Artifacts 8/9

'Nunsense' opens at Perry Park Center

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- "Nunsense" is being presented this weekend at the Perry Park Center.

The show opened Thursday and continues at 7 p.m. today and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The cast is the same as the one that presented the musical in November 2000. It includes Jean Brown, Jamie Prost, Jennifer Gibbar, Monica Weith and Stephanie Robinson. All are graduates of St. Vincent High School in Perryville.

The show is directed by Tim Thompson, the theater teacher at St. Vincent High School.

Each performance is limited to 430 seats. Tickets are $7.

Tickets are available at the center by calling (573) 547-7275 or from the St. Vincent DePaul Parish Office at (573) 547-4591.

Lloyd Webber's 'Joseph ...' at The Muny

ST. LOUIS -- "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" will be presented at The Muny through Sunday.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical stars Eric Kunze, who has appeared on Broadway in "Miss Saigon," "Les Miserables" and "Damn Yankees." Judy McLane, whose Broadway credits include "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Aspects of Love" and "Chess," also stars.

For ticket information, phone (314) 534-1111.

Lonestar to play at Six Flags St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- Lonestar will perform Saturday at Six Flags St. Louis.

The band, known for the hits "Amazed," "Smile," "What About Now" and "Tell Her," will perform at 6 p.m. at the Old Glory Amphitheatre.

Choral Union to begin rehearsals

The Southeast Missouri Sate University Choral Union will begin rehearsals Aug. 20 for a Dec. 3 concert being billed as "An American Celebration.

The non-auditioned communitywide group rehearses at 7 Tuesday evenings in Room 205 of Brandt Music Hall.

"An American Celebration" includes Randall Thompson's "Frostiana," Howard Hanson's "Song of Democracy" and Mack Wilberg's "Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends." "Frostiana" is music based on the poems of Robert Frost. "Song of Democracy" is based on the writings of Walt Whitman, and "Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends" is a setting of traditional folk hymns for orchestra and choirs.

The Choral Union is directed by John Egbert. Anyone interested in joining the group can contact him at 651-2342 or by e-mail at jegbert@semo.edu.

Jazz at the Bistro announces new season

ST. LOUIS -- Jazz at the Bistro has announced its 2002-03 season, led off by legendary saxophonist James Moody Sept. 25-28 and ending with vocalist Freddy Cole May 28-31.

The lineup includes violinist Regina Carter Oct. 8-11, saxophonist Joshua Redman's Elastic Band Oct. 23-26, pianist Ahmad Jamal March 15, vocalists Jimmy Scott (Feb. 5-8) and Ann Hampton Callaway (Nov. 20-23), and the Christian McBride Band featuring the virtuoso bassist April 30-May 3.

Blues festival Sept. 28

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- The Riverside Blues Music & Arts Festival will be held Sept. 28 at Riverside Park in Murphysboro.

The headliners are B.B. Queen of Detroit, Mich., Eddie King of Peoria, Ill., and Tulsa, Okla.'s Big Daddy & The Blues Kings.

Also appearing will be Southern Illinois' own Tawl Paul & the Blues Bandits, Blues Deluxe and Smokin' Johnnie & The Blue Haze.

Gates open at 9 a.m. with the first group taking the stage at 11 a.m. The last act will go on stage at 8:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 in advance and $9 at the gate. The number of advance tickets is limited. They are available at the CD Warehouse in Cape Girardeau and Cowabunga Music in Anna, Ill. To order by mail, send money order only with self-addressed stamped envelop to: OnStage Entertainment, P.O. Box 502, Murphysboro, Ill. 62966.

Audience members are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to be collected for the Southern Illinois Food Bank.

-- From staff reports