It’s springtime in Charleston and that means the arts are in full bloom. May 31 marks the halfway point of Charleston’s annual Piccolo Spoleto festival, a city-backed celebration of local arts and artists that accompanies Spoleto Festival USA. The second full week of Piccolo sees even more culturally rich and diverse offerings — from internationally acclaimed artists to emerging playwrights.
Find the festival’s full lineup at piccolospoleto.com, or take a look at our second festival program that outlines all of the artsy things happening in Charleston through June 9.
Music that transports
This Piccolo festival enjoys international influences all over its musical lineup. From a bossa nova concert to a program celebrating composers of the Jewish diaspora, you can find a wide range of musical events at venues around town until the festival’s end.
On June 1 at Gage Hall, embark on a musical journey to the vibrant streets of Brazil with Charleston based band Porto Seguro. With a centerpiece of Alva Anderson’s soulful voice, backed up with impressive instrumentals and solid grooves, the band delivers a heartfelt tribute to Brazilian bossa nova, samba, choro and more. The rest of the band comprises Susan Conant on flute, John Holenko on mandolin, Tom Noren on guitar, John Kennedy on bass and Bryce Waldron-Noren on drums. The program of Brazilian favorites and lesser-known but equally terrific tunes will make your toes tap and your heart sing.
Each weekday, there’s a free concert held at noon at the Circular Congregational Church on Meeting Street. Lindsey Pasko offers a June 1 performance of original songs noted for their intricate guitar picking and honest lyrics. June 4 sees the Top Notes Piano Quartet performing 8-hand music, ranging from Bernstein to Beethoven, and June 5 offers solo piano by Demetrius Doctor.
And the “World of Jewish Culture” program has something new every day — like the June 2 musical performance at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim from Baklava Express, an New York-based Middle Eastern fusion project led by Oud player and composer Josh Kaye. The band performs distinct and genre-defying music, heavily influenced by both Mizrahi and Ashkenazi traditions as well as those traditions of the broader Middle East and Eastern Europe. Performing members include Josh Kaye, Davide Laura, Daro Behroozi, Max O’Rourke and Jeremy Smith.
Or, find a film series at the College of Charleston from the Jewish Filmfest, offering screenings on June 3 and 4 of The Way to Happiness, a 19th century immigration story, and The Nita Zita Project, which follows the extraordinary story of outsider artists and sisters Nita & Zita, Jewish immigrants who were trailblazing burlesque dancers.
Conceptual dance, student playwrights
For lovers of contemporary dance, the not-to-be-missed program of this year’s festival is “It’s Itself,” a work straddling themes of the spiritual world and the human world. The work “offers questions about the desire to place lingual descriptions on art.”
It’s performed by the Annex Dance Company and created in collaboration with visual artist and College of Charleston studio art faculty member Susan Klein. The choreography and art share the performance space, allowing for connection, interaction and manipulation of humans and inanimate objects. “It’s Itself” is performed by students and company members as a culmination of the annual Piccolo Spoleto residency with the department of theater and dance. Catch the performances at 7 p.m. on June 7, or at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. on June 8.
Another program in which you can support the work of emerging artists at the College of Charleston is the “Under the Lights” Piccolo tradition. 10-minute plays are written by and performed by CofC students, including winning works of the Franklin B. Ashley Playwriting Award, the Todd McNerney Student Playwriting Award, the David Lee Nelson Hope Award and The Pages Festival. The 60-minute show is held at Chapel Theatre on Calhoun Street June 2 and 3 with tickets at just $10.
More theater!
Hold on to your hats for this next one — Art Forms and Theatre Concepts presents “CROWNS,” a gospel musical set to lift your spirits. It’s written by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. It’ll be performed at Burke High School May 31 through June 2.
“CROWNS” tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity. The story follows a young Black woman who has come down south to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn. The production shows how hats tell tales —- concerning everything from etiquette to historical and contemporary social functioning. This gospel-inspired production will have you tapping and clapping as it offers a look into the story of the dramatic role hats play in people’s lives.
For a totally different theatrical experience, step into a bygone era with Shortwave Kitsch, a 1940s-era radio show. A performance by Shortwave Kitsch offers a dramatized, purely acoustic show, or as co-founder Brandon Joyner describes the genre to be “theater of the mind.”
Their June 1 performance is a journey through time featuring two enthralling “episodes;” a double feature of suspense, humor and historical richness. The talented local cast brings original stories to life with skilled voice acting, piano accompaniment, melodic tunes and live sound effects.
And returning to the festival for the second time is the show called “A Yank in Scotland, or The Time I Lost My Wallet in the Highlands.”
Paul O’Brien and Bonnie Prince Charlie tell one man’s story of loss and discovery as he searches for mystery, meaning and a lost wallet in the Highlands of Scotland, which are filled with misty moors and ghosts from Scottish history. The show is said to “invite mystical ruminations, kindle existential questions and spark the imagination to soar into higher and uncharted territory.” Find it at Threshold Repertory Theatre on June 1, 4, 7 and 8.
Keep reading in our Piccolo Spoleto section to learn of even more offerings: City Paper writer Kevin Young previews “Whore’s Eye View” and Sydney Bollinger shares a story about a show that brings together hip hop, harp and poetry. Plus, we’ve got our talented cohort of arts journalism graduate students from Syracuse University helping us cover more than 50 Piccolo Spoleto and Spoleto events.
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