HubArts.com

Red Sox trade Manny Ramirez for James Levine

Kidding! Sorry I was too lazy to Photoshop Levine into a Sox uniform, but he wouldn't get a cap over that hair anyway. My point here is that, short of a major development like that, I'm going to take a week off from HubArts. I've been at this all summer, and it's time for a break. Unless the Levine trade goes through, I'll return Aug. 8. And just to be a sport, if I have your email address, I'll let you know when I return.

Music: Jazzing in Lawrence

Normally if you said you had a good time in an alley in Lawrence, people would look at you funny and start backing away. The Merrimac River mill city is struggling. But over by the Essex Art Center last night, a small crowd was swinging without violating any statutes. Our friend Bruce Ferrara's Factory Jazz Project offered two hours of fine tunes from two bands, on a near-perfect summer evening. Trumpeter Phil Grenadier played in trio format wearing flipflops and cargo shorts; later Ferrara led a quintet with his fluid guitar tones on "Equinox," "Naima" and other favorites. And the sound was, surprisingly, terrific. This alley is just like a lot of jazz clubs - long, narrow, with exposed brick walls - but no roof. (Click the pic for a better view.)

Ferrara is making this an every-other Thursday gig through the summer, moving indoors if it rains. On Aug. 11, his scheduled guest is Berklee bassist and composer Bruno Raberg. Suggested donation is usually $5 and offstreet parking is free. You can bring a bottle in a bag if you're so inclined. And if you want to make a night of it, start with a cheap and terrific Mexican meal at nearby Cafe Azteca. You'll thank me.

The morning papers

I wondered why SpeakEasy Stage emailed me its season press release at 11:53 p.m. on Thursday; maybe it's that the announcement was already handed off to the Herald's Terry Byrne and to the Globe for Maureen Dezell's Stages column this morning. The news includes a production of Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change" in association with the North Shore Music Theatre. Speakeasy's season in the Roberts Studio Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts opens Sept. 30 with the East Coast premiere of, ironically enough, "Theater District," starring Bill Brochtrup (left), best known for his role as the gay precinct receptionist on "NYPD Blue." ... Dezell also has word that the Merrimac Repertory Theatre board has voted to go ahead with a season in anticipation of a successful fund-raising campaign to save the company.

The Globe's Richard Dyer has some interesting notes from Tanglewood, including the unlikely fact that Seiji Ozawa drives a Chevy Suburban. ... Names & Faces says Gloucester playwright Israel Horovitz's "Park Your Car in Harvard Yard" is getting three Euro productions this year, including one with, oh, let's not spoil it. ... Renee Graham tells us about a mashup musicologist from Cambridge.

Both papers have nodded to this weekend's closing of the longtime Cambridge club ManRay, so friendly to gays, goths and other late-night cultures. I like Heather Eng's take in the Herald. And that club has been around a long time - somewhere in the basement I have a mix tape, "The redfish is black/The hatcheck girl is a guy" commemorating a mid-'80s trip to Cajun Yankee and ManRay.

Heading to the Lowell Folk fest this weekend? Read Dan Gewertz in the Herald, Scott Alarik in the Globe...and HubArts.

Music: Your Lowell Folk Fest rundown

The acclaimed Lowell Folk Festival runs Friday through Sunday in Boardinghouse Park and all around downtown, and the fest's web site has everything you need to know, including directions and a schedule of performers. The lineup ranges from "Dieselbilly" guitarist Bill Kirchen to the polka of "Grmkmania" to the Calentana of Los Caracuaros from Mexico to the Malian traditional sound of Mamadou Diabate. And there may even be some regular old folkies in there. Here are a few other links you might find useful if you're going...

The Lowell Sun has an article encouraging those of us who mainly attend these events for the awesome ethnic food. ... WGBH (FM 89.7) says it will be broadcasting live from the festival on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., as it has for the last 15 years. The broadcast will also be streamed on the station's web site. Solas and blues singer Nora Jean Bruso are among the performers hitting the stage during the broadcast hours. ... And our friends at Lowell's Revolving Museum have all sorts of family activities set during the fest, details here.

The morning papers

In the Globe, Steve Morse talks to organizers of this weekend's showings of a Dispatch documentary at the Somerville. Will it turn out to be as wildly popular as the New England-rooted band's farewell gig at the Hatch Shell last year? Probably not, but it will certainly be more of an event than the usual midnight movie. Morse also has a review of the film here. ... Richard Dyer writes about seeing James Levine introduce Seiji Ozawa at Tanglewood on parade Tuesday night, and Ozawa leading a "blazing performance" of Beethoven.

In the Herald, Sean McCarthy says the Coolidge Corner "puts the art in arthouse." ... Both papers have the story on the Wang bailing out the fire-ravaged NSMT that we told you about yesterday. ... In the Berkshire Eagle, Jeffrey Borak reviews the Miniature Theatre of Chester's production of David Mamet's "Boston Marriage." ... In the Lowell Sun, Mary Sampas features a dance production that "brings the mill girls to life."

Theater: Wang bails out NSMT after fire

Looks like the Wang Center is riding to the rescue of the North Shore Music Theatre, after a July 14 fire that caused many thousands of dollars in damage and destroyed the stage at the Beverly venue. Two North Shore shows are moving to the Shubert, offered "rent free" by the Wang, a grateful NSMT announced this afternoon. "Abyssinia" (above left, a 1995 NSMT production) will run August 23 through September 11 and "Camelot" will begin performances September 20.

"In times of need, the theater community is there for one another, and all of us at North Shore Music Theatre feel very fortunate to be offered a temporary home at the Shubert," Artistic Director Jon Kimbell said in the announcement.

"Our mission at The Wang is ‘making art – making art possible’ and this commitment to NSMT is a way for us to do just that," the Wang's Josiah Spaulding said. "Not only do they have a new temporary home, but it is also our hope that new audience members will discover NSMT’s work for the first time." He went on to reference previous Wang collaborations with the Boston Lyric Opera and the Celebrity Series.

A reflexive cynicism is one of the hazards of a lifetime in the newspaper business. But I can't help but think Spaulding could use a little good press these days, after a run of bad. I'm not saying that's why he made this move; certainly not. But it must have occurred to someone over there that bailing out the NSMT - in other words, doing a solid  for a local favorite - might help everyone forget that the Wang kicked out Boston Ballet's beloved "Nutcracker" to make room for the Rockettes.

"Abyssnia" ticketholders will need to have their ducats replaced with tickets for comparable seats at The Shubert Theatre. NSMT says Current ticketholders will automatically receive a credit slip in the mail that can be used to exchange tickets for a performance at the Shubert, or to obtain a credit. No word yet on details for "Camelot." For questions, go to the NSMT site.

Music: Beantown Jazz

Berklee College of Music and the BeanTown Jazz Festival present jazz and R&B singer Lalah Hathaway on Sept. 23, at the Berklee Performance Center, as the opening show for the fifth BeanTown fest. The jazz continues through Sept. 24, outdoors along Columbus Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and Burke Street in the South End. Tix for Hathaway, $25 (or $50 with an artist reception), go on sale Aug. 1 at Ticketmaster and the box office.

The morning papers

In the Herald, Dave Wedge profiles the pride of West Newbury, WWE wrestling champ and up-and-coming rapper John Cena. ... T.J. Medrek writes about the Boston Bar Association Orchestra, which plays the Hatch Shell tonight. In the Globe, Louise Kennedy loves the "great" "Rat in the Skull" at Berkshire Theatre Festival and likes "My Old Lady" at Gloucester Stage. ... And Geoff Edgers has more on the Boston Ballet changes I told you about yesterday. ... In the Patriot Ledger, Elissa Wagman has a feature on local artists whose street murals are now being seen at the Smithsonian.

Music: Some really big shews

Gwen Stefani (left) with openers The Black-Eyed Peas at TD Banknorth Garden on Oct. 31. Tix $35.50-$65.50. Brooks & Dunn "Deuces Wild" Tour, with Big & Rich and the Warren Brothers, at the Tweeter Center, Sept. 25, $25-$49.75. Los Lonely Boys, with Los Amigos Invisibles, at the Orpheum Sept. 30, $29.50-$35. Josh Ritter and The Frames, at the Somerville, Oct. 17, $21. Paul Weller, at Avalon, Sept. 25, $26. John Mayer Trio (with Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan) at Avalon Oct. 11, $40.50. Tix for all these shows go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m., except the John Mayer show, which goes on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets at the Ticketmaster, 617-931-2000 or www.teapartyconcerts.com, and  at the venue box office. Except for some reason the Avalon shows supposedly aren't on sale there, but at the Orpheum box office. So I'd just go with one of the other options, if I were you, or else call ahead.

Dance: Ballet sets roster before trading deadline

Someone else will have to deconstruct what this means (and who's out), but the Boston Ballet has set its 2005-2006 roster. Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announced that Romi Beppu and Karine Seneca, formerly soloists with the Company, have both been promoted to principal dancer. Misa Kuranaga, Kathleen Breen Combes, and Joel Prouty have been promoted to second soloist.  Heather Waymack and Elizabeth Wisenberg have joined the corps de ballet from Boston Ballet II.