Waltz With Bashir Starts 3/27 at The State

Oscar-Nominated film Waltz With Bashir starts its run at The State Friday 3/27. Below you will find a trailer for Waltz With Bashir as well as a plot summary/review by The New York Times' A.O. Scott:

“Waltz With Bashir” is a memoir, a history lesson, a combat picture, a piece of investigative journalism and an altogether amazing film. Directed by Ari Folman, an Israeli filmmaker whose struggle to make sense of his experience as a soldier in the Lebanon war of 1982 shapes its story, “Waltz” is by no means the world’s only animated documentary, a phrase that sounds at first like a cinematic oxymoron. Movies like Richard Linklater’s “Waking Life” and Brett Morgen’s “Chicago 10” have used animation to make reality seem more vivid and more strange, producing odd and fascinating experiments. Mr. Folman, crucially assisted by his art director, David Polonsky, and director of animation, Yoni Goodman, has adapted techniques often (if unfairly) dismissed as trivial into an intense and revealing meditation on a historical catastrophe and its aftermath. “Waltz With Bashir” will certainly enrich and complicate your understanding of its specific subject — the Lebanon War and, in particular, the massacre of Palestinians by Lebanese Phalangist fighters at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps — but it may also change the way you think about how movies can confront history. The core of “Waltz With Bashir” is a series of conversations between the director, depicted with graying hair and a thoughtful demeanor, and other middle-aged Israeli men who were in Lebanon in the summer of 1982, when the Israeli Defense Forces pushed up through the southern part of the country toward Beirut. Most of them were in the western part of that city from the 16th to the 18th of September, when Christian militiamen slaughtered as many as 3,000 civilians, ostensibly to avenge the death of Bashir Gemayel, Lebanon’s newly elected president, who had been assassinated a few days before. More than 20 years later, Mr. Folman confronts his interlocutors amid the trappings of their relatively calm daily lives. (All the interview subjects speak in their own voices except for two, whose dialogue has been dubbed.) The freedom afforded by animation — a realm where the prosaic standards of verisimilitude and the inconvenient laws of physics can be flouted at will — allows Mr. Folman to blend grimly literal images with surreal flights of fantasy, humor and horror. “Waltz With Bashir” is not, and could not be, the definitive account of the Lebanon war or the Sabra and Shatila massacres. Instead, it’s a collage and an inquiry. “Can’t a film be therapeutic?” one of Mr. Folman’s friends asks him early in the movie, and in a way everything that follows is an attempt to answer that question and interrogate its premise. It depends on what is meant by therapy, and on who is undergoing it [NYTIMES].


Waltz With Bashir starts at The State Friday 3/27 at 7:00 and 9:30 PM. The film continues it’s run from Monday 3/30 with a shows at 7:00 & 9:30 PM through Thursday 4/2 with shows everyday at 7:00 & 9:30 PM(with an additional showing at 4:00 PM on Wednesday 4/1). Tickets are going for $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

This April 14th The State Welcomes Jonatha Brooke

The State Theatre welcomes Jonatha Brooke, April 14th for an intimate solo performance. Known for her folk style, Brooke has been making music and touring for almost twenty years. For her performance at The State she will be performing an acoustic set that is aimed to please any music fan. Look below to find some more info on Jonatha Brooke as well as see some of her performances:

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jonatha Brooke began issuing albums that merged folk and pop during the early 1990s, first as a member of a female duo named the Story and later as a solo artist. Brooke formed the Story (originally called "Jonatha & Jennifer" during the duo's early years) along with another vocalist, Jennifer Kimball, who attended Massachusette's Amherst College with Brooke in the early '80s. Despite playing regular local gigs during their college career, the girls never issued any recordings and took a break after graduation, during which time Brooke joined a dance troupe. But by the end of the '80s, the group had re-formed under a new moniker, the Story, and issued a demo called Over Oceans in 1989. The Story was promptly signed to the independent Green Linnet label, which issued the duo's debut album, Grace in Gravity, in 1991. It wasn't long before Elektra Records expressed interest in the band, in turn reissuing their debut the same year, as well as a sophomore effort, The Angel in the House, two years later.

By 1994, however, the Story had split up for good and Brooke began pursuing a solo career. Despite Kimball's absence, Brooke's 1995 solo debut, Plumb, was nevertheless credited to Jonatha Brooke & the Story. Brooke was the sole creditor beginning with 1997's 10 Cent Wings, which also marked a shift from her earlier folk-pop material to a more radio-friendly style. This shift continued with such additional releases as 1999's Live and 2001's Steady Pull, the latter of which was co-produced by Brooke and renowned studio man Bob Clearmountain (known for his work with Bryan Adams, the Rolling Stones, the Corrs, and Hall & Oates, among others). Beginning in the late '90s, Brooke's albums were issued via her very own record label, Bad Dog.

In 2002, Brooke performed a pair of songs on Disney's Return to Never Land soundtrack, contributing an original composition ("I'll Try") and a cover ("The Second Star to the Right"). Two years later, she performed a set of ten shows at the Public Theater in New York, the highlights of which were collected for the 2006 release of Live in New York, complete with a DVD of the concert. Careful What You Wish For followed in 2007, and Brooke subsequently delved into Woody Guthrie's lyric journals for her follow-up effort. Released in 2008, The Works paired her original music with Guthrie's previously unheard lyrics [source].






If you want to hear more music from Jonatha Brooke check out her MYSPACE PAGE.

Jonatha Brooke will be performing solo at The State this April 14th at 8:00 PM. All tickets are going for $23 and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Keep checking back to The State Theatre Blog for more info on these show as we get closer to the event. Hope to see you there!

The Reader Now Playing at The State

Academy Award winning film The Reader is currently playing at The State Theatre through 4/9. Below you will find a trailer as well as a synopsis for The Reader:


The Reader opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair.

Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from “The Odyssey”, "Huck Finn", and “The Lady with the Little Dog.” Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken.

Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna’s past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. The Reader is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.

The Reader stars Ralph Fiennes, David Kross and Kate Winslet (for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress), and is directed by Stephen Daldry (the Academy Award nominated director of THE HOURS), from a script by David Hare, and based on the award winning novel by Bernhard Schlink. Schlink’s The Reader has been translated into 39 languages and was the first German novel to reach number one on The New York Times Bestseller List.

The Reader is currently playing at The State through 4/9 everyday at 7:00 & 9:30 PM with an additional 4:00 PM show on Wednesday 4/8. Tickets are going for $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

The State to Host 'Independence' a Play Writen by Pulitzer Prize-Winner Lee Blessing --STARTS FRIDAY 3/27--

This Friday the play Independence by Pulitzer Prize-Winner Lee Blessing starts its short run at The State. The play will be preformed in the intimate Studio Space upstairs at The State! Below you will find some info on the play:

Independence, Iowa. A town that’s hard to stay in, but even harder to leave behind.

What could be more familiar than a family gathering in a small town -- a mother and her three grown daughters? “It’s so nice to have you all here….let’s bake cookies!” But Pulitzer Prize-winner Lee Blessing has the great writer’s gift -- he finds the universal in the particular, the surprising in the familiar.

So the cookies never get baked. Because the four are caught in the inevitable struggle to grow up, to hold on, to break loose, to finally own up to who’s responsible for what.

The play compassionately and wittily explores “the complex and entangled relationship between mother and daughters”— and the men who are conspicuous by their absence.

“Vivid, realistic, tender, often humorous”, and painful as truth.


Independence by Pulitzer Prize-Winner Lee Blessing debuts at The State Friday 3/27 at 8:00 PM. The show continues with shows on Saturday 3/28 at 2:00 & 8:00 PM, Sunday 3/29 at 2:00 PM, Friday 4/3 at 8:00 PM, Saturday 4/4 at 2:00 & 8:00 PM, and Sunday 4/5 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are going for $12 for students & seniors and $14 for everyone else. Tickets are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there for an intimate performance at The State!

***SOLD OUT*** Rusted Root Returns To State College 4/7

***UPDATE***
The Rusted Root concert scheduled for April 7th IS NOW SOLD OUT!!

Rusted Root has been making the rounds for over 20 years touring the country spreading their grooves with anyone who was willing to dance. Here is some more info about Rusted Root including some videos of the band:

Michael Glabicki founded Rusted Root upon returning from a post-high school trip to South America in 1988. After a false start with one group of musicians, he called Berlin, an old friend with whom he'd collaborated previously, and asked her to sing with him. Through her came drummer Liz Donovan, with whom she'd taken an African drumming classes (this being a prerequisite Glabicki had established). Donovan recruited Patrick Norman, another classmate, to play guitar (he'd later switch to bass guitar, helping shape Rusted Root's rhythm-centric sound). A year later, multi-instrumentalist, visual artist and bicycle messenger John Buynak and vocalist Jenn Wertz, originally hired to photograph the group, signed on. Buynak's distinctive artwork would give Rusted Root a strong visual image. Rusted Root would adopt a hard-touring way, their polyrhythmic multicultural rock and soul sound picking up devotees like a junkyard magnet as they swept across the nation. In 1990, they self-released a CD, Cruel Sun. The disc attracted Mercury Records which signed the band and released When I Woke (1994). Two more records (Remember in 1996 and the self-titled third in 1998), three EPs (Evil Ways, Live, and Airplane), a home video (Rusted Root Live) and miscellaneous film and TV soundtrack credits.

Rusted Root Interview:

Weary Bones


Rusted Root's April 7th show at 8:00 PM are now SOLD OUT!!!

Daily Collegian Article on Rusted Root's Upcoming Show

In 2/24's Daily Collegian there was an article about the band Rusted Root's upcoming show at The State on 4/7. The article paints a picture about how the band has local ties to State College. You can view the article HERE. You can also view our original post for Rusted Root HERE.

Rusted Root's show April 7th is now SOLD OUT!!!

**UPDATE DAILY COLLEGIAN ARTICLE** THIS SATURDAY 3/21 AVERAGE WHITE BAND Bring the Funk to The State

**UPDATE**
TODAY'S 3/19 DAILY COLLEGIAN FEATURED AN ARTICLE ON THIS SATURDAY 3/21 SHOW WITH AWB!! CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE

That's right folks Average White Band will be appearing at The State Theatre on Saturday March 21st at 8 PM. Average White Band (or AWB for short) can't be defined by one single genre so we're going to break them all down for you: they are considered blue-eyed soul, funk, soul rock, and disco. They were influenced by such acts as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway. Even though you can recognize those influeces, AWB created a sound all their own. Average White Band is a Scottish band that got their start in 1971 but had to wait a few years before being recognized on the public stage. In 1973 AWB got their big break with a supporting gig at Eric Clapton's comeback concert. After their first record, Show Your Hand, sold poorly they continued to record and in August of 1974 they released their second record, AWB, which would be the groups biggest hit. AWB went to number one on the pop charts and brought the group acclaim for every realm. AWB was filled with hits including 'Work To Do' and 'Pick Up The Pieces' which went to number one on the pop singles charts. Below you can see them perform live:

'Work To Do'

'Pick Up The Pieces'




Tickets for Average White Band are on sale NOW for the ticket price of $35 and are available online and at the State Theatre Box office for the March 21st show. THERE ARE STILL GEAT SEAT AVAILABLE SO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! Hope to see you there!

CHE Starts this Friday at 3/20

Che: The Roadshow starts its run this Friday 3/20 at The State. Below you will find info on the movie as well as a trailer for the film:

Nearly 40 years after Che Guevara's execution in Bolivia, director Steven Soderbergh retraces the life of the iconic Cuban revolutionary in this nearly four-and-a-half-hour saga. Part 1 begins on November 26, 1956, as Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir) sails into Cuban waters with 80 rebels in tow. Among those rebels is Argentine doctor Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), a man who shares Castro's dream of overthrowing corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. As the struggle gets under way, Guevara proves an indispensable part of the revolution due to his firm grasp on the concepts of guerilla warfare. Guevara is heartily embraced by both his comrades and the Cuban people, and quickly rises through the ranks to become first a commander, and ultimately a revolutionary hero. Part 2 of the saga begins with Guevara at the absolute peak of his fame and power. Disappearing suddenly, Guevara subsequently resurfaces in Bolivia to organize a modest group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits in preparation for the Latin American Revolution. But while the Bolivian campaign would ultimately fail, the tenacity, sacrifice, and idealism displayed by Guevara during this period would make him a symbol of heroism to followers around the world [msn].


Che: The Roadshow Parts 1 & 2 starts at The State Friday 3/20 at 7:00. The film continues it’s run from Subnday 3/22 with a show at 4:00 PM through Thursday 3/26 with shows everyday at 7:00 (with an additional showing at 1:00 PM on Wednesday 3/25). Because of the length of the film [over four hours] tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

This Weekend at The State 3/27-3/29

Here are the events that are happening this weekend 3/27-3/29 at The State. You can click on the title of the show to see more info on these events. Hope to see you at The State this weekend.

Friday 3/27:
Waltz With Bashir at 7:00 PM
Independence, A play by Lee Blessing at 8:00 PM
Waltz With Bashir at 9:30 PM

Saturday 3/28:
Independence, A play by Lee Blessing at 2:00 PM
Josh Ritter w/Full Band at 8:00 PM
Independence, A play by Lee Blessing at 8:00 PM

Sunday 3/29:
Independence, A play by Lee Blessing at 2:00 PM
The Artie Shaw Orchestra at 7:00 PM

Josh Ritter to Play The State THIS SATURDAY 3/28 **UPDATE Daily Collegian Article**

**UPDATE**
IN TODAY'S 3/26 DAILY COLLEGIAN THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT JOSH RITTER'S PERFORMANCE AT THE STATE THIS SATURDAY 3/28. READ THE ARTICLE HERE!

Josh Ritter is making a stop in State College this March 28th to charm audiences at The State. Ritter is a modern day folk singer-songwriter with grand musical scope. In case you are unfamiliar with Mr.Ritter here is some more info:

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (his new album) catches the Idaho musician in the midst of a radical transformation. While last year's The Animal Years had Ritter thinking about the state of the nation, his latest offering finds him pining for Joan of Arc, Calamity Jane and Florence Nightingale, all of whom seem to be stuck together in the belly of a whale, a la Jonah. He also manages to squeeze in a few admiring words about ladies' underwear and that's well before Ritter, backed by drums, bass and organ and cacophony, arrives at a rollicking chorus you might be able sing along with if you're quick enough to get all the words.

Ritter is clearly having fun and you will, too but there is a method to his madness. Those legendary heroines he name-checks were each responding to an inner voice that pushed them toward some extraordinary mission, one both noble and a little foolhardy. "Those voices can be pretty confusing," he says, "but there is no doubt that if you follow your two a.m. voices you'll end up someplace fairly extraordinary."

And Ritter did follow those late night voices. While The Animal Years was a meticulously crafted and stately paean, for Conquests the artist radically revamped his working methods and his sound. "I needed to be somebody different," the singer says. "The air of gravitas around me was getting oppressive. For some reason it seemed like there was a premium being placed on earnestness and that can be pretty stifling. There was a lot of talk about true love and righteous indignation. I wanted to write about gunslingers and missile silos."

Below you can find a few videos of Jason Ritter performing:





Tickets for Josh Ritter's March 28th concert at The State are ON SALE NOW! Tickets are going for $23 are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

This Weekend at The State 3/6-3/8

Here are the events that are happening this weekend 3/6 - 3/8 at The State. You can click on the title of the show to see more info on these events. Hope to see you at The State this weekend.

Friday 3/6:
Frost/Nixon at 7:00 & 9:30 PM

Saturday 3/7:
The Met Opera Live in HD featuring Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at 1:00 PM
Frost/Nixon at 7:00 & 9:30 PM

Sunday 3/8:
Frost/Nixon at 4:00 & 7:00 PM

This Weekend At The State 3/13 - 3/15

Here are the events that are happening this weekend 3/13 - 3/15 at The State. You can click on the title of the show to see more info on these events. Hope to see you at The State this weekend.

Friday 3/13:
Wendy and Lucy at 7:00 & 9:30 PM

Saturday 3/14:
Wendy and Lucy at 4:00, 7:00, & 9:30 PM

Sunday 3/15:
Wendy and Lucy at 4:00 & 7:00 PM

Let the Circle be Wide with Tommy Sands Comes to The State 3/12!

Tommy Sands along with Moya and Fionan Sands grace The State with a gift just in time for St. Patrick's Day on Thursday, March 12th. Let the Circle be Wide featuring Tommy Sands as well as Moya and Fionan Sands bring the sound of the true Ireland to The State. Here is some more info on the living legend Tommy Sands:

Tommy Sands, Country Down's singer, songwriter and social activist has achieved something akin to legendary status in his own lifetime.

From the pioneering days with the highly influential Sands Family, bringing Irish Music from New York's Carnegie Hall to Moscow's Olympic Stadium, he has developed into one of the most powerful songwriters and enchanting solo performers in Ireland today.

His songwriting, which draws the admiration of Nobel Poet Laureate Seamus Heaney and father of folk music Pete Seeger, prompts respected US magazine "Sing Out" to regard him as "the most powerful songwriter in Ireland, if not the rest of the world".

His songs, like There were Roses, and Daughters and Sons, which have been recorded by Joan Baez, Kathy Matthea, Dolores Keane, Sean Keane, Frank Patterson, Dick Gaughan, The Dubliners and many others have been translated into many languages and are currently included in the English language syllabus in German secondary schools.

Although constantly performing on stages all around the world he prides in taking his music down from the lights and into the darker corners of society. One of his current projects, teaching underprivledged prisoners in Reno, Nevada to write their own song with which to defend themselves in court is currently creating a wide spread stir in the world of community art in the United States. Back home in Northern Ireland he has just completed a CD written with Protestant and Catholic school children about their own areas, in towns and villages around Northern Ireland. During the Good Friday Agreement Talks, his impromptu performance with a group of children and Lambeg drummers was described by Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon as "a defining moment in the Peace Process".

Below are some videos of Tommy Sands performing with Country Down and also solo:



Let the Circle be Wide featuring Tommy Sands along with Moya and Fionan Sands will be performing at The State on Thursday March 12th at 8:00 PM. Tickets are going for $23 and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Hope to see you at this great event leading up to St. Patrick's Day!

Wendy and Lucy Starts Tonight 3/13 At The State

Tonight 2/13 Wendy and Lucy staring Michelle Williams starts its run at The State. Below you will find a trailer for Wendy and Lucy as well as a short plot summary:



Old Joy director Kelly Reichardt crafts this intimate tale of Wendy, an alienated Indiana woman who packs up her car and sets her sights on Alaska, but finds herself stranded in a small Oregon town with no money and only her faithful dog, Lucy, to keep her company. When Wendy realizes that there's nothing keeping her in her home state of Indiana, she makes the decision to relocate to Alaska and seek out work at the local fish cannery. With her four-legged friend Lucy in the passenger seat next to her, Wendy stops off to get some rest in a small Oregon town. The following morning, when Wendy attempts to start her car, the engine fails to respond. But this is only the first in a series of snowballing events, because as Wendy waits for the local garage to open she heads to the supermarket to pick up some dog food for Lucy. Opting to shoplift the puppy chow since she doesn't have much cash to speak of, Wendy subsequently finds herself in the local jail thanks to an overzealous employee. By the time Wendy pays her fine and gets back to the supermarket, Lucy is gone. Unfortunately the dog pound doesn't open until the following morning, and after receiving some help from a kindly local, Wendy gets some particularly bad news about her car.

Wendy and Lucy starts at The State Friday 3/13 at 7:00 and 9:30 PM. The film continues it’s run from Saturday 3/14 (with shows at 7:00 & 9:30 PM) through Thursday 3/19 with shows everyday at 7:00 & 9:30 PM (except Sunday 3/15 there is no 9:30 show). Sunday 3/15 & Wednesday 3/18 there are also 4:00 PM showings of the film. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

Oscar Nominated Film FROST/NIXON Starts Its Run At The State Friday 3/6

This Friday 3/6 Frost/Nixon starts its run at The State. Frost/Nixon was nominated for five Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and has received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Below you will find some background on the film as well as the trailer:



For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss's ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted. Would Nixon evade questions of his role in one of the nation's greatest disgraces? Or would Frost confound critics and bravely demand accountability from the man who'd built a career out of stonewalling? Over the course of their encounter, each man would reveal his own insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity--ultimately setting aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth.

Frost/Nixon, which was Nominated for FIVE Oscars starts its run at The State Friday 3/6 at 7:00 and 9:30 PM. The film continues it’s run from Saturday 3/7 (with shows at 7:00 & 9:30 PM) through Wednesday 3/11 with shows everyday at 7:00 & 9:30 PM (except Sunday 3/8 there is no 9:30 show). Sunday 3/8 & Wednesday 3/11 there are also 4:00 PM showings of the film. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

Last Two Nights 3/4-3/5 to Catch 'I've Loved You So Long' at The State

There are only two more nights 3/4-3/5 to catch I've Loved You So Long at The State before it ends its run. The critically acclaimed French film staring Kristen Scott Thomas is a story of a family trying to find answers in a complicated and tragic situation. Below you will find the trailer for I've Loved You So Long as well as a plot summary:

Their relationship fractured when older sister Juliette is sentenced to 15 years in prison, two siblings wage an emotional battle to rebuild their relationship, overcome the secrets that keep them apart, and finally express the thoughts that have lain dormant for well over a decade. The moment Juliette was convicted, her parents declared that they wanted nothing to do with her. Now, after 15 years behind bars, Juliette is a free woman and in desperate need of a human connection. When Juliette's younger sister, Léa, is approached by a prison social worker and asked if she would be willing to provide her recently paroled sibling with a place to live, she doesn't hesitate to open her doors and share her home. But Léa is happily married with two adopted daughters, and her husband, Luc, is uneasy with the arrangement. Still, the house is large, the couple is used to having company, and the two young girls are thrilled to have a new aunt. As Juliette gets settled, Léa does her best to make her feel welcome. Likewise, Léa's colleague Michel and emigrant couple Samir and Kaïsha also offer to help Juliette readjust to life on the outside. Along the way, Juliette slowly begins to emerge from her shell and Léa realizes just how much she missed her sister. Perhaps if she can put aside her feelings of guilt long enough to truly understand her sister's plight, these two strangers can finally remember what it means to be family.

I've Loved You So Long only has two more days worth of screenings. You can catch I've Loved You So Long today Wendesday 3/4 at4:00, 7:00 & 9:30 PM and tomorrow 3/5 at 7:00 & 9:30 PM. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and are available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. See you there!

The Met Opera HD Returns with Puccini's Madama Butterfly 3/7

The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD simulcast is back this Saturday 3/7 at 1:00 PM at The State featuring Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. In case you don't know about The State's Met Opera Live in HD shows it goes something like this: Through an effort to spread the love of Opera throughout the United States and the world, The Met Opera in New York City has begun simulcasting their performances to Theaters that are HD (high definition) ready. This all started in December of '06 when their first simulcast went worldwide and has been met with acclaim from every realm including critical as well as popular. On top of just performing the Operas themselves, the audience at The State is exposed to behind-the-scenes features, live interviews with cast and crew, insightful short documentaries, and bird’s-eye views of the productions offer an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera. Another great thing about these simulcast is that you can see these performances for just a fraction of the cost that you would pay at the Met ($22 for adults, $20 for seniors, $18 for students, and $15 for children). Even though you might not actually be in New York for the show, we are offering the highest digital quality picture so it does feel like you are actually there without the long car ride.
This weekends Opera is Madama Butterfly by Puccini’s. The story goes something like this:

Pinkerton, an American naval officer, has taken lease of a house in Nagasaki, Japan. He is going to live here with his future Japanese wife, Butterfly. Butterfly, (Cio-Cio-San) a giesha, is only 15-years-old. Goro, the marriage broker, while showing Pinkerton his new house, introduces him to Suzuki, his wife's maid. Sharpless, the American consul, warns Pinkerton of getting married. Pinkerton tells him that the is happy with his Japanese bride, but adds that one day he will marry a real "American bride." Butterfly enters and the family gathers for the wedding. Cio-Cio-San shows Pinkerton a dagger that was once used by her father to commit hara-kiri. The wedding ceremony is disrupted by angry family members, including Butterfly's uncle, a Buddhist priest. As the family leaves after the wedding, the couple celebrates their love and their first night alone together [source].

Below you can find a selection from Madama Butterfly:


The Met Opera Live in HD featuring Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is playing this Saturday 3/7 at 1:00 PM at The State with tickets going for $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, $18 for students, and $15 for children. Purchase tickets ONLINE or at The State Theatre Box Office. Hope to see you there!