Holiday Specials

Politics Takes A Holiday As July 4th approaches, the folks at the Capitol Steps have been hard at work trying to come up with something, anything, to say about the new administration.  They say they've done it, but you be the judge. The Capitol Steps: Politics Takes A Holiday: July 4th Edition airs Friday at 3:30 and again at 10pm... and Saturday at 4:30pm Nothing is sacred when this long time D.C. based comedy group pokes fun at every party and every candidate. A Capitol Fourth 2009 Saturday, July 4 at 8pm ET The nation's biggest Independence Day celebration includes a musical and fireworks extravaganza 'live' from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Hosted by Jimmy Smits and NPR's Lisa Simeone, this year's A Capitol Fourth features Barry Manilow with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, international pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning cast of Jersey Boys, multi-Grammy Award-nominee Michael Feinstein, and acclaimed classical pianist Andrew von Oeyen.

2008 Blues Fest Highlights

Are you ready for some Blues? Highlights from the 2008 Marquette Area Blues Festival Saturday Nights at 11 ET The Marquette Area Blues Festival returns to Public Radio 90 Saturday nights with highlights from the 5th Annual Festival last September. Marquette's Mattson Lower Harbor Park was once again the scene for the Labor Day Weekend festival, and blues acts from around the country and the U.P. had the park rockin'.  Re-live sets featuring the Stevie Ray Vaughan-like magic of Texas guitarist Eric Tessmer, Michigan's own delightfully smooth Johnnie Bassett, some Louisiana charm from Tab Benoit,  and the one-of-a-kind former trucker - and current watermelon farmer - Watermelon Slim. We'll also hear from Nora Jean Bruso, Erin Jaimes, Motor City Josh, and the Delta Jets, as well as local bands including The Flat Broke Blues Band, The Red, White, & Blues Band, and the On The Spot Blues Band.  Join host Hans Ahlstrom and special guests Festival Director Mark Stonerock and Entertainment Committee Chair Walt Lindala Saturday nights at 11 for highlights from the 2008 Marquette Area Blues Festival.

2009 Pine Mountain Music Festival

The Pine Mountain Music Festival has been enchanting audiences around the Upper Peninsula for the past 18 years and will do so again for the 19th season, themed "Anything Goes." Starting June 10, world-renowed artists in genres such as opera, classical recitals, chamber music, and popular music will be touring around the central and western U.P., as well as northwestern Wisconsin. This year's lineup is just as rich as previous years, with some returning artists and several new ones. Just as they did for the past 14 seasons, the well-known and loved Berfonzi String Quartet will be joining the lineup of PMMF artists. So named for the illustrious violin maker Carlo Bergonzi, the quartet has been regarded highly all over the United States and several places around the world. Joining them this season is clarinet player Margaret Donaghue for a special performance of Brahm's Clarinet Quniet. This year's operal, Cimarosa's highly entertaining farce The Secret Marriage is about mistaken identity and the consequences of keeping secrets. Composed at the time of Mozart, the opera follows the zany actions of mismatched couples and ends happily. The fesruval welcomes the Ellen Rowe Trio for several exciting evenings of Jazz in the Concert Hall! Paul Keller, Pet Siers and Ellen Rowe are all Michigan residents and three of the finest jazz musicians in the state. This versatile trio will play both standards and original material. Jerry DePuit after last summer's triumphant Richard Rodgers in Revue to lead us through an evening of Cole Porter's work in Cole Porter in Revue. Organist and Menominee native Christina Harmon is welcomes back to the festival to perform pieces from Bach, Saint Saens, Bolcom and more. The dynamic music making of Stas Venglevski and Misha Litvin is new to the festival. Stas and Misha offer performances of music from classical to folk and back again. The Resident Chamber Musicians, including a string quartet and a woodwind quinet, will be in residence for three weeks and promise to bring great music to the concert hall in several performances. For more information about the 2009 season or to order tickets, visit the festival website at www.pmmf.org or call (888) 309-7861

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