For more than 28 years, the Miracle Theatre Group has been dedicated to bringing Latino theatre to the Northwest. Now the group’s world premiere of Raíz, a bilingual celebration of Día de los muertos (Day of the Dead), is onstage through November 11th. The production is directed by Arturo Martinini.(Photo Credit, Russell J. Young)
Miracle Theatre Group’s world premiere of Raíz, a bilingual celebration of Día de los muertos (Day of the Dead), at Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark St., Portland); Photo by Russell J. Young
In addition to the production, an exhibit of Day of the Dead altars created by local Latino artists will be on display one hour prior to each performance in El Zócalo, a community space adjacent to the theatre lobby.
Here’s more information about the play: Every year, the dead are commemorated in Portland’s longest-running Día de los muertos celebration. This season, a cabal of Aztec gods, having fallen out of favor in the modern world, seek to revive their relevance by reuniting a young clown with his departed partner, Augustina. Time turns backward as we unearth the interwoven roots of pre-Hispanic customs and traditions found at the juncture of life and death. Are we but dreaming and awake only when we die? Through music, dance and legend, we explore that thin veil that separates our world from the realm of our indigenous ancestors.
SPECIAL EVENTS: • Los Porteños writers group will present original stories and poetry written for the Day of the Dead prior to the matinee on Sunday, Nov. 4, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Free.
Olga Sanchez … Artistic Director, Miracle MainStage
José E. González … Executive Director
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Arturo Martinini began his career at a very young age as actor, director and filmmaker. He has directed and toured with several theatre companies (performing works from Lorca, Pasolini, Shakespeare and Barry), and has worked as an independent filmmaker for notable organizations in Europe. Most recently he acted in Romeo Castellucci’s latest work, Attore, il tuo nome non è esatto. The writings of Antonin Artaud are lately his strongest influence regarding the relationship between the public and the reality of the play. This is Arturo’s first production with Miracle Theatre Group, and his U.S. debut.
ABOUT THE SPONSORS
This production is sponsored by The Oregonian.
Miracle Theatre Group’s 2012-2013 season is supported in part by Regional Arts & Culture Council and Work for Art, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Oregon Arts Commission, Collins Foundation, Ronni Lacroute, Oregon Community Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Kinsman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Juan Young Trust, PGE Foundation, US Bancorp Foundation, KeyBank Foundation, Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, Rose Tucker Charitable Trust, Carpenter Foundation, Jackson Foundation, Hoover Family Foundation, Templeton Foundation, Portland Timbers, El Centinela, and El Hispanic News/PQ Monthly.
ABOUT MIRACLE THEATRE GROUP
In addition to its national tours, Miracle provides a home for Spanish and Latin American arts and culture at El Centro Milagro, where it enriches the local community with a variety of community outreach projects and educational programs designed to share the diversity of Latino culture. For more information about the Miracle Theatre Group, visit www.milagro.org or call 503-236-7253.
Portland, October 9th. Congratulations to the winner of the two tickets, our subscriber, Barb Young. She is the Community Events Manager at Oregon Food Bank, and is thrilled to be going to the Wine and Chocolate extravaganza! Our subscribers are winners all the time! This Wedneday, we’re drawing winners of free tickets to two big events: Wine and Chocolate Extravaganza and Wild Exposure – a Camp-In Benefit for Oregon Wild. Just sign up for our free weekly highlights and you’re entered to win. We never share your information. Click here to sign up!
Here’s more info: The Extravaganza features wine and chocolate tasting from some of Oregon’s best wineries and chocolatiers. The charity benefit is October 13th at 5:30 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center. The live auction and dinner features exciting trips, wine and a chance to attend a private, catered dinner with Wild author Cheryl Strayed. And there’s Mercedes, the Labradoodle puppy, too! Tickets cost $175, but a lucky winner will receive two from PortlandSocietyPage.com – Thank you Knowledge Universe Wine and Chocolate Extravaganza is a A Benefit for Youth, Rights & Justice!
Youth, Rights & Justice improves the lives of vulnerable children and families in Oregon through legal representation and advocacy in the courts, legislature, schools and community. www.youthrightsjustice.org
The 2011 Extravaganza raised $80,000 for YRJ programs.
Here are the details for Wild Exposure – a Camp-In Benefit for Oregon Wild: it’s Friday, October 12th from 7-10 pm. Wild Exposure is a Camp-In Benefit for Oregon Wild. There will be food and drink from local restaurants, bonfires, photo contest unveiling, and a silent auction filled with trips and outdoor gear. Tickets are a $30 value! If you don’t win our drawing, you can still purchase them here: http://www.oregonwild.org/about/hikes_events/wildexposure
Portland, September 30th. Here’s a lifestyle story…Veteran food Writer Laurie Wolf marked the release of her new book with friends and foodies. Portland, Oregon Chefs Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the City is the first cookbook to gather Portland’s current top chefs and restaurants under one cover.
Laurie had the help of her daughter, Olivia at the book-signing.
With over 70 recipes for the home cook from more than 60 of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, Portland, Oregon Chefs Table is a celebration of what the New York Times calls the city’s “Golden Age” of dining and drinking.
“Laurie Wolf’s book has made me fall in love with Portland all over again. I moved to this city precisely because of the fantastic food scene, and seeing it captured so vividly through Laurie’s writing, the pitch-perfect recipe selection, and Bruce Wolf’s gorgeous photography simply confirms the premise that Portland is paradise. Now anyone can experience the charms of the city, and even enjoy the flavors in their own kitchens.” Martha Holmberg, founding editor of MIX magazine, and author of Modern Sauces
Review:
“In the same vein as Under the Tuscan Sun and A Year in Provence gave the reader a sense of place via the foods of the area, this beautiful book conveys what is most wonderful about Portland.” Marcy Blum, celebrity event planner
Synopsis:
Celebrating Portland’s best restaurants and eateries with recipes and photographs,Portland, Oregon Chef’s Table profiles signature “at home” recipes from over 40 legendary dining establishments. A keepsake cookbook for tourists and locals alike, the book is a celebration of Portland’s farm-to-table way of life.
Laurie Wolf was the food editor at Child magazine for eighteen years. She is also an accomplished food stylist whose work has been featured in Vogue,New York, Glamour, and more. She is the author of Candy Countdown and The Do It Myself Cookbook, among others. Visit her at foodfiendpdx.com. Bruce Wolf, an award-winning photographer, has shot commercial photography for numerous clients, including Martha Stewart, Vogue, New York, Architectural Digest, Viking, Jenn Air, G.E., and more.
Portland, September 12th. Theatre goers are singing the praises of the toe-tapping Tony Award winning musical, Memphis, which took the the stage on Tuesday night. The Broadway touring company of Memphis, which is presented by Portland Opera Presents Broadway Across America , will be playing at the Keller Auditorium Through September 16th.
Felicia Boswell and Quentin Earl Darrington in the National Tour. (Photo Credit, Paul Kolnik.)
Tony awards for the Memphis in 2010 included:
BEST MUSICAL
BEST BOOK – Joe DiPietro
BEST SCORE – Joe DiPietro and David Bryan
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS – Daryl Waters and David Bryan
There’s the story: From the underground dance clubs of 1950’s Memphis, Tennessee, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, MEMPHIS is about a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black club singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves-filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, MEMPHIS, which played pre-Broadway at the La Jolla Playhouse, features a Tony-winning book by Joe DiPietro “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and a Tony-winning original score with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan. Directing is Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (XANADU), and choreography is by Sergio Trujillo (JERSEY BOYS). Get ready to experience Broadway’s most exciting new destination, what AP calls “The very essence of what a Broadway musical should be.” www.MemphistheMusical.com
*Editor’s note:
We saw Memphis on Broadway and it was amazing. A cast member is our college friend, Elizabeth Ward, so we got to go backstage and see the behind the scenes of the Broadway launching pad of Memphis! A wonderful experience.
Oswald West State Park, August 14th. A Lifestyle report… Catching a wave is growing in popularity on the Oregon Coast. One spot drawing surfers is just 10 miles south of Cannon Beach: Short Sands Beach in Oswald West State Park. Beach access from Highway 101 is about a half-mile hike down a trail lined with old-growth timber, but surfers happily make the trek to the beautiful cove.
A Short Sands Beach Summer Surfer rides in.
It’s an aquatic scene open to all skill levels. Most of the surf comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the southwest. The beach break offers both left and right hand waves. A fairly popular wave can get crowded but according to surfers, “The vibe is generally friendly.”
The temperature of the water, even in August rarely rises above 58-degrees, so wetsuits are a necessity.
Urban legend claims pirate treasure is buried in the area, nicknamed Smugglers Cove.
All of the trails to the beach are through a mature forest; one trail follows the winding path of the Short Sands creek. This trail gives way to the spectacular view of the creek meeting the Pacific Ocean.
The park has adjacent to the beach has amenities like picnic tables and restrooms.
Summers find hundreds enjoying the beach.
Dogs are welcome in Oswald West State Park.
After a good rain, there’s even a waterfall on the northern end of the cove.
Sunriver, Oregon visitors are enjoying a new water-park this summer. The new $18-million dollar Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center (SHARC) opened on Memorial Day Weekend. The year-round facility is 33,000 square feet.
Tot splash & play areas entertain the kids.
The SHARC offer a multitude of activities including: outdoor and indoor pools, lazy river, water slides, social hot tub, tot splash & play areas, event space/amphitheater, fitness center (SROA owners only), cafe, park, picnic areas, playground, bocce ball, basketball, year-round tubing hill.
Two big water-slides are part of the new facility
SHARC is located on a 22-acre site between Beaver Drive and Overlook Road, bordered on the south by Theater Drive.
SHARC was under construction for several years.
The grounds have a rock climbing wall.
SHARC Admission: Memorial Day-Labor Day
Adults (18 & older): Free with 2012 SROA Owner ID or guest pass / $25 general public
Children (4-17) & seniors (60+): Free with 2012 SROA Owner ID
or guest pass / $20 general public
Tubing only: Free with 2012 SROA Owner ID or guest pass / $15 general public
This summer, visitors are finding other improvements in Sunriver including a new building for the Village Bar & Grill.
The Sunriver Village Mall has had a face-lift.
The ice rink (which during summer becomes a put-put golf course) and a mini-train add ambiance.
Favorite activities, like horse riding, engage visitors.
The Deschutes River still offers recreational opportunities including fishing and boating.
Golf and biking are summer family traditions for many.
If you go, check out the free Concerts at Sunriver’s SHARC Amphitheater on Sundays from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
The nonprofit Sunriver Music Festival is also coming up in August and features concerts and a dinner/auction on August 5th.
Sunriver is a planned residential and resort community southwest of Bend in Central Oregon. Located near the base of the Cascade Mountain range, Sunriver’s 3,300+ acres (approximately 5.12 square miles) are part of Deschutes County.
The campaign season is heating up which prompted us to take a look back on some historic local appearances.
During the 1966 Congressional campaign, nineteen-year-old West Linn High School Graduate, David Hume Kennerly, grabbed the trench coat of famous Life magazine photographer Bill Eppridge and fought his way to the podium through a sea of people. Incumbents Edith Green and Robert Duncan were staging a rally in the Portland labor hall, and they had landed a big-name speaker to turn out their supporters: U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. “This was really the first influential person I’ve ever shot,” Kennerly says. “This shot was the turning point in my career.”
This photo shows Kennedy in his element, capturing his listeners with handwritten notes. “The people were so mesmerized by what he was saying,” recalls Kennerly. “I was mesmerized. He had such a charismatic, appealing personality.” After this rally, Kennedy and his staff left for the airport where the photographers took some last-minute shots of him waving to the crowd. “As the plane flew away,” says Kennerly, “all I remember thinking is: ‘One of these days, I’m going to be on that plane.'” The spirit of this Oregon campaign ignited Kennerly’s passion for photographing politics behind the scenes.
David Hume Kennerly’s career spans more than forty years, seven U.S. presidents, and assignments in more than 130 countries. His photographic archive includes more than one million images. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for his coverage of the Vietnam War, and his photos have appeared on more than thirty-five covers for Time and Newsweek magazines.
Special thanks to the Paley Center for Media for this historic information.
In celebration of Flag Day (June 14th) we’re featuring this photo from the Oregon Historical Society. It shows David T. Mason and his family standing on their porch on the 4th of July 1922. The home is at 509 (Later 1525) SW Myrtle.
Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777. The United States Army also celebrates the Army Birthday on this date; Congress adopted “the American continental army” after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.
Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, however it is at the President’s discretion to officially proclaim the observance.
As the steward of Oregon’s history, the Oregon Historical Society educates, informs, and engages the public through collecting, preserving, and interpreting the past . . . in other words, Oregon history matters.
Through the generosity of Oregon’s citizens and friends, the Oregon Historical Society Research Library has gathered one of the most comprehensive collections of local, state, and regional history in the country, with holdings that chronicle the history of the Oregon Country from early exploration to the present day. Although the Oregon Historical Society is a private, non-profit institution, its resources are held in trust for the State of Oregon, and it functions as the state historical society. Collection strengths include: European discovery, exploration, and settlement; Native Americans; local history, family history, and genealogy; the fur trade; agriculture, timber, mining, and fisheries; performing arts; business; architecture and building history; politics and government; religion; and transportation. The Research Library houses more than 32,000 books, 25,000 maps, 12,500 linear feet of manuscripts, 4,000 serials titles, 6,000 vertical files, 18,000 reels of newspaper microfilm, 8.5 million feet of film and videotape, 10,000 oral history tapes, and more than 2.5 million photographs.
A lifestyle note…Portland Opera & Fred Meyer Broadway Across America sent us a couple of preview photos for the upcoming run of the Tony Award Winning musical, Jersey Boys. Featured are: Quinn VanAntwerp, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Matt Bailey, Steve Gouveia. The national touring company will take the stage of the Keller for the first time July 18th-Aug 12th. (Photo Credit, Joan Marcus)
Steve Gouveia, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Quinn VanAntwerp and Matt Bailey
The show is the 2006 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. Promoters say, “This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide-all before they were 30!” Jersey Boys, winner of the 2006 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album and most recently, the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Here’s a photo to put you into the mood for Memorial Day weekend, it’s from a 1950’s beauty contest at Jantzen Beach. The photo, from our friends at the Oregon Historical Society, shows contestants Anne Lustavka, Kathleen Kinder, Jane Hoberg and Gloria Albertson. It’s typical of events held during the heyday of Jantzen Beach, on Hayden Island, when the location was an amusement park and and tourist destination (before it was the site of a shopping mall).
The Jantzen Beach of that era was named for one of the parks investors, Carl Jantzen of Jantzen swimsuit fame. On opening day, Saturday May 26, 1928, 15,000 people paid the 10-cent admission. The amusement park included a merry-go-round, fun house, Big Dipper roller coaster, Golden Canopy Ballroom, and four swimming pools. The park’s popularity peaked during the 1940s. Jantzen Beach park closed on Labor Day, 1970. The C.W. Parker Carousel is now at the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter.
The Jantzen swimsuit company actively promoted the physicality of swimming, and from the early 20s began using the tagline ‘The Suit That Changed Bathing to Swimming’, complete with the Red Diving Girl logo.
Just a note about Jantzen Swimwear:
In 1910, Portland Knitting Company began in downtown Portland with a few hand-knitting machines above a tiny retail store. Little did founders Carl Jantzen, Roy and John Zehntbauer know that they would achieve both fame and controversy as swimwear pioneers. Producing a wool suit for a rowing team they began offering “bathing suits” in their catalog. Knit on sweater cuff machines, the suits became popular with swimmers. The demand increased for those “Jantzens” and the company name was changed in 1918 to Jantzen Knitting Mills. The suits were made of 100% pure virgin wool. Matching stockings and stocking cap completed the costume of the day. After seventy years of successful opperation, In 1980, Jantzen was purchased by Blue Bell, and Blue Bell was acquired by Vanity Fair Corporation in 1986. In 2002, the Jantzen trademark was purchased by Perry Ellis International, Inc. This included the licenses of Nike and Jag Swimwear.
You can explore the amazing history of our beautiful state at the Oregon Historical Society in downtown Portland at 1200 SW Park Avenue. OHS has more than 2.5 million photographs in its collection! We’re excited to collaborate with OHS to bring some of those wonderful photos to you.
As the steward of Oregon’s history, the Oregon Historical Society educates, informs, and engages the public through collecting, preserving, and interpreting the past . . . in other words, Oregon history matters.
Through the generosity of Oregon’s citizens and friends, the Oregon Historical Society Research Library has gathered one of the most comprehensive collections of local, state, and regional history in the country, with holdings that chronicle the history of the Oregon Country from early exploration to the present day. Although the Oregon Historical Society is a private, non-profit institution, its resources are held in trust for the State of Oregon, and it functions as the state historical society. Collection strengths include: European discovery, exploration, and settlement; Native Americans; local history, family history, and genealogy; the fur trade; agriculture, timber, mining, and fisheries; performing arts; business; architecture and building history; politics and government; religion; and transportation. The Research Library houses more than 32,000 books, 25,000 maps, 12,500 linear feet of manuscripts, 4,000 serials titles, 6,000 vertical files, 18,000 reels of newspaper microfilm, 8.5 million feet of film and videotape, 10,000 oral history tapes, and more than 2.5 million photographs.
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