Saturday, December 30, 2017

You can Give a Tax Deductible gift to the Strand now

Click to donate to the Strand Through Go Fund Me

What we are doing: Cutting edge international and independent films, classic films (including several free movies), documentaries, live conversations with filmmakers, community theater, Sunday afternoon onscreen opera and ballet from European stages, live musical and dance performances: all this and more is right here in downtown Vicksburg at the historic Strand Theatre.

Why we do it: The Westside Theatre Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to providing Vicksburg a place to gather to share cultural events: programs that are entertaining, but also thought provoking and conversation fueling. We believe there is no reason a small town like Vicksburg cannot
have world class films and other programming. Our goal is to make Vicksburg a better place for us to live, and to make it a more attractive place for people considering moving here. 

Our mission is made possible by tax free contributions and memberships. 
Please consider supporting our efforts.  

Thank you for your consideration and support, 

facebook.com/westsidetheatrefoundation
www.strandvicksburg.com

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon the day after Thanksgiving

The Maltese Falcon at the Strand in downtown Vicksburg
Friday, November 24 at 7 PM


Okay, on the day after Thanksgiving, have a turkey sandwich and maybe some leftover 
dressing/stuffing; then bring the family to the Strand for one of the most fun film noirs 
ever: The Maltese Falcon. 

They do not make them like this anymore. Join Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney 
Greenstreet and Peter Lorre in their search for The Black Bird - "the stuff that dreams are 
made of.". 

Dashiell Hammett's novel has been made into a movie more than once, but this was 
director John Huston's first film and for him the stuff that careers are made of. 

The dark shadowy streets of San Francisco never seemed more sinister, the hero never 
more suspect, the villians, never more colorful. If you have never seen it, you will want to 
be there, if you have seen it, come see it on our big screen. You deserve it. 

As Caspar Gutman said, "there is only one Maltese Falcon." 

And don't forget: Free Popcorn! 

Advance tickets at Highway 61 Coffeehouse: $6.  
At the door: $8. 



Thursday, November 16, 2017

Triple Feature at the Strand Saturday, November 18


Running Wild Films presents an old time triple feature at the Strand on a Saturday afternoon.

At 1pm, the day starts with The Curse of the Dragon Sword from the Dragon Sword Series - a fun Kung Fu/Comedy throwback for the whole family. (kids under 16 get in free) $5
Curse of the Dragon Sword Trailer


At 3pm, we have a blues documentary about Mississippi blues legend Bud Welch called Late Blossom Blues - The Leo "Bud" Welch Documentary. Running Wild is helping distribute this film in the Southeast U.S. $5
Trailer for Late Blossom Blues

At 7pm, the main event is the new film from Running Wild, a Mississippi-made Western Blood Country! A true story of murder, injustice and disorder in Mississippi following the Civil War, based on the short story "The Outlaw, the Sheriff, and the Governor" by Robert E. Jones. $10

Here is the trailer for Blood Country:



Pick one, or two, or see them all. (All in one pass: $15)

Advance tickets at Highway 61 Coffeehouae 

or online: Brown Paper Tickets

Friday, November 10, 2017

The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming to the Strand Sat. Nov. 11



Bob Bernard presents: The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, 1966 DeLuxe Color American comedy film directed by Norman Jewison in Panavision. It is based on the Nathaniel Benchley novel The Off-Islanders, and was adapted for the screen by William Rose.

The film depicts the chaos following the grounding of the Soviet submarine Спрут (pronounced "sproot" and meaning "octopus") off a small New England island during the Cold War. The film stars Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin in his first major film role, Brian Keith, Theodore Bikel, Jonathan Winters, and Paul Ford.

Advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse for $5
At the door: $7

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Onstage: Jekyll & Hyde at the Strand

Conceived for the stage by Steve Cuden & Frank Wildhorn 
Book and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse 
Music By Frank Wildhorn 
Orchestrations by Kim Scharnberg 
Arrangements by Jason Howland 

The epic struggle between good and evil comes to life on stage at the Strand in the 
musical phenomenon, Jekyll & Hyde. Based on the classic story by Robert Louis 
Stevenson and featuring a thrilling score of pop rock hits from multi-Grammy- and 
Tony-nominated Frank Wildhorn and double-Oscar- and Grammy-winning Leslie 
Bricusse, Jekyll & Hyde has mesmerized audiences the world over. 

An evocative tale of two men – one, a doctor, passionate and romantic; the other, a 
terrifying madman – and two women – one, beautiful and trusting; the other, 
beautiful and trusting only herself– both women in love with the same man and 
both unaware of his dark secret. A devoted man of science, Dr. Henry Jekyll is 
driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of mankind's most 
challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to 
make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally 
unleashing his inner demons along with the man that the world would come to 
know as Mr. Hyde. 


717 Clay Street · downtown Vicksburg 

Performances: 
Friday, October 20 at 7:30 PM 
Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 PM 
Friday, October 27 at 7:30 PM 
Saturday, October 28 at 7:30 PM 
Halloween! Tuesday, October 31 at 7:30 PM 

$15 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse 
$20 at the door 

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

New Dance film at the Strand

Saturday Film:
 Polina
Saturday, October 14 at 7 PM:
Polina
Trained from an early age by rigorous, perfectionist Professor Bojinski, Polina is a promising classic dancer. She is just about to join the prestigious Bolchoï Ballet when she discovers contemporary dance. That throws everything into question on a profound level.

Polina leaves it all behind and moves to France to work with famous choreographer Liria Elsaj. Despite her determination and hard work to the point of obsession, Polina just can't seem to break through. So she moves to Anvers in search of work - and a new life.


Tickets:

Saturday film: Advance tickets: $5 at Highway 61 Coffeehouse
$7 at the door 

Call 601 529 7252

Monday, October 9, 2017

MANHATTAN SHORT winners announced!

"8 MINUTES"  Wins 20th MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival in record breaking year.

8 Minutes" from Georgia was crowned the winner in the 20th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival after organizers tallied a record number of votes from audiences in over 300 venues worldwide. "8 Minutes" won the Gold Medal while 


"Viola, Franca" (Italy) claims Silver 
 "Mare Nostrum" (Syria) takes home the Bronze. 

Best Actor
The Best Actor Award was won by Aleksandrs Ronis starring in "Just Go!".

The Strand results were slightly different:

1. 8 Minutes
2. Mare Nostrum
3. Viola Franca
So, the Vicksburg audience chose the same top three films but the order of the second and third place was reversed.

Voting for best actor in Vicksburg was close. Our results put Tarek the barber from Hope Dies Last as our winner, but Aleksandrs from Just Go was right behind him.

Thanks to all who came and made this a great event. And thanks again to Martin's at Midtown for their afterparty.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

MANHATTAN SHORT returns!

Saturday night at the Strand:
 MANHATTAN SHORT
Saturday, October 7 
7 PM
(Plus afterparty at Martin's and early supper discount at Roca)

Filmgoers in Vicksburg can unite with over 100,000 film-lovers around the world during this week when the 20th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival screens at the Strand on Saturday, October 7 at 7 PM

Record Number of Entries:
The 10 MANHATTAN SHORT finalists hail from nine countries with films from Syria, Latvia and Georgia representing their respective countries for the first time in this event. Two short films hail from Spain, the only country with multiple Final 10 selections. These Final 10 short films represent the best short films among a record 1615 submissions from 75 countries received by MANHATTAN SHORT for 2017, testimony to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films. This year's Final 10 represent an extraordinary range of film genres with comedy, drama, horror, sci-fi, animation and martial arts short films all part of the MANHATTAN SHORT program.

The Final 10 are:
Do No Harm (New Zealand), Behind (Spain), Fickle Bickle (USA), Hope Dies Last (United Kingdom) The Perfect Day (Spain), Just Go! (Latvia), Mare Nostrum (Syria), Viola, Franca (Italy), In a Nutshell(Netherlands) 8 Minutes (Georgia).

After the screening everyone at the Strand will vote for their favorite film and actor and our votes will be part of the worldwide balloting to decide the winners of this year's MANHATTAN SHORT!

Need an early dinner? Roca is offering a 10% discount between 
5 PM and 6:45 for attendees of MANHATTAN SHORT...

And after the voting, we are all headed over to
Martin's at Midtown where we can count the ballots and announce our winners while everyone has a drink or light supper.




The Strand Theatre
717 Clay Street
downtown Vicksburg

Tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse or at the door - $7

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Programs Saturday & Monday

Mama Africa, a film about Miriam MakebaSaturday, September 30 at 7 PM


Miriam Makeba was one of the first African musicians who won international stardom and whose music was always anchored in her traditional South African roots. Miriam Makeba was forced into exile in 1959.

She sang for John F. Kennedy, performed with Harry Belafonte and Nina Simone, was married to Hugh Masekela and also Stokely Carmichael.

Her life was tumultuous. She always stood for truth and justice. She fought for the oppressed most importantly for black Africans, as a campaigner against apartheid. She died November 2008 after a concert in Italy.

Mika Kaurismaki's documentary, traces fifty years of her music and her performing life. Through rare archive footage of her performances and through interviews with her contemporaries we discover the remarkable journey of Miriam Makeba

Directed by Mika Kaurismaki, 2011, 90 min, South Africa / Germany, documentary in English

See the trailer: 


$5 advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse, $7 at the door

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and




The Strand Theatre and Lorelei Books present
John le Carré
An Evening with George Smiley
A recording of a live reading and booktalk at The Royal Festival Hall in London

In aid of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders (MSF)
To take place on Monday October 2 at 6 PM 2017 at the Strand Theatre


Join us for a unique celebration of one of the world’s greatest writers, as he shares the secrets behind the creation of his most beloved character. 


From his extraordinary Cold War novels – such as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – to his powerful descriptions of the arms trade in The Night Manager, and the War on Terror in A Most Wanted Man, the writing of John le Carré has come to define the last half century. In this one-off event, the author discusses the full breadth of his career, and reflects on the continuing story of his most famous creation, the tubby, bespectacled spy, George Smiley.


Coinciding with the publication date of his new novel, A Legacy of Spies, the event will include readings from the book by the author. The novel sees the return of some of le Carré’s most iconic Cold War characters, including George Smiley and his trusted lieutenant, Peter Guillam, as their past comes back to claim them in the present. With a rare question and answer session, this will be an unmissable opportunity to experience one of the foremost chroniclers of our age, direct and in his own words.


In support of MSF, the leading emergency medical humanitarian aid organisation, John le Carré is donating his speaker’s fee, and the producers of the live cinema broadcast, The Ink Factory, are donating their share of the profits to the charity.


The film will be shown at the Strand Theatre: 717 Clay Street in downtown Vicksburg at 6 PM on Monday, October 2. Copies of Le Carre's new book, a Legacy of Spies and other books by the author will be available at the event coutesy of Lorelei Books.

This program is only showing at a few locations in the U.S.. Santa Fe, New Mexico is the next closest to the west, Winston Salem, North Carolina and Lake Worth, Florida are the closest to the east.

About Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders (MSF)
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a leading emergency medical humanitarian aid organisation. They provide emergency assistance to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics and natural or man-made disasters, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. They work in over 60 countries and go to places where others cannot or choose not to go.

Tickets: $8 available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse


Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Art House Theater Day 2017 is a done deal...

About 45 folks gathered at the Strand on Sunday, September 24 to celebrate the second annual Art House Theater Day.

Our idea was to expand on the usual sight and sound of films and add the other senses. We figured the best way to engage the senses of taste, smell and touch were to have food and drink. Taking our cue from our feature film: Lucky, we decided to have a fiesta, which meant Mexican food and Bloody Marias before the film, and flan for dessert afterwards.

Lucky was preceded by clips from the career of Harry Dean Stanton. The film was a moving tribute to the life of this wonderful character actor (who died about a week before) and a meditation on acceptance for the audience.

The Strand audience was largely comprised of "regulars" but it was great to see a number of newbies there for the first time. I assured the first timers that they would have to return, because there were no other attendees who had only been there once before.

All in all, it was a civilized and fulfilling AHTD.

Thanks to John and Lisa at Martin's at Midtown; Jay Parmegiani and crew from 10 South; Rachel Bacon; and Joseph Holbrooks for all providing food and drink for the soiree. Also thanks to those folks who volunteered to help us next time we are crazy enough to attempt something like this.

Come back soon and often, and remember AHTD returns in 2018!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Come celebrate - Sunday is Art house Theater Day - Film, Food, Drinks, Fun...


It's a celebration! In fact, a fiesta!!!


A feature film, a short, food, libations, surprises, and giveaways...

Art  House Theater Day is your opportuinty to come enjoy all we do here and show your appreciation for the role of the Strand and theaters like it in their community. Our goal is to make more happen in downtown Vicksburg, to bring world class programs to our little town that entertain, inspire, and provoke.

On Sunday, September 24, join us and 150+ cinemas nationwide for @Art House Theater Day, and celebrate film culture and the cinematic experience. The Strand will screen Lucky starring the late Harry Dean Stanton.




Lucky tells the story of an elderly man living in a small Arizona community who has to face mortality. But not as alone as he first thinks. It is a hoot to see this character actor take center stage in one last movie y crafted just for him. His old friend, David Lynch, has a role as a friend and neighbor.

It's a celebration of the life of Harry Dean Stanton. Read his obit from the New York Times

The Strand's Art House Theater Day is a fiesta!
Feature Film: Lucky - including tribute to Harry Dean Stanton with exclusive intro from the director, John Carroll Lynch...

Watch the Lucky Trailer
A cool short film...
Music...
Food and Beverages from some of our restaurant partners...(with an on the border theme)
Surprises and treats...

Come celebrate the pleasures of sharing films, conversations, and more...


Sunday, September 24 at 6 PM

We are asking a $15 donation for the event. ($10 in advance from Highway 61 Coffeehouse)

Friday, September 15, 2017

Verdi's Macbeth - Opera Onscreen Sunday at the Strand


Rising Alternative presents
Macbeth recorded at Liceu in Barcelona


Sunday, September 17 at 2 PM

General of the victorious Scottish armies, Macbeth hears a prophecy from three witches that predicts he will be the next King of Scotland. Believing this premonition, his wife encourages him to kill the King. His divine right drives Macbeth to be bloodthirsty with friends and opponents alike, but alone and racked with guilt, he faces his last battle and death.

Giuseppe Verdi felt inspired by Shakespeare’s work and his devotion led to his first opera based on one of the writer’s texts. Verdi’s enthusiasm gave him the will of achieving “something extraordinary” with the iconic writers work.

In this version, Christof Loy directs the action in a classic timeless space with surrealistic touches dominated by blacks and whites, adding to the great dramatic intensity

Advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse: $15 / At the door: $18

Toy Gun - Crime comedy at the Strand

Set in what could be the same universe as FARGO and THE BIG LEBOWSKI, TOY GUN is a fun, crime-themed comedy about a meek young man who sets out to prove to his ex-wife that he is courageous and masculine by impulsively robbing a bank. The ensuing police investigation hilariously suspects everyone except our anti-hero, leading him to believe that he's gotten away with it …

Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Crime
Running Time: 90 minutes
Cast: Luke Allen Gale (Captain America: The First Avenger), John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Anthony LaPaglia (The Client, Autumn in New York), Julian Sands (Ray Donovan)
Director: Marco Serafini


Saturday, September 16 at 7 PM

Discount advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Obit., a documentary about writing coming to the Strand

Saturday, August 26 at 7 PM


Cast
Bruce Weber 
Margalit Fox 
William McDonald 
William Grimes 
Douglas Martin 
Paul Vitello 
Jeff Roth 


Crew
Directed by Vanessa Gould



It's a shame no one wants to talk to them at parties, because obituary writers are a surprisingly funny bunch. Ten hours before newspapers hit neighborhood doorsteps—and these days, ten minutes before news hits the web—an obit writer is racing against deadline to sum up a long and newsworthy life in under 1000 words. The details of these lives are then deposited into the cultural memory amid the daily beat of war, politics, and football scores. 
Obit. is the first documentary to explore the world of these writers and their subjects, focusing on the legendary team at The New York Times, who approach their daily work with journalistic rigor and narrative flair. Going beyond the byline and into the minds of those chronicling life after death on the freshly inked front lines of history, the film invites some of the most essential questions we ask ourselves about life, memory, and the inevitable passage of time. What do we choose to remember? What never dies?


Advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse: $5
At the door: $7


Monday, August 14, 2017

The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary

Returning to the Strand (for the first time) it's the 30th anniversary of the movie that never grows old:

The Princess Bride
Saturday, August 19 at 7 PM


"Life isn’t fair, it’s just fairer than death, that’s all."

Starring:
Robin Wright
Cary Elwes
Peter Falk
Mandy Patinkin
Chris Sarandon
Christopher Guest
Wallace Shawn
André the Giant
Fred Savage
Peter Cook
Mel Smith
Carol Kane
Billy Crystal
and, a lot more...

"Inconceivable!"

Advance Tickets are available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse for $6 / $8 at the door.

"I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I’m swamped."

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Sunday Opera - Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera

Westside Theatre Foundation and Rising Alternative present
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA

Giuseppe Verdi

Sunday, August 13 at 2 PM


Opera in 3 acts - Sung in Italian

From the Bayerische Staatsoper
Recorded in 2016

CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor Zubin Mehta
Director Johannes Erath

Chorus Chorus of Bayerische Staatsoper
Orchestra Bayerisches Staatsorchester

ARTISTIC TEAM
Riccardo Piotr Beczala
Renato George Petean
Amelia Anja Harteros
Ulrica Okka von der Damerau
Oscar Sofia Fomina
Silvano Andrea Borghini
Samuel Anatoli Sivko
Tom Scott Conner
A judge Ulrich Reß
Amelia's servant Joshua Owen Mills


Presentation

Praise for Munich’s new Ballo in Maschera: “A formidable vocal feast” (Bayerische Staatszeitung). “The singers sent the audience into raptures (Südwestpresse). “A total triumph” (La Razón). “This production shows what a utopia opera can be” (Abendzeitung).
The Bavarian State Opera’s former music director Zubin Mehta returned to the fabled house (where his image in bronze adorns one of the foyers) to celebrate his 80th birthday conducting
Verdi’s middle-period masterpiece for the first time in a staged production. His remarkable cast includes soprano Anja Harteros singing Amelia for the first time and “filling every note with Verdian intensity”, tenor Piotr Beczala as a “visually and vocally dashing Riccardo” and George Petean as an “exemplary” Renato (Neue Musikzeitung). In director Johannes Erath’s musically super-sensitive new production, this historically-based tale of illicit love, conspiracy and betrayal unfolds in a surrealistic, shadowy setting transformed by lighting and projections. Special praise was showered by the enthusiastic critics on Maestro Mehta, who “creates concentrated musical connections, miraculously guiding his orchestra and unsurpassable voices the way a thermal lifts a paraglider [...] Musically the performance was a dream” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung).

$15 Advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse
$18 at the door

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Free Hitchcock / Free Popcorn

Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train

Free!
Saturday, August 12 at 7 PM


Ten years before Psycho, there was Strangers on a Train.

Before that famous shower there was a merry-go-round, a pair of broken glasses, a tennis match in the bright sun, a cigarette lighter...and before Norman Bates, there was Bruno.

Another free masterpiece from the Master of Suspense. The story of two men who meet on a train and decide to switch murders. Or at least Robert Walker's Bruno does. 

Join us for Free Hitchcock & Free Popcorn, but come early to get a seat.


See the trailer: 

Join our email list

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Live Musical - The Marvelous Wonderettes



Westside Theatre Foundation presents: The Marvelous Wonderettes live onstage

This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! As we learn about their lives and loves, the girls serenade us with classic ‘50s hits including “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” and “Lipstick on Your Collar.” In act two, the Wonderettes reunite to take the stage and perform at their ten-year reunion. We learn about the highs and lows the girls have experienced in the past decade and are charmed to find that no matter what life throws their way, they will conquer it together. Featuring over 30 classic ’50s and ’60s hits, The Marvelous Wonderettes will keep you smiling in this must-take musical trip down memory lane!

Performances: 

Friday & Saturday July 28 & 29 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, July 30 at 2 PM
Friday & Saturday August 4 & 5 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, August 6 at 2 PM

Tickets:
$15 advance tickets available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse or online from

$20 at the door

Join our Email list

Monday, July 10, 2017

Cool program about Beatles' Sgt. Pepper coming Sat., July 22



The Beatles? Sgt. Pepper? Abbey Road Studio? George Martin? Modern recording techniques?

Learn all about these subjects as we celebrate the 50th annniversary of the release of this classic album.

Rolling Stone called Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “the most important rock & roll album ever made, an unsurpassed adventure in concept, sound, songwriting, cover art, and studio technology by the greatest rock-and-roll group of all time.” Learn about it from multiple angles as Freiman explores the history behind the music and the Beatles’ innovation in the studio.

Deconstructing the Beatles with Scott Freiman 

After a few years of hosting Scott Freiman’s incredibly engaging series, Deconstructing the Beatles,the Jacob Burns Center is now proud to be filming his performances, which will allow them to be distributed widely. And now, the Strand is proud to present this cool program.

Scott Freiman combines his love of the Beatles with his experience as a composer, producer, and engineer to deliver unique multimedia presentations about the band’s creative process. With rare insights, anecdotes, film clips, and recordings, he takes audiences on a journey through performances and recording sessions, allowing viewers to see and hear the evolution of groundbreaking songs and understand their lasting influence on popular music. Freiman has composed music for more than 10 films, as well as the Emmy-award–winning BBC/Discovery series Life.

The show starts at 7 PM on Saturday, July 22 at the Strand. 

Discount advance tickets are available at Highway 61 Coffehouse.

Free popcorn!