Do you have a passion for supporting the arts and student talent?
The College of Charleston Department of Music and Department of Theatre & Dance are long-time presenters in the annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival. You will be thrilled by an exciting line-up of music, theatre, and dance offerings throughout May and June! Read below for more information about these programs.
The George Street Box Office is here to help secure your spot. For any ticketing questions, give us a call at 843.953.GSBO (4726) or email us at gsbo@charleston.edu.
The Young Artists Series features emerging musicians in Charleston. These advanced students of the College of Charleston perform a series of intimate concerts in the newly renovated Simons Center Recital Hall at the College of Charleston.
SCHEDULE OF CONCERTS
My Romance
May 26 | 12:00 p.m.
Enjoy a concert of Romantic composers featuring movements from Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1 and the Dvorak String Quintet No. 3, the “American,” and rarely performed songs of Rachmaninoff in their original language.
Back to the Future
May 27 | 12:00 p.m.
This concert of 20th century composers emphasizes Sergei Prokofiev’s music with the Sonata for Two Violins in C Major, Op. 56, and a movement from his Sonata in C Major, Op. 119, for Cello and Piano. Music of Ernst Block and songs of Charles Ives will be performed as well.
I'll Take Romance
May 28 | 12:00 p.m.
What is more romantic than the intimate lieder of Franz Schubert and the chansons of Gabriel Fauré? They will be featured in this concert, as well as a movement from Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, and Navarra, Op. 33, for Two Violins by Pablo de Sarraste. Certainly a highlight will be selections of Die Schwanegesang, the lieder thought to be among Schubert’s last compositions.
The Great American Songbook
May 29 | 12:00 p.m.
This ever-popular concert features the College of Charleston’s top jazz combo’s renditions of great jazz standards.
Music of the Romantics
May 30 | 12:00 p.m.
Brahms and Chopin…can it get much better than that? Those in attendance will hear some of Brahms’ most memorable lieder and a movement from his Sonata in E minor, Op. 38 for Cello. Chopin’s Sonata No.3, Op. 58 in B minor is featured in its entirety.
Mostly Mozart
June 2 | 12:00 p.m.
Our concert from the Classical period of music presents not only compositions by Mozart, but also Beethoven, Haydn, and Boccherini. A movement of Beethoven’s String Trio in G Major, Op. 9 No. 1 is prominent here as is a movement from Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major. Two arias from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro will be on display as well.
Go for Baroque
June 3 | 12:00 p.m.
This concert leans heavily on the compositions of J.S. Bach, but also includes Vivaldi and Handel, among others. Jean-Marie Leclair’s Sonata for Two Violins in E Minor, Op. 3, No. 5 (arranged for flute & violin) and a movement of Vivaldi’s Concerto in D Minor for Cello and Piano are featured here. As are suites, preludes, and fugues for violin and for cello, by the great master, Johann Sebastian Bach.
Isn't it Romantic?
June 4 | 12:00 p.m.
This is an eclectic concert of music of many composers of the 19th Century. A highlight will certainly be the performance of the first half of Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Saint-Saens’ Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 for Cello, and selections of Granados’ piano music, Danzas Españolas will be pleasurable as well.
To Infinity and Beyond
June 5 | 12:00 p.m.
The final concert of this year's series focuses on composers whose lives stretched into the 20th century and those who are current, 21st century, composers. The beautiful songs of Aaron Copland, Amy Beach and Tom Cipullo are featured, as are the piano compositions of Olivier Messiaen and Sergei Prokofiev. Of particular interest will be Dmitri Shostakovich’s Five Pieces for Two Violins & Piano.
Steel Band, Caribbean Style!
June 6 | 12:00 p.m.
The College of Charleston Steel Band plays the music of Trinidad including both the Calypso and Soca styles. With works by Lord Kitchner, Liam Teague and many more Trinidadian artists and songs by popular artists like John Lennon and Van Morrison, this concert is sure to be a rare treat!
The College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to present its 18th season of Stelle di Domani, its annual Piccolo Spoleto offering. This season’s exhibitions include theatre, dance, an evening of musical theatre, staged readings of new works, and a new offering as part of the department's budding partnership with the Charleston Library Society.
SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMS
Home by Samm-Art Williams presented by CofC Stages
Simons Center Black Box Theatre
May 24 | 7:30 p.m.
May 25 | 2:00 p.m.
May 27 | 7:30 p.m.
May 28 | 3:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century. Suitable for audiences 14+.
Monsters of the American Cinema by Christian St. Croix
presented by Center Stage
College of Charleston Chapel Theatre
May 24 | 4:00 p.m.
May 25 | 7:30 p.m.
May 26 | 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
May 27 | 5:00 p.m.
After his husband's death, Remy Washington, a Black man, inherits a drive-in movie theater and takes on the unexpected responsibility of raising his late husband’s straight, white teenage son, Pup. The two form a bond over their shared love of classic monster movies, but when Remy discovers Pup’s cruelty toward a gay classmate, their connection begins to fracture, and the real horrors start to emerge. Monsters of the American Cinema is a haunting, funny, and unexpectedly tender tale of fatherhood and loss. Presented by College of Charleston’s student theatre organization, Center Stage. Suitable for audiences 14+.
Musical Madness!
Simons Center Black Box Theatre
May 29 | 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a night of Broadway hits starring alumni and current CofC students! Compete in games like Name that Tune and Musical Trivia along with an opportunity to join in on some dancing. Suitable for audiences of all ages.
Under the Lights!
Simons Center Black Box Theatre
May 31 | 7:00 p.m.
June 1 | 7:00 p.m.
This perennial Piccolo favorite highlights original College of Charleston student works. A series of ten-minute plays written by and performed by CofC students, Under the Lights features winners of the Franklin B. Ashley Playwriting Award, the Todd McNerney Student Playwriting Award, and more. Suitable for audiences 14+.
The Red Suitcase presented by Annex Dance Company
Simons Center Black Box Theatre
June 6 | 7:00 p.m.
June 7 | 2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.
The culmination of the Annex Dance Company’s annual residency with the Department of Theatre and Dance, The Red Suitcase is an evening-length work inspired by visual art displayed in a traveling art exhibition presented in a vintage suitcase. Curated by Mary Walker, the content of each box is filled by the work of eleven visual artists from all over the country. Premiered in 2016, Annex Dance Company is excited to bring the work back to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival with student performers and company collaborator/Department of Theatre and Dance faculty member Evan Parry. Suitable for audiences of all ages.
Dark/Magic: Shakespeare's Antagonists and Alchemists
presented by CofC Stages and the Charleston Library Society
College of Charleston Chapel Theatre
June 7 | 12:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Join us for a celebration of Shakespeare’s most deceptive and beguiling characters in a new collection of scenes, speeches, and sonnets from the Bard! A small ensemble of performers will weave together works from The Tempest, Macbeth, and more. As part of the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance’s partnership with the Charleston Library Society, Dark/Magic will also be presented as a free performance as “Shakespeare on the Steps” during Second Sunday on the steps of CLS on June 8 at 2:00 p.m. Suitable for audiences 14+.
