{"id":395,"date":"2008-05-14T13:37:00","date_gmt":"2008-05-14T18:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/charlestons-spoleto-festival-opens-may-23\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T20:43:11","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T02:43:11","slug":"charlestons-spoleto-festival-opens-may-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/charlestons-spoleto-festival-opens-may-23\/","title":{"rendered":"Charleston’s Spoleto Festival opens May 23"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Spoletoopeningceremonies_2\"<\/a>
\nBy Thurston Hatcher<\/em><\/p>\n

Before the serious summer humidity starts bearing down on Charleston, and locals flee to the beach and the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Spoleto Festival<\/a><\/strong> lands in the South Carolina Lowcountry like a second holiday season.<\/p>\n

For residents, the electricity’s palpable as the international artists and arts enthusiasts descend on the city’s historic district for two weeks in May and June.<\/p>\n

For visitors, Spoleto offers an enticing mix of everything from classic opera and chamber music to cutting-edge drama, dance, jazz and performance art, with this elegant city as its otherworldly backdrop. And nearly all the 120+ performances are within walking distance from the major Charleston hotels<\/a><\/strong> and restaurants.<\/p>\n

The lineup for Spoleto 2008 — May 23 to June 8 — includes operas "Amistad" and "La Cenerentola" (by Rossini), the Boston Ballet, Laurie Anderson, London-based cabaret company 1927’s "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," and "Monkey: Journey to the West" by Paris’ Theatre du Chatelet — described as a cross between "The Lion King," Cirque du Soleil and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."<\/p>\n

If you’re aiming for a premium seat at the opera, prepare to pay upwards of $100 or more. But there are plenty of more affordable options across the Spoleto lineup.<\/p>\n

Plus, the city of Charleston holds its own Piccolo Spoleto Festival<\/a><\/strong>, which simultaneously offers up a complementary a mix of local, regional and touring performances at even more affordable prices.<\/p>\n

Even if you’re not that into the arts, it’s worth planning a Charleston vacation<\/a><\/strong> just to catch the Spoleto Finale<\/strong>, where you can relax on the lawn, sip a little wine, listen to the Spoleto Orchestra and catch some fireworks at Middleton Place, an awesome 18th-century plantation on the Ashley River.<\/p>\n

For a few unforgettable hours, anyway, you can live like Charleston royalty.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n