Light’s out on the Marquee
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Oaxaca to Madison…Lila rocks!
The 07-08 World Stage Series went out with a bang on friday night- Lila Downs, the star of the 2005 Madison World Music Festival, returned to the Union and delivered one heck of a performance. She sang about mole. She sang about iguanas. She sang about minimum wage. Bottom line - MAN did she ever sing.
Special attention must also be paid to the harpist in Lila’s band… as our trusty Concert Series Associate Director Shelly put it, “take that, Yolanda!” - (in reference, of course, to the Yolanda Kondonassis’s harp concert earlier in the season)
At the risk of sounding subjective (then again, isn’t that the purpose of blogs?), I absolutely loved the concert - for the last four years I’ve heard the most amazing world stage performers…from Mariza’s bluesy fados, to dancing the hora with the Klezmatics, to being completely baffled by the sounds of Chirgilchin, to all out rocking out to the likes of Youssou or Seun Kuti or Ismael Luminovski - Lila Downs was a great performance to end on…icing on the cake.
- courtney
Special attention must also be paid to the harpist in Lila’s band… as our trusty Concert Series Associate Director Shelly put it, “take that, Yolanda!” - (in reference, of course, to the Yolanda Kondonassis’s harp concert earlier in the season)
At the risk of sounding subjective (then again, isn’t that the purpose of blogs?), I absolutely loved the concert - for the last four years I’ve heard the most amazing world stage performers…from Mariza’s bluesy fados, to dancing the hora with the Klezmatics, to being completely baffled by the sounds of Chirgilchin, to all out rocking out to the likes of Youssou or Seun Kuti or Ismael Luminovski - Lila Downs was a great performance to end on…icing on the cake.
- courtney
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The totally well known, and named, 4 (+2 )
To be honest, I was really not sure what to expect from the Anonymous 4 (according to wikipedia, named for a pun on the name used to refer to an anonymous english music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Leonin and Perotin…read: classical music nerd joke). They began their concert explaining that they got their start on Garrison Keillor’s radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion” - which immediately rang bells in my head. As the roommate of several good Minnesotans, Prairie Home Companion was actually something I was familiar with.
From that point on, the concert made a lot more sense to me. The Anonymous 4 and co-starring musicians Darol Anger and Scott Nygaard really did their thing well. The Americana music was totally catchy, and the way their unamplified voices blended (especially in the balcony!) sounded amazing. At one point, one of the group (regrettably I don’t remember her name) did a solo song…just her singing…in the giant theater. Her voice powerfully filled the whole theater, and then some. I remember back in good ol mrs. johnson’s middle school choir class, we all had to do unaccompanied solos - that day will forever be remembered by me as one of the most terrifying of my whole life. To watch that woman do her solo, seemingly fearless, in front of an entire house full of people was totally remarkable.
It was the perfect music to complement the rainy Madison night.
-courtney
From that point on, the concert made a lot more sense to me. The Anonymous 4 and co-starring musicians Darol Anger and Scott Nygaard really did their thing well. The Americana music was totally catchy, and the way their unamplified voices blended (especially in the balcony!) sounded amazing. At one point, one of the group (regrettably I don’t remember her name) did a solo song…just her singing…in the giant theater. Her voice powerfully filled the whole theater, and then some. I remember back in good ol mrs. johnson’s middle school choir class, we all had to do unaccompanied solos - that day will forever be remembered by me as one of the most terrifying of my whole life. To watch that woman do her solo, seemingly fearless, in front of an entire house full of people was totally remarkable.
It was the perfect music to complement the rainy Madison night.
-courtney
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Flicka in Review!
Apologies for lack of blogging of late. Things have been rather busy down here in the Union Theater - last week we OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED the 08-09 Union Theater Season! Highlights (for me at least) Include Mariza, SAVION GLOVER(!!!), and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra! You can see all of our new season on our website (http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu)
Last weekend was Frederica Von Stade, Mezzo-Soprano extrordinaire. Reviews of her performance here were, quite honestly, rather mixed. It seems people either loved or hated her singing. Frankly, I was rather surprised that she sang so many things that were more broadway-esque, rather than arias…or what have you. Overall though, it’s hard not to enjoy a good rendition of “La Vie En Rose” or “Habanera” I’m fairly certain Edith Piaf would have approved of her rendition. The one part of her performance that I found to be rather unsettling was the song “I Can’t Say No” from Oklahoma! I found it to be an unfortunate choice of song. The lyrics:
“When a person tries to kiss a girl,/
I know she orta give his face a smack.
But as soon as someone kisses me,
I somehow, sorta, wanta kiss him back!”
I’m fairly certain that any Sex Out Loud types in the audiences would really not have approved of the message.
In addition, her accent seemed to me to be rather strange for someone born in New Jersey. Perhaps thats the opera training though.
- Courtney
Thursday, February 28, 2008
w00ting for our WUT committee members!
Last weekend, in addition to the Shoghaken and Follies craziness that ensued on the Union Theater stage, I had the great opportunity to see not one, but TWO of our lovely and talented Union Theater Committee members perform! The perk about having a committee that loves a stage, is that more often than not, our members are also involved in artistic pursuits!
On Thursday night, I attended the Spring Student Concert, put on by the UW Dance Department in Lathrop Hall. Former Union Theater Committee Director, and current Associate Director for Dance, Laura Katzman both choreographed and performed in her piece. And quite frankly, it knocked my socks off. I wish I knew the kind of words one could use to describe dance, so that other people who weren’t there would understand the profound effect her choreography left on the audience. I am totally amazed by people who can think in terms of genius choreography..and who can tell a story through the movement.
Then on Friday, another committee member, Kristine Rominski, performed in the UW Student Concerto and Composition Competition Concert. Kristines’s concerto, “Poem for Flute and Orchestra” by Charles T. Griffes, was AWESOME. Again… my music lingo totally fails me here… but by the way she performed it was so totally clear how much time, effort and love has gone into her playing flute. (And! she looked totally dazzling in her snazzy purple dress!)
It should also be noted that this weekend’s performance of Don Pasquale by the UW Opera features one theater committee member in the cast.. and another two in the pit! Talk about a talented group!
On Thursday night, I attended the Spring Student Concert, put on by the UW Dance Department in Lathrop Hall. Former Union Theater Committee Director, and current Associate Director for Dance, Laura Katzman both choreographed and performed in her piece. And quite frankly, it knocked my socks off. I wish I knew the kind of words one could use to describe dance, so that other people who weren’t there would understand the profound effect her choreography left on the audience. I am totally amazed by people who can think in terms of genius choreography..and who can tell a story through the movement.
Then on Friday, another committee member, Kristine Rominski, performed in the UW Student Concerto and Composition Competition Concert. Kristines’s concerto, “Poem for Flute and Orchestra” by Charles T. Griffes, was AWESOME. Again… my music lingo totally fails me here… but by the way she performed it was so totally clear how much time, effort and love has gone into her playing flute. (And! she looked totally dazzling in her snazzy purple dress!)
It should also be noted that this weekend’s performance of Don Pasquale by the UW Opera features one theater committee member in the cast.. and another two in the pit! Talk about a talented group!
- courtney
p.s.
COMPLEXIONS on Sunday!! I’m so excited.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
How do you say “break a leg” in Armenian?
There are some definite perks to spending your life backstage. One of them is being in the midst of absolutely everything. Tonight, Follies rehearsal was in full swing on the theater stage, and Shoghaken was warming up and getting dressed in the green room. Let me tell you, If you’ve never heard someone tap dance to a duduk (rather… tap dance and duduk at the same time…independently of one another)… you haven’t lived. I don’t think you could have picked two more opposing styles of music. So, while Tom Wopat belted out broadway tunes, us theater committee members ushered the Shoghaken Ensemble to and from the Great Hall.
In the midst of intermission, I got to talking with the lead female singer of the Shoghaken ensemble. She told me that the gold triangle pattern repeated on the costumes worn for the first half of the performance represented Mount Ararat. Mount Ararat, as it turns out, has all kinds of symbolic importance to Armenians. She described that when one looks out their kitchen window, and sees Mount Ararat, they truly feel at home. The kicker now is that Mount Ararat sits on Turkish soil, so the mountain takes on a whole new level of cultural importance. The lead singer (regrettably, I didn’t catch her name) then mentioned that Mount Ararat is the alleged locale of Noah finally reaching landfall with his ark. Pretty cool, eh? She also (perhaps in an effort to connect with her college student audience) mentioned that Ararat is a popular brand of brandy from Armenia.
On a totally unrelated note, I must also mention here that in the process of doing this whole theater committee thing, you spend quite a bit of time plastering the greater campus area with posters of upcoming groups. That said, Shoghaken wins the prize of most true-to-life press pictures.
- courtney
In the midst of intermission, I got to talking with the lead female singer of the Shoghaken ensemble. She told me that the gold triangle pattern repeated on the costumes worn for the first half of the performance represented Mount Ararat. Mount Ararat, as it turns out, has all kinds of symbolic importance to Armenians. She described that when one looks out their kitchen window, and sees Mount Ararat, they truly feel at home. The kicker now is that Mount Ararat sits on Turkish soil, so the mountain takes on a whole new level of cultural importance. The lead singer (regrettably, I didn’t catch her name) then mentioned that Mount Ararat is the alleged locale of Noah finally reaching landfall with his ark. Pretty cool, eh? She also (perhaps in an effort to connect with her college student audience) mentioned that Ararat is a popular brand of brandy from Armenia.
On a totally unrelated note, I must also mention here that in the process of doing this whole theater committee thing, you spend quite a bit of time plastering the greater campus area with posters of upcoming groups. That said, Shoghaken wins the prize of most true-to-life press pictures.
- courtney
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Showing off our hard work
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
On the Other Hand…
We have a great tradition here at the Wisconsin Union Theater of many great actors and actresses appearing on our stage. In fact, the very first performance (way back in 1939) was “The Taming of the Shrew” performed by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (As Ralph describes, the Brad and Jennifer of their day). Lunt and Fontanne even interrupted the run of their performance on Broadway to come back to Madison and christen the theater. Pretty snazzy, eh?
Ever since Lunt and Fontanne’s final bow that night in 1939, the WUT has hosted numerous others including Paul Robeson, Uta Hagen, Jose Ferre, Hal Holbrook, Raymond Massey, Fredric March, Agnes Moorehead, Brian Donlevy, Daniel J. Travanti, Helen Hayes, Vincent Price, Henry Fonda, and Anthony Quinn. Last Saturday’s performance of “Rose” with Olympia Dukakis fit perfectly into our history of spectacular performers.
“Rose,” a one-woman show, detailed one woman’s journey throughout the 21st century. She began as a Holocaust survivor in Ukraine, and the story followed through her life, and with its many loves and losses, ending with her, just as she began, sitting shiva on a bench. (It should be noted here that that bench was made with love, care, and painstaking detail by our theater technical director Jeff - and is now signed by Ms. Dukakis!)
Ever since Lunt and Fontanne’s final bow that night in 1939, the WUT has hosted numerous others including Paul Robeson, Uta Hagen, Jose Ferre, Hal Holbrook, Raymond Massey, Fredric March, Agnes Moorehead, Brian Donlevy, Daniel J. Travanti, Helen Hayes, Vincent Price, Henry Fonda, and Anthony Quinn. Last Saturday’s performance of “Rose” with Olympia Dukakis fit perfectly into our history of spectacular performers.
“Rose,” a one-woman show, detailed one woman’s journey throughout the 21st century. She began as a Holocaust survivor in Ukraine, and the story followed through her life, and with its many loves and losses, ending with her, just as she began, sitting shiva on a bench. (It should be noted here that that bench was made with love, care, and painstaking detail by our theater technical director Jeff - and is now signed by Ms. Dukakis!)
On the other hand, (to take the phrase from Rose’s character..) on February 22nd and 23rd, another theater great, Tom Wopat, will grace the WUT stage with his performance in the Four Seasons Theatre’s production of “Follies”
February is quite the month for acting here at the WUT. If you’re interested in keeping up to date with the progress of the Follie’s cast.. check out THEIR blog at …
http://nadinegoff.blogspot.com
- Courtney
A Ghoulishly Good Time
Typically, theaters are known not only for their show-stopping performances but for their affinity for attracting spirits, ghosts, supernatural forces, or whatever term you’d like to use to describe the inexplicable. The WUT is no exception; many staff and visitors have reported strange sights and sounds coming from the almost 70 year-old venue.
I sat in on the first session of one of the newest Mini Courses, Spirit in the House: Ghosts in the Wisconsin Union Theater, to report on what every good ghost hunter needs.
The class began with an intimate tour of the theater–from wandering around in the dark and eerie trap room, to viewing the ancient projectors in the projection room, to walking the planks in the ceiling, participants saw many of the nooks and crannies most patrons never see. Heather Good, our fearless tour guide, noted places in the theater where activity has been reported. The details of the activity were not disclosed and for good reason. The human mind is easily influenced. One student said that the tour of the theater alone was worth the price of admission. I won’t argue with that!
Following the tour, the class sat in the Green Room and discussed some of the tools of the trade. From the fancy, pricey anamometer, which measures drafts, to the somewhat primitive yet just as effective pair of candles, students jotted notes on what to bring, what to do, and what not to do.
Want to go on your own ghost hunt? Here’s some basic tools:
Candles (group in pairs; to measure drafts)
Unsharpened pencils (Stand on eraser end in all over a room and wait for them to fall)
Video camera (infrared a plus!)
Digital camera
flashlight with red gel
tape recorder (or if you’re really cheap, notebook and pencil)
a penny in a tupperware container (also known as a fool-proof trigger object)
Here’s what to do:
Always look for a cause: WHY did this happen; WHAT could explain what happened;
Always write down EVERYTHING: time, place, circumstance, details, details, details!
If you think you see something, don’t look at it directly; peripheral vision is better in the dark.
Go in groups of at least two. Safety in numbers!
Here’s what NOT to do:
Watch a horror movie marathon right before you go
Go in completely convinced something will happen (or won’t happen)
Fall asleep while on the job (dreams sometimes can feel real)
For more information, or if you want to join next session’s ghost hunting class, visit the mini courses website!
Thanks to Jim Post and the ghost-hunting class for allowing me to sit in!
Friday, February 1, 2008
“helloooo maaadddiiisssoooonnnn!!!”
The Union Theater hosts awesome stuff on a regular basis. and I mean that… truly awesome stuff. But every so often, we host a group that truly carries an air of greatness. Hugh Masekela and the Chissa All-Stars fit that exactly. The moment Masekela walked on stage, you could feel the reverence the crowd had for him, and for his music. His music told stories. The audience heard tales of Darfur, of exploited oil workers, of hiv/aids, of apartheid … but always with a strain of hope attached to his melodies - he performed with a smile. For one who’s continent has been plagued time and time again with all the shit (pardon the word) the world can throw at it, to have such hope and jubuillation come through in their music is really nothing short of amazing. I’m quite certain I’ll be walking around singing “bring him back home” for some time to come.
- courtney
- courtney
