Last night at Middleton was a blast. I hope you were there to celebrate another end to Spoleto with us!

Yesterday, we asked our Twitter faithful our last question, what they would change about Spoleto. Here’s what they said:

Today’s the day, my friends! It’s the last day of Spoleto USA Festival 2010 and Charleston Scene continues to ask a question a day as a countdown to the finale.

Want in on the conversation? Follow Charleston Scene (@chasscene) this week and have your say.

Yesterday, we asked our Twitter faithful what they would change about Spoleto. Here’s what they said:

Happy weekend! Only two more days to go before the end of another Spoleto USA season and Charleston Scene continues to ask a question a day as a countdown to the finale.

Want in on the conversation? Follow Charleston Scene (@chasscene) this week and have your say.

Yesterday, we asked our Twitter faithful what Charleston Scene was their favorite. Here’s what they said:

By: Carren Jao

Post and Courier Reviewer

“Banana Manologues” serves up comedy with a side of romance and raunch. John Brennan returns to Chucktown to reprise his role as Gus Weiderman, everyday guy who navigates love and libido’s strange waters. And this time, he’s not alone.

Brennan reworked his original “Banana Monologues” to include Alexis, Weiderman’s sometime long distance girlfriend and sometime sexual frustration, played deftly by fellow The Have Nots! Comedy Improv Touring Company veteran, Camille Lowman. “Banana Manologues” is a must-see if you’re in the mood for the emotional equivalent of a feel-good lighthearted comedy.

In just about an hour, Brennan and Lowman deftly zip through each stage of a relationship: bumbling first forays, romantic highs, niggling doubts and awkward break-up, eliciting knowing nods and ringing laughter from an audience that has obviously been there and done that as well. (Who can’t relate, right?)

Frequent interjections by Sgt. Johnson (Weiderman’s metaphorical banana) and Darcy (Alexis’ “best guy friend” and “dance instructor”) also push the plot along nicely and only add to the entertainment.

Despite its title, “Banana Manologues” is not as crass as you would think. Brennan and Lowman keep the comic fare free from cheap shots and rely instead on their solid script, rapport and showmanship.

Brennan and Lowman also have another ace up their sleeve—their sound. Taking inspiration from the era of shoulder pads and fingerless gloves, “Banana Manologues” revists classics from the 80s, drawing most heavily from most every girl’s secret fantasy movie, “Dirty Dancing.” The action skids abruptly to a stop as the show wraps up unexpectedly, but that can easily be forgiven.

Nostalgia and whiplash aside, “Banana Manologues” puts a new twist to the eternal tug of war between a man’s (erstwhile) mate and his machismo.

See it for the last time tonight at the American Theater, 8 p.m.

By Dottie Ashley

Post and Courier Reviewer

‘Anderson Illusions - A World Beyond Reality,’ a blend of magic, music and audience participation, seemed to be just what the large audience that nearly filled the Footlight Players’ 240 seats, wanted on Sunday afternoon. Families came to savor the talents of Russell Anderson, singer and illusionist, who made a very nervous bunny suddenly appear in an empty cage, and made you laugh at his frequent ad libs in this Piccolo Spoleto production.

Anderson, who lives in Elloree, about 70 miles up the road from Charleston, attracted friends and neighbors and family. At intermission they told of how the show’s star had made their town proud when he started singing as a child.

Although the largely down-home production failed to match the advance publicity promising ‘Las Vegas illusions,’ Anderson did succeed in executing several pretty astonishing magic tricks, especially when he made Allison West, one of his assistants, levitate and then disappear into a puff of smoke.

Inspired by the great master magician Houdini, he also placed another assistant Morgan Fanning, 16, in a box and made her disappear and re-appear. However, it would be best if the young magician cut back on the rope tricks, which were far too complex.

Striking a sort of Christian-oriented Vegas-style tone, Anderson filled the theater with his well-trained singing voice. He jump-started the show with a rendition of Jerry Lee Lewis’ ‘Great Balls of Fire,’ which included audience participation.

Finally, he left the audience with some sound advice: ‘There is magic all around you every day, if only you open your eyes to see it.’

The show will be repeated on Saturday.

Only three more days to go before the end of another Spoleto USA season and Charleston Scene continues to ask a question a day as a countdown to the finale.

Want in on the conversation? Follow Charleston Scene (@chasscene) this week and have your say.

Four more days to go before the end of another Spoleto USA season and Charleston Scene continues to ask a question a day as a countdown to the finale.

Want in on the conversation? Follow Charleston Scene (@chasscene) this week and have your say.

Written by Bethany E. Larson

Photo by Bethany E. Larson

Watching string quartet Brooklyn Rider rehearse is, like their music, a mixture of experiences. While at rehearsal yesterday at the intimate Simons Center Recital Hall, I often found myself struck by the virtuosity of the playing and, just about the time that I was totally engrossed and in my own little world, the Riders would laugh or begin talking, snapping me out of the musical hypnosis.

One thing is for sure–the guys are as laid back as they are talented. Watching them play is an experience in and of itself, due to their incredible talent and technical skills, but watching them rehearse reminds you that they are just four guys who really enjoy playing music together. And that is what makes it fun.

Photo by Bethany E. Larson

Check out the video from rehearsal below.

Brooklyn Rider will perform June 10th at 9PM. Click here for tickets.

Happy Wednesday, folks! 5 more days to go before the end of another Spoleto USA season and Charleston Scene continues to ask a question a day as a countdown to the finale.

Want in on the conversation? Follow Charleston Scene (@chasscene) this week and have your say.

Yesterday, we asked our Twitter faithful: If you were in charge of programming, who would you bring to Spoleto USA 2011? Here’s what they said:

By Jeff Johnson

Post and Courier Reviewer

Spoleto festival USA’s Tuesday concert combined the Westminster Choir, the Charleston Symphony Choir and the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra: all under the direction of Joseph Flummerfelt. The program had been designed around the responses of Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi to spiritual crises.

Mozart’s ‘Coronation Mass’ is an early work written on commission and filled with lots of lovely music and a few moments of theatrical grandeur. Jennifer Zetlan and Mark Thomsen had a charming duet in the ‘Kyrie.’ They were joined by Barbara Rearick and Stephen Morscheck in a very jaunty quartet. In the final ‘Agnus Dei,’ Zetlan sweetly sang an extended solo, which would have graced the score of ‘The Marriage of Figaro.’

The ‘Coronation Mass’ shows Mozart at his most commercial. It is beautiful and not very demanding and the audience loved it.

When Brahms read Fredreich Holderin’s poem, contrasting Haven’s tranquility with the turmoil of human life, he immediately started to set it to music. ‘Song of Destiny’ in three contrasting movements is one of Brahms’ most thrilling works. Flummerfelt’s conducting emphasized the languor of Heaven as well as the clash and clatter of human life.

Verdi wrote the ‘Te Deum,’ the final section of his ‘Four Sacred Piece,’ really thinking it was his final musical statement to his Italian public. The work is a choral cry of intense anguish to God, which finally resolves into uneasy peace.

‘Te Deum’ brought the huge audience at Gaillard Auditorium to their feet, ending the concert on a note of triumph.