Vibrant Orange City, Iowa

Second City Improv All-Stars
2014-02-13 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Unity Performing Arts Center, 216 Michigan Ave SW, Orange City, 51041, United States
ORANGE CITY – It’s true. Chicago’s legendary comedy theatre, Second City, is coming to northwest Iowa. Second City’s Improv All-Stars will perform at the Unity Christian Knight Center in Orange City Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:00pm.
The show will be entirely improvised, based on audience input.
Sponsor of the evening is the Orange City Arts Council.
Founded over 50 years ago in Chicago, The Second City has become a premier training ground for the world’s best comedians, with an alumni list that reads like a who’s who of American hilarity: Tina Fey, Joan Rivers, Stephen Colbert, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, John Candy, Gilda Radner and countless others.
Today there are Second City training centers in Chicago, Toronto and Los Angeles. Four touring companies perform throughout North America and abroad. And a communications division teaches improv-based skills to business professionals.
The company to perform in Orange City includes Nick Rees, a native of Sioux City, in addition to Kellen Alexander, Lisa Barber, Rachel LaForce, Chris Redd, and Christine Tawfik.
The evening promises to bring a family-friendly show with hilarious satire and cutting-edge improvisation.
General admission tickets for Second City Improv All-Stars may be purchased at the Orange City Arts Council office, Dove Christian Bookstore, and at the door. Adults are $10, students $7. For more information, call 712-707-4885, email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or check the website: orangecityarts.net.
An afternoon workshop is also being offered, with limited admission. Advance tickets are required for the workshop, at $10. Contact the Orange City Arts Council, 707-4885.
The show is part of the Beyond Onstage series, sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council, with support from Community Bank of Alton & Orange City and the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Season series: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/06/beyond-onstage-2013-14-season-series/

An Evening of Dance
2014-02-01 19:00 - 20:00 | Unity Christian Knight Center, 216 Michigan Ave SW, Orange City, 51041, United States
ORANGE CITY – The third annual An Evening of Dance will feature preschoolers through college students, dancing at the Unity Christian Knight Center Saturday, Feb. 1.

The dance teams from MOC-Floyd Valley High, Unity Christian High and Northwestern College, and students from Just For Kix and Robin’s School of Dance, will present an hour-long show.

The 7:00 p.m. performance will feature a variety of dance styles, under the leadership of dance instructors Emily Loveland, Melissa Knobloch, Becky Donahue and Robin Dohrer. Dancers are all ages, from preschoolers to college students.

The Northwestern team – 20 young women and one man – will be competing at the GPAC Cheer & Dance Invitational at Fremont, NE the following weekend. Unity and MOC-FV will be performing separately on Feb. 1, but also one dance together. Three ensembles from Robin’s School of Dance will perform, including a musical theatre dance, a hip-hop and a tribute to Michael Jackson. And, of course, the young dancers from Just for Kix will steal the show.

The show is a celebration of the art of dance, said Donahue, dance instructor and a member of the Orange City Arts Council board. Many families are part of the dance community, but each year the Arts Council offers An Evening of Dance, to share the dancers’ talents with the broader citizenry.

Emcee of the evening will be Jim Schaap of Alton.

Admission is $1 for adults, free for students.

An Evening of Dance is sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council. For more information, call 712-707-4885 or email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com.

“A Christmas Pudding”
2013-12-13 - 2013-12-14 | Northwestern College DeWitt Theatre, 809 Albany Ave SE, Orange City IA 51041
by Priyanka Fernando
ORANGE CITY – It’s both serious and touching … and wildly hilarious. That’s the show, A Christmas Pudding.
The SchoolHouse Company, in conjunction with the Orange City Arts Council, is proud to present their 2013 Christmas production, A Christmas Pudding. Performances will be held Dec 13 and14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Allen Theatre at Northwestern College’s Dewitt Theatre Arts Center.
A Christmas Pudding is a delightful collection of Christmas poems, short stories and carols – including selections from “The Gift of the Magi,” A Christmas Carol and the Bible. Other selections include stories from Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Dickens.
“The most compelling part of the show is its variety of material,” said April Hubbard, director of A Christmas Pudding. “Some of the selections are quiet and solemn and others wildly hilarious. All illuminate some truth about the Christmas holiday, from insanely complex Christmas recipes to memories of a simpler and poignant Christmas past.”
Cast members include narrators Meghan Aardsma, Linda Dykstra and Lois Estell. Choir and voices cast includes Beth Davis, Dawn Jorgensen, Jerry Jorgensen, Josh Jorgensen, Rachel Jorgensen and Nick Rolf.
Set, lightning, poster and sound designer is Lisa Haldeman. Box office manager is Jennifer Sabo.
All cast and crew members are residents of Orange City with the exception of Dykstra and Aardsma, from Maurice, and Haldeman, from Council Bluffs.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students, and children ages five and under are free. The box office opened Dec. 2, with reserved seating available. Email boxoffice@nwciowa.edu to reserve your tickets.
For more information, see facebook.com/SHCTheater

ORANGE CITY ARTS COUNCIL HONORED BY ARTS MIDWEST
2013-11-10 - 2013-11-16
Ensemble from Quebec begins series of international music: Orange City has been selected to be Arts Midwest’s partner community in Iowa for the 2013-15 World Fest. Four international music ensembles will do week-long residencies in the Orange City area, in association with the Orange City Arts Council. The series will begin November 2013 with Le Vent du Nord, a traditional French-Canadian folk music ensemble from Quebec.

Le Vent du Nord in Orange City Nov. 10-16
Le Vent du Nord has won critical acclaim across Europe & North America, racking up awards, including two Junos (Canada’s Grammy), a Canadian Folk Music Award and “Artist of the Year” by the North American Folk Alliance. They’re here for a week, thanks to Orange City being honored as the one town in Iowa to receive the Arts Midwest World Fest award for 2013-2015. They’re doing school workshops & assemblies AND….

Monday Nov. 11: Fruited Plain in Sioux Center, short show. 8:00pm. $2 cover.
Tuesday Nov. 12: NWC Chapel, short program for NWC campus community. 4:30pm.
Thursday Nov. 14: Old Factory in Orange City. jam session with OC’s own The Usual Suspects!! 8:00pm. $2 cover
Saturday Nov. 16: BIG SHOW!!! Unity Christian Knight Center. 7:30pm. Tickets $10 adults, $7 students, free age 5 and under. Available at the Dove Bookstore & at the door. COME TO THE SHOW!!! (As you’ve heard, 8 people from Davenport are coming! We’ve sold tickets to people from Storm Lake & Sioux City too…)

Interview on KWIT Radio with Janine Calsbeek of OC Arts Council: https://www.facebook.com/KWITKOJI

FOR MORE INFO ON Le Vent du Nord and the Nov. 10-16 schedule, see: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/10/award-winning-folk-ensemble-from-quebec-to-perform-le-vent-du-nord/

ORANGE CITY – Orange City has been selected by Arts Midwest to be the partner community in Iowa for its 2013-15 World Fest. The Orange City Arts Council is the recipient of the honor.
One community is chosen, in each of a nine-state region, to participate in a two-year program featuring four international music ensembles. Each of the ensembles will spend a week in the Orange City area, doing school and community workshops and a public performance.
The four ensembles coming to Orange City include Le Vent du Nord from Quebec and the Dror Ensemble of Israel in 2013-14, plus groups from Brazil and China, tentatively, in 2014-15.
The ensembles are world-class, said Janine Calsbeek of the Orange City Arts Council. “The ensemble from Quebec, Le Vent du Nord, received a significant honor in Paris last month, The Grand Prix du Disque.”
Le Vent du Nord, a traditional French-Canadian folk music ensemble, earned the world music award for its recording, “Tromper le Temps.” The Grand Prix du Disque is the premier French award for musical recordings, inaugurated by l’Académie Charles Cros in 1948. Le Vent du Nord is the first Quebec ensemble to receive this honor.
The ensemble’s name translates to “The WInd of the North,” and the four members perform with accordion, violin, mandolin, hurdy-gurdy and voice. Influences range from French medieval music to British folk to the Celtic music of Ireland, Scotland and Brittany.
Le Vent du Nord will do its residency in Orange City November 10-16, 2013, with the public performance held Sat. Nov. 16 at Unity’s Performing Arts Center at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10 adults, $7 students. Season passes are available. See: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/06/beyond-onstage-2013-14-season-series/
For more information on Le Vent du Nord, see leventdunord.com/en/pages/news or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IIizmIOWQ or listen to Le Vent du Nord on Pandora Radio.
Arts Midwest has worked with other Iowa partner communities in the past – Red Oak, Sioux City, Knoxville, Ames and Waterloo.
Arts Midwest will cover artist fees and travel, and the Orange City Arts Council will cover housing and other local expenses. A program of Arts Midwest, the 2013-2015 Arts Midwest World Fest cycle is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, 3M Foundation, and MetLife Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, and the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. This activity is also funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Arts Midwest World Fest is also generously supported by Illinois Arts Council, Indiana Arts Commission, Iowa Arts Council, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Minnesota State Arts Board, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council, and Wisconsin Arts Board.

OrangeRind Doc Films SCREENING & AWARDS!
2013-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Vogel Community Room, DeWitt Learning Commons, Northwestern College, 602 Central Ave SE, Orange City, 51041, United States
ORANGE CITY – One film tells of falling in love with the land in Iowa. Another focuses on a couple’s call and journey to the Middle East. A third shows the Heemstra “hecklers” at Northwestern soccer games.
Don’t miss the screening of the OrangeRind documentary workshop final films!
Fifteen students of all ages have been learning the art of filmmaking from Mark Volkers, an award-winning Dordt College filmmaker. Filmmaking is best learned by doing, said Volkers, and that is exactly what each student has done since early September.
Join the workshop students on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 pm at the Vogel Community Room at Northwestern College’s DeWitt Learning Commons, to view each four to eight-minute documentary film. “Best of Show” and “Honorable Mention” awards will be given, along with cash prizes.
Refreshments will be served.
Workshop participants include Denise Krebs, Wendi Jo Vande Voort, Shane Madsen, Stanton Madsen, Vern Eekhoff, Tina Snieder, Matt Latchaw, Becky Uittenbogaard, Brittany Caffey, Sarah Simmons, Hana Spangler, Jerry Mennenga, Miranda Liebsack, Daniel Liebsack, and Richard Nyunt. The students range from high schoolers and college students to adults, from several area towns, including Orange City, Sioux Center, Sheldon, Sioux City, Worthington, Hull, and Paullina.
The evening promises an eclectic viewing experience, with short films about creating community, bullying, karaoke, genetic engineering, Pumpkinland, and “behind the scenes” at high school and college theatre… plus more.
OrangeRind was made possible by the generous sponsorship of OC Basketball Productions, LLC, the primary production company of the film Winning Favor, in conjunction with the Orange City Arts Council, Sioux Center Rec & Arts Council, and Northwestern College.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of the OrangeRind workshop participants by attending the film screening on November 7th. There is no admission charge.
For more information, call 712-707-4885, email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or arts@siouxcenter.org or visit orangecityarts.net.

Beyond Onstage: Ames Children’s Choirs
2013-10-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Unity Christian Knight Center, 216 Michigan Ave SW, Orange City, 51041, United States
ORANGE CITY – It’s new! The Orange City Arts Council is offering a season series for 2013-14: Beyond Onstage. Season passes are available now by calling the Orange City Arts Council.

• The series features five shows, beginning with the Ames Children’s Choirs. Forty students from Ames Children’s Choirs, ages 10-15, will perform on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 4:00pm.
ORANGE CITY – Ames Children’s Choirs will perform in Orange City at the new Unity Christian Knight Center, on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 4:00pm.
The performance is sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council, the first show of its “Beyond Onstage” series.
The program will also feature students from three local schools joining the Ames choirs for a dramatic 120-voice number.
The two Ames choirs will be presenting Three Night Songs by Diane Mahoney – teacher, director, vocalist, accompanist and composer in Burlington, IA.
The Iowa Choral Directors Association (ICDA) and Iowa Composers Forum annually sponsor a contest for composers, and Mahoney submitted several songs which she composed, plus poems by her daughters and a third poem – all describing different aspects of the night. As the winner, Mahoney was commissioned to write Three Night Songs. The piece was premiered by Ames Children’s Choirs at the 2013 convention of the ICDA in Mason City.
Ames Children’s Choirs were founded in 1995 for both boys and girls in central Iowa. Through the years, the Ames choirs have performed for the world premier of John Rutter’s Mass of the Children at Carnegie Hall, with the composer as conductor. In 2010, they were an invited choir participating in a bicentennial celebration in Lysøen, Norway. They have performed with the Des Moines Symphony, in the Czech Republic and in Vancouver, BC.
Two of the three choirs will be featured Oct. 26 – forty children ages 10-15. Directors are Misty Renze and Jade Fox.
The concert will also feature fourth and fifth graders from three local schools: West Sioux Elementary in Hawarden, directed by Jill Orban; and MOC-Floyd Valley Elementary Schools in Orange City and Hospers, directed by Sharon Foughty and Carol Hallberg, respectively. Part of the concert will feature MOC-FV students of Orange City presenting Risseldy Rosseldy arr. Jay Broeker, and MOC-FV students of Hospers performing Peace Rounds arr. Carol Hallberg.
The conclusion of the 60-minute concert will feature children from the three local schools joining in a mass choir piece with Ames Children’s Choirs: A Jubilant Song by Mary Lynn Lightfoot.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Children ages 5 and under are free. Tickets are available at Dove Christian Bookstore, Orange City Arts Council and at the door. Season passes are also available from Orange City Arts Council, for $45 and $30.
For more information, contact ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or 707-4885.
For info on the Beyond Onstage Season’s Series, click here: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/06/beyond-onstage-2013-14-season-series/

Artists and novices invited to “life drawing” studio
2013-10-24 19:00 - 21:00, 2013-10-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Korver Art Center, Northwestern College, Orange City IA 51041
ORANGE CITY – Artists and beginners are invited to participate in a life-drawing studio at the Korver Visual Arts Center at Northwestern College on Thursday evenings, October 10 and 24.
The drawing studio, with a clothed model, will be open from 7:00 to 9:00pm. The atmosphere is welcoming, said Emily Stokes, Northwestern art professor. It’s an opportunity for established artists to draw a live model, and inspire each other. And it’s a place where beginners can learn in a non-threatening environment.
Bring charcoal, pencil or your favorite drawing medium. All are welcome to drop in for the entire two hours, or a shorter amount of time.
The life drawing sessions are sponsored by Northwestern College Art Department and the Orange City Arts Council, and are scheduled to continue through December, on alternate Thursdays. For more information, email emily.stokes@nwciowa.edu.

OrangeRind Doc Film Workshops
2013-10-17 19:00 - 22:00 | Fruited Plain Cafe, 172 N. Main Ave, Sioux Center, 51250, United States
Documentary film workshops planned for the fall in Orange City and Sioux Center

ORANGE CITY – Filmmaking is best learned by doing, said Mark Volkers.
This award-winning filmmaker is teaching a series of documentary film workshops in Orange City and Sioux Center Sept. 7, Oct. 17 and Nov. 7.
Workshop participants will explore the ingredients that go into successful documentary filmmaking. “How do we edit?” “What’s the best way to shoot an interview?” “What’s ethical when filming people?” “How much footage do I need?” “How do you create a story when doing a documentary?”
Students and Volkers will also work together on editing. “Unlike narrative (Hollywood) films, the real storytelling for documentary takes place when you sit down to edit,” said Volkers, who teaches digital media production at Dordt.
“Like any filmmaking, documentary is both an art and a science,” he said. “The science is beginning to understand the basics of composition, the use of space, the power of music and sound, font choice, color, camera angle, pacing and more. The art is putting all those ingredients together to create something that stirs people.”
A well-done documentary, like any good art, causes people to question things they thought they knew, said Volkers. “It’s entertaining, and maybe – just maybe – begins the process of change.”
Workshops will be held Sat., Sept. 7 from 9 to noon at Old Factory Coffee Shop, Orange City; Thurs., Oct. 17 from 7 to 10pm at Fruited Plain in Sioux Center; and Thurs., Nov. 7 at 7pm at Vogel Community Room, DeWitt Learning Commons, Northwestern College. Students will create short four to eight-minute documentaries. Volkers will be available to answer questions and help throughout the experience, culminating in the public viewing of the group’s work and judges’ prizes to Best of Show ($250) and Honorable Mention ($100).
Sponsors of the OrangeRind documentary film workshops are Orange City Arts Council, Sioux Center Rec & Arts Council and Northwestern College. Awards sponsor is OC Basketball Productions, LLC: the primary production company of the film, Winning Favor.
Fee for the three-part workshop is $40 for adults and $25 for students, in advance. After Sept. 3, the fee is $50 and $35. Register at Northwestern’s Student Development Office, Orange City Arts Council or Mark Volkers’ office at Dordt College.
Beginners are welcome. No special camera gear is needed; HiDef is preferred, but not necessary. Free editing software is available. Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier are all possibilities.
Volkers, of Orange City, most recently produced The Fourth World, which has won multiple awards on several continents. The Fourth World will be shown free at the Northwestern College Green at 8:30pm Thurs., Aug. 29. Rain location is Northwestern’s DeWitt Theatre.
For more information, contact mrkvolkers@gmail.com, ocArts@orangecityiowa.com, arts@siouxcenter.org, 712-707-6514 or orangecityarts.net.
For everyone who has ever had a desire to shoot and edit a short documentary film, this is a rare opportunity with the help of an experienced guide.
For more info, click here: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/07/orangerind-2013/

Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans to perform in Orange City
2013-09-27 20:30 - 22:00 | Northwestern College, 601 Central Ave SE, Orange City IA 51041, 51041
ORANGE CITY – She’s been called the female Louis Armstrong and “Queen Clarinet,” and she will be performing in Orange City Friday, Sept. 27.
It’s Doreen Ketchens, aka Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans. Doreen and her band will perform at 8:30pm on the Northwestern College Green on September 27, sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council, Diamond Vogel Paint, Lee Ann Roetman and Northwestern College.
Doreen wows audiences with her clarinet and voice, and her husband, Lawrence Ketchens, does the same with his tuba. They have performed with Trombone Shorty, Jon Faddis and Al Hirt, to name a few. Their band has represented New Orleans on five continents, on PBS, HBO and MTV, and has entertained four U.S. presidents: Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.
The band boasts 21 CDs and three DVDs.
Critics have raved about Doreen’s Jazz for decades. “The headlining band for the 2nd annual Dubuque Winter Jazz festival had the Opera House jumping!” wrote Rob Kindert of The Telegraph Herald. “It’s not just the music. Doreen Ketchens flat out lights up a room. Her smile and quick wit complemented her superb talent on the clarinet and the wide-ranging resonance of her voice that would’ve made Louis Armstrong proud.”

Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans to perform in Orange CityYes, she wails on the clarinet. Yes, her vocals are equally amazing. Doreen Ketchens and her band have performed around the world, and on Friday, Sept. 27, Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans will bring their blues, jazz, soul and gospel to Orange City. Sponsors are the Orange City Arts Council, Diamond Vogel Paint, Lee Ann Roetman and Northwestern College.

Other band members are Dwayne Nelson, drums, and Paul Kemnitz, guitar, plus Pete Hittle, trumpeter from Sioux City, who joins Doreen on her northwest Iowa tours.
The Ketchens’ met Gerry Bouma, musician and Orange City native, in 2001 in New Orleans. Through Bouma, Doreen’s Jazz performed at the Morningside Jazz Festival in ’04. Later, following Hurricane Katrina, Doreen and company amazed northwest Iowans with their blues, jazz, soul and gospel at Northwestern, Dordt, Morningside and USD.
The concert Sept. 27 will be held under a huge tent on the Northwestern College Green, with rain location the Northwestern Chapel. Suggested donation is $5.
A workshop will be held for music students from 4:30-5:30pm Sept. 27 at Northwestern’s Chapel.
For more information, contact ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or 712-707-4885.

Links:
http://www.doreensjazz.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYZs-wvPZfs

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/A-Slice-of-New-Orleans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzHlV-XyxnY&feature=endscreen&NR=1

OrangeRind Doc Film Workshops
2013-09-07 09:00 - 12:05 | Old Factory Coffee Shop, 110 4th St. SW, Orange City, IA, 51041, United States

Orange Rind Film Festival 2013
2013-08-29 20:30 - 22:00 | Northwestern College Green, Orange City, IA, 51041, United States
Award-winning film, The Fourth World, to be shown

ORANGE CITY – The award-winning film, The Fourth World, produced by Mark Volkers, will be shown on the Northwestern College Green Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8:30pm.
Volkers, with assistance by Dordt College students, shot the film over a three-year period, mostly in the Philippines, Guatemala and Kenya.

Award-winning film screening and documentary film workshops scheduledThe award-winning film, The Fourth World, produced by Mark Volkers, pictured on left, will be shown at the Northwestern College Green on Thursday, August 29 at 8:30pm. The free screening, part of the 2013 OrangeRind Film Festival, is sponsored by Orange City Arts Council, Sioux Center Rec & Arts Council and Northwestern College. This fall – Sept. 7, Oct. 17 and Nov. 7 – a series of three documentary film workshops will be taught by Volkers in Orange City and Sioux Center. Register by Sept. 3 for the reduced fee: $40 adults, $25 students.

“We wanted to tell the story of a billion people—one in six of us—who live in a slum,” said Volkers. “But it’s impossible to wrap our minds around a number like that. So to help us deal with the macro-picture of global poverty, we tell micro-stories—stories of individuals who are part of that one billion.”
In Manila, Philippines, the crew spent a week with a family that lives under a bridge and digs in garbage. They focused on the 15-year-old daughter, Jovelyn.
In Guatemala City, Volkers and his assistants spent a week with two women. One, Salma, was sold into the sex trade at age eight by her mother. The other, Tanya, was shot in the spinal cord a decade ago. She survives by begging – from her wheelchair – on a busy street corner.

Felix

In Nairobi, Kenya, the crew concentrated on 16-year-old Felix, who sells ears of corn to help him stay in school. He lives in the Mathari Valley, one of the largest slums in Africa, and is from the Luo ethnic group. President Obama is also a Luo.
“These people, caught up in this massive migration from countryside to city, tell their own stories,” said Volkers. “They are engaging, wonderful people who are caught up in some pretty dire circumstances. Through their stories, we get the big story.
“Is the story depressing? Not really,” said Volkers. “Is it a wake-up call? Absolutely. Will you be surprised by what you see? Absolutely.”
Volkers, of Orange City, teaches digital media production at Dordt, but served as a missionary in an African village for seven years and has also been a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker for Christian Reformed World Missions and other organizations, winning numerous national and international awards. The Fourth World has won over 30 awards, including the Award of Merit at the Lucerne International Film Festival, the Best Documentary Feature at the Third World Indie Film Fest, and Telly Awards in Cinematography and Documentary.

Jovelyn

The Fourth World is currently showing on television in Ireland, Turkey, Greece, other European countries, and across the Middle East. It’s for sale via iTunes, Amazon and Hulu. Volkers and company are working on deals in Australia and New Zealand. “We keep pushing to get the story told in new markets. The fourth world is a hidden world and we want to expose it for what it is,” he said.
The free film showing is the 2013 version of the OrangeRind Film Festival, which began three years ago by the Orange City Arts Council and Vaughn Donahue. This year’s OrangeRind includes the screening of The Fourth World, plus documentary film workshops taught by Volkers. (See sidebar.)
Sponsors are the Orange City Arts Council, Sioux Center Rec and Arts Council, and Northwestern College. Inclement weather location is Northwestern’s DeWitt Theatre. Bring lawn chairs or blankets.
For more information, contact ocArts@orangecityiowa.com, arts@siouxcenter.org, www.orangecityarts.net or www.fourthworldfilm.com .

Documentary film workshops planned for the fall in Orange City and Sioux Center
ORANGE CITY – Documentary film workshops, taught by award-winning filmmaker Mark Volkers, are scheduled for September 7, October 17 and November 7 in Orange City and Sioux Center.
Volkers, of Orange City and instructor of digital media production at Dordt College, produced The Fourth World, which has screened at film festivals from Jakarta to London and from Vancouver to New York City. It has won multiple awards on many continents.
The documentary film workshops feature three parts. On Saturday, Sept. 7, from 9am to noon, at Old Factory Coffee Shop in Orange City, Volkers will teach a “doc boot camp,” the nuts and bolts of making documentary films.
Students will work on their films, then return for part two on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 7 to 10pm, at the Fruited Plain in Sioux Center. The rough-cuts will be screened and critiqued.
The finale will be Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7pm, at the Vogel Community Room, DeWitt Learning Commons at Northwestern College. This screening of the final student films will be free to the public. Judges will honor two filmmakers with a “Best of Show” and $250, and an honorable mention: $100.
Sponsors of the OrangeRind documentary film workshops are Orange City Arts Council, Sioux Center Rec & Arts Council and Northwestern College. Awards sponsor is OC Basketball Productions, LLC: the primary production company of the film, Winning Favor.
Fee for the three-part workshop is $40 for adults and $25 for students, in advance. After Sept. 3, the fee is $50 and $35. Register at Northwestern’s Student Development Office, Orange City Arts Council or Mark Volkers’ office at Dordt College.
For more information, contact mrkvolkers@gmail.com, ocArts@orangecityiowa.com, arts@siouxcenter.org, 712-707-6514.

Onstage Orange City presents The SchoolHouse Company
2013-08-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
ORANGE CITY – Onstage Orange City’s final show of 2013 is Wednesday, Aug. 21, featuring The SchoolHouse Company’s production of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

The musical theatre production will be in Orange City’s Windmill Park at 7:00pm.

The final Onstage Orange City show of 2013 is a musical theatre production by The SchoolHouse Company: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. The show, based on Robert Fulghum’s book, will feature (clockwise from top) Trevor McMahan, Lois Estell, Angela Riedeman, Hannah Barker and Jeff Tolsma.

Based on the book by Robert Fulghum, the show takes a funny and insightful look at what is profound in everyday life. Characters include a shy little boy who insists on playing the “pig” in his class production of Cinderella; a man whose dream of flying carries him high over Los Angeles in a lawn chair; and a “mother of the bride” who stages a perfect wedding, until…

“Heartwarming, funny, charming and touching,” said National Public Radio about the production. “The stories are about all of us.”

And The Chicago Sun-Times called the show “a refreshingly intimate combination of theatre and storytelling. Gentle … funny … joyous. Sparks of recognition ignited the audience.”

The local cast is Hannah Barker, Lois Estell, Trevor McMahan, Angela Riedeman and Jeff Tolsma. Director is Leanne Bonnecroy. Pianist and assistant are Nancy and Dan Landegent.

Onstage Orange City presents musical theatre by The SchoolHouse CompanyThe final Onstage Orange City show of 2013 is a musical theatre production by The SchoolHouse Company: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. The show, based on Robert Fulghum’s book, will feature (left to right) pianist Nancy Landegent and cast members Jeff Tolsma, Angela Riedeman and Lois Estell. Not pictured are Leanne Bonnecroy, Hannah Barker, Trevor McMahan and Dan Landegent. The free show will be Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 7:00pm at Windmill Park, sponsored by CIVCO Medical Solutions and Quatro Composites™, in conjunction with the Orange City Arts Council.

The show was conceived and adapted by Ernest Zulia, with music and lyrics by David Caldwell. The SchoolHouse Company is a local theatre company that has brought theatre to the area for five years, including the shows It’s a Wonderful Life and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Sponsors for the evening are CIVCO Medical Solutions and Quatro Composites™.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in KindergartenIt’s Onstage Orange City on Wednesday, Aug. 21, featuring The SchoolHouse Company’s take on Robert Fulghum’s book. Director is Leanne Bonnecroy (right), and pianist and assistant are Nancy and Dan Landegent.

Onstage Orange City is a program of the Orange City Arts Council. Admission is free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available. Rain location is the Orange City Town Hall.

For more information, email ocArts@orangeciyiowa.com or call 712-707-4885.
https://www.facebook.com/SHCTheater

Onstage Orange City presents Riverblenders Chorus INSIDE
2013-08-14 17:00 - 22:00 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
Barbershop Harmony in Orange City August 14This may look like a small group of barbershoppers, but the full-scale 35-voice barbershop chorus is coming. Onstage Orange City will feature Riverblenders Chorus from Mankato MN, beginning at 7:00pm on Wednesday, August 14 in Orange City’s Windmill Park. Come early for the 5th annual motorcycle show at 5:00pm and a Big Brothers Big Sisters benefit meal. Stay late for the family film, Wreck It Ralph. Onstage Orange City sponsors are OC Sanitation and Community Bank of Alton and Orange City, in conjunction with the Orange City Arts Council.

ORANGE CITY – The Riverblenders Barbershop Chorus show has been moved inside — 7:00pm Wed. Aug. 14 at Prairie Winds Event Center.
It will be a big evening: a motorcycle show, a benefit meal, a family film and, the featured attraction: a 35-member barbershop chorus from Mankato.
That’s Wednesday, August 14: Onstage Orange City in Windmill Park.
The evening begins at 5:00pm with a motorcycle show, a live DJ and prizes for cyclists, sponsored by the Orange City Chamber of Commerce. A meal of hotdogs, pop and chips will be served from 5:30 to 7:00, with freewill donations going to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland.
Riverblenders Chorus takes the stage at 7:00pm.
The chorus is a highlight of 13 weeks of Wednesday evening Onstage Orange City entertainment this summer. Riverblenders Chorus, organized in ’73, is currently under the leadership of director Jacob Ritter. The ensemble features quartets that have brought barbershop harmony all over the Midwest, Canada, England and Wales… and that have excelled in district and international competitions.
In Orange City, Riverblenders will perform three sets, including a patriotic Salute to America, a gospel set, and the third featuring a variety of chorus repertoire. The show will also feature some of the Riverblenders’ quartets.
At dusk, Orange City Parks and Recreation will show the film, Wreck-It Ralph.
Sponsors for the Onstage Orange City evening are Community Bank of Alton and Orange City and OC Sanitation.
Onstage Orange City is a program of the Orange City Arts Council – offering free shows every Wednesday evening in Windmill Park through August 21. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available. Rain location is to be announced.
For more information, see singmankato.com, email ocArts@orangeciyiowa.com or call 712-707-4885.

Onstage Orange City presents Co’Motion Dance Theatre
2013-08-07 19:00 - 20:15 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
ORANGE CITY – Co’Motion Dance Theater is taking the stage in Orange City Wednesday, August 7 at 7:00pm.
It’s new for Onstage Orange City – modern dance in Windmill Park. But the show should appeal to everyone, said Valerie Williams, artistic director and choreographer for Co’Motion.
Co’Motion Dance Theater, of Ames IA, was founded with a bold mission – “Dance for everyone!” Thirty years later, the dancers continue to perform concerts, conduct demonstrations and teach lessons and classes, involving all ages.
Williams loves to move… and has worked as an Artist-in-Schools for 20 years, done musical theater choreography for 60-plus productions, and been a guest artist in six countries. She was rehearsal director for Bill T. Jones in NYC, for the Lyon Opera Ballet in France and served as international rehearsal director for Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/ The Promised Land. She was commissioned by Teatro Studio in Rome to set her choreography of Divine Liturgy. She also performs with Musica Antiqua, reconstructing and performing dances of the Renaissance and Middle Ages.
Currently she is investigating using real-time human/ computer technology in performances that allow dancers more control over their performing environment.
Williams and three other dancers from Co’Motion Dance Theater will bring their show to Onstage Orange City August 7. The program features several short dances, some especially for children, and even funny dances. They will give brief explanations of the dances also.
Sponsors of the evening are Northwestern Bank and a group of Onstage Orange City contributors. Northwestern Bank will provide free watermelon, beginning at 7:00pm.
Onstage Orange City is a program of the Orange City Arts Council – offering free shows every Wednesday evening in Windmill Park through August 21. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available. Rain location is the Orange City town hall.
Co’Motion Dance Theater is based in Ames, Iowa and in residency with the Department of Health and Human Performance at Iowa State Univeristy. Co’Motion Dance Theater receives funding support from the Ames Commission on the Arts.
For a sample of Co’Motion Dance Theater, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CMDTDance
For a list of contributors, click here.
Or email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or call 712-707-4885.

Another link! http://comotion.org/vid.htm
Bios of the rest of The Company:
Elizabeth Ferreira has been a principal dancer with Co’Motion Dance Theater for more than ten years. She’s thankful for the many opportunities to create, teach, learn, grow, perform and share the joy of dance in and around Iowa.. Elizabeth’s other performance credits include Andante Performance Company, ISU Dance, Iowa Dance Collective and Hurley and Dancers.
Silvina López Barrera is an architect, dancer and choreographer from Uruguay. She is a Lecturer of Architecture at ISU where she teaches design studios. A founder and co-director of “ATE” dance company, she has also danced with “Danza-Qué?!” and Moebius in UY and travelled to international festivals. During 2008 she was part of “Artists in the Streets,” which presented dancers in unconventional spaces. Her work as a dancer, choreographer, and director was awarded by the Municipal Government of Montevideo-Uruguay. Since 2009 she has been dancing with Co’Motion Dance Theater and Fellow Travelers Performance Group.
Ben Rethmeier has been dancing with Co’Motion Dance Theater on and off for the past ten years. He is a highly sought after teacher, and also performs with Iowa Dance Theater. Most recently Ben has been studying aerial circus technique and is impressed with how difficult it is. He likes the silks, but not so much the lyra.

Revival’s Pet Costume Contest and Omaha’s Funk Trek in Orange City July 31
2013-07-31 18:00 - 20:30 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
Omaha’s Funk Trek to play in Orange City July 31Funk Trek, a jazz-fusion band from Omaha, performs for Onstage Orange City Wednesday, July 31 at 7:00pm at Orange City’s Windmill Park. Beginning the evening at 6:00pm is Revival Animal Health’s pet costume contest.

ORANGE CITY – They’re a funk/ jazz fusion band from Omaha, and they’re coming to Orange City Wednesday, July 31: Funk Trek.
It’s Onstage Orange City, in Windmill Park.
The night opens at 6:00pm with the evening’s sponsor, Revival Animal Health, inviting locals to bring their costumed cat, dog or other beastie for the annual pet costume contest. Prizes will be awarded by Revival.
Revival will also sell ice cream bars and water to raise funds for local vets in need.
Funk Trek takes the stage at 7:00pm. They’ve been labeled jazz/ funk, jazz fusion and soul jazz, and are famous in the Omaha area for their “insuppressible groove and their smooth blend of funk, jazz and experimental music.”
Cousins Tom Murnan and Dan Pflug, along with friend Andrew Wahl, began Funk Trek in 2007, and the band now focuses on instrumental music, with guitar, bass, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, keyboard and percussion.
Not only are they regulars at The Slowdown and The Waiting Room in Omaha, Funk Trek has opened for several other funk bands – including Dumpstaphunk and Euforquestra. In June 2013, they had the privilege of opening for O.A.R. at the NCAA 2013 Men’s College World Series opening ceremonies.
Their albums are Purify and Voyager, the latter in tribute to their early name, “Funk Trek Voyager,” a take-off of Star Trek Voyager.
Onstage Orange City, a series of free shows each Wednesday evening through August, is sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Rain location is the Orange City town hall.
To link with Funk Trek’s music, click here: http://funktrek.com/#media. (Click on Media.) For more information, email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or call 712-707-4885.

One of Japan’s leading handbell choirs returns to perform in Orange City
2013-07-26 19:30 - 21:00 | Northwestern College Christ Chapel, 101 6th St SE, Orange City, IA, 51041, United States
ORANGE CITY – One of Japan’s leading handbell choirs is returning to northwest Iowa, and will perform Friday, July 26 at the Northwestern College Christ Chapel.
The Glee Handbell Choir from Meiji Gakuin Higashimurayama High School in Tokyo, tours the United States biennially, and last performed in Orange City in 2011. On July 26, the concert will be held at 7:30pm.

Leading Handbell Choir from Japan to performThe 14-member Glee Handbell Choir from Tokyo will perform at the Northwestern College Christ Chapel Friday, July 26 at 7:30pm. The free performance is sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council and Northwestern College Intercultural Affairs.

The handbell choir has been part of the ministry of Meiji Gakuin since 1981, and earlier the school had a glee club, which also toured the States as part of a home stay program. Rev. Norimichi Odate, current exchange program director, was one of the members of the glee club in 1975, and later became a Northwestern College student, graduating in 1980. Ron Korver began the school’s exchange program, said Odate.
Directors of the Glee Handbell Choir are Mr. Takanobu Onoda and Mr. Kazuyoshi Inagaki.

2013 Glee Handbell Choir from Meiji Gakuin Higashimurayama High School in Tokyo

The choir has performed for enthusiastic audiences in the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, at the Handbell Exploration in Phoenix, and on television and radio in Japan.
This year the choir includes 14 young ladies, who will be staying in homes in northwest Iowa July 25 – 28, including Sioux Center and Orange City. Their five-week tour begins July 19, and takes them to Minneapolis, Worthington, Philadelphia, Omaha, Pella, Cedar Grove, WI, Lafayette, IN, Hudsonville, MI, Auburn, CA and San Francisco. The choir members will present concerts, sightsee, and get acquainted with American culture via host families. “The choir is here to show our school’s appreciation to the host families, host churches and contact people,” said Odate.
The choir will also present a concert at Carmel Reformed Church on Sunday, July 28 at 7:00pm, and tentatively at the Sioux Center mall on Saturday, July 27. In Orange City, the choir members will also tour Northwestern College. The concert July 26 is sponsored by Northwestern College Intercultural Affairs and the Orange City Arts Council.

2011 performance in Orange City

No admission will be charged for the concert, but a freewill offering will be received to assist with the school’s 2015 tour, and for maintenance of the handbells.
For more information, contact coordinators Janet and John Renes of Sioux Center (712-722-0327), Northwestern College Intercultural Affairs (gracelo@nwciowa.edu) or the Orange City Arts Council (712-707-4885, ocArts@orangecityiowa.com.)
Photos from the 2011 visit of Glee Handbell Choir to Orange City here:
http://orangecityarts.net/2011/08/glee-handbell-choir-in-orange-city/

Onstage Orange City presents OC Area Community Band
2013-07-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
ORANGE CITY – Guest conductor Michael Kensak is taking the stage with the Orange City Area Community Band on Wednesday, July 24. The concert, featuring adult and student musicians from the area, will be held in Windmill Park at 7:00 pm, part of the Onstage Orange City series.
It will be the third and final community band concert of the summer.
Kensak, who teaches English and German at Northwestern College, is a trombonist for the community band. He is filling in for the band’s director Carla Van Beek this week, and has an entertaining evening planned, including “Under the Sea,” “West Side Story – Highlights,” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The band will also perform “Jupiter Hymn” from The Planets, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “Exaltations” and “Amazing Grace.”
This free concert is sponsored by Orange City Communications and Quatro Composites™, in conjunction with the Orange City Arts Council.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available. Rain location is the Orange City town hall.
For more information, contact 712-707-4885 or ocArts@orangecityiowa.com. The Onstage Orange City series continues each Wednesday through August 21.
Pictured here are Drew Lemke and Daniel Clemens, performing in a 2012 community band concert.

Onstage Orange City presents Malek’s Fishermen Band
2013-07-17 18:40 - 20:30 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
One of the finest polka bands in the Midwest performs for Onstage Orange City Wed. July 24 at 7:00pm at Windmill Park. Learn to polka with experts. (Lessons begin at 6:40pm!) Come early to purchase pizza and pop from Pizza Ranch!
youtube.com/watch?v=LZFodEyweAs
Sponsors: Diamond Vogel Paint & Pizza Ranch Restaurant
For more info, see http://orangecityarts.net/2013/06/onstage-orange-city-presents-one-of-the-finest-polka-bands-in-the-midwest/

Onstage Orange City presents OC Area Community Band
2013-07-10 19:00 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
Orange City Area Community Band to perform July 10:The clarinets will be featured in a polka Wednesday, July 10 at Orange City’s Windmill Park. It’s the next concert in the Onstage Orange City series, this week featuring the Orange City Area Community Band. Pictured are three of the clarinet players from one of the 2012 community band concerts.

ORANGE CITY – The clarinets will be the centerpiece at the Orange City Area Community Band concert Wednesday, July 10. Pie in the Face Polka by Vinson will feature the band’s top-notch clarinet section.
The band will do a medley of polkas too, called Big Band Polka… which includes Pennsylvania Polka, My Melody of Love and Beer Barrel Polka.
The concert, featuring adult and student musicians from the area, will be held in Windmill Park at 7:00 pm, part of the Onstage Orange City series.
Director Carla Van Beek has a fun evening planned, including Music from Glee, like Don’t Stop Believin’, Alone, Sweet Caroline and You Keep Me Hanging’ On. The band will also play El Capitan by Sousa, Whither Must I Wander? by Vaughan Williams and A Day at Disneyland.
This free concert is sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council and City of Orange City.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available. Rain location is the Orange City town hall.
For more information, check www.orangecityarts.net or contact 712-707-4885 or ocArts@orangecityiowa.com.

4th of July celebration!
2013-07-04 03:00 - 19:30 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
In Capable Hands: comedy & juggling show featuring Steve Russell & Kobi Shaw

MORE INFO: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/06/onstage-orange-city-sponsors-an-old-fashioned-4th-of-july/

Celebrate the 4th with the entire family! The fun begins at 3:00pm with a mini-carnival for kids – bouncy castle, dunk tank, face painting, and more. Decorate your bike, pet or self for an old-fashioned parade, with prizes for the most creative! Supper will be available too, for a freewill donation. The entertainment begins at 6:00pm: a comedy/ juggling show, In Capable Hands. They’re Steve Russell & Kobi Shaw from Eau Claire WI… seasoned pros trained by Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Top-notch technique, quick-witted banter, genuine hilarity!

Sponsors: Quatro Composites & Van Engelenhoven Agency
www.glberg.com/in_capable_hands/

Onstage Orange City features soul & blues star Terry Evans
2013-06-26 06:00 - 20:30 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
ORANGE CITY – Hailing from the Mississippi Delta and a veteran of church choirs, a cappella groups, and soul bands, comes Terry Evans – a musician visiting as part of the Onstage Orange City series. Evans and his band will sharing a selection of soul, blues, and gospel on June 26 at 7 PM in Windmill Park.
Exposed to music at an early age in junior choir and church choir, Evan’s influences also included Elmore Jones, Little Walter, Albert King, and B.B. King.
Terry Evans has worked in the music industry for over 40 years, collaborating with artists including Ry Cooder, Joan Armatrading, John Lee Hooker, Boz Scaggs, Maria Muldaur, and Pops Staples. Working with renowned musician Bobby King in the early seventies, Evans was introduced to Ry Cooder, one of the world’s preeminent guitarists.
Evans and Cooder went on to work together on several albums including Chicken Skin Music, Get Rhythm, Show Time, and Slide Area; the pair also toured extensively as a duo.
Evans’ album Mississippi Magic was nominated as “Best Soul Blues Album of the Year” at the WC Handy Awards 2002… now the Blues Music Awards, widely regarded as the highest honor for blues artists in the U.S. He sang lead vocals on the song “Down in Mississippi,” which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Crossroads, and he sang the title song in the actual film. Link to Ry Cooder and Terry Evans performing “Down in Mississippi” : click here.
Now from Los Angeles, Evans will be playing with a four-piece band on the 26th. Come early for a free grilled pork sandwich from our evening’s sponsors Joe’s TV & Appliance and Fareway – 6 PM to 7 PM. The Onstage Orange City concessions stand will offer beverages and chips for sale as well.

Terry Evans and band to perform in Orange City June 26Terry Evans’ journey has taken him from the Mississippi Delta to Los Angeles, from performing with Bobby King to Ry Cooder, from singing lead vocals on the song “Down in Mississippi” to a nomination as best soul blues album of the year in 2002. Evans and his band will perform in Orange City’s Windmill Park Wed. June 26 at 7PM, sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council, Joe’s TV & Appliance and Fareway.

Onstage Orange City, a series of free shows each Wednesday evening, is sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Rain location is the Orange City town hall.
For more information or weather-related announcements, see orangecityarts.net or facebook.com/ocArts, or email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com.

Mural to be dedicated in memory of Becky Kleinwolterink
2013-06-13 09:30 - 09:50 | Orange City Floral, 117 Central Ave SE, Orange City, 51041, United States
The newest mural in Orange City will be dedicated Thursday, June 13 at 9:30 am, at the mural site: south of Orange City Floral and Siouxland Realty.
Artist Mark Alsum is a Northwestern College graduate with a degree in art. He grew up in Alton.

He and his wife Rebecca will be moving to Duluth at the end of June.
This mural, Mark’s second in Orange City, will be dedicated to the memory of Becky Kleinwolterink, former Orange City Arts Council board member. Becky was an energetic and proactive member of the Arts Council, giving many hours to further the arts in the Orange City area.

Thanks to the Orange City Arts Council, Kevin Lammers of Orange City Floral, the city of Orange City and betterment board, and Diamond Vogel Paints for their generous contributions to the mural project.

Onstage Orange City: Lionel Young Band
2013-06-12 19:00 - 20:30
by Sarah Kugler
ORANGE CITY – One might not think that classical violin melds well with soulful blues, but this distinct, high-energy brand of music is Lionel Young’s specialty. He returns to Orange City’s Windmill Park on Wednesday, June 12 at 7 PM for what promises to be an evening of fun entertainment from world-class performers. http://lionelyoung.net/music
Born in Rochester, New York and classically trained on the violin at the Eastman School of Music, Young crafted his own unique style by combining elements of blues classics with his talent on the electric violin.
His work has thrilled audiences and critics alike, earning him prestigious awards including The Pittsburg Symphony’s Young Artist Award, Carnegie-Mellon’s Concerto Contest, and The International Blues Challenge’s solo award; The Lionel Young Band’s subsequent victory at the IBC made Young the first repeat champion in the award’s history.
In addition to his impressive repertoire of awards, Young has shared the stage with a number of well-known performers ranging from Robert Plant and Jimmy Paige to Stevie Wonder to Homesick James.
The Lionel Young Band, of Boulder CO, includes AnDré Mali on trumpet, Dexter Payne on sax, clarinet, and harmonica, Kim Stone on bass, and Jay Forrest on drums and vocals.
Young brings interpretations of blues classics by Willie Dixon, Leadbelly, and Stevie Ray Vaughan to his show as well as his original work, which includes the award-winning piece “Brown Cloud Over Denver.”
Members of the Orange City community who attended last year’s late May show in the Orange City town hall, raved about the performance, saying:
“FANTASTIC SHOW! Great world-class musicians, wonderful crowd interaction, and dancing by kids and adults!”
“Best blues performance we’ve ever seen, and in Orange City, Iowa!”
“Amazing performers. Orange City needs another chance to see these guys.”
This free event, part of the Onstage Orange City series, is sponsored by Quatro Composites™ and Diamond Vogel Paint, in conjunction with the Orange City Arts Council. Lionel Young replaces the originally scheduled band, Lil’ Brian and the Travelers.
Concessions will be offered. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Rain location is the Orange City town hall.
For more information or weather-related announcements, see orangecityarts.net or facebook.com/ocArts, or email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com. Young’s website is lionelyoung.net.

Summer Suites: music, dance, gardens, goodies
2013-06-06 18:30 - 20:45 | three Orange City gardens, P.O. Box 202, Orange City IA 51041, IA, 51041, United States
Summer Suites to feature violinist from Twin Cities:Violinist Erika (Van Den Hul) Hoogeveen, with the Mill City String Quartet of the Twin Cities, will perform at the Orange City Arts Council’s Summer Suites on Thursday, June 6. Three musical ensembles will perform in three backyard gardens. Desserts will be served. Tickets are available at the Orange City town hall and Dove Bookstore. Corporate sponsor is Pizza Ranch.

ORANGE CITY – Three lovely gardens will be featured in the Orange City Arts Council’s annual Summer Suites, along with a variety of music and dance. Summer Suites will be held Thursday, June 6 from 6:30 – 8:45 pm.
The progressive concert/ garden tour will be held at the homes of Jonathan and Glenda Grossmann, Arlyn and Bea Schaap, and Gary and Amy Vande Vegte. Refreshments include rich chocolate desserts, buttery cookies and fresh fruit.
Corporate sponsor of Summer Suites is Pizza Ranch.
From the road, Jonathan and Glenda Grossmann’s yard is oaks, maples, flowering crab apples and spirea. But drive in, and you’ll find dozens of other trees, shrubs and perennials: including rhododendron, hydrangea, magnolia, birch, serviceberry, autumn purple ash, and Colorado blue spruce. Their oak leaf mountain ash has orange berries; they have five varieties of apple trees. The old-fashioned lilacs are blooming, and the semi-dwarf Miss Kim Korean lilacs are just beginning.
At the Grossmann garden, Trevor McMahan, Coralyn Kutzner and Ann Calsbeek will perform ensemble and solo pieces on marimba, plus pieces featuring other percussion instruments: the cajon, the djembe, and, of course, the cow bell. Kutzner will do a solo on the toms; McMahan and Calsbeek will do a marimba duet by Alice Gomez; the three plan to perform McMahan’s arrangement of Such Great Heights.

Dancers to perform with Summer Suites:The Orange City Arts Council’s Summer Suites will feature a marimba solo accompanied by dancers Martina Hoogland, left, of rural Sioux Center, and Ava Grossmann, of Orange City. Other Summer Suites performers will be violinist Erika Hoogeveen and The Bluestem Players: Andy Juhl and Bridget Durst. Gardens are at the homes of Jonathan and Glenda Grossmann, Gary and Amy Vande Vegte and Arlyn and Bea Schaap.

One of the marimba solos will be accompanied in dance, by Ava Grossmann and Martina Hoogland. Students at Unity Christian High, both were part of the Unity drill team which went to state. Grossmann, of Orange City, has taken dance for 12 years, and Hoogland, of rural Sioux Center, for eight years, both from Robin’s School of Dance. They both love hip hop… but their dance at Summer Suites will be lyrical.
The Vande Vegte garden will feature violinist Erika (Van Den Hul) Hoogeveen, originally from Sioux Center, now from St. Paul. She will perform selections from three pieces: Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin by Bach, Sonata No. 2 for Solo Violin by Ysaye, and The Art of Bowing by Tartini.
Gary and Amy Vande Vegte also have a beautiful yard, with a huge variety of plants, including euonymus, geranium, nepeta, parthenocissus, peonia, stachys, wielgelia, gergenia, climbing hydrangea, columbine, echinacea, Karl Foerster grass, sedum, tricolor beech tree, primrose, asiatic lily, daffodil and pulmonaria.
The Vande Vegtes have two porches, accented with flowers, and a brick patio on the east. Their large yard is filled with a variety of hostas: blue angel, Francee, golden tiara, big daddy, guacamole, paradigm, minuteman and sum & substance.
The other plant-lovers featured during this year’s Summer Suites are Arlyn and Bea Schaap.
The Schaaps love roses, and have many tea roses on the south side of the house. Their new shade garden has been a necessity, because of the linden tree… so they’re enjoying hostas, astilbes and the delicate coral bells. They also have a small herb garden, and a fountain featuring two children and a dog, symbolizing their love for their 12 grandchildren and the many children they’ve known during Mr. Schaap’s 40-plus years of teaching and serving as a school administrator.
The Schaaps also have hand or footprints of each of their grandchildren, in the island in the center of the backyard, “Grandpa’s Garden.” And they love birds, even the beautifully-colored blue jays. The cardinal has become a Noah’s rainbow to them, said Bea, symbolizing God’s faithfulness.
Performing at the Schaaps will be Andy Juhl and Bridget Durst, The Bluestem Players. Juhl, from rural Marcus, plays guitar and harmonica, and Durst, from Cherokee, plays ukelele, to accompany their unique and beautiful vocals. Hear them at andyjuhl.com.
Advance tickets are necessary for Summer Suites. Discounted tickets are available through June 3, at $7.50 for adults, $5 for students, and $22 for families, at the Orange City town hall and Dove Christian Book Store in Orange City and True Vine Christian Book Store in Sioux Center. After June 3, ticket prices are $10, $7 and $30. Maps and schedules are provided to ticket purchasers.
At the Grossmanns, people are requested to park at Landsmeer Golf Club parking lot to the south. Valet service will be available in the Grossmann’s driveway for those who have difficulty walking.
For more information, contact Orange City Arts Council, 712-707-6514 or ocArts@orangecityiowa.com. For more information, see: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/05/summer-suites-music-dance-gardens-goodies/

Ukelele, guitar, harmonica and vocals:
Another Summer Suites musical group on June 6 is The Bluestem Players. Andy Juhl and Bridget Durst are singer/ songwriters from rural Marcus and Cherokee, respectively, and will perform with ukelele, guitar, harmonica and vocals. The third backyard garden in Orange City will feature music by three percussionists. Two local dancers will perform a piece with one of the Summer Suites ensembles. See orangecityarts.net .

Percussionists to perform at Summer Suites:Ann Calsbeek, Trevor McMahan and Coralyn Kutzner (l-r) will perform at the third Summer Suites garden on June 6. The three will play solos, duets and a group piece, featuring the marimba, plus toms, the cajon and more.

Onstage Orange City: Orange City Area Community Band
2013-06-05 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
Onstage Orange City features the Orange City Area Community Band: outstanding musicians from the region, directed by Carla Van Beek. Windmill Park, Orange City. 7:00 pm on Wed. June 5, 2013. Rain location: Orange City town hall. Sponsor: Iowa State Bank
For details, click here.

2013 Onstage Orange City line-up announced
2013-05-29 17:00 - 23:00 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
ORANGE CITY – Blues, polka, funk, jazz and barbershop harmony are all part of the line-up for Onstage Orange City 2013.

The Orange City Arts Council has announced its schedule of shows in Orange City’s Windmill Park for the upcoming summer season.

The series will feature 13 Wednesday nights of entertainment, beginning with Festival Latino on May 29. It will be the second annual Festival Latino, following last year’s successful event, and including food, dance, music and activities for all ages.

Onstage Orange City artists include Terry Evans with his soul and blues band June 26, and Lil’ Brian and the Zydeco Travelers June 12. A virtuoso of both the large piano note accordion and the old-style diatonic accordion, Lil’ Brian is serious about showing how this instrument can be as hip as any in contemporary music. Lil’ Brian has roots in East Texas, Terry Evans in Mississippi.

Funk Trek: "Insuppressible groove & smooth blend of funk, jazz and experimental music!" Funk Trek comes to Onstage Orange City Wednesday, July 31. The Orange CIty Arts Council, with support from local businesses, sponsors the Wednesday night summer series in Orange City's WIndmill Park.

Malek’s Fishermen Band brings polka music – and an invitation for all to dance – on July 17. Funk Trek from Omaha performs July 31, with its smooth blend of funk, jazz and experimental music. August 14 is the date of the 35-member Riverblenders barbershop chorus from Mankato.

Co'Motion Dance Theatre: Contemporary dance has not graced the Windmill Park stage often, but Ames dancers are coming this summer, on August 7. Onstage Orange City shows will be held May 29 through August 21, 2013.

New this year is Co’Motion Dance Theatre on August 7, a professional contemporary dance company from Ames, performing a show for all ages.

Favorites returning again are the Orange City Area Community Band June 5 and July 10 and 24; the SchoolHouse Company theatre troupe August 21; and Orange CIty’s Got Talent on June 19.

There will be no show on Wednesday, July 3. Instead an Independence Day celebration will feature a mini-carnival, parade and food on Thursday afternoon, July 4, followed by the comedy/ juggling duo, In Capable Hands: Steve Russell and Kobi Shaw.

Comedy/ juggling duo on July 4th: Once again Onstage Orange City presents an old-fashioned 4th of July celebration, with a mini-carnival, a children's parade, and food. The evening will end with the comedy/ juggling duo Steve Russell and Kobi Shaw.

Contributions by local businesses and individuals, with help from the Orange City Arts Council and City of Orange City, fund the line-up of shows – all free to the public. Most shows will begin at 7:00pm in Orange CIty’s Windmill Park.

For more information, contact the Orange City Arts Council at 712-707-6514 or ocArts@orangecityiowa.com. Onstage Orange City fliers will be available in late April.

Festival Latino 2013 in CITY HALL
2013-05-29 17:00 - 22:00 | Windmill Park, 200 Central Ave NW, Orange City IA 51041
Festival Latino 2012 (photo courtesy of Sioux County Capital-Democrat)

May 29: Festival Latino Onstage Orange City 2013 begins on May 29 with Festival Latino, to be held in Orange City’s town hall (because of threatening weather). The fun begins at 5:00pm with lots of activities: face painting, bingo, soccer challenge, cooking class, dance, Zumba, music, piñata design contest and more! Mexican food will be sold. At 7:00pm, Mariachi Luna y Sol of Omaha takes the stage. Click here for details: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/05/festival-latino-opens-onstage-orange-city/

Touring Production of VANG: A Drama about Recent Immigrant Farmers
2013-05-04 | Northwestern College DeWitt Theatre, 809 Albany Ave SE, Orange City IA 51041
A Vang, a Hmong farmer of Des Moines. Photo by Dennis Chamberlin.

ORANGE CITY – Poet Laureate of Iowa Mary Swander, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Dennis Chamberlin, and ACT Kennedy Center award-winner Matt Foss collaborate to create a drama called Vang (meaning “garden” or “farm” in Hmong). The production will be presented at the Northwestern College DeWitt Theatre on Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 pm, sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council.
More info: http://orangecityarts.net/2013/04/touring-production-of-vang/
The show will also be presented at the Betty Strong Encounter Center/ Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center May 4 at 2:00 pm, and at the Estelle Siebens Science Center 126, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake Sunday, May 5 at 7:00 pm.

Swander and Chamberlin documented recent Iowa immigrant farmers, then Swander wound their words together to form a verbatim play that captures the immigrants’ journeys to the States. Hmong, Mexican, Sudanese, and Dutch immigrants all speak of their struggles, survival skills, and their intense desire to return to the land. Chamberlin took stunning photos of the immigrants in their greenhouses, farms, and dairy barns. Foss added his theatrical brilliance to the production, bringing Vang to life on the stage. And Michael Ching, past executive director of the Memphis opera, composed music to underscore the play’s message.

The immigrant farmers in this production came from four continents, speaking over six different languages, with multiple experiences of the world. In their own ways, they adjusted to life in America. Some of these immigrants came to the U.S. as refugees from war-torn parts of the world. Others came fleeing poverty in their homelands. Still others came with money, invited to join agribusiness ventures. Many of these immigrants landed in the U.S. and took the only jobs they could find—in meat-packing plants and auto repair shops. But all of these immigrants had grown up on farms and wanted to once again assume the livelihood that they had known in the past, the work that had formed the foundation of their cultural roots.

The play features two actors, Matt Foss – a native of Orange City, a graduate of Northwestern College and currently a theatre instructor at Iowa State – and Annie Feenstra – a native of Sioux City and ISU theatre student. The two take on the parts of all eight immigrants. Dennis Chamberlin’s photos of the immigrants are projected on the walls of the theatre, bringing both artistic grace and reality to the performance.

With the aid of a grant from the ISU CEAH, Swander, Chamberlin and Foss hope to tour the play not only throughout Iowa, but across the U.S. and to Europe.

Tickets will be available for sale in mid-April. For more information, contact the Orange City Arts Council, 712-707-6514 or ocArts@orangecityiowa.com.

Dorine & Jan Boelen, Dutch dairy farmers of Brooklyn, Iowa. Photo by Dennis Chamberlin.

Bios:

Dennis Chamberlin:
Photojournalist, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Dennis Chamberlin’s photos have appeared in such prestigious places as The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, The Economist, and Newsweek. Chamberlin is an associate professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism at Iowa State University. He holds an M.F.A. in photography from Indiana University. He lived much of his adult life in Poland.

Matt Foss:
Matt Foss’ production of Six Characters received 5 Kennedy Center ACT Festival Awards in 2012 including: National Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Lighting Design, 3 Distinguished Performance Awards, and Distinguished Production and Performance Ensemble Award. Foss studied theatre at Roosevelt University in Chicago and in Moscow. He received his Ph.D. from Wayne State University in 2013. Currently, he is a lecturer in theatre at Iowa State University.

Mary Swander:
Mary Swander is the Poet Laureate of the State of Iowa. She has published over thirteen books of poetry and non-fiction, in addition to plays, radio and television scripts and magazine articles. She has appeared in such places as The New York Times Magazine, National Public Radio, The New Yorker, and Poetry Magazine. Swander’s plays Driving the Body Back and Farmscape have toured the U.S. Swander is a Professor of English and Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University. She holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Ireland.

Annie Feenstra:
Originally from Sioux City, Iowa, Annie Feenstra is an award-winning Iowa State student actor. She has had major roles in Alice in Wonderland, Rent, and Street Car Named Desire.

Bottom Line Duo: April 9 & 10
2013-04-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Unnamed Venue
ORANGE CITY – They play from the bottom line – the bass clef. They’re a bass – cello duo from Seattle. They’re performing in Orange City April 9 and 10.

“Elegant. Their simple, rich instrumentation gives them the freedom to explore the whole musical spectrum,” said the Seattle Weekly.

“Most intriguing must see!” That’s the word about Bottom Line Duo from Seattle’s biggest arts festival, Bumbershoot.

And they add humor. “Their program was marvelously varied and wide-ranging, but throughout there was a sense of fun; of telepathic rapport born of abiding intimacy with a jazz-like playfulness and creativity,” said Jack Frymer of the Bellingham Music Club.

Bottom Line Duo is Traci and Spencer Hoveskeland. They’ll be here in April thanks to the Orange City Arts Council, with support from Frank Vogel and the Northwestern College Music Department. The duo will do assemblies and workshops at Orange City Christian School and MOC-Floyd Valley High, plus a workshop at Unity Christian High. Orchestra students from OCCS and Unity will join the Hoveskelands in a couple of pieces at the public concert Tuesday, April 9.

The concert will begin at 7:00pm at Northwestern College’s Christ Chapel. Advance tickets, at $8 for adults and $5 for students, will go on sale in late March. At the door, tickets will be $10 and $7.

Contact the Orange City Arts Council for more information, ocArts@orangecityiowa.com or 712-707-6514.
Read more and listen to Bottom Line Duo at bottomlineduo.com
Here’s Walk Like an Egyptian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyILYcFmKlw

Bottom Line Duo: "They have a flair for playing with excitement and humor." "Critics… will be believers after hearing the Hoveskelands skillfully survey almost every style of music." "High energy and timeless variety." That's what the critics say about Bottom Line Duo, a twosome to present a concert in Orange City April 9.
