PORTLAND

Hurt flutist Galway cancels guest spot in NPR’s concert

Flutist Sir James Galway, who was scheduled to appear as a guest as part of a concert and recording of the NPR show “From the Top” at 7 p.m. March 24 at Merrill Auditorium, will not be part of the performance because of an injury.

The concert and recording of “From the Top” will go on as planned. Host Christopher O’Riley will appear with a variety of talented young people. The concert will be recorded for national broadcast on NPR.

The performance, hosted by Portland Ovations, will include young musicians from Maine. Scheduled to appear are Wilson Bristol, a 17-year-old pianist from Freeport, and Sophie and Josie Davis, violin-playing sisters from Waldoboro.

Tickets are available through PortTix, the box office at Merrill Auditorium; by phone at 842-0800; and online at www.portlandovations.org.

Just before Christmas, Galway fractured his left wrist and hand and shattered his right elbow. He is expected to recover and resume performing.

 

MaineToday Media sponsors 2010 contest for teen bands

The Maine Academy of Modern Music, in partnership with the Portland Music Foundation and MaineToday Media, has announced the 2010 Maine Academy of Modern Music Rock Off. Once feared dead, the event will continue this spring with one high school band winning $1,000 in cash and additional professional prizes.

Visit www.mainetoday.com/rockoff for registration forms and details. The original registration deadline was Feb. 28, but because of power outages, the deadline was extended to March 17.

The 2010 Rock Off will take place in April and May. For each band that enters the competition, MaineToday will create a Web page with band photos, information and music. The preliminary rounds of the competition will be April 3 at the 103 Ultra Lounge in Orono and April 10-11 at Empire Dine and Dance in Portland.

A panel of judges will select five bands to participate in the finals at Port City Music Hall in Portland on May 1. In addition to the five bands selected by the panel of judges, the general public will be invited to vote in an online poll. One band chosen through the poll will proceed to the finals along with the five selected by the judges.

 

Children’s theater will hold auditions for its spring show

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine will hold auditions for its spring production of “The Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings” from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday at the museum, 142 Free St. The auditions are open for ages 8 to 16. Interested participants should prepare a one-minute monologue or short poem for the audition. For information, call 828-1234, Ext. 247, e-mail reba@kitetails.org or visit www.kitetails.org/theatre/auditions.

FARMINGTON

UMF accepting applications for creative writing program

Longfellow Mountains, a University of Maine at Farmington creative writing workshop for high school juniors and seniors, will premiere on the UMF campus July 18-24. The weeklong workshop will provide talented high school writers with the opportunity to work with UMF faculty and published authors.

Developed by the University’s creative writing program, the Longfellow Mountains experience will consist of small intensive workshops where students will write poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction in a collegial, supportive environment.

Joining UMF’s creative writing faculty will be guest readers and lecturers, including:

Wesley McNair, an award-winning poet and UMF writer in residence; Bill Roorbach, a writer of short stories, memoir-essays, reviews and book-length fiction, and recipient of the Flannery O’Connor Award for best short story; Matt O’Donnell, noted poet and executive director of “From the Fishouse,” an online audio archive of emerging poets; and Sarah Thomson, author of 20 books for young readers, including the 2005 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award winner.

Student participants in the program will live in a campus residence hall. Cost of the program is $700, which includes tuition, room/board and fees.

Applications are available at creativewriting.umf.maine.edu/longfellow and must be postmarked by May 1. A limited number of full and partial merit-based scholarships for the workshop are available. To be considered for a scholarship, a five-page writing sample must be submitted with a completed program application and postmarked no later than April 1.

All applications should be mailed to: Jeffrey Thomson, director, Longfellow Mountains Young Writers Workshop; 115 South St., UMF, Farmington, ME 04938.

FREEPORT

Actors invited to try out for ‘Tempest’ production

The Freeport Shakespeare Festival will host auditions for Equity and non-Equity actors for its production of “The Tempest,” scheduled for early August at Discovery Park at L.L. Bean. Auditions will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Actors should prepare a two-minute monologue from “The Tempest” for the character that most closely suits their type. For more information, e-mail jgcarlson@freeportshakespearefestival.org or call 865-9299.

BOOTHBAY

Maine Photography Show sets records for participants

This year’s Maine Photography Show, now in its fifth year, received 756 images from 294 photographers. Both figures represent new records. The previous highs were 225 photographers and 670 images in 2008.

Cushing photographer John Paul Caponigro will judge this year’s show, scheduled for April 17 to May 8 at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation Gallery, 1 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor. Caponigro is an artist, photographer, author and educator best known for his work in digital technologies.

For information, visit www.mainephotographyshow.com.