Art Notes: Big music weekend -- plus book events, new art and an audition
It may be Friday the 13th, but music lovers will feel pretty lucky as a number of concerts -- from jazz to rock to full-symphony orchestra -- are happening around the Lowcountry this weekend.
First up, The Rossano Sportiello Trio plays at 8 p.m. tonight Nov. 13 and Saturday Nov. 14 at The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island.
The trio is comprised of award-winning jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello, award-winning vocalist and bassist Nicki Parrott, and drummer Eddie Metz Jr., who has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz.
The show is $20.
For dinner reservations or information call 843-842-8620 or visit www.thejazzcorner.com.
Then, Ohio based rock-n-rollers Red Wanting Blue will make a one night appearance in the Lowcountry at 10 p.m. Saturday Nov. 14 at the Rooftop Bar at Poseidon, 38 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head.
The band, which has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and on NPR's Mountain Stage among other shows, will play selections from their latest album "Little America" which was influenced by such songs as The Band's "The Weight" and Simon & Garfunkel's "America."
Tickets are $10.
To check out the band visit www.redwantingblue.com.
A number of area artists will give a benefit concert for Bluffton resident Josh Aragon who is fighting multiple sclerosis.
The concert will feature Executrix, Ben Hughey, Harden & Crenshaw, Whitley Deputy, and Groove Town Assault and is from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday Nov. 15 at Cheap Seats Tavern 2, 142 Burnt Church Road, Bluffton.
In addition, the family-friendly concert will include games, prizes, food and a corn hole tournament.
Those who love the majestic work of Antonin Dvorak will be delighted to hear the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra perform "From the New World."
The orchestra will perform the famous Symphony No. 9 not once but twice at 4 p.m. Sunday Nov. 15 and at 8 p.m. Monday Nov. 16 at First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head.
Conductor John Morris Russell will give a pre-concert chat an hour before the performance and a reception will follow in the concerts in the church's gathering space.
Tickets range from $30-$55, with reduced prices available for children and their parents on Sunday.
For details call 843-842-2055 or visit www.hhso.org.
Also this weekend, internationally-acclaimed cellist Sophie Shao performs as part of the "Island of Music" series hosted by the Fripp Island Friends of Music.
As a member of the American Symphony Orchestra, Shao has played world premiere performances. She won the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant at 19 and garnered top honors at Rostropovich and Tchaikovsky competitions.
Shao now teaches at Vassar College and the Bard Conservatory of Music.
The performance is at 5 p.m. Sunday Nov. 15, at Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Boulevard.
Tickets -- at the door -- are $25 with discounts for students and includes a pass at the island's gate and a catered reception after the performance.
For details call 843-838-6655 or visit www.islc.net/friendsofmusic.
Finally, the Stardust Orchestra will give a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday Nov. 15, at Bluffton United Methodist Church, 101 Calhoun St., Bluffton.
As part of its "Swingin' Big Band Sounds" theme, the group will perform hits from Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble' and Frank Sinatra.
Donations will be accepted at the concert to benefit the church.
Spectacular Skies, Public Art
In art news, the work of Lowcountry painter Peggy Ellis will be featured in a one-woman show at the Four Corners Gallery beginning Nov. 19.
The daughter of nationally recognized artist Ray Ellis, Peggy Ellis recounts being mesmerized as her father painted seascapes from the tailgate of the family station wagon.
Ellis continues that tradition painting ethereal oils and watercolors of landscapes and nature.
An opening reception is from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday Nov. 19 at the gallery at 1263 May River Rd, Bluffton. The show runs through Dec. 31.
For details call 843-757-8185 or visit www.fourcornersgallerybluffton.com.
The work of Beaufort photographer Ryan Smith will be featured at this weekend's Telfair Art Fair in Telfair Square in Savannah.
Smith is known for his coastal images featuring vivid colors, dramatic lighting and realism. His work was selected by Telfair, which hosts the fair, through a juried process for inclusion in the exhibit.
The art fair features the work of more than 80 regional and national artists and will run starting today through Sunday Nov. 15.
Also, anyone who has ever dreamed of seeing their art outdoors or in public spaces should take note.
The Beaufort Arts Council is teaming up with Adams Outdoor Advertising for an "ArtPop Beaufort" competition.
A nationwide program, the competition will feature the work of local artists on billboards throughout the area beginning in 2016.
Artists who reside in Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties are invited to submit entries for consideration. Ten artists will be selected.
The deadline for submissions is midnight Dec. 31.
For information on the program including entry instructions, visit www.beaufortartscouncil.org.
Book Events to Bookmark
Several book signings and book events are coming up this weekend including one that follows a kayak tour.
Environmentalist Todd Ballantine will lead a kayak tour of the Broad Creek Wildlife Area from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15. A signing of his book "Tideland Treasures" will follow the tours.
In addition, "An Evening with Todd Ballantine" is from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday Nov. 14, at The Outside Flagship Store in Shelter Cover Plaza, 50 Shelter Cove Lane.
Ballantine has written over ten books and has authored maps and handbooks about the wildlife, ecosystem and history of Hilton Head. In addition, he has contributed to a number of local and national publications.
Kayak tours are $55. The in-store event is free.
All events require reservations. Call 843-686-6996. Proceeds will benefit The Outside Foundation.
The Heritage Library will host a book fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 14, at Christ Lutheran Church, 829 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head.
Headlining the event will be New York Times best-selling author Pat Conroy. The fair also will feature Cassandra King, Ellen Malphrus, Bernie Schein, Maggie Schein, John Warley and a number of other local and regional authors.
Admission is $10; free for children ages 11 and younger.
Or, to make a reservation, call 843-686-6560 or visit www.heritagelib.org.
Beaufort author Kim Poovey will sign copies of her books "Through Button Eyes" and "Truer Words" from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday Nov. 14, at Reflections Old and New, 928 Bay St., Beaufort, and again 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 21, McIntosh Book Shoppe, 917 Bay St., Beaufort.
"Through Button Eyes" takes readers through the adventures of a teddy bear in Edwardian England while "Truer Words" tells the story of a headstrong young girl of the Lowcountry during the Civil War era.
Then on Tuesday, best-selling author Robert Crais will discuss and sign copies of his new book "The Promise" as part of the Salt Marsh author luncheon series at Moss Creek Clubhouse, 1523 Fording Island Road, Hilton Head.
Crais has been called "one of crime fiction's smartest and most effortless plotters" in Kirkus Reviews.
The luncheon is at noon.
The cost of the event is $22 and tickets are required.
To RSVP, call 843-837-2230.
Casting Call
The May River Theatre is holding a casting call for "Smoke on the Mountain" -- a musical comedy about a slightly off-kilter church choir group.
The theater company is looking to fill roles for two men and one woman in the 40 to 50 age range, one man and one woman in the 20 to 30 age range and a boy and girl in their late teens.
Auditions are at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 and Wednesday Nov. 18, at Ulmer Auditorium inside Bluffton Town Hall, 20 Bridge St., Bluffton.
Actors will be asked to sing a song of their choice and read excerpts from a provided script. An accompanist will be provided.
In addition, those who play a musical instrument are asked to bring their instruments to the auditions, though playing an instrument is not a requirement to audition.
Rehearsals will begin in December. The show will run on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons from Feb. 19 through March 6.
For additional information, call director Scott Grooms at 843-812-0755.
Follow reporter Mindy Lucas on Twitter at twitter.com/MindyatIPBG.
Related content:
- Art Notes for Nov. 5: Festivals offer a sampling of the good life -- plus new art, music, lectures and performances, Nov. 5, 2015
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Art Notes: Big music weekend -- plus book events, new art and an audition."