Choose Charleston

The play’s the thing this time of year in Charleston.

Music, theatre, dance, and comedy performances are happening all over the peninsula proper as well as in several areas outside the city.

Spoleto Festival USA dates back to 1977 and is recognized as a major world arts festival featuring opera, chamber and choral music, and ballet from the finest artists.

Piccolo Spoleto, founded in 1979 by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, runs alongside Spoleto as an outreach arm, embracing local and regional performers.

Between Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto, there are literally shows for everyone. Visual art, poetry, song and dance in the park; the list is exhausting. There are even some free shows if ticket price is an issue.

I’ve been reviewing several shows for Charleston City Paper as well as catching a few just for myself. It can be a bit of whirlwind downtown during the festival, traffic tied up in knots (especially with today’s rain) and everybody moving between venues, but it’s worth it.

Why fuss over some dark, blustery skies or the slow molasses ooze of commuting  while there’s fun to be had? Like Johnny Mercer wrote, “…ac-cent-tch-uate the positive.”

You have the whole rest of the year to worry over the negative, right?

Now in its fourth year, the Folly Festival Film Festival supports, encourages, and acts as a showcase for filmmakers, in particular for local talent from South Carolina.

The Folly Felder is a beautiful fit for Piccolo Spoleto, a local arts extravaganza that runs alongside the more internationally flavored Spoleto Festival each year.

Short film has become an increasingly accesible art form, thanks in large part to digital technology and new ways and means of distribution now possible.

A well-made short can be a special delight. Time constraints force artists to make full use of their talents, to snip away unneeded bits and keep the story in tight focus throughout.

This year’s festival paid special recognition to three extraordinary shorts. The bronze went to local filmmaker Richard Almes of Mt. Pleasant, the silver to Merrill Weekley, just up the coast in Surfside Beach, and a well-deserved gold to Barry Battles and Griffin Hood of Alabama.

The major film industry, as we all know, has had more than a few flirtations with Charleston and other South Carolina locations. While this is an obvious choice for films about the American Civil War, it is also becoming recognized that the spectacular landscapes and beauty of the South Carolina Lowcountry make it outstanding for other features as well.

Hey, here in Charleston, we’re always ready for our close-up.

The Charleston Wind Ensemble performed its entire season this afternoon at West Ashley High School.

An offshoot of the Charleston Community Band, the Charleston Wind Ensemble is primarily made up of members of the Community Band who wish to continue playing while the CCB is on hiatus. They get together during January and February for rehearsals and perform one concert in March.

I was fortunate enough to attend this afternoon’s performance and was very pleasantly surprised.

Under the baton of Major Herbert L. Day, the CWE is mostly made up of education professionals, who are involved in teaching music to our youth. There are a few non-education professionals in the group, including one physician, though.

Today’s program included:

• “Jubliee Overture” by Philip Sparke
• “Fantasy Tales” by Piet Swerts
• “Ireland” by Warren Barker
• “The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner
• “Ammerland” by Jacon de Haan
• “For Whom All Blessings Flow” by Ed Huckeby
• “The Cowboys” by John Williams
• “In Storm and Sunshine” by J.C. Heed

You know, we really need to support groups like this. Charleston is fortunate to have them.