Boogie Boo with April Mae and the June Bugs Thursday Oct 31, 2024, 7-9pm

Doors open 6pm

Tickets $30 Buy Tickets Now on My River Tickets.

A Thematic Live Music Experience! Dance the Evil Spirits Away!

Vintage Jazz Swing | Americana | New Orleans Skiffle | Rockabilly

Cash bar - food by Annie's Ruff Cut!
Costume contest - prizes for Most Original, Best Impersonation, Best Cartoon, Best Steam Punk, Best Couple and Best in Show

Beat the Devil are Doug Rogers (vocals, guitar, piano, accordion, writer), Annie Hat (vocals, bass, percussion, writer), Dave Milner (vocals, bass, guitar, writer), and Pam Arnold (drums and possibly banjo).

Beat the Devil is an eclectic, dirty, funky, country, bluesy folk band, voted River Reporter’s best band three times.

Arts Nest offers a large variety of entertainment year-round in a comfortable, friendly setting – a fun place for serious artists. Come with your friends, take a table, have a few drinks and small plates, while enjoying the performances. Food and drinks available during the concert.

By JONATHAN CHARLES FOX

“Susannah” is an opera in two acts by the American composer Carlisle Floyd, who wrote the libretto and music while a member of the piano faculty at Florida State University.

Floyd adapted the story from the Apocryphal tale of “Susannah and the Elders,” though the latter story has a more positive ending.

The opera’s story focuses on 18-year-old Susannah Polk, an innocent girl who is targeted as a sinner in the small mountain town of New Hope Valley, in the southern state of Tennessee.

The opera was awarded the New York Music Critics Circle Award for Best New Opera in 1956 and was chosen to represent American music and culture at the World’s Fair in Brussels in 1958. And now, “Susannah” has made its way to The Delaware Valley Opera Center in beautiful Lake Huntington, NY.

As for the opera’s inspiration, “Susanna and the Elders” is a narrative included in the Book of Daniel by the Catholic and Orthodox churches. It is one of the additions to Daniel, placed in the Apocrypha by Protestants; Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists regard it as non-canonical (not sanctioned) but “useful for purposes of edification” according to Wikipedia.

Spoiler Alert: A brief synopsis of the original story provided by Wikipedia informs that “lecherous voyeurs falsely accused a fair Hebrew wife named Susanna. As she bathes privately in her locked and walled garden, a few elders spy on her bathing. The men realize that they lust for Susanna and when she makes her way back to the house, they accost her, demanding she have ‘relations’ with them. When she refuses, they have her arrested, claiming that the reason she sent her maids away was to be alone as she was having ‘relations’ with a young man under a tree.”

The reason for my attaching the synopsis is simple. Many people immediately shut down upon hearing the word “opera,” and the fine folks at the DVO would love to see that change. Gone are the days of a fat lady named Brunnhilde sporting a Viking helmet and inspiring old men to nap. Gone are the days of lovely ladies in sparkling gowns arriving in limos with men wearing tuxes and bow ties.

Gone, but not forgotten, as audiences in the Upper Delaware River region are invited to adopt a come-as-you-are dress code, sip an adult beverage at intermission and hear an American opera sung in English for all to understand.

Not only did I see “Susannah” last weekend, but I was blown away. The score, written by Floyd, is a wow, and as performed by Jessica Sandidge (Susannah), Jonathan Stinson (Blitch), Daniel Kamalic (Sam) and Ramon Tenefrancia (Little Bat) a double-wow. The singers are more than simply “in fine form,” but are incredibly skilled, wildly talented and just plain impressive, helping to make opera more accessible, simply by being amazing.

Supporting players Andrew Wannigman, Robert Flora, Marcus Huber and Christopher Fistonich are also impressive, and a layered, thoughtful standout performance from Suzanne Dvorken (Mrs. McLean) helps drive the story home.

Rounding out the cast are too many players to name here, but each adds nice touches and flair to a stylish production. It boasts a very cool, simple-yet-effective set design and construction courtesy of Barclay Lottimer, Keith Eisenstark, Steve Marisky and Dan Brinkerhoff. The costumes add to the overall production by effectively illustrating time and place.

Read more ...

The Telephone, or L’Amour à trois is an English-language comic opera in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti, who composed the music and wrote the lyrics. It was his fifth opera and was premiered in New York City in February 1947. A Broadway production took place on May 1, 1947, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre as a prelude to performances of The Medium, his fourth opera. These operas became Menotti’s first internationally successful works, notably receiving critically acclaimed productions in Paris and London in 1949 and later touring Europe in 1955 under the sponsorship of the United States Department of State with musical forces led by Thomas Schippers. The Metropolitan Opera Company presented it once, at the Lewisohn Stadium, on July 31, 1965.

The Old Maid and the Thief is a radio opera in one act, commissioned by NBC in 1939 by Gian Carlo Menotti who composed the music and wrote the libretto. The opera premiered in a radio broadcast on April 22, 1939, with Alberto Erede conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra It was the first of several operas in the English language by the young composer who was just 28 years old at the time. He was inspired to write the story of the opera after visiting the family of his partner Samuel Barber. He found that a quaint, cute town actually covered up secrets. It’s tells a twisted tale of morals and evil womanly power. Menotti writes in the libretto “The devil couldn’t do what a woman can – Make a thief out of an honest man.”

Read more ...

Watch a video of the live performance from June 22, 2024.

Mr. Davies has created several children's operas to familiar fairy tales and stories. These delightful pieces are a perfect introduction to the operatic art form because all the music is from popular operatic repertoire, written by the masters of the genre. The music is chosen to be immediately accessible to young ears and introduce the original richness and complexity of the art form without dilution.

Mr. Davies has replaced the original words with his own English ones to tell the stories. “Pinocchio” is one of these charming works. The story is the traditional one about Geppetto, a wood worker, who wishes for a son. He is granted his wish. He is to carve a little boy out of wood. This boy will magically become a real boy in time. Meanwhile, he has one peculiar quality --- if he lies, his nose will grow.

The first thing Geppetto does is send this wooden boy, Pinocchio, to school. The naïve wooden fellow meets some bad company on the way to school and is sold to the circus owner, Dulcamara, who wants to add Pinocchio to his collection of novelties as a puppet without strings. He eventually escapes and saves one of the other “novelties” a mechanical doll.

The adventure teaches Pinocchio all about justice, life, love, and honesty.

Join us on Sat June 22 at 10am or 3pm or Sun June 23 at 3pm for this lively, educational and entertaining performance! Children under 14 are FREE!

View the ONLINE GALLERY

Celebrating Art, Nature, and Conservation

The Plein Air Lake Huntington Fine Art Exhibit is a unique and inspiring eventthat brings together artists, nature enthusiasts, and conservationists. This exhibit is more than just a display of beautiful art; it is a celebration of the natural world and a call to action to protect it. Held annually on the picturesque shores of Lake Huntington, the event encourages artists to create works of art en plein air—outdoors, directly in the environment they are capturing.

A Historical Art Tradition

Plein air painting, a French term meaning "in the open air," became prominent in the 19th century with the advent of portable painting equipment. Artists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir championed this approach, emphasizing the importance of capturing the natural light and atmosphere of a scene. The Plein Air Lake Huntington Fine Art Exhibit continues this tradition, offering artists the opportunity to work directly from life and immerse themselves in the stunning landscapes of Lake Huntington.

Environmental Awareness and Conservation

A central theme of the exhibit is environmental conservation. Lake Huntington, with its serene waters and diverse ecosystems, serves as a perfect muse for artists and a reminder of the beauty and fragility of our natural world. The event aims to raise awareness about the importance of preserving such environments. Proceeds from the exhibit support local conservation efforts, ensuring that Lake Huntington remains a pristine haven for wildlife and a source of inspiration for future generations.

Community Engagement and Education

The exhibit also fosters community engagement and education. Local schools and community groups are invited to participate in workshops and guided tours, learning about both the artistic process and the ecological significance of Lake Huntington. This interactive approach helps to instill a sense of environmental stewardship in participants, encouraging them to appreciate and protect their natural surroundings.

Read more ...