Art
Susanna, a Neopolitan countess of the early 1800s, has a segreto, a secret: she smokes. Her husband, Count Gil, an obsessively jealous man — but a perfectly nice fellow in every other way — sniffs tobacco in the palace and draws a logical but preposterous conclusion: Susanna is having an affair with a man who smokes. The pair is at loggerheads, and more than willing to sing about it, courtesy of the great Enrico Wolf-Ferrari. Thus unravels the 15-minute intermezzo comic opera, Il Segretto di Susanna, to the merriment of all.
With a voice frequently compared to Joni Mitchell’s, Nancy Jephcote is gearing up for the release of a solo album this fall — but you can hear the Vineyard singer, songwriter and award-winning fiddler at a concert at 8 p.m. tonight, Friday, August 15, at Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven.
Well known for her work with the Flying Elbows fiddle band, songwriting has long been another side of this versatile performer’s offerings. Paul Thurlow and Brian Weiland will add instrumentals and vocal harmonies.
New Orleans’ legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a steward of the city’s vibrant cultural and musical heritage, has been touring regularly since 1963, bringing New Orleans music to the world. Tonight at 8 p.m. they will play at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs.
In collaboration with the Lois Mailou Jones–Pierre Noel Trust and the Featherstone Center for the Arts, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum is opening an exhibition of Lois Mailou Jones’s early work in textile design at the Featherstone gallery on Sunday, August 17, with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Built on Stilts Community Dance Festival celebrates its 12th year with seven nights of free performances August 15 to 19, 23 and 24 at the Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs.
In a one-day-only literary event Sunday, Elizabeth Dembrowsky will read from her forthcoming novel, My Monk in Garamond, soon to be published by Heliotrope Books, and Fran Sommers will read from her new play, Space, at 2 and again at 6 p.m. at Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven.
This inaugural reading August 17 will mark the beginning of Ms. Dembrowsky’s book tour and allow the audience the opportunity to hear from the debut novel of an innovative new writer. After each reading, Ms. Dembrowsky will take questions and discussion with the audience.