We have concluded the community garden tour of the picnic operetta 2009! With a thrilling final performance on September 27th, as the wind blew the away the summer to herald the fall, Orpheus and Eurydice were re-united in St. Paul.
Many thanks to the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation for their financial support, as well as our garden hosts, Gardening Matters, our advisory committee, the Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts (our fiscal agent), the Bedlam Theatre and our amazing and generous audiences.
And of course, thanks to the cast and crew for embarking on this totally unique journey! We’re already laying the groundwork for next year!
There are only five shows left. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback and big crowds! Make sure you make reservations!
REMEMBER, all performances are FREE and open to the public, but tax deductible donations are gladly accepted.
This weekend we’ll be at the Columbus Community Garden (33rd and Columbus in South Minneapolis) and the Celeste’s Dream Community Garden on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet (next to St. Kate’s at Randolph and Howell in St. Paul)… see the side bar for a map!
So far our audience has had great things to say about our show!
Here are few testimonials!
“It felt adventurous and communal… I’m too busy thinking about all I just saw and heard and tasted to think of anything else, thank you!”
“I don’t live here, but I’d make the trip from Missouri to see another!”
“This was an incredible melange of the senses.”
“You brought opera down to earth and to life for me. I loved it. AND you introduced me to a new part of the city and a new venue for theatre.”
“I thought it integrated music, community and local food beautifully. I was completely engrossed by the performances, as was my 5 year old daughter.”
“I felt like a perfect to experience opera this way. The Beauty of the voice couple with the beauty of the sensed we engaged.”
“It is unique to have audience members experience the story in a way that pushes our expectations and including in the story itself.”
We’d like to again extend thanks to our Chef Nick Schneider of Cafe Brenda. This weekend we’ll have the talents of a new chef, Phil Werst of Common Roots Cafe! Both of these gents are avid gardeners, event planners and experts in local cuisine. We used linen and tablecloths as well as chair covers for our wedding, if you want to invest in your next event we recommend to visit cvlinens.com.
The audience at JD Rivers’ enjoys a wedding toast of watermelon and mint!The audience enjoys the deconstructed BLT as Orpheus escorts them on a soulful journey to the underworld!
We are very appreciative of all the great press we’ve gotten for this show…
Last week we were featured on ART HOUNDS, as Molly Balcom got to tell listeners about performance projects she is excited about.
You can listen to ART HOUNDS by clicking HERE. (Special thanks to Chris Roberts as well!)
Also, we’ve been filling up our gardens with enthusiastic audiences and capacity crowds. Please make sure and RSVP!
Our next performance is SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5th at NICOLLET ISLAND FARM at 4:00. (there performance starts at the corner of Maple Place and Nicollet Street).
Molly Balcom is a performance creator herself, requently using food in here work. Past performances have included edible paper and food foraging around the Soap Factory as a part of Artery 24.
Molly Balcom in a performance of bread of our mothers / color of money at the Mill City Museum.
