Charleston Daily

Charleston Daily is a concept in community. Its mission is to promote, assist, and celebrate in everything Charleston, South Carolina. By partnering with businesses, community leaders, volunteers and events, we are spreading the love that is Charleston. As this city continues to grow and prosper, we want to help spread the message to all about how wonderful this community is. Charleston is about the people, community, water, land, history, heritage and the true southern warmth it brings with each and every day.

Joint Base Charleston Becomes Supply Center for Hurricane Maria Recovery

October 26, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 26, 2017 — Joint Base Charleston has been established as the central hub and reception area for disaster relief supplies as part of sustained efforts in rebuilding Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

Army Sgt. Roberto Espino, 640th Transportation Detachment Tampa, Fla., inspects equipment as it arrives at an initial staging area at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Oct. 20, 2017. Joint Base Charleston was chosen as the installation support base and the central hub for sustained efforts aiding the rebuilding of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. William O’Brien

Joint Base Charleston was chosen because it’s one of the few Defense Department installations with sea and aerial port facilities.

Different modes of transportation offer different benefits. A sealift vessel is capable of moving more cargo, but at a slower speed than airlift. And, while airlift is faster, no aircraft can hold as much cargo as a ship. By combining the two modes of transportation, representatives are able to airlift urgent items while sealifting large quantities of materials not immediately needed.

“Joint Base Charleston was asked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the [U.S.] Transportation Command to be an installation support base,” said Air Force Col. Rockie Wilson, 628th Mission Support Group commander. “An ISB is a reception area for disaster relief supplies. The interesting thing about Joint Base Charleston is it’s one of the few places in the DoD where we can receive supplies by rail and road while having access to aerial and sea port assets. Such access provides maximum flexibility to FEMA to be able to send and receive needed supplies.”

Processing Cargo

FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency established an initial staging area where items are received, inspected and measured. That information is put into the 841st Transportation Battalion’s logging system, enabling them to create a stowage plan.

“We’re receiving cargo from federal and state agencies from all over the country,” said Shawny Dallam FEMA transportation specialist. “When it arrives, it is inventoried and sent to the staging area to be transported to the vessel when it docks or to the air base to be flown out.”

The Navy’s roll-on, roll-off vehicle cargo ship, the USNS Brittin, which has a cargo capacity of 215,000 square feet, is scheduled to make six trips from here to Puerto Rico over the next two months. Since items are coming in from a wide range of agencies, some require repackaging before loading onto the ship.

“Once the items have been received and consolidated, if needed, the items are prioritized and a stowage plan is created,” said Navy Lt. Brenton Breed, the 841st Transportation Battalion’s operations officer. “This stow plan is then shared with the receiving agencies in Puerto Rico. The plan allows them to know exactly what they’re getting, and what order it will come off the ship, facilitating a smooth off load when the ship arrives.”

Eleanor Van Cleve and Joseph Alem, Federal Emergency Management Agency transportation managers, review paperwork of inbound cargo at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Oct. 21, 2017. FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency established an initial staging area where items are received, inspected and measured. Once the cargo has been processed, it will be sent to Puerto Rico by air or sea. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. William O’Brien

The primary mode of transportation for this mission is by sea, but if perishable or urgent items arrive at the staging area, they can be sent to Joint Base Charleston’s aerial port to be flown to their destination within hours. Transporting cargo by air has the added benefit of being able to land hundreds of miles from the shore.

“We can be ready as soon as we receive the assets,” said Air Force 1st Lt. Rebecca Ryti, 437th Aerial Port Squadron air freight flight commander. “Once a truck pulls up to our dock, we can unload it, inspect it and get it out to the aircraft in under two hours. Aerial movement is quite amazing because you can move things from one point to another much more quickly than by any other means of transportation.”

Logistics Support

Members from units across the 628th Civil Engineer Squadron provided the logistics support enabling the base to accommodate these interagency partners in accomplishing their mission. This effort was led by Air Force 1st Lt. Ana Smith, 628 CE emergency response flight commander. She met with FEMA and PEMA representatives prior to establishing the staging area to understand their requirements and identify the base assets to fulfill them.

“It has been a little bit of a chess game trying to anticipate their requirements and making sure they have everything they need,” Smith said. “We knew, in general, they’d need base access, a space to store items waiting to be shipped and escort vehicles when shipments arrive at the gate. Additionally, I also had to think beyond the surface and look at finer details. For example, rest room facilities are needed because they are going to be out here for extended periods of time each day.”

This partnership brings together professionals from a variety of different agencies with different skill sets and backgrounds. The team to works as a unit to solve any problems and continues to support the people who are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Maria.

“FEMA and PEMA are great partners,” Breed said. “We work together well. I can provide the logistics expertise they need to ship things because that’s not their normal mission. We’re looking forward to working together with them to help the American citizens of Puerto Rico.”

Charleston, South Carolina is not “everyone’s” #1 Travel Destination

October 26, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

By Mark A. Leon

There has been social chatter, word on the street and much much self proclamation that Charleston, SC is the #1 travel destination in the United States and the World. I think we need to take a moment to clarify this.

This distinction has come from a single publication, which the city of Charleston pays to be a part of. When major publications compile data and provide lists, there is often a fee to participate in the ranking analysis. Cities are not just randomly picked, analyzed and rated. There is a process of participation. That is a key piece of information that is relevant to the Travel & Leisure annual list of Top Vacation Destination Cities.

Next, we look at some other lists to see where Charleston falls.

Travel Channel Top 10 Vacation Spots – #1 Paris, Italy, #2 New York City, New York, #3 Rome, Italy, #4 Cancun, Mexico, #5 London, England, #6 Miami, Florida, #7 Orlando, Florida, #8 San Francisco, California, #9 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, #10 Branson, Missouri
25 Best Places to Visit / Worlds Best Vacations – US News and Worlds Report – US Cities to make the list: #9 New York City, New York, #10 Maui, Hawaii, #15 Yellowstone, Wyoming, #19 Washington, D.C., #20 Grand Canyon, #23 San Francisco, CA
Top 25 World Destinations – Raters Choice – Trip Advisor – US Cities to make the list: #5 New York City, New York
Best in Travel 2017 – US Destinations – Lonely Planet – #1 Asheville, North Carolina. Charleston did not make the top 10
21 Best Budget Destinations for 2017 – Forbes – US Cities to make the list: #16 Moab, Utah
15 Best Places to Take a Big Trip in 2017 – Thrilllist – US Destinations: #8 Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
50 Best Vacation Destinations – VacationIdea – US Destinations on the list: Las Vegas, New York, Florida, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Texas and National Parks
Top 10 Places to Travel in 2017 – Vogue – US Destinations on the list: #7 Idaho
Summer in the US: 20 Best Vacation Destinations – Frommer’s – Charleston, South Carolina was not on the list
Ten Most Affordable Vacation Destinations – Mercury News – Charleston, South Carolina was not on the list
29 of the Best Vacation Destinations for Couples – Buzzfeed – #17 Charleston, South Carolina
10 Best Places to Visit in the United States for Young Couples – InsiderMonkey – #1 New York City, New York. Charleston, South Carolina was not on the list
Best Vacation Spots for Couples Trying to Conceive – The Bump – Charleston, South Carolina not on the list
13 Best Family Vacations in the US – US News – #1 Grand Canyon, #9 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Charleston, South Carolina did not make the list.
Top 10 Fall Travel Destinations for 2017 – Clark.com – #1 Orlando, FL, #2 Rome, Italy, #3 Anaheim, CA, #4 Honolulu, HI, #5 New York City, #6 Las Vegas, NV, #7 London, England, #8 Dublin, Ireland, #9 Boston, MA, #10 Cancun, Mexico
Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2018 – Lonely Planet – #1 Seville, Spain, #2 Detroit, MI, #3 Canberra, Australia, #4 Hamburg, Germany, #5 Kaohsiung, Taiwan, #6 Antwerp, Belguim, #7 Matera, Italy, #8 San Juan, Puerto Rico, #9 Guanajuato, Mexico, #10 Oslo, Norway
World’s Happiest Places – National Geographic – #1 US Destination – Boulder, Colorado. Charleston did not make final list.

It is nice to praise one self. There is a sense of accomplishment, value and prestige to be honored. There is also a certain nobility to humbleness. It is an acquired taste and one that is not often enough used.

Enjoy the annual Travel & Leisure honor, but let us not assume, we are on everyone’s top list.

Charleston Ranks #5 in Yelp’s Inaugural Local Economic Outlook Survey of Cities Primed for Growth

October 25, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

Yelp’s inaugural Local Economic Outlook is a new program to track which areas of America are ripe for economic opportunity: where small businesses in America have the best chance of success.

This program is an ongoing effort to surface insights from Yelp’s deep data stores to help businesses succeed and to arm policymakers with the information they need to make effective change that will boost local economies.

The Outlook centers around a list of 50 cities in the U.S. ranked by economic opportunity to show the current state of affairs in the local American economy. We define “economic opportunity” as the chance businesses have to stay open, and for new businesses to thrive.

In addition, we have produced a list of 50 neighborhoods and 10 business categories that have experienced the largest positive change in economic opportunity over the last year to provide a guide for where to look next.

Methodology

Each business in the U.S. that has been reviewed on Yelp was analyzed using a random-

forest model to estimate its probability of remaining open for the next three months, for

each month over the last two years. The model takes into account the business’s location,

category, and other factors, mainly based on Yelp-related activity for that business: how

many reviews it received, how often people looked at its Yelp page, and so on.

Top 10 Cities

Charlotte, North Carolina
Jacksonville, Florida
Omaha, Nebraska
Orlando, Florida
Charleston, South Carolina
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tampa, Florida
Dallas, Texas
Salt Lake City, Utah
Houston, Texas

Full Report

Yelp Local Economic Outlook Report – October 2017

Glen Phillips, Front man for Toad The Wet Sprocket, talks candidly about music, success, depression and life

October 24, 2017

by Charleston Daily 1 Comment

By Mark A. Leon

Music is transformative. It takes us to extreme highs and lows and becomes the soundtrack to our lives. For 33 years, Glen Phillips, front man for Toad the Wet Sprocket (TTWS) has experienced a career of reflection, emotional roller coaster rides, influence and struggle. Today, like a great prize fighter, he is still throwing punches. We had a chance to sit down with Glen and learn more about his solo career, years with TTWS and the upcoming show this weekend at the Charleston Music Hall.

CD: As the age of glam rock was fading with the 80’s, a struggle for a new voice and sound emerged including grunge and the new alternative rock scene, did you feel like the pioneers of a new sound? And did that add pressure on you?

GP: I think music is always evolving. What shifts is what becomes popular. Today if you are good at YouTube you can do well. It does take a special skill though. I think with the 90’s for us, the pressure we got was from the assumption that if you weren’t edgy, you weren’t deep. There was pressure to be harder and less vulnerable. I think we held on to our vulnerability well through those years. We knew what we were good at and held onto who we were.

Artists today, like Elliot Smith are saying you can be beautiful now. You can show a softer side and still get rewarded in the media and by the fans. Things that we are paying attention to today, may be completely different in the future. When Norah Jones thrust onto the music scene, she found an opening. Female musicians were intense and sexualized and she just wrote soft sensual love songs. Hootie and the Blowfish weren’t tough and they broke records in sales. At the time, people were hungry for something that wasn’t beating them over the head.

CD: As the music industry began to change in the late 90’s from physical album sales and charts to streaming, YouTube and reality stars, did you feel this was threatening the core value of musical and lyrical composition or did you feel the more exposure the better for the industry?

GP: These changes are challenging the industry, but they are still interested in keeping the status quo. The artist tends to be last in line to reap the financial rewards unless they are entrepreneurial and know how to monetize the brand and sound. The industry doesn’t have to be fair. Competition is good. Innovation will force people out of jobs and evolve. There is no true entitlement for any industry and things will evolve and change. The music industry is only a hundred years old as a modern medium of industry sales, recording artists, mass concerts and merchandise. It has a much longer story to tell.

Social media is playing a large part of who artists and public relations promote. The last election destroyed social media for me. Facebook is depressing and hurting the industry. I am on it because I need to keep my name fresh, but it can bring down a lot of talented artists or never get their name to light.

When music began, it was mostly collaborative. Just groups of people singing and playing together. There is nothing wrong with recorded music or large venue concerts, but at some point, we forget that some music is just about singing together with friends. Whether that was in fields, laying bricks, laying railroad track or in homes. We turned music into a commodity.

I have been doing these singing groups in Santa Monica for some time now. I refer to them as church without religion. Generally, I am leading them, but not performing. They are beautiful and fun collaborations with great sounds coming out of them. I think we need to look at the business of music, take a step back and start to look at just the “music” again. The more I do that, the happier I am.

CD: What are Glen Phillips top Toad or solo songs?

Nobody’s Gonna Get Hurt

Rise Up

Grief and praise

All I Want

“All I Want” gave us so much success and I we are so honored to have that opportunity for the time we had.

CD: You bring a certain dorky humor to your live performances? Is that an extension of your own personalities?

I let the songs speak for themselves. I can drive people away if I really speak my mind, so during the Toad shows I focus more on the music. During my solo performances, which are more intimate and smaller, I tend to talk and get more involved with the audience.

I often ask, “What is my place in the world?” Am I political, can I share commentary or just sing? The dorkiness is real and an extension of myself and the band. We all met in high school in choir. My dad was a physicist and my family and I used to watch every episode of Star Trek together. I think that explains a lot about how I was raised and how the band came to be.

CD: Do you still get those personal stories from fans and do they have a positive impact on you?

GP: To some degree, but it is how the story is told. Music is useful and not just a narcissistic exercise. It gives meaning to experiences. Music feels like a shared experience to some and it often clouds judgement. Fans will tell me a story about a specific concert they went to and make it sound like we were there together. I generally have a much different story to tell. Sometimes, those stories can be odd and awkward because it is a personal account, not a shared experience and they often can’t tell the difference.

I had a realization 3 years ago around the time of my divorce. Absence from the limelight and depression may have caused me to lose the thing I valued most in life. It forced me to re-evaluate myself and look at music differently. Music is healing and necessary for people to have. Knowing I was doing something important was critical in my transformation.

I know I am out of the celebrity game and it is just depressing to try and get back in it. I know I never will, but I am finding purpose again. The singing groups I spoke about earlier have a synergy and bring me back to the raw elements of the sound, collaborative harmony and the essence of music.

CD: The album ‘Fear’ seemed like it was trying to find an identity in the changing musical landscape with its unique and diverse selection of cuts. Tell me about the evolution of this groundbreaking album

GP: Fear was the bands third album. We demoed over 30 songs in our rehearsal space prior to recording the final cut. It was all fresh and new. The studio left us alone to create. The first two were live on the floor and lacked production quality. Our goal was to become the labels cheap band, keeping the costs down. I think, because of that, they give us complete creative freedom.

At the time, I loved Tears for Fears, Peter Gabriel and Thomas Dolby. As a result, I wanted to make a big album. We wanted a lot of range. Our producer recently worked with The Church and that is the powerful sound we wanted.

We went big. Also, we didn’t know if they would ever make another album, so we went all out.

Dulcinea was our most realized record and it was interestingly all over the map. As a band, that was the most complete composition of music and lyrics that we completed together.

CD: 1998 – 2008 – Break up years. What did you do during this period personally both in and out of the music business including your work with Nickel Creek, the solo work and how did it differ from TTWS?

Those years were mostly marked by incredibly deep depression. I tried to get signed as a solo artist and didn’t. I put myself out there and pitched myself to many labels and no bite. I thought I would carry the name Toad The Wet Sprocket for much longer than I did.

I got bitter and depressed. It took me a long time before I didn’t feel entitled. I took the position of Toad for granted. We thought we were cool and would just last. It was a hard time for me. I put together so many individual and collaborative projects and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get signed.

Nickel Creek came to me one day. They loved the band and wanted to collaborate. They were so young, talented and full of life. I went on tour with them and after shows we would hang out in the parking lot playing some more. Nickel Creek helped bring my life back. Their zest for life and passion for music was addictive. They made me remember that I loved music and why. Being around people that alive is intoxicating without the hangover.

I have 3 little kids and I was trying to survive. It is a human thing. When things go well we become glutton and entitled. When they don’t, depression can take hold and choke you.

The point of life is that it happens. You get to be for a while. That is gift enough.

I am working hard to stay more grateful these days.

CD: What will fans expect from the Charleston show on October 28^th.

We won’t blend in much of the solo stuff. Expect a true Toad show with Toad music. We did a song for a new movie that we will play that night. We know the memories are important to the people. It is part of our service to them and with that, they will be pleased to hear the classics. There will be a bit of old; a bit of new. Hopefully a perfect blend.

There is some new energy we haven’t had in a while playing together and we are excited about the show and this current tour. During recent tour stops, we are finding the fans showing up are knowing the new songs and that means a great deal. The audience is growing up with us. They sense our vulnerabilities. Of course, the songs from your 20’s and 30’s stick with you forever.

I have had only one job in my life, music. Having seen it from the top of the mountain and in the trenches where I spend more of my time, I have a lot of time to think, reflect and plan. Today, I book my own flights and drive my own car. I like that I can work hard for what I love.

I am 46 now and just trying to figure out what I have to offer. Too many of us feel there is an unwritten social contract stating that “If they you do your part as a youth, you will be rewarded.” So many are adjusting to lesser expectations.

We need to stop being entitled and start valuing community, quietness and slowness.

“I don’t know where it all goes from here. I don’t have a degree to go anywhere, but I have observed human behavior for a long time”

Toad The Wet Sprocket – Charleston Music Hall – Saturday, October 28 – Ticket Information

Photography

GALLERY: Tribute to The Charleston Sunrise

October 24, 2017

by Charleston Daily 1 Comment

By Mark A. Leon

One of the most remarkable treasures of the Lowcountry are the miracle of the sunrise and sunsets. Throughout our gorgeous terrain lies some of the most memorable experiences, nearly every day and night. So often we are in process of a commute to work, sleeping in, showering or working that we lose such a precious opportunity to see these spiritual treasures of life.

As our personal tribute, we want to share some of our favorite captures of the Lowcountry sunrises.

If this doesn’t motivate you to wake up early, I don’t know what will.

Have a Ghoulishly Fun Time with ‘The Addams Family’ at The Footlight Players – Charleston Daily Review

October 23, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

By Mark A. Leon

An Addams Family love story, hmmm they do say opposites attract. The latest production from The Footlight Players, “The Addams Family” reminds us that love works in mysterious ways. From its opening number of “When You’re an Addams” featuring the entire cast surrounded by a lavish set and ominous fog, you are drawn into this mad cap evening of fun, music and mayhem.

This finger snapping, foot stomping production is the perfect first entry into the Charleston Halloween theatre season. In the background of a remote forested area somewhere in New York, lives the Addams Family. Gomez, the quirky, yet suave husband and father, Morticia, the sexy and slightly sinister wife and mother, Uncle Fester, whose insanity is just enough to question his motives, but his lovable romantic side makes him irresistible, Wednesday, who has the makings of a future Navy Seal, but gets hit by cupid’s arrow, Pugsley, the lovable youngest son who prefers torture to tennis, Grandma, at least we think she is someone’s grandma with her potions and playful demeanor and Lurch, who, in such few words says so much.

This two hour and fifteen-minute musical enters the world of a family who prefers the sewers to the sunlight, black to white, pain to happiness and turns its world inside out as the dorky conservative Lucas finds true love in the heart of Wednesday Addams. Now the Addams Family, must not only face the thought of losing their daughter, but meet Lucas’ family as well, a conservative middle class family from Ohio. Let the games begin.

David Hatch as Gomez is a shining star on stage. His dominant presence with his sensitive heart, comical narrative and robust musical voice made for an outstanding theatrical performance. He truly embodies the nature and character of Gomez Addams with integrity and warmth.

Maureen Renee Hughes brings sexiness and fear to the character of Morticia. As she reveals her legs and fishnet stockings and engages in the Tango with Gomez, there is an aura of romance and intimacy that both characters bring out with ease. She encompasses an elegance to black and even in the shadows of darkness, she finds the light of love.

Rebecca Weatherby, a graduate of the Charleston Southern’s Horton School of Music, brings to life this awkward teenage girl who knows more about crossbows than boys and makes her believe in a life of normalcy. When she enters the stage in a yellow dress prior to dinner, the uncomfortable innocence of a girl who wants so much to be loved and accepted comes out so powerfully. Over the course of the play, she much wrestle with the critical issues of love, family and future. It is a touching evolution wrought with anger, understanding and humor. Ms. Weatherby’s performance was highlighted with the tremendous range and versatility of her vocals during her musical numbers.

This beautiful cast is rounded out by Clyde Moser as Lurch, Jessie Price as Pugsley, Emma Scott as Alice, Matthew Willingham as Lucas, Daniel Breuer as Mal, Allison Brower as Grandma and Rusty Cooler as Fester. Each brings a zany pop and flair to the ensemble.

Act I concludes with the Addams and Lucas’ family playing a post dinner game of Full Disclosure. As not to give away too much, this was reminiscent of the final scene of “La Vie Boheme” that drew Act I of “Rent” to a close. It is a large ensemble number filled with many moving parts that manifests in a true turning point in the play.

You will be all smiles throughout the night with musical numbers like “Just Around the Corner”, ‘Crazier Than You”, and “Tango de Amor” to name just a few.

The Addams Family is a night filled with humor, spooky fun and strangely good family values.

Find someone you love or bring the family. You will not be disappointed. Just be sure to not put an apple on top of your head.

Ticket Information

You can’t help but fall in love with ‘Sweet Charity’ at the Charleston Performing Arts Center

October 20, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

By Mark A. Leon

In 2013 Kirk and Scott Pfeiffer moved to Charleston with the goal of providing “excellent education in musical theatre, and to ensure theatre arts remain prominent and accessible within the community.” Today, this small community theatre cuddled nicely on Folly Road is actively celebrating its fourth season and what an inaugural season achievement with their flamboyantly fun and musically triumphant production of “Sweet Charity”

Originally conceived, staged and choreographed by Bob Fosse based on the book by Neil Simon, the Charleston Performing Arts Center captures the quirky nuances and rich colors of 1960’s New York City so beautifully. The intimate cabaret style theater puts the audience in the heart of the action. With rich explosive numbers including “Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now” the crowd is swept away into the free-spirited life of New York City in the 1960’s.

Right away, you cannot help but fall in love with Charity Hope Valentine played superbly by Johanna Lacy. From the open scene where she is dumped through her journey to find love, you are drawn in with her quirky mannerisms, tremendous vocal range and optimistic pursuit of love. Her performance is nothing short of a pure delight. Taking on a stage presence filled with beauty in the wake of uncertainty in a city that has lost its innocence, Johanna tackles this role with style and grace. Throughout the performance, you want nothing more than to have this down on her luck heroine find true love.

This small stage musical at times resembled a massive production due in large part to the vibrant costume design and supporting cast of singers and dancers. From the taps to the dips, the choreographed numbers kept your smiling all evening long.

Yovel Aviv and Jackie Kirchhoff play Nickie and Helene, Charity’s confidants and co-workers who have given up the glimmer in their eyes, but secretly cheer on Charity as she walks through the maze of life finding true love. In their own saucy way, they continue to keep her grounded. Yovel’s sassy New York accent and pint-sized powerhouse attitude as Nicki is lovable and sincere. Jackie’s rich voice and charm compliment well during her duo’s and ensemble numbers.

Khawon Porter as Herman, the cross-dressing owner of the dance hall, brings an explosive voice and dominant presence to every scene including an uncharacteristic rendition of “I Love To Cry at Weddings” at the conclusion of Act II. His tough exterior, but lovable hidden side make for an unlikely father figure for Charity.

The performance would not have been complete without strong contributions from Dillon Smith (Oscar) and Joseph Baldino (Vittoro Vidal) who play two very different male figures who both have a vital impact on Charity’s life.

Love comes and goes and sometimes you lock in on your destiny and other times, you bow in defeat and keep looking. Life is about finding balance between the inner and outer beauty, securing those that you truly connect with and having fun. “Sweet Charity” truly encompasses those values with a beautiful rainbow of costumes, a talented cast, toe tapping music and dance and an overall great time at the theatre.

Ticket Information

Musical Production of ‘Annie’ Comes to Footlight Just in Time for the Holidays

October 19, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

Photo Credit: Stan Foxworthy. Pictured are: Emerson Page as Annie with Paul O’Brien and Nina Himes

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The perfect family friendly musical for the holiday season, The Footlight Players brings everyone’s favorite redhead to life in a production of “Annie.” Performances are Dec. 1-17 at the historic Footlight Theatre, 20 Queen St.

This musical has become a worldwide phenomenon and the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.”

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC.

In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, befriends President Franklin D. Roosevelt and ultimately finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

This Footlight production is directed by Courtney Saree with assistant director Annie Reid, music director Laura Turner and choreographers Lily Watkins, Christine Cleary and Lydia Brown. Sarre is the co-founder of Musical Theater Center in Mount Pleasant and has been directing children for more than 20 years. She is a former professional performer at Walt Disney World and has taught a several Charleston area schools.

She said, “I wanted to direct Annie because it is a classic holiday show with both poignant and uplifting overtones. I also knew we had the talent and capability to assemble an amazing creative team and cast with actors from the community and from the Musical Theater Center.”

Performances are at 8 p.m. Dec. 1, Dec. 2, Dec. 8, Dec. 9, Dec. 14, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16 with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for military/seniors and $25 for students and $15 for children. Order tickets online at footlightplayers.net or by calling the box office at 843-722-4487.

About The Footlight Players
The Footlight Players launched in 1931 with a series of one-act plays directed by Lt. Commander Charles Russell Price at the Charleston Navy yard. The series was such a success and drew such a following that The Footlight Players formally organized and incorporated in the fall of 1932. To this day, The Footlight Players continues to provide professional quality, affordable community theater for the Lowcountry at the historic Footlight Players Theatre, 20 Queen St. in Charleston. For more information, visit footlightplayers.net or call 843-722-4487.

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The Footlight Players on social media
@FootlightPlayer on Twitter
@FootlightPlayers on Instagram
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thefootlightplayers
#FootlightPlayers

Lifestyle - Photography

Two Charleston Photographers Featured in International Photography Magazine, ‘Shadows and Light’

October 18, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

Shadows and Light Magazine, a global celebration of photography and imagery is published out of Colorado by internationally recognized fashion photographer Christine Szeredy. Christine, over the years, has surrounded herself with some of the best talent around the world and believes the world is a better place when its beauty is captured and realized. She also focuses her efforts on recognizing and rewarding young up and coming talent with contests in her quarterly publication.

Today, the Fall 2017 Issue has been released and two Charleston area photographers are featured in this edition, Wendy Mogul and Kimberly Krauk. Both bring a remarkable eye combining stunning imagery and fashion to the elegant backdrop of Charleston. Their ability to penetrate human emotion and capture the stillness of life is breathtaking. They are two gifts to our community.

We are honored to have both outstanding talents represent Charleston, South Carolina.

Let us all take a moment to celebrate their work and all those that help capture the beauty of Charleston.

You can purchase a digital or hard copy of the Fall 2017 Edition of Shadows and Light Magazine by clicking here

Learn more about publisher: Christine Szeredy: Fashion Photographer Interview by Richard Schneider

Fort Sumter Tours Unveils New Mobile App to Enhance Visitor Experience

October 18, 2017

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

Fort Sumter Tours Unveils New Mobile App to Enhance Visitor Experience

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Visitors to Fort Sumter National Monument may now experience an 1800s historical site using state-of-the-art technology. Fort Sumter Tours – family owned and operated since 1961 – has launched a new Fort Sumter mobile app. The app is available for free in Apple’s App Store or in Google Play by searching “Fort Sumter.”

Fort Sumter Tours worked with Charleston-based netGALAXY Studios, a web design and mobile app development company working with businesses around the world, to develop the app. When visitors are at Fort Sumter, they will receive push notifications prompting them to learn more about specific areas of the fort.

While way signs and markers at Fort Sumter provide general information about the fort, the app provides visitors a more in-depth experience. Fort Sumter Tours collaborated with Fort Sumter National Monument staff to include stories of the fort that visitors may not get anywhere else.

The app also uses augmented reality technology in a “view finder” feature that visitors access as they ride to and from Fort Sumter on the tour boat. Simply point your smartphone at one of eight points of interest in the Charleston Harbor, such as Fort Moultrie or the Charleston Battery, and visitors will receive a pop-up notice with additional information on the selected landmark.

“We were looking for a way to enhance the visitor experience and appeal to a younger generation that is accustomed to using technology and smartphones for almost everything they do,” Ian Harris, director of sales and marketing. “This new mobile app offers visitors more details and historical facts that supplement everything they see while at Fort Sumter National Monument.”

Other app features include:

A 360-degree virtual tour of Fort Sumter, which is especially useful for visitors who may have difficulty navigating the steps that lead to certain areas of the park.
A “time machine” feature that shows photos of Fort Sumter now and when it was a functioning military fort in the 1860s.
Details on the tour boats complete with floor plans.
Virtual postcards for sharing on social media.

Download the free mobile app by searching “Fort Sumter” in the app stores or visit fortsumtertours.com.

About Fort Sumter Tours
In 1961 the Campsen family of Charleston founded Fort Sumter Tours to provide daily excursions to the Fort Sumter National Monument. Today, Fort Sumter Tours and partner SpiritLine Cruises provide daily access to this living monument, along with other memorable experiences for residents and guests of Charleston. For more information, visit fortsumtertours.com.

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