NEWCASTLE — The 11th annual Chocolate Fest and Silent Auction to benefit Healthy Kids is scheduled to run from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Lincoln Home.

The event for adults will feature fine chocolate, savory hors d’oeuvres, champagne, live music and a silent auction.

Local restaurants, bakeries and chocolatiers will create a range of decadent chocolate desserts to suit all tastes; hors d’oeuvres will be catered by The Damariscotta River Grill.

“The event began as a way to raise money for child abuse prevention and continues to be Healthy Kids’ most successful fundraiser,” a Healthy Kids release states. “The proceeds from Chocolate Fest are essential for Healthy Kids to continue providing local families with home visits, support groups, workshops and parenting classes, play groups, supervised visitation, and family resources.”

Chocolate Fest tickets cost $ 35 when purchased in advance at the Healthy Kids office in Damariscotta or the Maine Coast Book Shop & Cafe. Tickets can be purchased online for $ 37.50 at www.healthykidsmaine.com. Tickets purchased at the door will cost $45.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Healthy Kids at 563-1818 or hk@midcoast.com.

Folk dancers line up Sunday gathering

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PORTLAND — International folk dancing will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday in the New Church, 302 Stevens Ave.

The evening will include folk dances from the Balkans, Israel, France, Greece and other cultures. Beginner friendly dances will be emphasized during the first hour.

The cost is $5 for adults or $ 3 for children. For more information, call 318-7108 or email ghenn@maine.rr.com.

Cartoons, concert converge on Feb. 12

PORTLAND — The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ will sponsor a family concert with live illustrations to music featuring organist Rob Richards of Disney’s El Capitan Theatre and illustrator Christina Siravo at 2 p. m. Feb. 12 in Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St.

Special activities and games prior to the concert will kick off at 1:15 p.m. in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall.

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Those who attend are advised to dress as their favorite cartoon character. A prize will be awarded.

Free organ tours and cartoon workshops will take place after the concert, which will feature a special tribute to the Girls Scouts of Maine who celebrate their 100th anniversary this year.

Admission costs $10. Children age 12 and younger get in free. Tickets are available through PortTIX at 842-0800 or PortTIX.com.

For more information, call 553-4363 or visit the website, www.foko.org.

Vivid Motion slates Sunday auditions

WESTBROOK — Vivid Motion Inc. plans to hold dance auditions for its spring show, which will include the ballet “Eclipse” and several other dances.

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Auditions will run from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday at Acorn Productions in the Dana Warp Mill, 90 Bridge St.

Auditions are in class format. No formal dance training is required, “but a love of dancing is,” a Vivid Motion release states.

Those who audition for the show, which will feature many styles of dancing, are advised to wear clothing “you can move in.” Footwear is optional.

For more information, visit www.vividmotion.org.

Lincoln Theater shows Wright’s new work

DAMARISCOTTA — The Lincoln Theater will broadcast the National Theatre of London’s production of “ Travelling Light,” a new play by Nicholas Wright, at 7 p.m. Thursday.

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A release from the theater describes the play as follows:

In a remote village in Eastern Europe, around 1900, the young Motl Mendl is entranced by the flickering silent images on his father’s cinematograph. Bankrolled by Jacob, the ebullient local timber merchant, and inspired by Anna, the girl sent to help him make moving pictures of their village, he stumbles on a revolutionary way of story-telling.

Forty years on, Motl — now a famed American film director — looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams.

Wright’s new play is a funny and fascinating tribute to the Eastern European immigrants who became major players in Hollywood’s golden age. The award-winning Antony Sher returns to play Jacob.

Tickets cost $15 or $13 for Lincoln Theater members. A limited number of student rush tickets are available for $5 on the day of the performance.

Tickets can be reserved at the Lincoln Theater box office at 563-3424 or purchased at the Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta.

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Trattoria Athena prepares next meal

BOOTHBAY — The next meal in the Kitchen Garden Dinner Series at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Feb. 12.

The meals are served in the Kitchen Garden Café in the visitors center at the botanical gardens. Staff members and volunteers serve each course and “ pour the wine liberally,” according to a Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens release.

The price of $75 for Gardens members and $ 90 for nonmembers includes wine, as well as gratuities. For reservations, call 633- 4333, extension 101.

Trattoria Athena on Mill Street in Brunswick will provide the dining fare on Feb. 12. “They’re committed to creating a traditional Greek and Italian menu using the best local ingredients available, including many from local farms, and employing the most authentic recipes and techniques straight from Italy and Greece,” the release states.

The next meal in the series is scheduled for March 28, when the featured chef will be Chris Bassett from the Azure Café in Freeport. Then, on Wednesday, April 11, the dinner will be prepared by Chef Christopher Anderson of Wings Hill in Belgrade Lakes.

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For a complete list of dinners as they’re added to the schedule, as well as more information about the Gardens, visit www.MaineGardens.org.

Coastal Maine Botanical gardens is located off Barters Island Road in Boothbay.

Live storytelling returns on Feb. 10

PORTLAND — Slant, a live storytelling series, will return to Space Gallery at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10.

Modeled after “The Moth,” Slant features six brave souls telling 10-minute tales without notes or scripts. This free event is curated and hosted by The Telling Room, Portland’s community writing center.

The theme for this session is “sure to be interpreted in numerous and interesting ways.” Speakers will include food critic and television host Joe Ricchio; Maine Women’s Fund interim director Cathy Kidman; Maine Medical Center physician Renee Fay- LeBlanc; and The Telling Room communications coordinator Andrew Griswold.

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Doors open at 7 p.m.

The Telling Room is a nonprofit writing center in Portland, dedicated to “the idea that children and young adults are natural storytellers,” a release from the organization states. More information is available at www.tellingroom.org.

Blues band, Whitfield combine for concert

PORTLAND — The James Montgomery Blues Band and Barrence Whitfield will perform together in a show that starts at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress St.

David Hull will open the show.

Advance tickets cost $15. Tickets at the door cost $20. Tickets are available online at www.portcitymusichall.com, by phone at 888- 512- SHOW, and in person at the box office, 504 Congress St.

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Mystic Bowie slates reggae birthday bash

PORTLAND — Reggae performer Mystic Bowie will hold a Birthday Bash at 9 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Big Easy, 55 Market St.

Kemba Nwemba is scheduled to take part in the show.

Mystic Bowie, longtime lead singer of the Tom Tom Club, now lives in Connecticut. He plans a series of concerts to celebrate his birthday and that of Bob Marley, the Jamaican musician, not the Maine comedian.

For more information, call 775- 2266 or go online to www.bigeasyportland.com.

Love Muscle film fest offers alternative

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PORTLAND — Local Muscle, a moving company, will host the Local Love Muscle Valentine’s Day Film Festival at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Geno’s Rock Club, 625 Congress St. Admission is free.

“Instead of trying to make romantic small talk for hours at a restaurant, surrounded by public displays of affection, come to Geno’s on Valentine’s to watch and vote on a collection of local films followed by performances by local bands, Huak and Thee Icepicks,” a release from organizers states.

The films will screen for approximately 90 minutes. The bands will play after that.

Winners of the film festival will be decided by the audience. First place wins $300, second gets $ 200 and third scores $100.

PSO highlights romance on Feb. 14

PORTLAND — The Portland Symphony Orchestra will perform romantic music for Valentine’s Day during its Tuesday Classical concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 in Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St.

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The program will open with Peter Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture- Fantasy.

Pianist Henry Kramer will be the featured soloist in W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major.

The evening concludes with selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet score, Romeo and Juliet.

Interspersed throughout and corresponding with the music, four actors from Portland Stage will narrate selections from Shakespeare’s play.

A native of Cape Elizabeth, Henry Kramer is a recent winner of the National Chopin Competition, and has performed in Maine with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and in recitals across Europe.

A Concert Conversation will be held in the Rehearsal Hall at 6:15 p.m. The PostConcert Q&A on stage with the artists will be followed by a casual gathering at the nearby restaurant, Grace.

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Ticket prices range from $20 to $70. Tickets are available through PortTIX.com, by calling 842-0800 or at the box office at 20 Myrtle St. All ticket prices include a $2 Merrill Restoration fee, and phone and Internet orders are subject to a $6-per-ticket PortTIX handling fee.

For more information, visit portlandsymphony.org.

Bull Moose hosts Swedish folk trio

PORTLAND — Väsen, a Swedish folk group, will perform a free acoustic show and sign CDs at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Bull Moose Music store, 151 Middle St.

The group also will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Hannaford Hall as part of Portland Ovations.

The trio includes Olov Johansson, who plays nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden); Mikael Marin on viola; and Roger Tallroth on 12-string guitar.

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Auditions set for ‘pee,’ ‘pea’ plays

BOOTHBAY — Auditions for two of the Boothbay Playhouse 2012 summer shows, “Urinetown” and “Once Upon A Mattress,” will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Coastal Club room of the Boothbay Region YMCA.

Auditions for both shows will take place on the same day. People can audition for either one or both of the shows and should bring sheet music for the song that they will be singing, an accompanist will be provided.

Auditioners should bring their calendar as they will be asked to note any potential scheduling conflicts.

A specific rehearsal schedule will be put together based on these conflicts, and will be available after auditions. Children may join the shows without auditioning. Children age 12 and older are welcome to join the cast of “Urinetown.”

Auditions are by appointment, which can be made by calling Susan at 633-6309 or by emailing boothbayplayhouse@yahoo.com.

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Children of all ages are welcome to join the cast of “Once Upon A Mattress,” but they must be able to be responsible for themselves both on and off-stage, or be joined by a parent. All children wishing to be in the shows must fill out an audition form.

“Urinetown” opens on June 28. Rehearsal will begin in May. The show, rated PG, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and winner of three.

“Urinetown takes place in a world where a drought has caused water to be rationed to the point that there is a ban on private toilets and everyone must pay for the ‘privilege to pee,’” a Boothbay Playhouse release states. “Love sparks between a worker at one of the filthiest lowincome amenities and the wealthy daughter of the man who runs the Urine Good Company, which controls the fee-based facilities. A revolution is started, and a battle ensues between those arguing for regulated conservation of the available resources and those fighting for personal freedoms.”

“ Once Upon A Mattress” opens Aug. 1. Rehearsals will begin in July. Based on “The Princess and The Pea,” the musical comedy offers a “raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans,” the release states.

For information, email boothbayplayhouse@yahoo.c om or call Susan at 633-6309.

‘Next Fall’ continues through Feb. 19

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PORTLAND — Good Theater’s production of “ Next Fall,” by Geoffrey Nauffts, runs through Feb. 19 at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St.

The Good Theater production of “Next Fall” stars Equity actors Rob Cameron, Moira Driscoll and Abbie Killeen, alongside Joe Bearor, Matt Delamater and Tony Reilly.

Brian P. Allen, Good Theater’s artistic director, directs; with set design by Craig Robinson; costume design by Justin Cote, who also serves as the production stage manager; and lighting design by Iain Oddlin. Stephen Underwood is the technical director.

“Next Fall” plays Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ($15), Thursdays at 7 p.m. ($20), Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ($20), Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. ($25), and Sundays at 2 p.m. ($25), with a matinee at 3 p.m. Feb. 11 ($20).

For tickets and information, call the Good Theater box office at 885-5883 or go to the Good Theater website www.goodtheater.com.


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