Can you believe it’s already May? Are you looking for a mini-vacation? Charleston’s world-renowned Spoleto Festival USA is kicking off later this month and I am hoping to catch the last weekend of performances. Spoleto is one of those special Charleston events that I grew to love and anxiously anticipate the years I lived in Charleston! The artists and musicians that are a part of Spoleto are some of the best in the world- and a festival of this caliber is certainly unique to a city the size of Charleston.
Spoleto Festival USA began as the American counterpart to the Festival dei Due Mondi held annually in Spoleto, Italy. Gian Carlo Menotti, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer began the Italian festival in 1958 as a forum for young American artists in Europe. Before long, the festival became an artistic home for many artists, dancers, musicians and actors. As Menotti planned the American festival, he found Charleston to be the perfect city to mimic the charm of the Italian city of Spoleto. Charleston’s abundance of theaters, churches and historic venues made it an ideal location for an arts festival such as Spoleto. Many people don’t know, but Charleston was home to the first theater in America, the first ballet company in America and is still home to the oldest musical organization in the country, so Spoleto is a natural fit! Those of you who have been know that Charleston is small enough to be taken over by the 17-day festival but large enough to attract sophisticated audiences.
In keeping with Menotti’s original inspiration for the festival, Spoleto USA continues the traditions that were put in place decades ago. With a dedication to young artists, and to providing unusual performance opportunities, Spoleto is committed to bringing the best of the arts to Charleston. Each year audience members experience a range of artistry including classical ballet, opera, symphonic music, theatre, literary arts and everything in between. Artists from around the world offer more than 120 performances each season with as many as ten performances on any given day. In addition, there is also Piccolo Spoleto which includes children’s activities in addition to a wide range of events and performances. Focusing primarily on artists from the Southeast, Piccolo Spoleto offers a more “homegrown” taste of the arts today.
I’ve already been flipping through this year’s program to pinpoint the performances and events that pique my interest. The Opening Night Fête is always at the top of my list and this year the night is going to begin with a performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Following what I’m sure is to be an extraordinary show, is a evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing at the Middleton-Pinckney Mansion.
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets is a quirky tale presented by Theatre Company 1927 that is running from May 25 – June 3. Incorporating live action and projected animation into the show, Animals and Children is a visually stunning story of intrigue.
And I also want to share my favorite Spoleto venue- the College of Charleston Cistern Yard. Sitting underneath a canopy of moss-covered oaks, on a warm southern night with a picnic basket and blanket, enjoying the music of a bluegrass band…..my idea of the perfect night! I’d love to hear Joy Kills Sorrow- a modern American string band whose music blends jazz, bluegrass and indie-rock. Or, see Ketch & Critter of Old Crow Medicine Show croon some rock & roll. Not to mention, I’m sure the Rebirth Brass Band will bring healthy dose of New Orleans jazz to the Low Country.
Spoleto concludes on June 10th with a Festival Finale at Middleton Place. One of the brightest young talents to recently emerge on the Creole music scene, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist, and four-time Grammy nominee. He, and his band, Bijou Creole will be providing blues-influenced entertainment for the evening. I suggest arriving early for an afternoon picnic and a stroll through Middleton Place’s stunning landscaped gardens. And of course, no Finale would be complete without a spectacular post-concert fireworks display to bring the 2012 Festival to a celebratory close!
Have you been to Spoleto? I’d love to hear your stories and experiences!
Tammy this looks like an amazing event with so much to take in. I haven’t been to Spoleto, and now I really want to!
I have a feature Interview and Giveaway on my site with Tina from The Enchanted Home…I hope you will visit
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Thanks, Karena! I think you would enjoy Spoleto… I hope you make it at some point! I’ll certainly stop by your site!
tammy