Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Spread Holiday Cheer with Portland Ovations

PORTLAND, Maine - Portland Ovations swings into the spirit of the season with Big Band Holidays, a special concert featuring the unrivaled Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, on December 2, at 7:30 pm at Merrill Auditorium.

Bandleader and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis leads an all-star lineup featuring guest vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Audrey Shakir, some of today's commanding new voices on the scene. A Juno Award nominee and National Jazz Award recipient, Sinclaire is regarded as one of the most dynamic voices in jazz, while Shakir is a bebop leader, with her scatting talents routinely compared to the great Ella Fitzgerald. The JLCO will debut new arrangements of familiar songs sacred and secular, from Count Basie's "Jingle Bells" to classics like "White Christmas" and "Zat You Santa Claus?"

"It's always a thrill to welcome Wynton and the JLCO back to our series," notes Aimée Petrin, Executive Director for Portland Ovations. "To hear these talented and generous musicians in a whole new context was an opportunity we couldn't wait to share with our audiences."

Every December for more than a decade, the critically acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis have toured - kicking off the holiday season with messages of peace and good cheer - while exploring the canon of holiday standards. Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's signature sense of swing, New Orleans-flavored nuances and deeply soulful and church-rooted grooves, these Big Band Holidays concerts have become a seasonal tradition across the country among jazz lovers and families.

Tickets for Big Band Holidays range from $41 to $63 for Ovations' Members and $45 to $70 for the general public. LL. Bean and Brann & Isaacson are generously sponsoring the performance, with MPBN and Bangor Daily News providing media support. To purchase tickets visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207.842.0800 or visit the box office at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations brings the Children's Classic "Caps for Sale" to Merrill Auditorium for a Family Series Performance

PORTLAND, Maine - Portland Ovations brings Adventure Theatre's hilarious new musical adaptation of the children's classic Caps for Sale to Merrill Auditorium for a Family Series performance on Sunday, November 1st at 1pm.

"Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" is a refrain familiar to generations of children who have grown up with Esphyr Slobodkina's timeless classic. In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Adventure Theatre TMC adapts Caps for Sale - the story of a hapless (and soon to be cap-less) hat peddler who encounters some mischievous monkeys along his sales route - into a brand new musical that jumps off the page and onto the stage with song, dance and live accompaniment, this treasured tale bursts with happy harmonies, merry melodies and quite a bit of monkey business that is sure to enchant the whole family!

Ovations Offstage offers a Cap Making Workshop at the Sam L. Cohen Children's Library, Portland Public Library on Saturday, October 24th at 10:30am - 12pm with MECA teaching artists to create your own fun cap to wear! Demonstration will begin at 10:30am but teaching artists will be able to assist throughout the workshop. Materials will be provided, and you will have a chance to enter Ovations' raffle to win a set of tickets to Caps for Sale on November 1st! For grades pre-K-3.

Tickets to Caps for Sale - The Musical are $12 and may be purchased online at www.portlandovations.org, contacting PortTIX at 207.842.0800 or visiting the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

This performance is recommended for children 3 to 8 years old.

Maine Magazine, Maine Home and Design and Old Port Magazine are Media Sponsors of the Portland Ovations 2015-16 season.

MAMMA MIA! WALKS DOWN THE AISLE OF MERRILL AUDITORIUM

PORTLAND OVATIONS 

BRINGS BACK THE GLOBAL SMASH HIT

FOR TWO SHOWS ONLY!

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings back Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, to Merrill Auditorium for only two shows on May 13th and 14th  at 7:30pm.

Seen by over 54 million people around the world, MAMMA MIA!, is celebrating 5,000 performances on Broadway and is the 9th longest running show in Broadway history.The original West End production of MAMMA MIA! is now in its fifteenth year and has celebrated over 6,000 performances in London and the international tour has visited more than 74 foreign cities in 35 countries and been seen by over 4.3 million people. The blockbuster feature film adaptation of MAMMA MIA! is the most successful movie musical of all time grossing $600 million worldwide.

Seen in 38 productions in 14 different languages globally and with a worldwide gross of over $2

Portland Ovations Presents Global Music Collaboration The Nile Project at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations presents The Nile Project, a concert collaboration between musicians representing all 11 countries along the Nile River at Merrill Auditorium on Sunday, April 12th at 7PM.


Founded by Egyptian ethnomusicologist Mina Girgis and Ethiopian-American singer Meklit Hadero to raise awareness of the Nile Basin's cultural and environmental challenges, a pan-Nile percussion section drives this diverse orchestra of musicians and singers combining the regions' instruments, languages and traditions. The Nile Project's unique sound comes from the various musicians, learning from one another and translating that experience into collectively composed songs. The result is an unprecedented collaboration that garnered The Nile Project's first recording, Aswan, a coveted spot on NPR's Top 5 Must-Hear International Albums of 2013.


Prior to The Nile Project performance, Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture at 6pm in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall with The Nile Project's executive director, ethnomusicologist and entrepreneur Mina Girgis talking about the project's evolution, music, and ultimate goals.

Tickets for The Nile Project range from $25.20 to $32.40 for Ovations' Members and $28 to $36 for the general public with a limited amount of $15 student tickets also available. Support for The Nile Project is generously provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts and the Center for Cultural Exchange Foundation.

To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations Brings the Children's Favorite "Skippyjon Jones" to Life Onstage at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings the bestselling children's book Skippyjon Jones to life onstage at Merrill Auditorium for a Sunday morning Family Series performance on March 29th at 11am.

Skippyjon Jones wants to be the best Chihuahua ever. Not just any Chihuahua, but a swashbuckling, sword-fighting, romantically noble one. The only problem: he's actually a Siamese cat! Before you can say "Holy guacamole," Skippyjon's wild imagination transforms him into El Skippito Friskito, donning a mask, a cape, and an accent he becomes the greatest canine sword fighter in old Mexico. But when the local pack of Chihuahuas is terrorized by the gigantic bee, Alfredo Buzzito El Blimpo Bublebeeto Bandito, will Skippyjon be a 'fraidy-cat or the top dog?

Based on the bestselling book by Judy Schachner, Skippyjon Jones is an enchanting musical about unleashing your powerful imagination and following your dreams. This TheatreWorks USA's musical adaptation boasts "witty lyrics" and a "multitextured score" (The New York Times).

Recommended for children 5-10 years old.

Tickets to Skippyjon Jones are $12 and may be purchased online at www.portlandovations.org, contacting PortTIX at 207.842.0800 or visiting the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations presentation of Skippyjon Jones generously receives media support from Dispatch Magazine.

Portland Ovations Presents Moscow City Ballet: "Swan Lake"

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations presents one of Russia's leading ballet companies Moscow City Ballet performing Swan Lake on Wednesday, March 18th - 7pm at Merrill Auditorium.


With unwavering perfection set against lush sets and costuming, Moscow City Ballet's Swan Lake is the epic dance event of the season. Featuring outstanding principals, stunning soloists and a sublime corps de ballet, the company's many international tours have long-established its reputation as one of Russia's leading ballet companies. Set to Tchaikovsky's sweeping score, Swan Lake is one of the great romantic stories, filled with drama and exquisite choreography. When Siegfried, a dashing young prince, falls in love with Odette, the beautiful Queen of the Swans, the sorcerer Von Rothbart is determined to use his evil magic to thwart their happiness.


One hour prior to the performance at 6pm in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture with Linda Miele, Maine State Ballet's Artistic Director, discussing the history, context and cultural impact of Swan Lake, perhaps the most popular of all classical ballets.


Tickets for Moscow City Ballet: Swan Lake are almost sold out but available tickets range from $27 to $45 for Ovations Members and $30 to $50 for the general public. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, call PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Puelle Design sponsors the performance with media support provided by BDN Maine.

Portland Ovations Presents the Broadway National Tour of "Memphis" at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations heats up this winter with its' presentation of the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis at Merrill Auditorium on Saturday, March 14 for two performances 4pm and 8pm.

Inspired by actual events, Memphis, the Musical is set in the places where rock and roll was born in the 1950s: the seedy nightclubs, radio stations and recording studios of the musically- rich Tennessee city of Memphis. With an original score, it tells the fictional story of DJ Huey Calhoun, a good ole' local boy with a passion for R&B music and Felicia Farrell, an up-and-coming black singer that he meets one fateful night on Beale Street. Despite the objections of their loved ones (Huey's close-minded mama and Felicia's cautious brother, the club owner), they embark on a dangerous affair. As their careers rise, the relationship is challenged by personal ambition and the pressures of an outside world that is just unable to accept their love. Will their love be able to withstand the trials of separation, greed and fame? This hot and bothered Broadway musical is filled with heart, soul and energy to burn!

Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Memphis played pre-Broadway at the

Broadway National Tour "Million Dollar Quartet" at Merrill Auditorium - February 21st

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations presents the national tour of the Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet, inspired by the electrifying true story, at Merrill Auditorium on Saturday, February 21 at 4pm and 8pm.

The international Tony® Award-Winning musical, Million Dollar Quartet is set on December 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll" who was responsible for launching the careers of each icon, gathered the four legendary musicians at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time. The resulting evening became known as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll jam sessions in history.

Million Dollar Quartet brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises,

Portland Ovations Presents An Evening with Ira Glass at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings This American Life host and National Public Radio icon Ira Glass back to Merrill Auditorium on Saturday, November 8th at 8pm.

Ira Glass has won all of the major broadcasting awards, he has 2.1 million weekly listeners and the most popular podcast in the country. With This American Life, he blurs the lines between journalism, documentary and fiction to create something wholly original, thought provoking and humorous. As it approaches its twentieth year, join Glass for a fascinating evening of insight into the cultural force and how it's put together: what makes a compelling story, where they find the amazing stories for their show, and how he and his staff are trying to push broadcast journalism beyond its taditional boundaries. Combining his distinct narration with taped segments, Glass recreates the sound and feel of the show live onstage for the audience to experience.

Tickets for Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass range from $27 to $45 for Ovations' Members and $30-$50 for the general public.. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org call PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Support for An Evening with Ira Glass is provided by show sponsor OceanView at Falmouth with media support from The Portland Phoenix and MPBN.

Portland Ovations Presents Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn & Del McCoury Band at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations presents Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn and the Del McCoury Band at Merrill Auditorium Saturday, November 1st at 8 pm.

On the heels of releasing their first album together, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn hit the Merrill Stage to perform original songs as well as old Appalachian classics, for an unforgettable evening of banjo and bluegrass. Winner of 15 Grammy Awards and widely acknowledged as the world's most innovative banjo player, Fleck's riveting and virtuosic musicianship blend with Washburn's beguiling composing, playing and singing to create music unlike anything heard before.

Fleck and Washburn are joined by 50-year music veteran Del McCoury and his Grammy Award-winning five-piece Del McCoury Band for the quintessential bluegrass experience.

One hour prior to the performance at 7pm in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall, Ovations Offstage is offering

Portland Ovations Presents Inventive and Awe-Inspiring Dance Company Pilobolus at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings back the ever-evolving dance company Pilobolus for a Friday evening performance April 25th at 8pm at Merrill Auditorium.

Pilobolus returns for an awe-inspiring evening of visual ingenuity and physical spectacle. More than a dance company, Pilobolus continues to astound with its ever-evolving, inventive movement-based performance - pushing the envelope of what is possible and, moreover, what is expected. Twisting bodies, sheer athleticism and a delightful sense of play combine with one-of-kind sets, sound and costumes for a glorious display of what the human body - and mind - can do.

Pilobolus' Ovations program promises to be one of its most intriguing and perhaps the most diverse program for the dance company to date, ranging from the theatrical to something unexpected to classic Pilobolus - now and of the past. It is also a program created with both unexpected and refreshing collaborations from the antics of magicians Penn & Teller to the creative mind of director/choreographer Trish Sie, known for her fabulous video work with the band OK Go (Here it Goes Again).

The evening will open with Automaton, the result of an international partnering with Belgian choreographer

Portland Ovations brings the Broadway National Tour of Man of La Mancha to Merrill Auditorium for Two Performances

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings one of the most enduring works of musical theater, Man of La Mancha to Portland for two-performances on Saturday March 22nd at 2pm and 8pm.

Man of La Mancha returns to the stage in an all-new production, complete with the Tony Award-winning score and book that has inspired theatergoers since the very first note of "The Impossible Dream" was heard when it opened. Enter the mind and the world of Don Quixote as he pursues his quest for the impossible dream. Against all odds, a man sees good and innocence in a world filled with darkness and despair. This lyrical and amusing adventure is a classic tale of the triumph of man over his own follies. Called, "The musical that's set above and apart from all others by touching the heart!! An exquisite musical play..." by The New York Daily News and The New York Times states that Man of La Mancha is a Broadway Musical filled with, "Charm, gallantry and delicacy of spirit."

Portland Ovations' presentation of Man of La Mancha is graciously sponsored by the Portland Daily Sun.

Tickets for Man of La Mancha range from $41 to $63 for Ovations' Members and $45 to $70 for the general public. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations Brings British Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor to Merrill Auditorium for an Evening Concert

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations presents British pianist, Benjamin Grosvenor at Merrill Auditorium on Friday, February 7th at 8 pm.

Benjamin Grosvenor began playing the piano at the age of 6 and first came to prominence as the outstanding winner of the Keyboard Final of the 2004 BBC Young Musician Competition at the age of eleven. Since then, he has become an internationally regarded pianist for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations. An exquisite technique and ingenious flair for tonal colour are the hallmarks that make Benjamin Grosvenor one of the most sought-after young pianists in the world today. His virtuosic command over the most strenuous technical complexities never compromises the formidable depth and intelligence of his interpretations. Bryce Morrison of Gramophone Magazine calls Benjamin Grosvenor a "skill and talent not heard since Kissin's teenage Russian debut," Benjamin Grosvenor is renowned for his distinctive sound, described by The Independent as, "poetic and gently ironic, brilliant yet clear-minded, intelligent but not without humour, all translated through a beautifully clear and singing touch."

Benjamin Grosvenor's Portland Ovations program will include; Mendelssohn's Andante & Rondo capriccioso Op. 14, Schubert's Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3, Schumann's Humoreske, Op.20, Medtner's 2 Fairy Tales, Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales and Gounod and Liszt's Valse de Faust.

Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture at 7 pm in the rehearsal hall at Merrill Auditorium, Why the Piano Reigns Supreme with Laura Kargul discussing why over the course of the last 300 years most of the great composers have placed the keyboard front and center in their lives and output. As well as looking at the many hats the piano wears, explaining why it has figured so prominently for so long, and demonstrate with examples drawn from solo, chamber, concerto and vocal repertoire.

Tickets for Benjamin Grosvenor are $35 for Ovations' Members, $38 for the general public and a limited amount of $10 student tickets are also available. Support for the Benjamin Grosvenor performance is provided by the Maine Humanities Council, The Maine Arts Commission and the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, call PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

PORTLAND OVATIONS BRINGS NATIONAL TOUR OF GREEN DAY'S AMERICAN IDIOT

"A GROUNDBREAKING MUSICAL EVENT"
TO MERRILL AUDITORIUM FOR PORTLAND PREMIERE
Portland, Maine - The national tour of the explosive Broadway hit AMERICAN IDIOT, called "wonderfully raucous" and "emotionally charged" by The New York Times and "flat-out electrifying" by the Boston Globe, will make its Portland, Maine premiere February 6 at Merrill Auditorium as part of Portland Ovations 2013-14 season.

AMERICAN IDIOT, a 2010 Tony Award®-nominated Best Musical and 2010 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Show Album, features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer and direction is byTony Award®-winner Mayer ("Spring Awakening").

The acclaimed creative team also includes choreography by Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett ("Black Watch") and orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Kitt ("Next to Normal"). The Tony Award®-winning scenic design by Christine Jones and the Tony Award®-winning lighting design by Kevin Adams will also be featured in the tour.

Winner of two Tony Awards®, AMERICAN IDIOT is the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world. Through incredible spectacle, thrilling performances and with the hope embodied by a new generation, AMERICAN IDIOT has given audiences the time of their lives night after night since its Broadway run at the St. James Theatre (March 2010 - April 2011) and its subsequent national tour, which launched December 2011 in Toronto.

"Since its inception, audiences have been surprised by the emotional journey the show takes them on, told almost exclusively through Green Day's songs, including many they are already familiar with and love," said Tom Hulce, producer. "This is such a potent time for our country and the search of our characters for what to believe in is gorgeously celebrated through Billie Joe and Green Day's wonderfully lush score," he added.

The musical features the hits "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "21 Guns," "Wake Me Up When September Ends," "Holiday" and the blockbuster title track "American Idiot" from Green Day's 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. Also included in the score are several songs from Green Day's 2009 release "21st Century Breakdown," and an unreleased love song, "When It's Time."

AMERICAN IDIOT premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and played through November of that year. In April 2010, the musical opened on Broadway where reviews were unanimously positive with Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calling the show "the most adventurous musical to brave Broadway in the past decade" and the Toronto Star naming it "the first great musical of the 21st century!"

Tickets for Green Day's American Idiot are $41 to $54 for Ovations Members and $45 to $60 for the general public. Green Day's American Idiot is sponsored by WGME - 13 and The Portland Phoenix. To purchase tickets visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or stop by the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

For more information on AMERICAN IDIOT,visit www.americanidiotthemusical.com.

Grease with the Words

Portland Ovations Brings Sing-A-Long-A Grease to Merrill Auditorium
Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations heats up the winter bringing the crowd participating and family fun Sing-A-Long-A Grease to Merrill Auditorium on Friday, February 1st at 8pm.

Sing-A-Long-A Grease is an entertaining winter diversion happening on Saturday, February 1st at Merrill Auditorium featuring the classic film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Haven't you ever wanted to know what it's like to be a T-bird or a Pink Lady but never quite felt cool enough to pull it off? Well, now is your chance to don those pink jackets, grease up those quiffs and let your inhibitions go. The evening begins with the host, Maine local Michael Wood who many will remember as "Ray a Drop of Golden Sun," from last year's Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music, leading a vocal warm-up, judging a costume competition (costumes are highly recommended but not required), awarding prizes and showing the audience how to use their complimentary "magic moment pack" of props. You'll even get a chance to learn how to hand jive. Then just sit back and watch Danny & Sandy and the gang, while singing and dancing along to the lyrics as shown on the big screen. It couldn't be easier... or more fun! This is an event where the audience truly becomes the star of the show.

Tickets for Sing-A-Long-A Grease are $14 and general admission. To purchase tickets visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or stop by the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations Presents Quebec's Thrilling Cirque Alfonse: TIMBER! at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Thrilling aerial and circus acrobatics combined with epic feats of agility and strength, inspired by North-American lumberjacks, loggers and farmers rolls into Merrill Auditorium when Portland Ovations presents Quebec's Cirque Alfonse: TIMBER! on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 7 pm.  

Cirque Alfonse, established in 2005 is a young circus company from Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez in the province of Quebec. Its founding members have all worked with some of the most renowned "nouveau cirque" companies around the world. This troupe is comprised of a team of professional acrobats graduated from the École nationale de cirque de Montréal, as well as a professional dancer, an ex-skiing champion and three talented and versatile musicians. This brave and creative group of performers is blazing a creative path that no one has yet dared to explore, blending the arts and techniques of the circus and infusing them with the most picturesque facets of traditional Quebec folklore.

Fueled by live Quebecois music, the troupe creates a colorful, energetic scene of agility and strength while they juggle axes, duck and dive between whirled-about saws, and execute daring handstands, balancing acts and acrobatic flips on stage. Canada's Le Devoir, calls it "Simply jaw-dropping." And London's Telegraph states, "TIMBER! is one of those shows that makes you want to run away and join the circus."

In collaboration with the performance of Cirque Alfonse: TIMBER! The Maine Historical Society will hold a Film Series on January 23 with a showing of "Woodsmen and River Drivers: Another Day Another Era" at 12 pm. A short film focusing on five individuals who worked for the Machias Lumber Company, and on the same day a showing of "In the Blood" will take place at 6:30 pm. This Sumner McKane film is an illustration of the life, skills, and character of the turn-of-the-century Maine lumbermen & river drivers.

One hour prior to the performance of TIMBER! at 6pm on January 29th a pre-performance lecture is offered called Circus: The Quebec/Maine Connection in the Green Room at Merrill Auditorium. Where Peter Nielsen, President of Portland's Circus Conservatory of America discusses the evolution of contemporary circus in North America, Maine's circus/physical theater history, and Portland's latest role in training global circus artists.

Tickets for TIMBER! are $35 to $45 for Ovations' Members, $38 to $50 for the general public and a limited amount of $20 student tickets are also available. TIMBER! is sponsored by The Portland Phoenix and supported by Center for Cultural Exchange Foundation and New England Foundation for the Arts. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations Brings Comedic Powerhouse Joan Rivers to Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings Joan Rivers to Merrill Auditorium on Friday, November 22 at
8pm for an outrageous and hilarious evening of comedy.

A pop culture icon and trailblazing entertainer, Joan Rivers is a force of nature. A legend of unparalleled accomplishment and talent, Rivers is an internationally renowned comedienne, Emmy Award-winning television talk-show host, Tony Award-nominated actress, bestselling author, playwright, screenwriter, film director, syndicated radio host, and red-carpet fashion laureate. She is a true pioneer: creating her own brand of uninhibited, uncensored comedy and forging her own remarkable stardom in the entertainment world. Enduring tawdry clubs, Borscht Belt showrooms, and grimy Greenwich Village cabarets to create an illustrious career spanning more than four decades, Joan Rivers continues to dazzle (and provoke). She will be joined on stage by a live band of local musicians lead by Portland's own Chris Oberholtzer.

Setting the stage for Ms. Rivers is a group of four male singers -- all graduates of the USM School of Music -- now living and working in New York City. Lead by USM School of Music's Ed Reichert this fun and incredibly talented group of men calling themselves "The Joan Rangers" will perform some sassy and sensational musical theater selections, making sure the stage is perfectly warmed for the incomparable Ms. Rivers.

Tickets for Joan Rivers LIVE range from $41 to $63 for Portland Ovations Members and $45 to $70 for the general public. David Puelle Design sponsors the Joan Rivers performance and the Bangor Daily News (BDN Maine) provides media support. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or walk up to the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Maine State Ballet presents “The Nutcracker” at Merrill Auditorium Nov. 30-Dec. 8

Who: A cast of nearly 300 dancers, plus live music by the Maine State Ballet Orchestra.

When:

Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.

Friday Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

Saturday Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.

Where: Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland

Portland, Maine - With nearly 300 talented dancers in gorgeous costumes, a lush set-design that inspires wonder and awe, and music that celebrates the season, the Maine State Ballet’s Nutcracker is Maine’s grandest ballet presentation and a beloved holiday tradition.

Tickets: $20-$60. Discounts available for children, seniors and groups. Order by phone: 207-842-0800. Online: mainestateballet.org or tickets.porttix.com.

For more information: www.mainestateballet.org. 207-781-7672.

Photos Credit: Maine State Ballet

Portland Ovations Brings David Sedaris to Merrill Auditorium for a Sold Out Performance

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings humorist David Sedaris to Merrill Auditorium on Thursday,
November 21 at 7:30pm for a sold out evening of cutting wit and social satire.

David Sedaris returns to Portland sharing his latest book Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. With great skill Sedaris slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proving he is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. The Washington Post has hailed him as "one of America's most prickly, and most delicious, comic talents." Past titles, including The New York Times Bestseller Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, have kept him at the forefront of American culture since his early days recounting his time as a Santaland elf.

An Evening with David Sedaris is sold out. Tickets ranged from $45 to $55. Media sponsor MPBN provides support for the David Sedaris performance. For more information, visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or walk up to the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Ovations Presents Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at Merrill Auditorium

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations brings the all-singing, all-strumming Ukulele Orchestra of Great
Britain to Merrill Auditorium on Friday, November 8 at 8pm.

Believing that all genres of music are available for reinterpretation, as long as they are played on the ukulele the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain formed in 1985 as a bit of fun, but the first gig was an instant sell-out, and they've been performing ever since. By 1988 they had released an LP, appeared on BBC TV, played at WOMAD and recorded a BBC Radio 1 session. The current ensemble has been playing together for over 20 years, and has become something of a British institution. The Orchestra has given thousands of sold-out concerts across the world, most recently at the Sydney Opera House, The Royal Albert Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall. Their concerts are a funny, virtuosic, twanging, foot-stomping obituary of rock-n-roll and melodious pop songs featuring only the "bonsai guitar" and a menagerie of voices. There are no drums, pianos, backing tracks or banjos, no pitch shifters or electronic trickery, only the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and singing (and a bit of whistling). The Orchestra takes audiences from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding, the Talking Heads and Spaghetti Western soundtracks using the many possibilities of the instrument to reveal unsuspected musical delights. The Orchestra demonstrates how sometimes a foolish song can touch an audience more than high art and how music which takes itself too seriously is revealed to be hilarious. One may never think about music in the same way once exposed to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

One hour prior to the performance at 7pm in the Green Room at Merrill Auditorium, Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture, Building and Playing Ukuleles: A History where Joel Eckhaus, a Maine musician, teacher, and instrument builder/designer will discuss the history and construction of the ukulele, as well as provide examples of different ukuleles, various parts, and tools for a hands-on experience.

Tickets for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain range from $32 to $38 for Ovations' Members and $35 to $42 for the general public. The Maine Arts Commission and Maine Humanities Council provide support for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's performance. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or walk up to the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.