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(04/05/13 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson returns to the IU Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Fellow singer-songwriter Pegi Young and her band, the Survivors, will open for Nelson.With a career that spans more than 60 years, Nelson has released more than 200 albums and won 37 music industry awards, seven of which are Grammys. Nelson’s performance Saturday night will feature fan favorites as well as new music from his album “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” played alongside his touring and recording group, the Family. The album is scheduled to be released April 16.Maria Talbert, associate director of the IU Auditorium, said the venue has been working with Nelson’s concert promoter, New Covenant Productions, since summer 2012 to bring Nelson to Bloomington.“We were thrilled that we were able to find a date that would work,” Talbert said. “Willie Nelson is a legendary performer who we were certain our audience would love to see again on our stage.”After performances at the IU Auditorium in 2001 and 2004, Talbert said Nelson’s reputation among the Bloomington community will draw a sizable turnout.“The combined talent on the stage on Saturday will truly make for an unforgettable, nostalgic and inspiring evening of incredible music,” she said.Talbert said Nelson is a true talent whose music has withstood the test of time, and that alone should allow for an enjoyable evening of entertainment for all.“In addition to his incredible talent for writing and performing music that has spanned across generations starting in the ’60s, I believe people really embrace the multifaceted life he has led as not only a musician but also as an author, poet, actor and activist,” she said. “He is truly a living legend.”As of April 4, tickets are still available through the IU Auditorium, and prices start at $39. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. — Carolyn Crowcroft
(04/04/13 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Each year, the IU Office of Disability Services for Students plans an event in March in recognition of Disability Awareness Month. Originally scheduled for March 26, the event was postponed because of inclement weather. This year, they have organized a concert from 2-5 p.m. April 14 in Dunn Meadow. This year’s theme for Disability Awareness Month is “Community Connections,” which aims to feature a growing community in which people with disabilities can live successful, independent lives. With the new date, the concert falls at the end of IU’s Culture of Care Week in addition to being a kick-start to Little 500 week. Rhajaan Edwards, an IU graduate student and special events coordinator for the Office of Disability Services for Students, was the first to initiate the idea of a concert as this year’s event. “I’m a big advocate for local music,” Edwards said. “When I saw the opportunity to raise awareness for disabilities and also raise money for a scholarship that recognizes disabilities, I figured, why not integrate the diversity of the university as well as integrate some local music from people who may or may not have been heard of around campus?”The concert will feature three local musicians: Isaac Lightfoot, rap artist; Jiridon, an African drum ensemble and Crescent Ulmerm, a folk artist. With the diversity among these artists, an analogy can be made to the numerous IU students living with various disabilities, Edwards said.“I wanted to integrate the whole community and share this experience as one,” Edwards said. “I figured, through music, we can get everybody together and make that happen.” This concert, in addition to raising awareness about disability month, is also a fundraiser for the Amanda Meredith Mills Memorial Scholarship. “This is the first time we will be raising funds for a scholarship and it has yet to be endowed, which means that there aren’t enough funds in the scholarship yet to be given out to a student,” Edwards said. “So we’re hoping with this event and with the coming year, we’ll make that happen.” In order for the scholarship to be endowed, a total of $10,000 must be raised. Significant funds have contributed to this goal, but there are still a few thousand dollars that must be acquired.The Office of Disability Services for Students will be working with the IU Foundation to collect donations at the concert. There will be pledge cards available, which will allow donators to write down their credit card information with the amount of money they wish to give. Cash donations will also be accepted.In addition to live music, there will be food and games for participants to enjoy. Martha Jax, director of the Office of Disability Services for Students, said if she feels this event is successful, the office is open to discussing the motion to make this an annual benefit concert. “It’s the first time we’ve done it, and we want to see how it flies,” Jax said. “If nothing else, people that walk by will get the chance to connect our names to something and maybe it will affect how they feel about disabilities down the road. Little things like that add up after a while.”
(03/25/13 1:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students Kelly Lusk and Nathan Alan Davis premiered their original plays, “(a love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” Friday and Saturday night at the Wells-Metz Theatre. The plays are part of “At First Sight: A Repertory of New Plays,” which correlates with the revival of IU’s MFA playwriting program.“(A love story)” centers around three couples struggling to define what love really is and how it can be achieved. Senior cast member Jacque Emord-Netzley said the opening night went very well and that she thoroughly enjoyed performing in front of the Wells-Metz Theatre’s full house.“The audience had a lot of energy and seemed really into the production, and all the feedback I’ve heard has been really positive,” Emord-Netzley said. “It just felt great to finally allow people to see what we’ve all be working on.”“Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” premiered Saturday. The show tells the story of Dontrell, an intelligent boy from Baltimore who dreams of his ancestor falling into the sea and has an unexplainable urge to go out and find him.Yusuf Agunbiade, a freshman studying theater and drama, plays Dontrell in the show. He said the cast’s first night performing in front of a live audience was exhilarating, and he was so happy to have shared it with his fellow cast members. “The vibe that we started with going on the stage was enormous,” Agunbiade said. “That was due to the unity that all of the cast members felt with one another, and it really helped with the performance as a whole. No matter what happened during the play, there was a trust built from the cast that helped give a very astounding and memorable performance.” Jessica Evans, a sophomore studying theater, attended the latter show’s opening night and said she enjoyed the play for its dramatic and visual elements.“I loved the colors and how they played together in the play,” Evans said. “I also loved the use of costume and how the actors used it to change character.”“(A love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” will continue to run through Saturday as part of the repertory. Agunbiade said he hopes to keep the energy the cast built around its first show going until the final production.“Overall, I felt really incredible about the show, and the feedback we received afterwards definitely reassured me that we made a huge impact on the audience that we had,” he said. “I hope to see the same passion and enthusiasm from the cast members as it was tonight and the same packed crowd who are ready to witness a magnificent piece of work for the rest of the performances.”
(03/24/13 10:02pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students Kelly Lusk and Nathan Alan Davis premiered their original plays, “(a love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” Friday and Saturday night at the Wells-Metz Theatre. The plays are part of “At First Sight: A Repertory of New Plays,” which correlates with the revival of IU’s MFA playwriting program.“(a love story)” centers around three couples struggling to define what love really is and how it can be achieved. Senior cast member Jacque Emord-Netzley said the opening night went very well and that she thoroughly enjoyed performing in front of the Wells-Metz Theatre’s full house.“The audience had a lot of energy and seemed really into the production, and all the feedback I’ve heard has been really positive,” Emord-Netzley said. “It just felt great to finally allow people to see what we’ve all be working on.”“Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” premiered Saturday. The show tells the story of Dontrell, an intelligent boy from Baltimore who dreams of his ancestor falling into the sea and has an unexplainable urge to go out and find him.Yusuf Agunbiade, a freshman studying theater and drama, plays Dontrell in the show. He said the cast’s first night performing in front of a live audience was exhilarating, and he was so happy to have shared it with his fellow cast members. “The vibe that we started with going on the stage was enormous,” Agunbiade said. “That was due to the unity that all of the cast members felt with one another, and it really helped with the performance as a whole. No matter what happened during the play, there was a trust built from the cast that helped give a very astounding and memorable performance.” Jessica Evans, a sophomore studying theater, attended the latter show’s opening night and said she enjoyed the play for its dramatic and visual elements.“I loved the colors and how they played together in the play,” Evans said. “I also loved the use of costume and how the actors used it to change character.”“(a love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” will continue to run through March 30 as part of the repertory. Agunbiade said he hopes to keep the energy the cast built around its first show going until the final production.“Overall, I felt really incredible about the show, and the feedback we received afterwards definitely reassured me that we made a huge impact on the audience that we had,” he said. “I hope to see the same passion and enthusiasm from the cast members as it was tonight and the same packed crowd who are ready to witness a magnificent piece of work for the rest of the performances.”
(03/22/13 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“At First Sight: A Repertory of New Plays” will debut Friday night at the Wells-Metz Theatre, featuring original plays written by students Kelly Lusk and Nathan Alan Davis. The two plays, “(a love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” will run in rotation at the Wells-Metz Theatre. “(a love story)” will open Friday and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” will debut Saturday.“(a love story)” tells the story of three couples from different walks of life as they struggle to define what love really means to them. Senior cast member Emily Mange said she thoroughly enjoyed getting to act in a production created by fellow IU student Lusk.“It is a thrilling experience to be able to work so closely with the playwright and see when his inspiration came from experiences in Bloomington,” Mange said. “Being able to craft my role with the knowledge of the playwright’s intentions was very satisfying.”Although the show’s message is grounded in real life, Mange said a lot of fantasy has been incorporated into the play, something she hasn’t particularly dealt with before as an actor.“(a love story),” while grounded in realistic feelings and emotions, deals with many non-realistic images and occurrences,” she said. “I have never dealt with a play that incorporates such fantastical concepts, so it was a fun process to treat even the silliest of things as a real and tangible part of the play’s world.” The second play, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” follows title character Dontrell and his dreams of an ancestor thrown off a ship and his decision to dive into the ocean and save him.Junior Patricia Millard plays Shea, Dontrell’s cousin, to whom he often comes for advice. Millard said getting the opportunity to act in this play was wonderful, and she especially appreciated the strong relationships formed on set.“I loved the atmosphere that always surrounded the space during our rehearsal,” Millard said. “Everyone who was in the room during our rehearsals grew together as a unit and became very close very quickly. It allowed for us to grow in our understanding of the story and to discuss relevant issues that more distant groups cannot.”Millard said she thinks the shows are wonderful, and she expects people to walk away from “Dontrell” feeling moved. “People can expect a beautiful experience, a wonderful story that is unlike any other you will probably see in the theater,” she said. “A story that needs to be told. To quote my castmate Ian Martin, ‘Enjoy its comedy, but look for its gravity.’”
(03/19/13 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With incense burning and skulls decorating the stage, opening band Thee Open Sex played to a large crowd at The Bishop Bar, setting the tone for main act Jacco Gardner and second opener The Mallard.Comprising five members, Bloomington-based Thee Open Sex singer Miss Mess said the band was happy to come back to town after their visit to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.The band played one new song titled “Drippin’ Down” and will start a tour later this spring.“It was our first time at South by Southwest, and we had a blast,” Miss Mess said. “We opened for a couple of bands — PC Worship and Useless Eaters — and then we also played our own showcase of songs.”Taking the stage after Thee Open Sex was The Mallard, a San Francisco-based band working on its sophomore LP, which will be released on record label Castle Face this spring.Jacco Gardner closed the night out with his solo instrumental set, featuring pop and psychedelic melodies from his myriad of instruments, including drums, harpsichord and guitar.Gardner’s set included songs from his debut LP “Cabinet of Curiosities”.Miss Mess of Thee Open Sex said she looked forward to playing in Bloomington and thanked the crowd multiple times while on stage for supporting the bands of the night.“I really enjoy being on stage and just trancing out,” she said. “It may sound cheesy, but I just like being in the moment and feeling the crowd.”The driving beats and heavy guitar rhythms of Thee Open Sex had the crowd moving, complete with “lots of reverb,” as requested by Miss Mess.
(03/05/13 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When ESPN College GameDay came to IU Feb. 2 for the Michigan men’s basketball game, each commercial break ended with a familiar song: “The Heist” by hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.Now, the pair is headed to Assembly Hall for the official Little 500 concert April 17, presented by Union Board.“Assembly Hall is a place where people are used to celebrating and having a great time,” said Doug Booher, director of the IU Auditorium who helped Union Board organize the event. “We’re going to move it from a place where everyone loves to watch basketball to a place where everyone can enjoy a great concert.” Rapper and Seattle native Macklemore has gained recent popularity for his songs “Thrift Shop” and “Same Love,” written in collaboration with producer Ryan Lewis. Macklemore and Lewis recently performed on Saturday Night Live and are currently on tour promoting their debut album, “The Heist.”“We’ve been surveying for over a year now on the kind of music students want to see, and the overwhelming majority came back with hip-hop,” said Erin Brown, director of external affairs for Union Board. “We felt very strongly that we were answering those requests by bringing a top 40 pop and hip-hop crossover.”Two other hip-hop artists, 2013 Grammy nominee Wale and longtime underground rap artist Talib Kweli, will also perform.“In terms of bringing the hip-hop genre, we hit all corners with the three artists we decided on,” Brown said.After studying recent attendance numbers of Macklemore performances, Union Board and IU Auditorium directors determined that Assembly Hall, which seats about 15,000 for a concert venue, would be optimal not only to draw in high attendance numbers but to keep ticket prices low.“If an artist costs $100,000, and we only have 3,200 tickets to sell to make that money back, tickets are going to be very expensive,” said Asher Wittenberg, Union Board concerts director. “To put Macklemore in the auditorium would have been unfair to students, because prices would have had to be well over $100 just for us to make back our initial investment.”IU Auditorium, which seats 3,200, was the venue for last year’s Little 500 concert featuring Sublime with Rome. After receiving generally negative feedback from students, Wittenberg and Brown said they feel this year’s choice will be more appealing.“In terms of Sublime with Rome, we ran into a few issues with that,” Wittenberg said. “Their average draw across the country is 1,200 per show, and I think they might not have been the right fit for this campus.”Though Wittenberg is optimistic that Macklemore will draw in high ticket sales, he said the inability of the past Union Board to book an artist earlier in the year made finding a popular act so late in the year difficult. “Because Union Board directors switch in January, there’s a gap of getting to know your situation,” Wittenberg said. “It takes me a month to getting used to being an actual director, and that’s a month that could be used to plan a show. Not to say that the past concerts director did a bad job, but this is how it’s gone in the past. I want to change that.”Since spring is a common time of year for musicians to tour overseas, Union Board’s options of available artists were limited.“Our top five weren’t in the United States, so we had to go back to the drawing board several times, which is why the announcement came so late,” Brown said. “We were lucky to find an artist as popular as Mack at the last minute.”While Union Board is working with less funding than past years and still living under the shadow of the highly popular Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj Little 500 concert from 2011, Brown and Wittenberg hope this year’s lineup represents a successful, yet realistic, booking.“If we want to bring in someone like Kanye West, and it’s coming out of our budget, students are going to pay at least $100 for a ticket,” Wittenberg said. “If they don’t want to pay that much, they have to understand we’re doing all we can to make it affordable.”
(02/25/13 1:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Department of Theater and Drama’s production of “The School for Scandal” began its residency at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre on Friday.Directed by Dale McFadden, “Scandal” focuses on how the gossip culture corrupts the public’s mind, leading to obsessions over all things scandalous. The show featured a cast of mostly undergraduate and graduate theater and drama majors. The play intertwines two major playlets, “The Slanderers” and “Sir Peter Teazle,” written by playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. “The Slanderers” focuses on brothers Charles and Joseph Surface, played by first-year master’s student Joshua Krause and second-year master’s student Aaron Kirkpatrick. While the brothers maintain different reputations in the public’s eye, it is revealed throughout the play that the public’s perception may not be correct. “Sir Peter Teazle” tells the story of Teazle, played by second-year master’s student Clayton Gerrard, and his tumultuous relationship with his wife, Lady Teazle, played by first-year master’s student Mara Lefler. As a newly married couple, the two get into frequent arguments brought on by Lady Teazle’s desire to gossip with the higher class.While the play is set in the 1700s and features some heightened 18th-century language, cast member and sophomore Cassie Alexander said the response to the show was great. Alexander plays Lady Teazle’s maid in the production.“The audience followed everything quite well and responded positively to the show,” Alexander said. “It’s hard sometimes to perform a period comedy like this because you’re not sure if other people, especially students, will find it funny. But we had lots of laughter and positive responses, which is extremely rewarding.”Fellow cast member and junior Jackson Goldberg, who plays Crabtree, said it’s the talent and enthusiasm of the actors that really help bring the show to life.“This play succeeds when the entire cast brings intense enthusiasm and energy to every scene, and there is not a moment of dead space throughout,” Goldberg said. “Our enormous cast of 25 actors have done this beautifully. The show is hilarious and exciting to work on, and I have my fellow cast members to thank for that.”The show has repeat performances from Feb. 26 to March 2 with an additional performance at 2 p.m. March 2. Alexander said the opening weekend went well, and she hopes to see the warm reception she and the cast received continue through the show’s final performances.“The cast in this show is really incredible,” she said. “Everyone delivered a wonderful performance for opening and will continue to do so throughout the run. It is such a privilege to work with this talented ensemble.”
(02/22/13 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Opening over the land of ancient Egypt, the audience will be introduced Friday to the story of Akhnaten, the pharaoh who worshipped the sun.After two to three months of auditioning, costume and set designing and acting lessons, Friday will bring the debut of the IU Opera “Akhnaten,” at 8 p.m. at the Musical Arts Center. It is also performed in Bloomington on Saturday and March 1 and 2 before traveling to Indianapolis for two more performances.As the first production between the IU Opera Theater and Indianapolis Opera, the production of Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten” will also be performed at the Clowes Memorial Hall on the Butler University campus March 8 and 9.Akhnaten is the first Philip Glass production. Glass is one of the most influential American composers of the late 20th century. Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity at Jacobs School of Music, said Glass is a minimalist composer with a very particular style of music.“He creates a soundscape that creates a completely new sense of time with the music,” he said. “You just have give in to it. It is quite an experience.”The opera is about the story of the Egyptian pharaoh, Akhnaten. The young pharaoh corrupts the current method of religion of worshipping animals and instead selects the sun God, Aten as the only form of worship in Egypt. The opera uses acting, choreography and singing, a mixture of multiple languages, to transform the theater into the land and story of Egypt. The opera consists of three acts, telling the true story of a pharaoh named Akhnaten.Speaking on behalf of the production, Barker names the stage and set director as two pertinent aspects of the success of the performance. Candace Evans, a former New Yorker, now living in Texas, was called by the IU Opera production staff to return to Bloomington for the opera. The actors, Nicholas Tamagna, playing Akhnaten, and Laura Thoreson, are also professionals returning to a college production. Working last year as the stage director for the performance, “Candide,” Evans considers the IU Opera no different than the big houses she works with in Texas, except that students here are nicer.“I love it here in Bloomington,” she said. “It is an incredible facility.”Evans said it is amazing the University is willing to put on such an expensive show.“Akhnaten” is a large production, composed of a double cast and more than 30 people on the production/artistic staff. For each planned performance, the IU Opera usually selects outside professionals to help in the chosen work. Though usually IU alumni, the staff asked Evans, Douglass Fitch, set director and Todd Hensley, the lighting director to add their expertise to the college performance.Because of the double cast, the dress rehearsal was the turn of actor, Tamagna. Switching off between shows will be his co-star, Brennan Hall, a Jacobs School of Music student. Before beginning the construction of the work, both directors sit down to listen to the music. Evans, who is in charge of everything visual in the entire show, said she chooses how to use the music to help paint the picture of the show.“I listen, listen, listen, look at the text and then decide how to show it to the audience,” she said. “It is my job is to decode everything so you (the audience) know what is happening and it is understandable the first time.”Fitch, a designer living in New York, was also requested by IU to work on this production. He said after listening to the music, he was able to write the storyboard in an hour and a half, and get a clear idea of the designs in the next two to three days.“The music is cyclical, looping,” he said. Describing the way the opera is a transformation, he designed the pieces to be in continuous motion, opening and closing the doors of the horizon, and bordering the edge of the stage with a flowing river over the land.Fitch worked to create a set that could transform from hard and dark materials to light ones, a metaphor he said of the change between the world of Akhnaten’s father and the time he takes over as ruler. “It is extraordinary music,” Fitch said. “The different languages wash over you, give you a feeling you have to trust.”Evans said the difficulty of operas, particularly one of such ancient tales, like “Akhnaten,” is translating the music, acting and singing into a language the audience will understand. But Fitch said he believes it is important the audience comes to the performance, without knowing everything.“It is the feeling of getting to know something about the story,” he said. “It is important that people do not know, to get the experience.”Barker said the music of the opera gives the audience the complete story of “Akhnaten” as the pharaoh he was, his life and how it affects us today.“Music is the pathway to our past, slowing life down and taking us back,” he said.
(02/18/13 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It began with a poem.Debby Herbenick, co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at IU’s School of Public Health, read “Ode to an Oosik,” a poem celebrating the ever-rigid and lengthy penis of a male walrus.The poem was the ice breaker to an open discussion at the Bishop Bar Sunday surrounding the topic of sexually explicit media and its effects on viewers.Presented by the IU Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Sunday night’s lecture was part of lectures titled Bloomington Sex Salon.The idea behind the monthly series was to create a conversation about various sexual education issues and sexual advocacy research, Herbenick said.“We wanted to find a way to communicate sexual information to the public and deliver others’ research to the community,” she said. “We’ll have one (lecture) every month for as long as people are interested in coming.”The lecture featured Bryant Paul, associate professor in the IU Department of Telecommunications. He presented his findings on the effects of sexually explicit media on society and overall perception of sex on viewers.Paul’s research in the area of sexually explicit media included any form from online pornography to strip club performances to sexually explicit images featured in print media. Paul said his research began because of his teenage self, described as a “child of the AIDS crisis,” realizing his own sexual awakening during the mid-’80s, a time when HIV and AIDS cases were most prevalent in the U.S.The main problem Paul uncovered during research as a graduate and Ph.D. student was most people thought pornography was harmful to the human psyche.“When I’m asked, ‘is porn harmful?’ people want a yes or no answer,” he said. “What I believe is that most content for most people can be harmful, but for most people most content has the opposite effect. There’s no real answer to that question.”Paul said he participated in the lecture series because he wants the community to better understand the research and information surrounding sexual education, advocacy and research.Herbenick said she chose Paul to kick off the series because he has the ability to engage an audience while communicating statistical data in a very accessible way.“There is this quest for more information,” Paul said. “The biggest hurdle we have with sex in society is people’s unwillingness to talk about it. But it’s also a great thing that we can talk about it.”The Bloomington Sex Salon will take place monthly, Herbenick said. The not-for-profit, volunteer-run series will include lecturers from IU’s faculty and special guest speakers, as well.
(02/17/13 6:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When hearing the word “circus,” many people think of elephants doing handstands and clowns in colorful costumes riding around on unicycles. But what might a circus look like if the performers had the final say?Enter Traces.On Friday and Saturday, Traces, a spectacle performance show, took over the IU Auditorium with its high-flying circus show. The 90-minute show was a product of 7 Fingers, a group of seven acrobats and circus performers which comprise the cast of Traces. All of their shows, including previous ones like “Loft,” “La Vie and “Psy,” abandon the traditional circus atmosphere in favor of a more intimate setting for the performers to connect with the audience. Although not yet a household name, the show still drew a sizable crowd to the IU Auditorium. Bloomington resident Carla Chism, who attended the show with her daughter Taylor, said she heard about the show after seeing an advertisement at the IU Auditorium’s Rock of Ages show in December.“We thought it might look neat,” Chism said. “It looked like a Cirque du Soleil kind of show.”Like Chism, second-year graduate student Samantha McClellan said she was also drawn to the show’s spectacle.“I’ve seen Stomp and it was amazing,” McClellan said. “I really came out of curiosity more than anything else.”In Traces, the show started with a high-energy dance number in an abandoned warehouse setting before a microphone dropped down from the ceiling. With it, the performers were able to introduce themselves to the audience and share anecdotes about their lives. The performers shared tales about everything from their grandfather’s smell to their love lives before transitioning into acrobatic stunts, including a balancing act on a giant ring, aerial routines and stunt performances involving basketballs, skateboards and rollerblades. The performers used the audience as well as their acts to share even more about themselves. Performer Mathieu Cloutier revealed he was a romantic before pulling out an acoustic guitar to serenade the crowd. The only female in the cast, Valérie Benoît-Charbonneau, told of her flirtatious nature before hopping on the lap of an audience member. The audience gave the performers a standing ovation both nights, IU Auditorium Associate Director Maria Talbert said. She said she was very pleased with the audience’s overall reception of the show.“It’s not yet a household name, so people here were adventurous,” Talbert said. “Based on the standing ovation the show got both nights, I’d say the crowd was very pleased with the show.”Talbert said the show exceeded her expectations and was able to both move and entertain her.“I really appreciated the emotional element of it,” she said. “The humor behind a lot of what they were doing and saying was a lot of fun. I left the show feeling very out of shape, but I loved every aspect of it.”
(02/15/13 8:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Urban acrobatics show “Traces” will bring its fusion of circus and street performance to the IU Auditorium for the first time 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.“Traces” incorporates the hodge-podge elements of contemporary dance, music from artists like Radiohead, VAST and Blackalicious, as well as theater and poetry into its acrobatic showcase. Rather than moving from trick-to-trick, the performance is broken up by poetic and narrative interjections from performers. Described as “Cirque du Soleil meets Stomp” by IU Auditorium Associate Director Maria Talbert, the show follows its seven performers as they share their personal stories with the audience through dance and acrobatic displays. “The name ‘Traces’ come from the fact that the heart of the show is about these seven people that come across each other,” Talbert said. “It’s about the traces or things they leave one each other.”Many of the performers have ties to spectacle shows like Cirque. What sets Traces apart and adds to the overall show is the incorporation of the performers’ true, heartfelt stories, Talbert said.“There’s a lot of meaning and a lot of heart,” she said. “After witnessing each one of these performer’s personal stories, people will walk away feel entertained and inspired.”Although it might not be as widely recognized as Cirque du Soleil or the Ringling Brothers company, Talbert said patrons should still make an effort to come out and see the show.Tickets start at $28 for adults and $16 for students and can be purchased at the IU Auditorium box office. “It’s one of those shows that is not yet a household name, but I’m sure it will be,” she said. “This is an opportunity to see the show before it gets really big. It’s also a chance to brag to your friends that you saw it before it got big.”
(02/15/13 5:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At Rachael’s Café Thursday, theme band Harry and the Potters didn’t need magic to win over the crowd.Rachael’s Café welcomed the band as part of its Valentine’s Day celebration. Members of the audience, many with homemade scars and wands, bobbed their heads to the band, as well as to opening acts Travelling and Busman’s Holiday.“They’re awesome,” crowd member Felicity Young said. They are super energetic on stage, and you can tell they love what they do, she said.In honor of Valentine’s Day, the theme of the night was Harry Potter’s date with girlfriend Cho Chang as detailed in one of the books. Enthused fans of the series and band crowded the café.Dressed as member of Ravenclaw house, audience member Michael Anderson said he saw Harry and the Potters at a festival last year.“After having read the books, all of a sudden all of the songs they were singing were like the funniest things I’ve ever heard,” Anderson said. He said he came because he really wanted to see them again.“This is the most people I’ve seen in Rachael’s by far,” Anderson said.Anderson isn’t the only person the band has made an impression on. “Harry and The Potters bring in a fun, energetic crowd to Rachael’s Cafe,” said Sharlene Birdsong, booking agent of Rachael’s Cafe. “We love hosting events that are unique, especially live musical performances. We have a great Valentine’s Day planned this year and Harry and The Potters’ visit will be a great way to top off the celebration.”Birdsong said she made sure to book Harry and the Potters after they played last year.“Last year we had a great turnout and had attendees of all ages,” Birdsong said. “It’s really rare and a lot of fun to have shows that attract kids, families, students and locals. We truly enjoy it.”
(02/13/13 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The show must go on. Sometimes.Before The Lowdown stand-up club took the stage Tuesday at the Collins Living-Learning Center, comedians expressed heavy doubts about performing for their scant audience.“If we get to 10 people, we do the show,” comic Tom Brady said.“How about five?” regional touring act Ben Moore asked.“Not four,” Brady replied.Stand-up comedy, which regularly draws large audiences around Bloomington at venues like the Comedy Attic or the Indiana Memorial Union, sometimes experiences down nights. Tuesday was one of those nights.When The Lowdown was slated to take the stage at 8 p.m. Tuesday, five people were seated in the Collins coffeehouse. Four of them were reading.“We got a comedy show soon,” Moore mockingly said to the group. “Get ready to laugh, everybody.” There was no reply.Despite the low turnout the comedians waited for more audience members, extending their scheduled start time indefinitely. To pass the time, some made jokes about the flyers on the Collins LLC bulletin boards.“How do you guys feel that this mask-making workshop will be better attended than this show?” host Josh Cocks said.The comedians, who stood in a circle and paced around the hallway, reflected on past nights where limited audiences created memorable sets.“Nobody came, but we still did the show for three super-drunk people who yelled at us the whole time,” Brady said of a recent trip to the Tin Roof bar in Cincinnati, trying to convince the group to continue with the evening’s show.The longer the wait dragged on, the heavier the mood in the room became.Jordan Mather-Licht, a freshman who recently started doing stand-up with The Lowdown, stood quietly and checked his phone for the time. One comedian stepped out for a cigarette. Another peered through their notebook of prepared comedy material one more time.At 8:13 p.m., the comedians cleared their throats and entered the room. As Cocks grabbed the microphone in the silent room, he welcomed the humble audience by slowly dive-rolling across the stage and addressing the tense situation immediately.“Everybody here is a comic, or studying or in the second row,” he said.Some tense chuckles ensued. Companions in times of laughter and silence, the entire group of comics scheduled to perform sat in silence to hear each other’s sets. Cocks was trying out new material as well as jokes his brethren, who spend countless hours backstage with him, had heard to the point of memorization. This is the reality of stand-up comedy.The jokes ranged from Cocks’ 2:30 a.m. sobriety test in Cincinnati, to his obsession with fast food and his thoughts on “crazy people.”After mid-energy delivery to a low-energy crowd, Cocks abruptly ended his set.“So that’s all I’m gonna do,” he said with a smile on his face.The audience of snarky comedians also scheduled to take the stage replied with a joke of their own. They met Cocks’ stoic set dismissal with a large round of applause, keeping him on the stage so he couldn’t leave, a tongue-in-cheek reply to the evening’s circumstances.The second comedian, Karl Spaeth, wound up standing next to Cocks before the applause fully ended.“Your next comedian is standing right next to me,” Cocks said. “Karl Spaeth.”Though not quite an anomaly in the comedy world, the “off-night” happens regularly enough to keep comedians appreciative of large audiences when they do come.“Even a bad open mic, if you try hard enough, will work out,” Moore said.“If the stars align...and there’s no pressure to do well,” Brady added.
(02/06/13 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since Friday, IU Theatre’s “Intimate Apparel” has transformed the Wells-Metz Theatre in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center into early-1900s Lower Manhattan. Written by Lynn Nottage, “Intimate Apparel” tells the story of Esther Mills, a seamstress known for her exquisite work with ladies’ undergarments. Esther, played by junior Jessica Turner, lives under the residence of Mrs. Dickson, played by sophomore Tonik Boyd. Mrs. Dickson badgers Esther to settle down, and she’s not the only one frustrated. At 35, Esther longs for somebody to love. Her most stable romantic relationship is with Jewish fabric shop owner Mr. Marks, played by senior David-Aaron Roth. Marks and Esther fight their feelings for each other due his religious beliefs and racial stigmas of the time. Esther begins receiving notes from a man named George Armstrong, played by freshman Ian Martin, who works on the Panama Canal. Esther can’t read or write, so with the help of her clients and friends Mrs. Van Buren and Mayme, played by masters student Andrea Mellos and senior Jasmine Desiree Traylor, Esther begins a courtship with George. The production’s cast consists of mostly newcomers, with Turner, Traylor, Martin and Boyd all making their IU Theatre debuts.Guest Director Ron Himes said he is pleased with the show and the audience’s reception so far. “I think the show was well-received by the audience,” Himes said. “I think the cast did a very good job with the material and that their performances are solid.”Junior theater major Elaine Griffin said she has heard equally good things about the production as well. She said many of her friends participated in the production of the play, and word of mouth from fellow theater students encouraged her to audition. “I’ve read the play before, and I know everybody in the show,” Griffin said. “A lot of the actors are really talented, the set is beautiful and a lot of their work has been really good.”“Intimate Apparel” will continue until Saturday at the Wells-Metz. The show has performances at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday with an additional performance at 2 p.m. Saturday.
(01/31/13 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Theatre will travel back to the 20th century when the theater debuts its latest production, “Intimate Apparel.”The show begins its run at 7:30 p.m. Friday and concludes Feb. 9. Written by Lynn Nottage, “Intimate Apparel” follows African-American seamstress and lingerie specialist Esther Mills as she carries on a love affair with a Barbadian canal worker named George.IU Theatre has invited Ron Himes to direct its production. Himes, who serves as founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black Rep, said he’s directed this play before and loves Nottage’s work.“She tells really strong women stories with strong women characters,” Himes said. “She tells stories that might not otherwise be told.”Himes said he was interested in directing IU Theatre’s production because he enjoys directing college students. He said the greatest challenge he had to overcome with his actors was getting them to understand their characters’ problems and experiences.Junior theater major Jessica Turner said she agrees. Turner who plays Esther in the play, said she had trouble seeing things through Esther’s eyes at times.“Me and Esther are different,” she said. “She’s more controlled with her emotions. Nothing negative comes from her, whereas I’m outgoing. If I get angry, everyone feels my wrath.”Turner said she attempted to better understand Esther by reading as much as she could about anything having to do with the play. She said she researched the early 1900s, the time period of the play, as well as fabric and racial relationships of that time.Himes said all the hard work Turner and the rest of the cast have put in shows has paid off, and that the cast would be wonderful by the time the play opens.“They’ve come a long way from day one,” Himes said. “They’ve grown tremendously, they’re talented and they were a joy to work with.”Turner said she’s really enjoyed her time playing Esther and hopes the audience feels a sense of release upon seeing the play. “I hope they understand no matter what struggle you’re going through, there’s always a way to come back from it,” she said.Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and $20 for seniors. Students can also purchase $10 rush tickets the day of each performance at the IU Auditorium Box Office.
(01/30/13 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Musical Arts Center was nearly empty, but the orchestra pit buzzed with activity as conductor Gary Thor Wedow guided the players through the complex music.“You have to think like a dive-bomber,” he told them. “We are parachuted into the middle of these arias. We have to adapt.”Wedow and the orchestra were preparing for the upcoming performances of Xerxes, an opera by George Frideric Handel debuting at IU this weekend. The show is loosely based on King Xerxes I of Persia, though it is entirely in Italian and focuses more on personal relationships than historical events.“A Handel opera is a special genre, a special kind of singing,” Wedow said. “His operas tend to be real psychological studies of the characters.”Wedow, who is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School, is an Indiana native and received his bachelor’s degree in piano studies from IU. He and stage director Tom Diamond previously collaborated in IU Opera Theater’s production of Giulio Cesare, also by Handel, in 2009.Xerxes will be Diamond’s and Wedow’s fifth production together, giving Jacobs students another opportunity to benefit from the pair’s signature style. Amanda Russo, a doctorate student who will play the title role this Friday and next Saturday, Feb. 9, said she had a very positive experience working with Wedow and Diamond.“They are both educators, which is so important,” she said. “They are so passionate and it’s contagious...it’s inspiring.”Russo received her master’s degree from IU and has appeared in several IU Opera Theater productions, most recently as Octavian in Richard Georg Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. She said she relishes the opportunity to play the male lead.“It’s not very often that a woman gets to play the role of a king and have people bow down to her,” she said.Russo has spent countless hours preparing for the show since staging began in early January. She described the process as intense and difficult and said the show proved challenging in many ways. The success of the show relies heavily on timing, she said, and that it is essential for the actors to understand what they are saying.“It’s really important that we know what we’re saying and are listening to the other characters and reacting to each other,” she said.Diamond, an acting coach, also emphasized the importance of strong acting in the production. Diamond was a theater director and said he used to find opera boring, and now aims to make it lively.“The days where (performers) just stand and sing are long gone,” Diamond said. “You better be able to act.”He added something original to this production of Xerxes with the archer Amore, a character Diamond himself created for the show. Amore is simply the embodiment of love, Diamond’s version of Cupid, he said.“It’s basically a comedy of errors about love,” Diamond said. “All these people desperately love, but can’t find satisfaction.”Wedow said he thinks the show is going to be wonderful.“It will be lively entertainment for the audience and an enriching educational experience for the performers,” he said. “Humans are unpredictable, and it makes for great opera.”
(01/29/13 5:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Faceless, overstuffed white dolls laid upon crumpled silver Mylar while pink papier-mâché hearts spun overhead. Vintage RCA and Admiral televisions were stacked at the edge of the stage, cornering a mummified figure in a khaki button-up.The decorations were provided by the Sculpture Guild of the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts for the guild’s benefit concert Monday night at the Bishop Bar.Bishop owner Stephen Westrich said the bar has supplied local groups with a venue for benefits in the past, but this concert was a little less hands-on.Westrich said he didn’t personally book the three bands — The Rooks, Poor Islero and Busman’s Holiday — instead, the Sculpture Guild contacted him with a lineup in tow.Devin Balara, IU graduate student and president of the guild, said finding bands to volunteer their time was fairly easy, due to word-of-mouth networking among the guild members.“We are lucky to be in a city that’s so tight-knit,” she said. “There are all these good places to put information outside of our department itself. All of the events we have seem to always have the same people. We wanted to find different outlets for our fundraising this time.”The funds raised at Monday’s show will help pay for the upcoming visit of Los Angeles artist Julian Hoeber, along with a free workshop for attendees. Hoeber’s visit is part of the guild’s Visiting Artist Series.Ben Steele, guitarist and vocalist for The Rooks, said he easily agreed to play the show, because his girlfriend participates in the guild.“I think most of the people here came for Busman’s Holiday,” Steele said. “They’re hometown heroes, for sure.”Balara said the mix of attendees was something new for the guild to see.“I don’t know most of the people in the room right now, which is an incredible thing,” she said.Balara said the eclectic stage decor was a compilation of objects found in each guild artist’s studio.“It’s sort of a quasi-Valentine’s Day ensemble,” she said. “We would really be at a loss if we didn’t activate the space a little bit.”
(01/25/13 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>To an audience that might refer to college as the “good ole days,” Jim Hightower, political radio commentator, spoke on behalf of the WFHB radio station.In celebration of its 20th year in production, the WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting radio station invited Hightower to speak at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Thursday night on the importance of community media.Hightower, a national radio commentator for more than 150 commercial and public stations, Internet publications and Radio for Peace International, is praised for his humorous position towards politics, government and the fight for small businesses.Donning blue jeans and a cowboy hat, Hightower walked to the podium and quoted Oscar Wilde — “be yourself, everyone else is already taken” — after thanking the sponsors that brought him to Bloomington.“That is what makes Bloomington special,” he said. “You are yourself.”Chad Carrothers, the general manager of WFHB, introduced the event to the nearly filled theater.Carrothers began his speech talking about the creation of the WFHB radio station in Bloomington in 1993 and its relocation into the fire house at 108 W. Fourth St. in 1994. “Over 20 years, WFHB has grown from radio into cultural organization and a powerful platform for change in the community,” he said.Comprised of 200 members, the WFHB company is the ‘big little station you created’ Hightower said in celebration of WFHB’s past.“It might not be the biggest station, but it is the biggest punch,” he said. “Your station is able to pick the punch because it is yours. It is unique.”Hightower was chosen to speak for the Bloomington audience because of his references to local Bloomington organizations and his concern for a simpler frame of mind. Those organizations, including the White River Central Labor Council, Move to Amend , IBEW Local 725 and Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan, have all been referenced by Hightower in one of his media publications and helped sponsor the event. Raised in Texas, Hightower is a graduate of the University of Northern Texas. He worked as legislative aide and was elected to two terms as Texas Agriculture Commissioner from 1983 to 1991 according to his personal website, jimhightower.com. In addition to being a nationally known public speaker and radio commentator, Hightower is the author of seven books including the New York Times bestseller, “Swim Against the Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow” published in 2008. He is also the author of the 13 year-old political newsletter called “The Hightower Lowdown” which reaches more than 135,000 subscribers. Bloomington resident Delbert Crocker said he has been a subscriber for several years.“I saw him on TV with Bill Moyers and was really impressed,” he said. “He tells it how it is.”For Hightower, WFHB is the reason there is a rise in community radio rather than commercial media.It puts the “‘unity’ in community,” connecting the feelings, emotions and senses of the residents to the message of the town, Hightower said.“You (Bloomington) are WFHB,” he said. “The all-natural, organic, non-GMO, preservative-free spirit that America needs.”