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DRAMATIC “UNCLE EARL” – Louisiana’s
colorful governor, the late Earl K. Long, is the subject of an acclaimed
one-man play starring John McConnell, “Earl Long in Purgatory,” which can
be seen at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the
Performing Arts on Thursday, Oct. 21.
 HISTORICAL
“UNCLE EARL” – Southeastern Louisiana University history professor Michael
L. Kurtz, co-author of a biography of Louisiana’s flamboyant Earl K. Long,
will present a lecture, “Crazy Like a Fox: Earl K. Long and Louisiana Politics,”
at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Pottle Music Building Auditorium.
The lecture is part of Fanfare’s “Then and Now” lecture series.
 A
TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES – No, they’re not the Beatles, but they’re the next
best thing. One of the best Beatles tribute groups around, the Fab Four
will bring the famous group back to life on the stage of the Columbia Theatre
for the Performing Arts on Friday, Oct. 22. The 7 p.m. concert is part
of Fanfare, Southeastern Louisiana University’s October festival of the
arts.
 DEVINE
“D’VINE” -- The world-class gospel and inspirational music group D’Vine
joins the line-up for Southeastern Louisiana University’s Fanfare arts
festival with a 7 p.m. concert on Monday, Oct. 18.
 MYSTERY,
SHOGUN-STYLE – As the guest of Southeastern Louisiana University annual
arts festival, Fanfare, Laura Joh Rowland, best-selling author of a series
of mystery novels featuring samurai detective Sano Ichiro, will conduct
a free creative writing workshop at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 19 in D Vickers
Hall room 313. She will also autograph books at Bayou Booksellers, 204
E. Thomas St. in downtown Hammond, at 2 p.m.
EARL LONG, BEATLES LIVE AGAIN IN FANFARE’S
WEEK THREE
HAMMOND – Louisiana’s colorful, crafty – and reputedly crazy
-- former governor, the late Earl K. Long, will be one of the “stars” of
the third week of Fanfare as Southeastern Louisiana University’s October
arts festival spotlights “Uncle Earl” on stage and in a special lecture.
As Fanfare hits its mid-month stride,
audiences can also enjoy the heart-warming gospel stylings of the trio
D’Vine; and the Fab Four’s ultimate tribute to John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Earl K. Long will make a “campaign stop”
at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Oct. 21 in
the person of actor John McConnell, who won universal praise for his portrayal
of Earl Long’s brother Huey in “The Kingfish.” But before meeting the dramatized
version of the notorious governor in “Earl Long in Purgatory,” audiences
can learn about the historical man on Wednesday, Oct. 20 in a lecture by
Southeastern historian Michael L. Kurtz.
In “Earl Long in Purgatory,” a one-man
spiritual comedy-drama written by John Berry, McConnell portrays a recently
deceased and limbo-trapped Long trying to finagle his way into heaven.
The action follows the three-time Louisiana governor in and out of madness,
recalling his brawling career and ribald escapades as his soul waits for
him to plead his case to the Almighty.
Since the play is also part of the Columbia’s
2004-2005 season, tickets availability is limited. Tickets for the 7 p.m.
performance are $30, orchestra 1 and loge; $25, orchestra 2 and balcony
1; and $15, orchestra 3 and balcony 2.
Kurtz’s lecture, “Crazy Like a Fox:
Earl K. Long and Louisiana Politics,” is part of Fanfare’s “Then and Now”
lecture series sponsored by the history and political science department.
The nationally recognized co-author of a Pulitzer Prize nominated biography
of Long, Kurtz will speak at 1 p.m. in the Pottle Music Building Auditorium.
His free lecture will be followed by a book signing.
It is precise attention to detail that elevates
the Fab Four far above every other Beatles tribute. The group, which will
be featured at the Columbia Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, is so authentic
that it was chosen over hundreds of other sound-alike bands to recreate
Beatles hits for CBS-TV’s "The Linda McCartney Story" and the hit MGM movie
"Heartbreakers."
The musicians achieve their uncanny, note-perfect
precision without using any tapes, sequences or backing tracks – and their
stage show, which includes costume changes from every era of the Beatles
ever-changing career, even has an Ed Sullivan impersonator.
Tickets for the Fab Four are $18, adults;
$15, senior citizens, Southeastern faculty, staff, and alumni; $12, group
rate; and $8, non-SLU students. The event is free for Southeastern students
with university I.D.
Prior to the Fab Four concert from 5-8
p.m., historic downtown Hammond will keep its doors open late for “Art
and All That Jazz.” Patrons can stroll through downtown to view art created
by regional artists of all kinds.
The world-class gospel and inspirational
music group D’Vine joins the Fanfare line-up for a 7 p.m. concert on Monday,
Oct. 18. The trio has performed its sophisticated, richly harmonic sound
around the world. Two sisters and a friend, D’Vine shares a gift of music
that captures the heart, soul and spirit.
Tickets for D’Vine are $8, adults; $6,
senior citizens, Southeastern faculty, staff and alumni; $5, group rate;
and $3, non-SLU students. Southeastern students are admitted free.
Also on Fanfare’s third week schedule
The Southeastern Student Brass Quintet will continue Fanfare’s Music for
a Sunday Afternoon concert series with a program including works by Dukas,
Grieg and Friederich at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Ponchatoula’s First
Presbyterian Church, 197 S. 4th St. The free concert will feature David
Delaney of Mandeville and James Riley of Slidell, trumpet; Ruth Zimmerman
of Slidell, horn; Rajah Kennedy of Baton Rouge, trombone; and Adam Roberie
of Baton Rouge, tuba.
Laura Joh Rowland, best-selling author of a series of mystery novels set
in 17th century Japan, will conduct a free creative writing workshop at
11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 in D Vickers Hall room 313. Rowland has penned
nine books feature samurai detective Sano Ichiro, “the shogun's most honorable
investigator,” all praised as beautifully written and rich in Shogun-era
detail. She will also autograph books at Bayou Booksellers, 204 E.
Thomas St. in downtown Hammond at 2 p.m.
The Foreign Film Series’s week three offering is the inspiring and moving
German film “Beyond Silence,” which will be shown at 3 p.m. Wednesday,
Oct. 20, in the Music Recital Hall. The critically acclaimed story is about
Lara, a young girl with deaf parents who receives a clarinet from her aunt
and is immediately consumed by it. The tension that builds between Lara
and her parents, who are unable to understand her passion, threatens to
break the family apart.
Through the medium of dance, “Postcards with a View” will present vignettes
about human relations, conflicts, dreams, memories, joyful times and forgotten
places. The concert presented by the music and dramatic arts department’s
Izzy Dance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Vonnie Borden
Theatre.
Directed and partly choreographed by
Southeastern dance instructor Dana Brewer-Plazinic, “Postcards With a View”
will feature the choreography of Southeastern faculty and students, live
music by Southeastern musicians and singers, and a special contribution
by guest artist-in-residence Skip Costa of New York's COREmovement Project
and NYLA Dance Conventions.
Tickets are $4, general admission; $2,
senior citizens, Southeastern faculty, staff, alumni and non-Southeastern
students. Admission is free for Southeastern students.
The week concludes on Saturday, Oct. 23 when Tangipahoa Parish children’s
librarian “Miss Karen” Plauche and her scarecrow friends present “Have
a ‘Scary’ Good Time,” a morning of Halloween fun and the library’s Hammond
branch, 314 E. Thomas St. The free event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
For a Fanfare brochure and ticket order
form or for additional information about Fanfare events, contact the Columbia
Theatre, 985-543-4366 or fanfare_ctpa@selu.edu.
Iinformation can also be found online at www.selu.edu/fanfare.
Fanfare tickets are available at the
Columbia box office, 220 East Thomas St., Hammond, 985-543-4371. Most tickets
can also be purchased online at www.ticketweb.com.
Box office hours are noon to 5 p.m., weekdays. The box office is open until
performance time for events at the Columbia Theatre.
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SLU 10880 
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