Spoleto USA in Charleston has released the festival’s 2014 lineup. It’s the usual but impressive mix of theatre, music, dance, opera, and other impressive performances.
Spoleto 2014 runs from May 23rd to June 8th in a variety of venues — most of them excellent — in downtown Charleston.
Once again this year, there’s some overlap with the 17-day Savannah Music Festival. I’ve already bought tickets to see Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn at the SMF, so I won’t be going to that June 1st gig at the TD Arena at the College of Charleston (a problematically cavernous venue for an act like this). Jazz vocalist Rene Marie returns to Spoleto in 2014 (also, bizarrely, at the arena); she performed in 2013 at the SMF.
Regrettably, the TD Arena is also being used for a couple of promising dance performances. I thought the arena was a really terrible venue for Compagnie Käfig in 2013, so I’ll have to think hard about going to either of those shows.
But there’s one show that I know I’ll be attending: Laurie Anderson at the Sottile Theatre.
I’ve seen Anderson twice at Spoleto, and both were memorable shows. Anderson’s late husband Lou Reed even sat in with Anderson in one performance of Homeland back in 2008. I was lucky to be there.
The show by Lucinda Williams looks mighty tempting too. Charleston’s own Shovels and Rope is also in the lineup.
Here’s the embedded digital program:
If the embed isn’t working, you can check out the schedule here or here.
I highly recommend at least heading up to Charleston for one day — for a couple of shows and a great meal or two. If you want to try some place popular like Husk, be advised to make reservations very early.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Dec. 9th.