ARTFARM announces Musical Headliners for Shakespeare in the Grove

Canadian singer-songwriter Layah Jane is the musical headliner for opening night of ARTFARM's Shakespeare in the Grove on July 18. Photo by Emma Lee.

One unique and appealing feature of ARTFARM’s annual Shakespeare in the Grove productions in Middletown is the array of high-quality musical acts that precede the Shakespeare production each night. 2013 promises to be even more impressive than previous years, with guest artists from Canada and music of South India in the mix.

The eighth season of Shakespeare in the Grove features Much Ado About Nothing, which runs July 18 – 21 and 25 – 28 in the Grove at Middlesex Community College in Middletown. The play starts at 7 pm, but each evening of the run a different musical act plays at 6 pm. Audience members are encouraged to arrive early, bring lawn chairs, blankets and a picnic to the cool Grove overlooking the Connecticut River Valley, and enjoy a 45 minute set of live music followed by ARTFARM’s highly-physical and accessible Shakespeare.

The fast-paced Shakespeare comedy of love, wit and misinformation will appeal to all ages, and people can choose which evening to attend based on their musical preferences. The schedule for 6 pm Musical Headliners is as follows:

7/18 Layah Jane – Joining us from Toronto, Canada, this singer/songwriter’s poignant and evocative work was featured in the recent documentary “Gasland”.

7/19 Kate Callahan – This West Hartford-based folk singer has thrice been recognized as “Best Solo Performer” in the Hartford Advocate reader’s poll.

7/20 Phil Rosenthal – A nationally-known folk and bluegrass legend, Phil is a former Connecticut State Troubador.

7/21 Balu Balasubrahmaniyan with David Nelson – This renowned South Indian vocalist is the special guest as ARTFARM celebrates “South Asian Night” at Shakespeare in the Grove.

7/25 Lorena Garay – A native of Puerto Rico, Lorena plays entrancing Classical, Spanish and Latin guitar.

7/26 Noah Baerman and Friends – A jazz pianist and composer, Noah is a local musical giant with a strong commitment to “message music”.

7/27 Stacy Phillips & Paul Howard -- An acoustic duet playing Americana and original music (from jazz and originals to Caribbean and Hawaiian). 

7/28 Rani Arbo – A local and national favorite, inspiring vocalist, fiddler and guitarist Rani Arbo headlines the band Daisy Mayhem.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Thursday, July 18 is a “Pay-What-You Can” performance, and Thursday, July 25 is “Medical Heroes Night”, at which anyone identifying themselves as a medical professional will be admitted for half price. Sunday, July 21 is “South Asian Night”. In honor of our neighbors at the Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple, anyone identifying themselves as a member of Connecticut’s South Asian community will be entered into a raffle for two dinners for six – one provided by Udupi Bhavan Restaurant, the other by Haveli Restaurant. 

Middlesex Community College is located at 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT. 

For information please contact info@art-farm.org or call (860) 346-4390. Shakespeare in the Grove 2013 is made possible by generous grants from the Department of Economic and Community Development/Office of the Art, the Middletown Commission on the Arts and Pratt & Whitney, and is co-sponsored by Middlesex Community College.

www.art-farm.org