Strings & Stories to Tour Alaska in March
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: For more information or an interview, contact Linda Rosenthal at
linda.rosenthal@gmail.com, 917-545-7103
Tour Schedule:
March 12: Juneau schools
March 14: Naknek School Auditorium, 1pm
March 16: Fairbanks Northstar Borough Public Library, 2pm
March 17: Nenana Public Library
March 18-20: Quinhagak
March 20-22: Eek
March 22- 25: Aniak and Sleetmute
March 25-27: Nightmute
March 27-29: Tununak
March 30: Dutch Harbor, Burma Road Chapel, 7pm, sponsored by the Aleutian Arts Council (For additional local details, contact the school, library, or sponsor listed above.)
Linda Rosenthal, violinist, and Bill Blush, actor/storyteller, will share their unique and enchanting blend of music and storytelling in an all-Alaskan tour this March. Strings & Stories has entertained thousands of children throughout the Lower 48.
This two-person show combines music and theater in a delightful kaleidoscope of favorite children’s stories, classical music, whimsical mime, and improvisation. It is fast-paced, interactive, educational and fun for audiences of every age.
The idea for an Alaska-wide tour came after a successful performance at the Arctic Tern Festival in Yakutat last year. Rosenthal, who has lived in Juneau for the past thirty years, explained that “We enjoyed performing Strings & Stories in Yakutat so much that we decided that we wanted to share it with more Alaskans, especially those in smaller communities who have little or no access to live professional shows that are geared specifically toward youth and families.” Rosenthal and Blush are hoping to make the Alaska tour an annual event.
In addition to community performances, workshops for children will be held during school hours in the following communities: Quinhagak, Eek, Nightmute, and Tununak. Rosenthal and Blush teach the students the fundamentals of improvisation, theater and music as they apply to the art of storytelling.
Rosenthal created and premiered Strings & Stories for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1995. Designed for grades K-5, the program features familiar tales such as The Emperor’s
New Clothes and The Story of Ferdinand. Family programs include classic tales plus familiar children’s poems and limericks set to music.
Violinist Linda Rosenthal has performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia in recitals, as a soloist with orchestra and as a chamber musician. Based in Juneau Alaska, Rosenthal has also performed in virtually every corner our great State, from fishing villages and logging camps in Southeast Alaska to remote villages above the Arctic Circle. Rosenthal is the Founder and was for thirty years the Artistic Director of Juneau Jazz & Classics, an annual music festival that brings world-renowned jazz and classical artists to Juneau each May.
Actor Bill Blush, a native of Los Angeles, has performed Strings & Stories with Linda since 2000. He has been involved in all aspects of theater including acting, writing and directing. His works have enjoyed successful Southern California runs including This Above All, About What?, Curse You! and Ziggy’s Right. A love for comedy has prompted Blush to perform in and direct several improvisational troupes and, more recently, to venture onstage as a stand-up comedian.
The 2018 Strings & Stories Alaska Tour is made possible by generous support from Alaska Airlines, the Rasmuson Foundation, the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council, Juneau Community Foundation, Harper Arts Touring Fund, the Alaska State Council on the Arts and local sponsors, including the Aleutian Arts Council, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, Kuspuk School District, Lower Kuskokwim School District, Naknek Public Library with PenAir and the Nenana Public Library.
To learn more, visit http://linda-rosenthal.com/strings-stories/.
