Dance,
Women shine bright in KC Ballet's fall performance
Kansas City Ballet's first performance of its 52nd season offered a mix of everything - two classical excerpts, a contemporary pas de deux and a local favorite. Audience members who did their homework knew they were in for a treat because three of the four pieces were Kansas City Ballet premieres. The night provided a well-rounded repertoire with multiple dance styles and several crowning moments, predominantly for the women.
The first two excerpts were from the mid-19th century. Classical ballet was on the rise throughout Europe and works were being created based on the fascination with Oriental culture and exoticism. Frescoes, an excerpt from the full-length ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse, touches on this enchantment through the costumes - bare-bellied and elaborate headpieces - and Asian-inspired poses. However, the classic steps and repetitious movement is reminiscent of choreographer Marius Petipa's more well-known works like Swan Lake and Coppelia. The four women created picture-perfect moments with their precise, controlled movement and graceful mimics of the vintage style, which was executed exceedingly well considering its difficulty. Each dancer portrayed the mannerly disposition representative of the time-period and succeeded at not out-shining her fellow dancers.
Next on stage was one of the most famous pas de deuxs from Le Corsaire known to classical ballet dancers and enthusiasts. In the pas, Breanne Starke exuberated elegance and took each step with great purpose and care. She created beautiful lines, accentuating her hyperextension and perfect placement. Michael Eaton was a solid partner and added to the exoticness of the dance with his bare chest and masculine movements. In his solo, Eaton displayed amazing control, athletic ability and a flawless execution. In contrast, Starke was dainty and flirtatious, especially with the ever-changing tempos. Separately the two dancers performed the complex choreography correctly but together lacked enthusiasm and excitement. The pas de deux, which is meant to be danced by two people in lust, appeared over-rehearsed and devoid of sparkle and spunk.
As the curtain went up for the last piece in the first act, the audience collectively gasped at the beautiful portrait created by Stayce Camparo and her dress. The costume, with a delicate lace top, encompassed a wedding train that covered center stage. The premise of the work actually stems from Gustav Mahler, the composer of the piece, and his wife, Alma. Mahler would only marry Alma, also a composer, if she sacrificed her talented profession to become a housewife. Splendid Isolation III depicts Alma's emotional struggle and, ultimately, her decision to give herself to Gustav (danced by Marcus Oatis.) The genius of Jessica Lang's choreography is the symbolism of the train. Camparo's movement with the train is entrancing and, at the same time, disheartening the way she literally fights against it and gets tangled in its massive volume. While she silently explores the weight and mobility of the added appendage, Oatis dances around her exuding power and dominance. Mainly dancing apart while weaving in and out of each other's spaces, the two long for a solution. But compromise is not it. Camparo finally loses herself, and the train, and joins Oatis in the last phrases of the soft, passionate score. Oatis was a constant throughout, but it was Camparo who stole the spotlight. Her incredibly honest performance in addition to her gorgeous and effortless movement quality left the audience wishing it wasn't intermission yet. Camparo proved herself worthy of principal roles and Lang left the audience in anticipation of her next Kansas City Ballet premiere coming this spring.
The bill of the evening, Carmen, did not disappoint when it came to passion, curiosity and excitement. Guest artists Danica Sena and Beau Bledsoe, the flamenco dancer and guitarist respectively, set the tone with their opening instrumental section. Throughout the Ballet, Sena's omniscient presence and dominant swagger foreshadowed the inevitable fate of Carmen (Kimberly Cowen) and her two suitors, Don José (Logan Pachciarz) and Escamillo (Luke Luzicka.) It did not take long for Cowen to command attention from everyone - other dancers, musicians and audience members. As Carmen, she revealed her promiscuous ways and refused to take no for an answer. In contrast to Carmen's looseness was the stiff corps work of the male guards. Carmen finds herself under arrest by Don José but by the power of seduction is quickly released. The interweaved story of the threesome comes to a climax as the three dance amongst a red ribbon symbolizing the passion-crazed tragedy that is on the horizon. Carmen continues to prove how elusive she is while Don José loses the fight and his sanity. The music box-like, upbeat reprisal of the Carmen theme near the end of the ballet mimics what is about to come of the seductress. Escamillo remains undaunted while Don José's rage heightens until he has lost all control and murders Carmen.
Throughout the dramatic production, Cowen's stamina thrived and her passion only increased as the story progressed until she met her finish. Every turn of the wrist and stomp of her heel was perfectly on cue and her technique and musicality were unmatchable. Even better was the raw quality she brought to the role despite having performed it just two years ago. Pachciarz danced fluidly and with every part his body. He performed his solo as if he truly was a young, innocent man discovering love (and dance) for the very first time. Luzicka also lived up to his character's stature. He was tall, grand and powerful, remaining unfazed by Carmen's domineering presence. Both men were completely in sync with Cowen in each passionate encounter. The sleek and simple costumes, scenery and lighting wonderfully juxtaposed the complexity of the main characters' story. However, the abrupt transitions from the storyline to the corps filling space and music were disjointed and out of place, often completely ignoring the previous or subsequent tones of the piece.
Overall, Carmen was a successful production from all angles - dance, music and lighting. The Kansas City Symphony Ballet Orchestra was fabulous through and through. Its beautiful harmonies and powerful fortes deserved much more applause than they received and the Ballet should consider having the symphony accompany their rep shows more often. The night truly showcased the company's wide range of accomplishment and highlighted the women's ability to be technically and emotionally captivating.
REVIEW:
Kansas City Ballet
Carmen (Fall Performance)
October 15 - 18 (Reviewed Thursday, October 15, 2009)
Lyric Theatre
1029 Central Street, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-931-2232 or online at www.kcballet.org
Cover Photo:
Dances Stayce Camparo and Marcus Oatis in Splendid Isolation III>
Photograph by Steve Wilson
KC Events this week and beyond
Click here to see all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.
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As an arts organziation or musician, you can 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:
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Dance
Theatre
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KC Events this week and beyond
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
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
Film,
New environmental documentary makes you miss Al Gore
Imagine living without your automobile, electricity, plastic bottles or anything else that might have an environmental impact. In an effort to inspire people to save the planet, Manhattan-based author Colin Beavan subjected his family to a spartan lifestyle for a year in the less than impactful documentary, No Impact Man. My question is: where is Al Gore when you need him?
Initially, Beavan comes across as a shameless self-promoter as he bounces around from one network morning show to another promoting his new green lifestyle. (By the way, didn't the pioneers of the 19th century lead a "green" lifestyle with their covered wagons, mud houses and non-pasteurized milk? And wasn't their life expectancy around 45?)
Beavan, whose motive is to get a book deal, expresses hope to experience good feelings about not hurting the environment and that his writing will help the world. While his attempt should appear to be noble, his words and deeds come across as elitist and naive. He also might as well dress up as polarizing filmmaker Michael Moore for Halloween because it doesn't take much prodding for him to make a subtle swipe at capitalism for causing all of our ills.
Now Beavan doesn't commit to his new lifestyle overnight. Everything is done in "phases" so it will be easier to adapt. This plan of action suits his wife, Michelle Conlin, who has some trouble adjusting to doing without, and compensates by cheating a little at work.
Dramatic tension is added when Conlin expresses her desire for another child before her clock quits ticking. Beavan doesn't want anymore kids and refuses at first to bend even though he has dragged his wife and little girl into his green scheme.
No Impact Man does provide some insightful moments, like when Beavan notes that the average American produces 1,600 pounds of trash a year. His efforts expose how wasteful of a society we have become, although he barely acknowledges how far we've come in regards to recycling.
In the long run, Beavan's experiment falls short of being truly green. Arguably, the tons of media coverage alone, including the millions of newspapers and magazines devoted to his story, created a far greater environmental impact than what his family would have done by themselves. Furthermore, if he had truly wanted to leave no impact, then Beavan should have taken a page from Henry David Thoreau and moved out into woods, built a house, and grew all of his own food.
If you really want to be inspired to action, watch Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth again.
On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, No Impact Man receives a C-.
No Impact Man is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 90 minutes.
Now showing through October 22 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square, 4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for showtimes.
Film, theSTEADY,
Enigmatic film is a testament to KC’s thriving arts community
"You are Alacartoona."
That message, a cryptic one reiterated several times on October 17, could not be a more fitting motto for the community that brought Night is the Mirror to life. After months of brainstorming, a feverish 17-hour film shoot, and masterful editing sessions to follow, the feature film revolving around Kansas City's own answer to German cabaret, Alacartoona, premiered this past Saturday at the Crossroad's Screenland Theater. While the hour-and-15 minute Night is the Mirror is certainly a visual and aural feast, it also acted as a testament to the current support system within Kansas City arts community.
The packed houses that met each of the two screenings on Saturday witnessed exactly what could happen when you take a $2,000 Inspiration Grant from the ArtsKC Fund and combine it with the humble notion of putting together a promotional video. Of course, with a little convincing by a team of artistic advisers, Alacartoona decided to forego the typical promotional video and opt for a full-fledge motion picture. Night is the Mirror ended up with a $15,000-plus budget, but it was the cooperative effort of local artists and talent that kept that price tag from escalating into the six-digit arena. Even with many of the actors and production crew taking on the project pro bono, Alacartoona (vocalist/acoustic guitarist Erin McGrane, accordionist/vocalist Kyle Dahlquist, bassist/vocalist Christian Hankel, and drummer Gregg Jackson) learned that undertaking a film of this magnitude would be an uphill battle.
"It was all hard for us," McGrane told the audience in a Q&A session that followed the first screening. "It was new, but it was really, really fun."
From the first few moments of Night is the Mirror, it is evident that the film is not your run-of-the-mill concert film or even Alacartoona's trademark lighthearted, "fun" show. There's a dark undercurrent throughout, from the mysterious opening remarks (narrated by Cathy Barnett) to the quirky back-and-forth, rapid-fire dialogue between various characters ("Wolf," Hankel aka Providence Forge says; "Lap dog," McGrane aka Ruby Falls replies). Is there a story? Perhaps. Who knows? Much like the French Impressionist Cinema, a surreal approach works to Alacartoona's advantage.
"There's a backstory," Hankel explained to the first screening's audience. "Of course, that backstory probably confused you more if there was no story."
Interwoven between the acted vignettes are song performances you might witness at any given Alacartoona show, with "Willkommen," "Every Saint Needs a Sinner," and "Drowning All My Sorrows" among the featured numbers. While any one of Alacartoona's songs tends to be crowd pleasers in a live setting, the melancholia-tinged "Drowning All My Sorrows" and "Ruby's Lament (Ich Bin Sie)" had a more striking, dramatic effect on the big screen. One thing should be made very clear, however: The filmmakers wisely never allow things to get too serious. On the contrary, the script is sprinkled with bawdy one-liners and consistently hilarious appearances by DeDe DeVille as a lackadaisical, chain-smoking stagehand.
For as talented as Alacartoona is musically (with acting chops to top it off), director/editor Brian Hicks and producer Phil Kinen should be given an astounding amount of praise. Night is the Mirror includes amazing visual techniques and concepts that are all at once mesmerizing, confusing, and beautiful. Without their efforts on such a tight budget, the film could have indeed been yet another unimaginative offering in world of cookie cutter music videos. In the end, Night is the Mirror, much like the band's music, hearkens back to another era. The viewing experience is certainly different than what you may see at Jardine's, where flesh-on-flesh contact from Ruby Falls contact can make many a man's (or possibly woman's) heart go aflutter, but it's nonetheless still captivating.
For those who craved a bit more Ruby on Saturday, there was a brief Alacartoona performance and cocktail reception in between screenings. Fans, film extras, cast, crew, and the all-around curious watched as the band performed original selections in the Screenland lobby, an unlikely but workable venue for the cabaret act. The live act rarely feels as enigmatic or somber as it does in some scenes during Night is the Mirror, and rightfully so. Saturday's live performance was a celebration more than anything, with many a glass raised in the air in accordance.
On Alacartoona's website, the band postures a few questions to reflect upon the film's concept. "What is real, what is fantasy, and what difference does it make, anyway?" After seeing Night is the Mirror, I still don't have an answer. Oddly enough, the state of confusion has never been more satisfying.
For more information on Alcartoona and Night is the Mirror visit www.alacartoona.com
Dance, Classical,
Flamenco guitarist Beau Bledsoe in "Carmen"
Classical guitarist Beau Bledsoe takes part in the Kansas City Ballet's production of Carmen at the Lyric Theatre on October 15-18, 2009. He will perform short solo guitar interludes between scenes and accompany the Flamenco dancer when she is on stage. Before opening night, Bledsoe shared some background on his role and the production.
Flamenco Guitarist Beau Bledsoe in Carmen continued »
Interview by Pete Dulin, reprinted courtesy of PresentMagazine.com
Classical,
A star in her own right
Concertmistress of the Kansas City Symphony Kanako Ito is one of those hometown girls who didn't originally come from here. She is a native of Japan, but she chose Kansas City. And now this is home.
Her resume is filled with all sorts of impressive credentials. She has participated in violin competitions the world over and won a lot of them. But for those of us who attend Kansas City Symphony concerts, we don't have to be told about her prizes. We have our own ears.
What's more interesting to learn is that Kanako is married to Martin Storey, who is on the faculty of Park University as professor of cello. And both perform with the Quartet Accorda there.
As concertmistress, she is the person who comes on stage just before the conductor. She gives that last signal before the concert begins for the orchestra to get instruments in tune. The concertmistress is the first representative of the orchestra. When a soloist acknowledges the orchestra at the end of a performance, the soloist shakes hands with the concertmistress.
On October 23 - 25, Kanako Ito won't be the KC Symphony's representative to shake hands with the soloist, she will be that soloist for the Mendelsohn Violin Concerto. With that in mind, I asked her about what it's like to swap roles.
David P.: You're in your home town with your own orchestra and your audience is filled with people who love you. What do you want to deliver to the Kansas City Symphony audience in your performance?
Kanako Ito: Although of course I don't know all of our audience individually, I know they have been watching me for a long time on many different occasions. They know me with short hair, long hair, being pregnant, playing different solos and tuning the orchestra every concert. I feel very close to our audience and it is always a great feeling to play a solo for them. I hope they will hear the incredible energy, passion and beauty which I think there is in the Mendelssohn concerto.
David P: You've performed as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony previously. How is it different being "one of the guys" in the orchestra, and being the soloist -- the one person who stands directly in front of the audience?
Kanako Ito: Being a soloist is a completely different role. Most concerto solo parts are technically and musically much more demanding than orchestral parts, as they are written to show off the capabilities of the instrument and the soloist. When playing a concerto you have to play everything in a bigger scale to project against the orchestra, and show the strength of your personality and of your interpretation. Being part of an orchestra you have to communicate, negotiate and blend with everyone, and follow the conductors baton.
David P: Mendelssohn is known for compositions of great technical genius but also works which delight the ear of listeners. What draws you to this piece? The challenge of performing it or the beauty of the music or both?
Kanako Ito: I learned this concerto when I was 12 or 13 because it was a set piece for a national competition in Japan. Because of the memory of practicing so hard for that competition I could not enjoy this concerto for a long time. Now many years have passed and I have performed it many times and so now I see this piece (finally!) with a very different view - I love every note of it!
David P: Okay, we have to ask this one: what pieces did you consider performing but lost out to the Mendelssohn piece? What tipped the balance towards the Mendelssohn?
Kanako Ito: There are still a lot of concertos I have not yet performed with this orchestra, and some concertos which I did not yet have a chance to learn. The choice of piece had to be balanced out with the rest of the tonight's program and the other programs during the season. Mr. Stern and I exchanged some ideas and in the end he made the final decision - which is good because I am sometimes really bad at deciding! But one day I would also like to perform Beethoven, Korngold, Glaznov and any of the Mozart concertos.
David P: When you go home at night and put a CD in the player to relax, what do you listen to?
Kanako Ito: I love Ennio Morricone's music right now and I have been listening to his music like 'Deborah's theme' from "Once Upon a Time in America."
David P: What question should I have asked but didn't?
Kanako Ito: My age!
Kansas City Symphony
Bach, Haydn and Mendelssohn
With Kanako Ito, violin
Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre for October 23 and 24
11th and Central Streets, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m.
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org.
Dance, Classical,
The Fairy Queen is magical
Collaborating organizations Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and Owen/Cox Dance Group made the fairy realm come to life in their impressive staging of Purcell's Fairy Queen. Primarily known for their contemporary repertoire, it was exciting to see the Civic Opera and Owen/Cox reach back into the catalogue to pursue this Baroque masterpiece. They handled the task admirably with accompaniment provided by the KC Chamber Orchestra under Bruce Sorrell's baton.
The production's quality certainly belayed its budgetary restrictions. The sets, ranging from movable, gauze-wrapped trees to Phoebus' cloud chariot to a set of china come to life, were practical and effective. The costumes and wigs by Marybeth Sorrell and Jan DeLovage were gorgeous and looked extravagant, in particular those for Titania, First Fairy, and the Four Seasons. The lighting design was suitable with the sunrise being the most well-rendered.
As a semi-opera, the music to the Fairy Queen still manages to convey a loose narrative that was made even clearer by Linda Ade Brand's direction. Justifiably, she altered which characters sang some of the pieces in order to keep an intimate cast. The story begins with the titular queen, Titania, prepping her wood and fairies to receive Queen Mary and King William for an evening of food, music, and dancing. The King and Queen arrive as does a drunken poet à la Bottom from Midsummer Night's Dream. Pleasantries are exchanged, fun is had, the party falls asleep, and awakes to a new day. Not very deep but this is Purcell, not Verdi. That of course does not make the music any less moving.
Fairy Queen contains a lot of varied music; there are jigs, airs, choral numbers, and Purcell's trademarks: chaconnes. Most of it was played and sung very well. I would have preferred slight amplification on the lute as it was almost inaudible for the entire performance. The stand-out singers were the Victoria Botero (Titania), Jay Carter (Secresie/Phoebus), and Doug Dodson (First Fairy). Botero, looking resplendent in her emerald hue, commanded the coloratura passages and never once reduced pitch to shriek. Her melismatic lines contained energy and her phrasing was natural. Having two stellar countertenors on one stage was amazing and their voices were in great form. Carter's aria as Secresie "One charming night" was colored with effortless embellishments. Dodson sung his acrobatic aria, "Hark how all the things," with aplomb and in his duet with Botero was balanced, restrained, and lovely. Carter and Dodson, along with most of the cast, should also be applauded for their excellent diction. Kurtis Shoemake, Joseph DeSota, and Chad Flynn had humorous turns as Drunken Poet, Mopsa, and Coridon, respectively. DeSota and Flynn had the audience roaring during their bawdy duet "Now the maids and the men are making of hay"-all double entendres are apt.
Jennifer Owen's choreography was fluid and light if a bit dull and repetitive. I prefer her choreography when she pushes the envelopment a bit more. However, the pas de deux between Christopher Barksdale and Lauren Fitzpatrick was beautifully choreographed and sensitively danced.
I hope these organizations are able to collaborate again in the future. If the outcome is as musically and visually satisfying as this first attempt, the metropolis is in for many exciting performances to come.
Theatre ,
Are you scared?
Those were not the last words, or screams, uttered by a hand-wringing teenage audience member at Coterie at Night's world premiere of Maul of the Dead, a spoofy tale of apocalypse and hilarity with blood spatter a-plenty. After an adrenaline-rushed entrance into the theatre, who could blame her for her anticipation?
"You're all alone. Will you be okay?" she inquired again.
Before a moment to consider what might lie ahead, the delighted crowd who sat seat-edged in absolute captivation was drawn into the Maul and not so sure of what was next. "Trapped" in JC Penny's with local survivors and zombies in this re-imagined nightmare, a full-blown, action-packed, rock-n-gore performance ensued. As Megan Turke's costume design left no doubt, it was the 70s, baby, and all hell was breaking lose.
Purportedly based on Dawn of the Dead, Mitch Brian's Maul seemed more reminiscent of Return of the Living Dead with its subtle and not-so-subtle sexy humor; and yet another guitar-clad-Coterie lad and main zombie, Cody, who woos his punk-rock love, Wendy (Meredith Wolfe), amidst the crisis with his teasing plucks.
Nine survivors and 44 zombies comprise the cast. Notables included two highly-armed, show-stealing swat guys (Tosin Morohunfola and Matt Weiss), a weather-girl (Kimberly Queen) and her helicopter-pilot cohort John, played by Greg Krumins highlighted the expertly cast company of actors.
Cody Wyoming (who also plays zombie Cody) filled the theatre with a spot-on 70's rock contrast in punk and classic rock and even a bit of disco to smooth it all out with a little help from Art Kent's lighting design. Ron Mcgee's cast and zombie crew invaded the audience's imagination and kept them laughing and gasping out loud up until the very end. It was clear the actors enjoyed themselves as much as the Coterie at Night's patrons, and their energy was contagious.
It's a wild night at the mall at Maul of the Dead and is definitely worth checking out.. probably more than once.
REVIEW
The Coterie Theatre
Maul of the Dead
Runs October 16 - October 31 (Reviewed: October 17, 2009)
2450 Grand Boulevard, Level Three, Kansas City MO
For tickets call 816-474-6552 or online www.coterietheatre.org
Top Photo:
Danger lurks behind every mannequin... (Tosin Morohunfola, Kimberly Queen)
Photo by J. Robert Schraeder
Theatre ,
Barely. Breathing. Breathless.
Life imitates art - even 118 years later. Last Tuesday's (10/13) opening performance of Spring Awakening - presented by Broadway Across America - addresses, through a theatrical rebirth of the 1891 work by German playwright Frank Wedekind, the self-destructive stigmata of adolescent sexuality and adults' culturally-entrenched inabilities to approach the subject with candor. The results often end - in the late 19th century and (unfortunately) still in the early 21st - in disaster. With nuances of Rent meets Les Miserables, Spring Awakening triumphantly carries the musical-theatre torch into refreshing new territory. Reviewer's note: I also attended Saturday's (10/17) matinee performance.
The plot is more intricate than the classic "boy meets girl" formula, and in many ways it carries the tectonic (and Teutonic!) magnitude of epic Greek tragedy. Despite the fact that the story is nearly 12 decades old, it remains fresh without being formulaic. There are two intertwining stories that divide roughly into five parts: (1) boy (Melchior, played by Jake Epstein) meets girl (Wendla, played by Christy Altomare); they fall in love and naively succumb to their hormonal desires - neither having a full understanding of the consequences; (2) distraught friend (Moritz, played by Taylor Trensch), stunned by an arbitrary academic decision that keeps him from advancing to the next grade, commits suicide; (3) the adults blindly attribute the suicide to a sexually-graphic "how to" letter written for Moritz by Melchior, who bears the brunt of the adults' transferred blame; (4) exiled to a reform school, Melchior learns of Wendla's pregnancy, but he escapes too late to reach her before she has died from a botched abortion forced by her mother; (5) as the drama reaches its denouement, Wendla and Moritz join spiritual forces to ensure that Melchior doesn't compound their tragedies with another of his own making.
Artistically, the production perpetuates a long line of iconic composer-lyricist collaborations: Gilbert and Sullivan; the Gershwin Brothers; Rogers and Hart/Hammerstein; Elton John and Bernie Taupin/Tim Rice; Schönberg and Boublil/Kretzmer; Lloyd Webber and "various librettists"; Sheik and Sater...
Wait...Sheik and Sater?
Yep.
Reach deep into the recesses of your mid-1990s, angst-imbued psyche and repeat these words: Barely. Breathing. That was the last thought I'd given to Duncan Sheik - albeit for a commendably well-crafted 1996 debut CD. There often is a wide chasm to cross between songwriter and composer, and Spring Awakening proves that Sheik is more than up to the task. But the craftsmanship goes far beyond mere composition, making it difficult to imagine a more seamless melding of music, lyrics, melody, orchestration, theatrics and ensemble. The music itself - executed masterfully by the cast - is haunting and mesmerizing, drawing the viewer inexorably into the emotional turmoil. The more nuanced pieces evoke a Sondheim-esque aura, while other aspects reminded me, stylistically, of the great Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House. According to the program notes, Sheik is actively pursuing four new productions that would seem destined - if Spring Awakening gives any indication - to keep Broadway and musical theater, in general, revitalized for some time to come.
Another aspect of the show's brilliance is evident considering that everyone stands out individually, without overshadowing anyone else; and the collective presentation equally stands on its own, without overpowering the individual performances. The uncanny result: everyone is the star; and no one is the star. Nevertheless, there were standouts - Christy Altamore (Wendla), Jake Epstein (Melchior), Steffi D (Ilse), and Taylor Trensch (Moritz), in particular. Altamore possesses a natural theatrical timbre with a silky smooth alto texture that is particularly evident in the opening "Mama Who Bore Me," where sparse orchestration can reveal even the smallest of vocal flaws. There were none.
Epstein displayed an impressive range, and little less polish in the lower registers but made up for with an impressive falsetto that he deftly displayed in "Those You've Known." Trensch manages to lull the audience with a geeky vulnerability that belies a volcanic rock voice, which he deploys in "The Bitch of Living." Steffi D, very much Altamore's contralto equal, has a pure theatrical tone that took the 2nd performance for me to place the familiarity: Grace Slick in her prime (especially in "The Song of Purple Summer"). The remarkable thing about everyone in the cast was their ability to handle nuanced melodies that shifted to require a more rock-oriented projection, and then back again. Both in range and style, versatility triumphed. Consistency-wise, the matinee performance was about as solid as opening night, with just the hint of some timing, pitch and harmony inconsistencies. I'm not a big fan of rating scales, but for ease of comparison here I'd give opening night a 9.90 and the matinee a 9.85 out of 10.0.
Two other, less obvious "characters" deserve recognition: Set (Kevin Adams) and Lighting (Christine Jones) Design. Before the show began, the curtain remained open as concert staff escorted members of the audience to on-stage seating. This provided a unique opportunity to analyze the set longer than the briefest impression one usually gets as the curtain goes up and before you begin to focus on the play itself. On first blush I wasn't impressed with the set's eclectic hodge-podge of "stuff" - clocks, blackboards, ladders, portraits (paintings), etc. - laid against a non-descript, red brick façade. All of that changed as the play progressed. The Tony Award-winning lighting design and its interactions with the "inanimate" backdrop combined to take on a life of its own. With an array of color changes, dimming, spotlighting, pointillism, flashing, and a combination of those elements, exciting new dimensions opened, melding the aforementioned hodge-podge into a cohesive part of the experience. Beyond the backdrop, set design was a lesson in minimalism as the stage floor and a few chairs provided everything necessary to create the artistic space. Together, set and lighting design were as impressive as Sheik's formidable compositions.
I've had the good fortune to see Broadway productions in New York, Boston, and London, as well as one prior Broadway Across America presentation (Lion King) here in Kansas City, and I continue to be impressed with the caliber of production that equals, if not exceeds, those at more "traditional" venues. Kansas City is fortunate to be on this circuit, and in combination with the Power and Light District and an already-vibrant arts scene, regular access to Broadway quality shows is icing on top of the icing on a really delicious cake. At your next opportunity to see Spring Awakening, run to the box office. Your breathlessness will be amply rewarded...
REVIEW:
Broadway Across America
Spring Awakening
Reviewed October 13 & 17, 2009
Kansas City Music Hall
301 W 13th St, Kansas City, MO 64105
(816) 513-5000 or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/kansascity
Classical,
Palestrina saves the night
This past Sunday evening's performances, by Director Timothy McDonald's chorus and orchestra, Musica Sacra, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on 52nd and Troost in Kansas City, could have been subtitled, "Five Pieces in Search of Cohesion," and that generality is unfair only with respect to Palestrina's a capella Missa Brevis - the first and best performance of the evening - followed by two non-vocal works (Mozart's Sonatas in F and B-flat Major), continuing vocally, with orchestra, on Mendelssohn's Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, and concluding with Vivaldi's Credo. Vocal music has an uncanny kinship with real estate (stay with me during the non-sequitur!). The three critical elements of real estate you already know: location, location, location. Similarly, the three critical elements of vocal music are: diction, diction, diction. Regrettably, after the Palestrina, which had minor pitch and diction problems, the Mozart, Mendelssohn and Vivaldi fell short in every department - diction (especially), tuning, intonation, timing and balance.
Now, I don't have perfect pitch, and only halfway decent relative pitch, but when it comes to intonation I swear I am sensitive down to the microtone and it very nearly drives me crazy. I put that out there as a baseline so I can convey just how minute were the problems with Palestrina's Missa Brevis. While I'm at it I should probably mention that I'm rather psychotic about diction, too. Overall, the piece was magical and made me remember all over again how much I love Palestrina. Indeed, the farther back in time I go, musically, the more fascinated I am by that very fact: you go back in time. It's amazing. Stand in front of the Mona Lisa. ...I didn't see DaVinci paint it. The same principal applies for Michelangelo's David. Close your eyes in front of either one and, photographic memory-savants aside, there is nothing - the experiences are suspended.
Not so with music. Granted, I am by no means objective on this matter, but to me, music is that rare art form that allows you to experience the artist as directly and personally as humanly possible given the separation of decades and centuries. As I listened to the Palestrina - with my eyes closed - I could as easily have been sitting in a church in the 16th century as in a modern one in the 21st century. It could have been Dr. McDonald conducting; it could have been Palestrina himself. I was in the room; Palestrina was in the room. Time travel. Vocal music is perhaps the purest of musical media. The original instrument. Nothing to hide behind. And no margins for error.
While all seven sections of the Missa Brevis had some pitch problems, only the Kyrie and Benedictus jumped out as being noticeably "off". Most noticeable were the diction shortcomings in the Credo, where Credo in unum deum (phonetically, CRAY-doh in OOH-noom DAY-oom) became "CRAY-doe in OOH-noo DAY-ooh", and wherever Amen occurred it sounded closer to "Ah-meh". However, these minor indiscretions were more than offset by an otherwise beautiful interpretation and performance. The way the early Renaissance strains lingered in the church's ether was transcendental.
Interjected between the first and third vocal works were the two Mozart sonatas, which exposed some serious tuning and intonation problems in the violins and violas, awkwardly counterbalanced by solid and in-tune efforts by the cellos and bass. The more I listened, though, it became evident that these were more intonation issues than tuning - I did notice that the first violinist tuned prior to the Missa Brevis and that likely could have been enough to explain why the violins and violas were a tad sharp. But combine tuning problems with poor intonation and the problems compound. Both pieces were messy, but the 2nd (B-Flat Major) left most of the serious infractions behind in the F-Major.
Next came Mendelssohn's Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, where intonation was a problem isolated predominantly to the first stanza, but diction was pervasively mushy. There was one miscue in the third stanza which in an otherwise perfect performance would certainly have been, if not barely noticeable, forgivable, but in this case it only compounded the trauma. The most frustrating problem occurred in the third stanza which featured the solo soprano (Debra Hohly). Here again it took me a while to pinpoint the problem, at first thinking that she was too vocally thin and unable to project above the orchestra, but I came to realize that it was simpler than that: the orchestra was too loud. Better soloist placement - which probably would have been a good idea anyway (location-location-location!) - might have helped to overcome that challenge. Had she stepped forward of the chorus and a few steps either to the left or right of the conductor, she may have fared better against the orchestra. Still, such things should not become a contest and it falls squarely on the conductor to control that.
The program closed with Vivaldi's Credo and it is here that the diction train came completely off the tracks (warning: here comes another non-sequitur). Steve Martin, in his hilarious collection of short stories, Pure Drivel, has one entitled "Times Roman Font Announces Shortage Of Periods". My chapter for the evening's final piece would be entitled, "Vivaldi's Credo Announces a Shortage of M's." In addition to a reprise of Palestrina's "CRAY-doh in OOH-noo DAY-ooh", Vivaldi's Credo called and raised with Dominoo Jesoo Christoo; Filioo Dei unigenitoo; Et ex Patre natoo; Deoo veroo de Deo vero; Genitoo, non factoo, consubstantialoo Patri; and on and on. Similarly sloppy were words ending in "s" when followed by the word "est", where Et incarnatus est became Et incarnatu sest; et sepultus est became et sepultu sest; and venturus est became venturu sest.
Sadly, you may have noticed by now, but for the life-saving Palestrina I haven't really mentioned much about the music. The reason is simple: pervasive problems with diction, tuning, intonation, timing and balance took a collective toll, and the music - quite literally - got lost in translation. However, it was encouraging to see a sizeable turnout (about 150), especially since the Palestrina was so exquisite and exposed listeners to a master rarely heard in most classical programs, where all too often one gets the impression that the entire history of music started in 1685 with the birth of J.S. Bach.
Overall, though, it was a disappointing evening.
REVIEW:
Music Sacra Chorus & Orchestra
Works by Palestrina, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi
October 18, 2009
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
52nd & Troost, Kansas City, MO
http://www.rockhurst.edu/services/musicasacra/index.asp
Theatre ,
Portrait of the artist as a young ladies' man
The echoes of a life that reverberates around the world haunts David Cale's monologue Palomino. In this world première, which opened Friday night on the Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Copaken Stage, Cale, acting, writing and self-directing, provides a funny, at times sentimental, at times almost cinematic, ultimately indelible performance as several characters, both male and female, who find themselves connected by six degrees of separation and desires.
The stage is given over to a bare minimum of props - two fancy wooden stools, upon which Cale sits, a hat stand to leave his fedora, and behind him a large video screen which periodically flashes the names of characters or changes colors to suit the monologue's moods. Cale, dressed informally in a checked un-tucked shirt, jeans and boots, begins simply, atop one of the stools, speaking in an Irish brogue. He introduces himself as Kieran McGrath, a carriage driver in Central Park. One day, he relates, with the just the hint of a rising inflection that prepares the audience for his changing voices with each character, a woman in his cab asks him if he would be willing to accompany an older woman to a fancy dinner, "just smile," and afterward "show her a good time." The amount - in cash - that she names is too rich and the experience is too absurd not to say yes; Kieran does, and his (and our) journey begins.
Although it is initially intended as a one-nighter, Kieran's time with Vallie (short for Valerie), a wealthy woman fifteen years older than him, slowly unfolds as more than either expected. At the heart of Palomino is this strange, melodious non-love affair; late in the monologue, both Kieran and Vallie express their remorse over what they have allowed to enter into their most private inner lives. More Henry James than Hollywood, Palomino rejects the happy ending for an ending that serves more as a new beginning.
Cale takes all the roles. He drops the Colin Farrell inflection for Kieran to use different voices and mannerisms for the women, and slides on a pair of hip architect's glasses for Edward, a London book editor who appears toward the very end. And, perhaps more than most other monologists such as Anna Deveare Smith, Eric Bogosian, and the late Spalding Gray, he acts the parts. At first, it is hard to discern whether the women, Vallerie; the original woman in the cab, Marsha; and Trish, a young beautiful blond whose role is minor but integral to the piece, are being toyed with. At the opening night performance, the audience's laughter was nervous; after all, one of the main characters is not unlike many of the audience members in age and discretionary income. (It never does good to insult one's audience, unless one is really up to it, but that turns out not to be Cale's intent.) Sometimes his women do come off a bit over-the-top, throwing up their arms in despair as Cale's voice quivers a bit too falsetto. Yet, in one of the sections that vibrates with intensity, as Vallie and Kieran are making love in her place, on the floor - she explains she had never done it on the floor (and look! She sees a coffee cup under the sofa!) - Vallie's explanations ("There goes my dress! There go the magazines!") is usefully tuned to Cale's quavering upper reaches.
The polyphony becomes a true integrated voice toward the end of the 90 minute production; so immersed in his tale is Cale that the elements of the story, which might fulfill a John O'Hara short story or a chapter in Joyce, melt away as stories we have heard and read a thousand times before. If any writer might be referenced, it is Proust: just as Marcel's dipping his madeleine into the tea brings back all the memories of his life in À la Recherche du Temps Perdu, the sound of the Palomino's neighing (heard over the speakers) at the opening is signaled again at the end; this time, the impact is mournful, like church bells in the distance. In his thoroughness to grasp the complexities of what brings two people together, David Cale drops all pretenses, and, as Vallie says at one point to Kieran, it is the nakedness she wants to see.
REVIEW
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Palomino
Running October 9 - November 15 (Reviewed October 16, 2009)
The Copaken Stage,
14th and Walnut, Kansas City, MO.
For tickets, call 816-235-2700 or online at www.kcrep.org.
Dance, Classical, City Classics,
Music and Dance through October 28
Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey
Ailey II
Thursday, October 22 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 2 p.m. (community concert) and 8 p.m.
Folly Theatre
12th and Central, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-931-8993 or www.kcfaa.org.
The Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey present the dance group in the above performances this weekend. No information is available about programming or choreography, but the athletic Ailey dancers never disappoint, and the group's programs are always excellent. Dances are usually to recorded music.
Kansas City Symphony
Bach, Haydn and Mendelssohn
Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre for October 23 and 24
11th and Central Streets, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m.
Yardley Hall for October 25
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org.
This week's Symphony concert offers a double treat, as Symphony fans will be able to hear the orchestra's estimable concert master, Kanako Ito, play the beautiful Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, and will also enjoy the Symphony Chorus join the orchestra for Franz Joseph Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass.
Ito probably could have had a fine international solo career had she chosen, but instead she decided to settle down in Kansas City with her fine cello playing husband Martin Storey (not a member of the Symphony, but on the Park University staff). Once every couple of years the Symphony brings her out for a solo turn, however, and this listener has always been most impressed with the results. The Mendelssohn concerto is one of the most sensuously romantic in the repertoire, and Ito will likely present an outstanding performance.
Meanwhile, the Haydn Lord Nelson Mass is not performed with enough frequency for this taste, and an opportunity to hear it with full choral forces should be a real pleasure. The Symphony Chorus, always outstanding under the direction of former conductor Arnold Epley, has grown more precise and nuanced at the behest of current conductor Charles Bruffy, of Kansas City Chorale fame. Be prepared for some real vocal fireworks, as Haydn wrote this piece to commemorate the victory of the great British naval Admiral Lord Nelson over the navy of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798. The German Haydn was no fan of the French adventurist, as you will hear.
As if these two pieces weren't enough, the Symphony will also play the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Brandenburg Concertos are six of the greatest small orchestral pieces ever composed, and although they are usually done by smaller chamber groups it should be interesting to see what the Symphony does with this piece. Michael Stern conducts.
At the beginning of the year, this writer targeted this weekend's concerts as among the "can't miss" concerts this year. Let's see if they live up to billing!
Lied Center of Kansas
Trey McIntyre Project: The Sun Road
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center, University of Kansas
For tickets call 785-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu.
Using classical ballet as a point of departure, the Trey McIntyre Project presents "emotionally charged dance performances that defy categorization," according to the publicity for this performance. The featured dance in the program will be the Midwest premiere of Wolf Trap's The Sun Road, which is a multimedia performance featuring HD video footage taken of the company dancing in Glacier National Park. The giant projected images will intertwine with the ballet onstage to interpret the park's environmental plight and celebrate its grandeur.
Friends of Chamber Music
Anonymous 4
Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Visitation Catholic Church
5141 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org.
This listener has always been puzzled by Anonymous 4, the internationally renowned group of a capella women singers who specialize in medieval music. Both on recordings and in concert they sound like a choir several times their size. Yet, even after blinking one's eyes a few times and staring at the stage for awhile, it appears as if somehow there are only four people there.
The unique blend of these ladies' voices and their exquisite musicality must be the secret. They manage to unearth hidden gems of ancient music - goodness knows where they find them - and present them as fresh and opulent works, full of glory and wonder. This concert is likely to be no exception, as the group sings music of 13th century Spain, uncovered, they say, at the convent of Las Huelgas in the northern Iberian peninsula.
It should be transcendent.
Performing Arts Series, Johnson County Community College
Bad Boys of Dance
Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Yardley Hall
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or visit online at www.jccc.edu/TheSeries.
Bad Boys of Dance is an all-male dance group led by Rasta Thomas. The group "pushes modern dance artistry to the boiling point," says the publicity for this concert. Tango, hip-hop and ballet all figure into the group's repertoire. For dance fans, it should be an interesting evening.
Kansas City Civic Orchestra
Triumphant Sounds
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Atonement Lutheran Church
9948 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas
Free concert.
The Kansas City Civic Opera has established a long reputation for excellence among the area's community orchestras. The group often tackles difficult music, and this outing is no exception, featuring the challenging but ravishing Prelude to Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.
Also on tap are Tchaikovsky's Roccoco Variations for Cello and Orchestra featuring the Russian cellist Ruslan Biryukov as the guest soloist and Mu phi Epsilon Artist. Finally, the orchestra will perform Brahms' Symphony No. 2. Conductor Christopher Kelts is to be prized for his ambition, and the Civic Orchestra musicians will likely be up to the task.
Topeka Symphony Orchestra
The French Connection
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
White Concert Hall, Washburn University
Topeka, KS
For tickets call 785-232-2032.
The Topeka Symphony Orchestra brings conductor John Strickler and organist Stephen Hamilton to its stage Saturday evening in a concert featuring the challenging Organ Symphony of American composer Aaron Copland. The concert will also include Honegger's Pacific 231 (video), the Stravinsky "Divertimento" from The Fairies' Kiss, and a favorite American composition, An American in Paris by the irrepressible George Gershwin.
Harriman Jewell Series
David Goode, organ
Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
415 West 13th Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-415-5025 or online at www.harriman-jewell.org.
David Goode is the is organist and head of keyboard at Eton College, England, where he presides over a unique collection of historic instruments and teaches some of the UK's most talented young organists. Every now and, then, however, they let him take the road for a series of concerts, and this recital is one of them.
Goode will be seated at the fine Gabriel Kney pipe organ at the Cathedral, and should fill the Cathedral's impressive spaces with glorious sound. No word on what his program will be, but organ fans are sure not to be disappointed.
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