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(09/23/16 3:16am)
Nineties-alternative music was in full force last night at the IU Auditorium when experimental rocker Beck and opener Nick Valensi, guitarist for the Strokes, played a sold-out show. Beck, who donned his typical wide-brimmed hat, danced, whirled and jumped in front of the geometric shapes and bright colors flashing across the video screen behind him.
(09/21/16 1:14am)
Nick Valensi will open for singer-songwriter Beck with his new band CRX at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at IU Auditorium.
(09/13/16 2:50am)
The fast-paced opening number of “Rent” set the tone for the musical as the entire cast ran, danced and sang across the stage just moments after the beginning lines.
(09/12/16 12:19am)
In a time of hatred and intolerance, “Rent” is celebrating individuality and love.
(09/07/16 11:23pm)
The IU Health Center and the IU Auditorium will collaborate on the upcoming Sexploration panel discussion in anticipation for “Rent,” coming to the Auditorium on Sept. 12 through Sept. 14.
(09/15/14 11:53pm)
Trumpets blare and the audience claps as the members of the platform party march onstage at the IU Auditorium.
(08/19/14 2:49am)
A couple dips their feet in Showalter Fountain on Monday outside the IU Auditorium.
(08/19/14 2:49am)
Graduate student Levi Tenen rides down the new bike path Monday near the IU Auditorium. The path, which was completed over the summer, is designed make the walkway easier for bikers to navigate.
(05/09/14 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The “Jersey Boys,” Jay Leno and Straight No Chaser are among 15 shows coming to IU Auditorium for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. According to a press release from IU Auditorium, the season will begin with Rosanne Cash on Sept. 25 and continue through April 2015, ending with the Broadway musical “Memphis.”Senior Amanda Kight said she anticipates a good season.“That’s the most appealing lineup I’ve seen in a while,” she said. Maria Talbert, IU Auditorium’s associate director, said in an email that the IU Auditorium is thrilled for the upcoming season. “We have a lot of productions on the schedule that have never before played IU Auditorium,” she said. “Plus, to have a week’s worth of performances of the amazing Broadway hit Jersey Boys is definitely something to be excited about.”Bloomington will play host to an especially star-studded performance list. Within the upcoming 15 shows, a variety of talent will be showcased. Whether it is comedy, classical music, musicals or acrobatics, a sampler of performing arts will be highlighted for students and community members to choose from.Talbert said it is part of the auditorium’s mission to keep each season diverse through the amount of talent that is brought in. “To best serve our community, we feel it is integral to present selections that not only appeal to a wide variety of tastes, but allow access to artists and culturally-significant ensembles that the Bloomington and IU communities might not otherwise have the chance to be exposed to,” she said.More importantly, she pointed out the benefits of having these performers brought in to campus. “Bringing in world-class artists and entertainers is one of IU Auditorium’s special perks,” she said. “It is inspiring to work alongside those that are recognized for the excellence of their craft. Plus, we often have the opportunity to collaborate with the artists to provide learning opportunities for IU students and members of the Bloomington community.”Talbert said a lot of work went into planning the 2014-2015 season.“We always start with a yearly survey of our audiences to get a feel for the titles and genres that our patrons most want,” she said.“Then we start researching available artists and shows.”There are many acts that the auditorium seeks out directly, Talbert noted, but there are others that reach out to them. Tickets for the shows range from about $20 to $40 for students and $30 to $60 for the general public, depending on the prestige of the show.Talbert advises students not to wait if they want to buy tickets. Everything is available on the IU Auditorium website, she said.Tickets can be paid for through students’ Bursar accounts.“We want all IU students to have access to the best possible seats for the shows they want to see,” Talbert said. “So we encourage students to order their tickets before they leave for the summer.”
(04/25/14 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At 9:15 p.m., opening act Isaiah Rashad peeled off his shirt and lit a cigarette in the same place Meryl Streep received her honorary doctoral degree from the University a little more than a week ago.Within the hour, Union Board’s official Little 500 performer ScHoolBoy Q would be performing at the IU Auditorium. Men in bucket hats and basketball jerseys and women in crop tops screamed in anticipation. He came on stage close to 10 p.m. and after introducing himself, opened with his popular single “Hands On The Wheel.”“Excited is an understatement,” freshman Melissa Broaddas said before the show.Before getting on stage he tweeted from his account, @ScHoolBoyQ, “Bout to Hit da stage!!!!!! Go #HOOSIERS.”Freshman Kersea Gable came to the concert with a high school friend, Tommy Green.“We kinda freaked out,” Gable said. “We were sitting there waiting in front of the computer until the tickets went on sale.”During the concert, ScHoolBoy Q played other songs such as “Collard Greens” from his 2014 album “Oxymoron” that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. It sold 139,000 copies in the week ending March 2 and was the largest debut album since Eminem’s “Marshall Mathers LP 2” came out in November of last year. The auditorium was nearly sold out for the concert. The venue can hold about 3,300 people. IU Auditorium representatives said they sold all but some seats of the “obstructed view” seating in the balcony.Freshman Shantanece Ellis and Broaddus said they bought their tickets half an hour after they went on sale. Opening acts for the show began at around 8 p.m. starting with all California-based acts, Audio Push, Vince Staples and then Isaiah Rashad.They performed samples of their own music as well as covers of Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Throughout the concert, fog floated up to the ceiling and a Technicolor rainbow of lights shined out into the crowd and onto the organ pipes on the walls, making the room resemble the Kilroy’s Sports Bar dancefloor more than the IU Auditorium. As part of the Oxymoron World Tour, ScHoolBoy Q has visited several other college campuses in the last month.He is a member of rap group Black Hippy with Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul.Sophomores Sid Suresh and Jason Garza said they didn’t know very much about ScHoolBoy Q before he was announced as the Little 500 performer, but they bought tickets anyway. “They always choose good music,” Garza said. “I’ve yet to find a concert I don’t like, and there was time to learn his music.”
(04/23/14 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A graffiti-covered concrete wall sits on stage. The words “Sharks” and “Jets” are etched on the wall.The wall comes up. The Jets, a group of Polish-Americans, appear onstage first and begin to dance. In the middle of the dance, a member of the Sharks, a group of immigrants from Puerto Rico, enters. The Jets stop and rebuff the Sharks member.A dance battle ensues, highlighting the rivalry between the two gangs on New York City’s west side.The musical “West Side Story” made its first-ever appearance in the IU Auditorium Tuesday. Another performance will take place at 8 p.m. today.The show is famous for its choreography. Another dance battle between the groups occurs later at a dance in a neighborhood gym. During this dance, Tony, a member of the Jets, and Maria, a young Puerto Rican immigrant, meet and fall in love. They sneak away to Maria’s balcony and express their love with the well-known song “Tonight,” while Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, listening right inside the balcony door. Freshman Kaitlyn Hockerman said Tuesday was the first time she had seen the musical live.“This has always been one of my favorite movies,” she said, “so I just decided to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself.”Hockerman said her favorite parts of “West Side Story” are the musical numbers and the adaptation of the classic story.“I’m a huge musical fan, and hearing it live is going to be 100 times better than watching it on screen,” she said. “I really like the time period as well.”“West Side Story” first opened on Broadway in 1957. The current national tour is based on the 2009 Broadway revival. Joy and Dean Jones came to the auditorium with their children, Levi, 12, and Lydia, 9. Joy said seeing the show was Lydia’s birthday present.Joy said though she and Lydia had previously seen “West Side Story” through a production at the Project School Bloomington, Dean and Levi had never seen it. “We just enjoy theater,” Joy said. “It’s a really fun show. We thought it would be a good introduction for our kids to professional theater.”Before the show, members of the cast gave a talk to audience members about life as part of “West Side Story.” Another talk took place after the show. Margaret Radke, a Bloomington resident and alum of the Jacobs School of Music, said she has seen “West Side Story” many times, some of them through the opera department of Jacobs.“I grew up with this,” she said. “This is Bernstein. This is classic.”She said her favorite part of the show is the music.“It’s stellar,” she said. “Modern music does not get any better than this.”
(04/22/14 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There will be a performance of the long-running musical “West Side Story” at 8 p.m. today and Wednesday at the IU Auditorium. The performance marks the end of the auditorium’s 2013-14 season and the first time the show has ever played at IU Auditorium.Tickets start at $20 for students and $38 for the general public. They may be purchased at iuauditorium.com or at the auditorium’s box office.The musical, loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” takes place in a neighborhood on New York City’s west side in the mid-1950s. The story centers around a rivalry between two gangs of different ethnicities — the Jets, a group of Polish-Americans, and the Sharks, a group of immigrants from Puerto Rico. At a dance, Tony, a member of the Jets, meets Maria, a young Puerto Rican-American woman. They fall in love, but because of flaring tensions between the two groups, they must keep their relationship discreet. The two hope to run away and find a place where they can be together in peace.Benjamin Dallas Redding — a 2013 graduate of Elon University in North Carolina — plays Riff, leader of the Jets. “West Side Story” marks his first major national tour. “I have never learned so much in my whole life,” he said. “It is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but one of the most rewarding.”The original production of “West Side Story” opened on Broadway in 1957. It was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Well-known songs include “Tonight,” “Maria” and “I Feel Pretty.” “West Side Story” was nominated for six Tony Awards in 1957, including Best Musical. In 1961, the stage show was adapted into a film starring Richard Beymer as Tony and Natalie Wood as Maria. The movie won 10 of the 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Picture. “West Side Story” was revived on Broadway four times, most recently in 2009. The 2009 revival, with book by Arthur Laurents, was the basis for the current national tour. Redding said the hardest parts of the show are life on the road and the physical exhaustion from all the dancing. The storyline can also be tough to perform each night, he added.“It’s a very emotional piece,” he said. “When I’m in the show, I’m never thinking about it. But by the time it’s over, I want to pass out and go to bed.” Although the show can be exhausting and emotionally taxing, Redding said he enjoys spending time with the rest of the cast. He said they’ve been together since March 8.“The fact that we still get along so well is a huge testament to this group,” he said. “It’s been an awesome experience.” Redding said he and his fellow actors try to keep “West Side Story” true to form with each performance.“We try to stay as real to what these people’s lives would be like as much as we possibly can,” he said.Redding said he enjoys being part of “West Side Story” because it’s a good show with a good story.“It’s hard not to have a night where you’re not super proud of what you’re doing,” he said. “If I wasn’t proud of this show already, I am even more now.”
(04/18/14 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was pitch black on the IU Auditorium stage. The sound of harmonizing male voices singing “Summer Nights” filled the theater. The curtain rose to reveal eight men in dark gray suits. They made up Gentleman’s Rule, an eight-member a cappella group opening for Under the Streetlamp.The show started at 8 p.m. It was the first show of the 50-city concert tour that Under the Streetlamp and Gentleman’s Rule will be headlining.Gentleman’s Rule originated at IU and focuses on contemporary and retro-style music.“We are so excited to be back here tonight to share our gifts with you,” Brent Mann, member of Gentleman’s Rule, told the audience.The group performed song covers ranging from “Ain’t No Sunshine” to “Good Life,” and modern hits such as Rihanna’s “Stay.” They sang in falsetto, beat-boxed and danced.“They have angelic voices, spiffy moves and have great charm. They are the total package,” Bloomington resident Theresa Wentsworth said before the show. “I look forward to hearing them perform again since they are music to my ears.”Audience members whistled and applauded at the performance. Under the Streetlamp, also an a capella group, got its start on the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys.”The group sang classics from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. “This group has the talent of bringing their own style to classics I used to listen to,” Indianapolis native Douglas Mackie said. “I have seen them before on the videos, and I look forward to seeing them live.”
(04/17/14 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Attendees murmured with excitement as they waited to catch a glimpse of acclaimed actress Meryl Streep. The crowd was hushed by the sound of four trumpet players. The platform party filed onto the stage of the IU Auditorium, and the crowd erupted into applause and cheers the moment Streep appeared on stage. Audience members rose to their feet. Streep smiled and sat down, placing her hand over her heart and nodding to the audience. IU President Michael McRobbie stepped up to the podium. “Today, we honor Meryl Streep.” The audience cheered again. IU Auditorium was host to Meryl Streep and the conferral of her honorary doctoral degree from IU. Nearly 3,200 seats to the event sold out within three hours of ticket sales opening. Almost all of the seats in the auditorium were filled to witness Streep’s ceremony and a conversation between her and Barbara Klinger, professor of film and media studies. McRobbie presided over the ceremony and introduced Streep and her many accolades. Streep has been honored with three Academy Awards and eight Golden Globes, McRobbie said.McRobbie said the way she delves deep into her roles allows us to not just be movie-goers, but witnesses. “By disappearing into her roles, Meryl Streep has made the world visible to us, and all of us are truly grateful,” he said. After the ceremony, Streep and Klinger sat on two cushioned chairs in the center of the stage. Klinger’s first question was about how Streep came to the acting profession. “I think I was probably like every other girl who puts on a princess dress and expects everyone to pay full and total attention,” Streep said. “And most of us grow out of that.”The audience erupted into laughter until Streep continued to say she had always been interested in people and wanted to work as an interpreter for the United Nations after her mother drove her to the headquarters in New York. “I thought it was vain to want to be an actress,” Streep said. ”Plus, I thought I was too ugly to be an actress. Glasses weren’t fabulous then.” Streep received her undergraduate degree from Vassar College and decided to apply to drama school at Yale. She signed up for law boards in her third year because she still didn’t believe she had the right to be an actress, Streep said. “Many of my friends woke up at 3 years of age and said, ‘I have to be on stage.’ I never had that,” Streep said. “I’ve always been an omnivore, and I actually fell into the profession that fed all my appetites.” Streep said she slept through the law boards because she had a performance the night before, and the rest was history. She graduated and quickly got work. She said the day she paid off her student loans was the happiest day of her life. After graduation, Streep appeared in several theater productions and later made the transition to film. She said every role is different and requires something new. “The whole movie happens in a moment between you and who you’re working with,” she said. “You have no idea what they’re going to bring, so the preparation only goes so far. You have to throw away all your preconceived ideas.” One way she connects with her characters is by being empathetic for the person she is playing.“It is possible for people of very diverse backgrounds to feel the feelings of someone not remotely like them,” Streep said. “Even crossing the gender line and the age line, even all the things that divide us. You can still feel what that person feels. That’s such an interesting, underused quality human beings have.” That gender line has been clouded in more recent times, Streep said. Now, women lead big corporations like Sony and Universal. “The business is changing,” Streep said. “That’s a really big difference from when I started. There was almost an impenetrable line of suits.” Her advice for women acting today is to not worry too much about their weight. “Girls spend way too much time thinking about that,” she said. For all actors, Streep advised finding the thing that’s weird about them and using it to their advantage. Directors pick up the people who are different, Streep said.This coming year, Streep will appear in three different films — “The Giver,” “Into the Woods” and “The Homesman.” Despite all of the fame and awards, Streep said she feels lucky for her opportunities. “I feel very, very guilty when the litany of my awards is trotted out because I feel like there are many women my age, in our industry, who are plenty capable of the work I’ve been doing,” Streep said. “The only reason I have a career at 64 is because I had hits late in life.” The event ended with a discussion of Streep’s role in the 2015 movie, “Suffragette,” about the heavy violence that occurred during Britain’s women’s suffrage movement.Streep watched the only video available of her character, Emmeline Pankhurst.Because she had never seen herself on camera or video, Pankhurst’s movements were not self-aware.“She has a demeanor you will never be able to achieve,” Streep said. “You’ve all been photographed and know what you seem like. You’re used to your outer performance.”Streep found the video interesting because nothing was designed about Pankhurst’s movements. “You could see the difference between people now who are so used to seeing themselves as objects and the people who are so in the gestalt of their bodies,” Streep said. “It taught me something about how to strive for unselfconsciousness.”
(04/16/14 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Meryl Streep has played many diverse film roles in her acting career. She was a mother fighting for custody. She was a Holocaust survivor. She was a devious fashion editor. This afternoon, she won’t be in front of the camera. She’ll be a speaker at the IU Auditorium.Streep will make her appearance at 3 p.m. She previously spoke at IU in 2010 for the Colloquium for Women of Indiana University’s fall workshop. “It is an unbelievable opportunity that the IU Cinema has been supplied with having an actor like Meryl Streep come talk to students,” IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said. “It isn’t something I would have foreseen three years ago.” Vickers said there is a longstanding relationship between the University and Streep, whose husband, Don Gummer, is an Indiana native. Additionally, Gummer is a sculptor who has made several public art displays installed at IU-Bloomington and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.According to the IU Cinema website, Streep will receive an honorary doctoral degree for her achievements in the arts and her contributions as a philanthropist. Considered by many film critics as one of the greatest living actors, Streep has had a successful acting career, with 18 Academy Award nominations and 28 Golden Globe nominations.“Meryl Streep is certainly an A-list actor and is certainly on top of the film scene,” Vickers said. “She is also an international ambassador for the art form.”Her visit this afternoon will be set up as an interview, led by Barbara Klinger, a professor in the Department of Communication and Culture.For the interview, audience members will be allowed to tweet questions for Streep, to potentially be asked by Klinger.Tickets for the event are free, but according to the auditorium’s box office, all the tickets for the lecture have been claimed.Doors to the auditorium open at 2 p.m. and all attendees are required to be present and seated no later than 2:50 p.m.After today’s lecture, she will present a screening of her film “A Prairie Home Companion,” in which Streep stars as Yolanda Johnson, at the IU Cinema.The cinema will also present several of Streep’s recent films, such as “The Iron Lady,” “Sophie’s Choice” and “August: Osage County,” in April and May in honor of her appearance.Students said they are excited to see the acclaimed actress. IU senior Emelly Rusli said she couldn’t be more excited to celebrate her last semester in school with this lecture.“Meryl Streep is an outstanding actress who truly lives the character she plays for in every one of her movies,” Rusli said. “This is my last semester at IU, and I have to say that her coming would be one of the highlights for my last few months here.”
(04/03/14 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2003, the Kennedy Center Honors said of Itzhak Perlman, “The world falls in love with music when Perlman takes up his violin.”Known for being one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Perlman will perform at 8 p.m. today in the IU Auditorium along with his longtime collaborator, pianist Rohan De Silva.Tickets prices for IU students range from $20 to $51, and tickets for the general public range from $38 to $69. Tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com or in person at the box office.Perlman and De Silva will perform works including “Sonata No. 8 in G Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 30 No. 3” by Beethoven, “Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major” by Franck and “Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Piano, L. 140” by Debussy.“It is a special honor for Indiana University Auditorium to host legendary violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. We are expecting it to be a magnificent performance,” said IU Auditorium Associate Director Maria Talbert. “Through our nearly 75 years as a presenter of world-class artists and entertainers, IU Auditorium has established deep professional relationships with many of the most celebrated names in musical performance, public speaking and more such as Yo-Yo Ma and Mr. Perlman himself.”Talbert said anyone attending should expect an exciting and inspirational performance filled with famous classical pieces, which are accented by Perlman’s distinct and undeniable charm.Perlman has won four Emmy awards, 15 Grammy awards, the Medal of Liberty from President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and the National Medal of the Arts from President Bill Clinton in 2000. He also collaborated with composer John Williams to create the Academy Award-winning score for “Schindler’s List.”“It is an experience no music lover should miss,” Talbert said. “This is a rare and valuable opportunity to experience for yourself why Mr. Perlman is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner.” Aside from his solo musical work, Perlman teaches at the Juilliard School’s Pre-College program as well as the Perlman Music Program, a program for exceptional string musicians between the ages of 11 and 18.“Perlman’s performances are always filled with the irrepressible joy of making music that only Perlman can so tangibly communicate with his audience,” Talbert said.
(04/01/14 2:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Menopause, The Musical,” showing at the IU Auditorium at 7 p.m. today, tells the story of four women who are brought together by a lingerie sale at Bloomingdale’s. Three women fight over a lacy black bra until they realize they all have something in common — aging.The women move to different areas of the department store through the rest of the production and talk about the symptoms of both menopause and aging.“It’s funny the title is ‘Menopause, The Musical’ because it’s more about just growing older,” actress Valerie Mackay said. “A lot of people enjoy it even if they’re not a woman or going through menopause.” Mackay plays the Earth Mother, who is one of the four women in the internationally-performed musical, each depicting a different stereotype of woman.“I love the Earth Mother because she’s most like me,” Mackay said. “She’s very spiritual and is always looking to be peaceful and happy.” The second actress is called the Iowa Housewife, who is an innocent character who seldom leaves her hometown. She takes propriety very seriously and is concerned with being appropriate and dignified. This character is the one most of the audience can probably identify with, Mackay said. “It’s her first time going to New York, but then she has a big opening-up and she kind of finds her wings,” she said. The third character is called the Soap Star. “Soap Star is our hot mess,” Mackay said. “She’s this beautiful woman who is a star on the soap operas, but now she’s being replaced by someone younger.” Losing her beauty is the main concern of this character, until she has an important realization at the end of the play.The final character is called the Power Woman, who has climbed to a high position in the business world. At every turn, this character tries to constantly be in charge, Mackay said. However, the Power Woman is experiencing symptoms of memory loss, where she constantly forgets what she was planning to say, which is a weakness in the business world. The four women are meant to represent different spectrums of women all around the world, and connect with the audience through the story and their parody renditions of 1960s, ’70s and ’80s hits. Power Woman performs a gospel reprise about hot flashes, and there is one disco melody to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive,” but the lyrics are changed to “Stayin’ Awake.” “It’s a funny script, but the magic happens in front of the audience,” Mackay said. “The audience becomes the other member of the cast. There are some moments that I’ve never heard an audience so loud.” Mackay said her favorite part of the show was being on stage and connecting with the audience. After one performance, Mackay said, a 23-year-old woman came up crying to the cast members. She told them that she had a hysterectomy, which is surgery that removes a woman’s uterus, and this had caused early menopause. She thanked them for their great performance and said that she had been going through everything they had shown on stage and it made her feel more comfortable with what was happening to her. “The audience can always recognize themselves in it or someone they know,” Mackay said. “A lot of men even say they think they’re going through menopause, too.”
(03/12/14 5:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform at 8 p.m. today in the IU Auditorium.Tickets start at $23 for students and $44 for the general public.The auditorium brought Alvin Ailey to IU because of the company’s popularity, prestige and culturally relevant work accomplished all over the world, IU Auditorium Associate Director Maria Talbert said.“They are one of the world’s most celebrated dance ensembles, and their live performances have been seen by over 23 million people,” Talbert said. “Witnessing the Ailey company perform is considered by many to be an artistic ‘rite of passage,’ and we are thrilled to be able to give that opportunity to the IU and Bloomingtoncommunities.”Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a performing arts community that works to preserve African-American heritage and celebrate other cultures as well, according to the group’s website.The group grew out of a performance by a man named Alvin Ailey and a group of African-American dancers in New York City in 1958. Their performance revolutionized African-American participation in dance and transformed modern dance in general.The group performs modern dance from a wide variety of influences including ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and ballroom.“It will at times be upbeat, fast-paced and lively, while others will be tender, gentle and endearing,” Talbert said. “Audience members often find they are so enraptured by the performances that they catch themselves holding their breath.”This is especially true for the final dance of the program, “Revelations.” Watching this piece can be a transcendent experience, Talbert said.“What I find so captivating about watching the Ailey company perform is their unique mix of stunning athleticism and deep, soulful spirituality,” Talbert said. “Audiences can expect to be awed by the sheer physical power of these dancers, and moved by their ability to connect to each viewer on a deeply personal level.”Talbert first saw the company perform when she was at Albion College, and it made an unforgettable impression on her, she said.“Whether or not you have seen a professional dance performance before, to watch anyone who is arguably the best in their field doing what has made them renowned is a unique and special experience,” Talbert said. “It’s like viewing the Mona Lisa, or watching Michael Jordan play basketball — if the chance presents itself to see it, you simply have to.”
(03/07/14 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thursday night, the IU Auditorium was flooded with little girls dressed in yellow princess dresses and crowns, all in deep preparation for their favorite Disney film brought to life.The famous Broadway musical “Beauty and the Beast” premiered at the auditorium at 7:30 p.m.“This show is based off of the standard Broadway production, but this is the first year that the IU Auditorium will be showing its updated state,” said Karyn McNay, auditorium marketing manager.“The play itself was just updated a few years ago with its set, costumes and musical numbers, so this is the first year that we are staging its new conception.” Almost every seat was reserved before the show started. Friday’s show will also begin at 7:30 p.m. and is nearly sold out. Tickets are available for purchase on the IU Auditorium’s website.This is the second time the IU Auditorium played “Beauty and the Beast,” with the team previously staging it in March 2010.“Beauty and the Beast” was directed by Rob Roth, and starred Hilary Maiberger and Darick Pead as the lead roles of Belle and the Beast.“We are happy to bring this classic tale back to the IU Auditorium stage, and are excited to see the how this beautiful story has been reimagined for its newest tour,” Booher said. “This production promises dazzling numbers, lavish sets and costumes, and unforgettable characters that will delight audiences of all ages.” The stage was decorated in an exotic French Gothic style with detailed curtains and lights picturesque of Disney style, and was also inspired by the original Broadway musical. Sponsored by B97 radio, the Herald-Times and the Curry Auto Center, the sponsors attended to present “Kids Night on Broadway” in conjunction with the presentation.Themed activities including a “Chip’s Tea Cup Toss” game and “Belle’s Book Drive,” were organized in the lobby before the show.Participants could donate used books to the Indiana South Central Community Action Head Start program through the book drive.Bloomington resident Jacob Ryder conveyed his enthusiasm about “Beauty and the Beast” coming back to the auditorium.“This is one of my all-time favorite Disney films. Words cannot express how excited I am,” Ryder said. “Indiana University always seems to deliver with all of their musicals and other play productions, so I have no doubt in my mind that this show will do incredibly well this weekend as well.”
(03/06/14 5:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will open at 7:30 p.m. today at the IU Auditorium.Tickets are available at $20 for students and $38 for the general public. There will be an additional performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday.The musical, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name, tells the story of Belle and her encounter with the Beast, who is actually a prince cursed because of his selfish behavior. The Beast has a limited time to learn how to love others, or else he must remain a hairy monster, and his servants must stay as the household objects into which they were transformed. The stage version of “Beauty and the Beast” features all of the movie’s music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with songs added specifically for the musical. Menken composed the music to these new songs and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics. The show made its Broadway debut in 1994 and ran for almost 5,500 performances before closing in 2007. Maria Talbert, associate director of the IU Auditorium, said in an email that “Beauty and the Beast” is special because it appeals to audiences of all ages.“This production is visually stunning, deeply heartfelt, and incredibly charming,” she said. “Everyone connects so strongly with this tale because we all want to be loved for more than what is on the exterior.”She said audiences will have a great experience, particularly if they haven’t previously seen the show on stage. “It is a joy to watch audience members light up when they see this show for the first time,” she said. “We expect to see a similar reaction at the performances this year.” Beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium lobby, attendees can take part in the second annual “Kids Night on Broadway.” Talbert said.“Beauty and the Beast”-themed activities, including a “Chip’s Tea Cup Toss” game and a station to make enchanted roses or bookmarks, will be available. She said participants are also encouraged to donate new or gently used books for “Belle’s Book Drive,” which benefits the Indiana South Central Community Action Head Start program. “Beauty and the Beast” last appeared in the Auditorium during the 2009-10 season. The current touring production brought back the original Broadway creative team, including costume designer Ann Hould-Ward, who won a Tony award in 1994 for her work in this musical.Talbert said because the stage production was reimagined, audiences can expect to see the show in a different way this time. “In no other show does a story spring to life like it does for ‘Beauty,’” she said. “It is visually, musically, and emotionally breathtaking.”