It’s hard to imagine a better Christmas gift for the arts lover on your list than tickets to Charleston’s Spoleto Festival.
The annual event brings a whirlwind schedule of world-class opera, theater, dance, performance art, classical music, jazz and more to Charleston. The offerings would be the highlight of a pricey trip abroad, but they’re all right here in our backyard.
Below are our picks for the "can't-miss" shows of Spoleto 2014, May 23 to June 8. For a complete schedule or to purchase tickets or gift certificates, visit the festival website at http://spoletousa.org. Tickets go on sale Dec. 9.
1. Michael Nyman’s “Facing Goya”: Academy Award-nominated British composer Michael Nyman, perhaps best known for film scores including “The Piano,” “Gattaca,” and eleven film collaborations with director Peter Greenaway, will oversee the American premiere of his opera “Facing Goya.” It is a sci-fi story that zigzags through three centuries as a time-traveling protagonist searches for the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya’s skull, seeking to capture the elusive power of artistic genius. Nyman will also perform an evening of his original works one night only, May 26, at Charleston’s Sottile Theater. May 25-June 7. Tickets start at $25.
2. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: One of the country’s top contemporary dance companies returns to the festival with works by William Forsythe and Jiří Kylián. The athletic physicality and technical precision of the dancers can leave audience members breathless. May 23-25. Tickets start at $20.
3. Gate Theatre’s “My Cousin Rachel”: The Gate Theatre’s regular visits are regularly among the festival’s highlights. This year, the venerable Dublin-based company brings its adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier classic Gothic novel “My Cousin Rachel” to Charleston’s Dock Street Theater for 19 performances. May 23-June 8. Tickets start at $35.
4. Laurie Anderson: The performance artist, former wife of late rock musician Lou Reed, and NASA’s first artist-in-residence performs her new work “The Language of the Future,” which focuses on technology, communication, travel, and science. June 4-June 7. Tickets start at $20.
5. René Marie: One of the jazz world’s most exciting contemporary vocalists will pay tribute to a legend when René Marie celebrates the work of Eartha Kitt in her performance at the TD Arena. Neither woman has been a stranger to controversy: Kitt, who died in 2008, spoke out against the Vietnam War and Marie spurred a backlash when she sang the lyrics to the black national anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” to the melody of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Denver mayor’s annual State of the City address in 2008. Expect an evening of feistiness, fireworks, and above all, amazing jazz. May 26. Tickets start at $25.
6. Gravity & Other Myths “A Simple Space”: Audiences may very well end up believing that gravity is just a myth after witnessing the limit-busting, Cirque-style acrobatic performances of Australian physical theater troupe Gravity & Other Myths. Five acrobats perform the U.S. premiere of the show at Charleston’s intimate Emmett Robinson Theatre. May 23-27. Tickets start at $37.
7. Chamber Music Series: Festival-goers may have worried when pianist Charles Wadsworth, who helmed the beloved Chamber Music Series for more than 30 years, retired in 2009, but the New York Times recently called his successor, violinist Geoff Nuttall, “an inspired choice,” declaring the witty and charming emcee “the Jon Stewart of chamber music.” The series, twice daily at the gorgeous 18th century Dock Street Theater, remains a great settings for great chamber music. May 23-June 8. Tickets start at $15.
8. Shovels & Rope: The Spoleto Festival typically draws acts from around the globe, so the decision to feature artists native to Charleston is a rare and intriguing move. Folk duo Shovels & Rope, composed of husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, have distinguished themselves for their soulful and rough-hewn Americana music, and have recently appeared on David Letterman and NPR. Their outdoor concert at Charleston’s Middleton Place will close the festival. June 8. Tickets start at $30 (adult), $10 (children ages 6-12).
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