Murdock Newsletter - January 19, 2011

The Band Got Back Together!

The NU Alumni Band came together Saturday afternoon at the Elmwood Murdock vs Falls City games. Dale Vanderford organized the event that drew people from South Dakota, Kansas, and all over Nebraska for this one time perfomance. By the time the game started at 2:00, some of the band had already been working and practicing since 10am. The audience enjoyed the band during half time and few left their seats. Some of the band members drove in just for the performance and then turned around and drove back home. And we aren't talking about Lincoln or Omaha...we're talking about Mike driving in from Brookings, SD...Aaron on drums from Kearney...and Stuart on the keyboard from Lawrence, KS. Other members include Dale, his wife, Christine, Ann Balcer Kramer, James G. Hudson, Eric Smith, Chris Helzer, Brendon Sibley, Michael Ropp, Aaron Svoboda, John Balcer, Bill Maltas, Leslie Flynn O'Neil, Gennevieve Weiss Helzer, and Julie Balzer Regan.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

KBC productions announces that the second play in its winter season, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," opens on Friday, January 22 at Mahoney State Park.  "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," is written by Steve Martin. Most famous for his comedic skits and appearances in many movies and television shows, Mr. Martin wrote the script in 1993. The comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian café in 1904, just before Einstein transformed the world of academia with his theory of relativity and before Picasso set the art world on fire with cubism. This fictional tale sees two geniuses discussing the century's achievements as well as many other fanciful topics. You will be treated to giggles aplenty and moments of sheer enlightenment. Staff suggests a PG13 rating for this show.
The show is produced by Kevin Colbert and directed by Katherine Cover, both of Weeping Water. The rest of the cast includes William M. Cover II and Timron Gilfert of Weeping Water, Noelle Bohaty, Clay Stevens, Kyle Lorenz, Mellisa Marinovich, Travis Triplett and Grant Covney all of Lincoln; Kevin Holdorf of Manley; and Cynthia Sheldon of Elmwood.
The production runs January 22, 23, 28-30, February 4-6, 10-14 and 18-20. Curtain times are 7:30pm except for Sundays which are 2pm matinees. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. A state park sticker or purchase of a day pass is required for entrance into the park. For reservations, please call Mahoney State Park at (402) 944-2523 ext. 7122.

Irish Music Concert
Greenblatt & Seay's Schoolhouse
Avoca, NE

Greenblatt & Seay's Schoolhouse Performance Series features a concert of Irish music on Sunday, March 13, at 2:30 PM. Greenblatt & Seay & Friends will be singing and playing a variety of instruments, including fiddle, pennywhistle, guitar, hammered dulcimer, and banjo. Traditional Irish tunes will be featured, along with some Greenblatt & Seay originals inspired by the great Irish traditions.

Greenblatt & Seay have been playing and singing together since the night they met, decades ago. Their performance on March 13 will include the championship fiddling styles of Deborah Greenblatt, and the fancy whistle-playing of David Seay.

The concert will be followed by light refreshments, and a chance to chat and even jam with the performers. Avoca is in southern Cass County, Nebraska, on the 13 C Spur, one mile south of Highway 34. Admission is $5.00 for adults, and $1.00 for children and students. For more information, write to Greenblatt & Seay, The Old Schoolhouse, P.O. Box 671, Avoca, Nebraska, 68307, or call 402-275-3221, or e-mail them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The historic Old Avoca Schoolhouse was built in 1925, and has been the home of the Schoolhouse Performance Series since 1990. Music lessons, workshops, fiddle camps, and field trips are offered by Schoolhouse residents, Greenblatt & Seay, and are available by appointment.

FIDDLE CAMP!!!

Registration is now open for the 2011 Schoolhouse Fiddle Camps, in the Old Avoca Schoolhouse, in Avoca, Nebraska. Deborah Greenblatt, championship fiddler, author of many fiddle collections, will help the campers get in touch with their inner fiddler. The course of study during the Schoolhouse Fiddle Camps will be designed specifically for the individual campers who sign up.

Fiddle Camp for Beginners is Monday, June 13 - Friday, June 17. This 5 day camp includes some of the basics and fun of fiddling, such as performing in public, practice techniques, reading music, playing y ear, and jamming. Fiddling styles include bluegrass, Cajun, Irish, Klezmer, old-time, and newly composed tunes by the campers. Movement and singing are included in the experience.

Fiddle Camp for Intermediate/Advanced Fiddlers is Monday, July 11 - Friday, July 15. Campers will discuss picking tunes for contests, performing in public, practice techniques, reading music, playing by ear, playing for dancers, back-up fiddling, arranging twin fiddle pieces , and jamming. Many fiddling styles will be represented, including original compositions by the campers. Campers can sign up for all 5 days, or just 2 days, or just one day of Intermediate camp.

Monday & Tuesday is for reading fiddlers/violinists who want to read more tunes. This mini-camp is perfect for fiddlers who want to improve their music reading skills, and for classically trained violinists, violists, and cellists who are interested in various fiddling styles. Using sheet music in standard notation, these campers will get to improve their sight reading, and experience the fun of playing fiddle tunes at the same time! Fiddling styles included in the sessions will be tailored to the interest of the campers who register.
Wednesday & Thursday is for fiddlers/violinists who want to learn tunes by ear. This mini-camp is designed to jump-start your ability to pick up tunes quickly by ear, and to make them stick! Tunes used will reflect various styles, meters, tempos, and difficulty levels.
Friday is for fiddlers who "just wanna have fun". This mini camp includes jamming, modulating, singing, dancing, experimenting, sharing, improvising, and playing fiddle related instruments.

Each day is scheduled from 9 AM - 1 PM. Registration is available on line at www.greenblattandseay.com.

For more information, contact Deborah Greenblatt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Lofte

The Lofte Community Theatre near Manley will hold auditions for "Leaving Iowa" on January 31 and February 1 at 7pm.  The production requires three men and three women.  Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.  The production will be directed by Kevin Colbert of Weeping Water.

"Leaving Iowa" is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer who decides it is finally time to take his father's ashes to his childhood home.  But when Don discovers that Grandma's house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place for his father.  The father-and-son road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don's memories of the annual tortuous vacations of his childhood.

The production will serve as the Lofte's entry in the upcoming Nebraska Association of Community Theaters competition March 18-20.  It will also be the 2011 season opener for the Lofte with performance dates on May 28, 29, June 3-5 and 9-12.

Those with questions in regards to the production should contact Lofte Artistic Director Kevin Colbert at (402) 234-2553.

Elmwood Murdock School Schedule:

1/17/11 C/JV Boys/Girls BB vs. Lincoln Lutheran

1/18/11 10-12 Honor Roll to Lincoln

1/19/11 7-9 Honor Roll to Lincoln

1/20/11 FCCLA Meeting

1/20/11 MS BB vs. Palmyra

1/20/11 Spanish Club Meeting

1/21/11 JV and Varsity Boys/Girls BB vs. Milford -- PARENTS NIGHT

1/24/11 C Team Girls/Boys BB at Palmyra

1/25/11 JV and Varsity Boys/Girls BB vs. Freeman

1/27/11 JV and Varsity Boys/Girls BB vs. Platteview

1/27/11 MS BB vs. Malcolm

1/28/11 JV Boys and Varsity Girls/Boys BB at Palmyra

1/29/11 - 2/5/11 ECNC Basketball Tournament

2/2/11 Beatrice Business Competition

2/3/11 MS Girls BB Syracuse

2/7/11 MS Girls BB Yutan

Community Sustaining Sponsors 2011

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