FIFTH ANNUAL SUMMERSCAPE FESTIVAL OPENS JULY 5 WITH DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS IN A NEWLY COMMISSIONED WORLD PREMIERE – AS WELL AS OPENING-NIGHT CELEBRATIONS IN BARD’S SPIEGELTENT

ON THE OPENING WEEK MENU: SUSAN MARSHALL & COMPANY, CONCEPTUAL ARTIST MARTIN CREED, FILM FESTIVAL OPENING, AND MUCH MORE

“Seven weeks of cultural delight.”– International Herald Tribune

The 2007 Bard SummerScape festival kicks off – literally! – on Thursday, July 5 at 8 pm with a world-premiere performance by Doug Varone and Dancers, a commission by Bard’s Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Varone’s new work, Victorious, is based on the hauntingly beautiful Cello Concerto by Sir Edward Elgar, the composer whose life and influence provide the focus for SummerScape’s 2007 season and the 18th annual Bard Music Festival, “Elgar and his World.” He will also perform his acclaimed Castles, to music by Prokofiev, and Lux, to music by Philip Glass.

Varone, no stranger to classical music, has choreographed Hector Berlioz, Richard Strauss, and Tobias Picker for the Metropolitan Opera, and has just ended a run of his evening-long Dense Terrain at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. His work has been described in the Village Voice as “thrilling” and “mesmerizing,” and by the Boston Globe as “a whirl of spins, tumbles, leaps, lifts, and crashes … fraught with emotional intensity.”  Further performances – all in the Sosnoff Theater – are on July 6, 7, and 8.

The next evening, July 6 at 8:30 pm, Varone’s colleague Susan Marshall, a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2000, unveils her own Fisher commission. Entitled Sawdust Palace, and choreographed especially for Bard’s Spiegeltent, this work will be the festival’s second dance world premiere in as many days. Further performances are on July 7, 8, 12, 14, and 15.

The Spiegeltent will also be the venue for two other opening-week headliners: conceptual artist Martin Creed, on Saturday July 7 at 8:30 pm (Marshall’s company will have given an afternoon performance that day) and the first screening in Bard’s festival of British postwar film classics – a double-bill of Tight Little Island and The Maggie in the Avery Arts Center at 7 pm on Sunday, July 8.

Each SummerScape evening – Thursdays through Sundays from July 5 through August 19 – the Spiegeltent turns into a restaurant/cabaret, offering post-concert

refreshments during “SpiegelClub”. On weekend afternoons there’s entertainment for the whole family – and nourishment ranges from soft drinks and local adult beverages to hamburgers from the grill, salads, and gourmet snacks. Dinner is served from 5:30–7:30 pm.

Other highlights of Bard SummerScape 2007 include a production of George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan (opening July 12); a double bill of Zemlinsky operas – the first time A Florentine Tragedy and The Dwarf will be staged together in the US (opening July 27); Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Sorcerer (opening August 3); and Weekends 1 and 2 of the world-renowned Bard Music Festival (August 10–12 and August 17–19).

BARD SUMMERSCAPE – TICKET INFORMATION

For tickets and further information on all SummerScape events, phone the Fisher Center box office at (845) 758-7900 or visit www.fishercenter.bard.edu
SOME KEY DATES FOR SUMMERSCAPE 2007 July 5 Bard SummerScape 2007 opens with Doug Varone and Dancers: the world premiere of Victorious, choreographed to Elgar’s Cello Concerto July 6 First of eight performances by Susan Marshall and Company: the world premiere of Sawdust Palace, written expressly for performance in Bard’s Spiegeltent July 12 First of eight performances of Shaw’s Saint Joan; Gregory Thompson directs. July 27 First of five performances of the Zemlinsky opera double bill: the first time A Florentine Tragedy and The Dwarf will be staged together in the US. Aug 3 First of eight performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Sorcerer Aug 10–12 Bard Music Festival Weekend One Aug 17–19 Bard Music Festival Weekend Two BARD SUMMERSCAPE 2007 EVENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER July 5 5:00 pm SummerScape Gala Benefit (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Doug Varone and Dancers (Sosnoff) 10:00 pm Gala Opening (Spiegeltent) July 6 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Doug Varone and Dancers (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 7 3:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Doug Varone and Dancers (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm Martin Creed (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 8 3:00 pm Doug Varone and Dancers (Sosnoff) 3:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm Tight Little Island / The Maggie (Avery) 8:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 12 5:30–7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm The Man in the White Suit (Avery) 8:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 13 5:30–7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Iva Bittova (Spiegeltent) 10 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 14 3:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 15 1:00 pm AudraRox (Spiegeltent) 3:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 3:30 pm AudraRox (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm The Blue Lamp (Avery) 8:30 pm Susan Marshall & Company (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 19 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm The Fallen Idol (Avery) 8:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Orange Star Dinner Show (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 20 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Wau Wau Sisters (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 21 3:30 pm Orphean Circus (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Orange Star Dinner Show (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 22 1:00 pm Orphean Circus (Spiegeltent) 3:00 pm Saint Joan (LUMA Theater) 3:30 pm Orphean Circus (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm The Third Man (Avery) 8:30 pm Professor Louie and The Crowmatix (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 26 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm Outcast of the Islands (Avery) 8:30 pm Speaking in Clowns (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 27 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm A Florentine Tragedy / The Dwarf (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm Bindlestiff Family Cirkus (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 28 3:30 pm Bindlestiff Family Cirkus (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:30 pm Speaking in Clowns (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) July 29 1:00 pm Bindlestiff Family Cirkus (Spiegeltent) 1:30 pm Opera Talk (Sosnoff) 3:00 pm A Florentine Tragedy / The Dwarf (Sosnoff) 3:30 pm Bindlestiff Family Cirkus (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm Topsy Turvy (Avery) 8:30 pm Speaking in Clowns (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 2 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm Black Narcissus (Avery) 8:00 pm A Florentine Tragedy / The Dwarf (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm Orange Star Dinner Show (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 3 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm Speaking in Clowns (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 4 1:30 pm Opera Talk (LUMA Theater) 3:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 3:30 pm Trio Loco (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:00 pm A Florentine Tragedy / The Dwarf (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm Speaking in Clowns (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 5 1:00 pm Goat on a Boat (Spiegeltent) 3:00 pm A Florentine Tragedy / The Dwarf (Sosnoff) 3:30 pm Goat on a Boat (Spiegeltent) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 7:00 pm The Red Shoes (Avery) 8:30 pm Speaking in Clowns (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 8 8:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) August 9 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm Oliver Twist (Avery) 8:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 8:30 pm The Blackamoor Angel (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 10 5:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 5:30 – 7:30 pm BMF Gala Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:30 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Sosnoff) 8:00 pm BMF Program 1 (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm The Blackamoor Angel (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 11 10:00 am BMF Panel 1 (Olin) 1:00 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Olin) 1:30 pm BMF Program 2 (Olin) 3:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 5:00 pm BMF Special Event (Olin) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Sosnoff) 8:00 pm BMF Program 3 (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm Dzul Dance (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 12 10:00 am BMF Panel 2 (Olin) 1:00 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Olin) 1:30 pm BMF Program 4 (Olin) 1:00 pm Deedle Deedle Dees (Spiegeltent) 3:00 pm The Sorcerer (LUMA Theater) 3:30 pm Deedle Deedle Dees (Spiegeltent) 4:30 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Sosnoff) 5:30 pm BMF Program 5 (Sosnoff) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:30 pm Dzul Dance (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 16 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:30 pm God Bless the Music Hall (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 17 10:00 am BMF Symposium (Bertelsmann Campus Center) 1:30 pm BMF Symposium (Bertelsmann Campus Center) 4:00 pm BMF Special Showing (Weis Cinema, Bertelsmann Campus Center) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:30 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Sosnoff) 8:00 pm BMF Program 6 (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm The Blackamoor Angel (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 18 10:00 am BMF Program 7 (Olin) 1:00 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Olin) 1:30 pm BMF Program 8 (Olin) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 7:00 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Sosnoff) 8:00 pm BMF Program 9 (Sosnoff) 8:30 pm The Blackamoor Angel (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) August 19 10:00 am BMF Panel 3 (Olin) 1:00 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Olin) 1:30 pm BMF Program 10 (Olin) 4:30 pm BMF Preconcert Talk (Sosnoff) 5:30 pm BMF Program 11 (Sosnoff) 5:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner (Spiegeltent) 8:30 pm Slavic Soul Party (Spiegeltent) 10:00 pm SpiegelClub (Spiegeltent) # # #