First ‘Laura,’ then ‘Beauty’ before ‘Songs’

By Rebecca Petersen | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, July 14, 2007

It’s getting really exciting in the theater world here in Fergus Falls.

“Laura Ingalls Wilder” is up and running as of this weekend. What a great production. Don’t miss it. Bring the whole family. Household tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. Individual tickets are available as well. Show dates and times remaining are tonight, at 7:30 p.m. and next week on Friday and Saturday, July 20 and 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 22, at 2 p.m.

“Beauty and the Beast” is in full swing, and I mean full swing. It is so much fun to watch musical and blocking rehearsals right now. Everyone seems to be having so much fun. You just know this is going to be a wonderful performance as well. Production dates are Aug. 10 through 12 and Aug. 16 through 19.

And then there’s “Songs from the Tall Grass,” which opens the following weekend, Aug. 24 through 26, then goes on the road between Aug. 27, and Sept. 27, and then returns to Fergus Falls the last weekend in September for a Sept. 28, 29 and 30 run. The cast and band for the show, again, will be remarkable.

Theater, theater, oh how I love the theater. And then there’s music. Music in the parks has been great — great turn-outs, great weather, great music, great food.

I’m sorry to have missed Sarah Winters and all of her talented friends last week — some of whom have some pretty impressive recording contracts. These extravaganzas continue every Thursday night in Roosevelt Park until Aug. 9.

And more music on July 19 and July 26 after the concerts in the park. On July 19, join David Stoddard at the park and then join Celtic Music Jammers in the lower level of The Kaddatz Hotel immediately following the concert.

On July 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Roosevelt Park enjoy music by Scott Gunvaldson and Alan Thompson then head downtown — at 8 p.m. — at A Center for the Arts, a Reunion tour with Rio Nido for one night only.

It’s also the night of the MS Tram so show your support and get on your bicycle and ride downtown (and to Roosevelt Park) for some great music.

Sandwiched in between the Thursday concerts in the park we have a wonderful musical program with Everett Jacobson, bass and Susan Sanner, piano on Sunday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m. The program is part classical, part show tunes — just about everything you would want to hear Everett Jacobson sing!

Then there’s film. For one more week (Sunday through Wednesday) catch the foreign film, “Offside,” featuring a soccer team in Iran and the trials and tribulations of another culture and their sports teams.

Starting the following week (July 22 through 25 and July 29 through Aug. 1) the popular movie, “Waitress.”

For more information go to our website at www.fergusarts.org, and you can even click on our Myspace page featuring clips from current films.

Rebecca Petersen is the director of A Center for the Arts.