The International Portuguese Music Awards organizers are proud to announce this year’s class of IPMA nominees for their 8th annual award show. IPMA will present their awards on April 25 at 6:30PM, at the majestic Zeiterion Theatre located in historic downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Portuguese-American actress Daniela Ruah will host the 2020 IPMA Show. She is best known for playing NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye in the CBS police series NCIS: Los Angeles for the past 11 seasons. Daniela has co-hosted the show “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials” with Boomer Esiason and in 2019 co-hosted the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal.

Awards will be presented in thirteen different categories. This year’s nominee’s hail from eight different countries and five continents. In addition, two artists have been chosen as finalists in the “New Talent” category. They will compete by performing live at the awards show. The winner will be chosen by a panel of music professionals and announced during the event.

The nominees are as follows:

Music Video of the Year
“Holy, My Heart” by Nikita Afonso, Directed by Mitch Francis (USA)
“Every Day All Day” by Nelson Freitas, Directed by Paperclips Media (NETHERLANDS)
“1 Minuto” by The Code, Directed by Line Up Productions (PORTUGAL)
“Psycho” by Tyler & Ryan, Directed by Mitch Francis (USA)

Instrumental
“Prelude – Cello Suite N. 1 in G Major” by Rodrigo Serrão (PORTUGAL)
“Nollaig” by ZZmartins (PORTUGAL)
“Douro” by José Luis Iglesias (USA)
“Mister Machado” by Nelson Conceição (PORTUGAL)

World Music
“Luz Brando Di Bo Olhar” by Assol Garcia (USA)
“Devin” by Dan Tibério (FRANCE)
“Chega de Saudade” by Lindsey Camara (CANADA)
“Samba Português” by Fátima Fonseca (BRAZIL)

Traditional
“As Palmas” by Myrica Faya (PORTUGAL)
“Maria Faia” by Tony Gouveia (CANADA)
“Charolesca” by Nelson Conceição (PORTUGAL)
“Canção Açoreana” by Fátima Santos (USA)

Fado
“Quando Me Encontro” by Sarah Pacheco (USA)
“Meu é Amor Marinheiro” by Maura (PORTUGAL)
“A Rosa de Dores” by Cordeone (USA)
“Um Quarto Para as Duas” by Carlos Leitão (PORTUGAL)

Dance
“Waking Up” by Sabrina Alves (SOUTH AFRICA)
“Take It Or Leave It” by Sir Matty V (USA)
“Day Dreamer (ft. Moses Christopher)” by GAMIIX (PORTUGAL)
“Give Me The Sunshine” by Marcos Carnaval, Donny Marano & Paulo Jeveaux (USA)

Rap/Hip-Hop
“Now Ya Know” by The Craft (USA)
“Escuta o Teu Coração” by Andy Scotch (PORTUGAL)
“Been Sayan” by Jay Duende (CANADA)
“Patrões” by Xynna231 (PORTUGAL)

Rock
“All of My Love” by Lyia Meta (MALAYSIA)
“Cave Alien” by Audio Vex (USA)
“Firefly” by Black Suit Devil (CANADA)
“1 Minuto” by The Code (PORTUGAL)

Pop
“Filling Up” by Pedro Barbosa (SOUTH AFRICA)
“Gin” by Rebecca Correia (USA)
“Burning Memories” by Cristóvam (PORTUGAL)
“Shadows” by Sarah Pacheco (USA)

Musica Popular
“O Homem Português” by MOKIKA (PORTUGAL)
“Dá-me Um Sorriso” by Zé Duarte (USA)
“Coração Safado” by Pedro Cruz (PORTUGAL)
“Quero Dançar Contigo” by Edge (USA)

New Talent
João Moniz (PORTUGAL)
Capapparda (PORTUGAL)

Song of the Year
“Holy, My Heart” by Nikita Afonso (CANADA), written by Nikita Afonso
“All of My Love” by Lyia Meta (MALAYSIA), written by Paul Michael Curtis
“Burning Memories” by Cristóvam (PORTUGAL), written by Flávio Cristóvam
“Devin” by Dan Tibério (FRANCE), written by Michel Handson

An additional category is the Azores Airlines People’s Choice category. This is the only category voted on by the general public via online votes on our web site. The voting process is expected to commence later this month. The public should stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information in the coming days.
The 2020 International Portuguese Music Awards includes performances by various prominent artists including, Portuguese recording artists GNR, Miguel Gameiro, Aurea, and Dino d’Santiago. For tickets visit https://ipmaawards.com/tickets.

Following the 2020 IPMA Awards Show, a spectacular After-Party will be held at the Kilburn Event Center.
For more information regarding the 2020 IPMA events and to purchase tickets for the Show and After-Party, please visit www.ipmaawards.com, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/InternationalPortugueseMusicAwards) and follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ipma_awards . The official hashtag for our 2020 events is #2020IPMA.

Colin A. Young, State House News Service

Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade has been canceled “out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we are doing what is needed to keep the residents of Boston safe and healthy” during the ongoing global outbreak of a coronavirus, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced late Monday afternoon.

There are 41 coronavirus cases in Massachusetts, including at least nine in Boston, the state said Monday. Walsh’s office said the decision to cancel the parade, which was scheduled to step off Sunday at 1 p.m. and wend its way through South Boston, was made in consultation with other elected officials and parade organizers.

“While the risk in Boston remains low, this situation is changing very quickly and we are closely monitoring any local cases,” Walsh said in a statement. “Our top priority is preventing any new cases, to the best of our ability, and we are paying close attention to guidance from public health officials.”

The mayor’s announcement came about three hours after the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council said that the parade “is still currently on” and that organizers “will rely on the determination of public health officials as to whether outdoor public gatherings in the City of Boston should be curtailed.”

The 43rd Annual New Bedford Half Marathon will take over downtown New Bedford on Sunday, March 15. The race will start at 11 am sharp. Male and female first place winners will take home $1,000. Per the organizers, spectators can watch the beginning of the race on Purchase Street, walk down Union street to approximately the five-mile mark (Rockdale Ave) and then walk back to the finish. Full details can be found at https://newbedfordhalfmarathon.com

Start of the 2019 New Bedford Half Marathon

2019 New Bedford Half Marathon finishline

On Tuesday, March 3, at 9 a.m., the College of Nursing & Health Sciences will host “Impact of Adverse Childhood Events on Health Over the Lifecourse” in the Main Auditorium. The event will focus on how adversity affects health, from early childhood through adulthood.

Numerous studies have shown that adverse childhood events contribute to over 25 percent of chronic mental and medical health issues across the lifespan. Nurses working with patients and families have long recognized that childhood adversity is a major risk factor for chronic disease across a person’s life, according to Dr. Nancy Street, associate professor of community nursing.

Keynote speakers at the summit include Dr. Erin Dunn, ScD, MPH, assistant professor at Massachusetts General Hospital, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, and Susan Crowley, MSN, RN, Project Manager, Early Childhood Innovation Partnership, Center on The Developing Child at Harvard University.

A panel discussion on these topics will feature community nurses Allison Alberto, MSN, RN-BC, and Kathy Flanagan, MSN, RN; Seney and Karen Pounds, clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences; and nursing students Tova Bittner ’20, Stephanie Brogdon ’21, and Jessica O’Reilly ’20.

No Small Matter, a documentary about the importance and impact of quality early childcare and education, will be shown as well.

The summit is sponsored by the Pilgrim Foundation and is free and open to the public.

Schedule:

• 9 a.m. – Welcome, Dean of the College of Nursing & Health Sciences Dr. Kimberly Christopher
• 9:10 a.m. – Keynote Address, Dr. Erin Dunn, ScD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine
• 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Documentary presentation, No Small Matter
• 11:15 a.m. – Keynote address, Susan Crowley, RN, Project Manager, Early Childhood Innovation Partnership, Center on The Developing Child at Harvard University
• 11:45 a.m. – Panel Discussion featuring community nurses Allison Alberto, MSN, RN-BC, and Kathy Flanagan, MSN, RN; clinical assistant professors Valerie Seney and Karen Pounds; and nursing students Tova Bittner ’20, Stephanie Brogdon ’21, and Jessica O’Reilly ’20.

Students presented their projects on international issues

The UMass Dartmouth Portuguese Department, Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, and School of Education in the UMass Dartmouth College of Arts & Sciences hosted a delegation of graduate Education students from the University of the Azores. The students were joined by their instructor Graça Castanha and the poet Manuela Bulcão. They offered a workshop entitled, “Teaching Portuguese through Universal Design for Learning and Happiness”. The event, which took place on Friday, 21 February 2020 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., was held at the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives.

The workshop aimed at presenting two academic projects. The first project was “The People’s Right to Happiness, a UN proposal.” Castanha presented the proposal that these same students had made earlier in the week at the United Nations in New York. There they argued that Happiness should be added to the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Castanha then made the connection between Happiness and Education, which is already designated as a Universal Human Right.

The students then went on to present the second academic project, “Universal Design for Learning: Teaching Portuguese Worldwide”. They spoke convincingly of the need to design courses that were both engaging and allowed for different learning styles. They demonstrated this technique in a variety of ways, the most memorable being engaging the audience of students, faculty and community members in the singing of “Chamarrita”.

“I think this has been a wonderful opportunity for the students. They had the unique occasion to travel to New York to make a proposal to the United Nations. In the same trip, they then had the chance to present their work to their student counterparts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. This kind of meaningful dialogue is important for both the students and the institutions and should be welcomed,” said Shelley Pires, Consul of Portugal in New Bedford.

by Sean McCarthy

Todd Baptista knows what goes into an enjoyable evening of doo wop music. As the producer of dozens of doo wop concerts and the author of five books devoted to the musical genre, Baptista will once again enliven the stage of the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center with the sounds that gave birth to rock-and-roll, sounds that resonate with both the young and those who will enjoy revisiting their youth. There is a timelessness to doo wop music. The sounds that were embraced by the youth of the 1950’s and early 1960’s continue to be enjoyed by people of all ages, bolstered by the devoted fans of the genre as well as those who created it and continue to enjoy performing it. Grab your tickets HERE

Baptista will once again bring the sounds of some of doo wop’s most classic artists with “Doo Wop XVIII: The Hitmakers,” a concert that will feature the Flamingos, The Original Chantels, The Majors, and Kid Kyle – a two-and-a-half hour performance dedicated to the classic sounds of doo wop. The show will take to the stage of the Zeiterion on Saturday, March 28th with a 7:30 p.m. start. Tickets are $45, $49, and $59, and can be purchased at zeiterion.org, by calling (508) 994-2900, or at the Zeiterion box office at 684 Purchase St. in downtown New Bedford.

But Baptista also knows that these evenings can include something special that goes beyond the performance – after the show the artists will be available in the lobby to meet with audience members, having conversations and signing autographs, an opportunity for fans to be up-close and personal with the people who have provided them with so many memories.

“This music was special to a lot of people when they were young, and it will always be special to them,” Baptista says. “Popularity may change and they may not be on the top of the charts anymore, but for the people who grew up listening to it that music is always in their heart. To relive that with the original artists and get a chance to meet them and see them face-to-face is unique and special. The artists enjoy it as much as the audience members.”

And the acts that will be performing at the upcoming concert are some of doo wop’s most prized performers. The headlining act, the Flamingos, are members of the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame, and they are also the subject of Baptista’s most recent book, “The Flamingos: A Complete History of the Doo Wop Legends,” which will be available at the show. The star of the Flamingos’ performance will be Terry Johnson, who arranged and sang on the iconic 1959 hit “I Only Have Eyes For You,” as well as writing and singing on the classic “Lovers Never Say Goodbye.” His romantic tenor voice was also featured on hits such as “Mio Amore,” and “Love Walked In,” along with memorable ballads including “Golden Teardrops,” and “I’ll Be Home.”

The Original Chantels will feature three original members and are known for favorites such as “Maybe” and “Look In My Eyes.” The group scored 10 nationally-charting hit records beginning with “He’s Gone” in 1957. The Majors, an act out of Philadelphia, will feature original bass vocalist Ron Gathers on hits such as “A Wonderful Dream,” “She’s A Troublemaker,” and “Tra La La.”

The evening will also include a high-energy performance by Kid Kyle, a 25-year old crooner who recently released his fifth album, “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Kyle has spent more than half of his life on the concert stage and breathes new life into some of the classic hits of the early rock-and-roll era.

At the age of 52, Baptista is a New Bedford native who resides in Westport. He has produced 36 doo wop concerts beginning in 1998. He has been hosting shows at the Zeiterion since 2006.

“These shows are about giving flowers to the living, it’s about honoring the pioneers while they’re here to perform it,” Baptista says. “You can enjoy what they offer today. Sometimes I think about my dad during a performance. He’s the one who introduced the music to me and kindled my passion. He’s been gone for 15 years, but I still think about him enjoying the show and how he would react.” “Life in our era was a lot simpler than it is today,” says Louis Harris Powell of the Original Chantels.

“The music was something that could create memories and it was something you could definitely dance to. It made you feel happy. We didn’t have electronics and we didn’t have flashing lights, we’d just get up there and sing to our audience.” “Music was a different animal in the 50s and 60s,” Johnson says. “Music helped people fall in love, there was more communication. We didn’t have cell phones and things like that, the words meant a lot, they were meaningful.”

“I’m a lifelong fan of the music and the men and women who made it,” Baptista says. “I build the show, produce the show, and host the show from the perspective of a devout fan. As a fan, I select and suggest songs for the sets and other parts of the presentation all from that perspective. When the audience really responds to an artist and that artist really takes it in and enjoys it, it’s a mutual love affair and that feeling never gets old. It’s magical.”

“It always feels good to be on stage playing my music,” Johnson says. “It feels the same way it did when I was 17. At the time I was just doing what I loved but eventually, songs were being used in movies and on television. Doo-wop has stayed alive decade after decade.”
“What’s interesting to me is that there are so many teenagers who know the music and sing it,” Harris Powell says. “I can go online and punch in the name of a song and there will be high school kids singing the songs that we were singing back in the 50s. People are bringing their grandchildren and great-grandchildren to the shows and the kids know all the words to the songs.”

“The fans are what’s most important, they keep us entertainers alive,” Johnson says. “They make us feel like we have a purpose. I always love the chance to meet with the fans.”

“For all of us musicians it’s unimaginable that we’re still singing after all these years,” Harris Powell says. “We get the audience’s energy – it makes us feel good. The fans help us to do what we do. It’s a beautiful thing to sing these songs that meant so much to people.”

“Quality lasts and great music will endure,” Baptista says. “People enjoy the simplicity of the songs, the message of love as opposed to hate and controversy and the beauty of the harmonies. Doo wop represents a simpler time, a more innocent time, one that people – not just the folks who lived through it – would like to experience again.”
Get tickets here: https://zeiterion.org/doo-wop-hitmakers/

Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts (JA) and Title Sponsor, Bristol County Savings Bank, announce that six schools from the New Bedford area – Bishop Stang High School, Dartmouth High School, Fairhaven High School, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School and New Bedford High School – will participate in the 7th Annual Junior Achievement Titan Business Challenge to take place on the campus of UMass Dartmouth this coming Tuesday, March 10, 2020. The Junior Achievement Titan Business Challenge is a business strategy competition in which high school students compete against other schools in teams using an online, interactive business simulation which provides students with essential business knowledge. Each of the schools will compete against an estimated 200 students from 13 other schools.

“We are excited to have six schools from the greater New Bedford area competing in JA’s Titan Business Challenge this year,” said Jeffrey Pelletier, JA President. “Thanks to the support of the Bank and our other community partners, more than 1,000 students over the past six years have had the opportunity to participate in this hands-on, dynamic learning experience while gaining knowledge from some of the region’s top business leaders and competing for scholarship awards that can help make a higher education possible.”

During the event, the students will compete for scholarships while gaining insight into the world of business, at no cost to the students or their high schools. In addition to developing budgets and interpreting financial reports, students can expect to increase their knowledge of pricing, production, capital investment, R&D, marketing and charitable giving.

The New Bedford Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches and New Bedford Science Cafe will offer an evening of stargazing – a free, hands-on astronomy event to be hosted at the Low Tide Yacht Club at Fort Taber Park.

The event will be held Friday, February 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Low Tide Yacht Club, 1000 South Rodney French Boulevard. The event is free and no pre-registration is required. (Rain date is Saturday, February 29 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

The program is a New Bedford Science Cafe Kids event, and will explore the far reaches of the solar system and beyond, with NASA Solar System Ambassador Joe Cote and young scientists from the NASA Solar System Explorers at Ford Middle School in Acushnet.

The event will feature indoor learning stations on planets outside our solar system, moon phases and craters, telescopes, and constellations. Then take a short walk over to our astronomy observing area where the Astronomical Society of Southern New England (ASSNE) will have telescopes set up to view the Moon, the Orion Nebula, star clusters, and other astronomical objects. Ask questions and try hands-on activities. Learn from fellow students, local amateur astronomers, and from a NASA Ambassador who has visited nearly every NASA facility in the U.S. Free cookies and hot chocolate will also be provided by New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches.

New Bedford Science Cafe Kids is a youth-focused offshoot of New Bedford Science Cafe (NBSC) and a partnership formed between NBSC and New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches. They coordinate the New Bedford Science Cafe Kids events with various organizations which are hosted at sites throughout New Bedford.

The goal of this program is to connect students in New Bedford to scientists and their research. Events feature scientists, researchers, and local students sharing their research and provide time for hands-on activities and Q&A with the presenters.

For more information and updates on rain date rescheduling, follow New Bedford Science Cafe and New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches on Facebook or call the office at 508-961-3015.

Zeiterion Performing Arts Center marches into spring with a wide array of 15 concerts, shows, workshops, movies and more! The March line-up starts with the on-stage memoir County of Kings, the unbelievable true story of slam poet Lemon Anderson, and it culminates with a Buster Keaton double feature of silent movies to a live soundtrack. Tickets are available by calling 508-994-2900, online at https://zeiterion.org/, or at the Zeiterion Box Office at 684 Purchase Street in New Bedford. Group sales of 10 tickets or more for select shows are available at a discounted rate by calling 508-997-5664 x123.

In honor of National Women’s Month, the Zeiterion will offer a special promotion on women-centric performances: 10% off tickets to one show, 15% off the second show, and 20% off the third show. Eligible performances are: On a Winter’s Night, Natalia Zukerman, Seven, Grace Morrison, EmiSunshine, One Funny Mother, New Bedford Lyceum presents Monica Lewinsky, and The Color Purple. Eligible movies are Moonstruck, A League of Their Own and Selena. This offer does not apply to previous purchases and cannot be combined.

The Zeiterion’s performances, events, and workshops in March include:

County of Kings
Thursday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29 / $39 / $10 for students

Adapted from the extraordinary life of slam poet, playwright and speaker Lemon Andersen, County of Kings takes audiences on an astonishing journey of self-discovery, touching on young love, the birth of hip hop, slinging crack, ballet, stealing car parts, prison, and poetry. This performance will take place off-site at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Theater.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live
Thursday, March 5, 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $29 / $39 / $49 / $10 for students

Following the wildly successful 30th Anniversary Tour in 2018, Joel Hodgson will don the red jumpsuit one final time to host Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour alongside the world’s greatest – and only – movie riffing robots, Tom Servo, Crow, and Gypsy. The audience will sit in the same theater with their favorite characters as they hilariously riff on the never-before-screened film, Circus of Horrors. n’s final tour. VIP upgrade options, including exclusive gear, limited-edition collectables, meet-and-greet with Joel Hodgson, and more, are available.

Movie Monday: Moonstruck
Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $3

Fall under the delightful spell of Moonstruck, the mesmerizing romantic comedy starring Academy Award winners Cher, Nicolas Cage, and Olympia Dukakis. Cher is Loretta, an unlucky-in-love Italian widow who finds romance through the intervention of the Manhattan moon. With her wedding just weeks away, she meets and falls hopelessly in love with her fiancé’s younger brother (Cage). Her dilemma and her equally passionate and hilariously eccentric family make for an unforgettable film.

On A Winter’s Night
Thursday, March 12, 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25 / $35 / $45 / $10 for students

The brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement in the past three decades unite for the 25th Anniversary of On A Winter’s Night! Christine Lavin, John Gorka, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler and Cliff Eberhardt have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these beloved performers, back together by popular demand.

Creative Classroom: Beginner’s Salsa Workshop
Friday, March 13, 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $15

A salsa workshop for beginners! Start with the fundamentals – steps, body movement, timing – in the first half of the workshop, then practice your new skills in the second half. No prior dance experience or partner required.

New Bedford Symphony Orchestra presents Breaking Boundaries
Saturday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10 / $45 / $55 / $65

One of the top violin players of our time, Vadim Gluzman plays Beethoven’s immortal Violin Concerto. Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir creates a mysterious, dark orchestral sound with a sense of hope. John Adams’s most popular piece, Harmonielehre (“The Study of Harmony”), has become a cornerstone in orchestral repertoire. The NBSO’s performance of the work is guaranteed to bring the house down in this program of innovative music.

Creative Classroom: Music Lovers Wanted
Wednesdays, March 18 & 25, 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $20

This two-day course will be a fun and informative exploration of what classical music is all about: what it has in common with other types of music and what makes it different. Come find out why it’s been able to attract such devoted listeners for over 300 years and why today conservatories and music schools are filled with young people who are so passionate about performing it. Light refreshments will be provided and all participants will receive a free ticket to an upcoming NBSO concert.

Natalia Zukerman At Stage Door Live
Thursday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20 General admission

Edifying and entertaining, Natalia Zukerman seamlessly melds the talents of the songwriter, painter, and storyteller into a moving evening of reflection and perseverance. Featuring original music and projected paintings by Zukerman, this intimate portrait recounts the artist’s journey of finding her own voice through the stories of the women in her life. Stage Door Live is a unique experience, where the historic Zeiterion stage is transformed into an intimate concert club with a full bar.

Creative Classroom: Family Improv
Saturday, March 21, 10:00 a.m.
Cost: $15 per participant

An introduction to the art of improvisation, while creating a world of imagination as a family! Class instructors Garrett Olson and Jess Wilson take participants through course work that includes games and exercises exploring awareness, relaxation, observation, the senses, voice, and physicality – all on the historic Zeiterion stage.

RAIN: A Tribute To The Beatles
Sunday, March 22, 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45 / $55 / $65

In celebration of the anniversary of Abbey Road, RAIN will bring the greatest hits of this epic recording to life, in addition to all your early Beatles favorites! This mind-blowing performance takes you back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note theatrical event that is “the next best thing to seeing the Beatles” (Associated Press). Experience the worlds’ most iconic band and come celebrate the best of Abbey Road with RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles!

Creative Classroom: Empowerment Through Spoken Word
Monday, March 23, 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $15

An introductory-level poetry workshop in celebration of Women’s History Month! Learn how to delve into you – your passions, your history, and your power, and use it to create beautiful and electrifying poetry.

Boston Comedy Jam
Thursday, March 26, 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $20 / $25 / $32 / $10 for students

Lenny Clarke returns to New Bedford with some of the funniest comics he knows. This year’s line-up features Joe Yannetty, who has written for and toured with Rosie O’Donnell; Mike McCarthy, known as The Comedy Barbarian; Mitch Stinson, former hot-shot Navy pilot; and Ken Rogerson, who toured on Denis Leary’s “Rescue Me Comedy Tour.” Laugh the night away with Lenny and his friends!

The Peking Acrobats
Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $27.50 / $32.50 / $39.50

For more than three decades, The Peking Acrobats have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. Their high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatic feats create an exuberant entertainment event with the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival.

Todd Baptista’s Doo Wop XVIII: The Hitmakers
Saturday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $45 / $49 / $59

Todd Baptista’s annual extravaganza spotlights the stars and golden hits of rock and roll’s first generation! Starring The Flamingos featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Terry Johnson (“I Only Have Eyes For You”), the angelic sounds of the original Chantels (“Maybe”), first-time visitors the Majors (“A Wonderful Dream”), and, by popular demand, the return of Kid Kyle. Jack Colombo’s Coast To Coast Band will also be back for a memorable evening of timeless classics!

Buster Keaton Double Feature
Sunday, March 29, 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $7.50 General Admission

With live soundtrack from The Z’s Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, Buster Keaton’s classics come alive on screen! The double-feature includes two of the silent film star’s best – One Week and Sherlock, Jr. – for an afternoon of vintage entertainment. Generously sponsored by Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society.

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The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide New Bedford and the region with performing arts programming of excellence that inspires, educates, engages and entertains. Tickets are available for purchase at www.zeiterion.org, by calling 508-994-2900, or in person at the box office at 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford, Mass. Zeiterion Box Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and two hours before each performance.

The family of the Honorable Rosemary S. Tierney, former Mayor of New Bedford, has announced that her funeral will be held on Saturday, February 22 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 565 County Street.