So much fun, so little time.
That's the happy dilemma facing New Year's revelers across Southeastern
New England, as they prepare to ring out 2003 and ring in 2004.
Four area cities -- Westerly, Newport, Fall River and New Bedford -- are
hosting First Night celebrations this week, with Fall River and New
Bedford each sponsoring the annual alcohol-free event for the 17th time.
Newport, meanwhile, is celebrating its first First Night.
Organizers say the event, which builds on Newport County's annual New
Year's Eve Festival, is a sign that the City-by-the-Sea is ready to step
up to the big leagues of year-end entertainment.
"First Night isn't just a one-time deal," says Charles Roberts,
executive director of First Night Newport. "It's a franchise that people
recognize from California to Cape Cod. It implies a certain level of
quality and commitment. We're proud to be a part of it."
In Providence, money troubles scuttled what would have been the city's
18th annual First Night festival. Fortunately, dire warnings of a "dark"
New Year's Eve in the Renaissance City proved premature.
After First Night officially bowed out in June, a coalition of local
artists and arts groups began planning their own New Year's celebration,
dubbed "Bright Night Providence."
Come Wednesday, Bright Night will swing into action with a 5:30 p.m.
ceremony at City Hall, followed by dozens of performances and activities
across downtown.
At the First Baptist Church at 75 North Main St., for example, the
playbill includes nationally known singer-raconteur Bill Harley (6:30
and 7:30 p.m.) and Celtic music stalwarts Pendragon (8:30 and 9:30).
Across town at Chestnut and Weybosset Streets, Beneficent Church is
hosting performances by jazz saxophonist Greg Abate (6 p.m.), the big
band group Swingtime (6-9 p.m.) and the flamenco-jazz ensemble Infusion
(9-11 p.m.).
Other highlights include a special 9 p.m.-to-midnight mini-WaterFire at
Waterplace Park, a New Year's Eve extravaganza by the Big Nazo Puppets
at the Providence Performing Arts Center (6, 8 and 10 p.m.) and
fireworks shot off at midnight from near State House.
So what's it gonna be?
Bright Night and Big Nazo in Providence? Step dancing and hip-hop in
Newport? Cambodian dancers and the Cat in the Hat in Westerly? Cajun
music and cabaret in Fall River? Portuguese fado and a laser light show
in New Bedford?
To help our readers decide, we've prepared a quick overview of the
area's major New Year's Eve celebrations. Enjoy -- and happy New Year!
*****
Bright Night Providence
Ask Big Nazo founder Erminio Pinque what he's planning for his year-end
"puppet extravaganza" at the Providence Performing Arts Center (220
Weybosset St.), and the answer can make your head spin.
"It's about the birth of a new year," he says. "So, of course, there's
going to be an egg -- in this case, a very big egg -- symbolizing the
year about to be born. And there will be two groups, the bird people and
the worm people, who fight for control of the egg. We also have a moon
that drops down from the rafters. And, of course, we'll have musicians."
Fortunately, linear storytelling isn't Big Nazo's strong suit.
Instead, the Providence-based puppet troupe has earned an international
reputation for its manic mix of offbeat humor and off-the-wall costumes
-- or what one reviewer described as a "combination of street cabaret,
variety freak show and Dali painting come to life."
Expect Big Nazo's trio of New Year's Eve PPAC performances, at 6, 8 and
10 p.m., to feature more of the same.
Other Bright Night offerings sound equally tempting.
At AS220 (95 Empire St.), you can catch storyteller Keith Munslow in the
downstairs cafe at 7 p.m., followed by back-to-back blasts of the Bright
Night Poetry Slam at 8 and 9 p.m. Upstairs, the Bright Night Film
Festival runs from 6 to 11 p.m.
The evening ends with an all-night dance party featuring Mahi Mahi,
Proteus and other bands.
At the RISD Auditorium (Providence riverwalk at Waterman Street),
FusionWorks (6 and 7 p.m.) and Dance Planet (8 and 9 p.m.) present
contemporary dance and hip-hop. At Grace Church (175 Mathewson St.), the
focus is on choral music, with performances by the Ocean State
Children's Choir (6 and 7 p.m.), The Choral Company (8 p.m.) and
WomanSpirit Rising (9 p.m.), a Cranston-based "feminist chorus."
For more exotic tastes, the new Cafe Tazza on Westminster Street (at
Union Street) is offering belly dancers and world music from 9 p.m. to
midnight.
Other Bright Night venues include the Fleet Skating Center, which is
offering discounted admission all day, and the RISD Museum (224 Benefit
St.) and Providence Children's Museum (100 South St.), both free until
closing at 5 p.m.
Don't forget the mini-WaterFire at Waterplace Park, from 9 p.m. to
midnight. And at midnight, fireworks will be shot off near the State
House. Bright Night organizer Mark Binder says that because of the
site's perch atop Smith Hill, the display will be visible in many parts
of downtown.
Tickets for Bright Night Providence are $10 per person, or $35 for a
group of four. Festival-goers must be wearing a Bright Night wristband
to gain access to most Bright Night sites, although admission to the
mini-WaterFire at Waterplace park is free and open to all.
Tickets are available at all BankRI branches, the Providence Place mall
customer service desk and online at
www.ArtTixRI.com. For more information on Bright Night sites and
performers call (401) 351-2596 or visit the event's Web site at
www.brightnight.org.
*****
First Night Newport
Delta blues, Irish step dancing and teen-friendly soul and hip-hop are
among the offerings at this year's First Night Newport. The 5 p.m.-to-1
a.m. event marks the first time the city has hoisted the First Night
banner over its annual New Year's Eve celebration.
"It's a big step up for us," says director Charles Roberts. "It means
we're part of a network with a national reputation and a lot of
experience in putting on exciting family-oriented festivals."
And when Roberts says "family-oriented," he means the whole family.
In fact, in a bid to satisfy hard-to-please teenagers, First Night
Newport has teamed up with music promoter Catz Entertainment to present
a special "teen concert" at the Jane Pickens Theatre on Washington
Square from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Performers include ex-Dream Street
heartthrob Greg Raposo, hip-hop dance troupe Off the Curb and female
soul and R&B quartet Jada.
Another highlight is the annual fireworks display over Newport Harbor.
This year's pyrotechnics start at 9:15 p.m., with jazz singer LeRoy
White leading a procession from City Hall to the harbor, beginning at 9
p.m.
In all, 19 First Night Newport sites are hosting everything from Irish
step dancing (5:15 and 5:45 p.m. at the Gateway Visitors Center, 23
America's Cup Ave.) to folk music (5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m. at the Seaman's
Church Institute, Bowen's Wharf) to classical music (5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m.
at the Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave.) to big band jazz with
Swinglane (10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Emmanuel Church, 40 Dearborn St.).
Admission to First Night Newport is $7, free for children 5 and under.
First Night buttons can be purchased at many locations in and around the
city, including the Walrus & the Carpenter in Middletown, Baker's
Pharmacy in Jamestown and Gateway Visitors Center in Newport.
For more information, call (401) 848-2400 or visit
www.firstnightnewport.org.
*****
First Night Westerly
This is Westerly's 9th annual First Night celebration. And according to
organizers, it also promises to be the biggest.
"We did very well last year," says First Night chair Mary Lou Serra.
"That meant we started with more money than usual this year. It also
convinced many of our donors to increase their contributions."
The fun starts in the afternoon, with an appearance by The Cat in the
Hat from 3 to 5:45 p.m. at the Westerly Public Library (44 Broad St.)
and a special "children's carnival" at the Westerly-Pawcatuck YMCA (95
High St.) from 3 to 6:15.
Other highlights include performances by traditional Cambodian dancers
(8:30-9:30 p.m. at the Westerly Public Library) and a midnight countdown
and fireworks display outside the Westerly Post Office.
Admission to First Night Westerly is $10, except for children age 2 or
younger. First Night buttons can be purchased at many locations,
including Washington Trust Co., the Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Chamber
of Commerce, the Westerly Sun and the Westerly-Pawcatuck Chamber of
Commerce.
Buttons are also available at the Charlestown, North Kingstown and South
Kingstown chambers of commerce and the Stonington (Conn.) Community
Center. For more information, call (401) 596-7761 or visit
www.firstnightwesterly.org.
*****
First Night Fall River
First Night or Wedding Night? At this year's 17th annual First Night
Fall River, it's a little bit of both.
In addition to the usual array of art exhibits, film screenings and
musical and comedy performances, organizers have added something new: a
wedding. Between 6:30 and 7 p.m., a lucky couple will be escorted to
Gromada Plaza in a fairy-tale carriage, where they will exchange vows.
The ceremony will be capped by a 7 p.m. fireworks display.
Earlier, the Cat in the Hat will make an appearance in Fall River, too,
at the Public Library on North Main Street from 5:30 to 6:30 and again
from 7:30 to 8:15.
Post-nuptial highlights include performances by comedian Al Ducharme
(8:30-9:15 p.m.) and blues legends Roomful of Blues (9:30-11:15 p.m.),
both at the Fall River Community Development/Recreation (CDREC)
headquarters at 72 Bank St.; Leonard Solomon and his amazing Bellowphone
(7:30-10:15 p.m.) in the lobby of One Government Center; and Brazilian
jazz singer Luciana Horta (7:30-11;15 p.m.) at the UMass Professional
Development Center, 136 South Main St.
There's also a second fireworks display at midnight.
Admission to First Night Fall River is free. For more information, call
(508) 324-2405 weekdays or (508) 324-2489 on the weekend, or visit the
"calendar" page on the Fall River web site at
www.fallriver.org.
*****
First Night New Bedford
From horse-drawn carriage rides and traditional Portuguese fado to a
high-tech laser light show in Custom House Square, First Night New
Bedford has something for just about everyone.
Music fans, for example, catch the Cajun grooves of the Boogaloo Swamis
(7 and 8:30 p.m.) or get down with the swing and R&B sounds of the Wild
Nites (9:30 and 10:30), both at the Zeiterion Theater (684 Purchase
St.). Other musical offerings include the HepCats Swing group, 7 to
11:30 p.m. at the Times Square Atrium (88 Purchase St.), jazz with the
John Harrison Trio at 9 and 10 p.m. at the Whaling Museum (18 Johnnycake
Hill) and soulful Portuguese fado music from 9 to 11:30 p.m. at Pilgrim
United Church (635 Purchase St.).
Younger audiences, meanwhile, can enjoy Jedlie's Magic Circus from 5 to
7 p.m. at the Whaling Museum, mini-train rides through New Bedford's
historic downtown, and kid-friendly interactive events all evening at
the New Bedford YMCA (25 South Water St.).
The evening culminates with a laser light show at 11:30. The show will
continue through midnight, when a whale will drop over Custom House
Square, signaling the arrival of the new year.
Admission to First Night New Bedford is $8. Buttons can be purchased at
the Shaw's supermarket on State Road in North Dartmouth, the Dartmouth
Mall customer service desk and New Bedford City Hall. For more
information, call (508) 993-1999.
*****
Boston and Worcester
Both Boston, where First Night started in 1976, and Worcester, which has
celebrated First Night since 1985, are also sponsoring New Year's
celebrations this year.
For information on First Night Boston, call (617) 542-1399 or visit
www.firstnight.org.
For First Night Worcester, call (508) 799-4909 or visit
www.firstnightworcester.org.
