By Anne Ulseth
The year’s shortest month boasts a long list of exciting Capri events, starting with the First Thursday Film screening of the riveting documentary, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, on February 2 at 7 p.m. Special guest, Director Sam Pollard, will be part of the post-show discussion, along with MSP Film programmer Craig Laurence Rice. Through first-person accounts and searing archival footage, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power tells the story of the local civil rights activists and young Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) organizers who fought not just for voting rights, but for Black Power in Lowndes County, Alabama, a rural impoverished town with a vicious history of racist terrorism. Tickets are $5 or free for Northsiders, and they’re available at mspfilm.org or at the door.
Camp Capri S3 for middle school scholars will be held on Saturday, February 19. This month, guest artist, costumer and clever creator, Julie Acton, will work with the scholars to create fashion forms and monster dolls during a workshop she describes as “fun and wacky!” Camp Capri S3is free (including lunch) and is held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month. Register at thecapri.org.
Longtime collaborators, the Capri and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO), present a powerful showcase of North Minneapolis talent with the Northside Celebration 2023, taking place on Friday, February 17 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 18 at 4 p.m. at North High, and Sunday, February 19 at 2 p.m. at the Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul. Music will be performed by the Northside Celebration Choir — a choir formed especially for this event, the youth choir Known MPLS and the SPCO. This unique performance brings the gospel choral tradition, orchestral music and spoken word together. These free concerts (registration required at thespco.org/northside) will be full of joy, beauty and energy celebrating the North Minneapolis community through music.
Capri Glee!, led by Director J.D. Steele, also brings the delight of singing to the Northside. Registration for the popular adult community choir is now open. The free six-week program rehearses weekly on Tuesdays – March 21 through April 18 – with the culminating community concert on Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Capri. Register for this free program at thecapri.org.
And although not until April 1, plan now to attend the first-ever PCYC Gala, a fantastic evening at the Capri as the community gathers to celebrate PCYC’s rich, 69-year history, and the bright, inspiring future ahead. Supporters will enjoy silent and live auctions, dinner, a fabulous concert, delightful stories of history and hope, and a fund-a-need, all to raise money in support of PCYC’s mission: To enrich the skills, prospects and spirit of North Minneapolis area youth and adults, in partnership with families and communities. For tickets (early bird pricing through January 31) and info visit pcyc-mpls.org.
All programs are at the Capri, at 2027 W. Broadway, unless otherwise noted. For details and ticket info visit thecapri.org.