John has been kind of enough to share his photos from this year’s festival. I’ve posted a few of them to the 2012 photos page. Take a look. If you have photos to share, contact me at admin_at_balconybards.com. If you want anything bigger or in higher resolution, contact me or John.
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
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
The Balcony’s Missing Bard
13
Jul
Johnnie sends the following sad news of the passing of his father-in-law, Frank.
Hi all,
I wanted to let you know that we lost Frank today to a recurring
lymphoma. He took a very fast downturn on Sunday and went very
peacefully this morning about 10:00 AM. last weekend, he was in the
Grand Teton National Park with Russ and LarryAnn and the week before
that, he was the headliner for a luncheon entertainment at a local
senior citizens center… I accompanied him with six or seven songs
that he wanted to perform for the gang in August.
We are planning a memorial service in Salt Lake City on Thursday, 21 July.
If you could forward this on to the Bards, I would appreciate it. I
know he was everyone’s favorite tenor.
Love,
John
Balcony Bards USF 2011 Events Programme
13
Jul
“Make the coming hours overflow with joy, and pleasure drown the brim.”
- Wednesday, August 3
- 5:45 PM – Dinner “as you like it”
- 6:45 PM – Play orientation in Auditorium for “Romeo and Juliet” & Greenshow
- 7:45 PM – Ken’s quickie intro to “R & J” in the Pine Grove
- 8:00 PM – “Romeo & Juliet” in the Adams Theatre
- 10:00 PM – The Balcony Bards’ Romancing, like Juliet, on our Balcony
- Thursday, August 4
- 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove with Ace & Carol on “R & J”
- 11:00 AM – The Props Seminar w/Ben Hohman in the Randall Jones Theatre
- 2:00 PM – “Noises Off” in the Randall L. Jones Theater
- 5:45 PM – Bar-d-Que on SUU Patio in Western “flair ‘n’ wear,” MC-ed by Marian & Mike Peters
- 6:45 PM – Play Orientation w/Fred on “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream” & Greenshow
- 8:00 PM – “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream” in the Adams Theatre
- 10:00 PM – Balcony Bards’ Mid-Summer Night with little Dreaming
- 11:00 PM – USF Cabaret, at the Grind Coffee House on Main Street
- Friday, August 5
- 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove on “Mid-Summer” with Ace & Ken
- 11:00 AM – Costume Seminar w/Jeff Lieder – Randall L. Jones Theatre
- 12:00 PM – Balcony Bards’ Bottom Bustin’ Biking; Hiking in Bryce or Zion; Balcony Poker
- 5:30 PM – Dinner at David Ivers’ Home – 190 South Casa Loma Lane; 435/586-9586
- 7:40 PM – David Ivers’ quickie intro to “Richard III” at his home
- 8:00 PM – “Richard III” in the Adams Theatre
- 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards Celebrate Richard’s Defeat: “My Kingdom for a Balcony”
- Saturday, August 6
- 9:00 AM – Literary Seminars in the Grove on RIII with Ace & Ken
- 11:45 AM – Carol & Ken’s Hosted Lunch at Adrianna’s
- 2:00 PM – “Glass Menagerie” in the Randall L. Jones Theatre
- 5:45 PM – Nancy & Alan’s Famous Pizza & Chicken on the Balcony
- 7:15 PM – Founder’s Room Pre-Show Tradition – Randall L. Jones Theatre
- 8:00 PM – “Music Man” in the Randall L. Jones Theatre
- 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards’ 76 Trombone Costume Party with Bad Poetry blaring
- Sunday, August 7
- Hoarseness
- Exhaustion,
- Bittersweet Departures
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
More Greetings from Absent Bards
04
Sep
Nick Arnold and Steven Sfeir managed to keep the August traditions of the Balcony Bards alive even in far off Afghanistan. Keep up the great work, boys. We support you and want you home safe.
Greetings from a Bard at Ft. Benning
03
Sep
Lucas Ziller wrote to thank the Balcony Bards for sending him a card with Festival greetings and wishes. See his note below. You can write him at:
SPC Ziller, Lucas M Roster #453 B Co 1/378th Inf Ba 5375 Hanson Dr Bldg 3245 Fort Benning, GA 31905
Share Your 2010 Memories
30
Aug
Keep the 2010 Festival experience alive! The BalconyBards.com blog can now host your photos and poems from the festival.
To view photos, go to the “Photos” page and enter the password (sent via email). To post photos, you’ll need to register for the site using the “Register” link at the bottom right. Then login, create a gallery, and upload your photos. I will add them to the “Photos” page.
To post your poem, go to the “Poems” page and add it to the comments. Please send me feedback and suggestions and I’ll try to improve the site as we go along.
2010 Festival Wrapup
16
Aug
From the sheer joy of watching the acrobatic prowess of David Ivers & Brian Vaughn in “39 Steps” to the anger triggered by the treatment of Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice,” this year’s USF experience was exceptional.
Besides the extremes of such emotions came the ingenious pairing of battling couples — Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in “Pride and Prejudice,” and Beatrice and Benedict in “Much Ado About Nothing” — who confront a dire family problem, which brings them together, permanently we all hope.
Rounding out the performances were the best “Macbeth” ever and a remarkable premier of the musical of Charles Dicken’s “Great Expectations.”
Nonetheless, the theater experience is just a part of the USF happening.
Developing and deepening friendships and family ties on the balcony, the display of gaudy Western gear at the Bard-que, Ace’s superb seminars under the Cedar trees, the back-stage and props seminars, lunch in Scott’s backyard with David and Brian and the always remarkable Fred Adams, the bad poems, even badder judges, rather neat costumes — tell me, what can top all this?
Thanks to all Balcony Bards for making this the perfect mix of intellectual challenge, aesthetic stimulation, personal connection and natural beauty.
As we always say to one another at the end of the time together, “The best ever!”