by Tracy Shaffer Day 1. Began this morning with a table reading of my script "American in Hiding". I'm feeling a little vulnerable, having just finished this version on Sunday, I haven't even had a chance to read it. The cast is spot on. I...
"Forgiving John Lennon" is the featured production at the 5th annual Telluride Playwrights Festival, July 13 – July 17, at venues around town. "Forgiving John Lennon" takes place at the historic Sheridan Opera House, Thursday, July 14 – Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m.
The Telluride Playwrights Festival opens with a Play Slam Wednesday night, 9 p.m. at the Steaming Bean, where would-be actors and writers get to strut their stuff.
Three staged readings take place over the weekend. Saturday morning, July 16, 10 a.m., the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art presents "Mrs. Prescott and Mrs. Russell" by Judy GeBauerr. Sunday morning, July 17, 10 a.m., Gallery Room, the historic Sheridan Opera House hosts "Float," by Gary Leon Hill. (Free pastry and coffee included.) The featured play reading takes place Sunday, July 17, Sheridan Opera House. "American In Hiding" is newest work of returning playwright Tracy Shaffer, whose "(W)hole," workshopped in Telluride at the Playwrights Festival then went to on a critically acclaimed Denver run.
Illustrations by top 10 children's book luminaries featured
image courtesy of
Animazing Gallery
How do big-time art shows happen in a small town like Telluride? Start with a visionary.
In the winter of 1985, Telluride was beginning to percolate anew: entrepreneurs starting snapping up property; among them, Will Thompson, who bought the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art space the day after he and wife Hilary arrived in town to ski.
[click "Play", Susan talks with Nicole Finger and Robert Weatherford]
Event kicks off with Intimate Live Auction Thursday, 7/21. Main event is Friday, 7/22
The auction is Telluride's Ah Haa School for the Arts' biggest and most important fundraising event of the year. Proceeds go towards supporting the school's operation, especially programming and workshops. The theme of the 2011 happening is James Bond: "License to Create."
New this year, the auction begins Thursday, July 21, 5 – 7 p.m., with an Intimate Live Auction of 4 Works of Art. The evening of champagne and hors d'oeuvres includes a preview of Friday night's silent and live auction line-up and an opportunity to bid on four works of art, exclusively created for this mini auction by artists Julie McNair, Amy Schilling, Andy Ward and board member/teacher Robert Weatherford.
[click "Play" to listen to Susan's interview with Taylor Hicks]
You'll find the announcement on his website, big and bold: "Taylor Hicks will perform at the 35th Telluride Jazz Celebration in Colorado on August 6, at approximately 7 p.m.!"
In case you've been living under a rock, "American Idol" is the reality TV program that showcases emerging young singing talent, with each season's winner selected by viewers. Season 5, 2006, Taylor Hicks earned the title handily with over 63.4 million votes. And he did it by singing songs people can whistle, proving the legendary producer Simon Cowell wrong – probably for the first time ever in Cowell's storied career. Just ask him. (Cowell famously said Hicks would never make to the final round. Later he had to eat his words.)
Allison English among the top tier list of presenters scheduled to teach at the 4th annual Telluride Yoga Festival, July 14 – July 17
Allison is a certified Forrest Yoga instructor and faculty teacher trainer at Pure Yoga. She has completed over 1000 hours of training through the Foundation and Advanced Forrest Yoga Teacher Certification programs and was voted "Best Yoga Instructor – Chicago" in 2008. Nevertheless, Allison is not content to rest on her laurels: she continues to deepen her teaching skills and intensify her personal practice by attending workshops, teacher trainings, and intensive practices with her guru, Ana Forrest.
Buddy Guy, 2009 B & B
The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival single day tickets went on sale Friday, July 1st at 10am (MST). Every September, the bands, the fans, and the barrels of beer roll into Telluride Town Park for the annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. The Festival is a three-day celebration of live blues, funk, rock, gospel and soul performances, hosting over 20 nationally touring bands, and over 50 of the best microbreweries in the country.
The 18th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival lineup is complete, featuring headliners Willie Nelson, The Flaming Lips, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Additional performances include The Robert Cray Band, Zappa Plays Zappa, moe., Marcia Ball, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Mavis Staples, Anders Osborne, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and many more.
Theme of 19th annual event based on Bond: "License to Create"
First there was Sean Connery. Now there's Jeb Berrier.
Jeb Berrier is Telluride's Bond. Never shaken, sure to stir as he hosts the 19th Annual Art Auction for Telluride's Ah Haa School for the Arts.
New this year, the auction begins Thursday, July 21, 5 – 7 p.m. Billed as an Intimate Live Auction of 4 Works of Art, the evening includes a reception with champagne and canapes, artist talks, the mini-auction, music, and a preview (and pre-bid) of Friday night's silent and live auction line-up. With "buy now" privileges for each of the 4 works, this is an evening not to be missed. (Admissions is $45 and includes entry into the Friday night event.)
Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House welcomes Anthem, a 70s classic rock experience. The band pays homage to the music of the decade that one historian (Bruce J. Schulman in "The Seventies: The Great Shift in American Culture, Society and Politics") argues began January 1968...
Getting tickets to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival can be sketchy at times: the recent 38th annual event sold out virtually overnight. Keller Williams and The Keels performed at the 37th Telluride Bluegrass in 2010. That set breathed new life into old classics, as the trio showcased their hit release "Thief."
Missed the show? It was a doozy, but you are in luck: You get a second chance when Keller and The Keels headline the 15th annual KOTO Doo-Dah, Saturday, July 9, 2011, starting at 4 p.m.
