Summer entertainment kicks off at local libraries

Children and adults alike will find music, comedy, character-building, storytelling, and a toe-tapping good time this summer as the St. Mary Parish Library System showcases their professional lineup of summertime entertainment beginning this June.
Intriguing international storyteller Queen Nur leads off the list with a lively and interactive performance featuring folkloric storytelling in the great oral tradition. Queen Nur has been mesmerizing audiences from New York to New Orleans for over 20 years, but she is new to the library’s Summer Entertainment program. She will perform at both the Franklin Main Library and the Bayou Vista Library on May 31.
Other performances include entertainers Farmer Jason, Matthew Noel, Allan Wolf, Harvey Rabbit and Friends, Christine Audler, The Kinders, Page Turner Adventures, Didgeridoo Down Under, and Lady Chops throughout the month of June.
A new act this year, Farmer Jason, combines an appreciation for the wonders of nature with his Emmy Award-winning music to captivate both young hearts and old.
Grab your pitchfork and catch him at both the Patterson Library or the West End Library in Baldwin on June 3.
Matthew Noel, or “The Yo-Yo Man” as he is affectionately called, has been delighting audiences for over 14 years with his daring juggling and high-profile yo-yo skills. Noel will perform The Magic Yo-Yo show at each of the seven St. Mary Parish Library locations, with his Amelia Library show on June 7, West End-Baldwin and Centerville Library shows on June 8, Patterson and Franklin Library shows on June 9, and Berwick Library and Bayou Vista Library shows on June 10.
Performance poet Allan Wolf will grace the stage next, bringing his poetry alive with an inspirational and lively presentation guaranteed to elicit giggles and laughter while also educating audiences on the diversity of poetry. Wolf’s shows will be June 13 at the West End-Baldwin Library and Berwick Library.
The well-known duo of Tim and Laura Allured return this summer with their fun-filled The Harvey Rabbit and Friends Show. T-Boy the Alligator and Cecil the Orangutan will reprise their antics with Harvey on June 14 at the Franklin Library and the Bayou Vista Library.
Christine Audler, another new artist, will round out the performance schedule this summer with her “Fight Fat Forever!” event, which pairs high-energy activity and literacy. Audler combines her motivational wellness program with a Karate demonstration this year. See her show on June 17 at the Franklin Library, the Amelia Library, and the Bayou Vista Library.
The Kinders, a songwriter and singer duet, will also return with their rollicking kid-friendly banjo and guitar musical concert. Audiences can’t help but get involved with dancing and clapping when Brian and Terri Kinder perform their unique and energetic musical selections. They will perform at the Amelia Library and the Berwick Library on June 20.
Another Emmy Award-winning act, Page Turner Adventures, will feature the World Famous Storyologist Riley Roam and former Ringling Brothers Circus clown Kenny Mikey in a one-of-a-kind style of educational entertainment that is always a comedic hit with young audiences. Catch their zany combination of slapstick and story-time adventure at the Bayou Vista and West End Libraries on June 21.
Australian entertainment takes center-stage next with Didgeridoo Down Under, a new dynamic, motivational show featuring comedy, puppetry, music, and storytelling in the Aboriginal style. You’ll learn about Aussie culture, sports, animals and more, all while grooving to the pulsing rhythms of a 1,500-year-old musical instrument called the Didgeridoo! June 24 is the day Didgeridoo Down Under will perform at the Franklin Library and the Patterson Library.
Lady Chops, which headlines former international and American performance group STOMP percussionist Elizabeth Vidos, is another new act to this area.
Lady Chops shares her love of music with a unique drumming performance, featuring washboards, buckets, spoons and a little Zydeco and drumstick juggling thrown into the entertaining mix.
All seven St. Mary Parish Library locations will host Lady Chops, beginning with the Amelia and Bayou Vista Libraries on June 27, followed by the Berwick and Centerville Libraries on June 28, the Franklin and Patterson Libraries on June 29, and ending on June 30 at the West End-Baldwin Library.
All entertainment performances are free and open to the public.
And entertainment is just a part of the fun this summer as all St. Mary Parish Library branches take part in the annual Summer Reading Program 2016, with Kick-Off Day on Tuesday, May 31 and children’s programs beginning on June 1. Contact your local library branch for a Summer Reading Program Calendar, which lists all events and programs, or go online at www.stmarylibrary.org. Registration is open for the Summer Reading Program through the month of May, although you may still sign up throughout the month of June as well. Adults are also welcomed to sign up for the Adult Summer Reading Program.