Oregon Coast today., October 25, 2019, Page 8, Image 8

potpourri
Curtain rises on a full moon
Tickets are now available for the classic
comedy “Moon Over Buffalo,” presented by
Nehalem’s Riverbend Players and opening
on Friday, Nov. 1.
Written by Ken Ludwig, this madcap
farce centers on George and Charlotte
Hay, fading stars of the 1950s who find
themselves stuck playing “Cyrano De
Bergerac” and “Private Lives” in rep in
Buffalo, New York. On the brink of a
disastrous split caused by George’s dalliance
with a young ingénue, Eileen, they receive
word that they might just have one last
shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming
to town to see their matinée, and if likes
what he sees, he might cast them in his
movie remake of “The Scarlet Pimpernel.”
Unfortunately for George and Charlotte,
everything that could go wrong does
go wrong, abetted by a visit from their
daughter’s clueless fiancé, Howard, and
hilarious uncertainty about which play
they’re actually performing, caused by
Charlotte’s deaf old stage-manager mother,
Ethel, who hates every bone in George’s
body.
Ken Ludwig’s work has been performed
in more than 30 countries and translated
into more than 20 languages. Some of his
best known plays include “Lend Me A
Tenor,” “Crazy for You,” “Leading Ladies”
and” Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes
Mystery.”
The 1995 production of “Moon Over
Buffalo” marked the return of Carol Burnett
to the Broadway stage, after a 30-year
absence. She and her co-star Philip Bosco
both received Tony Award nominations for
their roles as Charlotte and George Hay.
The Riverbend players production is
directed by Toronto and Portland theater
veteran and Rockaway Beach resident
Mike Arseneault, who also plays the role of
Howard.
The cast also features Shay Knorr as
Charlotte, Chazz Miska as George, Margo
McClellan as Roz, Rodney Dahl as Paul,
Linda Makohon as Ethel, Bobi Bergh as
Eileen and Dave Bell as Richard.
The play will run from Nov. 1 through
10, with 7 pm performances every Friday
and Saturday and 2 pm matinées each
Sunday. The Nov. 3 matinée will be followed
by a behind-the-scenes talk back with the
director, cast and crew.
All performances will take place at
the North County Recreation District
Performing Arts Center, 36155 9th Street,
Nehalem
Tickets are available for $14 in
advance by searching for “NCRD”, www.
tickettomato.com or for $17 at the door.
InHouse Jazz closes the door on 2019
The InHouse Jazz series of house
concerts will conclude its 2019 season with
a Newport performance by pianist Steve
Christofferson accompanied by vocalists
Zofia Csikos-Tardy and Annie Averre.
These vetrans of the jazz scene put
together a unique concert with a focus on
improvisation. Their unusual combination of
two voices and piano create playful musical
conversations. To further the musical
possibilities, special guest guitarist Attila
Csikos will join in the conversation.
Steve Christofferson is a freelance
musician living in Washington state. He
started out as a garage band guitarist and
singer who picked up the keyboard after
hearing the Beatles’ “White Album.” He
has played the piano in nightclubs and jazz
festivals internationally with Grammy-
nominated jazz vocalist Nancy King, toured
with the Alan Jones Sextet, and performed
at the PDX Jazz Fest with Kurt Elling. He
has taught workshops and masterclasses
at home and abroad, and worked with Jim
Pepper, Karrin Allyson and many others.
Zsofia Csikos-Tardy was born in
Budapest, Hungary, into a musical family
with a conductor father and soprano mother.
Her multi-genre repertoire encompasses jazz
standards and originals, classical oratorios,
gospel, pop and rock songs. She has been
the lead soloist of classical and gospel choirs,
big bands, pop and jazz groups, performing
at many jazz concerts and festivals around
the US and in Europe. Soon after her
arrival in the Pacific Northwest, she started
gigging out with her voice-guitar jazz duo
“2-in-1” and jazz quartet. Soon she gained
recognition in the Portland jazz music scene
as a deeply passionate and skilled jazz singer.
Vocalist Annie Averre grew up in
Oregon before moving to the Big Island of
Hawaii and eventually to the East Coast
with her husband, jazz drummer Dave
8 • oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • October 25, 2019
Averre. Once married, she set her musical
career aside for family, returning to singing
professionally after relocating to the Pacific
Northwest 25 years ago. Currently residing
in the Portland metro area, Averre sings
with some of the region’s most notable
musicians, performing as a featured
artist in clubs, concerts and festivals. Her
repertoire is a montage of originals and
standards crossing musical eras and genres,
distinguishing her as an appealing performer
and a most expressive vocalist. Six years ago,
she began coordinating the InHouse Jazz
series, arranging intimate performances in
private homes along the Oregon Coast.
Sunday’s concert will run from 2:30 to
5:30 pm in a private home in Newport, with
admission by suggested donation of $15 to
$30. For reservations and directions, call
360-606-7136 or email aaverre@hotmail.
com. Profits from InHouse Jazz concerts are
donated in support of music education for
Steve Christofferson
young people.
For more information, go to inhousejazz.
org.