Three Easy Ways to Celebrate the Holidays... Anthem-Style

 Happy December!  

It's that time again. If you want a low-key holiday closer to home, Anthem has three relatively quiet events the whole family can enjoy with a minimum of fuss.

Holiday in the Park
Friday, December 7, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Anthem Community Park lights up your life! Meet friends and neighbors for some holiday cheer. Sing carols, sip hot chocolate, and ride the Daisy Mountain Railroad.  Click HERE for more info.

Holiday Extravaganza with Santa And Mrs. Claus
Saturday, December 8, 9:00 a.m. to noon
Join Girl Scout Troop 2422 at Safeway Regency Center for oodles of fun, fun, fun! Bring a non-perishable food item to donate, in exchange for oodles of fun with Santa and Mrs. Claus--and the elves! Enjoy singalongs, storytelling, crafts, a cakewalk, facepainting... and more! Bring your own camera for pictures with Santa.



Enter the 2012 Anthem Holiday Lights Contest
Let your creativity shine, but be sure to do so by the Friday, December 14 deadline! Prizes will be awarded in two categories: Classical Design, traditional light displays, and Sights and Sounds of the Holidays, for light displays synched with music. Homes will be judged the week of December 17. Register here.

A Little Farther Afield . . .
If you don't mind a little driving, Linda and Dr. Dick Buscher have done a stellar job summarizing the best holiday events in the North Valley, in their article in last week's In&Out Magazine / Anthem News.

A word about our sources. We thank and credit the talented publishers, writers, and photographers who first listed these events In their unique ways they provide an incredible service to the Anthem community and help to make it the vibrant and friendly place we all call home. We couldn’t blog without you! Find out more about the who, what, and where of Anthem at: www.onlineatanthem.com , http://www.freedomwaymagazine.com , www.imagesaz.com , and www.ioanthem.com .

 

Posted by Doreen Drew

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Four Great Bands: Anthem’s Free Music in May

Welcome summer with Anthem’s Music in May Free Concert Series!  Stroll out as the sun starts to set. There’s something for every musical taste this year at the Anthem Community Park Amphitheater 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. every Friday in May.

Friday, May 4:  Chuck Hall Band – Rhythm & Blues
Band members (l. to r. below): Chuck Hall, Ron James, John Willis
Photo by Ulf Jonsson, from band's website


These veteran musicians have opened for Albert Collins, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Gregg Allman, and several other respected musical acts. Named “Best Blues Guitarist” in Arizona two years in a row and inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame in 2000, Hall and his band deliver a unique blend of rhythm and blues originals and covers.


Friday, May 11:  Thaddeus Rose Band – Variety from the ‘40s to Today
Band members (l. to r. below): Tony Commisso, Thaddeus Rose, Chris Cannella, Jerry Gray
Photo from band's website, photographer unknown


Versatile musical composer and producer Thaddeus Rose, previously with Arizona’s popular ‘90s band Isotopes, performs a variety of musical genres with his three-piece show band.



Friday, May 18:  The Instant Classics (TIC) – Classic Rock, Oldies, Country, Disco, Hip-Hop
Band members: Caleb, Christine, Todd, Brian, Nick
Photo from band's website, photographer unknown


There’s no genre this six-piece band can’t do! Featuring male and female vocals and an extensive catalogue of covers, TIC tailors gigs to any crowd or event. Named a New Times Best of Phoenix Winner, they play regularly at the Blue Martini Lounge in Phoenix.


Friday, May 25:  That Kool Band, “Arizona’s Favorite Party Band” – ‘50s-‘80s Tributes
Band members' names unavailable; photo from band's website, photographer unknown


Featuring great harmonies and guitar, That Kool Band will have you up on your feet with everything from rock, pop, Motown, doo-wop, British Invasion hits, disco and beach standards! Be warned: “People have reported a euphoria that lasts for days…” after shows.


Music in the air, sunsets, picnic dinner, friends and family… What’s not to love at Music in May?
See you there!

Sponsorship:  To sponsor Music in May, please contact Michele DeMichele, Special Events Director, at mdemichele@anthemcouncil.com or 623-742-4510.
Much information in this article is taken from Online at Anthem.

Posted by Doreen Drew

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Starlight Community Theater Shines in Anthem

It’s hard to believe another school year is winding down! As you plan your summer, check out Anthem’s own Starlight Community Theater for something new, fun, and educational.

Serving the community since 2006, Starlight Community Theater is dedicated to providing live theater experiences on and off the stage, for youth and adults. In addition to the run of their final production of the 2011–12 season, Once Upon A Mattress, Starlight offers a summer Acting Workshop for all ages, "Acting and Composition" – brought to the North Valley by the highly esteemed Pasha W. Yamotahari of Phoenix Theater. Camp Rising Star offers two sessions producing Disney plays The Jungle Book Kids and The AristoCats Kids. See Starlight's Calendar here. (For Discount Rates on Workshops and Camp Sessions, or to support the theater, become a Starlight Member!)

Once Upon a Mattress – based on the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea
According to the Starlight Community Theater's website, it may not have been a pea that kept the Princess awake! You will be "carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans!" You can still catch the final performances of the season:

Friday, April 27, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 28, 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 29, 3:00 p.m.
Suite #B-119, Safeway Center
3655 W Anthem Way, Anthem

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, and can be purchased through PayPal online at www.StarlightCommunityTheater.org or at the door (cash only). For group sales, please contact the ticket manager at StarlightTickets@hotmail.com. Midfirst Bank will match $1,000 in support of Starlight Community Theater. Your small change can make a big difference!  Check under your mattress and bring your loose coin donations to the performance.

Acting Workshop 2012 (for ages 7 and up) – Acting and Composition
Fine tune your acting skills with this workshop dedicated to strengthening your body, your characters’ emotional reveal and its relation to objects on stage. Led by Pasha W. Yamotahari, this workshop puts emphasis on using creativity and physical storytelling to take command of your character in relation to the world you’re in.

May 19, 2012, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Workshop Tuition is $50 for non-members, $40 for members
Suite #B-119, Safeway Center
3655 W Anthem Way, Anthem

Camp Rising Star (Get Registration Forms for Jungle Book here and for AristoCats here.)


Session One: Disney's The Jungle Book Kids
June 11 – 22, 9 am – 12 pm M-F & 1 pm – 4 pm T & Th
Performances: June 23 @ 3 pm & 7 pm
Ages 7 – 16
$250 for members, $275 for non-members
Sibling Discount – $25 off full tuition per additional student living in same household


Session Two: Disney's The AristoCats Kids
July 9 – 20, 9 am – 12 pm, M-F
Performances: July 21 @ 3 pm & 7 pm
Ages 6 - 14
$225 for non-members, $200 for members
Sibling Discount – $25 off full tuition per additional student living in same household

Support this excellent organization. Find out about Starlight Community Theater's sponsorship opportunities here.

Posted by Doreen Drew

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Musical Theatre of Anthem: Quality Performance Art in Our Own Back Yard

Have you heard… about our very own Musical Theatre of Anthem? MTA is an unsung treasure, offering performance art training and practice for all ages and enhancing the community. It certainly bears mention… and a lot of appreciation!

Hurry, hurry! The next presentation, and a great family night out, is Disney’s Aladdin, happens this week at Boulder Creek High School Mini Auditorium! Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie will take you into a world of magic carpets and just plain magic. Playing October 13–15 at 7:00 p.m., with matinee performances at 3:00 October 15 and 16 (matinee only that day). This presentation is sure to please children—and kids at heart. Check out the rest of the 2011–12 season, at http://www.musicaltheatreofanthem.org/season.html. Musical Theatre of Anthem has many more great plays planned.


MTA’s mission, according to their website www.musicaltheatreofanthem.org, is “to develop youth and adults within the field of performing arts while enhancing their intrinsic creativity and brokering their vast talents. MTA trains and educates youth so they can become the artists, patrons, and leaders of tomorrow while providing opportunities to adults to empower them and foster their creativity.” How lucky are we here in Anthem?

MTA began in 2008 when Jackie and Jeff Hammond decided to bring their considerable strengths in business and theatre together to form a great theatre experience here in Anthem. Jeff Hammond, Managing Director, currently works in the technologies department of a Fortune 500 financial services company. He graduated with honors from San Francisco State University and earned an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Colorado.

Producing Artistic Director Jackie Stewart Hammond brings twenty years of music and theatre teaching experience to MTA. A musician in her own right, she is a graduate of San Jose State University, where she majored in Creative Arts and minored in Musical Theatre. She also studied a wide range of performing arts at the American Musical Theatre Artists' Institute. You can read more about MTA and its founders at http://www.musicaltheatreofanthem.org/about.html.

From its humble beginnings, MTA has rapidly flourished here in Anthem to become a Musical Theatre we can be proud of. Its quality is obvious from its impressive list of awards, including: Two 2010–11 Season AriZoni Awards, and 16 nominations; Nickelodeon's Parents Connect Parents' Picks Award for Best Theatre Group for Kids in Arizona; the 2011 National Youth Arts Awards for Outstanding Production; Outstanding Ensemble – Junior Division; and several other awards for specific actors.

Hats off to our talented, hard-working neighbors, Jeff and Jackie Hammond!

Posted by Doreen Drew

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Welcome Autumn in Style at Anthem, AZ Autumnfest!

Well, it's almost that time of the year again… I'm talking about Fall! After so many days over 110 degrees, I'm sure everyone is ready to welcome this beautiful season. I can already feel it in the air. Here in Anthem, we are privileged to have the Anthem Autumnfest to help usher in the best time of the year. This dates of our fourth annual Autumfest this year fall on the weekend of October 22-23 in Anthem Community Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with rides lighting up the sky into the night.

I can just smell the popcorn and cotton candy now… that’ll be the eagerly anticipated Frazier Show Carnival making one of its semi-annual Anthem appearances. Brave the rides and ferris wheel or just stroll and greet friends. You’ll find many other activities for the whole family, including a Pumpkin Patch, where you can purchase and decorate your Halloween pumpkin. Start your Christmas shopping early at the Arts and Crafts Fair. Kids will enjoy many activities in the Kids Zone, featuring inflatables, pony rides, barrel rides, and hay rides. Sounds like fun to me!

After all that activity, you may work up quite an appetite. Not to worry! There’s always the Food Court and Rotary Beer Garden—for those who have acquired that taste. And don’t forget to plan ahead for the ever-popular Autumnfest Chili Cook-Off and the Apple Pie Baking Contest, both hosted by Anthem Neighborhood Watch. These are sure to be a lot of fun, and delicious too! If you want to compete in either of these contests, the sign-up deadline is October 12, 5 p.m. All the information you need to sign up, plus the rules, are at www.onlineatanthem.com. It's free, and it’s sure to be great fun, so dig into your recipe box and get started!

Help usher in our beautiful Anthem Autumn. By October, the weather should be perfect. And fall’s a great time to get out to our incredible park and meet your friends and neighbors for a fun-filled day at Anthem Autumnfest… See you there!

Posted by Doreen Drew

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