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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

By Sarah Tyrrell   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

Charles Bruffy and the Kansas City Chorale staged a spring concert this weekend. The "Sing to Love" theme combined with timely references to the eagerly-awaited season nicely colored the lengthy program. The ensemble sounded in top shape, even coming off of the previous night's performance, and the group delivered a diverse yet thoughtfully unified collection of memorable pieces. 

Early One Morning offered luscious dynamic shifts; but in the quick pace some phrase endings were rushed. Paul Fetler's April, with its tart dissonances, was an effective contrast to Cain's arrangement of Early. The three Mulholland songs to follow were a treat; the epic If Love is What the Rose Is featured long, lyrical lines that contrasted the choppy syncopation of the Felter, with languorous cadences for the singers to revel in every ending consonant.

The Chorale's exceptional diction provides a model for every choral group in this city and beyond. Consider the phrase, "and I your love were death" which the Chorale sang as, "an-duh I your luh-vuh were death." Since text clarity is crucial to truly understanding both the literary and musical aspects of any vocal setting, this exaggeration was appreciated.  If Love was also an early indication that the basses were capable of holding their own against the strong women's sections, but the tenors seemed to force the high pitches of certain phrases, as if sensing competition with the sopranos.

Mulholland's Green Grows the Laurel was for the women only. The piano iterated quiet chords to gently support the folk-like vocalise that began and ended the piece. The soprano section was nearly perfect here, giving Bruffy pure, open vowels, and their willingness to control vibrato (or avoid it altogether) supported the text, musical line, and ensemble blend. O Whistle and I'll Come to Ye indeed featured some stellar whistling, but the typical uniform sound fragmented in this faster-paced song, so much so that a voice or two from the middle front row could easily be singled out.

Eric Whitacre's songs took shape as a study in contrasts: A Boy and a Girl suggested the sensuality of young love, while This Marriage (featuring a text by the Persian poet Rumi) implied commitment and longevity. The loving message of Marriage came across with this song's more consonant harmonies, but in Boy and a Girl, Whitacre's style stretched listeners' ears with uncommon pitch combinations and unresolved chords following moments of suspended silence. The tightly packed intervals evoked the closeness of the young couple, and this intimate imagery was further enhanced by the meticulous blend of men's and women's voices. Before this provocative piece, Bruffy advised the audience to stay engaged in the moment, even through the silent pauses, but listeners really had no choice; they were riveted by the anticipation of what would come next.

The Brahms set brought the first half of the concert to a satisfying culmination. Most of the fifteen Neue Liebeslieder Waltzer do not particularly sound like love songs; they are more rambunctious than sweet, with hearty cross rhythms to keep listeners (and the featured dancers from TC Dance Club) on their toes.

For this cycle, the Chorale moved back so that the dancers could have center stage. The relocation did not diminish the singers' volume, yet their crisp, focused attention faded a bit; without Bruffy up front (he took his post at the piano alongside Kelly Sanford, as the pieces call for piano four hands), some musical nuances were neglected. Fortunately, the Brahms' songs do not call for as much of the shimmering, translucent sound as do the Mulholland, and this more robust sound suited the nineteenth-century aesthetic.  

From the first song of the Brahms set, listeners knew the program had turned a corner: the rousing tempo of "Verzicht, o Herz, auf Rettung" allowed the singers to let loose, and this bit of abandon was intoxicating. "Flammenauge, dunkles Haar" was muddled by an overbearing accompaniment, but the Chorale was again at its blended best on the last piece of the cycle, "Zum Schluss," where Brahms' sensitive melodic treatment again allowed the singers to settle into each word.

Several soloists were featured throughout the Brahms cycle: notable was Sarah Tannehill's bright, agile voice in "An jeder Hand die Finger" and Lin Sanford's heavier, more dramatic mezzo on "Wahre, wahre deinen Sohn." One imagines Sanford's was just the voice-type Brahms imagined for this solo. It sounded as if David Adams was reaching for (instead of securely landing on) the highest notes in his "Ich kose..." (specifically on "ewig kehrt"), but Bryan Taylor admirably navigated the angular melodic lines of "Ihr schwarzen Augen." Paulette Resch wins the diction award for her German in "Nagen am Herzen..." and Rebecca Lloyd never misses: her "Alles, alles in den Wind" came across in an appropriately scolding tone to deliver a clear message. While Pamela Williamson displayed her usual perfect sense of pitch, a more forward tone placement might have aided text clarity in "Rosen steckt mir an die Mutter." Hearing such distinctive solo voices makes one wonder how every section of this chorale boasts such an exceptional blend; even the most strikingly original voice manages to merge beautifully into the choral texture.

The second half of the program opened with Shaw's arrangement of It Might as Well Be Spring. Here the group explored its "pop" chops, complete with some stylized pitch "scooping." This more relaxed treatment was fine for contrast, but the pitch alterations did affect overall blend. The basses then entered slightly under pitch, but one explosive "b" on the last "be spring" saved the song; that single consonant was delicious. The soprano section overpowered the tenors in parts of Shaw's jazzy My Romance, but the Sutherland/Naughtin duet was a charming end. At last the men were featured, however briefly, in Where is Love. Here the tenors shone, but Bruffy was too ambitious in sustaining certain phrase endings and exposed an out-of-breath singer here and there.

This weekend's concerts featured the premiere performances of Ryan Jesperson's Indeed This Very Love (Jesperson won the Kansas City Chorale's 2009 Composition Competition). The bold tone with which Jesperson set Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem was a surprise, and the song opened with unexpected attitude. An active ostinato served as the foundation for much of the piece, establishing a consistent momentum that persisted until a decelerando toward the end. The song matched the Chorale's strengths, especially precise diction, responsiveness, and rhythmic accuracy. Robert Nelson's Madrigals for a New Age were a fresh and entertaining finale, and the singers were surprisingly light on their feet at the end of this long concert.


REVIEW:
The Kansas City Chorale
Sing to Love
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Visitation Church
51^st and Main, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, March 7, 2010 (Reviewed)
Asbury United Methodist Church
75^th and Nall, Prairie Village, KS
www.kcchorale.org

By   Wed, Feb 08, 2012

Click here to see all the  events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.


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By KCM Staff   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

Check out all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.


How do you list your events on KC Events?
As an arts organziation or musician, you now have the ability to add and edit your own events.

KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.

KC Events Categories are:
Classical Music
New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz

KCMetropolis.org heavily depends on KC Events to build an editorial calendar for reviews, previews and interviews.  If your events are not listed, we may be unaware of it...

To Submit Information:

• Please go to the KCM front page and click on the login tab located at the top right-hand side of the website.
• Create a login account and then sign-in.
• Read the KC Events Terms of Service before proceeding
• On the left-hand nav is a category called Submit Content
• Click on Submit an Event or Manage Your Events.
• Listings will be approved with 48 hours if it fits the KCMetropolis.org criteria.

By Christopher Guerin   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

Set on a warm, early spring day in 1923, Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten takes place approximately eleven years after its germinal forebear, Long Day's Journey into Night, which depicted the tragic, drug- and disease-ridden lives of the Tyrone family.

A Moon for the Misbegotten reintroduces us to the alcoholic, tortured James ("Jim") Tyrone, Jr. (Forrest Attaway) and his repressed romantic feelings for Josie Hogan (Tanya Barber), a local Connecticut farm girl with an ambiguous past (is she the town whore or a virgin?).  And, in turn, we experience Josie's tenuous relationship with her loud, verbally abusive father, Phil (played by Ari Bavel) - and her equally repressed feelings for James.

The play is a deep, dark and intense study of family and interpersonal dynamics that challenges the viewer with the plots and counter-plots. Virtually parallel during the entire play are Phil's attempts to use Josie to swindle Jim out of his large, impending inheritance, Josie knowing that her father is prone to such double-crosses; and Jim's tendency (is it intentional or unintentional?) to drop tantalizing tidbits about the status of a pending "hostile takeover" of his farm by a rich and vindictive neighbor T. Stedman Harder, (played memorably, albeit briefly, by Kevin Albert).

At any given point, one of the characters - but more often Phil or Josie - is trying to detangle these clues (or mis-clues) to ascertain where the truth really lies. The audience as well, must try to keep track. Is Josie a fallen woman or an innocent? Is Phil using Josie to get the financial upper hand on Jim, or does he have other malevolent (or benevolent) intentions? Does Josie really love Jim or is that just part of her (or Phil's) plot? Does Jim really love Josie - or is that just part of his plot?

 
The result is a blue- vs. white-collar intellectual fencing match:  dodges, parries and thrusts from start to finish. Within all this intrigue, a dual meaning emerges from the title. On the surface, Josie and Jim can be seen as truly "misbegotten" characters - Josie daily made to feel (by Phil) like a nuisance and a burden; Jim constantly torturing himself for being such a disappointment to his mother. Near the end of the play, the plots and counter-plots start to bump into each other with unintended consequences - truly "misbegotten" (ill-conceived) conniving that ultimately benefits no one.

Husband and wife team Bob and Karen Paisley covered Direction, Set Design (Karen) and Lighting (Bob). I particularly liked the efficiency of the set depicting the Hogan's hard-scrabble farm complete with clothesline and working water pump. The actors were able to use the full space well and often, and this kept the "motion" going in a play that was primarily about plotting and wits rather than action.

Casting, especially with the characters of Jim and Josie, was excellent. Forrest Attaway's interpretation of Jim was skillfully nuanced and allowed the audience to experience the full range of torment that consumes him. Ari Bavel as Phil Hogan, delivered a commanding performance as the dumb-like-a-fox, manipulative, verbally abusive father. Underlying that gruff demeanor, though, Bavel managed to deftly interweave glimpses of the deep love he truly feels for his only daughter.

Pivotal to the on-stage dynamic is the role of Josie Hogan, played brilliantly by Tanya Barber. Hers is the focal character that interacts most directly with Phil and Jim, and with such vast differences in those characters - Phil a big bear of a man with a volatile and bombastic personality, and Jim an insecure, lovelorn shambles of a man - Barber had her hands full. As the play - quite long compared to recent MET productions - progressed, I found myself gravitating more and more towards Barber as the fulcrum that balanced the opposing personalities of her male counterparts.

REVIEW:
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre
A Moon for the Misbegotten
by Eugene O'Neill
Directed by Karey Paisley
Runs March 2 - March 14 (Reviewed Saturday, March 6)
MetSpace
3614 Main Street
Kansas City, MO  64111
For tickets call 816-569-3226 or online at www.metkc.org

Top photo: Cast member Forrest Attaway as James ("Jim") Tyrone, Jr.

By Steve Shapiro   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

I had the best seat in the house for the world première (on March 5) of The Unicorn Theatre's production of Lia Romeo's comedy Green Whales: not by dint of a critic's power, but simply because the couple seated in front of me were engaged to be married, and throughout this well last-named playwright's romantic funny business, the man kept turning to his fiancée with knowing looks, as if to say, "We had that doubt too, remember?" By the end of the play, pretty much the entire audience bore the same look: in love, what is right and what is wrong is less a philosophical question than a question of is it right or wrong for ME?

Romeo, a graduate of Princeton and Rutgers, whose works have been recognized at the O'Neill National Playwrights' Conference and whose play Green Whales was work-shopped around the country, including at The Unicorn, shows a lively focus for bridging old style (if sometimes sitcom-y) comedy with newer, more volatile material. Green Whales takes its storyline from Turner Syndrome, an abnormality in the number of X chromosomes in one out of approximately every twenty-five hundred women, which can manifest itself in physical changes, such as flat chests, shortness and other exterior aspects. If the idea on paper recalls the Farrelly Bros. movie, Stuck on You, with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twins or other hokey Hollywood attempts to play off on physical or psychological disadvantage, the playwright uses the Syndrome (one sister keeps telling the afflicted one, "It's not an illness!) as a metaphor to debate questions asked by philosophers and writers as varied as Molière and Goethe.

For Karen Wilson (Anna Safar), a thirty-eight year old online philosophy professor who looks like a chubby preteen, men are as abstract to her as her college courses on Nietzsche and Sartre. When she comes to New Jersey from Chicago to join her older sister, Joanna (Vanessa Severo), for their mother's funeral, their initial conversation, centered around how awful Mom was, seems to set the play in one direction. This getting-to-know-you beginning comes off forced-funny; Severo, to clue us in on her alcoholism, is directed to wobble around on heels and act like one of the guys from The Hangover. Yet, as the playwright gets her direction, the actors get their directives, and the play's real plot blossoms.

Through the haze of maudlin memories of their mother, Joanna begins to question Karen about love. Jo is living with her policeman boyfriend, Ray (Darren Kennedy), who dislikes Karen staying with them and views her as a freak because of her Turner Syndrome. After that difference is introduced, Joanna's crazy, looped idea to set up her sister in a chat room, specifically a site dedicated to men interested in young girls, sets up the playwright's theme of appearance versus reality. Using the pretext that Karen is thirteen, the sisters stumble into a possible match--a middle-aged advertising copywriter named Ian Milton (Dean Vivian) - Ray has picked up Ian because he was noticed watching high school girls from a distance. And Jo pushes Karen into meeting the unsuspecting Ian. The humor here, about pedophiles and what is legal (if Karen is not a minor, but only posing as one, is that unethical?), is delivered in machine-gun fashion; some jokes miss, but enough strike a target to build on what seems initially an extended skit.

The two couples mirror each other's wishes and disappointments. As Ian and Karen begin to see something in one another (despite her deception), Jo, who proposes marriage to Ray, sees him leave in fear. The director, Cynthia Levin, along with her innovative scenic designer, Tabitha Pease (one of several UMKC Theatre production collaborators on this production), emphasize this roundelay style by spinning a large boxy unit in the center of the stage, which swivels from set to set. It is a neat Alice in Wonderland-like touch, highlighting the curiouser and curiouser quality about what steps we will take for love.

The actors give the play its stylized authenticity and its real momentum. The "meet cute" scene between Karen and Ian at a coffee bar nicely plays off on her age deception / discrepancy. She reads Being and Nothingness, which surprises Ian, who is busy coming up with fun facts to put on oatmeal boxes. Anna Safar's opposing need to express herself as a woman but hide herself as a young girl brings out a Cyrano-esque split sense of humor. And Dean Vivian, given the uncomfortable role of a suspected pervert, stands up and radiates warmth; his character's role is to define the idea that the more you know someone, the better you know yourself, too.

Vanessa Severo, whose character at first appears to be the lead and then steps back into a kind of supporting role - Joanna and Ray's complications are never in doubt - is the play's catalyst. With ease, she can play dumb or sexy or serious. She brings her whole character's emotions to her facial expressions; she can knit her eyebrows with the facility of a Warner Bros. cartoon character. Yet, in several brief scenes as the box set is turning and we can only dimly view the characters in shadow-light, Severo, whether making a quick joke or expressing Joanna's increasing sadness, needs only a brief glimpse to turn our hearts.

Green Whales plays at times like a Thurber short story about the war between the sexes. The author, however ranting and racy in contemporary fashion, is, it seems to me, just as old-fashioned as Thurber was about love in the Thirties and Forties - when it comes down to that bittersweet elixir that pours dangerously easily like Smirnoff, but tastes just like coffee - it may or may not be good for you. When Goethe wrote, "Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing," he might have drunk from the same glass that Lia Romeo shared with us three hundred years later. 

REVIEW:
The Unicorn Theatre
Green Whales
By Lia Romeo
Directed by Cynthia Levin
Runs March 5-March 28 (Reviewed Friday, March 5)
3828 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-531-PLAY or online at www.unicorntheatre.org


Top photo: Green Whales cast members Anna Safar and Vanessa Severo. Photo by Cynthia Levin.

By   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

Pride and Joy and Other Plays by Paul Rudnick will be presented by Actors & Artists Against AIDS to benefit AIDS WALK Kansas City, April 1 through 18, 2010. Directed by Jeff Church, Producing Artistic Director of the Coterie Theatre, this provocative and outrageous comedy, features a collection of hilarious characters, starring local legends, Ron Megee and Missy Koonce.

Koonce and Megee will be joined by Jessica Dressler, Kelly Main and professional wrestler/performer Jeff Smith. Produced by the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City, performances will be on the Jerome Stage at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo.

"There are easier ways to raise money than to do a play, but nothing is more fun," laughs director Church. "And I've never forgotten how effective Actors & Artists Against AIDS was in the early '90s when they produced The Normal Heart and The Sum of Us.

Michael Lintecum, who was involved with the group then, felt it was a good idea to resurrect this group this year. I knew I could call in some resources to keep costs down, in order to actually raise money," notes Church.

Indeed, a number of designers are donating their time, talent and expertise to make Pride and Joy and Other Plays by Paul Rudnick. The Coterie donating rehearsal space. Kansas City Repertory Theatre is supporting the play through the loan of scenic items. UMKC Theatre is supplying graduate students.

"This is something artists can do," says Church, who is also donating his services. "This truly fun collection of short comedies celebrates our lives and even our hardships. It is perfect theater to see in the weeks leading up to AIDS WALK this year. Every night will be Opening Night in spirit and with champagne!"

This comical bill of short plays contains some of Rudnick's best works to date. Rudnick also wrote Adams Family Values and Jeffrey. In Pride and Joy, Helene (played by Missy Koonce) is a Long Island matron and self-proclaimed "most loving mother of all time" to her three gay children. The flamboyant Mr. Charles, (played by Ron Megee) spends his time in the company of the hunky Shane, with whom he produces a cable television show, Too Gay.

The group Actors & Artists Against AIDS are promising an evening of extraordinary theater, with characters colliding under surprising circumstances, providing evidence that perhaps the word "family" means something very different than what people might think.

Show Dates:
April 1 through April 18
8 pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday performances
3 pm Sunday matinees

Tickets:
All seats $20, directly benefiting AIDS WALK Kansas City.
There is a $2 per ticket service charge.

For tickets call 816-235-6222 or visit actorsagainstaids.com
Tickets also available at the door one hour prior to performance.

The 22^nd annual AIDS WALK Kansas City will be held on Saturday, April 24 at Theis Park 47^th and Oak Streets presented by the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City the AIDS WALK benefits local HIV/AIDS service organizations to provide practical assistance, housing, long-term nursing care and primary medical, prevention and education services to those whom HIV/AIDS challenges every day. To become a fan of AIDS WALK Kansas City on Facebook.

For more information contact Michael Lintecum at michael@lintecumgroup.com or 913.269.7960, or Karen Massman VanAsdale at kvanasdale@coterietheatre.org or 816.665-8181.

By   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, or the "Tony" Awards, are held each year to recognize Broadway's best and brightest. Although often criticized as a ticket-selling gimmick by the Broadway elite, it is hard to deny that the Tony Awards have a rich history of recognizing excellence. Quality Hill Playhouse continued their season with Broadway's Best, a revue featuring some of the most memorable Tony Award-winning musicals

The show began with a mash-up from Kiss Me Kate, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Although the Tonys began in 1947, the musical theatre category was not added until 1949 when Kiss Me Kate received the very first Best Musical Tony.

Director, pianist and emcee, J. Kent Barnhart had much say about the pieces, and about the source material behind some of the famous Tony Award musicals. Interestingly, many of the composers who won Tonys only wrote one show. For example, Meredith Wilson's The Music Man or Roger Miller's Big River were all one-hit-wonders.

Broadway's Best takes you through the decades. Some of the shows highlighted include:

• Guys and Dolls for winning Best Musical in 1951, along with Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Choreography.
• The Sound of Music, in an unusual event, tied for Best Musical with Fiorello! in 1960, and won 4 other categories.
• Stephen Sondheim's Company, which won in 1971. Sondheim has won more Tonys than any other composer, with a total of eight.
• The Phantom of the Opera, which would become one of the longest running shows on Broadway, won Best Musical in 1988. Michael Crawford, who played the title role, also won a Tony for his performance.
• Thoroughly Modern Millie won for Best Musical in 2002, beating out Urinetown and Mamma Mia. This show was based on a 1967 film of the same name.

Full of fun historical facts and wonderful tunes, Broadway's Best is not without its problems. The singers had a low-energy during the first act, with the exception of brassy Karen Errington. Her first solo number, "One Hundred Easy Ways" from Wonderful Town was humorous and dazzling, and she continued to glimmer and shine in each of her numbers. She did fade somewhat into the background during ensemble numbers, which was little disappointing. Perhaps that was intentional - but disappointing, nonetheless.

Katie McCreary has a beautiful operatic voice. She seemed less powerful in her middle range, however, and it took her some time to warm to the audience. In the end, she brought down the house with the Big River gospel number, so all was forgiven.

Tim Scott, or as it says in his bio, "the guy from the Royals games" struggled with his high range, and finally came out of his shell for the La Cage aux Folles number. He did seem more comfortable with silly songs like Spamalot's "Song that Goes Like This" than with serious music.

J. Kent Barnhart, as always, holds the show together with his dry humor and interesting information. As a pianist, he is top-notch, not accounting for the enthusiasm which inspires him to pound a little too hard sometimes. After reviewing most of this season's offerings, I cannot imagine a Quality Hill show without him.

Go for the award-winning music, but don't expect the glitz and glamour of Broadway.

REVIEW
Quality Hill Playhouse
Broadway's Best
Runs March 5 through April 3
10^th and Broadway, Kansas City MO
For tickets call 816-421-1700 or online at www.qualityhillplayhouse.com

Top photo: Katie McCreary and Karen Errington encourage Tim Scott to fall in love in the anthem "Being Alive" from Company, the 1971 Tony Award winner for Best Musical.

By Christopher Guerin   Tue, Mar 02, 2010

I remain ever-fascinated with the limitless variety within art genres that are subject to the finite boundaries of their respective universes - Western Music has only 12 notes; English literature has only 26 letters - and that fact makes it all the more remarkable when a work jumps out with such originality and freshness.

In Broke-ology, Nathan Louis Jackson creates a memorable portrait of a situation occurring in millions of families - the care of a growing elderly population. And using the same 26 letters that every other English-speaking playwright must use, delivers a unique storyline with fresh perspective and with a sensitive, riveting climax. Over this past year I have been fortunate to have seen several plays in Kansas City that have won Pulitzer Prize's in their respective eras; and I can tell you that the writing in Broke-ology is as good as any of them.

Broke-ology opens with a scene set in Kansas City, Kansas "in the 1980s" that introduces us to Sonia (Shamika Cotton) and William (David Emerson Toney), who are expecting their first child, Ennis. They are very much in love - and like many young couples, although money is tight, have bright hopes for the future.

The remainder of the play takes place in the same modest house in "the summer of 2009." Sonia has passed away (later dialogue alludes to some form of cancer) and William is becoming increasingly debilitated by the ravages of multiple sclerosis. Ennis (Postell Pringle), born and raised entirely in KCK, is now expecting a child of his own with his girlfriend; and Malcolm (Larry Powell), Ennis's younger brother, has just returned after completing his Master's degree in Connecticut.

With William's deterioration, Ennis and Malcolm must cope with the reality that he will require an increasing level of care. Here Nathan Louis Jackson amply portrays a sad paradox of aging since multiple sclerosis not only ravages the body, but also the mind. Thus, as William worsens, he is less able to care for himself, less able to manage his medications, and requires more and more assistance (read supervision) from his sons.  And they, in turn, become increasingly reliant on William to remember whether or not he has taken his meds when they weren't around.

After William almost lights himself on fire while attempting to make his own lunch, it becomes obvious that he cannot be left alone. This accentuates the tension between Ennis - who has no options outside of KCK - and Malcolm, who, with a Masters in Environmental Science, has little inclination to settle there permanently. With a bright future ahead of him, Malcolm poignantly defends his dreams, telling his father and brother that he aspires "not to get away, but to move towards something."

Broke-ology presents a very balanced cast - kudos to Casting Director Stephanie Klapper - with David Emerson Toney particularly strong as William. Set Design (Meghan Raham) was realistic and fitting, and was nicely accentuated by excellent Lighting Design from Victor En Yu Tan. Director Kyle Hatley brought an intimacy and immediacy to the play - much like he did in last years' production of The Borderland.

I give KC Rep Artistic Director Eric Rosen high praise too, for his foresight in programming Broke-ology's Kansas City premiere on the heels of its 2008 opening at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and its New York premiere last October. It seems destined to become a staple in the Kansas City theatre repertoire.

In some ways I hesitate to point out that this is a play by an African-American playwright about an African-American family because it truly doesn't matter. Millions of families face the same challenges with elderly relatives every day. However, the uniqueness of the Kansas City, Kansas setting, with its rich history of supporting the underground railroad, Kansas' proud heritage as a "free state," the lingering social challenges facing African-Americans - who continue to be disproportionately affected by economic hardships - and the challenging history and struggles of black literature and theatre in general, all combine to deliver powerful social insights that would be lost (or at least muted) in any other ethnic presentation.

With Broke-ology, Jackson has managed to craft a play about something that people of every race, color and creed will go through, while setting it in a family dynamic that also speaks directly to the African-American viewer. While the underlying societal issues are common, Jackson is not shy about inserting themes that evoke unique reactions based on ethnicity, whether they be light-hearted jabs at Santa as the evil white guy who is just another repressive manifestation of "the man," or the controversial use by black people of the word "nigger" (Ennis's bad habit, for which Malcolm makes him humorously recite "I love black people" five times every time he says it).  Or - my favorite - William's palatable discomfort when Sonia repaints some holiday ornaments as African-Americans and then hangs them on the tree, causing him to exclaim that it is just "like some sort of Ku Klux Christmas."

It is an over-used platitude to summarize a work as having "something for everyone," but in this instance I can think of no better way to explain what Broke-ology brings to the table. Audience members will be touched by the challenges faced by Ennis and Malcolm. Those in their 20s and 30s will see what might face them with currently-vibrant parents. Those in middle age will worry about the burden their inevitable deterioration might impose upon their children.  And the elderly may well identify with William who remembers with heart-breaking frustration the days when he was young, spry and vibrant.

This is a remarkable play. Go see it.

 REVIEW:
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Broke-ology
By Nathan Louis Jackson
Directed by Kyle Hatley
Runs February 19 - March 21 (Reviewed Saturday, February 27)
Copaken Stage
13^th and Walnut Streets, Kansas City, MO  64105
For tickets call 816-235-2700 or online at www.kcrep.org

Cover photo: David Emerson Toney (Pops/William). Photo by Don Ipock

By Lee Hartman   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

I felt as though I was in a farce Saturday night, listening to the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra perform their all-Tchaikovsky program as part of the Harriman-Jewell Series.  Perhaps my critique is tarnished by reading an earlier article in the New York Times. (Click here to read the article)  

The article, in addition to exploring the very low pay for musicians and deplorable travel conditions, questions the validity of calling the ensemble the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra because of the number of freelance substitutes and conservatory-born fillers.  In looking at the personnel list on Saturday's program versus the performers on stage, I do not doubt the Times' assertions.  The gender-specific names did not remotely match the personnel on stage.

Whether or not we were attending an MSRSO concert is another matter, but we definitely listened to some poorly performed Tchaikovsky.  The programming on first glance looked delicious with the "Polonaise" from Eugene Onegin, Mozartiana Suite and the Polish Symphony.  Russians after all, even when performing at subpar levels, have a certain reputation for showcasing an empathy and zest for their countryman's music.

Alas for the Harriman Jewell Series and for Kansas City that this performance was near the end of a grueling eleven week U.S. tour...

The fanfare opening of the "Polonaise" was executed well by the trumpets, but things quickly unraveled.  As soon as the rest of the winds and strings entered it was evident that this was not an American orchestra.  The string vibrato was inconsistent throughout the sections with some played fast and narrow, while others were slow and wide.  The overall effect sounded like a HiFi LP.  The wind playing was also noticeably different as the double reeds frequently played without vibrato, even in solo passages.  The brass sounds had a harder edge than those heard in American orchestras.

Suite No. 4, Op. 61 "Mozartiana" is a charming piece and I certainly cannot fault Tchaikovsky's playful use of Mozart themes.  Throughout the four-movement work there were balance issues between the winds and strings.  It may have been where I was seated in the hall, but in talking with others during intermission I heard similar complaints.  The third movement, a reimagining of the Ave verum corpus, started strong with some excellent harp playing, but was quickly overshadowed by intonation discrepancies between the flute and clarinet.  The theme and variations fourth movement caused many cellists to simply stop playing in the middle of a difficult run. The poor concertmistress was visibly nervous in performing the solo passages.

Symphony No. 3 in D Major, Op. 29 "Polish" did not fare much better and many of the issues that plagued the Mozartiana Suite were also present in this Symphony.  The first violins seemed unsure of every entrance that was not the melody.  Intonation issues in cellos and a solo bassoon without vibrato ruined the second movement.  The third movement, marked "Andante elegiaco," was played like an "Allegretto giocoso."   The wave-live scherzo was probably the best performed music for the entire evening - although some of the instrumental trade-offs were not balanced.  I can say that the horns played well throughout the movement.  The final movement showed sloppy offbeat playing by the upper strings under an out-of-tune wind melody, and the final chords were obliterated by an over-exuberant brass section.  After playing a passage the strings would throw their instruments into their laps as if they could not wait to be done playing.  That sort of indifference was a recurrent theme throughout the night.   

Music director and conductor Alexei Kornienko displayed clean baton work, excellent communication and dealt with missed entrances and musicians who were clearly lost like a seasoned pro.  Poor Kornienko, I wanted to buy him a shot of vodka after this performance.

In a stellar instance of player apathy, one gentleman faked every passage he was supposed to play.  His stand partner shot him many side-long glances to no avail.  His visible acts of defiance, nonchalance and/or civil disobedience became a source of comedy for the rest of the night.  If I found my teeth grating at some wind intonation issue, shaking my head at the first violins' hesitancy on an entrance, or nearly falling out of my seat at overzealous cymbal crashes and obscenely overplayed brass final chords, I would simply look at that gentleman for a moment of head-clearing absurdity.  I was not the only patron to notice his antics.  If they had played Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Jesters for an encore instead of the Nutcracker Pas de deux, I could well have had an aneurism. 

Although the harp, principal horn, and trumpets did sound good in most instances, the overall performance was truly not indicative of "one of the best Moscow orchestras."

Harriman-Jewell Series
Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Folly Theater
12^th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
www.harriman-jewell.org

By Christopher Guerin   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

The Friends of Chamber Music presented Kansas City favorite sons Stanislav Ioudenitch and his student, Behzod Abduraimov, in a joint recital this past Friday evening at the Folly Theatre. Adburaimov performed all twenty-four of Chopin's Preludes, Op. 28 and a transcription of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre before intermission. After intermission, Ioudenitch continued with his own selection of Liszt and Chopin before a second Hamburg Steinway was brought on stage to close the show with Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos.

From an analytical standpoint, Abduraimov's half of the concert was awkward for me to listen to. In all honesty, by about two-thirds of the way into his interpretation of Chopin's 24 Preludes, I had worked myself into a barely-controllable state of agitation. Abduraimov was playing Chopin - hitting all the right notes in the process - but all I heard was THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD: technical prowess devoid of any artistic interpretation. I also was frustrated that Abduraimov's pedaling at the ends of phrases and each Prelude was sloppy, causing awkward squawking from the unevenly-released strings.

While Abduraimov's interpretive shortcomings were evident, in general they were more so in those Preludes that required a particularly high level of nuance. Prelude Nos. 3, 4, 7 and 13 for example, all require light nimbleness, subtlety, and/or subdued passion - but, again:  thud-thud-thud. With the livelier or more intense Preludes that already required a commanding attack - in particular Nos. 9, 12 and 13 - the thudding increased exponentially.

Thankfully, the "thud" tendency started to dissipate somewhere around Prelude No. 15. Of all the Preludes, No. 15 could be considered the most vulnerable to such attack (literally and figuratively) - the constantly repetitive single note requires a very nuanced touch to keep it from sounding ...well, like a constantly repetitive single note. While there (still) wasn't quite enough nuance to Abduraimov's interpretation in No. 15, he managed to avoid over-thudding, and it was here that I began to discern a turning point.

It is interesting to note that probably the most technically-challenging of the Preludes begins with No. 16. It was at this point that I began to see some light at the end of the tunnel as both Abduraimov's technical skill - which had certainly been there all along - began to reap the benefits of his delayed interpretive skills. No. 17 - a slow, pondering, but still thud-prone, piece - was well-executed. Nos. 18 and 19 called for technical skill similar to No 16, and these were executed much better as well. In this last third of the Preludes, No. 20 by far is the most thud-prone while paradoxically requiring as much light, passionate nuance as any of the other twenty three . Abduraimov handled it with a mature balance that seemed to have been absent in the prior pieces. Preludes Nos. 22 and 24 are similar in technical requirements to Nos. 16, 18 and 19, and it was in these - and fortunately, from a climactic standpoint, No. 24 in particular - that I witnessed the full maturing of technique and interpretation. In fact, No. 24 was positively astounding.

From the Preludes, Abduraimov moved to the Liszt/Horowitz transcription of Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, and following seamlessly off of the prowess displayed in Prelude No. 24, it was fantastically brilliant, and quite deservedly, brought the house to its feet. Being a transcription of an orchestral composition, the sonic flavors and requisite technical demands of the work reminded me quite a bit of Stephen Prutsman's gargantuan performance of Stravinsky's Petrouchka Suite a few weeks earlier on The Friends' series.

I've since spent quite a bit of time trying to put my finger on exactly what went awry during the early and middle Preludes; and I continue to come back to the same conclusion:  Behzod Abduraimov is a monstrously talented 19-year-old pianist - and in some ways I find myself glad to have witnessed the metamorphosis evident just within the short span of those 24 Preludes - but the fact remains that Abduraimov is...a 19-year-old pianist, and I think his interpretive skills have yet to mature and catch up to his technical mastery of the instrument. It probably won't take long. When he is finally able to meld both technique and interpretation, I believe he could well become one of the world's finest pianists. There were glimpses of sheer brilliance that I haven't seen or heard in a pianist in a very long time. His will be a career well worth watching.

With whatever natural technical brilliance Abduraimov arrived with at Stanislav Ioudenitch's Park University door step, listening to and watching Ioudenitch at the piano made it immediately evident the additional technical growth Abduraimov could hope to gain from his tutelage. His (Ioudenitch's) crisp, effortless and flawless technique was pristine. And he brought the additional two decades of experience and maturity that made the interpretive difference in what were, in many ways, very similar pieces (more Liszt and Chopin). Ioudenitch's interpretations were conservative nonetheless, and I would hope that Abduraimov's potential isn't blunted by this influence. I dare say that Adburaimov's titanic talent and potential have the capacity eventually to eclipse that of Ioudenitch, and I am reminded of that great line from "Wrapped Around Your Finger" by The Police: "you will find your servant is your master."

The program closed with the Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos, Op. 5 by Rachmaninoff that gave teacher and student the opportunity to display their collective talents.

Mainly because of the Preludes, this was a challenging roller-coaster ride from a critical standpoint, but in its totality I have to say I enjoyed on a very visceral level Abduraimov's rough, unbridled energy, and I envy Ioudenitch's responsibility at taming and directing such a musical juggernaut.

REVIEW:
The Friends of Chamber Music
Behzod Abduraimov & Stanislav Ioudenitch in recital
Friday, March 5, 2010
Folly Theater
12^th and Central Streets, Downtown, Kansas City, MO
www.chambermusic.org

By Kristin Shafel   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

After a couple of dubious performances, I was anxious and nervous for the Kansas City Symphony's program this past weekend.  Two American composers with two 20^th century works?  Pianist Robert Levin playing Beethoven?  Sounded promising...  But again, I was cautious with my hopes - and thankfully, the Symphony treated their audience to an evening of pleasurable and interesting music-making.

Michael Stern began the evening by addressing the audience to explain the program.  Some of the information was welcome such as his reasoning for programming the concert's first work, George Crumb's A Haunted Landscape, but in my opinion, he perhaps went a little over long in his introduction. 

The Symphony's presentation of A Haunted Landscape was impressive and certainly lived up to the work's title.  Eerie, perfectly balanced string entrances, subtle offstage trumpet fanfare and expertly executed phrases in the woodwind section were definite highlights.  The percussion section deserves special mention for effectively establishing the work's dark and mysterious mood, using unconventional instruments such as steel drums and hammered dulcimer.  The audience was perhaps a bit restless in the beginning, but the work's suspense and intensity were so well built by the orchestra that they had thoroughly captured the audience's attention by the end. 

While it would have been wonderful for the program to feature all-American composers or all 20^th century works, pianist Robert Levin gave a spectacular performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major.   Levin's technical precision and dynamic control were flawless, and his energetic and emotive gestures looked effortless: he was very fun to watch.  His trills and embellishments were particularly outstanding.  The first movement was the strongest, and the KCS appeared to be relieved to be back in their comfort zone of more typical concert repertoire.  The delicate second movement was lovely and played with much sensitivity all around especially in the principal clarinetist's solo and the pizzicato attacca into the third movement.  Levin and the orchestra truly let each other shine.  The third movement's lively and exuberant theme was slightly diminished by the dip in the orchestra's overall energy level. 

The Symphony returned from intermission with energy renewed for Copland's Symphony No. 3.  Sweeping, broad chords in the violins and winds, and later in the brass were all in tune and expressive, and the playful riffs of the second movement were passed among the instruments seamlessly.  The woodwind section should be commended for their consistently excellent playing throughout the evening, especially in this piece.  By the third movement, everyone was starting to feel the length of the concert.  The third movement's opening was a bit shaky, slightly out of tune, with sloppy pizzicatos in the low strings.  The "Fanfare for the Common Man" theme is the heart of the final movement, and while the orchestra played the familiar, majestic theme well with few missteps, the ending lacked the energy it had at the beginning of the piece. 

As I left the Lyric Theatre, I checked the time and found myself surprised that the concert lasted over two and half hours.  I did not feel the concert was over-programmed, as the Symphony has done in the past.  This was a compelling and cohesive evening that did not drag the audience along.  But then again, there was a lot of music in those three pieces, and the orchestra showed their fatigue towards the end.  Still, it was a wonderful performance by the Kansas City Symphony and soloist alike.  More concerts like this please, Mr. Stern!


REVIEW:
Kansas City Symphony
Stern Conducts Copland & Beethoven
with Robert Levin, piano
Friday, March 5, 2010 (Reviewed)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Lyric Theatre
11^th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
www.kcsymphony.org

By Andrea Montgomery   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

The crowd in the Carlsen Center's Yardley Hall on Friday, March 5 waited with palpable anticipation, taking in the set adorned with graffiti while Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind blasted from the speakers. Mere minutes into the performance, it was clear that we would not be disappointed.

Even after speaking with Groovaloo co-creator Bradley Rapier several weeks ago (click here to read the interview), I could not imagine how powerful the performance would be.

Groovaloo featured the considerable talents of fifteen dancers, each bringing something unique to the group. Recorded monologues played while the artists danced, providing spectacular visuals to the spoken words. Although at 90 minutes it was a fairly long production, the evening felt as though it flew by, as each story blended seamlessly into the next. Technically, it was virtually flawless; the music and lighting served their purpose well, manipulating the audience's attention and highlighting certain moves.

The artists were in sync when necessary and danced with much passion and conviction. One of the best moments consisted of two dancers mirroring each other and then attempting to 'one up' the other.

Another great moment was a scene danced by Jessica Rabone in a piece about an assembly line of robots. The dancers demonstrated immense control and skill while impersonating the machines, and the effect was amusing and mesmerizing.

The women of the cast performed a number that truly was a high point. While the men were able to impress with acrobatic displays, it was nice to see the ladies deliver a hip-hop dance performance incredible in its own right. After watching the amazing dancing, there can be no doubt that each dancer in Groovaloo is extremely talented - Bradley Rapier is a master choreographer.

However incredible the dancing, the real value of Groovaloo lies not in the quality of movement but in the message behind it. Using the medium of hip-hop, the artists tackled an array of difficult subjects, such as violence, inner demons, and overcoming obstacles. The dancers succeeded in pulling the audience into each storyline, and for those brief 90 minutes their battles were our battles, their triumphs ours.

Overall, this was an exciting and inspiring display of big talent and bigger heart. Groovaloo truly lives up to the line stated in the program; "Life is a dance. Dance beautifully."

REVIEW:
The Performing Arts Series at JCCC
Groovaloo
Friday, March 5, 2010
Carlsen Center, JCCC
12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS
www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/001440/site/toc_events

By Laura Vernaci   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

The Foundation, known for its unique art gallery and architectural exhibits, hosted the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company's winter program last Friday night. The unconventional venue and alternative works were a move in a different direction for this local Company. Unfortunately, that move did not pay off. Rather than achieving the edgy, innovative quality they aimed for, the show was choppy, undeveloped and vapid.

Although falling short of their edgy attempt, the dancers were not fully responsible. Had they been given challenging and inspiring choreography there is a good chance they could have excelled. In fact, the highlight of the night was the pre-performance display of fluid, effortless control and simplistic beauty. Performers Eric Sobbe and Michael Tomlinson displayed their flexibility moving along a double-sided ladder and successfully creating live, experimental art.

Veteran dancer DeeAnna Hiett paired up with newer artist Gavin Stewart in two slow, sensual pas de deuxs. Unfortunately, the couple failed to connect with each other, and Stewart's lack of coordination and experience held Hiett back from her usual impressive interpretations. They settled into their second duet (Eden) better and had Stewart provided the relaxation and confidence necessary to the empowering, expressive movement, the piece would have been beautiful.

Mary Pat Henry's tribute to the historic, comedic pair Butterbeans and Susie provided much needed humor and light-heartedness to the evening. Christopher Barksdale and Christina Burton showed off their personalities and strutted their stuff to the tune of "I Want a Hotdog for My Roll." The only bad thing about this work is that it wasn't long enough. This piece could be a fantastic addition to the Company's normal lineup and could really excel on a larger stage with better sound quality.

2126 in a Series, Susan Warden's ironic and very audible interpretation of the iconic Harlequin Romance novel produced a few laughs from audience members - mainly because they were uncomfortable rather than amused. The three women favorably gave a unified, energetic and well-rehearsed performance, but the cheesy dialogue made it difficult to pay attention to the dancing.

The longest piece of the program, Puppet Gamelan, was excruciating to watch - disturbing and altogether confusing. In the same manner, No Place, Good Place and Tumescence featured choreography that was overindulgent and uninspiring.

Though ending on an upbeat, the Company's outside-of-the-box attempt left much to be desired. No one grows and improves without taking risks - and risks are not always successful right away. Wylliams/Henry should keep taking the risks, but in this case, they should make improvements to this program to make it successful.  Better use of the dancers' diverse talent' and more interesting and relatable choreography will help move it in the right direction.

Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company
On The Edge
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Foundation, West Bottoms
1221 Union Avenue, Kansas City, MO
http://wylliams-henry.org/

Top photo: Puppet Gamelan with dancers Mike Tomlinson and Kelanie Murphy. Photo by MIke Strong.

By Michael D. Smith   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

As defined in American Cinema/American Culture by John Belton, film noir "refers to a style of filmmaking that flourished between 1941 and 1958, presents narratives involving crime or criminal actions in a manner that disturbs, disorients, or otherwise induces anxiety in the viewer." Nowhere is this more evident than in the 1955 Jules Dassin film, Rififi, which was recently shown at Tivoli Cinemas as part of a Film Noir series done in conjunction with the UMKC Department of Communication Studies.

Broke and haggard-looking after spending five years in prison, Tony (Jean Servais) is approached by his friends Jo (Carl Möhner) and Mario (Robert Manual) to steal jewels from a jewelry store show-window. Tony refuses and instead finds his ex-lover Mado (Marie Sabouret), who left him to become the girlfriend of drug dealing nightclub owner Louis Grutter (Pierre Grasset). Tony forces her back to their old apartment and beats her hard enough to leave scars.

After throwing Mado out, Tony does decide to burglarize the jewelry store's safe. He, Jo and Mario, with the addition of Cesar (Dassin) an Italian specialist in safes, take painstaking efforts to map every detail of their heist, which is hindered by a state-of-the-art alarm system. Everything goes according to plan until Cesar gives away a piece of the stolen jewelry to a singer at Grutter's nightclub.

For Rififi, Jules Dassin (1911-2008) received a Best Director award at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. He grew up in Harlem and started as a stage actor before switching to directing and writing. In the 1930's he became a Communist, but left the party in 1939 after becoming disillusioned by the Non-Aggression Pact signed between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. In 1940 he moved to Hollywood where he made Brute Force (1947) with Burt Lancaster, The Naked City (1948), and Night and the City (1950) with Richard Widmark.

Dassin's career in America came to an end in 1952 when he refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee for his past association with communism. In 1953 Dassin moved to France where he struggled for several years. Eventually, he was welcomed again in the U.S. and was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay in 1961 for Never on Sunday.

Spoken in French with English subtitles, Rififi is a tense crime drama that lives up to the definition set forth by Belton. However, it is easy to tell that it was made on a small budget with a cast, excepting Servais and Möhner, that either had little dramatic training or were just poor actors. The characters of Mario and Cesar are often played with too much buffoonery, and there is a musical number set in the club that is nothing less than ridiculous.

Despite its negatives, Dassin's triumph is that he managed to squeeze every last drop of talent that he could out of his cast. Furthermore, he captured brilliantly every last bead of sweat and dirt smear to help build a level of gripping suspense rarely attained by filmmakers.

Rififi is not Citizen Kane, but it is the father of all heist-driven films since. Once you've seen Rififi, it's hard to imagine an Ocean's Eleven, Mission Impossible or Sneakers without it.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Rififi receives an A-.
    
Rififi is unrated and has a running time of 118 minutes.

There are four films left in the Film Noir series @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square
4050 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for more information.

Obsession, Italy, 1943, BW, 140 minutes
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 16

Pépé le moko, France, 1956, BW, 102 minutes
6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 18

Diabolique, France, 1954, BW, 116 minutes
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 23

Night and the City, USA, 1950, BW, 101 minutes
6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 25

By Megan Browne Helm   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

The Albers Trio was like a breath of spring last Sunday afternoon at the Lied Center in Lawrence. They took the stage wearing the colors of a spring bouquet.  Magenta, lemon yellow and sky blue gowns were similar but different - just like the musicians.  Their program was a smart mix of pieces that balanced light-hearted themes with creative compositional approaches from the past and present.

Beginning with the Beethoven String Trio in D Major, the Trio raced into action. (They play with an elegant physicality using their entire bodies to impart energy into a phrase.)  This piece is a majestic miniature masterpiece and Beethoven myself called the Trios his best works to date after they were completed. But he abandoned the genre, focusing instead on the quartets that would soon revolutionize what we call classical music.  My favorite movement was the Andante quasi allegretto that blended a melancholy minor theme with a cello ostinato and interesting embellishments.  It harkened back to the Baroque with stately suspensions that Beethoven tweaked and twisted, making the movement sound modern even by today's standards.  Violinist, Laura Albers, associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Opera, played the violin solo with all of the glorious drama of a Baroque aria. 

Tathata by U.C. Davis composition professor Ross Bauer, was a refreshing surprise.  The title translates from the ancient Pali language, to mean "suchness" and refers to "a way of experiencing reality without the barrier of language and concepts."  It wasn't a tonal piece and had very understandable emotional references.  Anxiety, sadness, tentative connections, and other feelings could be interpreted.   As the 2st1 Century continues to progress, I have heard many other new compositions using atonal melodic material in similar ways.  This makes it difficult to distinguish pieces from each other unless the composer chooses to rely on a particular device or hook.  In the case of Tathata, the piece is scored traditionally for a trio and is accessible because of that structure.  There were parts that pulled on me the same way Shostakovich does.  This confused, searching and yearning motif in 20^th and 21^st century compositions may very well define the music of this era.  

The Albers Trio played Tathata with ease and confidence.  Utilizing bow bouncing, string pops, trills and other modern ornamentation, the players demonstrated their virtuosity.  At one point the violinist seemed to flip her high note off of the tip of her bow and it landed smoothly in the viola.    The sisters have a knack for making their instruments sound so alike in their overlapping registers that it is sometimes difficult to determine which instrument is playing.  This was a particularly true of the viola and the cello.  When they all played in a slow, spine tingling, unison the trio became some other sort of string instrument altogether.

The final piece on the program was Mozart's entertaining and substantial Divertimento in E-flat Major.  Passing the theme from violin to viola to cello with equanimity, Mozart wrote a piece that challenged and delighted each member of the trio.  Each theme in this piece stands alone as a lovely little song and was played with a range of delicacy and thoughtful gravitas.

It was clear that the Albers Trio are friends as well as siblings. Sisters, Laura (violin) Rebecca (viola) and Julie (cello) seem to have that uncanny sibling ability to know what the others are thinking, feeling and how they will react.  For an ensemble, like a trio, that skill is magical.  Living in San Francisco, Ann Arbor and New York City, they aren't geographically close but when they were onstage, there seemed to be a loving bond of sisterhood that permeated their playing.  All three of these talented young women are at the top of their game and hearing them together, with their amazing intuition, was an exquisite pleasure.   

REVIEW:
The Lied Center at KU
The Albers Trio
Sunday, March 7, 2010
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS
www.lied.ku.edu

By KCM Staff   Tue, Oct 28, 2008

By KCM Staff   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

The upcoming season will salute the rich heritage of the Lyric Opera, and its performances in the Lyric Theatre.  The Daughter of the Regiment will be performed in English instead of in its original language, French, to recognize the Company's original policy of performing all operas in English.  

The final production of the season will pay homage to the Lyric Theatre itself by featuring the building as the backdrop for an all-new production of The Marriage of Figaro.  Director Mark Streshinsky's vision will showcase the theatre by staging a Figaro inspired by the operetta Kiss Me, Kate, where the production onstage will seem to take place backstage.  This staging will allow Lyric Opera Resident Scenic Designer R. Keith Brumley to utilize the Lyric Theatre in ways that have never before been attempted. 

Evan Luskin, Lyric Opera General Director reminisces, "It is hard to imagine that nearly 41 years after moving our productions to the Lyric Theatre we are planning our final incredible season here.   We invite members of the community to join us in our monumental journey as we bid farewell to the Lyric Theatre and anxiously anticipate the opportunities that await us in the new Kauffman Center."

Artistic Director Ward Holmquist notes, "I am pleased to have the opportunity to conduct three of our four main stage productions during the last season in the Lyric Theatre.  We should have a phenomenal season, as we have assembled some of the industry's most seasoned veterans to sing their signature roles alongside extraordinary directors.  We also continue our commitment to developing up-and-coming singers by casting the opera world's brightest emerging artists." 

2010-2011 Season
Carmen - New Production               
By Georges Bizet                                                          
Sung in French with English subtitles
Sept. 25, 29, Oct. 1, 3, 2010

It is hard to imagine the opera world without its smokin'-hot gypsy.  Carmen's cruel seduction, which brings a powerful man to his knees and pushes him over the edge of sanity, has been bewitching audiences since its premiere with the fiery flamenco inspired melodies in Bizet's brilliant "Carmen Overture," "Habenera," and "Toreador."

Director Bernard Uzan (Tosca, 2009) teams with Resident Scenic Designer R. Keith Brumley to create an all new production of this smoldering Bizet classic.  This smoking hot production promises to seeth with seduction and gritty realism.  

Emerging mezzo soprano Sandra Piques Eddy embodies opera's beloved bad girl.  On Chicago Theatre said she "makes you believe that a man would destroy his life for her." Alyson Cambridge (soprano), who received acclaim for her Lyric Opera debut as Mimì in La bohème (2008), will return to sing Micëla; David Michael (bass) will make his Company debut as the love-struck policeman Zuniga; and Kansas City native Doug Jones (tenor) returns to sing Remendado. 


Norma - Lyric Opera Debut
By Vincenzo Bellini
Sung in Italian with English subtitles              
Nov. 6, 10, 12, and 14, 2010

The Lyric Opera returns to the bel canto repertoire at long last with the Lyric Opera debut of Norma! Bellini's gorgeous score marries brilliantly with a story about a powerful woman forced to betray her sacred vows for love - only to be betrayed by her lover's infidelity.

After receiving critical acclaim for singing the title role at Opéra de Québec, Michigan Opera Theatre, and Minnesota Opera, Brenda Harris (soprano) sings the notoriously demanding role. Opera News raved "[she] had it all: unstinting intensity, brilliant high C's...and total dramatic commitment." Brazilian Luiz-Ottavio Faria (bass) returns to the Lyric Opera to sing Oroveso, after receiving critical praise for his portrayal of Ramfis in Aida (2007).  Laura Vlasak Nolen (mezzo soprano), a Metropolitan Opera regular, will make her Lyric Opera Debut as Adalgisa.  Director Christine McIntyre will return to the Lyric Opera after directing the critically acclaim for The End of the Affair (2007) and the world premiere of John Brown (2008). 


The Daughter of the Regiment
By Gaetano Donizetti                
Sung in English with English subtitles
Feb. 19, 23, 25, and 27, 2011

Marie is a pretty little girl with a pretty big heart.  When the orphaned Marie is adopted by a regiment of the French soldiers, laughter erupts. The heartwarming story is filled with catchy tuneful music, two handfuls of tenor high C's and one energetic singing tomboy.    

Director Dorothy Danner, who delighted audiences with The Pirates of Penzance (2009), returns to put her signature comedic spin on this Donizetti gem. Ms. Danner envisions so much humor erupting from song and verse that the entire production will be performed in English. Soprano Nili Riemer (who made audiences swoon as Mabel in Pirates) plays Marie.  The Ithaca Journal gushed Ms. Riemer "...appears to have been born to sing the title role..." The Guardian says that Victor Ryan Robertson (tenor), who will sing Tonio, "offers an appealing, well-defined tenor with plenty of energy."  Local favorites John Stephens (bass) and Joyce Castle (mezzo soprano); both of whom have received national acclaim, will portray Sulpice and the Marquise of Berkenfield, respectively. 


The Marriage of Figaro - New Production              
By W.A. Mozart                                                            
Sung in Italian with English Subtitles              
Apr. 9, 13, 15, and 17, 2011    

Mozart's masterful comedy is a fitting end to the Lyric Opera 2010-2011 season - the final opera in the Lyric Theatre.  The Marriage of Figaro was performed by the Company during its first season in the Lyric Theatre (in that day known as the Capri Theatre) in 1970. 

This hilarious opera features some of the best emerging singers working today - Opera News describes Sari Gruber (Susanna) as "a blazing voiced firecracker" and Andrew Gangestad (Figaro) has been hailed as "funny and puppy-dog charming" by the Arizona Daily Star.

Baritone Troy Cook (Count Almaviva) returns to the Lyric Opera having performed in The Pearl Fishers (2007) when The Kansas City Star noted, "the opera belonged to Cook."  Katie Van Kooten (soprano) will make her role and company debuts as Countess Almaviva, Thomas Hammons (bass) will sing Bartolo, and Korby Myrick (mezzo soprano) will sing Marcellina. 

Director Mark Streshinsky will return to the Lyric Opera after directing Julius Caesar (2008) to stage this all-new production.  Mr. Streshinsky's creative concept will turn the Lyric Theatre building itself into the backdrop of the production, a fitting final tribute to 41 years of opera in the venue.

For ticket information, visit www.kcopera.org or contact the Lyric Opera Ticket Office at (816) 471-7344 or toll free at 1(877) OPERAKC (673-7252), or visit the Lyric Opera ticket office at the Lyric Theatre, 11^th and Central Streets in downtown Kansas City. 

Mon, Mar 08, 2010

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
L'Elisir d'Amore
Thursday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 14 at 2:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222, or online at www.conservatory.umkc.edu

This is the weekend for the spring opera production at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance.  Featured is Donizetti's comic masterpiece l'Elisir d'Amore, which is always a delightful couple of hours in the theater.  Written in a mad dash to satisfy a last-minute commission, Donizetti's frothy music caught on immediately, and the work has been a hit ever since its premiere in 1832.  The charming story of the dim-witted young farmer Nemorino, his clever love interest Adina, and the brashly repulsive sergeant Belcore is timeless. And the comic antics of the ridiculous snake-oil salesman Dr. Dulcamara present some of the most hilarious moments in all of comic opera.

The piece is well suited to young voices, which is why it has long been popular with conservatory music programs. It also offers fine opportunities for comic acting, and the extensive choral work provides lots of opportunities for young singers as well. These performances will feature the Conservatory orchestra in one of opera's most tuneful orchestral scores.

L'Elisir is one of those pieces that can be just as enjoyable when performed by fine student singers on a small stage as it is with world famous stars in the cavernous Metropolitan Opera.  It will be a treat, to be sure.



The Friends of Chamber Music
Artemis String Quartet
Friday, March 12 at 8:00 p.m.
Folly Theater
12^th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org. 

This weekend The Friends of Chamber Music brings us another one of the outstanding string quartets on the concert circuit today, the Berlin-based Artemis String Quartet.  The Quartet was founded at the Lübeck Musikhochschule in 1989. Since 1994 the four players have performed as a professional ensemble, and two years later its international stature was established by winning First Prizes at the ARD Competition in 1996 and soon thereafter First Prize at the Premio Borciani.

The Quartet performs frequently at the Salzburg Festival and at the most important concert venues in Europe, the United States, Japan, South America and Australia, and in numerous appearances at international festivals.

In this concert, the group will play late Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 127, as well as the ferocious Opus 59, No. 3 Razumovsky quartet.




Carlsen Center Performing Arts Series
Martha Graham Dance Company, Clytemnestra
Saturday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m.
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center, JCCC
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or online at www.jccc.edu/TheSeries

Fans of dance have an opportunity this weekend to see one of the great traditional dance companies, the Martha Graham Dance Company, perform at Yardley Hall in one of its eponymous founder's most famous productions.

Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, the Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in America. It has performed in over 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Among its venues have been the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In this performance, the dance company, now led by LaRue Allen, Executive Director and Janet Eilber, Artistic Director, will perform Martha Graham's famous 1958 ballet Clytemnestra.  A retelling of the Greek legend about the murder of King Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra following the King's return to Greece after his victory over Troy, the ballet became in its day a popular expression of nascent feminism.

"It's been claimed as the ultimate Graham dance drama," said a New York Times review last year.  "The Ancient Greece of Martha Graham is not ancient. At one point husband, wife, son and daughter meet and revolve like spokes of a turning wheel: the all-time nuclear family, ready to explode."

The Ballet is set to music by Halim El Dabh.




newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
American Currents
Saturday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m.
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
4501 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.tickets.cto.umkc.edu/

New Ear presents a series of Chinese American composers this weekend, in works written for the zheng (an ancient Chinese instrument) performed by Yu - Chen Wang.

The primary composers featured are Chen Yi and her husband Zhou Long, both of the faculty of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Chen Yi is represented by Song in Winter.  Zhou Long's contribution is Ding for clarinet, zheng, and double bass.

Also on the program is Piano Trio by Ye Xiaogang, the director of the Beijing Modern Music Festival.  Liu Sola, along with Yu-Chen Wang, will perform her work Flying Shadow for voice and zheng.

Luo Jing Jing's A Thousand Miles Away, Li Shao-sheng's Listening to the Dance for saxophone, cello and marimba, Zou Hang's Tipsy Dancing Devarajas and a work by Qin Wen-chen are also presented on this concert.

By KCM Staff   Tue, Mar 02, 2010

If we don't support artists, there is no art.

On March 1, the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City launched the first ever public awareness campaign for the ArtsKC Fund.  Two white billboards and a piece of prominent art will be covered in white wrap to emphasize the absence of art.  This innovative public awareness campaign was designed by Barkley Creative and leads with the slogan:

If We Don't Support Artists, There Is No Art.
Support ArtsKC.org

Barkley Creative Director, Pat Piper, said a quote by Arts Council CEO, Harlan Brownlee, inspired the Barkley team's design direction:

"We take art for granted.  Imagine if there was no Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, no Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, No Kansas City Repertory Theatre, No Crossroads Arts District, no Kansas City Ballet.  What a desolate and empty place this would be...a great city deserves great art and Kansas City is no exception".

ArtsKC Fund futurist sponsor, UMB, provided the two billboards that are located on I-70 & Van Brunt, E Face & SW Blvd & I-35 S Face to reach rush hour traffic entering downtown Kansas City.  The campaign will be executed in two phases.  Phase 1 runs March 1 - April 4 and communicates "no art".  The billboards are designed to be empty with a white background and to evoke a blank canvas or empty page.  The only thing on the Phase 1 billboards is text with the slogan.  Wrapped art displays will run during Phase 1 with sites to be determined.

Phase 2 billboards run April 5 through the beginning on May.  The Phase 2 billboards contrast with Phase 1 and start the "Found" art portion of the campaign.  The formerly blank billboards will colorfully depict the range of artistic expression in Kansas City. 

About the ArtsKC Fund
The ArtsKC Fund, an initiative of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, is a united arts fund that raises new money to support a wide range of arts organizations and programs. Its purpose is to provide stable sources of new financial support for the arts, broaden access to high-quality arts experiences, and sustain excellence in the arts and arts administration. The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City is a not-for-profit organization that serves the five-county Kansas City metropolitan area and strives to strengthen and enrich the community by growing appreciation, participation, and support of its arts resources. For more information about the ArtsKC Fund, visit http://www.ArtsKC.org.

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

JAMMIN at the GEM SERIES

Women in Jazz Celebration featuring Oleta Adams
Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m.
Each year the American Jazz Museum pays tribute to Women in Jazz, past and present, through a combination of live performances and education programs.  This year's show will feature a longtime resident of Kansas City: Grammy-nominated vocalist/pianist Oleta Adams.  Throughout her career, she has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with a sound that draws deeply from her gospel roots and crosses over into jazz, soul and R&B.

The Clayton Brothers Quintet
Saturday, April 17 at 8:00 p.m.
Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month, family-style.  Led by brothers John & Jeff Clayton [bass and alto sax], this group's blend of blues, bop, ballads and swing embody all there is to love about jazz.

Tribute to Duke Ellington
Saturday, April 29-30, 8:00 p.m.
This celebration of one of the most important, prolific, and highly revered American composers includes the following activities over two days of live music, education and outreach:

• A day-long educational symposium and master classes for middle school, high school and collegiate level students, including a panel discussion with Ellington specialist, trumpeter and arranger Barrie Hall and NEA Jazz Masters Clark Terry and Dan Morgenstern;
• An Ellington exhibit of photos and artifacts, and the unveiling of a new Ellington bust by Sacramento-based artist Howard Lazar; 
• A public outreach presentation on Ellington by renowned jazz scholar and NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern;
• A showcase performance of Ellington music featuring invited student ensembles and a specially formed professional Kansas City All-Star Ellington Orchestra.

NEA Jazz Master Clark Terry, an iconic trumpeter and veteran of Duke Ellington's bands, will also be presented with the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award.  Tribute concert will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2010.
*The Duke Ellington Tribute is supported by NEA Jazz Masters Live, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.  For more information on this initiative, visit www.nea.gov/national/jazz.

Bobby Watson and the 18th & Vine Big Band w/Ernie Andrews
Saturday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Closing out the season "KC-style" is our town's very own 18th & Vine Big Band, led by Palmetto Recording Artist, renowned saxophonist and UMKC Director of Jazz Studies Bobby Watson.  The Big Band, which features a rotating cast of some of Kansas City's best jazz musicians, will be augmented by the rich, bluesy baritone of special guest vocalist Ernie Andrews.


For tickets to any of these performances call 816-474-6262 or online at www.ticketmaster.com
Gem Theatre
1616 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO
For information call 816.474.8463 or online at info@kcjazz.org

By KCM Staff   Mon, Jun 16, 2008

Many thanks to ArtsJournal.com's editor, Douglas McLennan
~ Formerly an arts columnist and arts reporter with the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer and the Seattle Weekly. Doug writes on
the arts for a number of publications (in his abundant free time)
and is currently acting director of the National Arts Journalism
Program while it reinvents itself ~

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