‘Civil War Voices’ to fill Center on October 15

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Lake Cumberland Performing Arts, in partnership with The Center for Rural Development, presents Barter’s Theatre touring production of “Civil War Voices,” based on the true stories of five individuals who lived through the war, on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at The Center in Somerset. For more information or tickets, contact The Center’s Box Office at 606-677-6000. Submitted photo

October 7, 2011

Musical look at ‘War Between the States’ is first Lake Cumberland Performing Arts show of 2011-12 season

Special to the CJ Commonwealth Journal The Commonwealth Journal Fri Oct 07, 2011, 04:00 PM EDT

Somerset —

The first show of this season’s Center Stage performing arts series opens on Saturday, Oct. 15, at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset with Barter Theatre’s new musical, “Civil War Voices.”

On tour by one of the nation’s oldest, professional non-profit theatres, “Civil War Voices” takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. in The Center’s theatre for a special night of music and inspirational true stories shared by people who lived through one of the nation’s greatest conflicts.

This moving musical theatre production brings the Civil War back to life through their compelling words, transforming them into songs to portray the adversity of the time period.

“Civil War Voices” is the first of five shows presented this season by Lake Cumberland Performing Arts in partnership with The Center as part of the 2011-2012 Center Stage series.

“The history of the Civil War has never been presented so creatively as in this production,” Dianna Winstead, associate director of arts, culture, and events for The Center, said. “In this musical play, Barter Theatre tells the stories of five individuals and their personal sacrifices and struggles during the war.”

“Civil War Voices,” written by James R. Harris and featuring musical arrangements by Mark Hayes, shines a light on the faces of the Civil War and chronicles the effects that the war had on their lives.

Harris, who discovered the diary of his great-great uncle kept during the Civil War, drew inspiration from the writing and other personal recollections of the War Between the States.

“I have tried to capture the real people, the real songs, and ultimately the real heart of a country divided,” he said. “These are stories you will not find in history books.”

In “Civil War Voices,” 10 actors play multiple characters as they tell the real-life stories of a young couple separated by war, a freed slave serving as a dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln, and a young professor-turned lieutenant.

Songs like “Amazing Grace,” “Dixie,” “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” all are woven into the story.

Prior to “Civil War Voices,” the Tom Taksa Trio, featuring Taksa on saxophone, Brenda Jones on piano, and Maurice Stringer on guitar, will present a selection of historical music at a pre-show event from 6-7 p.m. in The Center’s lobby.

An optional catered dinner, which includes chicken broccoli alfredo, tossed green salad, macaroni and cheese, garlic sticks, and iced tea, will be served by Sully’s Restaurant. The cost of the dinner is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and younger.

The pre-show event is sponsored by Clear Channel Lake Cumberland and Sully’s.

For more information or to purchase individual tickets or season subscription packages to any of the upcoming Center Stage performances, contact The Center’s Box Office at 606-677-6000. Order tickets online at www.centertech.com or visit The Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/centercrd.

The Box Office is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at The Center, located at 2292 South U.S. 27 (at Traffic Light 15) in Somerset, or 30 minutes prior to the start of each scheduled performance.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to Lake Cumberland Performing Arts with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

These performances are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Kentucky Arts Council.

The next Center Stage performance is “Mooseltoe: A New Moosical,” a sparkling holiday production with 16 unforgettable costumed characters, on Saturday, Dec. 3, starting with a special 3 p.m. matinee, followed by a 7:30 p.m. show at The Center.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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