The Northport Performing Arts Center (NPAC) has announced that auditions for their summer musical, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” will be held over Memorial Day Weekend. The musical is based on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and contains both original songs and songs from the movie. Auditioners will be asked to perform a cold reading from the script, learn a selection from a song in the show; and learn a short, simple dance.
Audition dates are Sunday, May 25 at 7 p.m. and Monday (Memorial Day) at 3 p.m., with call-backs on Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. Auditions will be held at the NPAC Auditorium complex in Northport Public School.
There are 18 named roles and an ensemble of both kids and adults. More details can be found on northportperformingarts.org. Doni Lystra just returned from the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) annual meeting and ballet competition in Pittsburgh. She is a past National President of the organization and is currently treasurer on the Board of Trustees. The NSAL was founded over 80 years ago and its mission is to assist promising young artists through competitions, financial assistance, master classes, mentoring, and career opportunities. It supports artists in the performing, visual, and literary arts. It supports over 1,500 artists and awards over $140,000 annually through competitions and scholarships. The prize in this year’s ballet competition was $15,000. Many thanks to Doni for her years of leadership and service to this organization.
Allan and Roberta Cohen are back from their trip to Sicily, where they visited Mount Etna, saw Greek and Roman ruins from 2500 years ago, many of which were still almost intact, visited several towns around the island and ate incredible meals. They enjoyed a wine tasting at a vineyard within sight of Mount Etna and when they told the vineyard owner that they live in Leelanau County in the summer, he responded that he was very familiar with the wines from our region and that he knew that many had won international recognition and awards for their quality and taste.
The Cohens also had a chocolate tasting in the town of Modica where they make chocolate bars that have a graininess to them because they use a cold process when they add the sugar. It is not melted into the chocolate when they are mixed together. The chocolate maker had unusual flavors including cinnamon, black pepper, lavender and avocado, among many others.
The food was delicious including many types of pasta, wonderfully fresh fish and seafood and a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on the premises or nearby. This is part of what they call the “slow food” cooking, similar to the “farm to table” concept in the U.S. There was plenty of local wine and flavorful olive oil. And then, of course, there was lots of shopping, especially in Taormina.
The Rule family cousins are gathered in Omena for the annual Spring Work Week, opening up the family cottage and doing some major projects. This year there are nine cousins, seven from out of town, from two generations. Luke Robinson is here from Cincinnati, James Wickemeyer from East Leroy, Michigan, John Cromartie from Kansas City, and four Oregonians, Steve Hessel, Mike Hessel, and Mike’s two sons, Scott and Colter Hessel. They are join Omena cousins Rink Smith and Debby Disch. The week also includes some fun times, including DJ Trivia at Knot Just a Bar on Wednesday.
If you are considering solar for your home or business, Leelanau Energy has an opportunity to assist with this move. Their recent partnership with Groundwork Access MI Solar will help strengthen the program in Leelanau County. There is an informational meeting at the Glen Lake Community Library at 7 p.m. tonight. There is also information on the Leelanau Energy website about the program. The deadline for signing up, which does not require that you follow through with completion, is May 31.
Leelanau Energy is a membersupported nonprofit that was founded in 2008 by a group of Northport area citizens who shared common a common interest in energy conservation and renewable energy. In 2019, it expanded to a county-wide mission, and is a diverse group of local citizens coming together to educate and advocate for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Mark your calendars for sure signs that the summer season is nigh. It’s going to be a very exciting Memorial Day weekend. The Leelanau Farmers Market opens in Suttons Bay next Saturday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. That same day is the annual Northport Cars in the Park Show, Leelanau County’s longest running auto show. The show opens at 10 am, with awards at 3 p.m.
