Unplugged View: Dance Me To The End Of Spring
by Aaron Rowan
Among my assorted side duties as a music curator is the occasional stage-managing shift. One evening, while working in the Bay Area behind the scenes for a friend’s cello-driven band, joined by a full orchestra for this particular concert, I was introduced to someone who would become one of my dearest musical friends. She was an orchestra player named Marie Maxfield, and not only did she happen to be a fellow Modestan, she just happened to live just down the road from me. Marie can play most of the standard instruments on a symphony stage and is one of the busiest, most dedicated musicians I’ve crossed paths with. In the eight years of our beautiful friendship, I’ve made countless appearances to support her making music with the MJC Community Orchestra, Modesto Performing Arts, Playhouse Merced musicals, and various Bay Area orchestras.
Marie has been working as hard as ever as music director for this month’s MPA staging of ‘Billy Elliot,’ the Elton John-scored musical about a young boy pursuing his dream of becoming a ballet star. She’s the backbone of this play: assembling the orchestra; helping with cast selection; teaching the basics of music to numerous cast members; running rehearsals; and will be conducting the orchestra pit and the onstage performers at the same time during the five-show run as spring segues into summer. ‘Billy Elliot’ once held the record for most Tony Award nominations for a musical (it was surpassed by ‘Hamilton’), among many other accolades. Three evenings and two Sunday matinee shows to choose from, June 17-25. Tickets are $24-$45 at galloarts.org.
On the last night of the first half of this year, I’ll host my latest songwriter showcase with a pair of well-traveled Americana artists I’ve been keen to feature for many months. And how better to slide into summer? With Summer. Rigby Summer. She’s a friend I made around this time last year, whom I haven’t met in person yet but who was immensely helpful during my summer cross-country travels. Rigby weaves an Americana soundscape that reflects the road she’s traveled, from her Kansas City jazz upbringing to the beach pop of southern California to the red dirt roots of her current home in Stillwater, OK. Her debut album ‘Geography’ is fantastic, and her original songs have earned her honors at competitions in multiple states, including the Woody Guthrie Festival Songwriting Contest. Rigby is on tour with fellow songwriter The Dauphin Of Mississippi (Jason Burge), a recent transplant to the Central Valley after hopping around from MS to WY to New Zealand. Jason’s debut record landed at #6 on the Wyoming Public Radio end-of-year listeners list and earned Wyoming CMA finalist nominations for Album, Songwriter, and Americana Group of the Year. Catch these two on Friday, June 30, from 7:30-9:00 at The Dragonfly Art For Life, 1210 J St. $10 at the door. Intimate performances. Infinite playlist. MODESTO UNPLUGGED. www.modestounplugged.com.
