FestivalSouth Features Four Fantastic Weekends
Fri, 04/29/2022 - 02:58pm | By: Mike Lopinto
FestivalSouth庐 returns to live and streaming events for its 13th season, opening June 2 and continuing through June 25. Grouped around the four weekends in June, art, music, theatre, and dance events are planned each Thursday through Sunday, with Artie Events for Families primarily earlier in the week. Tickets and information on both live and virtual events are available now at FestivalSouth.org.
91吃瓜网淲e are thrilled to be completely back on stages, in galleries, and venues across the Pine Belt,91吃瓜网� said Dr. Mike Lopinto, co-artistic director of FestivalSouth. 91吃瓜网淥nce again, we have listened to our attendees and modified the schedule to offer weekends packed with activities for all ages and tastes.91吃瓜网�
While a complete listing of the month-long festival is available at festivalsouth.org, the opening weekend includes the special engagement of the Tony and Olivier Award-winner, The Play That Goes Wrong. A FestivalFavorite, the Hub City Players, presents this hysterical comedy from the producer of Avenue Q, Something Rotten! and producer J.J. Abrams (who we can only assume lost a bet).
This hilarious comedy is a hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes and invites the audience to the opening night of 91吃瓜网淭he Murder at Haversham Manor91吃瓜网� where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can91吃瓜网檛 play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), it91吃瓜网 91吃瓜网淎 riotous explosion of comedy!91吃瓜网� (The Daily Beast) and 91吃瓜网淭ons of fun for all ages!91吃瓜网� (HuffPost).
This year91吃瓜网 FestivalArt features watercolorist Darryl Anderson who will open his exclusive show at the Eureka School. Artie Events for Families kick off as Lamar County presents Kids91吃瓜网� Arts Festival at St. Fabian Catholic Church. The first FestivalMusic events features pianist Zhaolei Xie in a program at University Baptist Church.
The second weekend really turns up the music and features Coffee Concerts; the long-awaited performance of the Alias Brass at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church; Romantic Transcriptions for flute and piano featuring Danilo Mezzadri and Elizabeth Moak; Downtown Summertunes featuring the Big Fun Brass Band; the Dog Days 5K Run and 2-Mile Walk; and Artie in the Alley at the Pocket Museum.
The Hub City Players return with a special tribute entitled, Sincerely, Stephen Sondheim that features jazz arrangements of the master91吃瓜网 catalog and the Meistersinger91吃瓜网 perform the timeless Brahms91吃瓜网� Requiem.
Juneteenth and Father91吃瓜网 Day weekend continues with even more special events! Coffee Concerts continue; Mr. Showmanship features the piano virtuoso David Maiocco as Liberace; the FestivalSouth World Championship Golf Classic; soprano Meredith Johnson and pianist Joe Brumbelo present Hidden Gems; Artie invites families to create Percussion Sounds at Kamper Park and celebrate royally at Beam Park in Sumrall.
The Hattiesburg Craft Beer Festival again finds its91吃瓜网� home at FestivalSouth and a very special Sunday afternoon with Ora Reed and Larry Robbins closes out the third weekend with a special Juneteenth event and a chance to see the FestivalExhibit at the Eureka School.
The FestivalFinale weekend kicks off with Coffee Concerts; FestivalFavorites Theresa Sanchez and Rachel Ciraldo and friends in Virtousic Chamber Masterworks at First Presbyterian Church; Cuban pianist Dario Martin presents The Art of Seduction and Columbia sees the wrap up of Artie Events for Families.
The festival ends with as big a bang as it started as Forrest General presents Forever: The Music of Queen, A Symphonic Rock Concert. Our FestivalFinale will feature the amazing lead vocalist Michael Muenchow Rivera, a virtuoso rock band, eight wonderful background singers, and the FestivalOrchestra performing Queen91吃瓜网 greatest hits arranged especially for FestivalSouth audiences. With music including 91吃瓜网淯nder Pressure, Stone Cold Crazy, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, Fat Bottom Girls, Crazy Little Thing Called Love91吃瓜网� and, of course, 91吃瓜网淏ohemian Rhapsody.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淚f you loved last year91吃瓜网 finale, Downtown Motown Revival, you can91吃瓜网檛 miss this!91吃瓜网� said Jay Dean, founding artistic director of the festival.
A significant cultural and economic driver for the Pine Belt, FestivalSouth calls on the community to join them and show their resilience by participating and supporting the arts of this and other organizations by their visible attendance in the theater, or via their digital devices. Performances are nominally priced, or free to encourage the largest turnout possible. Advance tickets to public events are strongly recommended as venue capacities may cause sell-outs.
91吃瓜网淲e are so appreciative of the ongoing involvement of our Hattiesburg/Forrest County entities such as 91吃瓜网, the City of Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Lamar County, William Carey University, and others. As the most extensive multi-genre arts festival in the state, each year we try to provide events that are appealing to a wide variety of people. Our events are well-produced, top quality events that are designed to uplift, educate, and entertain,91吃瓜网� said Jay Dean, founding artistic director, and co-artistic director of FestivalSouth.
Generous sponsors and donors have made FestivalSouth possible for more than a decade. Now, more than ever before, they have invested again to be certain that the community remains a vibrant haven for the arts with FestivalSouth leading the way.
91吃瓜网淣ow is the time for us as a community to come together once again to show that our arts are vitally important to us,91吃瓜网� said Amanda Powell, chairwoman of the Hattiesburg Concert Association, parent organization of FestivalSouth. 91吃瓜网淭he arts have suffered a catastrophic blow forcing them out of existence in many cases. We have the ability to change that with our actions 91吃瓜网� and I urge you to start immediately.91吃瓜网�
For more information, visit festivalsouth.org and social media including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.
ABOUT FESTIVALSOUTH
FestivalSouth, the largest project of the Hattiesburg Concert Association (HCA) that is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, is an annual, multi-week festival presenting a variety of musical and other arts-related entertainment that aims to transcend social, cultural, and economic lines. This year, celebrating its 13th anniversary, FestivalSouth is credited with bringing more than $2 million in economic impact to the community last year alone and has distinguished itself as the premier arts presenter in the region, drawing locals and tourists of all ages with its91吃瓜网� wide variety of cultural programming, that features exceptional performing and visual artists.