silent cartoon of the same name, which will be projected during the performance. The concert concludes with variations on the iconic Funiculí, Funiculá
Monday, April 30, 8:00PM
34th Annual Bicho Family Memorial Scholarship ConcertRIC Symphony Orchestra
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General Admission $10 Donation
The Symphony Orchestra's 34th Annual Bicho Family Memorial Scholarship Concert on April 30, will feature the talents of RIC educators John Sumerlin on violin and Steven Laven on cello. The program includes Academic Festival Overture and Concerto for Violin and Cello by Brahms, and Symphony No. 3 in E-fl at Major (Eroica).
May
Friday, May 4, 8:00 PM
RIC Bon Voyage Choral ConcertSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
The RIC Bon Voyage Choral Concert on May 4, will showcase the RIC Chorus, Chamber Singers and Women's Chorus (all conducted by Teresa Coff man) and the Men's Chorus (conducted by Nicholas Laroche) in a concert to celebrate and "send off " graduating senior music majors as well as those participating in the May 2012 concert tour of Ireland.
Monday, May 7, 8:00 PM
RIC Concert Jazz BandSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $10
The RIC Concert Jazz Band will be joined by legendary jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon for a May 7 performance.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
RIC Opera WorkshopSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Suggested Donation $10
On May 13, the RIC Opera Workshop will present the world premiere of Into the Cautious Season, a one-act opera by RIC faculty member James Bohn as well as favorite scenes from some of the world's great operas. Co-directed by Edward Markward and Susan Rodgers, with piano provided by Philip Martorella and Brandon Donahue.
Theatre Events
Almost, Maine By John Cariani
Directed By Jamie Taylor
 |
When: September 28th - October 1st at 8PM On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend - almost - in this delightful midwinter night's dream. "A charmer…Unexpected magic lingers in the air like someone's breath on a cold winter's night. John Cariani aims for the heart by way of the funny bone." –Star-Ledger. "Utterly endearing…It's hard not to warm up to ALMOST, MAINE. A crowd-pleaser." –Broadway.com. "Sweet, poignant and witty." –NY Daily News. |
A Mouthful of Birds By Caryl Churchill and David Lan
Directed By Casey Seymour-Kim
General Admission $15
 |
When: November 16th - 19th at 8PM Violence! Ecstasy! Passion! |
Breaking the Code By Hugh Whitemore
Directed By Michael Ducharme
 |
When: February 15th - 18th at 8PM Hugh Whitemore's elegant and deeply moving play about British mathematician Alan Turing, reveals connections between his cracking of the Nazi's unbreakable Enigma code and his refusal to live a closeted life. Turing's expansive spirit embraced seeming contradictions: gay man and war hero, marathon runner and Disney film fan. He envisioned a universal machine and set the stage for modern computer technology. Turing was convicted of the criminal act of homosexuality and sentenced to undergo hormone treatments which left him physically and mentally debilitated. He died forgotten and alone. This play is about who he was, what happened to him and why. "Powerful, riveting drama." –N.Y. Daily News. "Elegant and poignant." –Time Magazine. |
Drowsy Chaperone
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar
Directed By Bill Wilson
Musical Direction by Anthony Torelli
Choreography by Angelica Vessella
 |
When: April 12th - 14th at 8PM A rare combination of unprecedented originality and blinding talent, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE boldly addresses a great unspoken desire in all of our hearts: to be entertained. If you've ever sat in a dark theatre and thought, "Dear Lord in heaven, please let it be good," this is the show for you! It all begins when a die-hard musical-theater fan plays his favorite cast album on his turntable, and the musical literally bursts to life in his living room, telling the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love. |
February
Breaking the Code
Wednesday - Saturday, February 15 – 18, 2012 8:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday, February 18 & 19 2012, 2:00 PM
Forman Theater in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
The RIC Mainstage Theatre production of Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore will be staged from Feb. 15-19. Directed by Rhode Island College's Michael Ducharme, this deeply moving story centers on British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key figure in cracking the Nazi's Enigma code.
Turing, whose life was filled with extraordinary accomplishments and great tragedy, was also a gay man in a time when it was illegal in Britain. The play examines the connections between his efforts to break the Nazi code and his refusal to live a closeted life.
Breaking the Code opened in London in 1986 and has since been performed across the globe. It has been described as "powerful, riveting drama" by New York Daily News, and "elegant and poignant" by Time magazine.
April
The Drowsy Chaperone
Thursday - Saturday, April 12 -14, 2012 8:00pm
Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15, 2012 2:00pm
The Auditorium in Roberts Hall in the Nazarian Center
Reserved Seating $20
From April 12-15, RIC will present the delightful musical The Drowsy Chaperone, a sentimental spoof of – and homage to – 1920s musical theatre.
This witty, comedy-filled production is framed around a musical-theatre aficionado – the Man in the Chair – whose recording of a cast album magically brings a musical from the Jazz Age to life as divas, cads, lotharios and other assorted characters sing and dance their way through the play in his living room.
The Drowsy Chaperone offers audiences a unique blend of clever originality and sparkling songs and dialogue. It is directed by Bill Wilson and choreographed by Angelica Vessella, both professors in RIC's Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance.
Dance Events
OCTOBER
October 7
LOSTWAX Multimedia Dance Theatre
RIC Dance Company
7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
October 19
Tap Kids
Performing Arts Series
7:30 p.m. Auditorium in Roberts Hall
Reserved seating $35
October 19-21
Annual Mini-Concert Series for R.I. School Children*
10 a.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
Call (401) 456-9791 for a performance reservation.
October 21
Adele Myers and Dancers in Concert With the RIC Dance Company
Featuring Theater in the Head
7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
DECEMBER
December 2, 3
A-MIRROR-CA: A Reflection on America's Media-Driven Society
Sponsored by RIC Dance Company in collaboration With RIC Theatre
8 pm. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
February
Friday & Saturday, February 24 & 25, 7:30PM
Sunday, February 26, 2:00PM
53rd Annual Spring Dance ConcertSapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
The RIC Dance Company's 53rd Annual Spring Dance Concert, Feb. 24-26, will feature works from celebrated modern choreographer, Adele Myers; Rhode Island multimedia artist, Jamie Jewett; renowned jazz dancer/choreographer and former artistic director of JazzDance, Danny Buraczeski; Rhode Island contemporary ballet choreographer and M.D., Colleen Cavanaugh; and RIC faculty members Kathy Smith and Angelica Vessella.
March
Thursday and Friday, March 22 and 23, 7:30PM
Dance Faculty Concert Featuring Kathy SmithForman Theater in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
The Dance Faculty Concert Featuring Kathy Smith will be held on March 22 and 23. RIC faculty artist/choreographer Kathy Smith showcases her interdisciplinary graduate studies of dance, choreography and the arts, created over the course of a two-year MFA program at Goddard University in Vermont.
May
Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4, 7:30
Student Choreography ShowcaseForman Theatre in the Nazarian Center
General Admission $15
On May 3 and 4, the Student Choreography Showcase will spotlight students from the Dance Performance Program at RIC who preview their works in progress in conjunction with one and two-year course discoveries from independent study and choreography classes.
