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Founded in 1977, by a Pulitzer Prize winner and other fine art lovers who sought to create a counterpart to the elaborate Festival of the Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina is a 17-day gala of music, dance and theater. From May 27 through June 12, 2011, Spoleto Festival USA will fill Charleston to the brim with opera, chamber, symphonic, choral and jazz music, and then top off the town with dance and theatre performances everywhere there is a stage. Planning a Bluegreen vacation to Charleston during this time of literary, musical and theatrical abundance is a great idea, to say the least.

The festival’s mission is to present programs of the highest artistic caliber while maintaining a dedication to young artists, a commitment to all forms of the performing arts, a passion for contemporary innovation, and an enthusiasm for providing unusual performance opportunities for established artists. This specific focus, as well as its overwhelmingly perfect location of Charleston, a city that masterfully blends the past with present, has brought the Festival international acclaim year after year.

And yes, Charleston is a perfectly fitting place to hold a festival such as this. Its historic streets, homes and buildings, along with its surrounding beauty of centuries-old oaks, ocean water and optimal Spring weather, combines with its vibrant community of old Southern charm with a youthful soul.  If you haven’t taken a Bluegreen vacation to Charleston yet, you’re missing out. And if you haven’t visited Charleston at the end of spring, when the sun is warming into summer, you’re in for a true treat.

The festival kicks off on Thursday, May 26 with three previews of what is to come over the next 17 days. If you get into town by Thursday evening, you have the option of seeing The Cripple of Inishmann, a multi-award-winning theatrical performance from Ireland’s Druid Theatre; The Red Shoes, a macabre performance that is the retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen tale; or Khmeropedies I & II, a classical Khmer dance. Each performance is riveting, bringing a culture not often seen in America to the stage, and presenting it beautifully and without fear. Some performances will fill you with suspense, others sorrow and others pure joy as you watch the actors and artists create what is theirs.

The opening night of May 27 also begins with an Opening Night Fete, at the Murray Center on George Street. Because last year’s debut of the celebration received such high accolades, the festival planners agreed to kick off the 2011 Festival with an opening night performance, where Festival patrons and artists can mingle together. The 18^th-century mansion gardens will be transformed into a beautiful setting, with a full bar, cocktail dinner, live music and dancing under the stars.

Each day during the Spoleto Festival, the Bank of America Chamber Music concerts will feature a different artist or band to perform at the Dock Street Theatre. The roster includes artists who have performed for Spoleto over the years, such as the St. Lawrence String Quartet, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, violist Hsin-Yung Huang and clarinetist Todd Palmer.  All concerts will be under the leadership of violinist Geoff Nuttall. Performances will occur twice a day, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Something a little more off the beaten path showing during Spoleto Festival USA is County of Kings: The Beautiful Struggle. Written and performed by hip-hop theater artist Lemon Anderson, this narrative is a coming of age tale that documents Andersen’s childhood and aging in Brooklyn. Having lost both his parents and served two prison sentences before 21 years old, Andersen presents his tale with urban poetry, touching upon everything from slinging crack to stealing cars and addiction. An interesting and poignant performance, Andersen’s tale leads him toward self-discovery and eventually redemption. His performances are scheduled for May 27 through May 30, so get your tickets early.

Opera performances include The Magic Flute, Mozart’s delightful yet profound final operatic masterpiece; The Medium, a modern spin on a Gian Carlo Menotti classic; and Émilie, the American premiere of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s tale about Émilie du Châtelet.

And for one day only, Musical Genius Béla Fleck will be gracing the festival with his presence. On Sunday, June 5, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones will play at the Gaillard Auditorium. Béla Fleck has singlehandedly transformed our perceptions of the banjo by demonstrating its rich history and boundless diversity. If you haven’t watched Throw Down Your Heart, a 2008 documentary that catalogs Fleck’s adventure through Africa to find the origins of the banjo, you should rent it tonight.  It received awards from the IDFA, South by Southwest festival and the Vancouver Film Festival.

The list of the many amazing artists that will be performing at Spoleto would take days to describe. Trombone Shorty will be one of the show-stoppers, as will Dianne Reeves. Cédric Andrieux will make you laugh, as he depicts the hum-drum aspects of the every day life of a dancer, and Paolo Ventura will inspire you with his Winter Stories.

At the end of the Spoleto Festival, a performance by the Del McCoury Band will be highlighted by fireworks signaling the close of the celebration. The fireworks are sure to be as impressive as the 50 years that comprise Del McCoury bluegrass career.

As this festival is held throughout downtown Charleston, South Carolina, it will be easily accessible from your vacation villa at Bluegreen’s resort, The Lodge Alley Inn. Search through the performances schedule and find a few acts you would like to see. Then schedule your Charleston vacation accordingly. The weather will be beautiful, the streets will be buzzing with activity and your soul will feel a little better having participated in an appreciation for the arts.

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