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Balcony Bards USF 2012 Events Programme

22 Jul

“Make the coming hours overflow with joy and pleasure drown the brim.”

  • Wednesday, August 1
    • 5:45 PM – Dinner “as you like it”
    • 6:45 PM – Play orientation in Auditorium for “Merry Wives” & Greenshow
    • 8:00 PM – “Merry Wives of Windsor” in the Adams Theatre
    • 10:00 PM – The Balcony Bards’ Romancing, like Ms. Ford, on our Balcony
  • Thursday, August 2
    • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove on “Merry Wives”
    • 11:00 AM – The Props Seminar w/Ben Hohman in the Randall Jones Theatre
    • 2:00 PM – “Les Miserables” in the Randall L. Jones Theater
    • 5:45 PM – Dinner at Depot Grill at 241 N. Main St., with Marian & Mike Peters Presiding
    • 6:45 PM – Play Orientation w/Fred on “Mary Stuart” & Greenshow
    • 8:00 PM – “Mary Stuart” in the Adams Theatre
    • 10:00 PM – Balcony Bards’ Schmoozing on the Balcony
    • 11:00 PM – USF Cabaret, at the Grind Coffee House on Main Street
  • Friday, August 3
    • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove on “Mary Stuart”
    • 11:00 AM – Costume Seminar in the Randall L. Jones Theatre
    • 12:00 PM – Balcony Bards’ Biking; Hiking or Hanging on the Balcony
    • 6:00 PM – Dinner on the Balcony with Nancy & Alan’s Pizza & Chicken
    • 7:40 PM – Ken’s quickie intro to “Titus Andronicus” at the Cedar Grove
    • 8:00 PM – “Titus Andronicus” in the Adams Theatre
    • 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards Celebrate Titus’ World of Peace & Love
  • Saturday, August 4
    • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminars in the Grove on “Titus”
    • 11:45 AM – Carol & Ken’s Hosted Lunch at Adrianna’s
    • 2:00 PM – “Scapin” in the Randall L. Jones Theatre
    • 6:00 PM – BBQ in Western Gear at President Mike Benson’s Home – 302 South 1100 West, directly southwest of the football stadium
    • 8:00 PM – “To Kill a Mockingbird” in the Randall L. Jones Theatre
    • 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards’ Les Miz Revolutionary Costume Party with Bad Poetry
  • Sunday, August 5
    • All Hours – Hoarseness, Exhaustion, and Bittersweet Departures
 
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Posted in 2012, Announcements

 

Balcony Bards 2012 Invitation

17 Mar

Our third generation of Balcony Bards will have a new open-air Globe-like theater to enjoy beginning in 2015 (when Lyla will be heavily into King Lear, at age 5).  The announcement last month of a $26 million theater will bring Fred Adam’s long vision to life, which delights us all.

The 2012 Fall season will be amazing, with Brian and David reappearing in perhaps the most exceptional play, “Stones in His Pocket,” along with “Hamlet” and “Les Miserables” continuing on stage.  We will attend the Fall season around October 3rd, 4th and 5th to see these shows, and hope you can join us for this, as well as for our annual summer festivities.

This summer’s plays run from Wednesday, August 1stto Sunday, August 5th.  As usual, Carol has reserved Best Western rooms, most of them on the balcony side and a few on the inner courtyard. Call the Best Western El Rey at 800-688-6518 to reserve your rooms among our block. You get extra credit during the weekend if you’re willing to fill a room on the balcony side.

Please email me back which play, with how many tickets, you’d like for:

  • Wednesday – August 1st
    • Merry Wives of Windsor at 8:00 pm
  • Thursday – August 2nd
    • Les Miserables at 2:00 pm
    • Mary Stuart at 8:00 pm
  • Friday – August 3rd
    • Titus Andronicus at 8:00 pm
  • Saturday – August 4th
    • Scapin at 2:00 pm
    • To Kill a Mockingbird at 8:00 pm

Our off-stage activities will be glorious:

  • A new restaurant, The Depot Grill, for our Thursday night meet-and-greet dinner, with Marian and Mike Peters playing the roles of MC (no Western gear required);
  • John’s fun, rugged bike ride around Lake Navajo on Friday;
  • David & Stephanie Ivers have graciously invited us back to their house for dinner Friday night;
  • Hikes at Bryce or Zion; golf maybe with Norm; card-playing on the balcony (surely with Norm); best of all, swimming with Lyla Corinne Sackin, making her third full USF appearance, and the new, tiniest Balcony Bardlett, Lawson Campbell Sackin;
  • Lunch we host at the Garden House with Fred and other USF folks on Saturday; and,
  • Chicken and pizza on the balcony, organized by Nancy & Alan, on Saturday night.

After the Saturday night play, we will get in full “Occupy Cedar City” revolutionary garb, honoring Les Miserables, for our Balcony Bard costume party. Our goal remains quite simply to beat Jane & Neil, and Lynn and Fred’s costumes, at long last.

Our Bad Poetry Contest, made tolerable only by our judges’ witty comments, will be endured, as usual. Erudite discussions at any hour.  Loads of laughs and warm fellowship at all hours.

See ya’ all in Cedar City to share our happiness during this wondrous week.

Cheers,
Carol and Ken  –  703-989-5444

 
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Posted in 2012, Announcements

 

Balcony Bards 2011 Invitation

20 Mar

“Oh, you got trouble, my friends – trouble right here in Cedar City…”

So belts out Professor Harold Hill of the River City Marching Band. This summer, the only “trouble” we’ll have in Cedar City doesn’t involve the new pool table in town, but staying quiet in our seats while Brian Vaughn sings “The Music Man” tunes that many of us (especially Ellen Adelman) know by heart.

Okay, maybe that’s no melancholy, brooding insight of Macbeth or Lear — but it’s sure a lot more fun.  Besides, if you want gloom, we got that for you too — with the final scenes of Romeo and Juliet and the serial murders of Richard III.

Scott claims he’s planning special activities for our weekend, to celebrate the Festival’s 50th anniversary.  But for us, every year is special (last year being the strongest performances on stage we’ve ever seen, over these 22 years).  Plus, this will be the first summer for Brian and David Ivers to show their talents as artistic directors.

We have glorious great seats together from Wednesday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 7th.

As usual, our own Juliet, Carol, has reserved Best Western rooms for you – on the balcony side for the stalwarts and on the courtyard side for the wimps. Call the Best Western El Rey at 1-800-688-6518 to reserve your rooms among the Adelman block.  By now, you must appreciate how Macbeth’s cry “Confusion now hath made its masterpiece” applies to the yearly El Rey room reservation cluster…. But Juliet/Carol lovingly sorts the confusion out at the end.

Please email me back which play, with how many tickets, you’d like for:

  • Wednesday  – August 3rd
    • Romeo & Juliet at 8:00 pm
  • Thursday – August 4th
    • Noises Off at 2:00 pm
    • Midsummer Night’s Dream at 8:00 pm
  • Friday – August 5th
    • Richard III at 8:00 pm
  • Saturday – August 6th
    • The Glass Menagerie at 2:00 pm
    • The Music Man at 8:00 pm

As usual, our off-stage activities will be glorious:

  • Dress-up Western, designer cowhand gear (if you lack, see Steve at the Jolly Rancher), for our Bar-D-Que on Thursday night.
  • John’s fun but rugged bike ride around Lake Navajo on Friday.
  • David Ivers claims he wants us over to his house for dinner Friday night (though he may regain sanity, once he thinks about this);
  • Hikes at Bryce or Zion; golf with Norm (and Jimmy?); playing cards (again Norm); best of all, swimming with Lyla Corinne Sackin, making her second full USF appearance (after an obstructed view in the summer of ’09); and
  • Chicken and pizza on the balcony, thanks to Nancy & Alan, on Saturday night.

After the Saturday night play, we will get in full River City regalia at our Balcony Bard costume party. The goal here is for someone to beat Jane & Neil, and Lynn and Fred’s costumes, for once and for all.

Our Bad Poetry Contest, made tolerable only by our judges’ witty comments, will be endured, as usual.

Erudite discussions at any hour.  Loads of laughs and warm fellowship at all hours.

See ya’ in Cedar City to share our happiness during this wondrous week.
Cheers,
Carol and Ken  —  703/989-5444

 
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Posted in 2011, Announcements, Misc.

 

Balcony Bards Challenge Fund

21 Jul

While “random acts of kindness” are the hallmark of the Balcony Bards, our collective desire to support the Festival now has an opportunity to be a little less random. Spurred by Scott Phillip’s brilliant idea to name the talented David Ivers and Brian Vaughn as co-artistic directors, the Balcony Bards are banding together to pledge their next four years of USF contributions to a Challenge Fund in a show of support and admiration for Brian, David, and Scott.

The Challenge Fund will match, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, money raised by other USF fund-raising campaigns, and thus spur on those efforts. As of July 21st, Balcony Bards have pledged $240,000 to the Fund, a most noble and impressive effort. For the Balcony Bards’ generosity, we turn to the Bard and say, “O, rejoice beyond a common joy…” (The Tempest). And for the total amount, we ask only, “Can one desire too much of a good thing?” (As You Like It).

 
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Balcony Bards USF 2010 Events Programme

22 Jun

Our annual pilgrimage to Cedar City is nigh upon us. In order that you may begin your planning and salivating in earnest, we present the 2010 schedule of events for the Balcony Bards. “Make the coming days overflow with joy, and pleasure drown the brim.”

  • Wednesday, August 4
    • 5:45  PM – Dining – Bella Italiano (formerly Cafe Orleans and Boomers before that), 5 North Main Street or “as you like it” elsewhere
    • 6:45 PM – Official play orientation with Fred for “Macbeth” – Auditorium (followed by the Greenshow)
    • 7:40 PM – Ken’s quickie intro to “The Scottish Play” – Pine Grove
    • 8:00 PM – “Macbeth” – Adams Theater
    • 10:00 PM – The Balcony Bards’ Merry Munching on “Macbeth”: Night One – Balcony
  • Thursday, August 5
    • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar with Ace & Ken – Pine Grove
    • 11:00 AM – Seminar with Ben Hohman – Randall Jones Theater
    • 2:00 PM – “Pride and Prejudice” – Randall Jones Theater
    • 5:45 PM – Bar-d–Que in Western “flair ‘n’ wear,” with masters-of-ceremony, Marian & Mike Peters – SUU Patio
    • 6:45 PM – Official play orientation with Fred for “Much Ado About Nothing” – Auditorium (followed by the Greenshow)
    • 8:00 PM – “Much Ado About Nothing” – Adams Theater
    • 10:00 PM – The Balcony Bards’ Adoing Much on the Balcony: Night Two – Balcony
    • 11:00 PM – USF Cabaret – Grind Coffee House, 19 North Main Street
  • Friday, August 6
    • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminars with Ace & Carol – Pine Grove
    • 11:00 AM – Costume Seminar with Jeff Lieder – Randall Jones Theater
    • 12:00 PM – Balcony Bards’ Bottom Bustin’ Biking; Hiking in Bryce or Zion; Balcony Poker
    • 5:30 PM – Dinner – Garden House, 164 South 100 West
    • 7:40 PM – Ken’s quickie intro to “Merchant of Venice” – Pine Grove
    • 8:00 PM – “Merchant of Venice” – Adams Theater
    • 10:30 PM – The Balcony Bard’s Ships Come in: Night Three – Balcony
  • Saturday, August 7
    • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminars with Ace & Ken on “Merchant of Venice” – Pine Grove
    • 11:30 PM – Lunch – Scott Phillip’s glorious garden, 249 South 300 West
    • 2:00 PM – “Great Expectations” – Randall Jones Theater
    • 5:45 PM – Nancy & Alan’s Famous Pizza & Chicken on the Balcony
    • 7:15 PM – Founder’s Room Pre-Show Tradition – Randall Jones Theater
    • 8:00 PM – “39 Steps” – Randall Jones Theater
    • 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards’ “Film Noir” Costume Party with (In)famous “Bad Poetry Contest”
  • Sunday, August 8
    • Hoarseness
    • Exhaustion
    • Bittersweet Departures


 
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Posted in 2010, Announcements

 

USF 2011 Season Announced

08 Jun

This just in! In their first major act as the new co-artistic directors of the Brian Vaughn and David Ivers have set the playlist for the 2011 summer season of the Utah Shakespearean Festival. The plays are listed below alongside the dates for the Balcony Bards shows in 2011.

  • Romeo & Juliet – Wednesday August 3rd @ 8:00 pm
  • Noises Off – Thursday August 4th @ 2:00 pm
  • Midsummer Night’s Dream – Thursday August 4th @ 8:00 pm
  • Richard III – Friday August 5th @ 8:00 pm
  • The Glass Menagerie – Saturday August 6th @ 2:00 pm
  • The Music Man – Saturday August 6th @ 8:00 pm

For those of you keeping score at home, just last year, Brian reported that Harold Hills in The Music Man was the role he would most like to play. Stay tuned…

 
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Posted in 2011, Announcements

 

Balcony Bards 2010 Invitation

29 Mar

“The game’s afoot” — as we heard from Henry the Vth (ala Brian Vaughn) last summer – for the USF’s future. More about some exciting news over the summer.

For now, know that Brian and David Ivers are back on stage in 39 Steps. The play got rave reviews in London and on Broadway, even with actors beneath their caliber. So that should be a show-stopper.

As should the other non-Bard works — adaptations of two great novels: Dickens’ Great Expectations and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The Shakespeare plays are the strongest trio we’ve seen in our 20 years — the “Three Ms” of Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Merchant of Venice. All are real favorites of ours, and will cause lots of balcony debate and discussion.

We have glorious tickets for you from Wednesday, August 4th to a blurry-eyed Sunday, August 8th. Carol has reserved Best Western rooms on the balcony side, and some inner courtyard rooms for the wimps who like a night’s sleep. Call the Best Western El Rey at 1-800-688-6518 and reserve your rooms among the Adelman block. Realize, however, that the Macbeth quote “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece” applies to the annual room allocations at the El Rey. But Carol lovingly sorts the confusion out at the end.

For yet another fabulous week, email me back on which play, and how many tickets, you’d like for:

  • Wednesday – August 4th
    • Macbeth at 8:00 pm
  • Thursday – August 5th
    • Pride and Prejudice at 2:00 pm
    • Much Ado About Nothing at 8:00 pm
  • Friday – August 6th
    • Merchant of Venice at 8:00 pm
  • Saturday – August 7th
    • Great Expectations at 2:00 pm
    • 39 Steps at 8:00 pm

To remind you all: Our dress-up-Western Bar-D-Que — designer cowhand gear from Steve at the Jolly Rancher —  comes on Thursday night. John’s bike ride around scenic Lake Navajo on Friday. Hikes in the glorious Bryce Canyon or Zion National Parks whenever, as is golf or just sitting on the balcony with Norm. Swimming with Lyla Corinne — at her first full USF — her view was obstructed last summer — to the highest bidder (Ken taking bids, even bribes). Chicken and pizza on the balcony, thanks to Nancy & Alan, Saturday night.

After the play on Saturday night will be the costume party. This year’s theme is Film Noir since we’re seeing the fabulous 39 Steps on Saturday night. Think 1940s and 50s and stylish Hollywood crime dramas with private eyes, femme fatales, black and white, trench coats, stunning 1940s suits, black wigs, and heavy eye makeup. Classic Films Noir were Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel and other bad girls like Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner and Ava Gardner; Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past, Burt Lancaster and Barbara Stanywick in Sorry, Wrong Number, and Bogart and Bacall in The Big Sleep. The theme for the Bad Poetry Contest, judged by “bad” judges Annie & Bruce will be announced later on and badly.

Erudite discussions at any hour. And loads of laughs and warm fellowship at all hours. We hope to see you in Cedar City, to share our happiness during this wondrous week.

Cheers,
Carol and Ken — 703/989-5444

 
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