Entertainment Briefs - Sept. 11

Forestview band SOLO to perform Friday

BAXTER - The student-band titled SOLO is hosting a rock concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the cafetorium at Forestview Middle School in Baxter that will benefit the local food shelf and anti-bullying efforts.

Forestview students Danny Olson, Carter Sobania and Jayce Schroeder started the band SOLO a year ago to share their love of 80s rock. The band has played at multiple local venues including Zorbaz, and they were one of two opening bands for Hairball's Labor Day concert in Breezy Point.

All ages are invited to attend Friday's concert.

CLC Cultural Thursdays rescheduled for today, Sept. 11

The first Central Lakes College (CLC) Cultural Thursday event scheduled Sept. 4, which was postponed because of the power outage/storm, will be held at noon today, Sept. 11, in the Chalberg Theatre at CLC in Brainerd.

CLC Spanish instructor Tracey Kloeckl-Jiménez will share the "Iceberg Concept of Culture," which was arrived at by many late 20th century theorists including French and Bell in their book entitled Organizational Development. Since that time many others have utilized this organizational framework to further expound on the concept of culture.

Kloeckl-Jiménez will share anecdotes and observations on culture gleaned from her many

years of travel and international experiences. Information on two upcoming CLC international travel/ learning experiences will be introduced at the end of this session: an interdisciplinary Global Studies Course/Trip to Costa Rica and a CLC Theatre Department tour/experience in the U.K., both to take place during the March 2015 Spring Break.

Tickets to go on sale for Geritol Frolics

Tickets will go on sale Monday for the 2014 season of the Geritol Frolics at the Box Office located in the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd.

The Geritol Frolics is a vaudeville-style musical variety show performed by an all-volunteer cast of talented seniors age 55 and older. Shows will be performed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, 18 and 25; and at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, 19, 23, 24 and 26.

Tickets are $15 for general seating and $17 for premium seating. All seats are reserved and all ticket sales are final. Tickets can be picked up at the box office, held for will-call or mailed to the purchaser for a nominal fee. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The box office phone number is 825-4993.

Heartland Poets to meet

Heartland Poets, an area chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets, will meet from 6-9 p.m. Friday in the large room of the Brainerd Public Library.

Participants are asked to bring a few poems, their own or others, to share and read aloud with others. A short business meeting will be held to discuss summer poetry events and upcoming fall poetry opportunities. Poems-in-progress will be discussed. This meeting is free and open to the public.

'Picturing 2014' exhibit and workshops set

"Picturing 2014" exhibition is on display through Saturday at the Q Gallery at the Franklin Art Center in Brainerd and workshops will be held from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in room E354 at Central Lakes College (CLC) in Brainerd.

The Crossing Arts Alliance (TCAA) will sponsor the workshops featuring presentations by three photographers: Beaulin Liddell, Dee Kotaska and the 2014 TCCA Photographer of the Year, Jeff Collins. A reception from 5-7 p.m. Saturday at the Q Gallery honoring all the exhibiting photographers and Collins.

On Sunday, Liddell will lead a workshop involving a morning field trip photo shoot and an afternoon workshop.

To register for the workshops and the reception contact TCAA at 833-0416,

info@crossingarts.org or www.crossingarts.org .

Theatre classes for youth at CLC

Mary Aalgaard and her company Play off the Page is offering theater classes for youth in the Brainerd lakes area. Classes will take place in the Dryden Theatre at Central Lakes College (CLC) with the support of the CLC Theatre Department.

Classes will be held from 5-6 p.m. Thursdays for students in first- through fourth-grade, starting Oct. 2, with a performance at 6 p.m. Nov. 20. Students will not meet on Oct. 16.

The theme for the workshop is Characters and Conflicts for the Holidays, with a focus on Thanksgiving. Students will create their own characters and write the play under the guidance of Aalgaard.

For more information contact Aalgaard at 218-232-6069, Mary@playoffthepage.com or www.playoffthepage.com . Registration for this class by calling the CLC box office at 855-8199, or stopping between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.​ Cost for the workshop is $65.

Music General dancer chosen as a Timberwolves dancer

Former Music General dancer Giselle Tamasy, the daughter of Steve Tamasy and Mabel Halphen-Tamasy of Brainerd, has been selected to be a 2014-2015 Timberwolves dancer. Giselle danced at Music General for 14 years and was one of more than 50 dancers who attended the open call auditions on July 19 at the Target Center.

The audition process spanned 12 days and began with three rounds of choreography and cuts on day one. Dancers demonstrated skills in Hip-Hop, Leaps/Turns technique and Jazz, performing in groups of three for a panel of judges and were eventually narrowed to 22 finalists. Finalists were required to participate in a host of activities that spanned the 12-day audition including a photo shoot, video interview, Workout Bootcamp at STEELE Fitness, Meet and Greet at Cambria Gallery in downtown Minneapolis and a volunteer day at Gale Farms and Second Hand Harvest. Finalists also were required to attend a three-hour dance rehearsal nightly at Platinum Dance Center in Edina. Timberwolves showcase night was held on July 30 at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino. Finalists performed two routines at the showcase in addition to a 30 second solo before 14 dancers were chosen to be part of the 2015-2015 team.

Blue Goose Tavern grand opening

GARRISON - The Blue Goose Inn in Garrison, now called the Blue Goose Tavern will host its grand opening Saturday.

There will be helicopter rides, three shows with the Twin Cities Fantasy Factory, fireworks, face painting, a magician, a bouncy castle and live music by Concentual. Activities begin at 10 a.m. and continue through the day.

Woodturners exhibit opens in New York Mills

NEW YORK MILLS - Local artists from Otter Tail, Wadena and Becker Counties are featured in the Minnesota Lakes Woodturners Association exhibit at the Cultural Center in New York Mills. The exhibit, "One Good Turn," features work by 12 woodturning artists. The show continues in the Center's ground-floor gallery through Oct. 15.

The exhibit includes goblets, bowls, trays and wood art made by Don Wattenhofer and Dan Yliniemi, both of Ponsford; Mike Lickiss, Jim Kjelstrup and Ron Eberle, all of Detroit Lakes; Lon Hanson of New York Mills; Mark Olson of Ottertail; Phil Holtan of Perham; Dan Modrow of Frazee; Kenneth Vorderbruggen and Christian Haugen, both of Henning; and Don Olson of Audubon.

Woodturning demonstrations will be featured on from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 19. There is no charge for admission to the gallery or for the demonstrations.

Orchestra/singing opportunities offered in Little Falls

LITTLE FALLS - St. Francis Music Center is sponsoring two opportunities for students and adults from the central Minnesota area to perform in a string orchestra. The Saint Francis Preparatory Orchestra is for young students with one or two years of private lessons who are ready for an ensemble experience. At this level, students learn the basic skills necessary for

successful orchestral playing. The focus is on intonation and tone quality, bowing styles and

patterns, reading key and time signatures and counting rhythms. The group will do mostly unison and canon playing.

The Saint Francis Concert Orchestra is for more experienced players who have accomplished the skill set of the preparatory group and are ready for the rich and challenging experience of concert performance. Though still educational in nature, this orchestra will focus on rehearsing and performing standard string repertoire at the intermediate to advanced level.

Participants are expected to spend individual practice time on their music between rehearsals and come to rehearsals prepared. Both orchestras perform in Sacred Heart Chapel at St. Francis Convent twice a year.

Students do not have to be a student at St. Francis Music Center to participate in the orchestras. The orchestras are free, thanks to grants from US Bank and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Bobbi French, faculty member at the Music Center, will direct both orchestras and will place participants in the proper orchestra.

The orchestras will meet on Tuesday nights. The Preparatory Orchestra meets from 6-6:45 p.m. and the Concert Orchestra will meet from 7-8:30 p.m.

The St. Francis Community Chorale meets on Thursdays from 7-8:30 p.m.starting Sept. 18. All adults are invited to sing; no auditions are necessary. The group sings a wide variety of music from sacred to Broadway to pop. The Chorale is under the direction of Barb Stumpf with Vicki Spofford as the accompanist.

The center also has a men's singing group, Brothers in Harmony. Teen and adult men are invited to sing every Monday at 7 p.m. The group sings a wide variety of music. No auditions are needed. This group is under the direction of Kathy Pederson.

This year the center has a new group, Kids Sing! Open to children ages 5-12, this group will meet on Mondays from 6-6:45 p.m.

For more information contact the center at 320-632-0637 or the website at www.sfmusiccenter.org .

Food and sake tasting event planned

AITKIN - The Northern Lights Wine Club will present a food and sake tasting event Sept. 25 at the Beanery Cafe located in the Historic Butler Building in Aitkin.

For more than 1,000 years sake has been brewed in Japan. Sake is referred to as rice wine, but the process of making sake is more akin to beer, and thus is a brewing process. Tasting sake is a lot like tasting wine. Learn how sake is made and taste the various categories of Artisan sake like Junmai, Honjozo, Ginjo and more.

Chris Griese from Joto Sake along with Patty Gaetz of World Class Wines will guide people through the art of sake brewing and the tasting of several sake styles. Griese has, for years, visited Japan studying sake and has earned the title of "Advance Saké Professional II."

An informal and educational food and wine event for everyone interested in expanding their knowledge and love of fine wines This is an event for beginners to learn about wine and for experienced wine lovers to expand their wine knowledge and tasting skills.

Cost is $30 for members and $35 for non-members to attend this wine tasting. People do not have to be a Northern Lights Wine Club member to attend this event and no product purchase is required. Advance payment and reservations are required. Tickets are available online at www.northernlightswine.com or at the Beanery Cafe 218-927-7811.

Tickets for Autumn in New York available

Tickets for 12th annual Autumn in New York event presented by The Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota (LCGM) are available through Sept. 17. The event is hosted at Madden's Resort from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 27.

This semi-formal event includes a social hour, silent auction, a four-course gourmet dinner and live entertainment by Legacy members. The silent auction will includes local golfing, resort /dining experiences and handcrafted items.

The menu includes: bacon and fresh basil wrapped broiled shrimp; harvest blend salad greens, strawberries, apples, candied pecans, pumpkin seed pepitos, with pineapple lime vinaigrette; pork tenderloin cordon bleu, dried cherry compote, heirloom bean succotash, rainbow carrot julienne; and a mystery special dessert from the Madden's bakery.

Entertainment will feature a broad spectrum of musical styles such as vignettes from Legacy on Broadway, opera, contemporary and classical.

Tickets can be purchased at www.legacychorale.org; or send order via snail mail with check or credit card payment to "Legacy Chorale, PO Box 2751, Baxter, MN 56401; or call the Legacy manager, Barb Mann, at 270-8020. There are reserved-premium seating rates and reserved general open seating rate options, with eight seats per table. Table "assignments" for reserved premium seating are on a first come, first paid basis. Reserved general seating is not assigned and is available in order of arrival at the event.

The Legacy Chorale includes 40 and 65 singers at any time, representing a number of greater Minnesota communities: Aitkin, Backus, Baxter, Brainerd, Breezy Point, Crosby, Crosslake, Deerwood, East Gull Lake, Garrison, Hackensack, Lakeshore, Little Falls, Merrifield, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Pillager. The Legacy Chorale has held performances in Aitkin, Crosby, Baxter, Brainerd, Little Falls, Wadena, St. Cloud, Pequot Lakes, Crosslake, Staples, Perham, Willmar, White Bear Lake, Minneapolis and Moose Lake.