First Night Morris 2014 Survival Guide

A pair of fireworks shows, 200 artists and 80 cultural packed into 25 separate venues all add up to the First Night Morris event in Morristown.

The county's alcohol-free celebration of arts is ringing in the New Year, and Morris Arts is serving as artistic programmer for the 22nd time.

Nearly two-thirds of the program features new artists and artists returning after several years, many of whom have performed at major venues such as the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden; have won recognition including Grammy awards and MacArthur “genius” grants; and have worked on television or films and with worldwide performing arts.

The variety of performances can be staggering. Fortunately, there is not only a complete schedule of performances to download and print out, but a full map of the venues as well.

The music will encompass a variety of genres. 

Jazz/Rock:

• Grammy winner John Ginty’s Band 
• Guitar legends Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo and Gene Bertoncini.
  
• Gypsy jazz with “Boardwalk Empire“ clarinetist Dan Levinson 
• Classic jazz with the “Bishop of Jazz,” pianist Rio Clemente.

• Matuto’s mix of bluegrass and Brazilian sounds 
• R&B keyboardist (and Yankee Stadium organist) Ed Alstrom
• Harmonica virtuoso Rob Paparozzi (of Blood Sweat & Tears, The Blues Brothers Band)
• The Cobra Brothers blues band 
• Blues kazoo stylings of the Philadelphia Jug Band.
  
• David Glukh’s virtuosic International Ensemble and its fusion of klezmer and Eastern European.

• First Night pays homage to folk masters like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger through the Americana performance of troubadour Spook Handy.

• Chinese Theatre Works' Shadow Puppet show 
• BALAM’s performances of Balinese, Spanish and Baroque dancing.
  
• Barynya’s French Can-Can and Roma Gypsy will show off their fancy footwork
• The Conroy Warren Trio’s Caribbean music, Mariachi Citlalli of Mexico and Colombia’s steamy Salsaoco dancers.

• Meet “President Abraham Lincoln.”
• Composer “Franz Schubert”
• “Nat Love,(a.k.a. Deadwood Dick),” a 19th century African-American cowboy.
• Love “Downton Abbey”? Learn the Minuet with In Good Company or enjoy Renaissance court music played on replica period instruments by the costumed Early Music Players of New Jersey.

• Dinoman’s Dinosaurs (with lifesize inflatable dinosaurs)
• Rizzo’s live reptile show
• The Gizmo Guys comedy juggling act
• Illusionist Benjamin Lipman’s comedy magic
• Mr. Fish’s superb circus skills in knife throwing and bullwhips.

• Mentalist Marshal Manlove will read your mind
• Experience the “alien” music of Kip Rosser on the theremin, the only instrument played without being touched.

• Comedian Brad Trackman
• Tom Lehrer-style musical satirist John Forster
• George Esparza’s new winter Flea Circus