PROVINCETOWN: Athol Fugard play at center of virtual event March 13 wickedlocal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wickedlocal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Susan Blood, Banner Correspondent
Every year on the first Sunday of March, a traditional festival attracts thousands of people to the Bulgarian village of Shiroka Laka, home of the National School of Folklore Art. In 2020 John Thomas was there, on a Fulbright grant to research, study, learn, and perform the music of Bulgaria.
“That was the last time I was with a big group of people,” Thomas said. A week later, Bulgaria reported its first two cases of the coronavirus, and Thomas’ stay in Bulgaria was cut short.
“There were three of us that had tried to see if we could work it out, but the schools were shutting down. My whole focus was to be in a room with a piano coach or a composer and to perform. We couldn t do that.”
Meditative music to start the evening
Provincetown Theater will debut pianist/music director John Thomas’ seven-week virtual program “Music Without Borders,” a half-hour weekly program Sundays through March 7 of “peace serenity and beauty” through meditative music. The schedule offers a mix of classical, gospel, jazz, improv and original music from many countries, with Thomas (recently back from a Fulbright grant to Bulgaria) performing on the theater stage, and videos of musical guests. The series will include 38 pieces of music filmed over the several months, including Bulgarian, Japanese, Mexican, Argentinian and Turkish pieces. Guest musician Sunday will be jazz saxophone player Ken Field.
Editor s note: This is part of a series of 10 stories on a variety of topics that take a look back at 2020 and forward to 2021. Many policies and practices were changed or adjusted because of the pandemic or other disruptions and we look at how those changes will shape the future.
As the impossibility of gathering in 2020 devastated so much of the arts and entertainment industry this year, from movies to concerts and theater performances, there was debate over who deserved financial help from the government. The debate left some skeptics to ponder a big question:
Are the arts really essential?
It’s hard to feel festive this year when everything is upside down, but we’re taking some solace in the appearance of twinkling lights across Boston. And a silver lining? The most hectic time of the year is notably less so. Now, nine months into the pandemic, virtual performances have hit their stride, and the quality is better than ever. So get cozy at home, sit back with a cup of eggnog, and let the performers come to you.
Through Dec. 30
Singer-songwriter Anjimile burst onto the national scene this year with an album that confirmed what Massachusetts fans already knew: this is an artist on the rise. Watch them in an intimate and electrifying performance at Oberon alongside feminist rapper Brandie Blaze and Afro Latin fusion artist Kaovanny. Join a pre-show celebration on Dec. 18 to raise a glass to the artists who will be there to greet the audience.