The Great Northern Theatre Company is once again producing a “cabin fever reliever” with their winter dinner theater “The Whole Ninth Floor” by Richard Seff. Local actors involved in the production include Aaron Trompeter, Rice, and Matthew Toumi, Sauk Rapids. A retro comedy set in the 1960s, it highlights a talent agency which is competing with the high rollers on Madison Avenue in New York City. Four talent agents try to find “the next big star” to get their 10 percent cut of the clients’ earnings. Shows will be held Feb. 12, 13, 14 (with two shows on Valentine’s Day), 18, 19 and 20 at the Blue Heron, 305 5th Ave. S., Cold Spring. Head to www.gntc1.com for more information.
Amanda Neubauer, Sauk Rapids, has been named to the dean’s list for academic excellence during the fall 2015 semester at South Dakota State University’s College of Arts and Sciences in Brookings. To earn this distinction, students must earn a minimum 3.5 grade-point average.
Crystal Winkelman, Sauk Rapids, a senior at St. Cloud State University, has been awarded the Center for Global Education and Experience’s Diversity Scholarship for her participation in its 2016 spring semester program in Mexico.
Winkelman, a social-work major, was awarded the $500 scholarship which focuses on social work.
The mission of the program is to develop cross-culturally competent, ethical social-work professionals with a global perspective by providing a semester of transformative, experiential learning focused on social and economic justice. St. Cloud State partners with the CGEE at Augsburg College in Minneapolis for this program.
Students live in the Center for Global Education study center for several weeks of the program and also participate in a local home-stay for several weeks.
The Central Minnesota Arts Board recently awarded $85,886 in support of 17 regional-arts projects. Three criteria are used in evaluating applications: artistic quality and merit; ability of the organization; and the needs of the community.
Applicants may request up to $7,000 with a 30-percent match required for any one project or combined projects totaling no more than $7,000 in any one grant round. Funding for these CMAB Grants is provided through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the state’s general fund, and its Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund created by the voters of Minnesota.
- Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota, $3,262, to provide Learning and Literacy through the Arts programming for nine hours during 12 weeks focused on providing academic gains as wells as increasing engagement in the arts both in the club and community.
- Central Minnesota Youth Orchestra, $5,632, for German Expressions educational program and concert offered to grade-school-age students in the spring of 2016. The student concert will be comprised of three ensembles that will perform German pieces from many eras at St. Cloud State University in April.
- Chamber Music Society of St. Cloud, $7,000, Calmus, a German vocal quintet, will conduct community outreach programs for students and adults and a concert on April 9 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud.
- Great River Educational Arts Theatre, $7,000, for the production of Mary Poppins featuring breathtaking dance numbers, astonishing special effects and musical hits Jan. 15-24 at Escher Auditorium, Benedicta Art Center in St. Joseph.
- Minnesota Center Chorale, $4,293, Postcards from Minnesota concert with guests St. Johns Boys’ Choir Sunday, Feb. 21 at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.
- Minnesota Dance Ensemble, $7,000, In These Shoes modern-dance production on April 29 at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.
- Oak Ridge Elementary School-Sartell-St. Stephen School District, $5,114, MathsmARTs program using dance and visual arts to improve the attitude and proficiency of students in both math and the arts, February through May 2016 at Pine Meadow and Oak Ridge Elementary.
- Paramount Arts Resource Trust, $7,000, Requiem for the Living concert that will perform a brand new 45-minute choral and orchestral music work prepared by the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota in April 2016 at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.
- St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra, $7,000, to perform a concert entitled The Anniversary that will feature the 2016 Young Performer Competition winner and Great River Chorale, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19 in Ritsche Auditorium at SCSU.
- St. John’s University – Fine Arts, $7,000, Red Baraat performances and workshops Jan. 22-Feb. 22. Red Baraat will perform for the St. Cloud Veterans’ Affairs Health Systems, lead a range of music workshops for college students as well as youth at the St. Cloud Children’s Home and provide a public performance at Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, College of Saint Benedict, Collegeville in February.
- The St. John’s Boys’ Choir, $4,917, KidSing festival that consists of gathering more than 200 area students for a day of singing, socializing and a public performance Jan. 9 at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School Performing Arts Center in Sauk Rapids.
- Visual Arts Minnesota, $5,226, 36th annual High School Exhibition and Competition that will feature the art works of students from Central Minnesota high schools in the Paramount Theatre Lobby, St. Cloud March 22-April 18.
- Wirth Center for the Performing Arts, $7,000, School of Rock summer camp is for students in grades 6-12 to learn the art of being a musician in a rock band. Camp consists of six three-hour sessions in which the students interact and learn from professional musicians and perform a public concert in August at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.
- Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota, $4,157, Youth Sing Out concert featuring more than 200 Central Minnesota singers from the Youth Choral of Central Minnesota Mixed and Women’s Chorales, St. John’s Boys’ Choir Junior Varsity and Concert Choir, and Cantabile Girls’ Choristers and Concert Choir May 1 at Ritsche Auditorium, SCSU.
