Magic at midnight

Magic at midnight
Celtic, Cajun and bluegrass sounds add to the festivities of the 13th First Night Columbia.

By SARA AGNEW of the Tribune’s staff

Published Sunday, December 30, 2007

Tribune file photo

Dressed in costumes, Ashley Counts and Amber Lani, left and middle, file past First Night Columbia revelers during the New Year's Eve festivities in 2005, along with friends Kristen Bradley and Amber's brothers, Brian and Justin. Costume fans will have another chance at 11:30 p.m. tomorrow with People’s Processions, starting at Ninth and Locust and at College and Broadway. A Children’s Procession begins at 9:30 p.m. at First Christian Church, 101 N. Tenth St.

When organizers in Boston planned the inaugural First Night in 1976, they wanted to offer a meaningful alternative to the traditional New Year’s Eve party.

Courtesy of Jillian Johnson

Any chilly weather will be melted by the hot Cajun sounds of the Pine Leaf Boys. The band, which includes Wilson Savoy, Cedric Watson, Jon Bertrand, Drew Simon and Blake Miller, will perform at 8 p.m. at LRW Kimball Stephens Ballroom and 10:30 p.m. in Windsor Auditorium at Stephens College.

First, they wanted First Night to be alcohol-free and open to the whole family. More important, the event was intended to unite the community through a cultural celebration and deepen the public’s appreciation of the arts.

That tradition continues this year in Columbia during its 13th annual First Night Columbia shindig downtown and on the Stephens College campus. There will be more than 75 performances as well as activities and art at 15 venues.

"First Night is a celebration of the arts," said Karen Ramey, co-director of the local celebration. "The four pillars of First Night are community, celebration, New Year and art."

First Night 2008 extras

● Admission buttons are $8 for those 8 years or older until 4 p.m. tomorrow. They are available at The ARC, 1701 W. Ash St.; Streetside Records, 401 S. Providence Road; and Gerbes Supermarkets. Buttons at the door will be $10 and will go on sale at 5 p.m. at Stamper Commons on the Stephens College campus and at 6 p.m. at the Boone County Government Center, 801 E. Walnut, and Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. Ninth St.

● 5K run/walk begins at 4 p.m. at Flat Branch Park. Registration forms can be found online at ctc.coin.org and firstnight.missouri.org; or at Tryathletics, 1605 Chapel Hill Road; or CyclExtreme, 19 S. Sixth St. Registration is $25 the day of the race.

● Venue doors open at 6 p.m., and entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m. The evening ends with fireworks at midnight at Boone County Courthouse Square.

● Horse-drawn trolleys are available from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Trolleys will take a break from 9:15 to 9:45 p.m.

● For more information, call 874-7460 or visit http://firstnight.missouri.org/
— Sara Agnew

Among the entertainers is Laurie Lewis, who won a Grammy Award in1997 for "True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe" and twice was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. She is joined by Tom Rozum, who plays mandolin as well as the fiddle, mandola and guitar. They will give three shows at Missouri United Methodist Church.

Last year, an estimated 12,000 people attended the celebration. This year, organizers are expecting that number to reach 14,000.

"We have been growing and growing every year," Ramey said. "It’s really neat how everyone comes together."

Co-director Jane Accurso said another new act to see this year is the Pine Leaf Boys, a Cajun group whose roots reach deep into Cajun country. Each of the five members is in his early 20s and lives in Lafayette, La.: Wilson Savoy, son of Cajun performer-scholars Marc and Ann Savoy, Cedric Watson, Jon Bertrand, Drew Simon and Blake Miller. The Pine Leaf Boys will perform in the LRW Kimball Stephens Ballroom and Windsor Auditorium at Stephens College.

"The members have grown up in families steeped in music and dedicated to preserving the traditional Cajun sound," Accurso said.

Another new performer this year is Reggio "The Hoofer" McLaughlin, who started tap dancing in the subways of Chicago.

Need to know

● No smoking or drinking allowed at any of the venues.
● Lost or found an item: Call 874-7460 after the event.
● Columbia shuttle bus service runs from 6:30 to 9:45 p.m. See map for routes.
● Food served at Stamper Commons from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the main serving line. $7.50 adults, $4.50 for children 12 and younger. The grill hours are 7 to 10:30 p.m.
● The LRW Kimball Ballroom soda fountain hours are 6:30 to 10 p.m.
● Snacks and hot drinks will be available in Columbia Foyer of the Helis Communication Center, 1704 E. Broadway. Hours are 6:30 to 10 p.m.

"He is an incredible performer," Ramey said. "He is one of those performers that people might ask, ‘Tap dancing?’ But once they see him, they will be amazed and entertained."

McLaughlin has traveled around the world performing and has been profiled on television and in books and magazines. He is currently appearing in a tap documentary called "JUBA: Masters of Tap," with legendary dancer Ernest "Brownie" Brown.

Irish musician Loretto Reid is another performer visitors shouldn’t miss this year, Accurso said. Reid, who immigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1988, studied with a traditional master for 40 years. Today, she is a performer, composer, arranger and educator in Europe and North America. The Loretto Reid Band will perform in the LRW Kimball Stephens Ballroom at Stephens College and in the sanctuary at Missouri United Methodist Church.

Reach Sara Agnew at (573) 815-1723 or sjagnew@tribmail.com.