Music by Marianna

I’m performing in Eye of God this weekend at Chattanooga State Community College. This is my final play as a student in Chattanooga State’s Professional Actor Training Program. The show tells the story of a newly redeemed ex-con, the naive young woman that falls in love with him, a blood-soaked fourteen year old boy, and the faith, fear, and future that define them and bring them together.

Performances are at 7:30 PM on Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17, and at 2:30 on Sunday, April 18. Admission is free, although donations are accepted at the door. Warning: this play contains some adult situations and language. I would not recommend bringing children.

So what’s going on in the performing arts world in Chattanooga? Lots! My latest online project is the Chattanooga Performing Arts Calendar, which can be found under the “Calendar” tab on the site. My goal is to make it a comprehensive calendar of performing arts events in the Chattanooga area. If you know of an event that I’ve missed, let me know so I can get it on the calendar. In addition to access through the website, the calendar is also a publicly shared Google calendar. Now, go out and support the arts in Chattanooga!

I have two performances coming up in the next week.

First off is Chekhov Night at Chattanooga State. On Thursday, December 17, the second year students of the Professional Actor Training Program will be performing scenes from four plays by Anton Chekhov. I will be playing Arkadina in The Seagull, Masha in Three Sisters, and Varya in The Cherry Orchard. The performance will be held in the Humanities Auditorium at Chattanooga State Community College at 7:30 PM. Admission is free.

Second, I’ll be singing with the chorus this weekend in the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera‘s annual Home for the Holidays concert. Performances will be held at the Tivoli at 8:00 PM on Saturday, December 19, and 2:00 PM on Sunday, December 20. Tickets range from $19 to $79, although student tickets are available at the door for $10 with a valid student ID.

The 2009 Chattanooga State Summer Theater Festival presents: William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This exciting, Bollywood-style production is directed by Garry Posey and features choreography by Mattie Waters. Yours truly plays a man and a wall.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays now through July 26, 2009, at the Chattanooga State Humanities Auditorium. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door.

Jai ho!

I just bought a Zoom H2 recorder. It’s basically a small, handheld microphone with some great little features. It has options for 2- and 4-channel recording and records in .wav format to an SD card. I’ve tested it out a bit, and the sound quality is surprisingly crisp and clear. I look forward to recording some songs and posting them online.

If anyone has used one of these things, I’d be very interested to know your opinion of it.

I now have a media page! Only one recording so far: “Ah! Je veux vivre” from Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, recorded tonight.

Ah! Je veux vivre

Here’s a great opportunity to help show your support for choral activities in Chattanooga:

The Chattanooga Girls Choir, with whom I sang for ten years, is holding a fundraising dinner next Friday, April 24, 2009. The event, titled An Irish Spring Celebration, will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Tyner United Methodist Church. The evening will feature a three-course dinner and performances by Olta, Dan Landrum, and members of the Girls Choir.

Tickets are $25, or you can sponsor a table of eight for $200. Reservations are required and will be accepted through the Girls Choir office up through Monday, April 20, 2009. For more information or to make reservations, call the Girls Choir office at (423) 629-6188.

Welcome to Music by Marianna, version 2. The site has undergone a complete overhaul. Hopefully, the new format will be easier to navigate and will allow for more frequent updates. I’m still setting everything up here, so expect more pages to pop up soon.