Archive | Family Entertainment Series RSS feed for this section
A dancer from the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet performs in a previous season's Family Entertainment Series appearance in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall. Daily file photo.

CRYB brings youth to classical moves

August 14, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

The Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet brings youth back to classical dance. Their classical dancers range from children to pre-professional, and the school reminds audiences of the values and beauty of classical dance.

“It’s important for our mission to keep classical dance vibrant and to expose children to classical dance,” said Elizabeth Bush, CRYB’s executive director. “It’s nice to show younger children classical dance performed by children and teenagers.”

CRYB takes the stage at 7 p.m. tonight in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall as part of the Family Entertainment Series.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , , , , ,
Brian Kushmaul, principal percussionist in the CSO and member of Ibis, shows students in Trinidad a cajon drum. Photo courtesy of Michelle Nunes.

Ibis Ensemble puts Caribbean spin on Little Red Riding Hood

July 31, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

Children at Chautauqua may have heard of Little Red Riding Hood, but it is unlikely they know the Midnight Robber or the Blue Devil of Paramin.

Those are traditional figures from Trinidadian Carnival and characters in the Ibis Ensemble’s performance of their Caribbean-flavored “Little Red Riding Hood.”

The Ibis Ensemble will play the contemporary work at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Smith Wilkes Hall as part of the Family Entertainment Series, along with other tribal music from Trinidad and Tobago.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , , , , , , ,
Hobey Ford with a caterpillar puppet. Submitted photo.

Animals come to life through puppets in Ford’s ‘Animalia’ FES performance

July 24, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

The bald eagle swoops through the crowd, wings flapping. Though it’s not a living, breathing creature, the puppet crafted and controlled by puppeteer Hobey Ford looks and moves like the real thing.

Ford will take the stage with a host of animal puppets at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. tonight in Smith Wilkes Hall as part of the Family Entertainment Series. His show, “Animalia,” teaches animal behavior through art.

“ ‘Animalia’ is a ballet of animals. We follow a caterpillar as it turns into a butterfly,” Ford said. “The puppets don’t talk. For the most part, they are acting like the real animals.”

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , , , ,

Vocal Trash brings ‘variety show’ to Amp stage for FES

July 18, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

One man’s trash is another man’s instrument when it comes to Vocal Trash, the dance and vocal performance group that takes the Amphitheater stage at 7:30 p.m. tonight as part of the Family Entertainment Series.

“From age 2 to 92, they will be tapping their feet,” said Kelsey Rae, co-owner of Vocal Trash and the group’s lead singer and dancer.

The group creates beats using trash can lids, cans and bottles, encouraging recycling, as its members breakdance across the stage. Though the group is often compared to Stomp, Vocal Trash also offers 40 songs sung by the group’s six members in 90 minutes, Rae said.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , , , , ,
David Epley performs as Doktor Kaboom! Daily file photo.

Doktor Kaboom! rockets to Smith Wilkes stage

July 10, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

David Epley is a real Renaissance man.

He worked the Renaissance fair circuit for 20 years with a trio called Theatre in the Ground before he combined his love for science, performing and comedy into his new traveling persona: Doktor Kaboom!.

“Science is for everybody,” Epley said. “Not just the person in the lab coat or the kid who wins the science fair.”

Epley as Doktor Kaboom! brings the show “It’s Just Rocket Science” to Chautauqua at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. today in Smith Wilkes Hall as part of the Family Entertainment Series. It’s Epley’s third time at Chautauqua as Doktor Kaboom!, but his first time with the show.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , ,

DFT expands community support through Family Entertainment Series sponsorship

July 3, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

This season, the Family Entertainment Series Community Appreciation Tuesday Nights are sponsored by a company that feels giving back to its community should be just as emphasized as business integrity.

DFT Communications, a local telecommunication organization, is sponsoring all Tuesday night Family Entertainment in Smith Wilkes and Elizabeth S. Lenna halls this summer.

“This is our first year that we’re doing this on the Institution grounds,” said Dan Siracuse, marketing and public relations manager.

Ellen Ditonto, DFT’s director of sales, had originally spoken with Megan Sorenson, assistant director of the Chautauqua Fund, Siracuse said. He and Ditonto then brought the proposal to the president and COO of the company.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , , , , , ,
The Gizmo Guys

Gizmo Guys juggle their way to Chautauqua for Family Entertainment Series

July 3, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

Clubs fly back and forth, shooting through the air between the two men.

They are the Gizmo Guys, a professional juggling and comedy duo. They perform at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. today in Smith Wilkes Hall as part of the Family Entertainment Series. The two have been juggling and clowning together professionally for 25 years.

Chautauqua is one of the few places they try to visit a day before their performance, so they can enjoy the peace and beauty of the Institution.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , , , ,
WildKingdom__LR_6.29.12_81

Photostory: A walk on the wild side

June 29, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

Peter Gros, co-host of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” shared stories and short videos of his travels in the wild while presenting animals to the Amphitheater audience, including many young Chautauquans, during Wednesday evening’s Family Entertainment Series program. Above, young audience members meet a porcupine, and at right, Aaron Stackpole, 9, volunteers to join Gros onstage to handle a snake-like reptiles.

Photos by Lauren Rock.

Read more
Family Entertainment Series
, , ,
Older Entries