VISUAL ARTS — The complex art of birds, bees, and trees
NATURE: REdrawn
Opening reception
Sat. Feb. 11
6 p.m.
Free
Redux Contemporary Art Center
136 St. Philip St.
722-0697
www.reduxstudios.org
Three unique artists from up north, Talia Greene, Christine Buckton Tillman, and Renee van der Stelt, descend upon Charleston for NATURE: REdrawn, a quirky multimedia show that features the disparate works and styles of the women converging around “a conceptual interest in the natural world, and a formal interest in pushing the boundaries of drawing past the two-dimensional picture plane and into the space of the gallery,” according to Redux. Anticipation is high at the gallery for this show, which Redux representatives are forecasting will be the biggest of the year. As if that weren’t enough enticement, the opening reception features live music from the Empty Words Ensemble alongside the nibbles and drinks.
SATURDAY
MUSICAL EVENT — Ten whole days when crying into your beer is readily accepted
Bonterra Lowcountry Blues Bash
Feb. 10-19
Various times and venues
762-9125
www.bluesbash.com
Once again, Lowcountry bluesman Gary Erwin (a.k.a. Shrimp City Slim) has put together an almost exhaustive 10-day festival featuring 47 different blues acts from across the country playing in 17 area venues. People come from all over the world to attend the Blues Bash, which Erwin has poured blood, sweat, and tears into for the previous 15 years — all in the name of helping blues fans get the chance to see some tried-and-true artists in an ideal setting for just absorbing the music. This week’s hot tickets include harmonica master Carey Bell (Tues. Feb. 14, 9 p.m., Cumberland’s), Mississippi-based singer/guitarist Super Chikan & The Fighting Cocks (Fri. Feb. 10, 6 p.m., Charleston County Main Library), and South Carolina’s own singer/guitarist Drink Small (a.k.a. The Blues Doctor) (Sun. Feb. 12, 6 p.m., Circular Church). Fans can also catch both Super Chikan and Drink Small on Sat. Feb. 11 at Cumberland’s during the “American Blues Originals” showcase. For more, check out our coverage in the Music section on pg. 58.
ALL WEEK
THEATRE — One man’s portrayal of “the losers and the lost”
Doolymoog
Feb. 10, 11, 16, 17, 18
8 p.m.
$18
PURE Theatre
701 East Bay St.
(in the old Cigar Factory)
723-4444
www.puretheatre.org
In Doolymoog creator and star John Paulsen’s home base of Seattle, alt-weekly The Stranger summed up an earlier incarnation (Doolymoog 2001) of the play thusly: “John Paulsen is wack-o.” Regardless of his mental state, in this one-man show Paulsen throws himself quite literally into a series of vignettes chronicling the lives of those who are on the fringes of society, using storytelling, dance, clowning, and “sheer imaginative whimsy” to propel the audience into the world of the outsiders, too.
FRI-SAT
OPERA — Poking fun at the bourgeoisie
The Marriage of Figaro
Feb. 10, 11, 13
8 p.m.
Fri. and Sat.: $15/adults, $8/students
Mon.: $5
Recital Hall
Simons Center for the Arts
54 St. Philip St.
953-5440
www.cofc.edu/~ageofmozart
Charleston’s celebration of Mozart’s 250th birthday rolls on with the College of Charleston Opera’s presentation of The Marriage of Figaro. This comic opera, which traces the follies of the wealthy, lecherous Count Almaviva and the behind-the-scenes intrigue of his household on the day of his servant Figaro’s wedding, was just one of several collaborations between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte — Figaro was the first, and the dynamic duo went on to create Don Giovanni (such a smash hit at last year’s Spoleto Festival that it’s returning again this year) and Cosi fan tutte. The singing performers in Figaro, many of whom have won acclaim at state and regional competitions, comprise a mixture of current CofC students and returning alumni, featuring Cliff Derix as Figaro, Kristina Riegle as Figaro’s betrothed, Susanna, Benjamin Lee as the Count, and Jennifer Crawford as the Countess. Happy birthday, Wolfie!
FRI-SAT, MONDAY
EVENT — More David Copperfield than G.O.B. Bluth
Jonathan Bayme
Sat. Feb. 11
7 p.m.
$25/adults, $15/students
Charleston Music Hall
37 John St.
376-0142, ext. 2002
www.jbayme.com
Eighteen-year-old Charleston native Jonathan Bayme started his study of magic at the tender age of five, perfecting his sleight-of-hand tricks and then devouring every bit of material he could find about performing on stage before making his live debut in 2000 at a sold-out show at the now-Urban-Outfitted Garden Theatre. Since then, Bayme has spent his time both honing his craft and passing it along to others, working with other young magicians and donating the proceeds from his shows to various charitable organizations — Saturday’s performance benefits Pinewood Prep, a private school in Summerville. After a recent trip to Las Vegas to perform at afterparties for the Billboard Music Awards, Bayme and his consultants have created a number of new illusions for the Howdy Doo-Dats that range from close-up effects to high-end, custom-designed large stage bits. This ambitious young performer is “currently in discussion with a few Vegas venues for booking opportunities over the coming year,” so locals, catch him while you still can.
SATURDAY
CONCERT MUSIC — Get some Debussy on V-Day
Monique Duphil
Tues. Feb. 14
8 p.m.
$15, free for CofC students and those under 18
Sottile Theatre
44 George St.
953-6575
The College of Charleston’s School of the Arts continues their International Piano Series with an appearance from French pianist Monique Duphil, a precocious talent who made her formal debut with the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts at age 15 and has appeared in more than 2,000 concerts across the globe since. Duphil truly speaks the international language of music, spending years on the faculty of the Hong Kong Academy in between concert appearances before being appointed professor of pianoforte at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Ohio. This Valentine’s Day, take your sweetheart to hear Duphil’s inspired performance of the complete preludes of Claude Debussy — a romantic composer if ever there was one.
TUESDAY
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