Get your Bard on: Shakespeare centerstage this weekend, plus opera, the blues and a farewell

Tribune Staff Report
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It's the most wonderful time of summer: Shakespeare Season.

Not only does South Bend Civic Theatre open the Shakespeare-inspired comedy "Something Rotten" this weekend, Premier Arts does, too. But the Shakespeare doesn't stop there: The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival gets underway with multiple performances from its Community and Touring companies.

Playwright and poet William Shakespeare, shown here in an undated drawing, dominates this weekend's entertainment highlights with different theaters producing plays by him or inspired by him.
Playwright and poet William Shakespeare, shown here in an undated drawing, dominates this weekend's entertainment highlights with different theaters producing plays by him or inspired by him.

The South Bend Lyric Opera also stages "Don Giovanni," and two longtime area favorites return for concerts: bluesman Southside Denny Snyder and Maestro Robin Fountain for his pandemic-delayed farewell concert with the Southwest Michigan Symphony.

For outdoors activities, see these suggestions from Joseph Dits' Outdoor Adventures column, and don't forget The Tribune's online calendar for more things to do.

Notre Dame Shakespeare opens season with Community and Touring companies

SOUTH BEND — The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival returns at full strength with productions by the Professional, Touring and Community companies beginning July 15.

• Shakespeare After Hours kicks off the festival at 7 and 9 p.m. July 15 at Howard Park, 219 S. St. Louis Blvd.

This raucous, no-holds barred night of Shakespearean shenanigans takes adult audiences on a whirlwind tour through the great playwright’s scandalous side. Restricted to ages 18 and older.

Tickets are $20.

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• ShakeScenes takes place at 2 p.m. July 16 in Washington Hall on the University of Notre Dame campus. This summer tradition features dozens of elementary school-aged students performing scenes from and inspired by Shakespeare.

Admission is free.

Rachel Thomas, foreground, María Amenábar Farias, background left, Gabriel Ozaki, Josie Mi, Tiana Mudzimurema and Krosby João Roza rehearse a scene from the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Touring Company production of "All's Well That Ends Well" that will be presented July 16 to Aug. 22, 2022, at parks throughout the South Bend region.
Rachel Thomas, foreground, María Amenábar Farias, background left, Gabriel Ozaki, Josie Mi, Tiana Mudzimurema and Krosby João Roza rehearse a scene from the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Touring Company production of "All's Well That Ends Well" that will be presented July 16 to Aug. 22, 2022, at parks throughout the South Bend region.

• The Touring Company returns to parks and theaters across the area for the first time since 2018, with a new production of “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Directed by NDSF veteran Scotty Arnold and featuring live music performed by the cast, “All’s Well That Ends Well” travels to multiple locations across the region:

  • 5:30 p.m. July 16: Main Quad, Notre Dame

  • 6 p.m. CDT July 17: Gabis Arboretum at Purdue Northwest, 450 W. 100 N., Valparaiso

  • 7 p.m. July 21: Goshen Theater, 216 S. Main St., Goshen

  • 7 p.m. July 22: Central Park, 200 E. Mishawaka Ave., Mishawaka

  • 7 p.m. July 23: Elkhart Public Library, 300 S. 2nd St., Elkhart

  • 7 p.m. July 28: Fernwood Botanical Gardens, 13988 Range Line Road, Niles

  • 7 p.m. July 29: Krasl Art Center, 707 Lake Blvd., St. Joseph

  • 7 p.m. July 30: Potawatomi Park, 500 S. Greenlawn Ave., South Bend

  • 7 p.m. Aug. 5: Wellfield Botanical Gardens, 1011 N. Main St., Elkhart

  • 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6: Dewey Cannon Park, downtown Three Oaks

  • 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22: Main Quad, Notre Dame

Admission is free.

• The Professional Company presents “Romeo and Juliet” from Aug. 16 to 28 at Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $75-$10.

For more information, visit shakespeare.nd.edu or email shakes@nd.edu.

Temple Hammen as Zerlina, left, Ben Ganger as Masetto, Oscar Martinez as Don Giovanni, Raphael Hernandez as Leporello, Joseph Oparamanuike as Ottavio and Anne Fuchs as Donna Elvira rehearse a scene for South Bend Lyric Opera's production of "Don Giovanni" that will be presented July 15 and 16, 2022, at Indiana University South Bend.
Temple Hammen as Zerlina, left, Ben Ganger as Masetto, Oscar Martinez as Don Giovanni, Raphael Hernandez as Leporello, Joseph Oparamanuike as Ottavio and Anne Fuchs as Donna Elvira rehearse a scene for South Bend Lyric Opera's production of "Don Giovanni" that will be presented July 15 and 16, 2022, at Indiana University South Bend.

South Bend Lyric Opera stages ‘Don Giovanni’

SOUTH BEND — South Bend Lyric Opera presents “Don Giovanni” at 7 p.m. July 15 and 16 at Indiana University South Bend’s Northside Hall.

With music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, the 1787 opera tells the story of a womanizer, Don Giovanni, who gets his eventual comeuppance.

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ick Gisonde directs, and Jameson Cooper conducts the SBLO orchestra. The cast includes baritone Oscar Martinez as Don Giovanni, soprano Mary Martin as Donna Anna and soprano Anne Fuchs as Dona Elvira.

Tickets are $40-$20.

For more information, call 574-904-2918, visit southbendlyricopera.org or email sblo@mail.com.

Noah Johnson, left front, Aidan Wolfe, Matthew Pippenger and Ethan Kercher, Cody Smith, middle, and Brian Scully, back, and Noah Lang rehearse a scene from Premier Arts' production of "Something Rotten" that will be presented July 15 to 17, 2022, at The Lerner Theatre in Elkhart.
Noah Johnson, left front, Aidan Wolfe, Matthew Pippenger and Ethan Kercher, Cody Smith, middle, and Brian Scully, back, and Noah Lang rehearse a scene from Premier Arts' production of "Something Rotten" that will be presented July 15 to 17, 2022, at The Lerner Theatre in Elkhart.

Premier Arts stages Shakespeare-inspired ‘Something Rotten’ at The Lerner in Elkhart

ELKHART — Premier Arts presents “Something Rotten” from July 15 to 17 at The Lerner Theatre, 410 S. Main St.

With a book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, the 2015 musical takes place in 1595 England, where brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar known as “The Bard.”

Tanner Smale rehearses a scene from Premier Arts' production of "Something Rotten."
Tanner Smale rehearses a scene from Premier Arts' production of "Something Rotten."

When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical.

Amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. July 15 and 16 and at 3 p.m. July 17.

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Tickets are $25-$12.

For more information, call 574-293-4469 or visit premierarts.org.

Shown performing in 2019 at the Midway Tavern, “Southside” Denny Snyder has four shows over the next two weekends in the area.
Shown performing in 2019 at the Midway Tavern, “Southside” Denny Snyder has four shows over the next two weekends in the area.

'Southside' Denny begins first of two area weekends of shows

"Southside" Denny Snyder returns to the are for four shows with the Southside Denny Band over the course of the next two weekends:

• Goshen Brewing Company, 315 W. Washington St., Goshen: 7:30 p.m. July 15; 574-971-5324

• Firefighters Blues Festival, Kamm Island Park, 600 W. Front St., Mishawaka, 3 p.m. July 16. The rest of the lineup is Ivy Ford at 5 p.m.; Howard and the White Boys, 7 p.m.; and Bernard Allison, 9 p.m. Tickets are $15; free for ages 12 and younger and for all past and present firefighters and their families with proof of service. For more information, call 574-258-1664 or visit firefightersblues.org

• Fridays by the Fountain, Jon R. Hunt Plaza, 211 N. Michigan St., South Bend: 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. July 22; 574-235-9190; morriscenter.org. Free.

• J.T.’s Tavern, 13261 Chippewa Blvd., Mishawaka: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. July 23; 574-222-2989

The band consists of Snyder on guitar and vocals; Louis Poulos, bass; and Josh Wakeman, drums.

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Born and raised in South Bend and based in Montreal, Quebec, since 2007, Snyder plays Chicago-style blues-rock and is known for his rapid-fire melodic and soulful playing, as well as his use of open-tuning slide guitar.

In 2000, he represented Indiana in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and captured third place at the Montréal Grand Prix de la Guitare.

Since 1986, Snyder has released 11 albums, including two with his first band, Southside Denny and the Skintones, and three with his family band, The Snyders, featuring his daughter, Lorrie, and son, Philip.

For more information, visit southsidedenny.com.

Maestro Robin Fountain returns to conduct the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra's July 16 concert at Shadowland Pavilion at Silver Beach in St. Joseph. He retired as the SMSO's music director after 14 years at the end of the 2019-20 season, but the pandemic delayed his farewell concert until now.
Maestro Robin Fountain returns to conduct the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra's July 16 concert at Shadowland Pavilion at Silver Beach in St. Joseph. He retired as the SMSO's music director after 14 years at the end of the 2019-20 season, but the pandemic delayed his farewell concert until now.

Fountain returns for pandemic-delayed final concert with Southwest Michigan Symphony

ST. JOSEPH — The Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra presents “My Favorite Things: Celebrating the Music of Julie Andrews” at 6:30 p.m. July 16 at Shadowland Pavilion at the Silver Beach County Park.

Maestro Robin Fountain returns to conduct the orchestra after retiring after 14 years as the SMSO’s music director in 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, he was unable to conduct his planned final concert in 2020, so this concert allows him to conclude his tenure with the SMSO and offer the community a chance to recognize him for the time he worked with the SMSO.

He remains a professor of conducting at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and has recorded for Parma/Naxos, Novona and Blue Griffin records, most recently Michael Kurek’s Symphony No. 2 with the European Recording Orchestra, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Maestro Matthew Aubin was named Fountain’s successor in June and conducted his first concert as music director on July 3.

Diane Penning and Paul Langford serve as the featured guest artists for the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra's “My Favorite Things: Celebrating the Music of Julie Andrews” concert July 16, 2022, at Shadowland Pavilion at the Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph.
Diane Penning and Paul Langford serve as the featured guest artists for the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra's “My Favorite Things: Celebrating the Music of Julie Andrews” concert July 16, 2022, at Shadowland Pavilion at the Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph.

The concert features guest artists Diane Penning and Paul Langford, with a special appearance by The Opera Grand Rapids Children’s Choir.

The program features songs sung by Julie Andrews and her costars in films and on Broadway and includes medleys of songs from “My Fair Lady,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Sound of Music,” “Camelot” and the 1957 televised live performance of “Cinderella.”

Tickets are $30-$20; add $5 for all tickets the day of the concert.

For more information, call 269-982-4030 or visit smso.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Things to do in South Bend: Shakespeare, opera, Julie Andrews

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