Dear Kathy,

What are the essential things that make a strong community? Most people would surely list good roads, clean water, safe neighborhoods and excellent schools. But there's no doubt that a vibrant arts scene is also essential for a high quality of life and creating stronger community ties. And as you'll read in this August newsletter, we are fortunate to live in such a culturally rich area!

Below you can read about our final summer events at the Opera House as well as a preview of our Fall season. While Fall may feel slower paced, we have an amazing line-up of visiting artists, including 2 Grammy winners, who will perform engaging Country, Celtic, Jazz, Rock and Classical programs for you.

Have you always wanted to share your talents on our stage? Sign up to take part in the Rivertown Revue, a local variety showcase scheduled for Saturday, September 23. We are seeking anyone who wants to share their talent in singing, instrumental music, dance, acting and more!

You can also immerse yourself in the great public art that Cheboygan offers outside of the Opera House. Read below about the new Cheboygan Art Trail, which we hope will bring greater awareness to the visual art in our downtown, thanks to the work of Art Vision Cheboygan and other important community groups.

As always, thank you for staying engaged with our local arts community!

Owen Goslin

Executive Director, Cheboygan Area Arts Council

Delta 88

Friday, August 11, 7:30 PM

A Folk / Rock band based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Delta 88’s music is that of an American hymn. Brought together on the four winds, its members combine numerous musical influences to create their own unique sound like haunted mountain spirituals played through a distortion pedal. The songs move through wide channels of dynamic, emotional arrangements, from dark and somber barroom ballads to anthemic battle cries.

With four studio albums, the most recent produced by Grammy-award winning Joe Henry, Delta 88 continues to mine for the new American songbook. The band’s music has been heard on stages through the U.S., Canada and Europe with the likes of Ralph Stanley, Richard Buckner, Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller to name a few.

Tickets are $25 Adults / $20 Veterans / $15 for Students.

Note: Delta 88 was originally scheduled to appear on February 3, but Old Man Winter intervened. We are now happy to be welcoming them up here in warmer weather!

Dave Bennett Quartet

Friday, August 25, 7:30 PM

The Dave Bennett Quartet presents an intense and emotional musical experience. Bennett and his band perform hard driving swing, rockabilly, jazz, pop, gospel, and original songs. Listeners will recognize the influences of Benny Goodman, Pete Fountain, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, Chris Isaak, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins.

“We cover different genres. So our audiences can have a ball hearing songs that they’ve grown up with and while introducing them to my own original music. My band and I have the greatest job in the world!” -- Dave Bennett

Dave Bennett – Clarinet, Guitar, Piano, Vocal

Jeff Kressler – Piano

Ed Fedewa – Bass

Pete Siers – Drums

Tickets are $30 / $25 Veterans / $15 Students.

National Theatre Live: Shakespeare's "Othello"

Sunday, September 10, 2:00 PM

National Theatre Live brings the best of British theatre to movie screens around the world -- including the Opera House!

An extraordinary new production of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy, directed by Clint Dyer with a cast that includes Giles Terera (Hamilton), Rosy McEwen (The Alienist) and Paul Hilton (The Inheritance).

She’s a bright, headstrong daughter of a senator; elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations. He’s refugee of slavery; having risen to the top of a white world, he finds love across racial lines has a cost.

Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together. But as unseen forces conspire against them, they find their future is not theirs to decide.

Othello is filmed live on the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre.

Tickets are $14 Adults / $10 Veterans / $5 Students

Announcing our Featured Fall Events!

Tickets are on sale now for an outstanding Fall line-up of visiting performers: Grammy-winning fiddler Eileen Ivers returns with her band on September 17, followed by Grammy-winning Jazz pianist Paul Sullivan on September 30. Nashville based Americana-Country duo, Swearingen & Kelli, present "Country Rewind" on October 7. The Tartan Terrors bring energetic Celtic music, dance and humor on October 19. The Northern Michigan Brass Band returns on October 29 with traditional and eclectic brass band music. And don't miss Face 2 Face on November 3, a tribute to two brilliant piano men: Elton John and Billy Joel.

Click the images below to learn more about our performers and to purchase your tickets!

Epic Eagles Rocked the House!

Kathy King Johnson recently attended the Epic Eagles show on July 21 with 450 of her closest friends. She's seen the original Eagles a couple of times, including a memorable 1976 concert where the super group debuted one of their hit songs. So, how did Epic Eagles hold up to the originals? Click the link to read her review!

2023 Chamberfest Cheboygan Series Recap

This spring and summer the Cheboygan Opera House hosted eight outstanding classical ensembles from around the world, the only series of its kind in Northeast Michigan. Many of these performers were visiting Northern Michigan for the first time, from as far away as Vienna, Indonesia and Berlin.

We heard performances of great classic works by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and other European masters; but also works by lesser known American composers such as William Grant Still and 21st-century composers such as Osvaldo Golijov.

Tickets were free for students and included a post-concert reception, for a unique opportunity to meet the artists on stage. Over casual conversation, the artists learned more about Northern Michigan and we learned more about their background and personal connection to the music they played.

Thanks to our partnership with Interlochen Public Radio, which recorded some of our series concerts, listeners around the region and the country will also be able to enjoy these performances.

Thank you to our sponsors and donors who made this culturally rich experience possible!

Look for our new Cheboygan Art Trail brochures!

Visitors and residents can now pick up a brochure and take a guided walk of Cheboygan's great public art. We'll begin placing these brochures in kiosks around town next week. But in the meantime you can also check out the digital map with the featured art around town. Click the button below to be taken to the Art Vision Cheboygan webpage.

www.theoperahouse.org

Cheboygan Area Arts Council -- Home of the Opera House

231-627-5432 | Contact@theoperahouse.org | www.theoperahouse.org