With temperatures dipping into the 30s tonight it doesn't feel quite like it, but it's 
that time of year again . . . Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto tickets are on sale! Closer to the May 23rd opening of the Festivals I might give a rundown of my favorite events for the 2008 season, but for today I just couldn't resist sharing the discussion below, which expounds the rightness of Charleston as host. "How true! How true!" I say and nod, gratified. It's funny how Charleston takes people like
that; so many people whether born here or "grafted in" as they say take the city very personally.
that time of year again . . . Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto tickets are on sale! Closer to the May 23rd opening of the Festivals I might give a rundown of my favorite events for the 2008 season, but for today I just couldn't resist sharing the discussion below, which expounds the rightness of Charleston as host. "How true! How true!" I say and nod, gratified. It's funny how Charleston takes people like
that; so many people whether born here or "grafted in" as they say take the city very personally. "With its long and rich history of culture, its natural beauty and the inspiration it has provided to artists over the years, Charleston, South Carolina, is perhaps the most appropriate place in the United States to stage a festival that celebrates the arts.
Charleston claims many cultural firsts. The very first performance of an opera in the American 
colonies took place in the city during the first half of the 18th century. While the English Ballad opera Flora or Hob in the Well is no longer performed, Porgy and Bess – which has often been called the greatest American opera – was written in Charleston some two hundred years later. By the end of 18th century, the southern city boasted the first resident ballet company in addition to regular performances by English and French-language theater companies. The first theater built specifically for public performances in the American colonies, the Dock Street Theatre, was built in Charleston in 1734. (The original theater burned down two years later and was eventually rebuilt.) Over the next two hundred and fifty years, many other theaters said to rival the best in Europe were built in Charleston. Today, Charleston is a city of well-preserved stately homes, lofty 
churches and numerous historical sites. Theaters are within walking distance from one another, and a stroll is often rewarded with the glimpse of a lavish garden or of a previously unnoticed architectural detail. Award-winning restaurants and boutique shops add to the city’s eclectic character."
colonies took place in the city during the first half of the 18th century. While the English Ballad opera Flora or Hob in the Well is no longer performed, Porgy and Bess – which has often been called the greatest American opera – was written in Charleston some two hundred years later. By the end of 18th century, the southern city boasted the first resident ballet company in addition to regular performances by English and French-language theater companies. The first theater built specifically for public performances in the American colonies, the Dock Street Theatre, was built in Charleston in 1734. (The original theater burned down two years later and was eventually rebuilt.) Over the next two hundred and fifty years, many other theaters said to rival the best in Europe were built in Charleston. Today, Charleston is a city of well-preserved stately homes, lofty 
churches and numerous historical sites. Theaters are within walking distance from one another, and a stroll is often rewarded with the glimpse of a lavish garden or of a previously unnoticed architectural detail. Award-winning restaurants and boutique shops add to the city’s eclectic character."For the full Spoleto website (from which the above is excerpted): http://www.spoletousa.org/
For the Piccolo Spoleto website: http://www.piccolospoleto.com/home/default.aspx
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