Bard’s Beloved Spiegeltent Returns for SummerScape 2010

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For Fifth Consecutive Season, Bard’s Authentic Spiegeltent Provides Dazzling Venue for Entertainment – From Family Fare to Edgy Cabaret, Live Music, and Late-Night Dancing – Plus Refreshments

“Enter the Spiegeltent – the tent of dreams – and you will never be the same again.”– Edinburgh Fringe magazine

The opening of the 2010 Bard SummerScape festival on Thursday, July 8, signals the return of the authentic, one-of-a-kind Belgian Spiegeltent, the luxurious “tent of mirrors” that has proved such a sensation since 2006, when its introduction to Bard marked the first time one of these fabled old-world structures appeared in America; the New York Times pronounced it “agreeably funky,” while the Village Voice praised its “wooden floors, mirrored walls, stained-glass panels, and red velvet ceiling.” Conveniently situated near the Frank Gehry-designed Fisher Center, the Spiegeltent affords a sumptuous and magical environment to enjoy cutting-edge cabaret and musical performances – almost all of which sold out last year, plus family fare, late-night dancing, and tasty refreshments, throughout the seven-week festival (July 8 – August 22).

Back for its fifth SummerScape season, Bard’s glittering “Mirror Tent” was originally from Europe, where such tents and the special entertainment they host have been a beloved tradition for the past century. The Spiegeltent is a marvel of engineering, comprising 3,000 detachable parts, with a spellbinding interior of carved wood surfaces, parquet floor, beveled mirrors, stained-glass windows, and splendid velvet canopies. On weekend afternoons and evenings all summer long, the theater-in-the-round – encircled by audience members seated at booths and tables – is the stage for a variety of performers, from cabaret acts and musicians to dancers and jugglers. Before and after performances, the Spiegeltent provides the ideal setting to enjoy light fare, meals, and drinks chosen from the best offerings of the Hudson Valley’s rich array of farms, orchards, dairies, wineries, and breweries.

Friday and Saturday nights are for adults only, with Evening Cabaret featuring colorful entertainment with a downtown edge, for hip audiences. Returning this year is the award-winning John Kelly, with his “worshipful and lovingly devastating” (New York Times) homage to Joni Mitchell; the seductive slapstick of the Wau Wau Sisters; and the ever-popular Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. The majority of Evening Cabaret shows sold out last summer, so early booking is advised!

Friday and Saturday nights continue with the SpiegelClub, which offers a late-night bar and dance floor with New York City and local Hudson Valley DJs spinning a variety of tunes on a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. It’s an exhilarating summer setting where audiences and artists gather under the disco ball to enjoy a range of dance music from pop to hip-hop, funk, and jazz, as well as the occasional theme night (swing, 80s, and more). Drinks and snacks are available throughout the evening.

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