'Dancing at Lughnasa' presents challenges for cast

The Department of Theatre and Dance opens 'Lughnasa' tomorrow in Valborg Theatre

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

The Appalachian State University Deparment of Theatre and Dance will present "Dancing at Lughnasa" tomorrow through Oct. 2.

The play takes place in Ireland in August 1936 and focuses on the relationships and changes in the Mundy household. For the first time in over 20 years, missionary Father Jack (Randy Davis) returns from Africa to meet his sisters and nephew Micheal (narrated by Timothy Young) for the first time.

During this time, the family gets its first radio and the sisters hear lively Celtic music in their home, which inspires them to dance. Michael also is presented with another first: meeting his father, Gerry Evans (Tori Swan).

The heart of the story is centered around the five sisters of the Mundy family. Kirstin Schreiber plays Kate, the tense, eldest sister of the family.

Heather Houglan is Chris, the youngest sister of the family and the mother of Micheal. Trisha Harmon is Agnes. Maggie, the wirey housekeeper of the family, is played by Maeve McAuliffe. Brandi Ryans is the enthusiastic, naive Rose.

Another event that impacts the lives of the family is the pagan festival of Lughnasa, which celebrates the god of harvest.

There were also a number of challenges for the cast to meet. Since the story is actually set in MichaelÕs memory, he is only present as the voice of a child. The cast had to learn to relate to an invisible child.

According to director Susan Cole, the cast had other challenges. "One of the first [challenges] was that [the cast] was speaking in an Irish dialect," said Cole. The cast was coached in Irish and Welsh dialects by faculty member Susan Gilbert.

Another challenge for the cast was the various ages of the characters, which ranged from seven to 50. Chris and Rose are fairly young, whereas Kate and Maggie are a bit more experienced.

"I like my character ... because she is a challenge," said Schreiber. "[Kate] has to get mad for a lot of reasons I wouldn't normally get mad about."

Tickets for "Dancing at Lughnasa" are $6 and available at the Valborg Theatre box office between 2-5 p.m. For more information, call 262-3028 during box office hours.

Kara Hodge -Entertainment Beat

Over one million Jews were killed in World War II. Their lives and their struggles were honored last week through the lectures, recitals and programs of the 2000 Holocaust Commemorative program. But there is one more program to see: "Music at the Edge of Life," a special lecture-recital program featuring Czech violinist Viktor Kuna and pianist Joanna Sobkowska, will honor composers who were victims of the Holocaust.

"Music at the Edge of Life" is part of an extensive U.S. and Canada concert-and-lecture tour. The program features works by Holocaust composers Gideon Klein, Erwin Schullhoff, Rudolf Karel, Ernest Bloch, Lubos Fiser and John Williams.

The lecture-recital will include unique facts about the creativity of Jewish musicians in the Nazi concentration camps, based on life-long work of violinist Viktor Kuna's father, Professor Milan Kuna. The elder of the two Kunas, the prominent Czech musicologist authored a book entitled "Music at the Edge of Life," which was published in Czech and German, and is currently being translated into English. Milan Kuna also wrote a special book on the composers in the Jewish concentration camp Thereisienstadt, near Prague, now being issued in Czech and English.

Violinist Viktor Kuna was born in Prague in 1965. He began studying music at the age of six, made his first public appearance when he was nine, and appeared on Czechoslovak Television at 11. His talent earned him a place at the Prague State Conservatory, and after winning a number of prizes, he was accepted by the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow. After graduation, he completed post-graduate studies at the Vienna School of Music.

Kuna performs as a soloist with the leading orchestras of Europe. He now lives between Vienna, Prague and Hannover and is in demand as a concert artist and as a professor for the master classes he conducts. Some of his work includes classes in Germany, Belgium and in Austria, where he is the artistic director of the Viennese International Master Classes. He is also the artistic director of the Vaclav Talich Festival in the Czech Republic.

Pianist Joanna Sobkowska was born in Warsaw, Poland. She studied piano performance at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw. In 1995, she came to Florida State University to study with professors Leonidas Lipovetsky and Carolyn Bridger. From 1991 to 1995, she served on the faculty of two Colombian universities. She taught piano and performed as a soloist and chamber musician with the Orquesta Sinfonica del Valle and various ensembles for the chamber music series.

Sobkowska's piano repertoire includes masterworks of the Classical and Romantic eras, as well as numerous works from a Twentieth Century repertoire. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed on the concert series of the Warsaw Philharmonic at the Festival International Summer Program in Prague, Czech Republic.

The recital combining the two musicians is on Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. in Rosen Concert Hall and is sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Office of Cultural Affairs at 262-6084.

New York based jazz pianist to perform on campus Thursday

Kara Hodge - Entertainment Beat

The New York Times has called him "electric" and "original." Time magazine has called his playing "crystalline." The critics have raved time and time again. Frank Kimbrough, contemporary jazz pianist, will grace us with his talents on Thursday in Rosen Concert Hall.

Kimbrough is a New York City based jazz pianist, composer and educator. He is a composer-in-residence and founding member of the Jazz Composers Collective. He is in demand as a sideman with various recording and touring groups, and in April 2000, the Frank Kimbrough/John Locke duo performed on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

As a frequent recipient of funding from "Meet the Composer" and, most recently, Chamber Music America's "Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project 2000-01," Kimbrough's compositions have been the focus of many concerts presented by the Jazz Composers Collective. The musician-run, nonprofit organization was founded in 1992 and is dedicated to presenting original music.

These concerts have featured several groups led by Kimbrough, most notably his trio with bassist Ben Allison and drummer Jeff Ballard.

His "Noumena" group with guitarist Ben Monder, saxophonist Scott Robinson and drummer Tony Moreno has also drawn quite a bit of attention to his work. He is also involved in the music composed by other members of the Jazz Composers Collective.

An authority on the music of the late pianist and composer Herbie Nichols, Kimbrough was awarded a Jazz Performance Fellowship by the National Endowment of the Arts in 1995. This organization funded concerts in NYC featuring 24 of Nichols's compositions played by a dozen musicians in 16 different ensembles. The project, with Kimbrough and Ben Allison as co-leaders, has toured the U.S., Wales, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and England, and has documented its work with two critically acclaimed CDs on Soul Note Records.

The most recent of the CDs, "Dr. CyclopÕs Dream," was named one of the top-ten jazz albums of 1999 by Jazz Times, Jazz Weekly, New York Newsday and online music-seller cdnow.com. Kimbrough has written about Nichols' life and work for the jazz journal "O Papel do Jazz" and the ÒNew Grove Dictionary of Jazz.Ó

In 1993, Kimbrough joined the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, which has performed all over the world. He appeared on Schneider's 1996 Grammy-nominated CD, "Coming About."

Since 1996, Kimbrough has served on the adjunct faculty of New York UniversityÕs Department of Performing Arts Professions, where he teaches Applied Jazz Piano and Improvisation and leads two student ensembles. He has conducted residences at the Paris Conservatory, Oxford University, Berklee College of Music, Oberlin College Conservatory, Indiana State University, University of Iowa and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has served on faculty of Cannon Music Camp at Appalachian State University from 1989-1996.

Frank Kimbrough will perform in Rosen Concert Hall on Thursday at 8 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

For more information about the musician, contact his web site at www.mastura.com/frank or frank@jazzcollective.com.

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

Last Thursday at Legends, students were treated to a heaping helping of rock Ôn roll from the Will Hoge Band (WHB) and Jump, Little Children (JLC). The Will Hoge Band made an impressive opening for the show, drawing more students to the dance floor than any opening band in recent memory. Many students, who came with only the intention of seeing JLC, were won over to the rock of WHB.

One go-go boot clad student was the center of an all-female dance orgy which threatened to suck in any hapless male who passed by during HogeÕs set. (In hindsight, it now seems less threatening and more ... desirable.) Hoge wowed students with songs such as ÒRock & Roll StarÓ and Ò(IÕm Pretty Sure) IÕm Over You.Ó

The songs were delivered with swagger and class. Hoge also had great rapport with the audience and even incorporated his ÒBoys LieÓ T-shirt into his intro of ÒIÕm Over You,Ó adding, ÒMen lie, too.Ó After JLC took the stage, Appalachian State University students were presented with many old favorites such as ÒMy GuitarÓ and ÒViolent Dreams ,Ó as well as new songs like ÒOverkill,Ó ÒAngel DustÓ and ÒThe House Our Father Knew.Ó

As usual, JLC drew one of the most diverse crowds anyone could find in Boone. ÒI think we have some really cool fans who love life,Ó Jay Clifford (guitar, vocals) said before the show.

Clifford was quick to remind the audience that Matt Bivins was lucky to even be alive, since Bivins took an Amtrak from New York to make it to the Legends show. Still among the living, Bivins continued to show his flexibility by playing the harmonica, a mandolin, an accordion and everything else short of a tuba.

The new songs performed by JLC will possibly appear on their next album. JLC will start recording in Los Angeles in November and will have 25 new songs to choose from. The new album will be available sometime early next semester. The Will Hoge Band will also have a new CD available late January entitled ÒCarousel.Ó