Barbados Music, Theater & Comedy

The Caribbean's Premiere Performing Arts Festival

To the delight of festival-goers, Barbados Holders Season will return from March 5 through 23, 2002, with a line-up of stellar performances ranging from a comedic review of the works of Shakespeare to the staging of the classic opera Madame Butterfly in Concert.

Holders Season takes place in the gardens of Holders House, a 17th-century plantation house adjoining the famous Sandy Lane Resort. Candelabra illuminate a large amphitheater, and mahogany trees and bougainvillea flower gardens provide a majestic backdrop to open-air performances.

Highlights of the 2002 season include:

• The longest-running comedy in London's West End, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, will bring the music of laughter to Barbados this season with the madcap comedy troupe, The Reduced Shakespeare Company, presenting all 37 Shakespearean plays in 37 minutes.

• Fascinating Rhythms - A World of Sound will feature a kaleidoscope of artists from around the globe, including the traditional Irish group Flock, the Brazilian guitarist Ife Tolentino, the virtuoso German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and a unique new collaboration with the choir of Bridgetown Cathedral.

• Continuing Holders' tradition of great opera classics, the London City Opera will present two performances of Madame Butterfly in Concert, Puccini's tragic masterpiece.

• Opera lovers will have the chance to experience a variety of favorites with the Opera Gala.  Soloists from the London City Opera and the Lyric Theatre Orchestra of New York, conducted by Franco Bertacci, will present a selection of opera classics by Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi, and more.

• Concert-goers can step back in time with Stewart Collins' latest musical playlet, The Romantics, performed by the Lyric Theatre Orchestra and based on the lives of great romantic composers, including Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Liszt and Schumann.

• Barbados will celebrate the country's strong historical connection with Canada with The Bajan-Canadian Connection, an evening featuring music from Canada including Barachois, the foot-tapping quartet from Prince Edward Island, Also music from the Canadian Indian Group, Yodeca

• Leading British authority on theater, Ned Sherrin, will take the audience behind the scenes with Loose Ends, an evening of stories and tall tales about the world of greasepaint and larger-than-life personalities.  Musical accompaniment will be  provided by Peter Greenwell.

• Holders season will culminate with the traditional gala closing night, this year's finale being Sir Tim Rice Presents...The Great Musicals, featuring the life and lyrics of Oscar-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice.  The evening will feature hit songs from such memorable Broadway shows as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Chess and The Lion King.

For more information regarding Holders Season, please contact Holders House at 246-432-6385 or the Barbados Tourism Authority at  800-221-9831. Explore Barbados online at www.barbados.org

Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands and boasts tropical weather year-round.  Visitors to Barbados come for its natural and historic attractions, beaches, watersports, golf courses, fine dining and nightlife. The island is known for its friendly people and wide range of accommodations.

Photo courtesy of Barbados Tourism Authority

Edited By Dave Shultz