Who says that wines have to cost a fortune and come from California or France.  You can get some award wining wines right here is Wisconsin.  The winery has a great tour and Philippe and Julie do a wonderful job with attention to detail in their wine making.

Come and take a tour soon and enjoy an award winning bottle of wine from Wisconsin.

There are so many things celebrating a birthday or anniversary this year.  The Golden Gate Bridge is 75 years old.  Hope I look that good  when I’m 75.

The Peace Corp is 50 this year.  I remember when President Kennedy called for people to help.  Today it seems that my generation is taking a look at the Peace Corp as a way to pay back for all that we have received.

Les Miserables turned 25 this year.  So many memories of this show.  Cat’s also is 25 and I’ll be seeing it next week and Overture Center in Madison.  Saw it in New York 22 years ago.  One of my favorite shows.  Oh what a birthday party that was.

Well I must be feeling old today with this walk down memory lane.  Have a great day.

I loved it when they started to go out into the audience.  We have seats at the end of the 6th row, and I ended up looking one of them in the face for a minute and then he had his hand on my head as he looked around the room.  Never realized that they had a camera on stage following guys so I was on the big screen also.

The finale was amazing when they toss the lighted balls out into the audience and everyone is tossing them around, then they shoot toilet paper into the air, srteamers come down from the ceiling and big tubes of fabric are blowing over the audience.  When they light go out they arsk that you please gently return their balls to the stage.

There are still tickets available for the show at Overture Center in Madison.  If you ever have a chance to see Blue Man Group go and see them, you’ll enjoy it I’m sure.

Don’t forget that the Overture Center is only 22 minutes from Naeset-Roe Inn and after a restful nights sleep you’ll get a fabulous breakfast to start your day.

I want to thank all of you that have shown your support while I have been in my recovery.  Your prayers and well wishes are greatly appreciated.

Look forwward to seeing you again at Naeset-Roe Inn soon.

I’ve been experimenting with new recipes so look for some new things at the breakfast table.

Tony Rice Unit
Fri. May, 6 2011 7:30pm
Tickets: $30
About Tony Rice Unit
We’re willing to bet that most flatpickers remember the first time they heard Tony Rice play their reaction was similar to ours — a mouth opened in astonishment. Such power, tone, timing, and fluidity coming from one acoustic guitar, thus the reason for asking him to return to the Opera House. Even today, after hearing countless great flatpickers, there’s still something about Tony Rice’s playing that sets him apart. Tony Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz-influenced new acoustic music, to songwriter-oriented folk. Over the course of his career, he has played alongside J.D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman, led his own groups, collaborated with fellow picker Norman Blake, Peter Rowan and recorded with his brothers. With grace, technical skill, and exquisite taste and timing, Rice is still growing. The Current Tony Rice Unit line-up: Tony and Wyatt Rice, guitars; Rickie Simpkins, fiddle; Josh Williams, mandolin; Bryn Davies, bass

Michael Hecht presents: Walt Whitman and Norman Rcokwell
Sat. May 7, 2011 1:00pm
Free-will donation at door – General Admission
About Michael Hecht presents: Walt Whitman and Norman
Are they so popular that we ignore them? A soft talk about these two great artists and their creative expressions about American and its citizens. An introduction to ‘reading’ both a poem and a picture.

St Anns Drama Club
Friday May 20, Sat May 21st 7pm
theme & price tbd.
About St Anns Drama Club
Call St Ann’s School for ticket information (608) 873-3343

For the last few years, St Anns Drama Club has been delighting audiences of all ages with their colorful end of year musicals at the Opera House. Past performances include Willy Wonka Jr, Alladin & Alice in Wonderland. Keep an eye out for this years theme, as it is an end of school-year treat for the whole family.

Stoughton Chamber Singers – America Sings
Sun. May 22, 2011 7pm
Tickets TBA – General Admission
About Stoughton Chamber Singers – America Sings
From the original anthems of William Billings during the American Revolution to the 20th Century’s George Hershwin, the United States has given rise to its own unique style of music. Come join the singers to listen to, to learn about, and to celebrate our American musical heritage.

Fox Prairie School presents: A Wisconsin History
Wed May 25 & Thurs May 26, 2011 6:30pm
Free Will Donation at the Door
About Fox Prairie School presents: A Wisconsin History
Performed by the talented 5th grade students from Fox Prairie, this will be a musical performance celebrating the people and the in history of Wisconsin

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society
June 10 & 24, 2010 7:30pm
Tickets sold by Bach Dancing and Dynamite Societ
About Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society
Chamber Music with a Bang

Tickets available from Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society
Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society’s Website

As always if you like this information and want to share it with your friends click any of the icons below.  To leave a comment you will need to create an account.  Your information will not be shared with anyone.

On Tuesday, March 15th, the Stoughton High School Band Department invites you its spring concert.

Both bands will perform, as well as several chamber ensembles and solos.

It is at 7pm in the high school performing arts center, this concert is free and open to the public.

Featured composers are Clifton Williams, Richard Saucedo, Wisconsin composer Pierre La Plante, and others.

These kids are great, you’ll enjoy them.

Iris DeMent
Sat. April 2, 2011 7:30pm
Tickets: $30
About Iris DeMent
Artists like Iris DeMent aren’t supposed to exist anymore in this cynical world. Singing unironically about family, forgiveness, and other real-life mysteries, DeMent has established herself as a straightforward singer/songwriter with the ability to touch the heart and soul of an audience.

Her songs, performed on piano and guitar, are punctuated by humorous anecdotes which intensify an audience’s vulnerability to the gripping message of those songs.

You might say that DeMent came by her lonesome-country-gospel sound naturally. She was born in Arkansas, but when she was just 3, her family moved to California after their farm failed. But her Pentecostal parents were steeped in the country, gospel and folk music of the South, so at times it seems that DeMent’s heart-rending vocals seem like they almost stem from ancestral memory. And her songs overflow with the yearning and hopefulness of the gospel hymns she sang as a child.

DeMent has confirmed that, when she was growing up, “I was around singers: my parents, their friends, my family members who would dig down, and go as far down as you can, and let it all come out and my mother was one of those kinds of singers.” (and so is Iris)

She sings about life’s inescapable beginnings and endings: its meaning, our social fabric and our shortcomings. Her albums, marked by great songwriting, honest presentation and resonant vocals, have received wide critical acclaim. Iris has toured extensively in the United States and Europe to enthusiastic receptions. She has appeared in support of John Prine, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin and Tom Petty. Her television and radio appearances include The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Conan O’Brien Show, Austin City Limits and A Prairie Home Companion.

Don’t miss Iris. She is a brilliant songwriter and heart-piercing singer

Visit Iris DeMent’s Website

Emmitt-Nershi Band
Fri. April 8, 2011 7:30pm
Tickets: $30
About Emmitt-Nershi Band
With years of collective experience under their belts, Drew Emmitt and Bill Nershi exemplify the forward-thinking modern bluegrass musician. As linchpins of two legendary jam-bands -Drew with Leftover Salmon, Bill with the String Cheese Incident-both men have done the stadium-filling, high-profile rock ‘n’ roll thing to perfection. Along the way, however, they’ve honed their songwriting and playing chops and studied the bluegrass, rock and jazz masters they admire. Their newest quartet – with Emmitt on mandolin, Nershi on guitar, Tyler Grant on bass and Andy Thorn on banjo – is a bluegrass band that’s much more grassroots – Think less stadium show, more up-close-and-intimate-with-your-fans.

Above all, Drew and Bill have shared a commitment to keeping music human-scaled and honest. Those qualities are found in abundance on their latest and greatest collaboration, “New Country Blues.” On this album and in concert, ENB delivers a dynamic blend of bluegrass, newgrass, country and Americana that appeals to fans of these genres and more.

Visit The Emmitt-Nershi Band’s Website

Adrian Legg
Sat. April 9, 2011 7:30pm
Tickets: $25
About Adrian Legg
If you are not familiar with Adrian Legg, allow us to describe to you what kind of player he is. First of all, he is unlike any guitarist you have ever heard. He uses various tunings and quite often changes tunings mid-song. He may be described as a finger style player, but he incorporates virtually every genre on his guitar in a virtuosic instrumental style with effects. He plays custom guitars that are a hybrid of electric and acoustic, and his fingerstyle picking technique has been acknowledged by the readers of Guitar Player who voted Legg the “best acoustic fingerstyle” player four years in a row (1993-1996) and has been Voted “Guitarist of the Decade” by Guitarist magazine. Adrian is one of the few guitarists that you could describe as a technical wizard but still has the uncanny ability to write tender and touching music, definitely a lost art. From his early start as a bench technician customising electric guitars, he’s played at the Montreux Jazz Festival and toured with Richard Thompson, David Lindley, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai.

He’s also shared the wealth of his talent and experience with teaching DVDs, videos and books. In recent years, he has also been a commentator-at-large for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered”, and even more recently, regular listeners have heard his guitar versions of the show’s theme music Vai called Legg “Uncle Adrian” and Satriani said of Legg’s musicianship “He’s simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard. I don’t know anyone else who can create such a cascade of beautiful notes… Adrian plays like he’s got hammers for fingers.”

Visit Adrian Legg’s Website

Opera for the Young presents Pirates of Penzance
With Kegonsa Elementary
Sun. April 10, 2011 1:30pm – $5 at the door
About Opera for the Young presents Pirates of Penzance
Welcome aboard, matey! Join in the fun as the Pirate King, Ruth, and Frederic meet Mabel and the Major General for some olde English merriment. Romance blossoms, loyalty is put to the test and mistakes are forgiven in this “jolly good” adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic masterpiece. With its zany word play and physical comedy, The Pirates of Penzance is an excellent springboard for discussion of time-honored values such as honesty, integrity, and respect for commitment. Local Kegonsa Elementary students from will perform on stage as the chorus of rollicking pirates, carefree wards, and timid police constables.

Opera for the Young brings live, professional opera to audiences with an annual Fall and Spring tours. All productions are fully staged, sung in English and adapted especially for kids.

Visit Opera For the Young’s Website

The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Thurs. April 14, 2011: 3pm & 7pm
Tickets: $30
About The Glenn Miller Orchestra
With its unique jazz sound, The Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time. The band was originally formed in 1937 by Glenn Miller and was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony. The band became very popular and recorded a number of chart successes – among these were the ever-popular, “Moonlight Serenade”, “In the Mood”, “Tuxedo Junction”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo.” In 1944, while traveling to entertain U.S. troops in France during World War II, Miller’s plane disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel and was never to be found.

The music lives on as the present orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world. They seem to open a portal to the past, evoking the spirit of Miller who loved nothing more than great music. Glenn Miller’s music reconfirms that great music has no time limitations and good things just don’t end! Trombonist Larry O’Brien is the orchestra’s present musical director. Don’t miss these shows with the masters of swing. It will be a memory to last a lifetime.

Visit the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s Website

Harry Manx
Fri. April 15, 2011 7:30pm
Tickets: $25
About Harry Manx
He’s been called the “Mysticssippi blues man” and the “essential link” between the music of East and the West.” Whatever you call Harry Manx, he’s a one-of-a-kind musician. Combining the sensuality of traditional blues with transcendent Eastern sounds, Harry creates a unique sound and atmosphere that is hard to resist and deliciously addictive, which is precisely the reason we asked him to return to the Opera House for yet another one of his exceptional performances.

Born on the Isle of Man, he immigrated to Canada as a child, played blues slide guitar all over Europe, lived in Japan, and then studied and toured with the great Indian mohan-veena player V.M. Bhatt. He also plays a lap-slide guitar, a modified banjo or cigar-box guitar and he sings with a rich, warm, and soulful voice. He covers everything from Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix and writes intelligent and compassionate songs. Now he lives in British Columbia and writes original songs — short stories that use the essence of the blues and the depth of Indian melody to draw you in. It’s in the live setting, Harry says, that the bridge between “heavenly” India and “earthy” American blues is most effectively built.

“Indian music moves inward,” Harry Manx explains. “It’s traditionally used in religious ceremonies and meditation, because it puts you into this whole other place. But Western music has the ability to move out, into celebration and dance. So when we play the Indian material on stage, it has the tendency to draw people into something really deep; they’ll get kind of quiet and spacey. Then we’ll play some more Western music, and it grounds them once more, they sort of come out of the mood the Indian music had put them in and get into the performance. I love to see that working — that effect on an audience”

Visit Harry Manx’s Website

Janis Ian and Tom Paxton
Sat. April 30, 2010 7:30pm
Tickets: $30
About Janis Ian and Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton: Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community. In describing Tom Paxton’s influence on his fellow musicians, Pete Seeger has said: “Tom’s songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they’re becoming part of America.”

An internationally recognized and loved cultural figure, he has always chosen goodwill over commercial success. Over the past half-century, his songs have experienced enduring appeal, including modern standards such as “The Last Thing on My Mind”, “Bottle of Wine”, “Whose Garden Was This?”, “The Marvelous Toy”, and “Ramblin’ Boy”. Paxton’s songs have been recorded by Pete Seeger and The Weavers, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Harry Belafonte, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio, John Denver, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Flatt & Scruggs, and many others. Tom received a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2007 and in 2006.

Paxton’s place in folk music is secured not just by hit records and awards, but by the admiration of three generations of fellow musicians. Don’t miss the chance to experience to this legendary musician who wrote and lives the words, “Peace will come, and let it begin with me.”
Visit Tom Paxton’s Website

Janis Ian: The life and experience of a songwriter like Janis Ian is forever woven into the fabric of her songs, and Janis has proven time and time again that what she feels and thinks and writes touches the hearts of those who listen. Janis Ian recorded “Society’s Child” in 1965 when she was just 14 years old. This song of interracial romance was a huge hit but was also very controversial in its time. By the 1970′s Janis Ian had become a respected and brilliant singer/songwriter who produced a series of excellent albums and single releases. Her song, “At Seventeen,” earned her five Grammy nominations in 1975 and she performed the song on the first episode of Saturday Night Live. At times her music can lull you and at other times make you think. To experience Janis Ian live will take an audience on a thoughtful and creative journey through her musical life and mind. It is a journey that is well worth the time.
Visit Janis Ian’s Website

Hand picked by Janis to open the show, Natalia Zukerman’s slithery bottleneck slide will lure you in with the very first lick-and once you’ve heard the tender resonance of her blues-folk melodies, you’ll sink even deeper into the intimate, sweetly sophisticated lyrics that layer her dexterously played tunes with tales of discovery, love, irreverence, and reinvention.

Natalia Zukerman, the daughter of classical musicians Eugenia and Pinchas Zukerman, found her musical self when she took up slide guitar. You can call her songs folk music if you like, but there’s jazz there too, and some sultry blues. She’s a real triple threat who combines a unique slide guitar sound with some extremely seductive vocals and fresh original songs that tie everything together into a real, honest whole. Says Andy Friedman of the New Yorker of Natalia’s multiple talents: “Natalia’s voice could send an orchid into bloom while her guitar playing can open a beer bottle with its teeth.”
Visit Natalia Zukerman’s Website

If you like this information and want to share it with your friends just click one of the icons below to share on Facebook, Twitter or by email.
to leave a comment you wil;l need to create and account.  Your information will not be shared with anyone.

Winter's End River Sunset by Steven Kozar

Get out of the cold and meet the artist Steven Kozar at Robert Rae Gallery, Friday – February 21, 2011, 5-9 pm.

Many Wisconsinites and people from all over the world know the great realist paintings of Steven Kozar.  Now you can see all of his remaining originals,  and meet Steven at Robert Rae Gallery.  All of the paintings are for sale and prints are also available.  This wonderful show and sale runs through February 20th, if you don’t get a chance to get there tonight.

This versitale artist will also be entertaining you with live music, accompanied by his son Andrew Kozar.

Refreshments will be served, so you can snack while you decide on which painting to purchase.

Robert Rae Gallery
184 W. Main Street
Stoughton, WI
608-577-0177
Open 7 days a week for you!

If you need something for the Scandinavian cook in you, they have a great grouping of jams and spreads.  Lefsa grills and rollers,Krumkake bakers and more. 

So weather you live in or make a trip to  Stoughton don’t miss the Winter Sale at Nordic Nook, 176 W. Main Street in Historic Downtown  Stoughton.

Patrice and Ardis in front of Nordic Nook