Get some 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite dust at South Florida Museum in Bradenton

A fragment of the 4.5 billion-year-old Campo del Cielo meteorite, nicknamed “FeNi” for its elements, has landed at the South Florida Museum in Bradenton.

And it's yours to touch.

Or take home.

The public is invited to visit the South Florida Museum on Friday (Oct. 5) from 5 to 9 p.m. to experience the object said to be the "oldest you will ever encounter."

The event is free.

The first 500 children will receive his or her own free vial of meteorite dust (see photo). Guests will be able to touch, feel and experience the meteorite.

The unique opportunity is designed to allow the community to experience the original materials that made up our solar system. This fragment will bring a piece of space to the Bradenton area community and be on permanent display at the museum.

At Friday's event the museum will also host a special-themed star talk, science demonstrations and cosmic-themed activities centered around the Campo del Cielo meteorite, which plummeted to earth sometime around the year 2500 BC.

The pieces rained down on an area now called Campo del Cielo – the Field of Heaven – a crater field in northern Argentina. More than 100 tons of the Campo del Cielo meteorite have been recovered, including the 138-pound fragment now found in Bradenton.

Details: 5-9 p.m. Oct. 5, The South Florida Museum, 201 10th St. W.,  Bradenton. Admission: Free. Information:  941-746-4131 or visit www.southfloridamuseum.org.

—Photo of Campo del Cielo dust provided by South Florida Museum.

WANTED: Manatee Players photos from the past

Manatee Players production of 'Cabaret' in 1988. Photo provided.

As the new Manatee Performing Arts Center comes closer to its scheduled completion in March, the history of the Manatee Player's Riverfront Theater becomes more important.

The Manatee Players and the Bradenton Herald are reaching out to all the actors, volunteers and board members from the community theater company's rich history for photos from the past productions.

If you have scanned your show photos, please email them to mpshowpix@gmail.com and/or wtatangelo@bradenton.com.

John Legend postpones Van Wezel show in Sarasota

John Legend, originally scheduled to open the Van Wezel's 43rd season Oct. 19, has postponed his upcoming tour in order to finish work on his new studio album.

The Sarasota venue stated this morning that the neo-soul singer, pianist and songwriter took to social media Tuesday to inform fans  that his fall 2012 tour will be postponed until 2013 to coincide with his forthcoming album "Love In The Future."

Here's the statement:

Hey beautiful people,

I'm writing with a change of plans to share with you. As you all know, I've been working on my new album, Love in the Future, with Kanye and the rest of my creative team for a while now. I planned to release the album this Fall and go on tour to perform new songs from the album. We announced the dates before we'd finished the album because we were sure we'd finish the album in time. But, unfortunately, while the creative process has been exciting and I'm pretty certain we're going to deliver the best album of my career so far, the timing hasn't adhered to the schedule I originally envisioned. In other words, we're not done with the album. And my team and I have made the agonizing decision to put off the tour until 2013* when we know we will have the new music done and will be ready to fully unveil the creative vision through the album and the live experience.

I've never postponed a tour or done anything like this before. I've only missed a show due to illness a couple times in my eight-year career. I don't like letting my fans down, and I sincerely regret disappointing the thousands of you who have already spent your hard-earned money and gotten excited to see the show. Please know that we will try our best to make the music and the 2013 tour well worth the wait. In the meantime, ticket holders can get a refund on your ticket purchases now.

Thanks for your patience. I sincerely apologize if I've let any of you down. I'm going to get back to work and make sure we make this album the "best you've ever had."

Sincerely,

John

Anyone who has purchased tickets can call the Van Wezel Box Office at (941) 953-3368 for information regarding a credit to another performance or refund.

The Van Wezel, through no fault of its own, has had a rough start to the 2012-13 season. In August, just days after announcing the show, Anita Baker canceled.  

—Publicity photo of John Legend.

Mikhail Baryshnikov performing at Ringling International Arts Festival in Sarasota

Although not originally part of the performance program, Ringling International Arts Festival’s artistic director and past performer Mikhail Baryshnikov will be back dancing this month at the Mertz Theatre.

He’s part of pal Mark Morris’ newest work, “A Wooden Tree.” Set to music and words by the Scottish artist and humorist Ivor Cutler (1923 – 2006), it will makes its East Coast debut at the fourth annual RIAF taking place Oct. 10-13 at various venues around the Ringling Museum of Art.

“Misha is a fabulous dancer and a close friend,” Morris said in a statement issued by the Ringling Museum. “Our collaboration goes way back. We haven’t worked on a dance together for quite a while so it is exciting and comfortable to work on this new piece, ‘A Wooden Tree.’ He fits right in with my wonderful dancers.”

Baryshnikov has been developing and performing in “In Paris,” a theater work that toured in the U.S. and Europe since 2010.

“After working on theater projects for the past two years, I wanted to have a taste of dance,” Baryshnikov said. “I missed being on stage in that way. It is a great comfort to work with Mark Morris, a dear friend and collaborator whose work I love and who has an ensemble I adore. It is humbling to be invited to work amongst a group of such accomplished dancers.”

After only attending last year, this appearance marks a return engagement to performing and collaborating at the festival for Baryshnikov. In 2010, RIAF commissioned and presented three sold-out performances of “Solos with Mikhail Baryshnikov and David Neumann”.

The Mark Morris Dance Group’s performances at the Ringling International Arts Festival are the Oct. 10 event “RIAF Inspires Opening Night” ($500 per person includes reception, performance and formal dinner in the Museum of Art Galleries), as well as performances Oct. 11-13. Tickets for the dance group’s performances are $30, $40 and $50.

In addition, this year’s RIAF features stage performances by Shantala Shivalingappa, Ensemble Basiani, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Adam Tendler, Phyllis Chen, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

The event also includes the festival’s first film series with screenings of “Carmen and Geoffrey” directed by Linda Atkinson and Nick Doob; “Joseph Brodsky: In the Prison of Latitudes” directed by Jan Andrews; and a double bill, “Labyrinth Within” directed by Pontus Lidberg followed by “Park Avenue Armory Event” by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

www.ringlingartsfestival.org.

—Herald file of photo Mikhail Baryshnikov publicity image.

Tedeschi Trucks Band will headline new Sunshine Blues Festival in St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, Boca Raton

Winner of four Blues Music Awards and a Grammy Award for “Best Blues Album” the Tedeschi Trucks Band will headline the inaugural Sunshine Blues Festival in Florida, playing three dates in the state.

Featuring two stages of live bands, the festival will make its debut at Centennial Park in Fort Myers, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013.  Then, Saturday, Jan. 19, it comes to Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton and finally Sunday, Jan. 20 at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg.

In February, The Tedeschi Trucks Band's album "Revelator" won the Grammy Award for “Best Blues Album.” Then in July they dominated the Blues Music Awards (formerly the WC Handy Awards) where they won not only Album of the Year, but also took home trophies for Band of the Year, Gibson Guitar Award (Derek Trucks) and Contemporary Blues Female Artist (Susan Tedeschi). Trucks is also the guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band.

Also highlighting the inaugural bill for the festival are contemporary guitar legend Walter Trout formerly with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers; Louisiana slide guitar great Sonny Landreth; Allman Brothers drummer Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band; The Wood Brothers, featuring Chris from Modeski, Martin & Wood and his well-known singer/songwriter brother Oliver; award-winning British blues guitarist Matt Schofield; the driving force of New Orleans funk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation; Florida guitar favorite Bobby Lee Rodgers; multiple Blues Music Award-winner Joe Louis Walker; Florida and Aces Live in Bradenton favorite guitarist/singer Sean Chambers; and Big Easy piano man master Dr. John (St. Petersburg and Boca Raton only).

The Sunshine Blues Festival is "destined to become a major annual event" for Florida reads the announcement issued this morning by Live Nation.

All tickets are general admission and $49.50; on sale 10 a.m. Sat., Oct. 6 at www.livenation.com, all TicketMaster outlets or charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

—Publicity photo of Derek Trucks and wife Susan Tedeschi.

WATCH: Jimmy Buffett's new Save the Manatee message

Check out Save the Manatee Club’s new television spot, voiced by club co-founder Jimmy Buffett, which is being distributed to stations nationwide.

It asks people to, “Join us in leaving a lasting legacy for Florida’s cherished manatees.”

“We are ever-grateful to Jimmy Buffett for his vital support through the years to help manatees," said Patrick Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club, an international nonprofit advocacy group. "He co-founded the club in 1981; he has lobbied for better manatee and manatee habitat protection measures, and has also been featured in numerous public service announcements produced by the club. Thanks, in part, to Jimmy’s involvement with the club, manatees are one of America’s most well-known and beloved marine mammals.”

Other celebrities who have aided Save the Manatee Club’s manatee conservation efforts include Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Carl Hiaasen, Alex Trebek, and Cheryl Tiegs.

Cinderella bassist to play The Lost Kangaroo Pub in Bradenton

Eric Brittingham, the bass player for hair metal heroes Cinderella, will be rocking the stage at The Lost Kangaroo Pub in downtown Bradenton on Oct. 11.

Brittingham will be accompanied by Tampa-based singer/guitarist Brandon Gibbs.

Expect the duo to play Cinderella hits like "The Last Mile," "Gypsy Road," "Coming Home," "Shelter Me" and the band's 1988 power-ballad classic "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Bradenton musician Paul Fournier will get the party started at 9 p.m.

"Get here early," reads the "Roos' Facebook page. "This is going to be EPIC!!"

Admission is free.

The Lost Kangroo Pub, 406 12th St. W., Bradenton. 941-747-8114.

 —Publicity photo of Cinderella with Eric Brittingham far right.