Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts

Program for Bruce Levingston/Brooklyn Rider Concert

2012-01-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Bruce Levingston

with the

Brooklyn Rider String Quartet

and

Friends

Thursday, Febraury 2, 2012 • 7 p.m.

Program:

Giovanni Sollima….Frederico 2 from Viaggio inItalia

Brooklyn Rider

Colin Jacobsen, violin

Johnny Gandelsman, violin

Nicholas Cords, viola

Eric Jacobsen, cello

Philip Glass… String Quartet No.3 “Mishima”

Brooklyn Rider

Dvorak ...Two Romantic Pieces

Colin Jacobsen and BruceLevingston

Arvo Part.... Spiegel im Spiegel Colin Jacobsen and Bruce Levingston

Piazzola... Oblivion

Eric Jacobsen and BruceLevingston )

Piazzola…. Le GrandTango

Colin Jacobsen and Bruce Levingston

Intermission

Colin Jacobsen… Sheriff's Lied, Sheriff's Freude

Brooklyn Rider

Bolcom....New York Lights

Bruce Levingston,

Faure... Berceuse

Bizet.... LeBal

Kimball Gallagher and BruceLevingston

Saint-Saens.... Carnival of the Animals

Text by Ogden Nash

Introduction and Royal March ofthe Lions

Roosters and Hens

Wild Jackass

Turtles

Elephants

Kangaroos

The Aquarium

The Mules

The Cuckoo in the Woods

The Birds

The Pianists

The Fossils

The Swan

Grand Finale

Patricia Lewis and Curtis Wilkie,Narrators

Bruce Levingston and KimballGallagher, pianos, Brooklyn Rider: Nicholas Cords , viola,; Johnny Gandelsman ,violin; Colin Jacobsen, violin ;Eric Jacobsen, cello; Josh Armstrong, percussion; Shelley Collins,flute; Bret Pimentel, clarinet

Bruce Levingston and Brooklyn Rider Pre-Concert Cocktail Reception Benefit & Art Auction

2012-01-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Ford Center for the Performing Arts
and The University of Mississippi Museum

invite you to a

Cocktail Reception Benefit & Art Auction

preceding the concert and honoring the visual and
performing artists who are contributing to the evening

University of Mississippi Museum
University Avenue and 5th Street, Oxford

Thursday, February 2, 2012

5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: Reception $20, Concert $29, $21

Concert to Follow at 7:00 p.m. at the Ford Center

On February 2, 2012, acclaimed concert pianist Bruce Levingston will return to Mississippi to perform at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in Oxford. The brilliant violinist Colin Jacobsen and his string quartet Brooklyn Rider as well as other special guest artists will join Levingston for a magical program that will include Dvorák, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Saint-Saëns’ spectacular Carnival of the Animals.

“Two of today’s most adventurous musicians ... Bruce Levingston and Colin Jacobsen joined forces in the kind of recital for which each has become known: driven by ideas and filled with music old, new and well worth hearing.” New York Times

In addition to these delightful and dazzling works, prominent artists from Mississippi have contributed works of art to a visual showcase that will be previewed at the museum and auctioned off that evening to benefit the Ford Center for the Performing Arts and the University of Mississippi Museum. Download Benefit Invitation.

Artists contributing to the auction are

Blair Hobbs

William Beckwith

Matt Long

Jere Allen

Glennray Tutor

William Dunlap

Linda Burgess

Maggie Dunlap

William Pittman Andrews

Cathy Crockett

Mitchell Wright

Randy Hayes

Everett McCourt

Langdon Clay

Maude Schuyler Clay

Jason Bouldin

Marty Vinograd

Carlyle Wolfe

John Bishop

An Evening with Kallen Esperian Program

2012-01-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

An Evening with

Kallen Esperian

with faculty of the

University of Mississippi

Department of Music

A Benefit Concert forthe University of Mississippi Patrons of Music Scholarship Fund

Ford Centerfor the Performing Arts

Kallen Esperian, soprano

Stacy Rodgers, piano

January 30, 2012 7:00 PM

Aria: V’adoro pupille from Giulio Cesare George Frideric Händel (1685-1759)

II.

LeViolette AlessandroScarlatti (1659-1725)

Caromio ben Giuseppe Giordani(1744-1798)

Danza,danza,fanciulla gentile FrancescoDurante (1684 – 1755)

III.

Aria: Io son l’umile ancella from AdrianaLecouvreur FrancescoCilea (1866 – 1950)

IV.

Inder Fremde fromLiederkreis,Op. 39 RobertSchumann (1810 – 1856)

Intermezzo

Waldesgespräch

Quandil s’agit de tromperie from Carmen Georges Bizet (1838 -1875)

with

JuliaAubrey, mezzo soprano Nancy Maria Balach, soprano Bradley Robinson, baritone

CynthiaLinton, mezzo soprano JenniferRobinson, soprano JosMilton, tenor

Amanda Johnston, piano

*** Intermission ***

VI.

C’estl’Extase fromAriettes Oubliées ClaudeDebussy (1862 – 1918)

Ilpleure dans mon Coeur

L’Ombredes Arbres

Chevauxde Bois

VII.

He’sGo’in Away arranged by John Jacob Niles (1892 – 1980)

BillyBoy arranged by John Edmunds(1913 – 1986)

Go‘way from my window John Jacob Niles

Skipto my Lou arrangedby Luigi Zaninelli (b. 1932)

VIII.

Recitativeand Duet: Mira, di acerbe lagrime GiuseppeVerdi (1813 – 1901)

fromIl Trovatore

Bradley Robinson,baritone

Amanda Johnston, piano

IX.

Aria: Pace, pace, mio Dio (La forza del destino) GiuseppeVerdi

PROGRAM NOTES

Aria: V’adoro, pupille (I adore you, eyes)from Giulio Cesare

Operaseriabecame a fixed part of London’s cultural life with the opening of the RoyalAcademy of Music at the King’s Theater in 1720, with Händel as its musicdirector. The company’s firsteight years were filled with activity, not only because Händel’s finest operasdate from that period, but even more owing to the presence of three greatsingers – the castrato Senesino, and the sopranos Cuzzoni and Bordoni. The singers were involved in theinitial production of Guilio Cesare, with Senesino in the title role and Cuzoni ashis lover, Cleopatra. The 1724London presentation of the opera met with immediate acclaim, and returned tothe stage numerous times in upcoming seasons. It has become a fixture of present day operatic works, and isnow considered to be Händel’s greatest opera. Act Two opens with Cleopatra beckoning the great conquerorto come to her and live by her side.

Iadore you, eyes, arrows of love;

yoursparkles are pleasing in my breast.

Havepity on my sad heart, that at every hour

callsthe lover your beloved.

LeViolette (The Violets)

Dewy,scented, pretty violets.

You arestanding, shy,

half-hiddenamong the leaves,

and youscold my desires

that aretoo ambitious.

Caromio ben (Ah, dearest love)

My dear beloved, believeme at least,

without you my heartlanguishes.

Your faithful one alwayssighs.

Cease, cruel one, somuch punishment!

My dear beloved, believeme at least,

without you my heartlanguishes.

Danza,danza, fanciulla gentile (Dance, o dance, gentle maiden)

Dance,dance, young girl

to mysong;

Twirllightly and softly to the sound,

to thesound of the waves of the sea.

Hear thevague rustle

of theplayful breeze

thatspeaks to the heart

with itslanguid sound,

andinvites you to dance

withoutstopping, without stopping,

thatinvites you to dance.

Dance, dance, gentle young girl!

Aria: Io son l’umile ancella (I am the humbleservant) from Adriana Lecouvreur

The opera is based on the life of theFrench actress Adrienne Lecouvreur (1692–1730). While there are some actual historicalfigures in the opera, the operatic episode it recounts is largely fictional. The story of jealous rivalry in love isset between the worlds of the theatre and the aristocracy, and the productionbrings the 18th-century atmosphere to life in rich historical detail. Againstthis backdrop, the fictional version of the life of the famous actress AdrienneLecouvreur is played out to its final and deadly conclusion. While an example of verismo opera, it is not nearlyas popular as such works as Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana. The opera premiered at the TeatroLirico, Milan, on November 6, 1902, with the well-known verismo soprano Angelica Pandolfini in the title role, theincomparable tenor Enrico Caruso in the role ofMaurizio, and the lyric baritone Giuseppe De Luca as Michonnet. The setting for the soprano aria is as follows: The Prince de Boullion and the Abbe deChazeuil meet the company at the Comédie-Française before the show. Although the Prince is the patron of theactress, Duclos--Adriana’s main competition--he immediately favors Adriana. Sheresponds to his attention by saying that she is only the vessel through whichthe muses work.

Iam the humble servant

ofthe Spirit that creates:

itoffers me speech,

Ipour it out into your hearts…

Iam the intonation of the verse,

theecho of the human drama,

thefragile instrument,

vassalof the hand…

Gentle,joyous, terrible,

myname is Fidelity-to-what-is,

myvoice is a breath,

whichwill die with the new day.

Inder Fremde (In Foreign Land) from Liederkreis, Op. 39

Frommy homeland, in the wake of red lightning

theclouds are drifting here;

butmy father and mother are long dead,

noone knows me there any more.

Howsoon, oh how soon will the quietude come,

whenI too will rest, when I too will rest;

andabove me rustles the lovely solitude of the woods,

andno one knows me here any more.

Intermezzo

Yourimage wondrously lovely

Icarry deep in my heart,

itlooks so fresh and cheerful

uponme all the time.

Myheart sings silently within itself

anold, beautiful tune

thatsoars into the air

andhurriedly flies to you.

Waldesgespräch(Dialogue In The Woods)

“Itis already late, it is already cold,

whydo you ride lonely through the woods?

Thewood is large, you are alone,

youlovely bride! I guide you home.”

“Greatis men’s cunning and deceit,

withsorrow my heart has been broken,

thehunter’s horn sounds here and yon,

Ohflee! Oh flee! You know not who I am.”

“Sorichly adorned are steed and woman,

sowondrously fair, so wondrously fair the young body;

Iknow you now, may God help me!

Youare the sorceress Lorelei!”

“Youknow me well, from the rock on high

mycastle looks silently into the Rhine.

Itis already late, it is already cold,

nevermorewill you leave this wood.”

Quandil s’agit de tromperie from Carmen

Carmenis oneof the universal favorites of the operatic stage. Bizet exploited to the fullest his talent for vivid musicalcharacterization and brilliant orchestration and color. In this lively ensemble from Act II, we find Carmen and the smugglers in LillasPastia’s tavern. Dancaïro and Remendado explain their latest scheme for asmuggling raid to the women. All are willing to help except Carmen. She refuses because she says she is inlove, and wishes to remain at the tavern, awaiting Don José. In the humorous, rapid-fire patter ofthe quintet, we hear these remarks:

We have in our heads abusiness deal.

Is it a good one, tellus?

It is admirable, mydear; But we have need of you!

What? You have need of us?

For we admit humbly -when it comes to cheating, duping, to thievery,

it is always good tohave women with you.

Without them - the verylovely ones -

one never does anythingright!

C’estl’Extase (This is Ecstasy) from Ariettes Oubliées

Thisis languorous ecstasy,

thisis sensual weariness,

thisis all the rustling of forests

inthe embrace of the breezes.

Thisis, through the gray boughs,

thechorus of little voices.

Oh,the faint cool murmur,

ittwitters and whispers,

itresembles the gentle cry

whichthe ruffled grass exhales.

Youmight call it - under the water which eddies -

themuted rolling of pebbles!

Thissoul which is lamenting

inthis subdued plaint,

itis ours, is it not?

Saythat it is mine and yours

whichbreathes this humble hymn,

sosoftly, on this mild evening.

Ilpleure dans mon cœur (Tears Fall in My Heart)

Tearsfall in my heart

likethe rain upon the city.

Whatis this languor

thatpenetrates my heart?

Oh,gentle sound of the rain,

onthe ground and on the roofs!

Fora heart that is weary,

oh,the sound of the rain!

Tearsfall without reason

inthis anguished heart.

What!No betrayal?

Thismourning has no reason.

Thisis truly the keenest pain,

toknow not why,

withouteither love or hate,

myhearts bears so much pain.

L’Ombredes Arbres (The Shadow of the Trees)

Thereflection of the trees in the misty river

isvanishing like smoke,

while,in the air, amidst the real branches,

theturtle doves lament.

Howmuch, traveler, this pallid landscape

mirroredyour own pale self,

andhow sadly, in the high boughs, they wept -

yourdrowned hopes!

Chevauxde Bois (Wooden Horses)

Turnround, keep turning, good wooden horses,

turna hundred times, turn a thousand times.

Turnoften and do not stop,

turnround, turn to the tune of the oboes.

Thechild quite red and the mother white,

theboy in black and the girl in rose,

eachone doing as he pleases,

eachone spending his Sunday penny.

Turn‘round, turn, horses of their choice,

whileat all your turning

thesly rogue casts a surreptitious glance.

Keepturning to the tune of the victorious trumpet!

Itis astounding how it intoxicates you,

tomove thus in this foolish circus,

withempty stomachs and dizzy heads,

feelingaltogether badly, yet happy in the crowd.

Turn,hobby horses, without needing

everthe aid of spurs

tomake you gallop on.

Turn‘round, turn, without any hope of hay,

andhurry, horses of their fancy.

Here,already the supper bell is sounded

bynight, which falls and disperses the crowd

ofgay drinkers, whose thirst has made them famished.

Turn,turn ‘round! The velvet sky

arraysitself slowly with golden stars.

Thechurch tolls a mournful knell.

Turnto the gay tune of the drums, keep turning.

Recitativeand Duet: Mira, di acerbe lagrime(Il Trovatore)

Basedupon a play that in turn was based upon some true events of fifteenth-centurySpain, Il Trovatore is one of the world’s most popular operas. Spain is in civil war. Outside the prison tower Leonora comesto plead for the life of Manrico, her lover insurgent, who has been takenprisoner in battle. In thisdramatic duet from Act IV, Leonora bargains with the Count di Luna for the freedomof Manrico. She finally offers togive herself to the Count if he will spare Manrico’s life. The Count relents and Leonora isoverjoyed. She would rather die,however, than give herself to di Luna. Following the solo recitative and duet, Leonora drinks poisonfrom her ring and says to herself, “Yes, you shall have me, but as a cold and lifeless corpse.".

Aria: Pace, pace, mio Dio (La forza del destino)

Theopera was commissioned for a St. Petersburg premier, and opened there to somesuccess in 1862. The libretto isbased on a Spanish drama (Don Alvaro) written by the Duke of Rivas, a popularliberal writer and a contemporary of Victor Hugo. The play is dominated by the principles of blood feud andhonor, but set a hundred years earlier in eighteenth century Spain. Despairingand distraught with the events of the days that has seen her father killed andher lover, Alvaro, in hiding, Leonora has retired to a life of prayer in aremote monastery. She prays to God for peace, but confesses that her soul istroubled by the memory of her love.

Peace,peace, my God!

Cruelmisfortune, alas, forces me to languish;

mysuffering has lasted for so many years,

deepas on the first day.

Peace,peace, my God!

Iloved him, it’s true! But God adorned him so much

withbeauty and courage,

thatI love him still, nor will I be able to remove

hisimage from my heart.

Fate!Fate! Fate!

Acrime has separated us in this world!

Alvaro,I love you, and it is written above in heaven:

Iwill never see you again!

OGod, God, make me die;

sinceonly death can give me calm.

Invain my soul hoped for peace here,

whileprey to such grief.

Wretchedbread, come prolong my comfortless life.

Butwho is approaching?

Whodares to profane the sacred place?

Acurse be upon them!

Programnotes contributed by Robert Aubrey.

KALLEN ESPERIAN

KallenEsperian, Artist in Residence in the Department of Music at the University ofMississippi, is regarded as one of the great sopranos of our time. Ms. Esperianappeared as Mimi in La Boheme oppositeLuciano Pavarotti's Rodolfo at many of the world's greatest opera houses,including the Duetsch Staatsoper Berlin, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, TheOpera Company of Philadelphia, and in Beijing, China. She made her MetropolitanOpera debut as Mimi in La Bohemeopposite the Rodolfo of Placido Domingo, and has also appeared as Desdemona in Otello opposite Mr. Domingo in the title role,with the Opera National de Paris. At Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Ms. Esperianappeared as Mina opposite Jose Carreras in La Scala's first-ever performance ofVerdi's Stiffelio.

Additionalcareer highlights have included the title roles in Madama Butterfly and Luisa Miller, and Leonora in Il Trovatore, with the Metropolitan Opera; the title role in Luisa Miller and Elena in I Vespri Siciliani with the Teatro alla Scala; Desdemona in Otello, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, and Mina in Verdi's Aroldo with London's Royal Opera House atCovent Garden; Amelia in SimonBoccanegra andMarguerite in Faustwith The Opera National de Paris; the title role in Manon Lescaut, Amelia in Unballo in maschera, andElisabetta in Don Carlowith Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper; Nedda in Pagliacciwith the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin; the title role in Maria Stuarda with the Teatro Comunale di Bologna; Leonora in IL Trovatore with Oper Frankfurt; Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with San Francisco Opera; Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Desdemona in Otello, Liu in Turandot, and Alice Ford in Falstaff with Lyric Opera of Chicago; Alice Ford in Falstaff with Los Angeles Opera; Amelia in Simon Boccanegra with Washington NationalOpera; the title role in LuisaMiller with the GrandeTheatre de Geneve, Opera Bilbao, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Barcelona'sGran Teatro del Liceu, the Wiener Staatsoper, and the MetropolitanOpera; Desdemona in Otello with Opera Bilbao, the WienerStaatsoper, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Salzburg's Grosses Festspielhaus,and the Metropolitan Opera; Mimiin La Boheme with theBayerische Staatsoper, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Salzburg's GrossesFestspielhaus, Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Wiener Staatsoperand the Opernhaus Zurich; thetitle role in Madama Butterflywith Amsterdam's Het Muziektheater, New Orleans Opera, Opera Memphis, NashvilleOpera, Opera Carolina, and the Metropolitan Opera; the title roles in Aida and Toscawith Dresden's Sachsische Staatsoper; the title roles in Tosca, Norma,Carmen, and Manon Lescautas well as Leonora in IL Trovatoreand Violetta in La Traviata, withOpera Memphis; a debut at theAthens Megaron as Gulnara in IL Corsaro; thetitle role in Normawith the Pittsburgh Opera, for which she was honored with Female Artist of theYear; and her debut with theDallas Opera was as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus in a production directed by CharlesNelson Reilly.

Concerthighlights have included the 1993 Metropolitan Opera Opening Night Gala withLuciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo; Desdemona in Otello opposite Carlo Bergonzi in the titlerole, at Carnegie Hall; numerous performances of the Verdi Requiem with many of the world's greatorchestras and conductors, including Sir Colin Davis, Giuseppe Sinopoli, RobertShaw, Danielle Gatti, Daniel Oren, and David Zinman.

Many ofMs. Esperian’s performances, both operatic and concert, have been televisedthroughout the world. She was featured on film in the documentary DistantHarmony, highlightingher groundbreaking performances in China with Luciano Pavarotti, and a compactdisc and video of her Pavarotti Plus appearance at the Royal Albert Hall, was released on theDecca label. Ms. Esperian was one of “The Three Sopranos” recorded onAtlantic records and broadcast live on PBS, and a recording of her performancein the title role of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda was released on the Serenissima label.Ms. Esperian has also produced three recordings on her own label, Goose Hollow.

Ms.Esperian received her bachelor's degree in vocal performance from theUniversity of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Rhodes Collegein Memphis. She has receivednumerous awards, including Los Angeles Music Center's Dorothy B. ChandlerAward and The MafaldaFavero Award.

Upcomingperformances include the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, with Opera Birmingham, March 16 &18, 2012.

************

Proceedsfrom this evening’s concert will go to the University of Mississippi Patronsof Music ScholarshipFund. The Patrons of Music organization was formed in 2004 to raisefunds for scholarships for deserving Music students. For more information, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/music/alumni_and_friends/patrons.html

************

The Departmentof Music at the University of Mississippi prepares students for careers asprofessional musicians and educators, provides every student at the University a chance toexperience music, and serves as a center of musical art and culture for Oxfordand the surrounding Mid-South area. Degrees offered toundergraduate students are: Bachelor of Arts in Music (B.A.) and Bachelor ofMusic (B.M.) with emphases in music education and performance. TheDepartment also provides numerous courses and performance opportunities fornon-music majors, as well as opportunities for members of the communityto learn about music as a part of human culture and experience. Graduatedegrees include the Master of Music (M.M.) with emphases in music education,music performance, and choral conducting, and the Ph.D. in music education.

The Department of Music provides a breadth of musical experience as well as individual attentionfor students in the studio, in classes and in the many and varied ensembles, allowingstudents to reach their fullest potential. Students enjoy an academic and artistic environment in whichscholarly and creative work is actively produced. In recentyears, students have achieved recognition by performing in such venues as theAmerican Choral Directors Association National Convention, the National OperaAssociation National Convention, and the Jazz Education Network NationalConference; winning NationalAssociation of Teachers of Singing competitions; performing in regional orchestras and participating in majormusic festivals; presentingresearch at state, regional and national professional conferences, and being awardednumerous teaching positions at schools, colleges and universities throughoutthe country.

The Music facultyincludes performing specialists on all band and orchestral instruments as wellas piano, voice, organ and harpsichord, and specialists in conducting, musiceducation, music pedagogy, music history and literature, ethnomusicology, andmusic theory. In addition toteaching and performing, music faculty members contribute to the discipline ofmusic as authors of journal articles, books or monographs. Faculty have also issued commerciallyavailable CD’s and delivered presentations and performances both on thenational and international stage, and arededicated to service to our students and to our University, the region, and themusic profession, nationally and worldwide, through numerous professionaland pedagogical organizations.

A message from Mel Brooks about Young Frankenstein!

2011-10-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

A message from Mel Brooks:

Dear townspeople,

It’s true—35 years ago I created amonster, and now he’s roaming loose around the country. In fact, he’s headingstraight for your village. What do you want from me, an apology? You should be thankingme! Sure, sure, he has the body of a Ford Edsel and the brains to match, butnothing’s funnier than that big dumb lug “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in my newestmusical, Young Frankenstein. This show has all the great gags from theoriginal movie, plus some new zingers, music, and dancing we threw in just forfun. And for a limited time only, you can see it performed in living color! Ifyou enjoyed The Producers, you’re just the kind of sucker who will like YoungFrankenstein. So go, get your tickets. Laugh at the monster, and thank melater.

Mel Brooks

Chanticleer Sings! (And Preserves Our History)

2011-09-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

The human experience, the compilation of all that humanity has produced and experienced during our sojourn on this planet, is perhaps the greatest inheritance we can give to future generations. For this reason, historical preservation is of tantamount importance to humanity.

But historical preservation involves more than just renovating old buildings or protecting ancient books. An important part of our past is the music that those who came before us created and left for us as part of their legacy, their contribution to the overall endeavors of humanity. And the best part of preservation is that it enables things to be shared with contemporaneous people and with generations of people yet to be born. Louis Botto knew this in 1978 when, as a graduate student in musicology, he found himself confused over why the vocal music he and his fellow students were learning--music from the Renaissance and Middle Ages--was not being performed. They were learning the songs, but they were not sharing them with an audience.

So Botto contacted the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys and asked them if they would be interested in helping him. Initially, there were nine members of the group--called "Chanticleer" by a Chaucer-loving member who suggested they name the group after the "clear-singing rooster" of "Canterbury Tales"--with ten members embarking on the group's first tour in 1981. (The group currently stands at twelve members.)

Since that first tour thirty years ago, Chanticleer has visited every state in the union, and, in 1984, went international when they were a last minute replacement for a group that was supposed to have performed in Belgium. From there, it only got better. Chanticleer has performed all across Europe and in several Asian countries, making their Chinese debut in 2009. Chanticleer, which has produced its own CDs for years, are now an international, Grammy-award winning group that continues to share this ancient and important genre of music with the world.

Chanticleer will perform at the Ford Center Saturday, October 8th, at 7 p.m. Come to experience the magic of this "polished performing machine," or come to experience a celebration of this little piece of humanity's experience and creation. Either way: come see this show!

Reading of Nobel Prize-winner, Roald Hoffman's Play "Should've" September 19 in the Ford Center Studio Theatre

2011-09-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

A reading Roald Hoffman's play "Should've" will take place on Monday, September 19th at 7 p.m. The reading is free and open to the public.

SHOULD’VE
Roald Hoffmann

Synopsis

As “Should’ve” opens, Friedrich Wertheim, a German-born chemist, has taken his own life, blaming himself for putting an easy way to make a neurotoxin into the hands of terrorists. The circumstances and reasons for his death disturb profoundly the lives of three people connected to Wertheim – his daughter Katie (a scientist herself, a molecular biologist, but with very different ideas about the social responsibility of scientists), Katie’s lover Stefan (a conceptual artist), and Wertheim’s estranged second wife, Julia.

In 26 fast-moving scenes, these people’s lives are fractured by the suicide. The motive for Wertheim’s action aren’t as simple as they seem; there emerges a remarkable set of circumstances about his parents’ survival in Nazi Germany. The ethical conflict between Katie and her father is very, very deep. Questions arise on the responsibility of artists in society. And there is more than one skeleton in Stefan’s closet.

A play about the social responsibility of scientists and artists on one level, “Should’ve” is also about three people trying to resist the transforming power of death. They are unable to do so, sundered as they are by the memories and a past that emerges from that death. And, eventually, the consequences shape a different bond among the three.

Roald Hoffman Biography

Roald Hoffmann was born in 1937 in Zloczow, Poland. Having survived the war, he came to the U. S. in 1949, and studied chemistry at Columbia and Harvard Universities (Ph.D. 1962). Since 1965 he is at Cornell University, now as the Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters Emeritus. He has received many of the honors of his profession, including the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (shared with Kenichi Fukui).

"Applied theoretical chemistry" is the way Roald Hoffmann likes to characterize the particular blend of computations stimulated by experiment and the construction of generalized models, of frameworks for understanding, that is his contribution to chemistry. The pedagogical perspective is very strong in his work.
Notable at the same time is his reaching out to the general public; he participated, for example, in the production of a television course in introductory chemistry titled "The World of Chemistry," shown widely since 1990. And, as a writer, Hoffmann has carved out a land between science, poetry, and philosophy, through many essays and three books, "Chemistry Imagined" with artist Vivian Torrence, "The Same and Not the Same and Old Wine" (translated into six languages), "New Flasks: Reflections on Science and Jewish Tradition," with Shira Leibowitz Schmidt.

Hoffmann is also an accomplished poet and playwright. He began writing poetry in the mid-1970s, eventually publishing the first of a number of collections, "The Metamict State," in 1987, followed three years later by "Gaps and Verges," then "Memory Effects" (1999), "Soliton" (2002). A bilingual selection of his poems has appeared in Spanish.He has also co-written a play with fellow chemist Carl Djerassi, entitled "Oxygen," which has been performed worldwide, translated into ten languages. A second play by Roald Hoffmann, "Should’ve," has had several workshop productions since 2006; a new play, "We Have Something That Belongs to You," had its first workshop production in 2009.

Unadvertised, a monthly cabaret Roald runs at the Cornelia Street Café in Greenwich Vilage, “Entertaining Science,” has become the hot cheap ticket in NYC.

Hoffmann's website is roaldhoffmann.com.

Genghis Barbie at Nutt Auditorim, Sept. 29, 8 p.m.

2011-09-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Genghis Barbie

September 29

8 p.m.

Free

Nutt Auditorium

Masterclass
September 29
1 p.m.

Nutt Auditorium

GENGHIS BARBIE, the leading post post-feminist feminist all-female horn experience, is the most innovative and energizing chamber ensemble of its generation and beyond. With a combined 26 years of conservatory training, Genghis Barbie delivers to you a visceral and unadulterated musical adventure. Performing arrangements of pop music from the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and today, Genghis Barbie is the most versatile and expansive group on NYC’s classical/pop/rock/jazz/indie/alternative/punk/electro-acoustic scene. Genghis Barbie was incepted in a unique moment of ingenuity when Freedom Barbie, Jungle Barbie, Velvet Barbie and Attila the Horn converged and vowed to create distinctive, interactive and personal performances. In addition to their busy New York City performing schedule, Genghis Barbie is engaged to perform at the 2011 International Horn Society Symposium in San Francisco and will be embarking on their first international tour in the fall of 2011. Genghis Barbie aspires to appear on the Ellen Degeneres show within one calendar year.

Queen's "Somebody to Love"

Seal's "Kiss from a Rose"

What is a Sarode and Tabla?

2011-07-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Prattyush Banerjee

On July 17th, the Ford Center will present a concert of sarode and tabla music. Below are some links to more information about the sarode and table.

http://www.fordcenter.org/documents/Indian%20Music%20Sarode%20Tabla.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarod

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sarode

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabla

http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/tabla.html

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Tabla

Ford Center Honors 2010-11 Volunteers

2011-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

OXFORD, Miss. – Top volunteers for the Ford Center for the Performing Arts were honored at the annual end of the year party, held May 10.

The 2010 and 2011 Ole Miss Idol winners, Matt Duck and LaTonya Herron, respectively, performed at the event, which was held at the Powerhouse.

Norm Easterbrook, director of the Ford Center, said there were 76 performances and events supported this past year, everything from Greek life pre-pledge week convocations and step shows to Broadway productions and gingerbread house exhibits.

“The volunteers have contributed 2,000 hours which is $31,000 in equal time,” Easterbrooke said. “They really do everything that supports the events and they are invaluable to the Ford Center. Volunteers touch lives in ways that we will never know and we can never say thank you enough.”

The 195 volunteers, who act as ambassadors for the Ford Center, for the University of Mississippi and for the community, were classified according to how many hours they put in. The volunteers in the platinum category were Sue Gauthier, Linda Iorio, Loretta Reece and Joanne Wilkinson. There were nine gold, 38 silver and 47 bronze volunteers.

Mary Chrestman, a bronze level volunteer, has been involved with the Ford Center for over a year.

“As I began volunteering, I met interesting people and saw people that I hadn’t seen in a long time,” Chrestman said. “I like the whole environment.”

Additionally, there were four coveted “Golden Flashlight” winners, which were for volunteers who went above and beyond the call of duty. They were Evelyn Smith, Jerrill McGehee, Floyd Bryant and Faylene Bryant.

“Being a volunteer is a wonderful way to see what’s going on in the community,” McGehee said. “There are so many things I wouldn’t know about if I didn’t volunteer.”

by Rebecca Lauck Cleary

Gold Volunteers

Silver Volunteers

"The Gondoliers" by the University of Mississippi Opera Theatre

2011-04-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

The University of Mississippi Opera Theatre's production of a Gilbert and Sullivan show will premiere Saturday, April 30th, at 8 p.m. in the Ford Center. This year's production is The Gondoliers, Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert's twelfth show and last great success.

The Gondoliers is the story of the bride-to-be of the heir of the Kingdom of Barataria, who travels to Venice to wed a man she has never met before. But there are a few hitches in the plans for her upcoming nuptials. The heir to the throne has been mixed up with the son of a gondolier, and nobody now knows who is the son of a king and who is the son of a the gondolier. The men, royal and commoner both, have already wed other women, and the bride-to-be finds she loves another man, as well. Add to that the death of the King of Barataria and the joint rule of the kingdom by the two would-be kings, and a royal mess is the unavoidable result.

The Gondoliers premiered at the Savoy Theatre, in London, on December 7th, 1889, and ran for 554 performances, at that time the fifth-longest run musical in British history. The opera was a satire of class distinctions and the monarchy, but by setting it in Venice, Gilbert and Sullivan were able to poke fun at their own monarchy without risking the repercussions. It was to prove the last major success of the Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration, making it all the more historically important in musical theater.

The Gondoliers premieres April 30th at 8 p.m., with a matinée the following day, at 3 p.m. There will be a pre-show talk on the use of stock characters in Gilbert and Sullivan musicals at 7:20 on the evening of the 8th.

The Aluminum Show

2011-04-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Aluminum Show, a unique and energetic experience for the entire family, is a stimulating tour de force which combines movement, dance, visual theater and plenty of humor. After its 2003 debut in Jerusalem at the Israel Festival, the show gained worldwide recognition and for years has mesmerized hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.

In the show, talented dancers and actors breathe life into aluminum-tone industrial materials to tell the story of a young machine determined to reunite with its parents. During its travels through a futuristic world ruled by bizarre technology, it finds adventure, excitement and even a human friend, who does whatever it takes to get it back home in one piece.

The Aluminum Show uses recovered materials from industrial factories that are re-used to build the set, dress the cast and interact with the audience. As Industrial materials are given new and surprising contexts, then combined with visual effects, lighting manipulations and enchanting music, all senses are on high alert. With sights and sounds that overcome any language barrier, this is visual entertainment at its best.

--from The Aluminum Show website

Leonard Bernstein, Educator--as told by his son, Jamie

2011-04-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

This Friday, April 8th, Leonard Bernstein's son Alexander Bernstein will visit the University of Mississippi to discuss his father's role as musical educator. Another of Bernstein's children, son Jamie Bernstein, discussed his father's educational efforts and beliefs on the official Leonard Bernstein website, and is quoted at length here:

-----------------------------

Leonard Bernstein was a man of many accomplishments, but he was proudest of his own achievements as a teacher.

There's a Hebrew phrase that makes me think of my father: "Torah Lishmah." And it means, loosely translated, a raging thirst for knowledge. I'm sure you've all had that feeling. Maybe you were researching a subject you were intensely interested in, and came across a document that went right to the heart of your thesis. Or maybe you just settled into your train seat with a big, juicy article in a magazine about your all-time favorite sports hero or movie star. Or the day after the first Presidential debates, you buy all the newspapers, nearly salivating with anticipation at reading all the spin.

That's Torah Lishmah. And Leonard Bernstein had it about almost everything! He just could not absorb enough information on the things that interested him: not just music but also Shakespeare, the Renaissance, world religions, Lewis Carroll, biology, Russian literature, the two World Wars, astrophysics, French drama — and any places where these topics overlap. His brain was on fire with curiosity. And what he loved most was to communicate his excitement to others.

Luckily for all of us, it wasn't enough for Leonard Bernstein to compose music and conduct orchestras. He felt equally compelled to talk about music — to try and explain what made it tick, what made it good, and what made it affect us in all the ways that music does. The other piece of good luck was that Leonard Bernstein and television came along at the same time. They were born for each other.

Bernstein's first TV appearances were actually for adults. In the early 1950's, he created segments about classical music for the groundbreaking "Omnibus" series, hosted by Alistair Cooke. But by 1957 Bernstein had convinced CBS to put his Young People's Concerts on the air. To think that for a while there, Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic were on CBS primetime television!! All over America, families gathered in their living rooms in front of their big, bulky black & white TV sets, and watched Leonard Bernstein tell them all about classical music. I can't tell you how many people come up to me now, everywhere I go in the States, and they say something like: "Oh, I used to watch your father's Young People's Concerts on TV, and I've been a music lover ever since!" And an equally large number of orchestra musicians come up to me and say, "I watched the Young People's Concerts when I was a kid, and that's why I'm a musician today!"

Bernstein's great gift was his ability to convey his own excitement about music. Watching him explain sonata form or the difference between a tonic and a dominant, you had the sense that he was letting you in on a wonderful secret, rather than drumming facts into you that might prove useful later. It doesn't matter what your subject is; a teacher's own passion is going to improve the student's ability to absorb and process the information. Excitement is contagious.

Of course, it helped a lot that Leonard Bernstein was really up on his subject.

People often say that Leonard Bernstein was a born teacher, but actually it's more accurate to say that he was a born student who just couldn't wait to share what he learned. In his whole life, he never stopped studying.

Leonard Bernstein had such facility as a teacher that he was sometimes not taken seriously as a scholar. But make no mistake; he really did his homework. As a young student, he applied himself at Boston Latin School, Harvard and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He made the most of his liberal arts education at Harvard, where he studied as wide a range of subjects as he could fit into his schedule. Leonard Bernstein really should be the poster boy for a liberal arts education; everything he absorbed seemed to inform his own music eventually. Later on, he absorbed mountains of knowledge from the various mentors in his life: Dimitri Mitropoulos, Serge Koussevitzky, Aaron Copland. But as well versed as he was in the field of music, he never shut down the learning factory. On the contrary; he stoked it up dramatically in the third quarter of his life.

In the 1970's, Bernstein turned himself back into a student again in order to prepare his six Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard. He immersed himself in Chomskyan linguistics, absorbing an entire new field of knowledge, so that he could then apply the principles of linguistics to music — thereby creating a brand new field of study, and turning himself back into a teacher again in the process. Ambitious? Oh, yes! Was he in over his head? Completely! He was never happier than he was in those 18 months on the Harvard campus, reveling in his dual roles as student and teacher.

My siblings and I have often thought that in a way, our dad was writing the Young People's Concerts to us. His last Young People's Concert was in 1972, in my sophomore year of college. And then, the following year, a funny thing happened: my father went back to college too! His residency at Harvard coincided exactly with my junior and senior years there, and my brother's freshman year. You could say that the Young People's Concerts turned into college lectures when his own kids became college age.

Interactivity is one area of teaching that has seen enormous expansion since the days of my father's Young People's Concerts. Back then, there was only so much you could do with a TV audience. Now that we're firmly in the age of interactive technology, we're in a sort of double bind. On the one hand, it's thrilling that a kid can have such an interactive relationship with his or her computer or video game or telephone. On the other hand, that kid's expectations in a classroom have been transformed. Kids have never been too good at sitting still, but now they really won't sit still for a simple, passive absorption of information. That will seem more deadly than ever before.

So we teachers have to work twice as hard to make our lessons engaging. In the process of trying too hard to seem modern and trendy, we can all wind up looking just as foolish as our own math teacher did back in the 1970's, when he grew his hair over his ears and wore bell-bottoms. Come to think of it, my own father did exactly that! But everybody loved him anyway.

But to get back to this business of interactivity. In spite of the limitations of television, Leonard Bernstein found plenty of ways to engage his audience directly. The easiest way was to engage the live audience, and he found wonderful ways to get them to participate — everything from singing "Frere Jacques" in a four-part round, to singing different intervals on the syllables "New York," to taking part in a musical quiz. You could feel the fizz of excitement when my father asked the concert audience to do something — and you can clearly see it on the DVD's of the televised Young People's Concerts, in director Roger Englander's delightful cutaway shots of the kids in Philharmonic Hall.

One thing I always loved about my father was how unafraid he was to be silly. In our family, goofiness was next to godliness. I wish you all could have seen him and his sister singing a song called "Toujours Glamour," with different gestures for each of the letters in "glamour." I wish you could have seen him playing the Pharaoh of Egypt, in a beach towel and lampshade crown, in my parents' epic home movie, "Call Me Moses." I wish you could have heard him tell the classic Jewish jokes, or describe his favorite Vaudeville routines.

But the good news is, you can see him acting pretty silly on his Young People's Concerts. The very fact that he came out in his nice suit and tie made any unusual behavior that much funnier.

Without a doubt, his best trick was singing the pop songs of the day to illustrate his points about the music of long ago. Oh, how the girls in the audience squealed with embarrassment and delight when he'd sing "And I Love Her" or "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky!" He knew he sounded ridiculous, but he truly didn't care, as long as it engaged the kids and helped them understand what he was talking about. That reflects a deep generosity of spirit — and everyone could sense it.

While talking to my brother about our dad's sense of humor, he pointed out that plenty of great teachers have been humorless. He reminded me that one of our dad's greatest conducting teachers, Fritz Reiner, was on the grim, dry side. But everyone at Curtis Institute adored Reiner and considered him a master. So maybe humor isn't a prerequisite. But with a young audience, it definitely helps — a LOT.

Are any of you familiar with the ideas in the book "Flow," by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi? The subtitle is "The Psychology of Optimal Experience." His idea is that when we're completely engaged in a task that we find enjoyable, we enter a magical state where we lose all track of time, forget about our fatigue or our aches and pains, and produce our most creative and focused work. Leonard Bernstein was one of the luckiest people in the world, because so much of his work put him in that enviable state. Maybe as a result of being in flow so much of the time, he had a very heightened sense of the meaning of the word FUN. Fun was a serious thing to Leonard Bernstein — because he loved his work so much. And he was able to impart this sense of serious fun to everyone around him: his colleagues, his audiences, his students and his family.

So when my father talks in one Young People's Concert about the overture to "Marriage of Figaro" as "a roller coaster ride," he's not kidding! Conducting Mozart's music was every bit as thrilling to him as riding the Cyclone at Coney Island - and take it from me: he brought the same heightened level of engagement to both activities.

It may have been delightfully silly to hear my father squawk his way through those pop songs, but it also signaled to the audience that Leonard Bernstein listened to contemporary pop music — and liked it. That meant a lot in those days, when parents were turning up their noses at Elvis, Motown and the Beatles, and so-called experts would criticize popular music as brainless and even harmful. But hey: Leonard Bernstein thought the Beatles were great! And the Supremes too, and the Stones, and Latin American music, and African war chants and Louis Armstrong and Balinese gamelan and... well, that was exactly it: Leonard Bernstein loved music. ALL of it. And he gave a clear signal to his audiences that it was OK to love all music — and not to put a value judgment on one genre over another. He was the unsnobbiest person you could ever hope to meet. He loved people and was curious about everything. Those are good traits in a teacher.

In his own compositions, my father lived by the same creed. He wrote jazzy music for the concert hall and symphonic music for the Broadway stage. And of course, everybody thoroughly benefited from the cross-pollination — with the possible exception of Bernstein himself. In his lifetime, Bernstein's reputation as a composer suffered as a result of his refusal to be or do just one thing. In the mid- 20th Century, a composer who wished to be taken seriously by the academic musical community absolutely positively had to forfeit tonality in favor of 12-tone music. Simply put, they had to compose music with no key and no melody. Either you wrote 12-tone music or you weren't a "serious" composer.

My father set great store in the great academic institutions, and he longed to be counted in their pantheon. But he could not bring himself to give up writing a good tune. Aren't we glad now that he stuck to his guns?! You have to admire the man for trusting his instincts and writing from his heart, even if it meant losing respect. His courage and sense of self make a fine example for every student who seeks knowledge and dares to ask the hard questions.

Win a Slinky and a Pair of Tickets to "The Aluminum Show"

2011-04-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Tell us what you would do with a slinky and we will give one to the most creative ideas. We will also give you a pair of tickets to "The Aluminum Show". Shoot a video of your idea in action and we will post it on our fb page.

Things other people have done with slinkies.

Slinky sound effects - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqtqiuSMJqM –

Slinky vs. Escalator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJw0L7fxbF4&feature=related

Slinky Juggling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w72NkTUov-I&feature=related

Slinky Tricks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh1Tiw6BJ6Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-IiJggn9Dk&feature=related –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIu0sQIUQHs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJqfkTdFU6E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwh4HFYQOlE&feature=related

To enter send your ideas to kmeacham@olemiss.edu

Leonard Bernstein Festival Performance Program

2011-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

With the FORD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THE

UNIVERSITY ARTIST SERIES

presents

A BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL

MUSIC OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN

APRIL 8 – FRIDAY – 8:00P.M.

GERTRUDE C. FORD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Welcome and Introduction – Donald Trott, Director of Choral Activities

Comments - Alexander Bernstein, President of the Bernstein Family Foundation

Narration (Robert Aubrey)

MISSA BREVIS (1988)

Kyrie

Gloria

Sanctus

Benedictus

Agnus Dei

Dona Nobis Pacem

Concert Singers

Donald Trott, conductor

Kelly Burns, countertenor

Josh Hall and Fred Dunlap, percussion

MASS (1971)

Simple Song

David Walton, tenor soloist
Diane Wang, flute

Gloria Tibi

David Walton, tenor soloist

Sanctus

University Chorus

Debra Spurgeon, conductor

Adrienne Park, piano
Donald Trott, percussion

Narration

1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (1976)

Take Care of this House

University Chorus

Debra Spurgeon, conductor

Adrienne Park, piano

Narration

WEST SIDE STORY CONCERT SUITE TWO (1957)

Selections from West Side Story

I Feel Pretty, Jet Song, America, Tonight

University of Mississippi Opera Theatre

Julia Aubrey, director

Amanda Johnston, coach

University Orchestra

Ron Vernon, conductor

INTERMISSION

COOL (1957)…………………………….arranged by Mark Taylor

MAMBO (1957)…....……….arranged by Michael Philip Mossman

Narration
PRELUDE, FUGUE AND RIFFS (1949)

Michael Rowlett, clarinet

Stacy Rodgers, piano

Mississippians Jazz Ensemble

Michael Worthy, director

Narration

CANDIDE (1957)

Overture to Candide

University of Mississippi Wind Ensemble

David Willson, conductor

Life Is Happiness Indeed

University Chorus

Debra Spurgeon, conductor

Adrienne Park, piano

The Best of All Possible Worlds

University Chorus

Donald Trott, conductor

Adrienne Park, piano

This World (Candide’s Lament)

University Chorus

Debra Spurgeon, conductor

Adrienne Park, piano

Make Our Garden Grow

University Chorus

Donald Trott, conductor

University of Mississippi Wind Ensemble

David Willson, conductor

Pinky Flamingo stars in the Ugly Duckling

2011-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

It was Kermit the Frog who said, "It's not easy being green." Well, sometimes it's not easy being pink, either!

The Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre, with the help of everyone's favorite flamingo, Pinky Flamingo, has put a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen's famous tale of "Ugly Duckling." But in this new telling, the story isn't about a little swan surrounded by mean little ducklings, but rather a flamingo that somehow finds itself growing up among penguins at the South Pole. When perilous weather forces the Stork to drop a flamingo egg off at the South Pole rather than Florida, Pinky Flamingo ends up being raised by a couple of dour, prim-and-proper penguins. In a unique twist on the story of the Ugly Duckling, in this new telling, Pinky Flamingo finds she is the only splash of color in a black-and-white world.

Using nine-foot tall puppets, "The Ugly Duckling starring Pinky Flamingo" is a story about learning how to be yourself, no matter what the world says. This story is not only an entertaining musical, it will instill in children the knowledge that no matter what anyone says, we are all unique and beautiful.

According to their website, the Bits N' Pieces Puppet Theatre "is dedicated to influencing the world of tomorrow by enchanting the children of today." Bits N' Pieces has worked with puppets of all shapes and sizes since their founding in 1972, but it was while working in theater spaces that were in many ways too large for puppet shows that they hatched (pun intended) the idea of 9-foot tall puppets. (Not all characters are portrayed by puppets, however. For instance, Pinky Flamingo is portrayed by an actress in costume.) Though Bits N' Pieces call Tampa, Florida home, they often tour nationally. They also gear their productions to conform to national educational standards so that as well as entertaining, they can teach, as well. You can check out their website at http://www.puppetworld.com/ and their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/PuppetWorld

"The Ugly Duckling starring Pinky Flamingo" will be at the Ford Center on Saturday, April 9th, at 3 p.m. Bring the kids to this special show!

"A Chorus Line" Orchestra and Alexander Technique

2011-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Many in the audience of A Chorus Line wondered about the pit orchestra. There were fifteen players covering woodwind, brass, percussion and keyboard instruments. Many of the players “doubled” playing different instruments for various passages. A video camera was trained on the stage so the conductor could see the performers with another camera trained on the conductor so the technicians and performers could see the conductor. Also, the conductor wore a headset so he and the technicians and sound engineers could communicate cues and make adjustments to sound levels. The reason that the pit was covered for this performance was to keep the music stand lighting in the pit from reflecting on the mirrored scenic elements.

Interestingly, this morning a story ran on NPR about a pit musician using the Alexander Technique to solve back problems that arise from years of playing for Broadway show like A Chorus Line. Here is a link: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134861319/alexander-technique-a-balm-for-back-pain

The Alexander Technique has long been used by actors to relieve the body of tension which in turn frees the body to express emotions and take on characteristics of the roles that that they are portraying. The technique also helps the actor to deliver a more focused performance and to react more realistically and spontaneously to the work of fellow actors in the performance.

We would love to know your thoughts of the performance or of any questions you may have about the Ford Center and our programs.

Below is the text of the NPR story.

Alexander Technique: A Balm For Back Pain?
by Sarah Varney

KQED - March 28, 2011
If you ever saw the musicals "Wicked" in San Francisco or "Cats" on the road, you've probably heard Joe Rodriguez blasting on his trumpet. I met him recently at the musicians' union hall in downtown San Francisco.
But hitting those notes night after night in a cramped orchestra pit takes a toll on the musicians.
"The fact of having your arms up and carrying the weight of this instrument and pushing the instrument toward you and so you have this stress, this wall you're pushing against," says Rodriguez. "And a well designed instrument will push back."

He's been a working trumpet player for four decades, and all that back-arching and shoulder-pinching has left him with chronic pain in his lower back. Research suggests an alternative therapy called Alexander Technique may be an effective way to treat back pain.

Rodriguez first tried massage, chiropractic, and powerful pain killers. But finding a remedy for back pain can be a lot like a guessing game.

He says it was only through Alexander Technique lessons that he trained his body to move in a way that eased his aching back. Alexander Technique is a series of posture lessons, devised by a 19th century Australian actor named F.M. Alexander who had troubles with chronic laryngitis whenever he performed.
"It's a feeling of working with yourself from the inside out," says Rodriguez. "If you know you're twisting a certain way and using too much force, it's easy enough to know, Let that go."

In particular, Joe now holds himself differently during his solos because of Alexander Technique.
"I know that I can just sort of be on my sits bones, instead of a funny arch with my stomach pushed out or my back arched in some strange way," says Rodriguez.

Josephine Gray is Rodriguez's teacher and is a certified instructor in Alexander Technique. When I visited her, I was on my hands and knees next to her trying to re-learn how to stand up.

"Let the neck be free, the head go forward and up," Gray tells me.

Once I make it to my feet, feeling somewhat like a newborn giraffe, there's a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay out of the studio window.

Gray teaches the technique and says low back pain is a common complaint of clients.
"We look at what you are doing that causes that problem in the first place, so how you sit at the computer or how you pick up you child or what you do when you're driving," says Gray. "I look at ways of changing your postural habits so you don't get into pain."

These aren't static postures, though. Those who promote the technique say its more about how you move, and training yourself to release tension.

These are subtle – tiny, almost imperceptible shifts. And although the teacher will put her hand on your neck or shoulder, it's more to bring awareness than to make adjustments.

"The whole point is that you understand the process so that you can arrive there yourself," says Gray.
Gray and Rodriguez, the trumpet player, both say the lessons are no cure all. But there is evidence it can ease chronic low back pain over the long run.

Paul Little is a primary care researcher at the University of Southampton in Britain. He led a study of some 460 patients who were given Alexander lessons, massage, or the usual care of pain killers and exercise.
After a year, those who had massage were no better off. Those who had six Alexander lessons showed some improvement. And those who went the distance got the best results.

"The people who had 24 lessons had gone down from about 21 days of pain that the usual care group reported to about 3 days in pain," says Little. "So a really dramatic difference there is reported days in pain."
Little's research was published in the British Medical Journal in 2008. But now he wants to figure out why it appears to work.

He's about to start a new study that involves giving chronic back pain sufferers lessons in the Alexander Technique and exercises, and then measuring how far their spines can twist and the size and strength of their deep lumbar muscles – which Little thinks might work poorly in people with chronic low back pain.

He cautions though that it may be something else entirely that accounts for the apparent success of the Alexander Technique. If that's the case, Little says he'll have to go back to the drawing board. [Copyright 2011 KQED Public Broadcasting]

"A Chorus Line's" List of Achievements

2011-03-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

A Chorus Line was nominated for twelve 1976 Tony Awards and won nine, including:
Best Musical
Best Musical Book
Best Musical Score
Best Actress • Musical
Best Featured Actor • Musical
Best Featured Actress • Musical
Best Director • Musical
Best Lighting Design
Best Choreography

A Chorus Line won five 1976 Drama Desk Awards including:
Best Book
Best Score
Best Director
Best Choreographer
Best Actress (a tie between two cast members)

New York Drama Critics Award • Best Musical, 1975
Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1975
A special 1976 Theatre World Award was given to every member of the creative staff and original cast
A special 1976 Obie Award was given to the creators and selected cast members
Won London’s 1977 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical
Awarded the 1978 Gold Record Award from Columbia Records
In 1984, A Chorus Line received a Special Tony Award when it became the Longest Running Show in Broadway history.

*from "A Chorus Line" website

The Airmen of Note

2011-03-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Airmen of Note is one of eight performing units of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., and is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. Originally created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps dance band, the Airmen of Note is one of today's few touring bands, and has attracted 18 of the finest musicians in the country. As a result, it has earned an international reputation as one of the finest and most versatile big bands of its kind in the world.

Twice yearly, the "Note" ventures throughout the United States, spreading its big band sound to communities from coast to coast. The Airmen of Note also has an extensive record of international performing, with appearances in five South American Countries, eight European countries and Japan. The "Note" also appears regularly at the world's most famous jazz festivals, including feature performances at the Detroit/Montreux Jazz Festival, Notre Dame Jazz Festival, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Wichita Jazz Festival, Elkhart Jazz Festival and the Pensacola Jazz Festival.

Throughout the history of the Airmen of Note, the Glenn Miller sound has remained a strong ingredient in the band's musical heritage. In the early 1950s, the "Note" continued the innovative course set by Miller and adopted a more contemporary style under the direction of the legendary Sammy Nestico. Beginning in the 1970s, Senior Master Sergeant Mike Crotty, the Note's chief arranger for more than 25 years, helped elevate the band to the forefront of modern big band jazz. Today, Master Sergeant Alan Baylock, the Note's current chief arranger, maintains the band's commitment to tradition and "cutting edge" innovation.

The Airmen of Note's steadfast commitment to musical excellence and reputation for setting the highest standards has earned the respect of the world's foremost jazz artists. This has led to many collaborative efforts, recordings and performances with such luminaries as Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan and Doc Severinsen. Since 1990, the Airmen of Note has shared the stage with legendary jazz icons such as Clark Terry and Ron Carter, as well as some of today's top artists, including Eddie Daniels, Randy Brecker, Karryn Allison and Nicholas Payton, in its highly acclaimed Jazz Heritage Series in Washington, D.C.

The Airmen of Note is a leading force in music education. Many of its members are accomplished clinicians with extensive backgrounds in music education. They routinely lead clinics at high schools and colleges across the country, and are frequently invited to perform at national music conventions, including the International Association of Jazz Educators, Music Educators National Conference, and The Midwest Clinic.

The "Note's" Jazz Outreach Program, a series of educational clinics and performances, is the epitome of this commitment. The purpose of Jazz Outreach is to further jazz education by presenting young musicians with close and personal contact with the Airmen of Note via a series of clinics and concerts held at high schools and colleges across the nation.

Another sign of the Airmen of Note's commitment to music education is the Sammy Nestico Award, initiated in 1994 and named after the former leader of the Note. The objective of this annual competition is to encourage young jazz composers writing in the big band idiom. The Award winner travels to Washington, D.C., for the performance of his or her composition by the Airmen of Note at a major concert.

Throughout 2010, the Airmen of Note celebrates six decades as one of our nation's most revered musical organizations. In its 60th year and beyond, this national treasure will continue building upon its rich musical heritage, all the while providing world-class musical support for today's United States Air Force.

--from "The Airmen of Note's" press release; The Airmen of Note will be performing at the Ford Center March 25th, at 8 p.m.

Harvard Glee Club Comes to the Ford Center

2011-03-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

The Harvard Glee Club was established in 1858 by a group of friends from the school's Pierian Sodality (now known as the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra). The Glee Club of 1858 sounded much different than it does today, featuring approximately a dozen vocal performers, as opposed to the sixty-five performers it has today, and included folk songs, local bands, and even banjo and mandolin music.

In 1912, the Harvard Glee Club was expanded under the auspices of their new coach, Dr. Archibald T. Davison. Under Davison's direction, the Harvard Glee Club began performing in concerts with female clubs, began singing both religious and secular music from the European Renaissance, as well as folk music from around the world, and ended its collaboration with popular music and mandolin clubs.

The Harvard Glee Club began touring outside of just the Northeast during this period, becoming one of the first American college choral groups to perform in Europe. The Harvard Glee Club accepted the invitation of the French government, and conducted an extremely successful tour of several major French cities, including performing at Strasbourg Cathedral's memorial to the First World War.

Over the years, the Harvard Glee Club has collaborated with such groups as the Boston Symphony Orchestra--having collaborated with them under every BSO conductor since 1917--with orchestras in New York City and Los Angeles, and with major European orchestras such as the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Italian Radio Orchestra.

Few of the members of the Harvard Glee Club, who come from all across the United States and the world, are music majors.

The Harvard Glee Club will be at the Ford Center on March 19th, at 8 p.m. Admission is free, no tickets are needed.

"Swan Lake" Synopsis

2011-02-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

ACT I

The Garden of Prince Siegfried's Castle

Prince Siegfried has come of age and entered upon a new world of affairs of war and the burdens of manhood. It is the day for leaving behind the whims and caprice of youth. A happy day for the Prince, although touched by anxiety. The kindly jester and tutor who have been the Prince's loving companions since his childhood are the first to congratulate him. He greets his companions and joyfully accepts the congratulations of all the residents of the Castle.

The Prince's subjects come from far and wide to take part in the festivities. They confer upon him the sword and sceptre of authority and swear allegiance to their new ruler. Henceforth, Prince Siegfried holds their lives and properties in his hands and is also responsible for increasing their wealth and adding to their glory. Something is troubling the Prince. However, he hastens to his mother, the Princess Mother of the Realm, kneels before her and begs for her advice and assistance. The festivities continue, but the Prince is overcome by a desire to be alone, far from his guests.

ACT II

A Lakeside

A wild lakeside, completely deserted. This is where the evil sorcerer conceals the maidens he has changed into swans. The sorcerer and his evil spell can be destroyed only if a young man falls truly and faithfully in love with the most beautiful of the swan maidens, Odette. But how can this happen, with the evil sorcerer ever alert and watchful over his captives?

Suddenly the Prince appears at the lakeside. His gaze alights on Odette and he is transfixed, dazzled by her beauty, and overcome by the aura of evil in which she is entrapped. The sorcerer tries to keep the swan maidens away from the prince to prevent an encounter between him and Odette. But Siegfried follows the beautiful swan maiden. Who is she? The swan maidens are cloaked in silence, how can they be saved? How can he penetrate the secret that surrounds them and rescue them from their captivity? The Prince is completely overcome by the incomparable and exquisite delicacy of Odette, the Prince swears that he will return and free her from the evil spell.

ACT III

The Great Hall of Prince Siegfried's Castle

The castle resounds to the clamor of festivities. Renowned Princesses from Hungary, Russia, Spain, Italy and Poland are presented to the Prince. He must choose one of them as his bride, in order to strengthen his authority and consolidate his power. However, in none of these royal heiresses does he find a maiden comparable to Odette, to whom he has lost his heart. He rejects them all.

The evil sorcerer appears with a Princess remarkably like the Prince's beloved. He bewitches the Prince into believing that this domineering and cunning maiden is in fact the Queen of the Swans. Even her name, Odile, sounds like Odette to the Prince's ears. He chooses her as his bride and at the same time he sees a vision of Odette and he understands that the evil sorcerer and his daughter Odile have tricked him and in despair he leaves the palace.

ACT IV

The Lakeside

Night falls again on the Swan Lake. The swan maidens are anxious, for if the Prince does not fulfill his vow to set them free, they will be doomed to everlasting captivity. The sorcerer raises a raging storm to conceal the Swan Lake behind a screen of dark clouds, But the Prince rushes headlong through the storm to Odette. The sorcerer attempts to conceal her from him, but no power can stop the young man whose heart is so full of love.

The Prince overcomes all obstacles, and the spell cast by the evil sorcerer is dashed forever on the rock of true love.

Swan Lake & the Ballets Russes

2011-02-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

For the last six weeks, the beauty and intricacy of Russian ballet has been on display in movie theaters across America. Darren Aronofsky's thriller "Black Swan" has been garnering positive reviews--and, now, award nominations--since before it was even released. Mike Goodridge of Screen Daily called "Black Swan" "exhilarating." The American Film Institute has listed it as one of its Ten Movies of the Year (2010). Natalie Portman, the movie's lead, won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a drama, and the movie has five nominations pending with the Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, and best actress. It truly has brought ballet to the attention of American audiences.

The featured ballet in "Black Swan," and from which the movie derives its name, is "Swan Lake." There are not many people who have not at least heard of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, but many of these same people may not be familiar with the story. "Swan Lake," which premiered on February 20, 1877 at the historically important Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, is the story of the beautiful princess Odette, who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. A combination of Russian and German folktales, "Swan Lake" has long enraptured audiences around the world as they wait to see if the love of good Prince Siegfried can free Odette from the curse, or if the evil machinations of sorcerer von Rothbart and his daughter, Odile, will prevent the two from ever knowing true happiness.

For those in the Oxford/Lafayette Community who have never been able to see this tremendous show, do not despair: the Russian National Ballet, one of the most prestigious and talented groups of ballet dancers in the world, will perform "Swan Lake" at the Ford Center for Performing Arts on March 4th. Those familiar with dance will surely attest to the fact that we as a community are extremely lucky for this opportunity. The Russian National Ballet is the best of the best, drawing on hundreds of years of ballet history to create an exquisite piece of art.

On a related note, footage was recently found of a Ballets Russes rehearsal from 1928. Then under the auspices of Sergei Diaghilev, filming of the Ballets Russes was forbidden, making these performances lost to all but those few still with us who were able to see the performances themselves. This is a stunning find for the world of performance art. A two-minute BBC clip on the find, including the footage itself, can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12341699.

History of "Charlotte's Web"

2011-02-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Charlotte's Web has been a staple of children's literature for so long, there aren't many people in American society who can't say they know something of the story. I myself read the book--which is older than both my parents!--in grade school. We all know the story: Wilbur the talking pig, his best friend and savior Fern, Templeton the caustic rat, and Charlotte, the all-heart spider whose web weaving skills save Wilbur from certain death. It's a story that has everything, from love and devotion to sadness and loss. In many ways, it's the quintessential coming-of-age story, as Wilbur learns about all the joy and pain life has to offer.

We all know the story. But do we know the story behind the story? In 1948, three years before author E.B. White published his now famous story, he published Death of a Pig, about his real life efforts to save a pig that eventually did not make it. Some have theorized that Charlotte's Web was White's attempt to save the pig, at least in spirit if not in body. Publishers had originally wanted White to change the ending, but White refused, and Charlotte's death, and its poignancy, remained in the work.

In 1973, White finally gave in to pressure from Hollywood to turn his book, then 21 years old, into a children's movie. White, and many others, weren't impressed with what came of it. White was particularly upset with the musical numbers--eight in all, and there's a cover of "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" by the Brady Bunch kids out there somewhere, and while many movie critics felt the animated movie adhered nicely to the novel's storyline, there were few fans of the movie's actual animation. History has been kinder to the film, however, and in 1994, more than two decades after the film's release, it suddenly became a bestseller, and later inspired a 2003 sequel.

In 2006, a second Charlotte's Web movie was produced, this time without any involvement from E.B. White's estate. Featuring such big names as Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey, Reba McEntire, and Kathy Bates--among others--this incarnation of White's most famous work was better received. The film had a 14-week theater run, and won several children's film awards. A spokesman for White's estate applauded it as at least not having any of the animated film's musical numbers.

Theatreworks's stage production of Charlotte's Web will be coming to the Ford Center for Performing Arts on February 12. For more information visit www.fordcenter.org.

Song List from "Forever Plaid"

2011-01-18T10:51:00.001-08:00

SONG LIST

Opening

“Three Coins in the Fountain”

By Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Used by permission of WB Music Corp. and Chappell & Co.

“Gotta Be This or That”

By Sonny Skylar. Used by permission of Music Sales Corp. (ASCAP), copyright owner.

“Moments to Remember”

By Al Stillman and Robert Allen. Used by permission of Larry Spier, Inc.

“Crazy ‘Bout Ya Baby”

By Pat Barret and Rudi Maugeri. Used by permission of Wanessa Music Production, Co.

“No, Not Much”

By Al Stillman and Robert Allen. Used by permission of Kitty Anne Music.

“Perfidia”

By Milton Leeds and Alberto Dominguez. Used by permission of Peer International Corp.

“Cry”

By Churchill Kohlman. © MCMLI, Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., New York, NY. Copyright renewed. Used by permission.

“Sixteen Tons”

By Merle Travis. Used by permission of Unichappel Music, Inc.

“Chain Gang”

By Sam Cooke. Published by Abkco Music, Inc. Used by permission.

The Catering Drill

“The Bride Cuts the Cake,” “The Tarantella,” “Anniversary Song”

By Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin. © MCMXLVI Music Mood Co., Inc., New York, NY. Copyright renewed. Worldwide Copyright Administrator: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc. Used by permission.

“Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Hava Naghelah,” “Rock My Soul,” “She Loves You”

By John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Used by permission of Gil Music Corp.

A Tribute to Mr. C

“Dream Along With Me”

By Carl Sigman. Used by permission of Major Songs Co.

“Sing to Me, Mr. C”

By Ray Charles. Used by permission of Roncorn Music Company.

“Catch a Falling Star”

By Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. Used by permission of Emily Music Corp.

The Plaids Go Calypso

“Day-O”

By Erik Darling, Bob Carey and Alan Arkin. Used by permission of Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co., Inc.

“Kingston Market”

By Irving Burgie. Used by permission of Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co., Inc.

“Jamaica Farewell”

By Lord Burgess. Used by permission of Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co., Inc.

“Matilda”

By Harry Thomas. Used by permission of MCA Music Publishing, a division of MCA, Inc.

“Heart and Soul”

By Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser. Used by permission of Famous Music Corp.

“Lady of Spain”

By Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans, Stanley J. Damerell and Henry Tilsley. Used by permission of Sam Fox Publishing Co., Inc.

“Scotland the Brave”

“Shangri-La”

By Carl Sigman, Matt Malneck and Robert Maxwell. Used by permission of EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc.

“Rags to Riches”

By Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Used by permission of Major Songs Co.

“Love Is a Many Splendored Thing”

By Paul Francis Webster and Sammy Fain. Used by permission of EMI Miller Catalog, Inc.

From the Director of the Barter Theatre production of "Forever Plaid"

2011-01-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

A Look Within…
Forever Plaid

When most of us think of the 1950s, we think of Rock ’n’ Roll, greasers, hot rods, Elvis, Annette, Fabian, D.A. haircuts and teenage rebellion. But there was a “flipside” to this era – the side of harmony, innocence and the sincerity of dreams. It is the side that’s been lost in the shuffle of progress. It was a time when most parents and kids listened and danced to the same music; when families partook of the ritual of gathering in front of the TV to watch their favorite variety shows like Ed Sullivan or the Perry Como Show. It was a time when every family worked hard to fulfill the American dream.

It was a period when Four-Part Guy Groups harmonized their way across the airwaves, jukeboxes and hi-fis of the country. Throughout the land they would stand at a quartet of microphones, crooning a multitude of
chaperoned prom-goers into dreamy romance. They wore dinner jackets and bow ties (or perhaps, cardigans and white bucks). Each move was drilled to precision. Each vocal arrangement soared to stratospheric heights of harmony. This sound crested right before Rock ‘n’ Roll stole the heartbeat of music across the globe. During this time, guys across the country banded together to sing in the basement for fun. If things worked out they might be hired to sing at weddings, conventions, proms and country club socials. Inspired by the success of the recording stars, they made plans to zoom into careers of fame and fortune. But the
musical taste of the USA was changing and would not stop to listen to their dreams.

This is the story of such a group – Forever Plaid is dedicated to the good guys:

– To the guys who wheeled the projector carts for the Audio Visual Club.
– To the guys who carried an extra white handkerchief in the back pockets of their chinos.
– To the guys who saved their allowances to give their parents an extra special night on the town for their anniversary.
– To the guys who sang around the piano in the family room just for the love of it.
– To the guys who never went beyond first base (and if by some miracle they did, they didn’t tell anyone).

We salute you!
Robert Randle
Director, Forever Plaid

Watch a video teaser of "Forever Plaid" by the Barter Theatre

2011-01-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

Enjoy a sneak peek of Forever Plaid. This touring production will be at the Ford Center on January 22. It is produced by the Barter Theatre. Opening in 1933, the Barter Theatre is one of the oldest professional theatres in the country.

Learn more about the Barter Theatre at www.bartertheatre.com.

Emerson String Quartet Discusses the Music They Play

2011-01-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Pt I: "The String Quartet Revealed vol.1, Classical" (11,008,038 bytes : MP3)
Pt II: "The String Quartet Revealed vol.1, Classical" (10,088,320 bytes : MP3)
"The String Quartet Revealed, vol. 2, Romantic" (24,941,715 bytes : MP3)
Pt I: "The String Quartet Revealed, vol. 3, Modern" (10,251,947 bytes : MP3)
Pt II: "The String Quartet Revealed, vol. 3, Modern" (12,795,438 bytes : MP3)

Emerson String Quaret - what the press says about them.

2011-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

"... with musicians like this there must be some hope for humanity."

— The Times (London)

"The performances were everything we have come to expect from this superb ensemble: technically resourceful, musically insightful, cohesive, full of character and always interesting."

— The New York Times

"Few string quartets have regularly displayed such individuality among members -- an ideal stance for coloring and differentiating the complex strands of the fugues."

— The Philadelphia Inquirer

"The precision and grace with which the ensemble dispatched the opening of the final movement was breathtaking, and by the adrenaline-pumping coda it was difficult to sit still."

— Andante.com

"The Emerson has staked its claim to being the one indispensable quartet in a world that is constantly creating more, excellent ensembles."

— Newsday

"These are high-powered performances with at times terrifying attack and explosive accenting...they are mightily impressive."

— Gramophone

"...the Emerson played with vigor and style ...infusing the familiar music with energy and transparency."

— Houston Chronicle

"The Emerson String Quartet...has the easy virtuosity, precise sense of ensemble, rhythmic vigor and rich polished tone..."

— The Washington Post

"The Emerson performances represented an extraordinary fusion of experience and authority with audacity and freshness."

— The Boston Globe

"The Emerson is one of the most impressive of American string quartets."

— The New York Times

"I very much doubt whether Haydn ever heard his music sound like this; and if that is so, then I think it was a deprivation much to be regretted on his behalf."

— Fanfare

Urban Bush Women Schedule - January 15-17

2010-12-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 15, 2011

4 - 5:30 p.m. BATTY RAPS (may be lead by all dancers)

This unique, fun workshop developed from the acclaimed Urban Bush Women repertory work, Batty Moves, which celebrates unique individuality through the tradition of bragging. Participants in this workshop are invited to develop and perform their own raps alongside UBW dancers.

Location: The Powerhouse

4 - 5:30 p.m. LIGHTING FOR DANCE (Susan Hamburger)

This workshop is an exploration into the world of lighting and composition with practical examples of dance lighting.

Location: Ford Center Main Hall

6 p.m. Community Pot Luck Dinner

Location: The Powerhouse

Sunday, January 16, 2011

4 - 5:30 p.m. BREAKS, BEATS AND BATTLES (Bennalldra Williams and Marjani Forté)

This class is a continuation of "How We Got to the Funk," and explores African American social dances of the '80s and '90s such as hip hop and breaking. No experience is needed so come ready to get down!

Location: Ford Center Main Hall

Monday, January 17, 2011

8 p.m. PERFORMANCE

Naked City (2009)

The title references the late '50s film noir television series about New York City. Jawole was inspired to create and explore movement for this piece by images evoked by Toni Morrison's novel, JAZZ. Jawole extends special thanks to her Florida State University students who helped create the work.

Choreography: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Music: "Safe & Found" and "In What Way," by Pyeng Threadgill from Portholes To Love & Other Short Stories

Costume Designer: Naoko Nagata

Lighting: Susan Hamburger

Body Talk (2010)

Intermission

Walking with Pearl…Southern Diaries (2005)

Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Ford Center is very grateful to the participants in the Gingerbread Village.

The display will be open until Dec. 17th.

created by Aramark Catering/Ole Miss Dining

created by Holli's Sweet Tooth

created by Michelle Zerangue, Cyprus Lake Soaps

created by Jennifer Bussum, Synergy Brass Quintet

The History of Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Who would think that gingerbread would have a history, or, at least, an interesting one?
Just as people have migrated from one corner of the globe to another, gingerbread has had its own travels. Gingerbread seems to have originated in ancient Armenia, in and around present-day Turkey and Russia. It was brought to France by an Armenian monk in 992 B.C.E. (Bet you never thought gingerbread was over a thousand years old!) By the 13th century, gingerbread had been brought to Sweden by German travelers, and in the 15th century, Swedish nuns were making gingerbread to ease indigestion. (Ginger has long been considered an aid for indigestion. We still drink ginger ale for an upset stomach.) It reached the United Kingdom sometime in the 17th century, and to this day the Shropshire town of Market Drayton boasts of its history as "the place" in England to get gingerbread. The Russian cities of Tula, Vyazma, and Gorodets are also well-known for the delicious gingerbread they produce.

The art of gingerbread house making seems to have originated in Germany, where gingerbread tends to be a harder consistency, and it is the German fairytale Hansel and Gretel that introduces the witch with a house made of gingerbread. For many years now, gingerbread houses have been a popular Christmas decoration, and the city of Bergen, Norway, has for the last twenty Christmases, tried to build the largest gingerbread house in the world. Ancient gingerbread moulds of kings, queens, and emperors are still on display in museums in Poland and Germany. Indeed, the gingerbread house is still considered a major art form in Europe, with major centers for its production in cities like Pest, Lyons and Nuremberg.

Ford Center's 1st Annual Gingerbread House Village

2010-12-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

OXFORD, MS - The Ford Center for the Performing Arts will host its first annual Gingerbread House Village. The houses will be on display December 1 through 17 in the Ford Center’s Studio Theatre. The general public and performance audiences are invited to visit the village to take a break and prepare for the coming holiday season or to re-charge in what is certain to be a charming and whimsical encounter for all the senses. The village will be a delight for the young and young at heart.

Gingerbread houses spring up around the holidays and have been delighting people for decades. For many communities the assembling of the houses is a much anticipated event. The Ford Center hopes that this will be the start of just such a tradition for the Oxford community. There is no fee to tour the village; however, the Ford Center staff suggests a donation of non-perishable food item to benefit the area food pantry.

Local businesses are designing and building the gingerbread houses. Contestants will have a six foot diameter display area for their house and all will be on display in the Ford Center Studio Theatre during regular hours and surrounding performance times. Participants include Holli's Sweet Tooth, Petit Milletts, Aramark Catering and Jennifer Bussum with Synergy Brass Quintet.

Ford Center director Norman Easterbrook says “Our first effort is really an experiment. We wanted to keep this as uncomplicated and fun as we possibly could. The Ford Center and UM Box Office staff have worked together to decorate the Ford Center and to help make the village a success. We are very grateful to our first year participants for taking a chance with us to make this a success.”

The Gingerbread Village is free and open to the public. The contribution of a non-perishable food item is suggested. For more information call 662-915-2787 or go to www.fordcenter.org.

Visit the Gingerbread Village - Display Schedule

2010-12-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread Village

Hours

December 1 11 am – 6 pm

December 2 11 am – 7:30 pm

December 3 11 am – 3 pm

December 4 2 pm – 8 pm

December 5 5 pm – 6 pm

December 6 11 am – 6 pm

December 7 11 am – 3 pm

December 8 11 am – 3 pm

December 9 11 am – 3 pm

December 10 11 am – 3 pm

December 11 3 pm – 7 pm

December 12 12 pm – 3 pm

December 13 11 am – 3 pm

December 14 11 am – 3 pm

December 15 11 am – 3 pm

December 16 11 am – 3 pm

December 17 11 am – 3 pm

Contact the Ford Center for more information

662.915.2787 or fordcent@olemiss.edu

Synergy Brass Quintet, "Gingerbread and Brass" Program

2010-12-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Synergy Brass Quintet

Gingerbread and Brass

December 4, 2010

8 p.m.

Program

Ding Dong! Merrily on High – Traditional French Carol

In Dulci Jubilo – Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)

I Wonder As I Wander – Appalachian Folksong

Selections from "The Messiah" – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

No. 3 Aria: "Every Valley"

No. 7 Chorus: "And He Shall Purify"

No. 12 Chorus: "For Unto Us A Child Is Born"

No. 44 Chorus: "Hallelujah"

-Intermission-

Carol of the Bells – Traditional Ukranian Carol

A Trumpeter’s Lullaby – L. Anderson

What Child is This? – Traditional English Carol

Angels We Have Heard on High – Traditional French Carol

Carol Sing-A-Long:

Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing - Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

O Come, All ye Faithful - J.F. Wade (c.1711-1786)

The First Nowell - Traditional English Carol

Joy to the World - George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Traditional English Carol

For Tickets and more information about Synergy Brass visit www.fordcenter.org or www.synergybrass.com.

From the Top

2010-11-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

Christopher O'Riley, critically and commercially acclaimed pianist and host of NPR's From the Top and PBS' From the Top at Carnegie Hall, will be performing at the Ford Center on November 30.

O'Riley has hosted From the Top for almost eleven years. During that time, he has garnered a weekly audience of 700,000 fans, and supported thousands of young children who dream of being musicians someday. In this world of hundreds of cable channels and hordes of "reality" shows, From the Top is a heartening artistic piece that has done a great deal for the musical arts, and those children gifted in them. The From the Top web page says of the program, "Each program provides a compelling and entertaining window into the world of a diverse group of young people, who pursue life with passion, determination, and joy."

In 2007, NPR's From the Top grew to include its television version, PBS' From the Top at Carnegie Hall, where viewers are taken backstage at Carnegie Hall as youth aged 8 to 18 celebrate their musical debuts. It is fair to assume that for these young musicians, this program really and truly makes dreams come true.

From the Top is not just a series that introduces these musicians to audiences across the country, though that alone makes the series an important endeavor. From the Top also has a philanthropic nature, as well. With help from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, From the Top has given more than a million dollars to pre-collegiate musicians who would otherwise not be able to attend college. From the Top's Arts Leadership Program is a mentoring program for young musicians, and long-term residency programs have been established in venues as diverse and distant as Boston to Hawaii. Macmillan/McGraw Hill Publishers have even included From the Top broadcasts on companion CDs for several music textbooks they print.

From the Top has had a remarkable impact on the lives of thousands of American children with musical talent. Come see the man behind all this at the Ford Center, November 30th, at 8 p.m.

Fearless Pianist, Christopher O'Riley

2010-11-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

*from www.theday.com-

It might make you shudder: a pianist reworking tunes by Radiohead and Elliot Smith. Eerie images leap to mind of John Tesh flourishing arpeggios as the melody to "I'm a Creep" floats in sprightly fashion …
Instead, consider the transcriptions of Christopher O'Riley, the classical pianist and host of National Public Radio's "From the Top" program. Years ago, to entertain NPR audiences during lags in show tapings, O'Riley began performing adaptations of Radiohead songs. The efforts went viral.
By now, O'Riley has released such CDs as "Hold Me to This: Christopher O'Riley Plays the Music of Radiohead," "Home to Oblivion: A Tribute to Elliot Smith," and "Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake." His latest album, "Out of My Hands," contains transcriptions of songs by 12 artists - including Nirvana, Tori Amos, the Smiths, Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd, Portishead, and Tears for Fears.
On Friday, O'Riley's "Out of My Hands" tour hits New London for a performance at Connecticut College.
Of his rock interpretations, O'Riley says he's motivated soley by his own enjoyment.
"I feel a responsibility to play what I believe in," he says by phone last week. "While there are plenty of songs I think would be interesting to explore for a lot of reasons, by and large, if I don't enjoy the material, it doesn't work for me, or the audience, or the piano."
In his classical career, O'Riley has been honored with awards at the Leeds, Van Cliburn, Busoni and Montreal competitions and is a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. As such, his interest in contemporary rock and pop music tends to focus on fairly deft composers.
"I gravitate towards artists who have a wider musical vocabulary," O'Riley says. He cites Radiohead's contrapuntal influences, Nick Drake's enthusiasm for "the obvious colors of French composers," and says Elliot Smith was the best American composer since Gershwin.
As for "Out of My Hands," O'Riley describes a gradual assimilation. "The long-term plan just had to do with my particular attraction for a particular song at a particular time," he says. "There is definitely a thematic undercurrent, but I also liked the idea of doing a variety of songs."
Does O'Riley have any thoughts about which classical composer would make a great rock artist today? "Shostakovich," he laughs. "He was deeply expressive, was able to write for any occasion, and he had a great sense of irony."

Real-Life Cowboys

2010-11-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

The cowboy has become an iconic image in American culture and folklore. A unique combination of ruggedness, machismo, and chivalry, the cowboy is a symbol of the American West. Whether they were herding cows, protecting stage coaches full of gold and lovely women, or fighting their way across the Great Plains, the cowboy came to embody what was once the "Can do!" attitude of the American people.

Yet, as with so many real-life legends and heroes, cowboys have been mythologized. Much of what we think we know about them is wrong, and most would likely be hard-pressed to describe the origin of the cowboy, of the job and the people who did it.

The cowboy as we know it first appeared in Northern Mexico, and were called vaqueros. They were usually Native Americans hired by Spanish missionaries to care for their horses. As Mexican traditions spread throughout the Americas, so too did the tradition of the vaquero, which influenced equestrian traditions from Canada to Argentina. English-speaking cowboys began to appear in the nineteenth century as America pushed ever further to the West. An increase in the country's population caused an explosion in the consumption of beef. A need for more beef led to a need for more grazing land for cattle, and more and more cows found themselves making the same westward journey. Cowboys were in charge of protecting cattle during cattle drives, when largely undomesticated cattle would forage for food over vast expanses of land. Once land began to be enclosed by farmers, the open range largely ceased to exist, and what it meant to be a cowboy began to change.

The image many of us see when we think of cowboys is of John Wayne and Marshal Dillon, yet that is not the full story. Since cowboys were considered very close to the bottom of the social ladder, exact numbers about the demography of the cowboy population do not exist, but census records suggest as much as a third of the cowboy population in the late 19th century was of Mexican descent, while another twenty percent were African-American, often freed slaves moving West to make new and better lives for themselves. And while whole generations grew up playing "Cowboys and Indians," that, too, is not quite right. While it cannot be denied that great hostility existed between the United States government and the Native American peoples, cowboys usually had a more easy-going time with Native American populations.

The image of the cowboy that we have was shaped and molded by Hollywood and the countless number of Westerns produced there. Movies were an evolution of the Wild West shows of the late-19th century, and they presented stereotypes and downright fictions that have been hard to lose. In Hollywood Westerns, cowboys were either rigidly upstanding patriots with an unbreakable code of conduct, or villainous gunslingers. The idea that cowboys and Native Americans were usually at each others throats was also a Hollywood invention. While there was always the threat of cattle thieves (of any race), cowboys usually only used their guns on wild animals.

The cowboy ethos is still with us, and likely always will be. As previously said, it is an American icon, an image that has been used to define the United States, both in positive and negative ways. The image has been turned into a logo for all sorts of businesses and goods advertising themselves of wholly American. There are still working cowboys today, though their way of life is often tenuous, and the concept has expanded beyond Westerns to other genres, most notably science-fiction, where a rougher, tougher brand of sci-fi hero is reappearing.

Green Grow the Lilacs

2010-11-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

"Green Grow the Lilacs is today largely forgotten in its original form, while Oklahoma! remains one of the most acclaimed and popular American musicals ever written."--Wikipedia

Just about everyone has heard of Oklahoma! somehow, even if they haven't seen it themselves. Since its premiere in 1943, it has proven to be one of the most popular musicals of all time. It's original run lasted for more than 2,000 performances, its revivals have won numerous awards, the 1955 movie version won two Academy Awards, its songs are classics, and it's a perennial favorite for high school drama groups across the country. It has truly and irrevocably become a part of American theater's history.

Oklahoma! is a story rich in American history, but few know that the show has its own history. Oklahoma! is actually the musical adaptation of a Lynn Riggs' play entitled Green Grow the Lilacs. Apart from the ending (No spoilers here, but suffice it to say, Oklahoma! has the happier ending.), the two shows share identical plots. In spite of this, though, history has treated the two shows very differently.

Green Grow the Lilacs didn't do too well when it was first released. A play rather than a musical (It was Rodgers and Hammerstein who added the musical score and adapted the show into Oklahoma!), it enjoyed a mere 64 performances, as opposed to Oklahoma!'s 2,212. The play was miscast, with the suave Franchot Tone (Of Mutiny on the Bounty fame.) playing cowboy Curly. Green Grow the Lilacs might have been completely lost and forgotten by now if Rodgers and Hammerstein hadn't transformed it into a musical that has become a classic.

Shakespeare in Performance

2010-11-12T04:13:00.000-08:00

I cannot think of another playwright that has engendered as many mixed emotions as William Shakespeare. Let's be honest for a second: we've all had to study him in high school or college English classes, and his style and form does not make for easy reading. I've not had a class yet where Shakespeare was studied and a student did not ask, "Did they really speak like this?"

The answer to that question is yes. They really did. Now, not everyone spoke just like a Shakespeare play. At this time, education was only for the privileged, meaning education was only accessible to a minority of the people. Yet, even if much of the population had a less "grand" method of speaking, they could still be counted on to understand what was being said to them. Language changes, but the classics do not, and the English used then is the English still used in Shakespeare. Hence some people's headache. Yet, as one of my theater professors once said, "Shakespeare isn't meant to be read, he's meant to be performed."

Now, I don't think she meant to say that we shouldn't read Shakespeare, so no high school syllabi need be altered. Her point was, Shakespeare is meant to be seen. What we might stumble through on the page will sound like music to the ears. The sets, the costumes, and the action that the page cannot show will be revealed by the performance. When Shakespeare was first writing his plays, there were no televisions, movie theaters, or DVDs, and reading was something only the privileged were capable of. Theater, however, was accessible for all. True, the rich got the good seats, but the poorest need only scrounge up a penny or two for standing space in the stalls.

Yet, while Shakespeare may be regarded as a seminal author in the English language, audiences then and now expect one thing: a bang for our buck. Shakespeare has not always been loved, and there have been centuries of accolades and criticisms of his shows. Here are some for A Midsummer Night's Dream:

Samuel Pepys (1662): "The most insipid ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life."

William Duff (1770): "[Shakespeare's genius] never appears with so much strength... as when he bursts into the ideal world and presents to our view the characters and offices of supernatural beings..."

William Hazlitt (1817): "All that is the finest in the play is lost in the representation."

Harold Bloom (1998): "Shakespeare visualized an idea summer... Unfortunately, every production of [the play] that I have been able to attend has been a brutal disaster."

Lawrence van Gelder, New York Times critic, about the Aquila Theatre's production (2003): "Timely and pleasing... this 'Dream' soothes the eye and tickles the funny bone."

Whatever problems A Midsummer Night's Dream has had can probably be put down to the performers or the production companies that put it on. Each group or company that puts on a show will bring something new and different to it, and sometimes what they bring to it isn't appreciated by the audiences. But whatever mistakes a group may make, Shakespeare lives on.

Aquila Theatre has made a name for itself by creating new and wonderful interpretations of classical material like Shakespeare's. On November 12th, at 8 p.m., they will perform their interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Ford Center. It promises to be an incredible performance.

The Aquila Theatre

2010-11-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

In 1991, Artistic Director Peter Meineck founded Aquila Theatre with the desire to create bold reinterpretations of classical plays for contemporary audiences that sought to free the spirit of the original work and recreate the excitement of the live performance that made it become a classic play. Our mission is simple yet very ambitious – to bring the greatest works to the greatest number. We believe passionately that everyone should be forded the opportunity to engage with classical drama of the highest quality at an affordable price right in their own communities, experience arts from other places and exchange ideas, discuss and explore these works in an accessible and exciting format.

Based in New York City since 1999, Aquila has gone on to win popular, critical and academic acclaim worldwide and regularly appears at international festivals with performances in places as diverse as Carnegie Hall, the Ancient Stadium at Delphi, The Los Angeles Cathedral Plaza and the White House. We are determined to bring the works of Shakespeare, ancient Greek playwrights, appropriations of both these and new American classics to vivid life and to help make theatergoing part of the fabric of American cultural life.

Aquila presents a season of classical plays in New York at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, tours nationwide to between 50-70 cities per year and provides the following extensive educational programming: Shakespeare Leaders, an after-school program in Harlem and the Bronx, which trains students to perform and produce a classical play; Workshop America, a nationwide initiative designed to demystify classical drama whilst making theatre-going an un-intimidating experience; and Theatre Breakthrough, which provides a unique opportunity for students in underserved rural and urban communities to witness a live performance at a professional theatre. Aquila also recently received a National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman’s Special Award for Ancient Greeks / Modern Lives, a new national public program, which places live theatrical events, reading groups and lectures in cultural institutions to inspire people to come together to read, see, and think about classical literature and how it continues to influence and invigorate American cultural life. Aquila is the professional company in residence at the NYU Center for Ancient Studies.

*from the Aquila Theatre website, http://aquilatheatre.com/

Changelings

2010-11-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

As Act II of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens, King Oberon and Queen Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies, are arguing about a young boy in Titania’s care. Oberon wants the child, perhaps to train as a servant, or perhaps just to upset Titania. Titania has recently taken the orphaned child from India to raise as her own.

For centuries, people in cultures across Western Europe believed in fairies, trolls, pixies, and a host of other magical creatures. Many people still do, and whether or not they are or are not real, they, along with many other such creatures, have become a large part of the literary canon, and are thus a very real part of our lives. These creatures had a host of behaviors and personalities, with some being good and helpful, and others sinister and destructive. They interfered with the human world in a variety of ways.

One such way was through the switching of young children. The legend was, fairies and other magical folk would often exchange one of their children for that of a human child. The magical child and the human child both became Changelings, and it is a Changeling that Oberon and Titania fight over. The reasons why these creatures would be interested in switching their child for another were varied. It was said that in troll society, it was considered classy to be raised by humans. For them, giving their children to humans to raise was a method of social advancement. Some believed that the fairies left in the stead of human children were actually old and dying, sent to this world to be cared for in their declining years. More malevolent reasoning had it that fairy mothers and children were in on it together, using the human child and its mother to feed on until the humans died.

The concept of Changelings were used to explain illnesses and deformities in children that medical science could not explain at the time. It is understandable that people without such awareness would want some explanation as to why their children were not wholly healthy. In Scandinavia, it was thought that all magical creatures were frightened of iron, so a pair of scissors or a knife would be left on the baby's cradle. In Catholic regions, a quick baptism would prevent trolls from stealing children. However, it was often believed that such preventative measures had not worked. In practice, the treatment of so-called Changelings could be brutal to an extent that precludes sympathy towards the parents. In 1826, a mother was found not guilty of murder when she drowned her son. She insisted she had been trying to drive the fairy away so that her real son could return. Another case involved a couple who threw their young daughter out of the house one night. They were arrested when the girl died of exposure.

The ultimate fate of the Changeling child in A Midsummer Night's Dream is unknown, but judging by Titania's attempts to protect him, we can assume he has a happy upbringing. I for one can see the appeal in growing up in a magical forest with fairies, elves, and trolls for friends, but for humans, the Changeling folktale was something truly terrifying. It was just another way in which a large, inexplicable world could throw a person for a loop. When you see A Midsummer Night's Dream, keep in mind that while what we see is meant for entertainment, for those who saw the original production, there might have been an element of fear, as well.

Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts

Program for Bruce Levingston/Brooklyn Rider Concert

Bruce Levingston with the

Brooklyn Rider String Quartet

and

Friends

Thursday, Febraury 2, 2012 • 7 p.m.

Bruce Levingston and Brooklyn Rider Pre-Concert Cocktail Reception Benefit & Art Auction

An Evening with Kallen Esperian Program

with faculty of the

University of Mississippi

Department of Music

A message from Mel Brooks about Young Frankenstein!

Chanticleer Sings! (And Preserves Our History)

Reading of Nobel Prize-winner, Roald Hoffman's Play "Should've" September 19 in the Ford Center Studio Theatre

Genghis Barbie at Nutt Auditorim, Sept. 29, 8 p.m.

What is a Sarode and Tabla?

Ford Center Honors 2010-11 Volunteers

"The Gondoliers" by the University of Mississippi Opera Theatre

The Aluminum Show

Leonard Bernstein, Educator--as told by his son, Jamie

Win a Slinky and a Pair of Tickets to "The Aluminum Show"

Tell us what you would do with a slinky and we will give one to the most creative ideas. We will also give you a pair of tickets to "The Aluminum Show". Shoot a video of your idea in action and we will post it on our fb page.

To enter send your ideas to kmeacham@olemiss.edu

Leonard Bernstein Festival Performance Program

Pinky Flamingo stars in the Ugly Duckling

"A Chorus Line" Orchestra and Alexander Technique

"A Chorus Line's" List of Achievements

The Airmen of Note

Harvard Glee Club Comes to the Ford Center

"Swan Lake" Synopsis

ACT I

ACT III

ACT IV

Swan Lake & the Ballets Russes

History of "Charlotte's Web"

Song List from "Forever Plaid"

From the Director of the Barter Theatre production of "Forever Plaid"

Watch a video teaser of "Forever Plaid" by the Barter Theatre

Emerson String Quartet Discusses the Music They Play

Emerson String Quaret - what the press says about them.

Urban Bush Women Schedule - January 15-17

Gingerbread Houses

The History of Gingerbread Houses

Ford Center's 1st Annual Gingerbread House Village

Visit the Gingerbread Village - Display Schedule

Synergy Brass Quintet, "Gingerbread and Brass" Program

From the Top

Fearless Pianist, Christopher O'Riley

Real-Life Cowboys

Green Grow the Lilacs

Shakespeare in Performance

The Aquila Theatre

Changelings

Bruce Levingston

with the