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Donald Bruce McKellar (1923-2012)

Director — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:07:21 +0000

Donald Bruce McKellar passed away this morning. His name is synonymous with the arts and theatre in Greenwood. As the Executive Director of Greenwood Community Theatre for over 35 years, he truly gave everything he could to the arts, theatre, and the entire Greenwood community. He was a proud supporter of all the arts in Greenwood, and was a wonderful supporter of the Greenwood Music Festival, and of me. He gave me my first role as a Confederate soldier in the musical Shenandoah, and later Joseph in Joeseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, among many others. He taught me, as he said so often, that “There are no small roles in the theatre, just small actors!” He always taught us to “Project! Project” Project to the back of the house!”. Donald, your inspiration, dedication, support, and commitment, are examples for us all. A true artist, director, and wonderful friend and supporter. You will be forever missed.

“Jack and the Beanstalk” on March 10

Director — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:48:11 +0000

Jack and the Beanstalk, performed by Opera for Kids! FBN Productions from Columbia, SC, will be presented on Saturday, March 10, 2012 for two performances only, 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The performances take place at the Arts Center at the Federal Building, 120 Main Street in Greenwood. Tickets are $3.00, and available at the Arts Center beginning March 1. Call (864) 388-7800 for more information on tickets.

This delightful 40 minute children’s opera is based on the familiar story of Jack and his adventures atop a magic beanstalk. The music is set to the beautiful melodies of Gilbert and Sullivan (famous for their operettas The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore). This is a great way to introduce children and grandchildren to the joys of classical music and opera.

Opera for Kids! makes it’s third visit to Greenwood, having previously performed The Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio. They have toured schools, libraries, and concert halls throughout SC for over ten years, performing for thousands of kids. We are thrilled to welcome back Opera for Kids! For more information on Opera for Kids! visit their website at www.operaforkids.org

Broadway star Nat Chandler, soprano Siân Davies, Peachtree Symphonic Winds and more take Greenwood on a “Roman Holiday”

Director — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:06:14 +0000

Get ready for a very Italian Festival this coming May, as the Greenwood Music Festival celebrates it’s fifth anniversary season with a Roman Holiday. Our Opening Night Celebration begins at 7:30pm on Thursday, May 19, with the festive sounds of the Emerald Brass in the Countybank Gallery at the Arts Center at the Federal Building. Then soprano Siân Davies delights the audience with Italian arias and songs by Handel, Mozart, Puccini and others. She’ll also perform popular songs from 1911 in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Federal Building. To bring the night to a festive conclusion, we present a “Bacchus” Reception named for the Roman God of Wine and Revelry.

On Friday May 20 at the Greenwood Museum, the evening begins with Music at the Museum at 6:00pm with a free, 30-minute concert featuring the “Amici Strings” from the SC Governor’s School for the Arts. Following the concert, we present a showing of the classic 1960 film Spartacus at the Greenwood Community Theatre, starring Kirk Douglas, and directed by Stanley Kubrick. On Saturday, May 21 at 2:00pm, get swept away with romance in the 1953 classic film Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

Ensemble Radieuse, a trio of flute, oboe, and piano, returns to Greenwood Saturday evening, May 21 at 7:00pm, with a concert of chamber music. On Sunday, May 22 at 4:00pm, we present the Greenwood debut of the Peachtree Symphonic Winds from Atlanta, an 80-member wind ensemble, sure to impress at First Baptist Church. Selections will include Respighi’s monumental Pines of Rome and Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture.

Nat Chandler, Broadway star and Greenwood native, returns for a cabaret evening at Greenwood Community Theatre on Monday, May 23 at 7:00pm, to bring our Festival to a fantastic finale. This event is guaranteed to be sold-out, so get your tickets early!

Our season also features commissioned artwork by local Greenwood artist Skip Shelton. Plus, all of our commissioned artworks by Ruth Martin, Jeffery Callaham, Amy Alley, Trina McNeill-Smith, and Skip Shelton, will be on display at the Arts Center during the Festival weekend. Come celebrate Italian music, Rome, art, and our wonderful fifth anniversary during the Greenwood Music Festival, May 19-23, 2011.

Tickets for Nat Chandler’s Concert will be available exclusively at Greenwood Community Theatre, beginning Monday, April 18th. Call GCT at (864) 229-5704 for tickets for Nat Chandler only. All other tickets will be available beginning Monday, April 18th at the Arts Center at the Federal Building and the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce. Call the Arts Center at (864) 388-7800 or the Chamber at (864) 223-8431 for tickets.

Mooch the Messy debuts in Greenwood

Director — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:43:43 +0000

Mooch the Messy, a new children’s opera by Marcus DeLoach, based on the book by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, received its world premiere September 9-12, at the Arts Center at the Federal Building in Greenwood. The opera was presented by Greenwood Music Festival, Greenwood County Library, and the Friends of the Greenwood County Library, in honor of the grand opening of the new Greenwood County Library on South Main Street. The opera starred Keith Jameson as Mooch, Marcus DeLoach as Mooch’s Father, Annalee Lethco as the Mail Rat, with Lynn Baker as pianist and Music Director. Sets and costumes were based on the illustrations by Ben Shecter. Rat Heads/Masks were designed by David Zimmerman (Dallas Opera, The Santa Fe Opera)

Children and adults laughed, cheered, and thoroughly enjoyed the 30-minute opera. Congratulations to Marcus on the wonderfully successful premiere of his first children’s opera.

Production photos by Tita M. James (Thump, the Rhythm of Life in Greenwood and the Lakelands, Greenwood’s new weekly arts and entertainment newspaper)

Keith Jameson and Greenwood Music Festival featured in Opera News

Director — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:31:20 +0000

Keith Jameson, photo by Dario Acosta

Keith Jameson, Founder and Director of the Greenwood Music Festival, was featured in the 2010 June issue of Opera News, the national publication of the Metropolitan Opera. The two-page article focuses on Jameson’s career, the town of Greenwood, and the Greenwood Music Festival. We are delighted and humbled to receive this prestigious national and international exposure. We hope that opera lovers from all over the world can visit Greenwood to see our world premiere children’s opera Mooch the Messy in September and the United States premiere of George Frideric Handel’s Scipione in May 2011. You can read the entire article here

2010 Festival filled with French delights

Director — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:51:36 +0000

Tonna Miller, with Keith Jameson

Tonna Miller as Zémire

Keith Jameson as Azor

Ryan Kinsella and Jamin Flabiano

Kate Janssen, Tonna Miller, Cabiria Jacobsen

“Vive la France!”, Our Fourth Annual Greenwood Music Festival was a huge success, with attendance of people from nine states and England. The opening night audience was ushered into Greenwood Community Theatre by the Emerald Brass, and then enchanted by the opera “Beauty and the Beast”. Fantastic singers from the world of opera, orchestra, period costumes, and fairy-tale sets along with English titles projected on the side of the stage (for our sung French text) delighted the crowd. Afterwards, everyone walked over to the Arts Center for a “Let Them Eat Cake!” Reception catered by Friends and family of the Greenwood Music Festival, and Cake Décor. SC State Senator Floyd Nicholson and his wife Maime were in attendance and he even helped serve punch during the Reception! A wonderful evening of lovely French music and delectable desserts! (Photos by TM James/Index Journal)

GreenWood Winds at the Museum

The GreenWood Winds, featured in a scene of the opera, played a special concert at the Greenwood Museum before the showing of the classic 1938 film Marie Antoinette at GCT. Pianist Douglas Weeks brought his artistry, skill, and incredible virtuosity to a concert of Beethoven and Chopin at the Arts Center at the Federal Building on Saturday evening.

MLK Jr. Mass Choir at First Baptist Church

The MLK Jr. Mass Choir sang spirituals and gospel music at First Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon.

Yasuko Oura and Susanna Phillips following their recital, with Kenneth Richard

And Susanna Phillips, a Metropolitan Opera star and the 2010 Beverly Sills Artist of the Year, gave an outstanding concert of French songs and arias and English songs, along with pianist Yasuko Oura at the Arts Center on Monday Evening. It was a spectacular finale to our French-inspired Festival.

We hope you enjoyed this fourth season of the Greenwood Music Festival, and look forward to hopefully seeing you for our world premiere children’s opera Mooch the Messy at the grand opening festivities in September of the new Greenwood County Library. Thanks to all our wonderful artists, our incredible Music Director and Conductor Lynn Baker, orchestra members, instrumentalists, co-sponsors, patrons, friends and family, and our many volunteers for making this season a tremendous success. Have a terrific year and see you in September for Mooch!