Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
Rangeley Friends of the Arts
October 4th, 2010 | 
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Since 1968, the RFA has sponsored a Summer Concert Series including artists ranging from classical to country, Broadway to bluegrass.
In 1975, we expanded the program to include sponsoring performances by various artists for the youth of our community. In 1985, this program was expanded to a full school series of several performances. RFA works closely with the school administration arranging workshops and seminars by talented artists and performers.
The first local musical production was performed in 1976, a condensed version of a popular Broadway musical. Since then RFA has produced many full length musicals. RFA considers this effort one of the most important, as it involves the entire community in the arts in the most direct way; as performers and production staff.
The RFA initiated the Student Lesson Program in 1980, assisting local students with the cost of private instruction in the arts. This program is available to all students taking violin, piano, wind instruments, ballet, tap and modern dance lessons. In 1988, RFA offered its first scholarship to a graduating senior from Rangeley Lakes Regional School who was continuing an education in the arts. RFA is offering a week long Drama Camp for students again this summer and the Rangeley Community Chorus will present two concerts this summer.
As RFA continues to grow and nurture the appreciation of the arts in the region, it has become very apparent that there is a great need for a facility that will enable these programs to expand and grow. The desire is a comfortable “meeting house”/auditorium for RFA programs and other community uses. The RFA’s long-term goal is to create classroom and studio spaces for learning, creating and displaying all the arts including but not limited to visual, creative, movement, instrumental, vocal and performing. A 2.7 acre lot has been acquired which abuts the school property. With the help of our longtime supporters, the RFA hopes to make this facility a reality in the next few years.
Donations to the RFA are tax deductible and greatly appreciated. If you wish to direct your donation to the building fund, please indicate this in the memo of your check. Thank you and enjoy this and all the performances listed in the schedule of events.
PO Box 333, Rangeley, ME 04970
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RFA DIVA Show – August 6, 7, & 8
The Rangeley Friends of the Arts will be presenting their annual RFA Summer Diva show at the Clubhouse in Rangeley on August 6, 7, and 8. Show time is 7 PM. Red Carpet Hollywood Diva will feature songs that have graced film from the 1930′s to the present, including such greats as Chicago, Pal Joey, Mary Poppins, Rent, Stand By Me, and many more. Among the divas that will make an appearance are Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn, Bette Midler, The Chordettes, The Andrews Sisters and quite a few others, with surprises abounding. Tickets are on sale at the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce at a price of $20 for reserved seating and $15 for general seating. A limited menu will be served before the show and during intermission. The RFA Summer Diva is a spectacular show of amazing talent and costuming, promising to bring delight to all who attend.
Pictures from Last Year’s DIVA:
Sue Downes Borko
Susy Sanders
June concert by the Rangeley Community Chorus
The RFA Summer program has been finalized and will get off to a great start with a June concert by the Rangeley Community Chorus and the musical production of Little Shop of Horrors over the 4th of July weekend.
“Poetry and Inspiration”, an upcoming concert by the Rangeley Community Chorus, takes place on Sunday, June 27 at 7:00 pm at the Church of the Good Shepherd. The concert celebrates the marriage of fine poetry and music, including The Tiger by William Blake, The Arrow and the Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats, and I Dream a World by Langston Hughes. A $10.00 general admission fee will help defray costs of purchasing music for the group.
A special feature of the program will be readings of each poem by a member of the community prior to each setting of the song. Another song of interest on the program is the classic Simon & Garfunkel song, Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water.
The Rangeley Community Chorus was formed in 2009 and is supported by funding from the Rangeley Friends of the Arts. The June performance will include 18 singers from the Rangeley, Strong and Carrabassett area. A new set of rehearsals will begin in July working towards an August 25 concert. All adults and high school students are welcome to join in the fun. Please call 864-3951 for more information.
A tuneful, funny musical score meets a giant man-eating plant when Rangeley Friends of the Arts’ production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS devours the Lakeside Theater in Rangeley. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, with a hit movie and a Broadway revival to its credit, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS opens on Thursday, June 1, 2010, and blossoms until Monday, July 5th.
In this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies, a down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” (voice-Connor Durgin, puppeteers-Tyler Eustis and Jaycee Mullen) grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination!
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS has book and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. Seymour (Tim Straub) and Mr. Mushnick (Les Hoekstra) combine voices for the unforgettable Mushnik and Son. Audrey’s (Erin Smith) rendition of Somewhere That’s Green and Suddenly, Seymour is powerful and remarkable. The story is revealed by the female chorus (Doo-whoppers) played by Cyndy Egan, Emily George, Ashley Quimby, Anna Soule, and Dagmar Wetherill. The dentist-Orin (Hudson DeRaps) is a character to be remembered. Completing the cast is Ana Wetherill as the interviewer and Brittany Wetherill who will be seen portraying several unique characters.
This perennially favorite musical concerning a geek, an adorable floozie, some DOO-WHOPPERS and a blood-thirsty plant – all of whom conspire to give us an evening of hilarity and charm. It is a show not to be missed—You’ll love it!!
Tickets ($15) are now available at the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce 864-5364.
The RFA Spring Music Recital held on May 27 featured selections by 19 pianists, 1 flutist and 4 vocal musicians. The parents, friends and family members almost filled the Church of the Good Shepherd on the beautiful summer evening to enjoy the great variety of music and talent that was displayed. One student (Sophie Chu-O’Neil) had a surprise for her father as she played “Happy Birthday” to celebrate his special day. The RFA initiated the Student Lesson Program in 1980, assisting local students with the cost of private instruction in the arts. The Rangeley Rotary Club and the Rangeley Lakes Regional School have been our partners in this effort with an annual grant to the program. The RFA’s long-term goal is to create classroom and studio spaces for learning, creating and displaying all the arts including but not limited to visual, creative, movement, instrumental, vocal and performing.