First Night Annapolis celebrants will gather Saturday night to ring in 1995, but at the start of the evening they'll travel back in time to sample a part of the 12th-century New Year's tradition known as Venetian Carnivale -- mimes.
Six street mimes actually, each wearing an unlined white mask and a brightly colored cloak made in Venice especially for First Night.
"It's not like 'Hey, watch me juggle,' " said Tom Dougherty, director of Theatricks, the Maryland-based traveling actors company hired to perform mimes.
"This is a roving troupe, and the six need to act as one as they glide up the street," Mr. Dougherty said. "They'll stop at storefronts and do various poses and tableaus, reacting to what they see. They'll be a living picture. As you walk down the street between performances, you may see one of these creatures near an ATM machine with a look of greed on their hands."
Visitors to Annapolis will see that and much more at the city's fifth annual New Year's Eve performing arts show -- First Night Annapolis.
There are children's programs in the afternoon, including storytelling by Mary Carter Smith, and Theatricks other program, "Circus Berserkus." For music fans, there are choices ranging from blues to folk to grand pianist Angelin Chang to the Yale Russian Chorus, to bluegrass and Cajun music.
First Nighters will meet Thomas Jefferson, Edgar Allan Poe and Benjamin Franklin, and see living sculptures and ice dancing.
For $13, you can see a show that has a $300,000 budget and 250 performances.
"This is our fifth anniversary showcase," said Elizabeth Welch, co-director and co-founder of First Night Annapolis. "When we founded this, the purpose was twofold -- to support and promote the arts by giving artists a place to perform and to educate people about an alternative way of celebrating."
The vision she shared with co-founder Lana Nelson came alive, and has attracted as many as 20,000 people. Working at First Night also has become important to the artists themselves, and is considered to be quite a highlight on a resume, Ms. Welch said.
"Annapolis was the perfect place for this," Ms. Welch said. "It's culturally rich, small and it's walkable. It seemed perfect to transform it into a stage on New Year's Eve."
The programs are designed for families and the community, she said.
"This will be especially good for the teens who walk downtown," Ms. Welch said. "They'll be walking around saying, 'Oh, I don't know if we should go. This might be boring.' But later, you'll find them sitting, listening to Edgar Allan Poe or blues or opera."
The evening culminates at midnight with a burst of fireworks best viewed from the City Dock area.
After five years' experience, First Night has found the remedy for anyone's fear of traffic -- shuttle buses that run between the Naval Academy stadium parking lot and downtown Annapolis from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
And more than 350 volunteers will be on hand to make sure the night goes smoothly.
Tickets may be purchased at many Baltimore, Washington and Annapolis area Giants and all First National Bank branches. Tickets also will be on sale tomorrow at the First Night Store at 209 Main St.
"It's important for participants to know that there are multiple show times," Ms. Nelson said.
"And that if they can't get in to the show they wanted to see, they shouldn't be afraid to try something else. That's what this is about -- sampling the arts."