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Ordway Blog: Stay connected here with what is happening at Ordway and take a look at what is going on behind the scenes.

Parking & Traffic Alert for January 26 & 27

Fri, Jan 25, 2013 3:19 PM by Ryan Jones

This weekend will prove to be a very busy one for downtown Saint Paul! The Saint Paul Winter Carnival has begun and the Red Bull Crashed Ice competition, 2013 Saintly City Cat Club Annual Championship Cat Show, and Minnesota Weapons Collectors Association show will occur as well. These events will generate heavy traffic and congest available parking downtown. Please plan ahead and give yourself ample time for travel and parking.

For additional information, please visit http://www.visitsaintpaul.com/ or http://www.winter-carnival.com/.

Want a guaranteed parking spot? The Ordway offers parking passes which may be purchased through our Ticket Office over the phone or in-person prior to any given performance.

Ordway Ticket Services Phone Room, 651-224-4222
Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm | Sat, 11am-3pm

Ordway Ticket Office (walk-up sales)
Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm

Posted in Parking Alert, Announcements

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Give to the Max Day is 11/15!

Tue, Nov 13, 2012 12:42 PM by Emily Kudrle

We all know that the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year is extraordinarily busy. That’s why this year we’re encouraging you to get your end of year charitable giving done early in a way that could help the Ordway win $12,500!

November 15th is “Give to the Max Day”, an annual event that encourages charitable giving online. $12,500, $5,000, and $2,500 prize grants will be awarded to the top three nonprofit organizations who receive the most dollars in 24 hours during Give to the Max Day.

The Ordway is not just a theater- it’s a space for artists to grow, learn, and share their craft with the Twin Cities. Every dollar we raise on November 15th goes towards broadening Minnesotans’ understanding of the world around them through the performing arts.

Contributing is easy! Just go to the Ordway’s page on givemn.org on November 15th. We hope you will join us to celebrate this day of philanthropy, and support the Ordway’s vision for joy.

 

 

Posted in Give to the Max Day, Announcement

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Join Us for Prohibition Era Dining & Dancing at the Dec. 1 Ordway Annual Gala

Mon, Oct 22, 2012 2:43 PM by Luke Anderson

Below is a guest blog post from Joan Holman, member of the Ordway Circle of Stars Board of Directors

The Ordway Circle of Stars annual gala is coming up fast, and this year there are two ways you can participate. 

Puttin’ on the Glitz is the theme for this year’s traditional gala, to be held at the Ordway on Sat., Dec. 1. The event will start at 5 p.m. with a gourmet reception that takes guests back in time to the glamour of the 1920s with Prohibition-themed entertainment, cocktails and cuisine – culminating in dancing on stage at 9 p.m. to The Wolverines Big Band. There will be special guest performances throughout the evening featuring music from a bygone era, as well as a silent  auction, live auction and prize drawings. More info at www.ordway.org/gala.

This year, there will be another fun, new option for attending the Gala for people who would like to start their evenings a bit later. For the Black Tie Blitz, guests will dress to the nines and arrive fashionably late for the already in progress Puttin’ on the Glitz gala. This group will join gala guests for the dance on stage with The Wolverines Big Band and other featured performers. Both black tie or 1920’s attire is admired but not required. For more info on this event, visit www.ordway.org/blitz.

Both events benefit the Ordway and its education programs, and will give guests a chance to dance onstage at the Ordway.

And we have some really exciting activities planned for the dance portion of the evening as well: a wine ring toss, dance lessons from Arthur Murray, some instant photo printing sponsored by Comcast and provided by Photo.bo (bring your smart phones!), and complimentary beer, wine and dessert buffet while you dance the night away onstage at the Ordway!

I hope to see you all there!

Joan Holman

OCOS Board of Directors

Posted in Gala, Ordway, Announcements, News, Guest Blog

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Take Lessons from the Performers at the Children's Festival

Fri, May 25, 2012 2:25 PM by Hannah Arkelin

The Children’s Festival is next week and in addition to some great entertainment, a few acts will be giving exclusive lessons! Block Party will be giving a dance class Wednesday night that will be lots of fun. Participants will be dancing and choreographing routines with the actual blocks used in the performances. Then on Thursday night, Drums United will be giving a drum class that will include rhythms from around the world. All levels of drummers are welcome to join, so if you’re interested in learning about world percussion, please stop by!

Dance Theatre of Ireland Modern Dance Class

Wednesday, May 30

6:30 – 8pm

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Drake Room

345 Washington Street,

Downtown St. Paul 55102

Please enter through the Stage Door on 5th Street

Attendance is $10 or $5 with a ticket to a performance during the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival.

Please RSVP to Amy Miller at (651)282-3017 or amiller@ordway.org

Dance Theatre of Ireland is one of the performance groups coming to the Ordway for the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival. In conjunction with the performances of their show Block Party, Robert Connor and Loretta Yurick, Artistic Directors of Dance Theatre of Ireland, will teach a modern dance class based on movement with the large blocks used within their performance. Following a short Modern dance warm-up, participants will work alone and with each other to develop a movement vocabulary with the blocks – running, sitting, standing, jumping, rolling, balancing, throwing and dancing with the blocks. Then, working in small groups, participants will be given the tools to construct their own Block Party compositions.  (Block Party is performed with 29 blocks and 3 drummers. The company will use music from their work to create the compositions during the class.)

Participants should wear tennis shoes (without deep tread)

To watch clips of Black Party and to purchase tickets to performances during the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, please visit this link: http://www.ordway.org/festival/performances/

Drums United Worldbeat Drum Class

Thursday, May 31

6:30 – 8pm

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Music Theater

345 Washington Street,

Downtown St. Paul 55102

Please enter through the Stage Door on 5th Street

Attendance is $10 or $5 with a ticket to a Drums United performance during the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival

Please RSVP to Amy Miller at (651)282-3017 or amiller@ordway.org

Learn new rhythms from the percussionists who make up Drums United. They hail from seven different countries, including Bangladesh, Senegal, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Surinam, and Venezuela. Their exciting show, World of Rhythm, mixes African, Latin, Spanish, and Indian drum traditions with Western drumming and contemporary electronic sounds. During the drum class, they will teach rhythms from around the world, including Nyollewo from Senegal and others.

All levels welcome; please bring your own drum

To watch clips of Drums United and to purchase tickets to their performances during the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, please visit this link: http://www.ordway.org/festival/performances/

Posted in Festival, Announcements

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Blogger Night at the Ordway

Tue, May 22, 2012 10:24 AM by Hannah Arkelin

Calling all bloggers!

The Ordway is searching through the blogosphere for individuals who would be interested in attending and reviewing our performances. Two complimentary tickets would be provided, as well as a press packet and presence on our social media sites.

If interested, please send your name, email and blog URL to social@ordway.org . We will be selecting bloggers over the next few weeks to be a part of this exclusive group, so sign up and spread the word!

Posted in Blogger Night, Guest Blogs, Announcements

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The Addams "Family Resemblance" Contest

Mon, Apr 30, 2012 12:51 PM by Hannah Arkelin

The Addams Family will be stepping onto the Ordway’s stage May 8^th. In honor of their ominous arrival, we are giving away a 4-pack of tickets to one lucky family who feels as though they are just as backwards, kooky, and down-right entertaining as the Addams!

All you need to do is explain why you think your family would fit right in with the Addams. Share that hysterical story told at every family reunion, or simply let us know what a day in the life of your unconventional family is like!

Post it in the comment box below by Friday May 4^th, and you will be automatically entered to win 4 tickets to the Broadway hit, The Addams Family, for opening night.

 Don’t delay! Post your story today!

Posted in The Addams Family, Theater Season, Announcements, Contests, Musicals

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A Few Announcements for Ballet of the Dolls

Tue, Apr 17, 2012 3:43 PM by Hannah Arkelin

We want to inform you that tonight’s event (April 17^th) at University of St. Thomas, featuring Myron Johnson of Ballet of the Dolls, has been cancelled. There are, however, two more Ballet of the Dolls Open Rehearsals that are open to the public. Space is still available and it will be a great chance to view the company’s artistic process as they prepare for their public performance at the Ordway on Friday, May 4.

 Here are the event details:

 You are invited to engage in the artistic process as Artistic Director Myron Johnson of Ballet of the Dolls creates Faith, a new piece that will premiere at the Ordway on Friday, May 4. These three events will allow you to witness an example of a typical rehearsal for the company, and will provide context for what is happening at that point in the studio and the artistic process.

 Open Rehearsal

Wednesday, April 18, 6 – 7:30pm

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, McKnight Theater

[345 Washington Street, Saint Paul 55102]

 Open Rehearsal

Wednesday, April 25, 6 – 7:30pm

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Drake Room

[345 Washington Street, Downtown St. Paul]

*Please enter through the Stage Door on 5th Street

 Admission is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP to Amy Miller at amiller@ordway.org or 651-282-3017 to reserve your space.

 Friday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.

One Time Only Performance!

The Ordway presents a new dance piece by award-winning choreographer Myron Johnson and his company Ballet of the Dolls. Faith: A Dance for Life, is a world premiere ballet work based on one man’s dream and/or reality in the time required to take a singular breath. Created from the inspiration of a work performed in 1991, Faith explores the idea of a man who finds himself in a life-or-death situation; an encounter filled with surreal and haunting moments where faith is put to the test. Humorous and outrageous, Faith follows one man’s story in glimpses of life that range from the very beginning to his final conversations with his “maker.” In familiar Ballet of the Dolls’ fashion, this presentation uses an eclectic array of dance and musical styles including ballet, modern and hip-hop all set to classical, world and contemporary music. Myron’s work is being created specifically for this one-night-only performance at the Ordway.

 

Posted in Ballet of the Dolls, Announcements, Theater Season, Dance

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Faith: A Dance for Life... Bringing Together Art, Entertainment and Education

Thu, Mar 22, 2012 11:30 AM by Luke Anderson

As we move closer to Ballet of the Dolls’ performance of Faith: A Dance For Life at the Ordway on Friday, May 4, the dance company’s Artistic Director/Choreographer Myron Johnson is reaching out, along with the Ordway, to educators, students, and the Twin Cities community to engage them in the artistic process of creating his new piece.

Johnson and the Ordway are providing this unique learning opportunity through a series of open rehearsals, focus groups and discussion sessions. In February, Johnson held a focus group with school teachers to discuss his concept for Faith: A Dance for Life, generating support and ideas, and setting the foundation for translating the performance piece into a multi-cultural learning experience focused on faiths of the world. He also shared his artistic vision with faculty and staff of Macalester College’s Interfaith Council, which led to spirited discussion and intriguing questions about art as a tool for creating cross-cultural awareness and understanding.

Going forward, the Ordway and Ballet of the Dolls are offering various opportunities for the community to engage in the artistic process of Faith: A Dance for Life. They include the following:

1st Open Rehearsal

Wednesday, March 28, 6 – 7:30pm

Ritz Theater

[345 13th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis 55413]

Parking available on neighborhood streets surrounding the theater

Refreshments provided

2nd Open Rehearsal

Wednesday, April 18, 6 – 7:30pm

Ordway’s McKnight Theater

[345 Washington Street, Downtown Saint Paul]

*Please enter through Ordway’s main entrance

Suggested parking: metered street parking or parking ramps near the Ordway

Refreshments provided

3rd Open Rehearsal

Wednesday, April 25, 6 – 7:30pm

Ordway’s Drake Room

[345 Washington Street, Downtown St. Paul]

*Please enter through Ordway’s Stage Door on 5th Street

Suggested parking: metered street parking or parking ramps near the Ordway

Refreshments provided

Admission is FREE, but space is limited. Please RSVP to Amy Miller at amiller@ordway.org or 651-282-3017 to reserve your space.

Ballet of the Dolls’ Faith Panel Discussion: Dance Inspired by Faith and Spirituality

Tuesday, April 17

7 – 8:30pm

University of St. Thomas

Owens Science Hall, 3M Auditorium

Admission is FREE and open to the public

You are invited to a discussion with Ballet of the Dolls’ Artistic Director Myron Johnson and other Twin Cities-based dancers/choreographers who create artistic work inspired by their faith and spirituality. They will share examples of their artistic work and will explain how their styles of choreography evoke images and ideas that correlate with their religions and spiritual beliefs from across the globe.

Posted in Theater Season, Ordway, Dance, Announcements, Ballet of the Dolls

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2012-2013 Season Announcement

Fri, Mar 2, 2012 1:09 PM by Luke Anderson

Our Season Announcement Event this past Monday (Feb 27) was a great success! A special thanks to everyone that attended and helped us announce the new season. In case you haven’t heard, our 2012-2013 season lineup is below.

2012-2013 Ordway Theatrical Season

Chicago, August 7-12, 2012

Broadway Songbook Series: Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart, September 21-30, 2012; Stephen Sondheim, January 18-27, 2013; Cole Porter, April 19-28, 2013

Billy Elliot the Musical, October 9-14, 2012

Elf the Musical, December 5-30, 2012

Anything Goes, May 7-12, 2013

Sing-A-Long Sound of Music, May 18, 2013

Buddy—the Buddy Holly Story, June 18-23, 2013

2012-2013 Target World Music

Lila Downs, October 17, 2012

Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Jazz Band, October 26, 2012

Buckwheat Zydeco, February 8, 2013

Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, March 17, 2013

2012-2013 Target World Dance

Delfos Danza Contemporanea, October 20, 2012

Black Grace, March 19, 2013

Pilobolus, May 4, 2013

Visit http://www.ordway.org/splash/ to learn more about the 2012-2013 performers and our subscription packages.

We want to hear from you! What performance are you most excited about?

Posted in Ordway, Theater Season, Announcements, Target World Music, Broadway Songbook

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Award season is in full-swing and it's time to select nominees for the 7th Annual Ordway Education Awards!

Fri, Feb 17, 2012 10:39 AM by Luke Anderson

 

Established in 2006, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts’ Education Awards were created to honor the contributions of individuals and institutions that have furthered the mission of Education and Community Engagement Programs at the Ordway.

Individuals and organizations from any artistic, educational, or cultural field are eligible, including individual artists, professional administrators and teachers, volunteers, philanthropists, and partnerships or leadership teams.

The submission deadline for the 2012 Education awards is March 9, 2012. Winners will be announced at the Annual Liaison Event Friday, May 11, 2012.

Award Categories

One person or organization is awarded in each of the four following areas.

Philanthropy: For outstanding financial or in-kind contributions to the betterment of Education and Community Engagement programs at the Ordway.

Vision: For the creation of new programs or innovation and enhancement to existing Education or Community Engagement programs at the Ordway.

Community Commitment: For dedication, over a period of time, to the support and/or advancement of Community Engagement programs at the Ordway.

Education Service: This award is presented to a person(s) or organization whose leadership and participation has led to inventive learning for students in or through Ordway's programs.

A nominee who doesn’t fit easily into any of the above categories may be nominated. Please include a statement as to why they should be considered for an award.

If you would like more information on the awards or how to nominate someone please visit the Ordway website.

Posted in Ordway, Education, News, Announcements, Education Awards

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This blog is a group effort by Ordway staff, actors, artists, musicians, dancers and all those involved in the creative process of performances, programs and events at the Ordway to provide a behind the scenes look at what happens onstage, backstage and in support of the work presented at the Ordway. We also hope to  discuss pertinent topics in our industry.

The purpose of this blog is to engage with you in the blogosphere. We wish to let you know that our posts do not go through any official editorial process for spelling, grammar or fact checking, therefore errors may occur – please be kind! Every blog post is open for public comment, questions or suggestions and the Ordway chooses not to pre-screen these responses. That being said, we do reserve the right to remove any offensive, illegal, or inappropriate content at the Ordway's sole discretion.

As part of our new branding initiative surrounding the joy provided by performing arts, by posting a comment, question or suggestion you provide the Ordway with the right to use your submission for marketing and promotional purposes. (I know, I know, I promise to not make future posts as boring as this one!)

Phew! I'm done talking "legal jargon." Thanks for stopping by and reading our blog!