By Carly Cannavina
If you dream of traveling the world but cannot afford more time off than your lunch break, Morris Arts has a solution: Music Beyond Borders.
The free concert series starts this Tuesday, June 26, 2018, and continues every two weeks until Aug. 7.
Concerts run from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Morristown Green. (The rain site is the Morristown United Methodist Church, at 50 Park Place.)
Music and dance will showcase different cultures. This week, it’s the Caribbean, courtesy of Random Test Reggae.
The rest of the summer’s shows will pay tribute to nations and regions including Bali, South America, and the Balkans.
Dr. Lynn Siebert, director of arts participation and communication at Morris Arts, said the series has been going strong for the past nine summers.
“Several hundred people usually attend each show,” Siebert said. However, there’s no need to rush to secure seating; most visitors bring their own blankets or lawn chairs.
Performers are selected via a collaboration between Morris Arts and the Mayo Performing Arts Center.
Mayo staffers indicate which cultures they would like to see represented, and Siebert finds the talent. Sometimes, it’s locally based—Random Test Reggae is a Jersey band— and sometimes the artists come from New York City and beyond.
Morris Arts touts the series as a way to “travel the world on your lunch hour— no plane ticket needed!”
Here is the 2018 roster:
June 26: Random Test Reggae: Caribbean reggae
July 10: BALAM Dance Theatre: Balinese dance
July 24: Eco Del Sur: Ancient and Contemporary South American Music
Aug. 7: Tavche Gravche: Gypsy/neo-Balkan Trio
Carly Cannavina, Morristown High School class of ’18, will study English at George Washington University in the fall.