How to submit an event for the calendar.
Broadcast live: Thursday 6:04 p.m. & Friday 11:04 am. By Sabrina Eastwood

This Week:

UCSC Cultural Arts and Diversity Center in conjunction with the UCSC American Indian Resource Center present Ghost Dance, written by Carolyn Dunn and directed by Katie Ventura. Ghost Dance brings together UCSC performers in a simultaneously epic and intimate American Indian tale about imperialism, ancestors' legacies, controversial prophecies, and ill-fated love. Based on true events, this play comes alive with riveting characters, an unforgettable story and authentic language — living proof that languages, like cultures, are fluid and alive, and evolve with history and each new generation. At the Stevenson College Event Center at UC Santa Cruz.  Thursday, May 10 & Friday, May 11. Doors open at 6:30pm, shows will begin promptly at 7:00 pm. Admission is free.

Pulse Productions presents an evening with guitarist, singer, composer and producer Lindsey Buckingham on Friday, May 11 at 8:00 pm at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz. Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being for some time the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2011, Buckingham was ranked 100th in Rolling Stone magazine's, 2011 list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Tickets at http://pulseproductions.inticketing.com

Paper Wing Theater of Monterey presents a fresh and visionary interpretation of Prometheus Bound the classical Greek tragedy by Aeschylus. Opening May 11 and playing Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM through May 26. Adapted and directed by local theatre and literature student, Jourdain Barton. Disturbing and profoundly haunting, Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound is given a fresh and visionary interpretation that holds a mirror, 2500 years later, to our own political climate, meditating on the universal tragedies of tyranny, oppression, and violence through a retelling of the doomed Titan’s downfall: his punishment for gifting fire to the mortal race. Presented in the "Little-But-Fierce" intimate Gallerie Theatre. Seating is limited. Tickets available at the door, but advance tickets recommended. www.PaperWingTheatre.com to pre-purchase tickets. Call 831-905-5684 for more info.

The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival presents Emerging Artists Showcase with music by Bach and Mozart, on Saturday, May 12 at 7:30pm in the Music Center Recital Hall at UC Santa Cruz. An evening of music tracing the evolution of the most beloved baroque and classical music featuring Tyler Hayford and Vlada Moran (twin pianos), and the Ragazzi Continuo Chorus. The program features music based on two of history's most-admired composers, J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart, with world premieres of new chorales in the style of Bach, plus Edvard Grieg's 'gilded lily' arrangement of a sonata by Mozart. UCSC Ticket Office (831-459-2159), Santa Cruz Tickets (www.santacruztickets.com), Civic Box Office

SpectorDance in Marina presents a special presentation of Ocean, a multidisciplinary performance piece and educational program created by SpectorDance in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Ocean brings together art and science to investigate the state of our world ocean, foster constructive dialogue, and inspire responsible stewardship. Monterey County’s own SpectorDance has been invited by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to perform Ocean on June 3 in our nation’s capitol. All proceeds from performance will help support travel costs for the SpectorDance Youth Company, who will be performing Out of the Blue, a playful dance media piece that explores the movement and beauty of the creatures that depend on the ocean for life. Saturday, May 12, 8 p.m. at SpectorDance in Marina. 3343 Paul Davis Drive, Marina. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com or call 831-384-1050. www.spectordance.org

The Santa Cruz County Symphony presents Maestro Granger’s Grand Finale concerts featuring the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus and works by Mendelssohn, Nielsen and Vaughan Williams on Saturday, May 12 at 8:00pm at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and Sunday, May 13, 2:00pm at Watsonville’s Mello Center Tickets at 420-5260 or online at SantaCruzSymphony.org.

WEST Performing Arts presents Pinocchio & Carlo Collodi written and directed by Stephanie Golino. The family-friendly show features a large, multi-generational cast and a rather large cetacean hiding in plain sight. With live music and sound by Shiloh Hellman, choreography by Sara Wilbourne, and the masterful voice of vocalist Lori Rivera. May 12, 18 & 19 at 8PM; and May 13, 19 & 20 at 3PM. Through May 20 at the West End Studio Theatre, 402 Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz. westperformingarts.com.

Continuing

Jewel Theater of Santa Cruz presents the classic Noël Coward comedy Blithe Spirit, continuing through May 20 at the Center Stage on Center Street in Santa Cruz. Information at JewelTheatre.net

The 2012 season of the Monterey Peninsula College Theatre Company’s continues with the play Little Women, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott and adapted for the stage by Marian De Forest. Through May 20 at Carmel Valley Middle School Theatre (4380 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel). Friday & Saturday at 7:00 PM (May 11, 12, 18, 19) and Saturday & Sunday at 3:00 PM (May 12, 13, 19, & 20). Special discount preview on Wednesday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased from the MPC Box Office (831-646-4213) or online at www.TicketGuys.com

Coming up next week and beyond:

UC Santa Cruz presents International Playhouse, two complete programs of fully staged plays performed in 8 languages with English super-titles. Thursday and Saturday performances in Chinese, French, Russian, and Italian. Friday and Sunday performances in Japanese, German, Greek, and Spanish. May 17-20 at 8:00 pm at the Stevenson Event Center at UC Santa Cruz. Admission is free.

The residents of the mythical town of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. This play by John Cariani inventively explores the mysteries of the human heart, touching audiences with laughter, heartbreak and hope. The New York Sun describes it as "love in the time of frostbite." Student directed by Kathryn Wahlberg. Presented by the UCSC Theater Arts Department. Fri-Sun, May 18-20 and Thu-Sun, May 24-27. 7:00 pm (Sundays at 3:00pm). Tickets on sale online at santacruztickets.com, at the UCSC Ticket Office (831-459-2159) and Santa Cruz Civic (832-420-5260) 

Pacific Voices choir presents their 18th Annual Spring concert "Awake My Soul and Sing" on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30PM at First Congregational Church, 900 High Street in Santa Cruz. Performing in a range of styles—from the tender beauty of Eric Whitacre's Seal Lullaby to Moses Hogan’s rousing Elijah Rock to the high energy Swahili adaptation of The Lord's Prayer, Baba Yetu by Christopher Tin and Chris Kiagiri—this community choir of more than sixty singers introduces audiences to unique songs from around the world. The concert marks the debut of Sean Boulware as the new conductor of Pacific Voices. Mr. Boulware is a sought-after conductor, adjudicator, clinician and vocalist throughout the United States and Europe, and will be conducting choirs at the 2012 Summer Games in London. Tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com, from choir members, and at the door. For more information: www.PacificVoices.org

The Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony, representing 15 schools from Santa Cruz and surrounding counties, under the leadership of, Nathaniel Berman, music director, will present its Spring Concert on Sunday, May 20, 3:00 pm, at the Aptos High School Performing Arts Center, 100 Mariner Way (at Freedom Blvd), Aptos. Featured on the program will be concerto winners Tyler Hayford, piano, and Kevin Dong, violin.  Works by Mozart, Ravel, Lalo and Bizet will be performed.  Also, seven graduating seniors will be recognized. Tickets may be purchased online (www.sccys.org), or at the door. The Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony is supported by grants from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County, The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, and Yahoo! through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Info: www.sccys.org, or call 831-607-9678.

The Santa Cruz Guitar Orchestra presents “Scenes from Guitar Island,” a program of music from Baroque and traditional South American to ragtime and swing jazz styles played by a symphony of guitars! Directed by guitarist/composer Mesut Özgen, the SCGO is comprised of professional players, teachers, and students from the local community. Among the highlights are Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’s beautiful Aria from the Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Mark Houghton’s “Twangology” inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt, Benjamin Verdery's "Scenes from Ellis Island" featuring surprise guest musicians in the exciting finale with a special rhythmic pattern from traditional East Indian music, and the swing jazz master Dorado Schmitt’s “Tchavolo Swing” from the famous movie about Gypsy musicians “Latcho Drom.” With soprano Sheila Willey Hannon, guitarist Kenny Hill, violinist Aimee Hamel, and Paul Mehling, the lead guitarist and founder of the legendary swing jazz band “Hot Club of San Francisco.” Monday, May 21, Music Center Recital Hall at UC Santa Cruz. Doors will open at 7:00 and the concert will start at 7:30 pm. Tickets at UCSC Ticket Office: 831-459-2159 / Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Box Office: 831-420-5260 / online at www.santacruztickets.com / and at the door. More information at www.mesutozgen.com

The UC Santa Cruz Theater Arts Department presents I Dream of Chang and Eng, a play by Bay Area playwright Philip Kan Gotanda, directed by Gina Marie Hayes. Playing May 25-26-27 and May 31, June 1-2-3 in the Mainstage Theater at the UC Santa Cruz Theater Arts Center. Performances at 7:00 PM (Sundays at 3:00 PM). SPECIAL ticket OFFER: Buy-1-Get-1 FREE on Sunday, May 27 and Thursday, May 31. Post-performance “talk-backs” on Saturday, May 26 and Saturday, June 2. Tickets ONLINE at santacruztickets.com, Ticket Office (831-459-2159) and Santa Cruz Civic box office (831-420-5260).

The beloved March sisters come to life at UC Santa Cruz in a production of American composer Mark Adamo’s opera Little Women based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Four fully staged performances: May 31-June 3 in the Music Center Recital Hall at UC Santa Cruz. Directed by Brian Staufenbiel. Nicole Paiement conducts the UCSC Orchestra. Tickets on sale now at santacruztickets.com, the UCSC Ticket Office (831-459-2159) and the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium box office (831-420-5260)

Acclaimed poet, recording artist, actor and activist John Trudell will perform a very special concert with his band Bad Dog at the Springfield Community Grange in Pajaro on Saturday, June 2 at 7pm. Tickets on sale now at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com or 800.838.3006.

Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre performs in concert at Cabrillo College's Crocker Theater. Featuring director Robert Kelley’s newest work, and guest artist Eva Stone with a witty modern dance choreographed to music by Luigi Boccherini. For classical dance and music enthusiasts, the company performs Marius Petipa’s Paquita, a time-honored classic that has retained its freshness for over 130 years. One performance only on Sunday, June 3 at 1:00 PM. Tickets and information: scbt.org or 831-477-1606.

AUDITIONS, FUNDRAISERS, WORKSHOPS & MORE:

Second Annual Santa Cruz Rejuvenation Festival: May 19 & 20
Mother Nature’s Temple and OmMamaOm Productions present the Second Annual Rejuvenation Festival at San Lorenzo Park in Santa Cruz. This event offers 21 music, drumming and dance acts including children’s entertainment on three stages. Plus on-going yoga classes, green living information, and an Eco-Fair. Headliners on the main stage are include Charles “Horn Man” Neville of the Neville Brothers who will be playing with Grammy nominated Youssoupha Sidibe and his Mystic Rhythms Band, and Jamaican recording artist Sister Carol. Local bands include Love Eternal, Ginny Mitchell and Patti Maxine, Inner Light Choir, and Watsonville Taiko. Kids’ entertainment includes national recording artist Peter Alsop, Mickey Magic, Mystic Truebudoors, and Deborah Simon of Storytalk. Admission is free. The event takes place from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm both days. For more information and schedule, visit www.RejuvenationFestival.com.

If your PERFORMING ARTS organization has an upcoming event which might interest KUSP's listening audience, please send a BRIEF press release or SHORT public service announcement to: performing at kusp dot org

or snail mail an announcement to:
KUSP Performing Arts Calendar 203 8th Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Tips for getting your announcement on air and web:
- Put your event name and date in the email's subject heading
- Please DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS.

PLEASE SEND AT LEAST 2 WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR EVENT.

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