Cape May Renaissance Festival

06/05/2023

Oval Office 7:01 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, when I ran for President, I was told the days of bipartisanship were over and that Democrats and Republicans could no longer work together. But I refused to believe that, because America can never give into that way of thinking. Look, the...

06/04/2023

Trump promised to "get rid" of the national debt during his 2016 presidential campaign.

05/08/2023

It is really hot out today. I have been cutting the bushes in front of the house, which are growing exponentially huge, and wearing my flannel nightgown and it is not a good material to be wearing. It feels like it is nearly 80 degrees. Take a shower, get in shorts and a short sleeved shirt and continue the clipping of the bushes.

05/08/2023

The day is grey, and alternately dull; the lilacs are done, but the roses prosper. The lillies of the valley are still blooming, and the beige and purple irises are everywhere. There is a small group of purple irises about to bloom. They are my favorite. There are a couple of little pink roses, and the beginning of a yellow one. Come on sun, come on out.

05/08/2023

Good old Trump increased our debt exponentially while President, and now he wants an opportunity to do it again.

Trump promised to "get rid" of the national debt during his 2016 presidential campaign.

02/06/2023

I have not done the Cape May Renaissance Festival for over 30 years. Please return this to Barbara Beitel

02/08/2013

We thought we might have a big Renaissance dinner, with some music, and maybe an act from the play at the Southern Mansion prior to the Renaissance Festival. Think Turkey legs, etc. The sister of the playwrite, Eileen Lynch Sizer, danced with ABT theatre in NYC and she is an expert on Rensissance dance. Maybe I can get her to give some lessons, so we could have a Renaissance dance. We are just in the developing stages. We need volunteers. So volunteer! Call Barbara at 465-3963.

12/19/2012

We wish you all a Merrie Little Christmas, and a New Year full of joy, health and happiness. And more culture, as well, which we are planning on helping to provide. Join us as we go to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia, and then, later, to NYC to hear a concert by Sue Ann Kahn, daughter of the famed architect Louis Kahn, and Aurelia Mika Chang, piano. We plan on having a talk about Louis I. Kahn from one of his architects who worked with him on the Roosevelt project just opened in NYC. We are also thinking of taking in some dance in NYC and, perhaps, the Metropolitan Art Museum or the Frick. We will keep you posted.

10/18/2012

Sorry that we are not hosting the Cape May Ren Fest this year.
We are working on a play about Thomas More and his daughter, Margaret Roper, music of the period, and we will present that soon. We should have the script shortly. We had a difficult problem with health in our family this year, so we were unable to raise the money necessary for the event. Also our assistants, who worked on it had their problems. We are beginning now for next year.

07/18/2012

If you think that politics are bad today, you should study the reign of Henry VIII.
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages. Talk about climbing the greasy pole! He received grants of monastic lands in Norfolk and Suffolk. He removed Cardinal Wolsey and he and his buddy Lord Suffolk were sent to obtain the great seal from Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey was to be executed, but he had the great good grace to die a week before he went to the tower. Both nieces, the 2nd and 5th wives of Henry VIII, were executed.

06/20/2012

We would like some Morris dancers for the festival. We know that there is a group up in Princeton. We would like to see all our dance schools participate...Morris dancing was a feat of ordinary people...and we are sure they can learn it.

06/19/2012

Cape May Ren Harvest Festival Oct 2nd @ 3rd

06/19/2012

Untitled Album

03/06/2012

Our dates this year are Oct. 20th and 2lst and our location is Willow Grove Vineyard in West Cape May. They will have their winery building up this year, shelter from any storms that blow off the ocean or bay. Vendors are welcome.
We will post a vendor notice on our Access to Art site. Vending is $l50. per day for an 8xl0 space. Items need to be related to the age: costumes, material, all crafts that are handmade, or crafted in a way related to the skills of the l6th century.

03/06/2012

This is the year that we celebrate Henry VIII of England. Access is looking for local actors who would like to play his courtiers, his advisors, his chancellors, his wives.
We are looking for vendors of things Renaissance. King Henry VIII of England and Ireland the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, was born on the 28th of June 1491 at Greenwich Palace. His two brothers, Prince Arthur and Edmund, Duke of Somerset, and two of his sisters predeceased their father; Henry VIII was the only son, and Margaret Tudor, afterwards Queen of Scotland, and Mary Tudor, afterwards Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, were the only daughters who survived. We would like to concentrate on Henry during his 20 year reign married to Katherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and niece to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

03/02/2012

Access to Art, bringing imaginative artists and visionary talent to Cape May County

Check out the Messiah on www.accesstoart.org and see the utube piece.

Welcome to Access to Art Your KEY to the Arts in Southern New Jersey.

03/02/2012

Messiah! Spoke to Ricky Weiss yesterday. He will be at the ballet this weekend, but back in the Carolinas when we are coming. He is planning on choreographing Beethoven's 9th as his next Balanchine style project. Having been trained by Balanchine, and a principal dancer for him, dancing Villella's roles when he aged out of them, he has the big ideas that Balanchine had. I loved Balanchine's abstract dancing...with emotional content, but no story line. They were brilliant and also his knowledge of classical music since he was a conservatory pianist was also brilliant. The Messiah puts together classical music by George Friderich Handel, song by the Philadelphia Singers, and dance by Ricky Weiss student of the greatest choreographer of the 20th century. Time Magazine said that Balanchine, Martha Graham and Stravinsky were the three greatest minds in the arts in the 20th century. Let's follow those who studied with him, and imbibed, up close, his brilliance. We go to the Messiah on March l7th at 12 noon we leave the CMCH Acme in a comfortable bus with bathroom, and we go straight to the Academy of Music for a 2:30 p.m. matinee. Following the three hour production, we go to Adelphia's for dinner...$ll8. covers dinner (three courses) the ballet, bus transportation, and an opportunity to see the residual effect of George Balanchine on 2lst century dance. His next project is Beethoven's 9th set to dance...emotional content, but no story line...pure Balanchine in conception. We may try to have him up here with his company in the near future. Call (609) 465-3963 and help us raise money for the Renaissance Festival. Join us on a wonderful St. Patrick's Day adventure. Celebrate 20 years of Access to Art bringing world class art into our lives. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

03/01/2012

Babs Dugan came up with an eating possibility following the ballet. She got Adelphi Restaurant, in Deptford, which is on the way home, to take us when we got there, following the ballet, and to offer us a price fixe menu which includes
Prime Rib, chicken or veal piccata, stuffed flounder, with soup and salad, and cake for dessert for $23. inclusive. This would add $23. to the cost, but would accomplish supper on a day out. Do you think we should add this or just come home? We would come home after the ballet, at 5-5:30 p.m., and be home at 7 the latest.

02/29/2012

I need to hear from the people who want to attend the Messiah asap because I have to figure out how many so I can reserve them. The tickets are going, and I don't want to reserve them if we are not using them, since I have to pay for them.
Could you let me know asap? Thanks. Barbara

02/29/2012

Access to Art, bringing imaginative artists and visionary talent to Cape May County

We had to change the date for the Messiah to the l7th, St. Patrick's Day. Pa. Ballet cancelled the l6th as a performance date and I just found out today. So we will do the matinee, since it is a 2 1/2 hour event, which begins at 2:30 and ends about 5 p.m. We will look for someplace to go to dinner afterward. If we did the 8 p.m., we would get out around 11, and home by 12:30 and I think that that's too late for a lot of people. So the new date is March l7th. www.accesstoart.org for a clip of the dance in action.

Welcome to Access to Art Your KEY to the Arts in Southern New Jersey.

02/24/2012

Photo from Messiah

02/24/2012

March l6th, we are going to the ballet to see Messiah choreographed by Ricky Weiss, former Balanchine dancer. Carolina Ballet will be at Pa. Ballet and they will give us a balletic treat complete with symphony orchestra, and singers for Handel's Messiah. What a great way to celebrate the upcoming Easter season with this classic music, brilliant dance, and beautiful song. Check it out on Pa. Ballet's site where they have a clip of the performance. We are leaving the parking lot at the Cape May Acme at 4 p.m., then to Philadelphia. We can catch a quick bite at the wonderful Reading Terminal, in the neighborhood of the ballet, and get bussed back there in time for the ballet at 7:00 p.m. $95. includes drive up and back in a luxury bus with bathroom, snacks, and the full ballet with symphonic orchestra and singers. It cost me $2l. to park in Philly last week, for under 4 hours, so this is a bargain including gas, parking, door to door service, and discount tickets for the ballet. We need 50 people to make this work. Isn't it time we had an outing in Philadelphia. Ricky Weiss danced Villella's parts when he aged out of them. He is a brilliant new choreographer and he began Carolina Ballet l0 years ago. He has choreographed a brilliant Romeo & Juliet as well. He was trained by Balanchine, without doubt, the greatest choreographer in America in the 20th century. Share the legacy. Join us. Call 465-3963 for reservations. Send checks to Access to Art, 4l7 E. Pacific Ave., Cape May Court House, N.J. 08210.

02/24/2012

Messiah on for March l6th. The performance is 7:30 p.m., so we will leave about 4 p.m., and allow people to go to dinner at the Reading Terminal, if they so desire, on their own. Go online to Pa. Ballet, and you can see their video clip of the performance. It is supposed to be fabulous, and I can't wait to have this trip and, perhaps, have the opportunity to meet Ricky Weiss. Call (609) 465-3963 if you are interested in attending this.

02/23/2012

March l6th. Access to Art, Inc. will take a bus trip to the Pennsylvania Ballet to see Ricky Weiss's celebrated Messiah (complete with 22 piece orchestra, and singers).
This was presented at Duke every year, to sell out crowds, and it is quite beautiful.
If we have 50 people, we can get 40% off on the ballet tickets which would range from $64.50 Parquet center, $52.50 balcony center, and $37.60 rear. Bus fare to Philly is $950. or so, so we will figure the price with a minimum contribution to Access to Art which is 20 years old on March 3rd. So let's celebrate. Terry Teachout did a review on this from the NY Times. It's a glorious piece of both dance and music and song, so it should be uplifting. Call (609) 465-3963 for reservations. I will call the bus company and reserve a bus, and get back to you with total pricing on the event. It's online under Pa. Ballet and they have a clip of the dance which I put on Barbara Beitel's page.

02/23/2012

Access to Art just saw Ricky Weiss's ballet (he danced for NYC ballet and took Villella's parts when he aged out of them) the Messiah offered at the Pa. Ballet for
March. I want to do a bus trip to this at Pa. Ballet. They will only be here for a few days in March. We are checking the date today. Ricky had been the artistic director for Pa. Ballet for awhile. Shiela Cohen, a friend of mine, and a former dancer/student of Martha Graham, suggested I have Ricky and his Carolina Ballet down here ten years ago. She was always assisting me with choices of dance companies for Access to Art. She had studied with Graham and also Balanchine's muse at Lincoln Center, and was invited to be in the company of Martha Graham. She went, instead, with her husband to Cincinnati where he headed up, for awhile, the Classics Dept. at the University of Cincinnati. She headed up the performing arts high school dance department there.
Ricky had choreographed Messiah, with a 22 piece orchestra, and similar group of singers, and he choreographed the dance. It was always a sell out each Spring at Duke. I tried to have it here, but a guy who worked for me convinced my board that it was "religious" and there would be no market for it. I tried to point out to him that it is a great work of music, performed by major orchestras all over the world, but he was stuck in his perspective. I hired him to do our budgets, financial reports, and general marketing...not programming. But that didn't stop him, and he blew it out. Actually, both Ricky and Shiela were Jewish, and both artists, and dancers. Shiela was really very upset when I couldn't do it because she said that she is Orthodox Jewish but she listens to Agnus Dei on the radio because the music is so beautiful when she travels between Ohio and NY to see her kids or stay in her vacation home. "It's the beauty, stupid." Anyway, I always wanted to see this, so we are going to do a bus trip in March. They are only there for about 5 dates for this, so I will post the date. We are calling today to see availabilities. It got a great writeup from the New York Times by Terry Teachout. Ricky Weiss was trained by Balanchine, the greatest choreographer of the 20th century, so I am sure he knows what he is doing. And he is doing a fine job with Carolina Ballet. Call me at 465-3963 and tell me if you would like to go. Barbara

02/21/2012

We had a glorious concert with Bela Horvath who is as nice as he is talented, and with Aurelia Mika Chang, pianist. They both played their hearts out and got standing ovations. Phil Lindy's son, Alan, attended and it was fun to see him again.
He suggested that we do some more shows (art) at the Enclave in Philadelphia, and we are thinking about it. Now, it is off to the races. We need to raise money for the Sam Maitin Summer Chamber Music Festival and for the Renaissance Festival on Sept. 20th and 2lst. Events follow. I think we will do a bus trip to the flower show as a fund raiser, and a trip, as well to see the show at the Philly Art Museum with a side trip to the Reading Terminal for lunch. We will keep you posted.

02/02/2012

Access to Art, bringing imaginative artists and visionary talent to Cape May County

Why do violinists play the violin differently on each side of the Danube...different in Austria and Hungary? Bela Horvath will show us the difference in national traditions. Mika Chang, piano, and Bela Horvath, violin, have gathered together romantic music for valentine's day, and music, as Mika tells me, with the salient phrase...a particularly haunting phrase which, she says, will follow you all week with its beauty. Mika is acutely aware of this audience's need for beautiful music, so there will be no dissonant mathmatical equasion music which delight musicians with their brilliance but are abhorrent to the normal human ear. The last time we had this concert, with Kathryn Krueger, their choice of music was exquisite and I remember hearing people say what a fine experience it was, perhaps, said one, the best concert he had heard. Dinner follows for those who like it at the beautiful Peter Shields Inn for just $50 per person including tip and gratuity. Beautiful music, beautiful food, great cameradie. What could be finer? Join us. Go to www.accesstoart.org. You can also hear Bela on line. Just google Bela Horvath, and there is a lot of music recorded on him since he was a prodigy child to the present.

Welcome to Access to Art Your KEY to the Arts in Southern New Jersey.

01/28/2012

Access to Art, bringing imaginative artists and visionary talent to Cape May County

Don't forget the Valentine's pre-weekend concert with Aurelia Mika Chang, piano, and Bela Horvath, the Hungarian violinist who is a protegee of Pinchas Zuckerman.
Bela and Mika will be giving us Hungarian czardas, and romantic music of the Danube. It's at 4 p.m. at Cape Island Baptist Church, Gurney & Columbia, Cape May. Go to www.accesstoart.org for the details. Reserve the dinner opportunity ($50. for dinner, three courses) at the Zagat rated Peter Shields Inn following the concert at 5:45 p.m. on the beach. Great views of the ocean from the Peter Shields, and a gracious old l9th century inn it is. Tickets to the concert are only $20. adults, $l5. seniors. Where else can you hear Carnegie Hall performances for that price?

Welcome to Access to Art Your KEY to the Arts in Southern New Jersey.