South Shore Conservatory's Wacky Wednesdays Family Concert Series presents Bats in the Band

South Shore Conservatory’s (SSC) family-friendly Wacky Wednesdays concert series presents Bats in the Band, SSC’s delightful adaptation of New York Times bestselling author Brian Lies’ latest children’s “bat” book, on Wednesday, July 8, 10 am in the Jane Carr Amphitheater, at One Conservatory Drive, Hingham.

Wacky Wednesdays family concerts are one of two Summer Spotlight concert series in the SSC’s open air venue. WATD is the media partner for Wacky Wednesdays. The other series, Evenings Under the Stars Saturday evening concerts, starts on July 11.

This special production features Lies, a Duxbury resident, reading from a jumbo-sized version of Bats in the Band, accompanied by music from talented South Shore Conservatory faculty members. In addition to Plymouth Philharmonic Conductor and Music Director Steven Karidoyanes, a Hallelujah chorus, string quartet, country, blues and rock ensembles, and melodious storyteller all join in the one-of-a-kind musical fun. Klara Geder of Duxbury plays the part of Little Bat.

Following the production children are invited to play with the interactive musical BATSmobile, complete with its playable “sewer pipe organ.” Lies will be on hand, after the concert, to sign books which will be available for purchase that day for those who do not already own a copy.

Lies’ other highly acclaimed bat books include Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, and Bats at the Ballgame. School Library Journal praised his book Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle for its watercolor illustrations and the humorous details. Lies studied literature and psychology at Brown University, and went on to study art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Upon graduation he did political cartoons for major newspapers and magazines. His cartoons caught the attention of Susan Sherman, art director for children’s books at Houghton Mifflin, who liked the way he portrayed emotions on his animal character’s faces. Having been long been interested in children’s books, Lies started his book illustrating career in 1990 with the first book in the Flatfoot Fox series, written by Eth Clifford. He also does illustrations for the children’s magazines Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug.

Bats in the Band is the second of five concerts in SSC’s Wacky Wednesdays family concert series. Other concerts include Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys on July 15, Ben Rudnick and Friends on July 22, and Zak Morgan on July 29.

Tickets for family concerts are $15 for adults and $5 for children. Special packages are available for groups of 10 or more. There is no charge for children under three. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.sscmusic.org/wacky_wednesdays.html or by calling 781-749-7565, ext. 22. For more information about all South Shore Conservatory programs and events, visit www.sscmusic.org or follow us on Facebook.

About South Shore Conservatory
South Shore Conservatory, recently recognized as a national model for arts education by the National Guild for Community Arts Education, is celebrating nearly 45 years of enriching the lives of South Shore residents through music and the arts. SSC was founded as a not-for-profit community music school in 1970 and now has two beautiful campuses in Hingham and Duxbury. Currently serving over 3500 students of all ages and abilities, SSC is the largest community school for the arts in Massachusetts. Students participate in more than 50 diverse programs in music, dance and drama. Through innovative partnerships with social service agencies, SSC’s Creative Arts Therapies department supports the mental, emotional, and physical health of some of our community’s more fragile members. SSC’s Hingham campus is located at One Conservatory Drive, Hingham, 781-749-7565. SSC’s Duxbury campus is located at the Ellison Center for the Arts, 64 St. George Street, Duxbury, 781-934-2731. South Shore Conservatory is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. SSC programs are supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information call us, follow us on Facebook or visit www.sscmusic.org.

In keeping with SSC’s inclusive mission to provide access to quality education in the arts for all, the Conservatory offers programs for all segments of the population to enjoy, regardless of age, ability, geography, and financial means. Furthermore, South Shore Conservatory admits students and families of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.