JANUARY

Special Season Addition Montana's All-Star Olympic Improv Rumble Saturday, January 25, 9:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center For one night in January, the Myrna Loy Center stage becomes the Thunderdome of comedy improv as four of the state's best improvisational acting teams meet up in head-to-head combat for the statewide Improv crown (tiara? belt buckle?) Comedy improv as a competitive sport is taking the nation by storm-hey, it's a bigger rush than streetfighting, and takes a lot more skill-as young, nimble-minded actors trained in the martial arts of improvisation compete against one another for the quickest response, the biggest laugh, or sometimes the least disastrous outcome. Come vote for the team of your choice, and encourage the young high-octane actors of Montana.

FEBRUARY

Montana Repertory Theater's The Miracle Worker Tuesday, February 4, 7:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Few stories are as timeless or reveal the courage and resilience of the human spirit as well as The Miracle Worker. This stirring dramatization of the story of Helen Keller and her tutor, Anne Sullivan, has been mesmerizing audiences for decades. The Miracle Worker is a story of overcoming unbelievable odds. It is a story of conviction, of determination, and of true, unfettered love. The play recounts the early life of Helen Keller, deaf and blind since infancy, as she finds her way, with the help of her tutor, Anne Sullivan, into the world of inner light--the most important "sight" of all. The Montana Repertory Theater has had a professional touring company since 1968, bringing high-quality, successful productions to communities around the West. Their mission: "to tell the great stories of our world to enlighten, develop, and celebrate the human spirit in an ever-expanding community."

Congreso Thursday, February 13, 7:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center This amazing group from Quilpué, Chile, has excited audiences worldwide with their music, which continually searches for a fresh new language for the expression of Latin American popular music. They have invented a delicate fusion of the many characters of Chile: the multi-tonal altiplano of the north; the larger cities of Santiago and Valparaiso; the forests and lakes of the south; the vast Patagonia. Their music brings each place to life, transforming them into voices, rhythms, and sounds of their homeland. Congreso has played for the Amnesty International Concert, Expo Seville in Spain, Montreal Festival in Canada, and at Cologne, Germany's Teatro Opera. The Myrna Loy Center has been selected to host this award-winning Chilean group in the Project Americas Initiative to bring quality international performance to small nationally recognized venues. Arts Plus! Congreso members will spend a week in Helena conducting residency activities and giving workshops and school performances.

Il Teatro Calimari Saturday, February 22, 2:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Three award-winning performers take kids of all ages on fanciful journeys that spring from a mountain of luggage. See what happens when balloon dogs attack, Kleenexes fall in love, lunch doesn't wish to be eaten, pillows throw off their shackles of servitude in this madcap bilt of physical theater. Il Teatro Calimari will perform from their repertoire, which includes Waiting for the Train, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and other familiar stories. The three members of Il Teatro Calimari also conduct workshops for kids and teachers; stay tuned for their residency schedules!

St. Petersburg Ice Ballet: Sleeping Beauty Sponsored by Target, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and American Federal Savings Bank Friday, February 28, 7:00 p.m. Helena Ice Palace This year's headliner will bring a major Ice Ballet to Helena for the first time in over 40 years. These ice dancers are trained by the Kirov Ballet and will be presenting Tchaikovsky's most popular ballet at the Helena Ice Palace. What a treat! www.incom.ru/tatchkine_theatre/

A pictorial collage has been created to commemorate this great performance. Please visit our Photography Gallery to relive the great moments experienced on February 28.

MARCH

Tashi Lhunpo Tibetan Monks to Perform at Myrna Loy Center Saturday, March 15, 2:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Seven Tibetan Monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery are in the United States for the first time, and they are coming to Helena's Holter Museum of Art and the Myrna Loy Center March 13-15, 2003 to share their knowledge of Buddhism, and the vibrant culture and history of Tibet. They will lighten your heart, mind, and spirit. Tashi Lhunpo Monastery has faced hardship, as have all Tibetans, since the 1959 Communist Chinese invasion into Tibet. With the invasion, came the attempt to silence Tibetan Buddhist practice and religious freedom. Countless Tibetans have been killed and jailed for continuing to live and promote their peaceful, non-violent, religious beliefs. In Helena, the Tashi Lhunpo monks will showcase their traditions and culture with ceremonies, teachings, and a traditional Cham Performance. The group will perform a traditional Cham ceremony at the Myrna Loy Center on Saturday, March 15 at 2:00 pm. Admission is $10, with proceeds split between the Myrna Loy and the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. www.TashiLhunpo.org

Todd Green Saturday, March 22, 2:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Guitarist and multi-instrument performer Todd Green is one of the most acclaimed instrumentalists on the western circuit. He plays an eclectic blend of classical, jazz, new age and world music. In addition to performing solo guitar pieces in many different styles, he uses digital samplers to record and overdub himself live on stage to become a one-man orchestra of unique and exotic instruments from all over the world. As Todd takes his audience on a fascinating tour of many countries and their diverse styles of music, he intersperses his playing with entertaining and informative explanations of the music and the instruments. Regardless of your musical interests and background, Todd Green's concert is a uniquely gratifying experience with elements of both the familiar and the unfamiliar, and promises to broaden everyone's musical horizons in an unforgettable way. With this tour, Todd returns to Montana where he was trained and started as a performer. Arts Plus! Todd Green will conduct school residencies, a school matinee performance, and other educational activities to teach students about his various instruments. www.toddgreen.com/ Artists in the School Evaluation Form Click Here to Fill Out the On-Line Evaluation Form Download the pdf version of the Evaluation Form, fill it out, and mail it in.

APRIL

COPENHAGEN By Michael Frayn 2000 Tony Winner for Best Play Presented by The Helena Theater Company April 3, 9, 10 at 7:30 p.m. April 4, 5, 11, 12 at 8 p.m. April 6 at 2 p.m. Myrna Loy Center In 1941 the German physicist Werner Heisenberg made a strange trip to Copenhagen to see his Danish counterpart, Niels Bohr. They were old friends, and their work together had opened the way into the atom. But now they were on opposite sides of a world war, and the meeting ended in disaster. Scientists and historians have argued ever since about why Heisenberg went, and what the two men said. Copenhagen retraces their journey through the mysteries of the world around us - and on into the even stranger mysteries of the world within. "Copenhagen is a stirring flesh and blood drama, as emotional as it is intellectually bracing. It is the humanity and heartbreak of these three people that remains most potently in the memory." - Mike Kuchwara, Associated Press "A truly dynamic evening. Elegant and insightful, Copenhagen is a triumph." - The New Yorker "The most invigorating and ingenious play of ideas in many a year. Endlessly fascinating, filled with a crackling, questing vitality. An electrifying work of art." - Ben Brantley, The New York Times

Leon Redbone Thursday, April 24, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center That's right: American blues legend, most memorable singing voice and mystery man extraordinaire, Leon Redbone is coming to town. With his gravelly baritone voice, his neo-vaudeville style, his hang-dog mustache and his reticence to reveal any personal information about himself including his phone number (but his web site is www.leonredbone.com), Redbone still is one of America's most beloved musicians. He's had an eclectic career, and has played with a wide span of folks: Bob Dylan sought him out at the Mariposa Folk Festival. Many listeners were first introduced to Redbone on Saturday Night Live, and later found him on numerous network talk shows, including the Tonight Show. He has recorded with Merle Haggard, Ringo Starr and Dr. John (among many others) and now appears on the PBS children's show, Between the Lions. He's recorded 10 albums/CDs of his own, and most recently appears on Daddyies Sing Goodnight, a collection of sleepy time songs sung by Doc Watson, Jesse Winchester, and a host of others. www.leonredbone.com/

MAY

Buster Keaton Classic, Sherlock, Jr. with Blue Grassy Knoll Saturday, May 10, 7:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center When was the last time you watched a great silent film with a live soundtrack? This is a rare experience, especially in the hands of Blue Grassy Knoll, Australia's favorite bluegrass band. First, the film: one of Buster Keaton's best, and possibly the funniest movie ever made. Buster is a cinema projectionist framed for theft by a jealous rival for his girl's hand. It's a sublime study of film and fantasy; fast moving and surreal, with Keaton becoming a detective in his dreams. Now, about the band: With banjo, accordion, double bass, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, they combine two parts gypsy with one part bluegrass, a splash of zydeco and a twist of cabaret, all laced with humor and garnished with hot blooded passion to create a swirling blend of addictive acoustic mayhem. They have been known to pay homage to Frank Sinatra, Henry Mancini & TV themes, set Shakespeare's soliloquies to tangos as well as penning their own bossa novas, bluegrass and gypsy dirges.

Jabbour and Williams-Old Time Fiddle Concert Saturday, May 31, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center May 31, the Myrna Loy offers a rare treat for old-time fiddle music lovers: Dr. Alan Jabbour, folklorist and lifelong fiddler, will perform in concert with guitarist and fiddler Mike Williams. Jabbour is retired founding director of the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress, and has published widely on the subject of folklore and folklife. He learned much of his traditional American repertoire as a youth, traveling through North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia to record instrumental folk music on tape. Old master fiddler Henry Reed, then in his eighties, took Jabbour on as an apprentice, and out of that association a lifetime of folklore study and musicianship was born. Williams, a Helena teacher and musician, has been studying and performing bluegrass and old-time fiddle music since college. In 1987 he founded the Helena Folklore Society, and since then has played in a number of bands including Celtic, bluegrass, old-time, Cajun and swing ensembles. He is a charter member of the Greater Helena Parlour Picking Society, now in its 28th year. Williams has produced several recordings as part of the Parlour Pickers and the Montana State Old Time Fiddlers Assoc., and has been a featured musician and taught at several prestigious fiddle camps.

JUNE

von Trapp Family Children Monday, June 16, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center "The Sound of Music" was the most successful American musical film ever made. The story of Maria, the Baron, and their singing children are as intimate to most of us as our own family history. Now meet the new generation of von Trapps-great-grandchildren of Maria and Baron von Trapp-who are carrying on the family tradition, "mesmerizing audiences during a recent cross-country tour," according to reviewers. Delightful, resonant, stunning. (You should hear them sing "Johnny Angel"!) www.vontrappchildren.com

Odyssey West-Rob Quist and Jack Gladstone Monday, June 23, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Two of Montana's premier singer/songwriters unite for an exciting production celebrating the spirit of the West. Odyssey West commemorates the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in a highly acclaimed musical-visual narrative that will give you a new experience of our Montana homeland as it was "discovered" by the historic Corps. History buff and river enthusiast Quist joins with Native American singer/storyteller Gladstone to present a performance with keen insight and sensitivity. This show was one of the showcase events of the Bicentennial kick-off in Monticello in January. www.robquist.com www.jackgladstone.com

Levi Burkle with Fulcrum: Mark Hutchinson, James Hinkley Monday, June 30, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Another great emerging talent in Helena, Levi Burkle has just released his first (self-titled) CD. Singer/songwriter Burkle blends jazz, folk, rock, funk and blues into his songs, and accompanies them with his own guitar, piano, bass and percussion work. He's joined by horn player Mark Hutchinson and cellist James Hinkley for an evening of easy-going summertime sound.

	Audio Sample - Please Don't Go - 3:17 min
	Audio Sample - Please Don't Go - 3:17 min

JULY

Jazz at the Capitol: Sternberg & Estrada / Wilbur Rehmann Quartet Monday, July 7, 6:00 p.m. Front steps of the Capitol Doug Sternberg and Al Estrada have been performing Latin jazz together for about a year, covering contemporary composers like Ottmar Liebert, the Gypsy Kings, and Jesse Cook. "There's a fire to this music," says Sternberg. Come hear this duo, joined by Fred Jenkins on percussion and Dave Ricci on fretless bass, for a red-hot summer evening on the Capitol lawn. Then: The popular Wilbur Rehmann Quartet takes the stage to play the clouds out of the sky. Jazz by the Rehmann Quartet is as wide open as the Montana landscape, as poignant as a sunset, as tight as a flyline over river water. The evening's program will make you happy to be in Montana. Audio Sample - Wilbur Rehmann Quartet - 4:24 min Audio Sample - Wilbur Rehmann Quartet - 4:24 min

Average White Band Thursday, July 10, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center The funk-and-soul loving Average White Band is "too funky to be Scottish and is anything but average," according to one reviewer. Yet Scotsmen they are. AWB was one of the few bands of the 1970s to cross the color line and make it to the top of the charts playing tight, fiery funk music-even in the R&B-loving cities of America. Since they debuted as Eric Clapton's opening act in 1973, they have produced 13 recordings and a number of Top Ten hits, including "Cut the Cake," "If Ever I Lose This Heaven," and "School Boy Crush." They disbanded in 1982, but lead singer/bassist Alan Gorrie, guitarist Onnie McIntyre, and keyboardist/saxophonist Roger Ball re-formed the group in 1989. Since then they have been recording and touring widely. In April they released their newest CD, Living in Colour.

Special Summer Cinema Night: 50th Anniversary Showing of Shane Monday, July 14, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Yes, it's the 50th anniversary of the 1953 classic Western film, Shane, a highly regarded seminal work and the most successful Western of the '50s. The film, based on Jack Schaefer's popular novel of the same name, received six Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Brandon de Wilde), Best Supporting Actor (Jack Palance), Best Director (George Stevens), Best Screenplay (by A. B. Guthrie, Jr.), and Best Color Cinematography, and won its sole Oscar award for photographer Loyal Griggs. It also features Alan Ladd in probably his best known and realized performance.

Peter Ostroushko with Dirk Freymuth Monday, July 21, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Peter Ostroushko is one of the finest mandolin and fiddle players in the world today. Performing with the equally-extraordinary guitarist, the two stand out on any stage. They perform as a duo on the concert and festival stage, or as featured soloists with chamber and symphony orchestras. Their music reflects musical styles from around the world, with a special emphasis on Peter's Ukrainian heritage. The former music director of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, Peter still makes frequent appearances on that popular show. Peter has recorded with Bob Dylan, Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and others by the score.

"Transfixing." Billboard Magazine

"One of the finest and possibly the most versitile of the current crop of multi-instrumentalists." John Sheffler, Central Michigan University.

Aaberg & Metropolis, silent sci-fi classic, with an original score performed by Montana's musical master, Philip Aaberg Monday, July 28, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Philip Aaberg performs his original score for piano and electronics for the classic film Metropolis. Possibly the crowning achievement of silent cinema, Fritz Lang's 1927 blockbuster science fiction masterpiece will be shown in its recently reconstructed version, released by the German film company, KINO International. Seeing this film with the powerful new score by Philip Aaberg will be a night to remember! Interview with Philip Aaberg - 2:37 min Interview with Philip Aaberg - 2:37 min

AUGUST

Watercarver's Guild Monday, August 4, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Watercarvers Guild is fast emerging as one of our region's best acoustic ensembles. This father/sons trio features Darrell Casey on guitar and mandolin, son David on guitar, piano and bouzouki, and son Nathan on electric bass. Their music has been called "folk-grass," with a style reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel or James Taylor. Others have compared them to innovative artists like Edgar Meyer. Their driving mandolin/guitar ballads, soulful melodies and tight instrumentals will weave an evening of magic Audio Sample - Watercarver's Guild - 3:07 min Audio Sample - Watercarver's Guild - 3:07 min

The Lost Journals of Lewis & Clark Monday, August 11, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Ever wonder what happened on the days that are missing from the journals of Lewis and Clark? Those days when everything that befell the Corps of Discovery was just too funny, or too absurd, to document for posterity? The Masquers of Mimeprov, directed by Michael McNeilly, present an audience-interactive improv performance that is becoming a hit statewide. Live comedy improv is a phenomenon to watch- don't miss it!

Geyser Land a video and performance installation Wednesday & Thursday, August 13 & 14, Livingston and Bozeman, Montana Two shows each night 9:00 pm Departs from Livingston Depot Center 10:30 pm Departs from Bozeman Depot Presented by the Myrna Loy Center in partnership with The Livingston Depot Center and Montana Arts Council Geyser Land is a site specific installation conceived by video artist Mary Ellen Strom and performance artist Ann Carlson. The Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents will produce this new work on August 13 and 14, 2003. Geyser Land will take place along the railroad tracks between Livingston and Bozeman, Montana. The audience will experience this hour-long work while being transported in a railroad passenger car. Out of the train’s windows the audience will witness video projections on rock faces of mountains, commercial buildings and industrial sites. Live performers will re-create archival photos in the tradition of tableau vivant outside, amidst and embedded into the projections. Geyser Land seeks to be a conceptual tourist attraction that investigates the ways a western mythology was constructed over one hundred years ago that laid the groundwork for the region's colonization and development. This strategy involves the use of the train to establish the spectator’s point of view, to locate the spectator in a tourist position, to point to the railroad as a tool of colonialism, to expose how nine-teenth and twentieth century representational systems such as photography, film and advertising produced and promoted the West’s mythologies. The site is located near the entrance to Yellowstone Park; a place trafficked by millions of contemporary tourists each summer. Geyser Land looks at how 19th century western mythologies are maintained through contemporary tourism. By pointing to this history, the contemporary spectator is challenged to make comparisons between the cultural ideology, economic reality and landscapes of past and present. The project seeks to speak with critical integrity while simultaneously celebrating place. For more information, please visit Geyser Land's web site at www.geyserland.org Discover more information about the train ride.

Buddy Mondlock Monday, August 18, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center You've heard Buddy Mondlock's songs for years-he's one magnificent songwriter behind the tunes of many singers from Peter, Paul & Mary to Nanci Griffith. He's also headlined at folk festivals and concerts across the country for the last decade. A gifted writer and stellar performer, Mondlock has just completed his second CD, in collaboration with Art Garfunkle and Maia Sharp. Be sure to come and listen to his own songs come alive onstage in the intimate Myrna Loy.

Vigilante Theatre Company, "The Clark and Lewis Show!" Monday, August 25, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Montana's all-original touring repertory theatre, the Vigilante Theatre Company, presents the wildly comical musical adventure, The Clark and Lewis Show. The Vigilantes illuminate the epic quest of Lewis and Clark with a touch of vaudeville and a pinch of pageantry, all wound up in a cleverly spun tale. Written and directed by Great Falls native Thomas Q. Morris with music and lyrics by humorist Greg Keeler, this voyage winds its way through romantic fables and bounces off unexpected obstacles to create a historical perspective like no other.

SEPTEMBER

Helena Symphony Chamber Music Night Monday, September 8, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center The Myrna Loy Center brings its summer "Mondays at the Myrna" series to a grand finale with its traditional "Symphony Chamber Music Night," an informal concert in which some of the finest musicians with the Helena Symphony get to perform their favorite pieces. This year's program features a variety of ensembles: a string quartet, a flute trio, a bassoon-clarinet duet, and several piano-driven ensembles. The music will take listeners on a journey from Mozart to Django Rheinhart, from Maurice Ravel to Peter Schickele (the serious one, not the PDQ Bach variety). The Symphony Chamber Music Night in past years has been one of the more remarkable concerts of the summer season.

The Bill Hilly Band Sunday, September 21, 7:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center From beautiful British Columbia come five exceptional musicians who have forged a sophisticated, down-home "acoustical explosion" all their own. With artistry, enthusiasm and irresistible entertainment, they cook up a mélange of European stylings, Latin American rhythms, and songs from old-time, bluegrass, jazz, swing, Klezmer, Brazilian, Caribbean, Spanish and a world of other sounds. In one Toronto concert, they got a standing ovation after the first song. www.thebillhillyband.com

American Indian Dance Theatre Monday, September 29, 7:30 p.m. Helena Middle School For almost 15 years, the American Indian Dance Theatre has been creating a new level of awareness of American Indian culture across the nation. This suite of dances will combine the traditional vocabulary with modern expression.   "The American Indian Dance Theatre offers a rare, illuminating theatre experience." - Los Angeles Times Myrna Loy Center Artists in the School Program! Artists in the School Evaluation Form On-Line Evaluation Form Download the Adobe Reader (pdf) version of the Evaluation Form, print it, fill it out, and mail it in.

OCTOBER

The Campbell Brothers Saturday, October 4, 8:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center This is real Gospel music with a compellingly rich variety of music from the African-American Holiness-Pentecotal repertoire with a new twist: the growling, wailing, shouting, singing and swinging voice of the steel guitar, played as you have never heard it before. "Chuck Campbell is the Jimi Hendrix and the Django Reinhardt of the steel guitar." - Andy Grigg, Real Blues www.campbellbrothers.com

Scott Kirby Wednesday, October 8, 7:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Barnstorming Montana Tour Pianist/composer Scott Kirby specializes in distinctly American genres which unite the worlds of classical and folk music, including Terra Verde, early jazz, classic ragtime, new ragtime and Creole compositions. As a composer, Kirby weaves strains from American roots music with European Romanticism into a syncopated language all his own. www.barnstormingmontana.com Myrna Loy Center Artists in the School Program! Artists in the School Evaluation Form On-Line Evaluation Form Download the Adobe Reader (pdf) version of the Evaluation Form, fill it out, and mail it in.

Tears of Joy Puppet Theater's Ride the Red Mare AWARE Family Showcase Thursday, October 30, 7:00 p.m. Myrna Loy Center Illustration by Julie Downing, Orchard Books Portland's TOJ Puppet Theater brings to Helena Ursula K Lequin's story of hunting and trolls and a young girl's brave ride on the Red Mare to save her brother. Along with the show a special auction of Halloween "funkins" by Helena artists will benefit AWARE Family Services of Helena. www.tojt.com Myrna Loy Center Artists in the School Program! Artists in the School Evaluation Form On-Line Evaluation Form Download the Adobe Reader (pdf) version of the Evaluation Form, fill it out, and mail it in.

NOVEMBER

Aulos Ensemble - 5-Day School Residency Friday, November 7, 8:00 p.m. Helena Middle School The Aulos Ensemble pioneered period-instrument performing. Now in their 30th year, these five Juilliard graduates tour and teach extensively, lead their own concert series in New York City, and have brought the world a new awareness of the rich rewards of original-instrument performance. In addition to their evening concert, the Aulos Ensemble will perform a five-day residency in Helena-area schools. www.aulos.org Myrna Loy Center Artists in the School Program! Artists in the School Evaluation Form On-Line Evaluation Form Download the Adobe Reader (pdf) version of the Evaluation Form, fill it out, and mail it in. Ennis Sisters Sunday, November 16, 7:30 p.m. Myrna Loy Center In music there's nothing quite like the sound of three voices singing together in perfect harmony. Their self-titled major label debut album has spawned a two format radio hit ("It's Not About You"), they were named Best Country Group atthe Canadian Radio Music Awards, they won an East Coast Music Award as Group of the Year and to top it all off, the Ennis Sisters won a Juno Award (Canada's most precious accolade) as Best New Country Artist or Group in front of a hometown audience. www.ennissisters.com

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Myrna Loy Center 15 North Ewing Helena, Montana 59601