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(11/12/13 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bluebird Nightclub’s doors open at 7 p.m. for Communion, a show that
got its start in Europe but is now headlining on the second Tuesday of
every month in Bloomington and other cities across the United States. Communion
features artists Savoir Adore, On an On, The Night Sweats, 4 on the
Floor, Kam Kama and Skeleton Men and headliner Tennis.Tennis is
an indie-pop band from Denver. The band is composed of married couple
Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, who play the guitar and keyboard
respectively. They have three studio albums together, 2011’s “Cape Dory,” 2012’s “Young & Old” and 2013’s “Small Sound.” Small sound is a five-song EP released for the Communion tour. Music
is set to start at 7:30 p.m., and Dave Kubiak, Bluebird Nightclub
owner, said there will be a quick turnaround between acts to give the
audience “a chance to see several acts back-to-back in one place.” Communion began in 2006 and was founded by Mumford and Sons member Ben Lovett. Since
it’s conception, “‘Communion Presents’ shows have taken place across
the UK in Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Leeds, York, Oxford,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast, and internationally in
Melbourne, Nashville, San Francisco and New York City,” according to
Communion’s British website. In the 2013 tour, cities such as
Nashville, Tenn., New York, N.Y., Louisville, Ky., and Bloomington are
featured on the U.S. leg of the tour.Despite its varying acts, Communion prides itself on its “eclectic chaos,” according to its website.Communion
featured artists such as Mumford and Sons, Noah and the Whale and Peggy
Sue at the beginning of their careers, and they pride themselves in
“showcasing acts on the cusp of making it,” according to Kubiak. “It’s a great way to see great new music,” Kubiak said. Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(11/07/13 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For one night, IU students were able to experience a lively and powerful presentation on Jesus’ relevance today. The IU Auditorium presented AFTERDARK on Wednesday night, a one-night event designated to spread religious messages to college students on campuses from coast to coast.The event featured a concert performance by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, along with an enthralling presentation by world-renowned motivational speaker Joe White.The evening focused on the spiritual topic “is Jesus still relevant today and does he matter?” The introduction focused on the truth of Jesus and his gospel. Alternative singer and songwriter Holcomb and his wife Ellie Holcomb opened the event, performing their songs “Anywhere But Here” and “I Like To Be With Me When I’m With You.”Then White took the audience on a visual adventure of the biblical tale of Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross for all mankind. White actually portrayed himself as a Roman cross builder on stage by chopping and nailing two large cylinders of wood together to form the holy cross.“The followers of Jesus are still growing today, with over 22,000 followers getting baptized all over the world ever single day joining his alliance,” White said. “I hope by sparking conversation about Jesus today, this will allow people to find the honest search for truth of Christ.”His presentation showed a concern for Jesus’ death, comparing it to deaths of fathers all over, even comparing it to his family history. IU student Katie Pittman attended an AFTERDARK event at Ohio State, and she said she thinks students will obtain a powerful message from the event.“AFTERDARK is an opportunity to tell the biblical story of Jesus’s death and resurrection in a more authentic way for students of non-Christian backgrounds to understand,” Pittman said. “This assembly provided a captivating, reassuring and unforgettable message that people will be talking and thinking about for weeks after hearing it.”A student who said she is faithful to her Christian religion, sophomore Bridget Dotson said AFTERDARK was a great way to get the word out about Jesus so other students could build a strong relationship with God like she did.“Events like this don’t happen all the time at a secular University like IU, so I feel like so many hearts are going to be touched tonight and that God is seriously going to do something big with this campus,” Dotson said. “The students tonight have obtained a mighty opportunity, and this allows them to meet Jesus and truly encounter his presence and love.”
(11/07/13 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Southern rock is coming to the Bluebird Nightclub tonight in the form of Drive-By Truckers, who are set to start at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets for the show can be bought online or at the door for $20.Drive-By Truckers consists of band members Jay Gonzalez, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Brad Morgan and Matt Patton. Hood and Cooley have been with the band since its conception in the mid-1990s.Together, the group has released nine albums from “Gangstabilly” in 1998 to its most recent album, “Go Go Boots” in 2011.In a review on the band’s website, Rick Bass describes the band’s most recent album as both a transition for them as well as a culmination of all of their styles.“Here in ‘Go-Go Boots,’ the Truckers are country, and here, too, the Truckers are soul and rhythm and blues,” Bass said in the review. “It looks funny, on paper — the words country/soul mashed up like that — but maybe in the end it comes down to this one shared ethos: the harder life gets, the more clamantly it calls for art, for music, for beauty, for the slow celebration of loss or pain that is mournfully, beautifully defiant.”Bluebird Owner Dave Kubiak said the band comes to Bloomington about every year and a half, and over the years, it has acquired a Bloomington following, far from its Athens, Ga., roots.“Ticket sales have been good,” Kubiak said. “We’re expecting a few hundred people to show up. It should be a good show.”— Janica Kaneshiro
(11/04/13 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington’s Cardinal Stage Company premiered its production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play “August: Osage County” Nov. 2 at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium.The play is part of Cardinal’s 2013-14 season, titled “The Ties that Bind,” and will run until Nov. 17.“August: Osage County” is a black comedy theater piece written by acclaimed screenwriter Tracy Letts. It centers around three daughters and their overbearing mother reuniting as a dysfunctional family. Cardinal’s production was directed by Randy White and starred Diane Dorsey and Constance Macy as the lead roles of Violet Weston and Barbara Fordham, respectively.White said helping create this play took serious work, including coordinating the set and the cast.“This is a very famous play in this day and age that everyone knows and expects highly of, so accuracy was purely efficient,” White said. “Making it was innovative in every way imaginable, and it is something that will leave audience members on the edge of their seats for the duration of the play.” Cardinal’s sales and marketing manager Heidi Harmon said ticket sales for the opening weekend dates of the show were peaking to the point of being sold out, with the Saturday night show selling out.The cast received a standing ovation at the end of the Saturday night show. One of the attendees, Vivien Lancaster, said she has been a fan of the play ever since reading the script and seeing it on Broadway in New York City. She said her expectations were exceeded by Cardinal’s production.“It is as if the script came alive in a triumphant matter before our eyes,” Lancaster said. “It was as if the actors had lost themselves in their roles and just became a slave to the luminous storyline.”
(11/01/13 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Cardinal Stage Company will debut its production of “August: Osage County” at 7 p.m. at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center. The performance will serve as a preview, and the play will make its official premiere performance Saturday.“August” will run until Nov. 17 at the Waldron Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased online at cardinalstage.org or at the company’s main location at 900 S. Walnut St. Winner of multiple Tony Awards, including Best Play, “August: Osage County” tells the story of a dysfunctional family reunion. Taking place at the parent’s Oklahoma home during the month of August, the play follows the family for several weeks as it confronts the problems and conflicts within the members’ personal lives. The play also earned playwright Tracy Letts the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008. Randy White, who serves as artistic director for the Cardinal Stage Company production, said in a press release the play will leave audience members on the edge of their seats. “The wonderful thing about ‘August’ is that it’s intensely dramatic one moment and genuinely funny the next,” White said. “It’s good, old-fashioned storytelling with a wicked modern sensibility.”— Carolyn Crowcroft
(10/31/13 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 1975 cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has become a Halloween must-see for many, complete with transvestites, red lipstick and cannibalism. This weekend, locals and students will have an opportunity to “Time Warp” and become part of the show.Richard O’Brien’s musical about an engaged couple who end up at the home of a transvestite scientist first premiered in London in 1973 before it was adapted into a cult film two years later. A theatrical version of the musical, presented by University Players and Union Board, will hit the Buskirk-Chumley Theater stage tonight, Friday and Saturday. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” currently holds the record for longest-running theatrical release in film history.“We wanted to do something big,” said Caleb Blackerby, a senior arts management major and director of the University Players’ production of “Rocky Horror.” “We also wanted to use it as a fundraiser because we don’t usually charge for our shows.”Blackerby serves on the board of directors of University Players, a student-run theater organization, and said that even though the group receives funding from IUSA, it’s getting harder to come by.“This was our opportunity to both gain experience and potentially make some money for the group as well,” he said.“Rocky Horror” features 24 student performers and an additional eight students working behind the scenes.University Players decided to combine resources with Union Board to make “Rocky Horror” possible with a larger budget.“We needed to partner with someone in order to get the necessary money, and they also have a lot more experience with marketing than we do,” Blackerby said. “So their expertise combined with our expertise, it gets put together.”A signature part of a typical “Rocky Horror” performance is audience participation. Blackerby said audience members should dress up.“They’ll be out of the norm if they’re not,” he said.Although University Players has been rehearsing for “Rocky Horror” for seven weeks, the set for the show was built in only three days, which was a major challenge for University Players members, Blackerby said.“We’re fairly confident in saying this is the largest student-built set that IU has ever seen because most student groups don’t do shows here, but this was the only big stage available to us,” he said.Blackerby described his favorite part of the musical as “the whole show.”“It’s so high-energy the whole time,” he said. “You really don’t stop. It’s big musical numbers over and over, so it’s a lot of fun.”Even though the entire cast and staff of “Rocky Horror” are made up of undergraduate students, Blackerby said he doesn’t think it makes a difference in the quality of work.“We just really wanted to use this to prove that student groups and student-run organizations can do big shows and produce things of the same quality that you would see from the professional companies here in town and the theatre department as well,” he said. Follow reporter Rachel Osman on Twitter @rachosman.
(10/28/13 2:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the sun set over Bryan Park Friday night, more than 100 Bloomington residents — families, couples, kids — gathered in front of a lighted stage decorated with a grinning jack-o’-lantern back drop for an evening of scary storytelling at the Festival of Ghost Stories.Bloomington Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with the Bloomington Storytellers Guild, came together for the 31st year to bring scary stories and hot apple cider to the community.Greg Jacobs, community events coordinator for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said this is one of many events the Parks and Recreation department puts on to celebrate fall.Over the years, the event has brought more than just families out into the night to enjoy spooky tales, he said. Despite the chilly weather, he said the turnout was good.“There are of course, lots of families,” Jacobs said. “But there are also people on dates, empty nesters and anyone just passing by.“It has become much more than a family event as time has passed.”The event hasn’t always been outdoors at Bryan Park, but as Jacobs looked at the spread of people listening, huddled under blankets, clutching cups of hot cider, he said this venue “seems to be the best fit.”IU Library student Emily Stueven and her boyfriend said they were drawn to the event in part because it served as a nice date, but also because she is considering becoming a children’s librarian someday. She said learning storytelling is an important part of being a good children’s librarian, and getting to see how professionals tell stories is a great learning opportunity as well as a fun time.“This event is really cool,” Stueven said. “There is a nice variety of stories and story tellers. They’re very cinematic.”One such storyteller, Ken Oguss, who told the story “The Melting Herb” at the event, grew up in a family of storytellers. He has been telling stories professionally since 1978. Though he has been many places around the world telling stories, he said he much prefers being in Bloomington with the Storytellers Guild because the people of Bloomington seem to respond best to traditional storytelling.“I love telling stories here because the people of Bloomington take storytelling seriously,” Oguss said. “It isn’t just for kids.”
(10/25/13 2:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance continues its 2013-14 season Friday with the opening of “Chicago.”Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25, 26, 29 and Nov. 1 and 2. An additional performance will take place Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. All performances are in the Wells-Metz Theatre in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center.With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, lyrics by Ebb and music by John Kander, the original Broadway production of “Chicago” premiered in 1975 and ran until 1977. It was revived in 1996 and currently holds the record for the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.The 2002 film version of “Chicago,” directed by Rob Marshall, received critical acclaim. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture.In addition to seeing the show, audiences and community members will be able to view “Vamps and Voyeurs,” a Kinsey Institute exhibition that will be on display in the lobby gallery of the Wells-Metz Theatre. Featuring various pieces of art and artifacts relating to crime, the exhibit will be open to the public during every evening performance of “Chicago” beginning at 7 p.m.Tickets to “Chicago” may be purchased at the IU Auditorium Box Office, the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center box office, or the department’s website, theatre.indiana.edu. The Oct. 25 performance is sold out.— Rachel Osman
(10/24/13 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Comedian Paul Reiser will be performing at the Comedy Attic Friday and Saturday.Tickets cost $34.50 and can be purchased on the Comedy Attic’s website. Reiser is known for co-creating and starring in the NBC sitcom, “Mad About You.”He has also appeared in the 1982 film “Diner” and is included in Comedy Central’s list of 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.Before Reiser’s Bloomington shows, the IDS spoke to him about his love of comedy and the highlights of his career.IDS Have you always loved comedy? What inspired you to pursue it as a career?Paul Reiser I always loved comedy, even as a kid, but I didn’t know that it was something you could actually do.I just thought those guys I was enjoying on TV were just appointed or something.But when I was in college, comedy clubs in New York City were suddenly the focal point, a place where you could go and learn the craft. Really just by going up and doing it.But the timing of it was perfect. It was just when I really began to focus on comedy, I suddenly had a place to go.IDS So you’ve done TV, writing and performances with live audiences on stage. Which do you prefer and why?Reiser I actually love doing stand-up the most because it’s the most pure. There’s no waiting, there’s no needing to get approval from networks, studios or funding, or test groups.You think of something you think is funny, and you go tell it on stage. The audience will tell you right then and there if it’s funny.And also, it’s such an elusive thing. It changes from night to night, audience to audience.IDS What is your favorite thing that you’ve done in your career thus far?Reiser Well, certainly the seven years of “Mad About You” were something that happens once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky.That was a wonderful thing, to be in that many people’s homes and lives for that long.The other thrill was making the movie called “The Thing About My Folks” with the late, great Peter Falk.It was a movie I wrote for him, and I was thrilled just that he said yes, but making it was a joy.IDS What is the weirdest/funniest thing that has happened to you during a show?Reiser I honestly couldn’t say. My hunch is it’s going to happen this weekend in Bloomington.Follow reporter Alexis Benveniste on Twitter @apbenven.
(10/22/13 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Art Museum is welcoming a collection of puppets from Java that will be on display on the second floor of the Museum in the Gallery of the Art of Asia and the Ancient Western World.Today is the first day the collection will be on display, and it will remain open to the public through Dec. 2013.The exhibit is presented in conjunction with “Stories With Shadowy Figures,” a puppet show that will occur Sunday, Oct. 27, from 2-4 p.m., in the Thomas T. Solley Atrium in the Art Museum.Assistant professor of theatre and shadow puppet performer Jennifer Goodlander will present a Balinese shadow puppet performance and an art-making activity inspired by the Indonesian puppets in the gallery. Goodlander’s dissertation, with funding from a Fullbright Fellowship took her to Indonesia, where she studied women and the performing arts in Bali.She ended up focusing on wayang kulit, which is more commonly known as shadow puppetry.Currently, Goodlander is reworking her dissertation into a book that is tentatively called “Women in the Shadows: Gender, Puppets, and the Power of Tradition in Bali.”In her dissertation and tentative novel, Goodlander argues that puppetry and gender are linked. Goodlander’s demonstration and performance Sunday is free and open to the public, and all materials for art-making activities will be provided.Light refreshments will also be available.— Amanda Arnold
(10/15/13 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>San Francisco natives Hot Buttered Rum will play at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Bluebird Nightclub.The performance is sponsored by Groove Productions and also features fiddler Allie Kral and The New Old Calvary.Hot Buttered Rum is made up of five members — Aaron Redner, who plays the fiddle, acoustic and electric mandolins and sings; Bryan Horne, who plays double bass and sings; Eric Yates on banjos, guitars, woodwinds and vocals; Lucas Carlton on drums and percussion; and Nat Keefe on guitar and sings. Their combined sounds make for a relaxed bluegrass genre, and, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, “few things rejuvenate the soul like a warm fireside drink after an exhausting day in the snow. Hot Buttered Rum has that effect.”Tickets are $10 to see the Bluegrass/Americana band, but they can be purchased for $5 through groove-productions.com. Dillon Gross is one of two owners of Groove Productions, which works to bring funk and bluegrass music to Bloomington.Gross said this performance in Bloomington is different from what Hot Buttered Rum is used to.“They mostly tour on the West Coast doing bluegrass festivals, so this is a rare performance for them in the Midwest,” he said.The other featured artists are kicking off the performances at 9 p.m., and they include` Allie Kral, a former fiddler for the band Cornmeal.“She is incredibly talented,” Gross said. “She’s a well-known touring musician who fits in with Hot Buttered Rum really well.”But beyond being good musicians, Hot Buttered Rum also has good chemistry, according to its website. “Hot Buttered Rum lives for songs. Songs to sing in the shower. Songs to crank through your earbuds at the DMV. Songs to name your babies after, and then make more babies to.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/11/13 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>University Players, an on-campus, undergraduate-run theater production company, will perform “Hello Herman” at 7 p.m. Friday at the IU Studio Theater. Based off the American drama written by John Buffalo Mailer, the play illuminates 16-year-old Herman Howards’ decision to enter a suburban school and kill 39 students, two teachers and a police officer. Before his arrest, Howards emails acclaimed journalist Lax Morales some footage of the shooting, saying he hopes to tell his story on Morales’ TV show.According to the University Player’s Facebook page, the production provides an in-depth look at what makes killers like Herman cause tragedies such as school shootings.“Hello Herman is a mind-blowing examination of how tragic events like Columbine and Virginia Tech continue to happen in our country. No stone is left unturned as Lax searches for an answer to the question everyone’s been asking but no one has been able to find: Why?” according to the page.Before opening itself up to becoming a play, “Hello Herman” was a film released in June 2013 by All In Films, an independent production company. Directed by Michelle Danner, the film appeared at the 16th Annual Hollywood Film Festival last October. The film also received several award nominations, including the 2013 Monaco Film Festival’s award for Social Relevance.— Olivia Williams
(10/09/13 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>ComedianScott Long will perform at the Comedy Attic Saturday as part of a fundraiser for the Special Olympics of Indiana-Monroe County. The event will start at 4 p.m. with a silent auction, followed by a meet-and-greet with the comedian. Long’s stand-up set will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased in advance at eventbrite.com. To anyone who purchases tickets in advance, the Comedy Attic will provide two free tickets to an upcoming show.Long has been performing for more than 15 years, and his show has taken him to comedy clubs and venues around the nation. His act features references to his family, specifically his daughter, Maddie, who has autism spectrum disorder.“I wanted to create a show that had a mix of irreverent humor and poignant moments,” Long said in a press release. “To me, if you have enough of those things going on, your life will be richer.”Outside of touring, Long has other credits to his résumé. He has written sketches for the NFL pregame show on FOX, and he has appeared on numerous radio shows, including the Bob and Tom Show, ESPN and the XM comedy channel.SOIMC serves Special Olympics athletes in Monroe, Lawrence and Owen counties. Denise Brown, who serves as county coordinator for SOIMC, said the organization is excited to have Long support its cause. “We are extremely lucky to have such a nationally-renowned comedian offer to help us raise money for our local Special Olympics program,” Brown said in a press release. “Because our organization operates entirely on donations and fundraising, we are extremely grateful to Scott for being so generous with his time and talents.”For more information on SOIMC, visit specialolympicsmonroecounty.org.— Carolyn Crowcroft
(10/08/13 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Aaron Carter is bringing the party to Bloomington at 9 p.m. for a sold-out performance at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.Carter said this tour, the After Party Tour, is his first after being on hiatus from pop music to try his hand at the off-Broadway musical, “The Fantasticks.”“It’s been eight years since I toured,” Carter said. “It’s been really tough to get people to believe in me again, but I’ve done over 400 performances in a Broadway production, and a booking agent noticed I’ve done so many performances and grown through those performances, so he said, ‘I’m booking you for a tour.’”Bloomington is a stop on the tour due in large part to the efforts of IU junior Brett Bassock, founder of SimplyLive Entertainment.Bassock has worked in concert promotion since high school, when he helped create a battle of the bands event. From there, he said he “fell in love” with the industry and began interning with various companies to get his foot in the door.“I interned when I was 18 with Atlantic Records,” Bassock said. “I lived in L.A. and worked in L.A., and I think I really found my niche.”Bassock took a break from promoting during his first couple years in Bloomington, but earlier this year, he said he wanted to promote again. He and his friends, Bassock said, had an agenda to do something college students are really looking for.“We wanted to do something nostalgic, so we thought about big ’90s bands and performers, and Aaron Carter came up,” Bassock said. “Aaron Carter really is from our generation, so we started working on a show.”Carter said he is no longer the 12-year-old boy who originally performed his greatest hits, but he still plays them because it’s what his fans love.“I am always going to perform my old songs — that’s what people know me for,” Carter said. “I want to reconnect with everybody first, rebuild my fan base, then release new music. “If I just went straight to releasing new music, then they’re going to expect me to release an album like I’m 12, and I’m not 12 anymore.”Carter said the unfortunate part of being a child star is that he feels he has something to prove as an adult, but he said his years off from touring can help him break back into the industry.“Honestly, I think some people just come to make fun of me, and they see it’s a real show,” Carter said. “I just try to prove them wrong. I’ve been performing for 18 years, so I’m a real performer. “They think I’m an amateur, but having live musicians and doing off-Broadway helped me develop my craft and become a much better singer.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twiiter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/03/13 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Eddie Pepitone is a 54-year-old comedian who’s just recently making headway on the comedy scene. He will perform this weekend at the Comedy Attic. There will also be a screening of his autobiographical documentary titled “The Bitter Buddha.”“There will be people who think this is the best show they’ve ever seen,” said Jared Thompson, owner of the Comedy Attic. “He’s by far our most requested comedian.”The first screening is at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $15.More ticket information is available at bitterbuddha.eventbrite.com.Frustrated with a lack of fame after almost two decades of performing, Pepitone is known for often heckling himself. “He’s definitely angry,” Thompson said. “But everything is measured, and it’s just part of his act. He knows what he’s doing when he goes on stage.”His first stand-up album only came out in 2011. After a slow-moving career, Thompson said Pepitone is finally getting what he deserves.“People like him who have done this a long time are getting their dues — recreating their careers,” he said.Pepitone’s up-and-coming career is chronicled in “The Bitter Buddha,” which has earned a “fresh” rating of 94 percent on rottentomatoes.com.“It’s pretty well documented that we book the hippest lineup in the United States,” Thompson said. But Thompson said he tries to book a schedule that anyone can get into.“Although we book a lot of 30-somethings that college kids know, we’re also looking to bring in the everyday comedy fan,” he said. “Pepitone will do that.”He said college students will know Pepitone from his guest starring on shows like “Conan” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”“He has a unique take on the world of stand-up comedy,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be a different show.”Follow reporter Ashley Jenkins in Twitter @ashmorganj.
(09/27/13 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The story of a hypochondriac and those trying to save him from himself is told through physically demanding performances in Friday’s premiere of “The Imaginary Invalid.”Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre, with additional showings next week.“Imaginary Invalid,” a comédie-ballet, first premiered in 1673 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris.The satire tells the story of a hypochondriac named Argan and chronicles his many attempts to cure himself of his imaginary illnesses. Despite constant reminders of his health, Argan can’t be convinced and even tries to force his daughter to marry a doctor.Josh Krause, a second-year M.F.A. student who plays Argan, said he was drawn to the obscurity of the storyline and his character’s complete belief that he is deathly ill.“Everyone else is separately trying to save him from himself, and yet no one ever really succeeds in getting him to accept that about himself,” Krause said.Director Gavin Cameron-Webb, who previously directed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Richard III” for IU Theater, modernized certain aspects of “Invalid” to relate to today’s health care industry.“I hope they take away the director’s vision for the play that not everything can be solved with a pill,” Krause said.With the large amount of movement that takes place on stage, “Invalid” has proven to be physically taxing for Krause.“It’s a constant battle of not running completely out of breath because then you can’t serve the text,” he said. “It’s about finding a balance between the physical and vocal demands.”Senior Courtney Lucien plays Angélique, Argan’s daughter and the center of a love triangle. Lucien said she was immediately drawn to her character.“I love ingénue characters with a twist,” she said. “I wanted to experiment with how different she could be as a stock character.”Lucien said although she has found some challenges come with a period piece like “Invalid,” she admires Angélique’s spirit when it comes to love.“She’s a strong, sassy young woman who’s on a mission, and she won’t let society or her father get in the way,” she said. “She believes that nothing will stand in the way of her getting the love of her life, which, hilariously, is a guy she met a week ago.”Lucien said because of the physical and visual nature of the show, audiences will get most of the story’s humor from the things they see.However, she and the other actors still had to find reality within the humor and portray their characters as real people.“It can’t just be funny to be funny,” Krause said. “There has to be some real determination that each character’s fighting for.”Follow reporter Rachel Osman on Twitter @rachosman.
(09/20/13 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sounds of Mozart will fill the Musical Arts Center Friday and Saturday night as the IU Opera and Ballet Theater begins its 2013-14 season with two performances of Le Nozze di Figaro. The four-act comedic opera, based on a 1784 stage comedy by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais, was composed in 1786 by Mozart in collaboration with Italian librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was the first of three collaborations between the duo, who later created Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte.“Figaro is such incredible music,” Stage Director Christopher Alexander said. “It’s so unbelievably beautiful and intelligent, and dramaturgically, what Mozart and Da Ponte put together from Beaumarchais’s work is quite remarkable.”Adam Walton, a second-year doctoral student in voice performance, is one of two men to play the titular role in the double-casted production. “It’s such a fun show to be in,” he said. “It’s very crowd-pleasing, and the audience always likes it.”With only three weeks of rehearsals, Alexander said it was a challenge to get “Figaro” ready for the stage with two casts in such a short amount of time. He also said the comedic nature of the show required more preparation than more serious operas. “It’s a very intelligent comedy, so in comparison to a drama or tragedy, you’re giving three or four times as many instructions to your people on stage,” he said. “And they have to be practiced because slapstick is much more difficult as processed on stage than straight drama.”Anastasia Talley, a second-year master’s student in vocal performance, plays Figaro’s fiancée Susanna. She said she enjoyed being challenged to capture the versatility and intricacy of her character.“I wanted to play Susanna because I really love her spirit,” Talley said. “She’s a very dimensional character — spicy, smart, loving and caring.”Walton, a bass-baritone, said he’s excited to play Figaro because the character is different than many of his past roles.“For my voice type, this is one of the few roles you get to play where you’re the hero of the show,” he said. “Usually you’re a villain or an old man or a father. It’s really fun to be the hero that people are rooting for.”But playing the hero comes with its own set of challenges, as Walton discovered. “It’s a lot harder to play a good guy than a bad guy,” he said. “When you’re playing a bad guy, you can be over the top, but when you’re the good guy, you have to always be in control and be noble and likable all the time.”When rehearsing for “Figaro,” Talley said Alexander was encouraging and patient and allowed her to bring her own ideas to the stage. “He provided such a sturdy framework for this insanely complex opera, but he also gives you room for your own interpretation,” she said.In regards to his directing style, Alexander said it is important to remember he is not the one on stage. “They’re on stage, so the more of the characters that comes from them, the better it is,” he said of the performers. “I’m like a big mirror for many people on stage, and I try to inform them about what they’re showing me or not showing me as much as possible.”Although the set being used for the show is not new, members of the artistic staff, including lighting designer Patrick Mero and set and costume designer Robert O’Hearn, worked to capture the essence of the 18th-century surroundings and bring the story to life. Alexander said he hopes the performers make the roles come alive for audiences and bring the passion of the comedy to the stage. “Everybody on stage has some intention and some purpose and wants to get that with the blood of his heart,” he said. “The audience has to see that and go along with it.”Walton said “Figaro” is the kind of show all types of people can enjoy.“If you have never seen opera, this is absolutely one of the best operas you can go to,” he said. “It’s funny, touching, and has beautiful music. It has everything you could want out of a show for an evening.”Follow Jacobs School of Music reporter Rachel Osman on Twitter @rachosman.
(09/19/13 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Amidst floating balloons and animal costumes, STRFKR took the stage last night at the Bluebird Nightclub with Rod Tufcurls.This is the band’s first time in Bloomington, but it has been touring across the country — two nights ago, it was in Chicago, and Friday it will be in St. Louis, said band manager Chance Jackson.Jackson met the drummer Keil Corcoran when they were 16-years-old at a Modest Mouse concert, and he ran into the band by chance several years later.“I met the rest of them at Outside Lands festival in 2011,” Jackson said. “Then they asked me to go on tour with them to help drive, sell merchandise, breakdown and set up.”Jackson said STRFKR saved him from a bad time in his life.“I was miserable in my job and depressed,” Jackson said. “I just got out of a long relationship, and I got the opportunity to travel with the band, see the world, go to New York, so I quit my job and had the best week of my life.”Even after that tour ended, Jackson stayed on board with STRFKR and has since gleaned more responsibilities and become a part of the greater team. “I became tour manager, so each time we go out, I do more and more stuff,” Jackson said. “Before the tour starts, I help with organization, renting practice space, ordering records, getting to design the shirts. But pretty much every night, I get to crowd surf as an astronaut so that’s pretty awesome.”Fan Nick Kieper said he was visiting a friend in town when he heard STRFKR was playing, and he couldn’t help but believe it was divine intervention.“It’s funny how when you go about existing in the world, things fall into place, and I just think finding it here is one miraculous moment,” Kieper said.Follow local music reporter on Twitter @JanicaKaneshiro.
(09/12/13 1:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bluebird Nightclub will be filled with all of the base and dancing that comes with trap music Thursday night. Luminox is headlining with opening acts the Dub Knight, Shy Guy Says and Nick Samero starting at 9 p.m., but doors open at 8 p.m.Tickets go on presale today in front of Ballantine Hall from 12 to 5 p.m. for $5, and the price will go up at the door to $10. Their collective performance is called the Traparty, said Jake Marsh, who is the Bloomington representative for the promotion company Keepin’ it Deep, which is putting on the show. He also DJs as the Dub Knight. Keepin’ it Deep is the largest electronic dance music promotions company in Indianapolis.“People can expect loud music, lots of base and a hip-hop electric blend,” Marsh said. “We expect at least 300 people and a lot of people dancing and drinking.” Marketing strategist at the Bluebird, Jen Samson, said she expects this concert to be a popular one.“I think this will be big,” Samson said. “I know these DJs pack the house here in Bloomington and in Indy. It’s dance music, so it will be high-energy.”Luminox himself is a trap musician who gained popularity at the beginning of 2012 and has since performed all around the country at various EDM festivals.Some of those festivals include the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas and Tomorrowland in Atlanta.Marsh said the lineup also includes a variety of interesting performances including Shy Guy Says, who dresses up like a Super Mario Bros. character each time he DJs. All of the musicians are EDM performers.Follow local music reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/06/13 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Comedy Attic is welcoming some new talent to its stage this weekend.Winners and semifinalists of the Bloomington Comedy Festival will perform their original acts every night through Saturday as part of the Fifth Annual Best of the Fest. The event kicked off Thursday, when a crowd of about 50 people showed up to check out the budding comedians.Although Thursday’s audience was small, Comedy Attic owner Jared Thompson said he expects to reel in bigger crowds Friday and Saturday.“We’ll have more student turnout during the weekend for this,” he said.Annie Lorenzano, a newcomer to the Comedy Attic, was there Thursday to cheer on Jon Hancuff, winner of Bloomington’s Funniest Person contest at the festival and her co-worker from Cook Medical.“Everyone at work was really supportive of him doing the contest,” she said. “I’m excited to finally see him on stage.”Lorenzano said seeing Bloomington’s best all in one night was a good way to start going to comedy clubs.“I’ve never been before, but I want to go more,” she said. “It’s cool that my first time here is at an all-local show.”Each night of the show, Hancuff will perform along with the other five top finishers, Josh Cocks, David Britton, Melinda Kashner, Jonas Schrodt and Stephanie Lochbihler.Thompson said Hancuff dominated the competition, and although the winner is usually determined by the comedian’s previously earned popularity, Hancuff seemed to have no trouble rounding up some new fans. “He brought friends and family, but from the general feeling of the audience, I knew he was going to win,” Thompson said. Thompson said he doesn’t watch the competition. He said because he’s friends with some of the competitors, he’d rather leave the decision to an unbiased crowd.“I don’t have to see it,” he said. “You can tell by the rhythm of the room how good someone is, and he got some pretty loud responses at key times.”And timing is important. Thompson said it’s especially so for the host, who’s responsible for keeping pace with the show throughout the set. Because all of this weekend’s performers have braved that task before, Thompson said the comedians have learned from the headliners the Comedy Attic has hosted in the past. “Students get to see a much better opening here than in any other city,” he said. “In Bloomington, we get a lot of comedians who have made a name for themselves, and all six of these folks have worked here on the weekend to set the table for bigger stars. This is their turn.”Follow reporter Ashley Jenkins on Twitter @ashmorganj.