Last Saturday, July 11, Kimberly and John Kirkendoll hosted a party to support Sparky Productions' Telluride Playwrights' Festival. Jennie Franks' event is in its third year, and the quality of the theatre is getting better with each year. There is one more evening to...
Travel writer Maribeth Clemente will be doing an event Tuesday, July 14th, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Between the Covers Bookstore. July 14th is Bastille Day, the French equivalent of our 4th of July, and Maribeth, our resident French expert, feels it’s a...
The play's the thing....
Jennie Franks and Sparky Productions brings the 3rd annual Telluride Playwrights' Festival to town this week. The idea is to get playwrights and actors working together to develop new plays. The general public is encouraged to attend workshops and readings to give the playwrights the feedback they need to refine their scripts.
Last week was the preview. The Telluride Playwrights' Festival opened with a reading at the historic Sheridan Opera House. Written by Jennie Franks, the one-act black comedy, "Dr. Freeman & Hilda," is ostensibly about the famous lobotomist Dr. Walter Freeman. Jennie, however, is a keen, sometimes harsh chronicler of society's foibles, and she generally paints with a much broader brush.
Yes, Telluride funksters and funksterettes, the godfather of Funk himself, George Clinton will headline the 13th annual KOTO Doo Dah today, in Town Park, with opening act Rusted Root. The legendary architect of P-Funk has also been called one of the most important innovators of funk music, next to James Brown and Sly Stone. Clinton came from a background in R and B and went on to create a new genre of music. His leap from doo wap to psychodelic space rock was influenced by many artists, including James Brown, Jimi Hendrix. According to his bio, "Parliament and Funkadelic dominated and revolutionized the music scene in the latter half of the Seventies—particularly in 1978 and 1979, when they racked up four #1 R&B hits: “Flash Light,” “One Nation Under a Groove,” Aqua Boogie” and “(Not Just) Knee Deep.” Clinton’s main collaborators during Parliament-Funkadelic’s heyday included keyboardists Bernie Worrell and Walter “Junie” Morrison and bassist William “Bootsy” Collins." George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on May 6, 1997. Clinton recently released a solo album titled George Clinton and His Gangsters of Love, which is largely a cover with many great songs such as Fever, Gipsy Woman and Let the Good Times Roll. Gangsters features guest appearances from many artists including Sly Stone, Santana and Red Hot Chilly Peppers and gospel great Kim Burrel.
by Eileen Burns
There may be another tarp run in Telluride Town Park on Saturday, July 11th. Rusted Root rolls into town kicking off an evening of invigorating and energetic music that promises to leave townies dancing all night long. Gates opening at 3 P.M. with the ultimate jam band, Rusted Root, taking the stage at six followed by the Godfather of Funk, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
Rusted Root’s bluegrass/rock sound has always been heavily influenced by world music such as African, Native American and Latin America, and their long awaited new release Stereo Rodeo is climbing the charts.
There is nothing minimalist about Philip Glass when it comes to loving.Last year, the iconic musical wizard came to town for the Telluride Musicfest just to watch his ladylove, bravura cellist Wendy Sutter, perform. Caught up in the electrifying energy of the world-class chamber music event, he wound up giving an impromptu performance in the Mais' living room at the old Skyline Guest Ranch, home base for the concert series. At the end of the season, Glass asked artistic director, virtuoso violinist Maria Bachmann, if he could return as the 2009 Composer-in-Residence. Who would turn down the man described by renowned New Yorker critic Alex Ross as "Without a doubt, America's most famous living composer of classical music?"
On Wednesday, July 1, the Telluride Playwrights Festival opens with a reading, 6 p.m., in the Gallery Room of the Sheridan Opera House.
Nicholas Day and local Jennie Franks will read "DR. FREEMAN & HILDA," a 40 minute one act black comedy written by Franks about the famous lobotomist Dr. Walter Freeman, who specialized in frontal lobotomies from the 1930's to the late 1960's. The dark doc performed over 6000 lobotomies.
$10 Donations accepted.
These 10 Telluride ladies have always rocked. But until last October, they never rocked out. Last fall, under the expert guidance of Mark Galbo, founder/CEO, Telluride Rock & Roll Academy, the women began a journey of self-empowerment that culminated in a performance on the stage of the historic Sheridan Opera House last January. Tuesday, June 30, 7 – 11p.m., is their long awaited encore.
Join “Mach Schau” – Suzanne Cheavens, Baerbel Hacke, Molly Papier, Cindy Carver, Kathleen Erie – and "Mamalicious" – Suz Remec, Melissa Plantz, Libby Ball, Melanie McDonald, Wendy Fulton – for their second full-tilt rock 'n roll show and dance party.
"Being in a band and playing rock and roll is all I've ever wanted to do. I love the work and how making music makes me feel: exhilarated, happy, whole. Like I've hooked into some divine mystery. I wish I could do nothing except play my guitar," said Suzanne Cheavens, writer/KOTO's music director – and lead guitar.
Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House welcomes "Imagine," a Beatles tribute band.
Imagine we are all one country, one world, one people. John Lennon did – then he put his thoughts into the words of a song ranked #3 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Imagine" is part of a holy trinity that includes The Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction" and Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone."As famous as John Lennon was in life – he famously said he and The Beatles were more famous than Jesus – he remained a folk hero after his untimely death.
Now imagine John Lennon returned to life and coming to Telluride to perform. He did and is, sort of, in the form of Tom Coburn of the Beatles tribute band, "Imagine," in concert Thursday, July 2, 8 p.m., at the historic Sheridan Opera House for an evening of family entertainment.
Telluride Mountainfilm and Telluride Bluegrass are known far and wide as festivals for folks with a come-to-the-neighborhood feel. On the other hand, the Telluride Wine Festival, this weekend, June 25 – June 28, is perceived to be highbrow, for a sleek, well-heeled fraternity, who are all about Reidel, not KOTO plastic beer cups. It's for "them," not "us." Right? Wrong. What better proof of the event's parochial bent than beer – yep, brews as well as wine and spirits this year – and another Telluride Wine Fest first: a concert Saturday evening, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., featuring brooding urban poet and musical mixologist Clarence Greenwood, aka, Citizen Cope, a uncommon performer with a common touch.
