Fall is happening!

Time to catch up on lots of events happening soon!

All Shook Up--an Elvis Presley extravaganza--opens at the Civic Theatre in Kalamazoo this Friday, September 16, and runs through October 2. Gull Lake alumna Lisa Watson will be stage managing, and Stacy Bartell is properties chief. Info and tickets at the Civic's website.

On Saturday, September 17, Doo Wop Meets Barbershop at 7 p.m. at the Dalton Recital Hall at WMU. Gull Lake music teacher David Woolf will perform with the Mall City Harmonizers' Men's Chorus, and the fabulous prize-winning collegiate group Prestige will provide some hot harmonies, too. Tickets are $12.

The Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest always offers great food, fun things to do for every age, and fantastic music. PAC alumna Erica Holcomb will be playing her harp with the traditional Celtic group Whiskey Before Breakfast--which also includes Richlander Dave Marlatt on fiddle. They'll play from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., but the fest continues until 6. It's at Tillers International in Scotts, and admission is $10 a carload.

Festival of the Senses!

Get ready for the biggest art blast of the year! The fourth annual Festival of the Senses will offer the best of the year's student theater, 2-D and 3-D visual art, choir performances, instrumental music, dance, creative writing, and--new this year--film-making. It all happens in one conveniently-located whirl at Gull Lake High School, 7 to 10 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14.

In one wonderful evening, you can enjoy five student-directed one-act plays, a full visual art gallery with cabaret entertainments, vocal and instrumental music ensembles, the return of the GLHS Jazz Band, dance students from the EFA program, student poets, and student film makers sharing their short subjects.

Donations will be accepted at the door to support the Performing Arts Foundation. And your purchase of popcorn and other goodies at the concession stand helps PAF, too.

What a night it will be! If we see you Friday, we bet you'll be back Saturday, with friends!

Open Mic April 30 at RACC

Calling all artistes--musicians, writers, storytellers, comedians! Come celebrate at the April 30 Celebration of the Creative Arts, an open mic night at the Richland Area Community Center. It's free to performers and to the audience. Share your talents or enjoy the talents of others from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, April 30. Performers, reserve your time at the mic by calling RACC--269-629-9430. Biggby will be there to provide the other necessary ingredient for a real coffee house!

Jazz orchestra swings Stan Kenton

The Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra will feature the music of Stan Kenton tonight, April 18, at the Union Cabaret & Grill in downtown Kalamazoo. 7:30, no cover charge, let's swing!

Middle schooler wins literary award

Check your April 17 Kalamazoo Gazette for the 2011 Community Literary Awards. There you'll read the moving and sophisticated story that won the award for Youth/Teen Story: "Mental Issues in the Family" by Gull Lake Middle School student Chloe Mendez, age 13. Chloe is the daughter of Carole McFee Mendez and Juan Alejos Mendez of Richland. She's also a student in the Academically Talented Youth Program. Congratulations and kudos to Chloe!

Glitter time!

Race to Gull Lake High School at lunchtime or after school to get your tickets for the annual Glitter variety show. The show goes on at 7 p.m. this Saturday, April 16, at the Comstock Community Auditorium and stars the best of local talent. Reserved seats are $10, general admission is $8, all to benefit Gull Lake High School's PTO.

Traditional Irish Music in Richland

The traditional Irish band Bua will be giving a concert at the Richland Community Hall this Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door ($10, students $5, children free). The Richland Community Hall is at 8985 Gull Road, across the street from Harding's.

Dirty Linen magazine says they “raise the rafters with their playing, charm with their singing, and delight with their contemporary energy.” So we think you'll enjoy them!

Time for the green

'Tis the season for some traditional Irish music by Whiskey Before Breakfast. You can hear Richland fiddler Dave Marlatt and the gang Thursday, March 17, at 4 p.m. at the Old Dog Tavern; Friday at 7 p.m. at the London Grill; and Saturday for a St. Patrick's breakfast, 10:30 a.m. at the Victorian Bakery.

2012 brings the end of an era

Gull Lake High School performing arts teacher Robin Nott, longtime advisor and director of the Performing Arts Company, has announced that next year's State Tour Show will be the last he will direct. He'll continue to teach, but someone new will take over the annual competition show.

Robin's farewell show will be a special one: Dune Shadow, which Robin himself adapted from a novel by Nancy Y. Stone, tells a story set in the ill-fated real-life town of Singapore, Michigan, near Saugatuck. No doubt a few PAC alumni will want to plan to return for that occasion!

Busy Thursday

Your calendar for Thursday, March 10, is PACKED. You'll have to pick and choose, I'm afraid:

6 to 8 p.m.: Moody Coyotes, featuring Robin Nott, play at the Koffee Klutch in Galesburg. Great acoustic music, good food, good beverages, good company.

7 p.m.: Gull Lake Band Parents' Association meets at Gull Lake High School.

7 p.m.: "World's Largest Concert" by the third grade at Ryan Intermediate Gym.

Just do the best you can!

Moody Coyotes on the Prowl

The wonderful Moody Coyotes play at the Koffee Klutch, 14792 East L Avenue in Galesburg, this Thursday night, February 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy some good food and great acoustic music by Mr. Robin Nott and his accomplices!

A Genius Idea for Your Valentine

Picture this: You're having a romantic Valentine's dinner with your beloved in downtown Kalamazoo . . . A group of oddly assorted yet highly attractive people enters the restaurant. To eat? Perhaps . . . but no. They almost seem to be heading right for your table. And, hey, isn't that Mary Teutsch (PAC '00) among the group? It certainly is! They gather round your table and serenade you and your Valentine, a cappella. Yessssss! BEST. VALENTINE. EVER. The wonderful a cappella group Notified is taking reservations for downtown Kalamazoo restaurants between 5:30 and 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 12 at $35 per serenade. Contact Cece Weeks at ceceweeks@hotmail.com or check out Facebook for more information.

On a more mundane but nonetheless important note: The GLCS Performing Arts Foundation will meet Tuesday, February 8, at the usual time of 5 p.m. at the Richland Area Community Center. Apologies to those who can't make it at 5 this month. Please feel free to come in late or send topics for our consideration to performingartsfoundation@gmail.com. Many thanks!

Endless Summer

January, we laugh at you! We are all going to enjoy "Endless Summer" on Saturday. It's a special benefit concert by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra at Miller Auditorium at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 29. The orchestra will conjure up July on the beach with a tribute to the Beach Boys. This is the Gull Lake Area Rotary Club's way to raise funds to eradicate polio around the world. Tickets for the concert are $15, $25 and $35. Tickets for the gala wine and hors d'oeuvres reception to follow are $25. Tickets for both events are available from any Rotarian, or call the KSO at (269) 349-7759 and mention Gull Lake Rotary.