Weis Center for the Performing Arts Blog
Bringing the performing arts to Central Pennsylvania for more than 35 years
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Roomful of Teeth Presents Fresh Musical Perspective
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I attended Roomful of Teeth’s performance at the Weis Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15th. However, I was surprised and enlightened throughout the performance. Tuesday’s performance was filled with all kinds of sounds—some harmonious; some cacophonous; some beautiful; some unsettling. Through their skills in various singing techniques, the performers created sounds that redefine the traditional description of music. Each member of the group offered a unique skill or technique, such as Dashon Burton’s deep, powerful bass sounds and Caroline…
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Roomful of Teeth Will Bring Unique Style to The Weis Center Next Week
The GRAMMY award winning vocal performance group, Roomful of Teeth, isn’t your typical music group by any means. Through a mix of sounds from many different cultures, such as Tuvan throat singing, yodeling, belting, Inuit throat singing, Korean P’ansori, Georgian singing, Sardinian cantu a tenore, Hindustani music and Persian classical singing, the group has created a unique sound experience. The group’s nine members, including Williamsport, PA native Dashon Burton, will perform at the Weis Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. If you’re interested in…
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Lizt Alfonso Showcases Cuba’s Artistic ‘Evolution’
Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba provided a captivating blend of art and history during Sunday’s performance at the Weis Center. “Cuba Vibra!” celebrates Cuban culture and history through music, dance, and costumes. The show shared music and dance from the 1950s to today, so the audience was able to watch the nation’s and characters’ evolution over time. “Cuba is fashionable today. The entire world has its eyes over us and everybody wants to know,” said Lizt Alfonso in her director’s note. “For over 25 years,…
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Judy Collins and Ari Hest Inspire with their Voices and Storytelling
On Thursday, October 20, the Weis Center hosted folk icon Judy Collins and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ari Hest. The combination of her angelic voice and his velvety tone left patrons feeling inspired and transformed – even if just for one night. Ari performed a set of his own songs first and then after a brief intermission, Judy took the stage at 8:15 pm. Performing a wide-ranging set of her classic melodies, as well as some well-known covers from the 60s and 70s, Judy performed for over…
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Drums of India Shares a Lesson in the Language of Music
Bickram Ghosh’s Drums of India filled the Weis Center with captivating rhythm and melodies on Sunday, October 16th. Ghosh was joined by Anoor R. Ananthakrishna Sharma, Gopal Barman, Suresh Vaidyanathan, and Abhisek Mallick, all of whom are celebrated musicians worldwide. One of the most interesting elements of the performance is the fact that most of it was improvised. Ghosh explained to the audience that improvisation is typical of drumming in India, jokingly adding that things could go wrong at any moment. Nothing ended up going…
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Proserpina: A Deeper Look
Tonight, Friday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m., the Weis Center presents Annie Randall’s and Paul Botelho’s Proserpina: Two One-Act Operas. I wanted to delve deeper into the story of Proserpina herself and how the themes in the opera can be interpreted in a modern context. The myth of Proserpina was traditionally used to explain why the seasons change. Proserpina, also known as Persephone in Greek mythology, is an ancient Roman goddess who is known for being kidnapped by Hades, the god of the underworld, after…
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Proserpina: Opera Like You’ve Never Seen It Before
On Friday, October 14th, audiences will be able to enjoy a unique performance of opera like they’ve never seen it before, through Annie J. Randall and Paul J. Botelho’s new work, Proserpina: Two One-Act Operas. This project began when Randall, a professor of music at Bucknell, began restoring Goethe’s original composition of Proserpina through a process called transcription in order to make the work usable for today’s musicians. This will be the piece’s North American debut and its first performance since 1778 since it was…
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“Aritmia” Captures Crowd
Merima Ključo and Miroslav Tadić filled the Weis Center Atrium Lobby with a blend of traditional Balkan and classical music on Wednesday night. Ključo is from Bosnia and Tadić is native to Yugoslavia, so they were each able to bring their own personal background to the performance. Their duo performance, entitled Aritmia, allowed the instrumentalists to showcase their far reaching talents, performing a variety of songs from different cultures. Perhaps the most interesting element of the performance was the duo’s use of improvisation while playing traditional pieces. Both Ključo…
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Americana & Bluegrass Concert Kicks Off Coal Collections Series
What better way to kickoff Bucknell’s Coal Collections: Local, National and International Stories series than a night of Americana and bluegrass music? The year-long series, sponsored by the Weis Center and the Place Studies program of the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment will feature musical performances, film screenings, lectures and art exhibits throughout the academic year in order to share the rich history of Pennsylvania’s coal region with the community. On Thursday, September 22nd, the Coal Town Rounders and Van Wagner played to…
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Rajab Suleiman and Kithara Bring The Sounds of Zanzibar to Lewisburg
Rajab Suleiman and Kithara rocked the Weis Center lobby on Friday night, playing to a captivated audience of all ages. Students, faculty, staff and community members filled every seat in the house, although the music brought much of the crowd to its feet, since the band encouraged dancing throughout the performance. Professor of history and international relations Dr. Cymone Fourshey, who introduced the band, taught the audience how to say, “welcome to Lewisburg” in Swahili. The group played taarab music, a style native to Zanzibar. Known…
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