Category: Uncategorized

Due to  snow spoilage of the APPLE CROP at the WOMEN’S ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE, there will be no Apple Festival.

BUMMER!

We very glad to be invited to performance the opera one last time—this time in the Apple Orchard at the Women’s Environmental Institute in North Branch, MN.

October 17th at 1:00

We’re keeping our voices warm for this special performance among their heirloom orchard.

On October 17th, the days activities will include apple picking, apple pressing–and a picnic operetta!

Please tell your friends about this great opportunity to enjoy the harvest and experience the musical delight!

Here are some directions:

WEI is located approximately 70 miles from the Twin Cities between North Branch and Almelund, MN.  From the Twin Cities, take 35W north to the Cambridge/North Branch exit.  Turn right (east) at the light, traveling through North Branch on Hwy 95, all the way to the town of Almelund (approximately 11 miles.)  Turn left (north) off of Hwy 95 at Almelund onto Hwy 12 going towards Wild River State Park.  After about two miles you’ll come to a stop sign near the park entrance.  Turn left there on to Hwy 81 until it takes a sharp left.  Do not turn left at the stop sign.  Keep going straight on River Road (now a dirt road) that runs along side Wild River State Park.  Drive for about two more miles past Nelson Road.  You’ll see the Amador Hill Orchard Barn, an old Swedish log barn on your left.  WEI is the next driveway on your left after the barn.  Look for the WEI sign.

Please call if you need any more information: 612.619.2112

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!

CALL to RESERVE a spot in the garden!

612.619.2112

THREE SHOWS REMAIN!

4:00  Saturday September 19th at the Urban Farming Community Garden

(12th Avenue North and Morgan Avenue North)

4:00  Saturday September 26th at the Augsburg Community Garden

(20th Avenue and South 6th Street)

4:00  Sunday September 27th at the Midway Green Spirit Community Garden

(Hamline and Taylor and Pierce Butler in St. Paul)

CALL to RESERVE a spot in the garden!

612.619.2112

CALL to RESERVE a spot in the garden!

612.619.2112

THANKS TO ALL FOR AN AMAZING RUN!

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.

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.

There is a nice interview featuring our chef Nick Schneider and our director Scotty Reynolds.

This site covers a lot of great stuff going on in the local food and restaurant scene.

Many thanks to the HEAVY TABLE and James Norton.

Make a reservation by calling 612.619.2112.

Our sites for this weekend our quite pristine!

The BIRCHWOOD COMMUNITY GARDEN (26th and Vernon in St. Louis Park, behind Reformation Lutheran Church)

and the JD RIVERS’ CHILDRENS GARDEN in Theodore Wirth Park (Glenwood and Washburn Avenue North).

Thanks to Jeffry Lusiak and Brad Dahlgaard for these great photos.