Join us with master puppeteer and instructor Nance Parker of Shoestring Theater (along with special guest puppeteers) for a hands-on class making puppets.

Students will create their own puppets and a cast of characters for Alice in Wonderland. Participants will have the opportunity to perform this summer in the premiere of the Alice in Wonderland puppet show at the Portland Performing Arts Festival.

Cost for the 7-week workshop is $100, includes materials.

Scholarships available for students of financial need.

Feb 6-March 27, no class Feb 20

Ages 6-11

limit 8 students

Please email Blainor McGough, director@mayostreetarts.org or call 207-615-3609 to sign up.

Feb 14: Marimba Class 5:45-7:15 http://mayostreetarts.org/2013/01/01/marimba-classes-for-adults-and-kids/

THE YANKEE PEDDLER: STORIES AND SONGS FROM OLD NEW ENGLAND
By Brad Shur and Chris Monti, Puppet Showplace Theatre

Ever wanted to sing along with a sea shanty? Or dive deep into a fox’s den? In a whirlwind tour of New England’s lesser-known folklore, audiences will discover a giant sailor, a fashionable bear, and the world’s largest wheel of cheese. Drawing from three hundred years of stories, songs, and local history, this show is a delight for audiences of all ages.

April 6: Burrow CD Release Show 

Burrow is the debut album from Maine-based songwriter Max García Conover. In the last two years, Conover put out two EPs; garnered songwriting awards and positive reviews; was voted Portland’s Best New Act in The Portland Phoenix; and wrote and recorded this quick-fingered, startling full-length album.

Burrow was mixed, mastered, and co-produced by Pete Morse (Red Vault Recording). It is being released through Clip Records, a Portland-based independent label. The album art is by local painter Meghan Howland.

A portion of sales of Burrow goes to Evergreen Health Services (formerly AIDS Community Services), a nonprofit working to provide medical services and support to marginalized populations. More information on what they do at evergreenhs.org.

Doors a 6:30, show at 7:00pm. Tickets are $4 and can be purchased here: burrow.brownpapertickets.com

April 7: Portland Children’s Film Festival

Visit http://www.portlandchildrensfilmfestival.com/ for more details

April 12: Maine Marimba Ensemble with The Portland Rhumba Project and Fwatza Marimba

Maine Marimba Ensemble performs captivating complex polyrhythmic arrangements of traditional and contemporary Zimbabwean music on their spectacular set of homemade marimbas. Their music is amazing and not to be missed. It’s joyous dance music like you’ve never experienced.

Doors at 7:30p, show at 8:00pm.

Cost: The Maine Marimba Ensemble will be asking for a $5-$10 donation for Tariro, Tariro works in Zimbabwe to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by educating young women.

April 13: Comedy Show

The Portland Comedy Co-op has one goal, eliminate frowning and sadness by bringing the best comedy shows they can to Portland, Maine. This group, made up of local stand up comedians, Jordan Handren-Seavey, Joe Timmins, Will Green, Aharon Hebert, Travis Curran, and James Spizuoco, entertains audiences with their humorous musings, jokes about things, and funny sounds.  Suggested for adults 18 and up.

Doors at 7:30, show at 8:00pm. Tickets are $8.00 and can be purchased here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/344351

April 14: MotionFolk Theater- “The Snow Queen”, doors 1:30pm/show 2pm. Tickets $4 kids/$8 adults:

RESERVE TICKETS HERE: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/340412

When a young boy named Kai is taken from his home by the Snow Queen, his dearest friend Gerda travels the world in hopes of seeing him again. ‘MotionFolk Theater’ adapts Hans Christian Andersen’s classic talk through a mix of shadow and rod puppetry, and mask theater.

April 20: Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble

The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble presents music from the richly varied contemporary and historic cultural traditions of the Middle East including Ottoman Turkish Classical compositions, rural Turkish folk and devotional songs, Arabic classical and folk music, and dance music from the Armenian and Turkish immigrant diasporas.

The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble appears as a duo, trio and a quartet, and has performed at venues throughout New England, the East Coast and the Midwest.

Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble is made up of Amos Libby (oud, vocals), Eric LaPerna (riqq, daff, tabla and nay), and Duncan Hardy {qanun}. They will also be accompanied by Jamileh Jeanne Handy who will perform authentic Arabic belly dancing. 

Doors at 7:30pm/Show at 8:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance/$12 day of and can be purchased here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/351443

April 21: Tanglewood Marionettes- “An Arabian Adventure”, doors 1:30 pm/show 2pm. Tickets $4 kids/ $8 adults:

RESERVE TICKETS HERE: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/338193

Featuring over a dozen beautifully hand-crafted marionettes and exquisite “story-book” style scenery, An Arabian Adventure tells the tale of a Persian prince who is thrown into a dungeon because of his love for a beautiful princess. The soundtrack features classical and traditional Middle Eastern Music.

The program is presented with the marionettists in full view, so that the audience can witness first hand the mechanics of puppet manipulation. Replete with clever stage illusions and lighting effects, An Arabian Adventure is an action-packed drama that is sure to delight audiences of all ages while introducing them to the magical world of puppet theater.

Founded in 1993 by Anne Ware and Peter Schaefer, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette theater based in New England.

April 24: The Cafe Review Launch Event

Join The Cafe Review family and friends  for a community launch party to celebrate the journal’s spring issue, which features a cover by local artist Ed King. Co-hosted with the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, the celebration will include brief readings, live music, and a raffling-off of Ed’s fantastic cover art.

Doors at 6:30pm/ Show at 7:00pm.

April 26: HillyTown presents- Mount Sharp with Leaves Leaves and Conjjjecture

Doors at 8:00pm/ Show at 8:30pm. $5 cover at the door.

Mount Sharp                                                                                                                                             Brooklyn, NY based Mount Sharp’s debut album can be heard at: http://mountsharp.bandcamp.com/

Leaves Leaves
Portland 4-piece’s latest album “Tuna Boots” can be heard at:
http://leavesleavesband.bandcamp.com

Conjjjecture                                                                                                                                                   Portland locals Conjjecture’s latest songs can be heard at: http://conjjjecture.bandcamp.com/

April 28: Paper Bull Puppets- “WISHES”, doors 1:30pm/show 2pm. Tickets $4 kids/$8 adults

RESERVE TICKETS HERE: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/338205

Paper Bull Puppets Invites you to come see their new puppet play WISHES. Come and meet Sea Gods, Fairies, Parrots, and a little girl named Lulu who has a lamp she’s convinced is magic. WISHES is a creative telling of fair tales and fables that all have one thing in common, that sometimes we ought to be careful what we wish for. With stories by The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and Andrew Lang brought to life by Rod, Bunraku and Shadow Puppets by South Portland’s Paper Bull Puppet Company, WISHES is a family friendly delight for all ages.

Founded in 2010 Paper Bull Puppets is committed to bringing the art of puppetry to Maine’s main stages. Based in South Portland Paper Bull collaborates with local theaters and performing artists and furthers the art of puppetry through outreach, education, and performance.

April 27: 2013 Rhythmic Cypher Slam Team Fundraiser

Come to a great fundraiser event featuring Dominique Ashaheed, Marty Mcconnell, and Speaker For The Dead to raise funds for the 2013 Rhythmic Cypher Slam Team!

Rhythmic Cypher is a poetry and music showcase and open mic which happens every sunday night in Portland ME. This year, we have become registered as an NPS recognized poetry venue, allowing us to send a team to compete in the National Poetry Slam, The Individual World Poet Slam, and the Women of The World Poetry Slam! To achieve this, RC is raising funds to send poets to Boston to the National Poetry Slam Competition. Performing at this event are several amazing artists, including Dominique Ashaheed, and Marty Mcconnell.

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/RhythmicCypher?fref=ts

Doors at 6:30pm/Show at 7:00pm. Tickets:  $10 in advance, $15 at door. Purchase your tickets here: RCslamteam.brownpapertickets.com

May 2: Mark Tipton & Friends play South American Folk Music

Along with Jimmy Dority, Jacob Forbes, and Chris Sprague, Mark presents Jazz-inflected versions of some of his favorite South American Folk Songs.  These are highly-contemplative, soothing melodies that will awaken the spirit and quiet the mind.

Doors at 6:30pm, Show at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 adults and $7 for students and seniors.

May 3: First Friday Art Walk- Big Thaw on the Wall + Handmade Silent Auction

This month, Mayo Street Arts hosts several local artists who have participated in The Big Thaw and Chill craft fairs.  Artists showing include Kris Johnsen, Brooke Hoerner, and Bevin Holmberg.  There will be a silent auction showcase of goods from local handmakers to raise funds for Mayo Street Arts.  Street parking available.

Please join us from 5 to 7pm to view new works and enjoy refreshments.

May 4: Superhero Lady Armwrestlers of Portland

The night will feature Voom Voom Valhalla, Lumbersmack Sally, Black Mamba, Sally Slam, Er “Nasty” Ne Tomlin, Superhero Acog Girl, and more! Music by Zombie Beach! Proceeds of the evenings events will benefit A Company of Girls.

Doors at 6:30pm/Event starts at 7:00pm. Tickets are $7

May 9: SheSpeaks: Rebel Yell

Join us for an evening of storytelling that explores and celebrates the power of women’s voices – individually and collectively – and how it is a force of change in the world. The women of this SheSpeaks will offer perspective, inspiration and some good food for thought along with a few laughs. Lael will be the emcee of this event and will be weaving together the five stories in the context of the topic of “Rebel Yell’”

And yes, men are more than welcome to attend this event! While it is an event to honor and celebrate women, the stories told this evening will be appreciated by and relevant to men and women alike.

The five featured speakers at this Spring SheSpeaks are:

Pam Erickson – Finding My Inner Helga
Shannara Gillman – Being a BadAss for Good
Noel Gallagher – Calling the Dogs Home
Erica Labb – Packaging My Truth In Love
Josephina Gasca – Bigger Than I Think I Am

Doors at 7:00pm/ Show at 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Purchase your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/364037

May 11: The Pantry Party

The Pantry Party is a DIY music and art benefit show, founded in 2009 by Jeff Petriello and (me) Marla Lacherza. Featuring ‘The Other Bones’, ‘The Measles’, and ‘Lisa Liza.’ There also may be various art on display.

Doors at 7:30pm/Show at 8:00pm.

The cost of the show is $10, however, we have developed a unique admission policy that gives people the option to pay with cans of food, as well as dollars. For every can of food brought to the show a dollar is taken off of the $10 entry fee; 10 cans=$10.00. All cans collected are then donated to a neighboring food pantry or soup kitchen.

May 18: Comedian Ray Harrington

Ray Harrington is an infectiously likable New England born comedian who has performed from Las Vegas to London, England. From comedy clubs, festivals, and colleges across the country, Ray’s improvisational riffing and irreverent material create a unique and hilarious experience that embraces the uncomfortable and the absurd with a smile and a laugh. Ray Harrington has been signed to Stand Up! Records and his debut album, The Worst Is Over has been heard on Sirius/XM satellite radio and was featured as New and Noteworthy by iTunes.

Doors at 7:30pm/ Show at 8:00pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/367352

May 23: The Honey Dewdrops with Sorcha and Jo

During the cold Maine winter of 2009, jazz-infused harmonies met bluegrass roots in Jo’s small kitchen. Two years later they hit the road with their spot-on vocal harmonies and groove driven, genre bending arrangements of Sorcha’s songs and select covers. Their live performances are honest, lively and moving – from the 2012 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist showcase to Club Passim to weddings.

Jo rolls her classical cello background into funky bluegrass chops a-la Crooked Still and Ben Sollee, supporting Sorcha’s songwriting and banjo/guitar playing is steeped in jazz, folk and blues, with influences ranging from Nina Simone to Tom Waits.

The Honey Dewdrops are the Virginia-based roots duet of Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish. With a blend of new Americana and traditional folk music, they create inspired songs that are rooted in the experience and lives of people. Their sound is transcendent; they write all their own songs and yet no one could ever peg them as just another singer-songwriter couple, not when they’ve embedded a sparse Appalachian clarity on every track that is accessible to listeners everywhere. The songs they write shine with energy and emotion through intimate performances with a handful of acoustic instruments and tightly layered harmonies.

Doors at 7:30pm, show at 8:00pm. Tickets are $10. Purchase your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/362313

May 31: Sinking City Beat Night, 8:30pm

Featuring: Mr. NEET, Rotundo Sealeg, & Computer at Seat

Doors at 8pm, show at 8:30pm. Tickets are $5 at the door.

June 1: Zemya- World A Cappella

The women of Zemya blend beautiful, edgy harmonies in a repertoire that celebrates folk traditions from around the globe. They bring their passion for the unifying power of world music to Maine audiences both young and old. Zemya shares its name and spirit with the Bulgarian name for “earth.”

Doors at 7:30pm/Show at 8:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Purchase your tickets here

FMI: Deborah Gordon, Director 207-229-2247 or greenpointdesign.net@gmail.com

www.zemyasings.com or on facebook

June 7: First Friday Art Walk- “A Beautiful Night in the Neighborhood”

The students living in the Portland Housing Authority neighborhoods of Riverton Park, Sagamore Village, and Kennedy Park are pleased to be presenting their original artwork to you on Friday, June 7th from 5-8pm at Mayo Street Arts. In an effort to lend these talented yet underserved youth visibility in their community and give that community a chance to invest in their future, the work will be for sale for between $5-15. The proceeds will go either directly to the artists, in conjunction with a personal finance workshop, or to benefit youth programs of the PHA.

Please join us for food, drink, music, First Friday splendor, and above all a celebration of Portland’s youth. The student-artists are making some beautiful pieces, and we hope to see you there on June 7th to support their success!

June 9: Siembra

Siembra is the first concert in the International Heritage Music Series!

Siembra, meaning “to sow”, works to develop and spread the musical percussion traditions of the Afro-Caribbean.  Rooted principally in the rhythms of African ethnicities represented in Cuba: the Yoruba, the Dahomey, and the Congo or Bantu, Siembra explores this music with percussion and voice, representing the movement of music and culture through generations and geography. The group came together in New York City, one of the modern world centers of Afro-Caribbean culture, where these traditions live and evolve in a city as culturally diverse as there is; in community centers, dance studios, homes, and parks.  Playing the rhythms rumba, bata, makuta, and bembe, Siembra plays rhythm to dance to, and play with a strong heart, newly spreading this good old music.

The group was organized by Dylan Blanchard, long-time Maine resident and member of Portland-area bands Grupo Esperanza and Olas. Photo below is of Siembra percussionist Nicky Laboy.

Doors at 6:30/Show at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 and available for advance purchase here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/382754

June 16: Elitsa Stoyneva and the Maine Women’s Balkan Choir

This will be the second concert in the International Heritage Music Series.

Elitsa Stoyneva is a seven-time gold medalist in folk singing from Bulgaria. She has been studying Bulgarian folk singing since the age of 5, and has performed at national and international competitions and concerts throughout Bulgaria as well as in Egypt, Switzerland, Greece, Canada and the USA. She has spent several summers in Bar Harbor, Maine, and is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in Business at UMaine.  Elitsa will be singing with members of two choirs she directs, the Maine Women’s Balkan Choir and West of the Penobscot Balkan Singers.

The Maine Women’s Balkan Choir specializes in traditional Balkan singing.  A rich inheritance that has been handed down from mothers to daughters for centuries, these songs hauntingly express the seasons of a woman’s life in the village.  The traditional open-throated singing style, the unusually close quarter tone harmonies, modal melodies, and complex mixed meter rhythms sometimes bewilder Western ears.  But the songs are full of heart and directness and the messages that they express are universal

Doors at 6:30/Show at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/382757

June 23: Tcha Limberger and Friends

The third performances in the International Heritage Music Series.

Tcha Limberger was born in a ‘Manouche’ family with a long-standing musical tradition (his grandfather was the legendary Piotto Limberger). Both his father Vivi, singer and guitar player, and his Flemish mother raised him to understand and appreciate their respective cultures. As a child, Tcha was determined to become a flamenco singer. At age twelve, he started playing the clarinet, joining the family orchestra ‘The Piotto’s’. Meanwhile, he studied the flamenco guitar, but because of a lack of good teachers, he switched to Django-style guitar playing, learning from masters such as Fapy Lafertin and Koen De Cauter. When Tcha was seventeen, he started studying the violin, inspired by stories on his grand-father and recordings of Toki Horvath. By the time he was twenty-one, he left Belgium for Budapest, where he took classical and tzigane classes from Horvath Bela.

Tcha is a musician of rare sensitivity, virtuosity and cultural literacy. He is one of the most versatile violinists in Europe, and rarely performs in the US (this will be one of two concerts he is performing here this year). He will be joined by friends from Canada and Moldova for a truly unique evening of music.

Doors at 6:30/Show at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/382761

June 27: Great Small Works’ International Toy Theater Traveling Show

Following the 10th International Toy Theater Festival, Great Small Works will embark on a short New England tour featuring work of Great Small Works and two international companies-Facto Teatro from Mexico City; and Barbara Steinitz and Bjoern Kollin from Berlin.

Each show on the tour will feature programs by two or three of the companies, each doing a 20-30 minute Toy Theater performance.

Doors at 7:30/Show at 8:00pm. Tickets are $12 adults/$10 students/artists.

Purchase your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/358480