Indianapolis Woman - Reviews: Books, Travel, Movies, Concerts, Theatre

Inside Peek "The September Issue" gives behind-the-scenes look at Vogue Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:29:00 +0000

To me, Vogue magazine has never been must-read material.

For many, it’s fashion’s bible, chockfull of extravagant clothing and profiles on heiresses living an equally extravagant lifestyle that many of us can only dream of.

That being said, as an employee at a magazine who’s interested in fashion, I jumped at the chance to see The September Issue, a documentary by R.J. Cutler that gives a behind-the-scenes look at what went into creating the 5-pound September 2007 issue of Vogue, the largest consumer magazine ever published at 840 pages.

It also shines light on Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief, who’s earned the nickname “Nuclear Wintour” for her notoriously icy and standoffish personality.

I loved getting a sneak peek at how such an influential and wide-reaching publication like Vogue creates its content. I loved seeing the photo shoots in progress and all the work and money that goes into them –– all for a mere eight pages of content.

I also enjoyed seeing how Vogue employees interact with Wintour, pitching ideas and clothing suggestions almost cautiously. It’s clear, however, that Wintour has the final say in the magazine’s content when we see her axing an entire fashion spread, one that likely cost thousands and thousands of dollars to produce.

The only one to really challenge Wintour is former model Grace Coddington, Vogue’s creative director, who styles many of the magazine’s photo shoots and really becomes the film’s second star. I ended up really liking Grace; she seemed to have fun with her job and not take it as seriously as the fashion industry takes itself.

Another part I loved: One of The September Issue’s cameramen ends up in a fashion spread. But the industry is all about weight, and that’s none more clear when Wintour suggests he hit the gym to slim down his slight potbelly.

In the end, Wintour comes off as a soft-spoken, decisive businesswoman who’s really nothing like The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly, widely rumored to be based on Wintour. I would have liked to see more of Wintour’s personal life, however, more than the brief scenes where she asks her daughter, Bee Shaffer’s, opinion on the issue.

One other note: Wintour is famous just as much for her hair as she is her job. “The Bob” is truly mesmerizing. I couldn’t help but fixate on it in several scenes.

The film will appeal to many, although those that love fashion and/or Vogue probably will enjoy it the most. The film, rated PG-13, is now playing exclusively at Keystone Art Cinema at The Fashion Mall.

Log on www.fandango.com for showtimes.

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by Laura Kruty

Portrait of America ISO’s opening night gala hopefully a promise of what’s to come Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:26:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra launched its 80th concert season with such success that I can only hope the rest of the season is as promising. The extravagantly attired guests stood up and sang as the full orchestra played “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was a beautiful pairing to the closing, another American classic, “Hoe Down” from Rodeo by Aaron Copland.

It was difficult to avoid the feast for the eyes with a full orchestra holding its shiny brass and varnished wood instruments. The bows danced across the strings in unison during Samuel Barber’s “Overture to The School for Scandal.” The song’s motive was passed around and highlighted both the string and winds section. Part of it seemed to even mimic a waterfall with eccentric trills that were so ornate it was as if one was actually listening to lace.

Leonard Bernstein, a personal favorite, which also seemed to bring the audience back from the solace of Hoagy Carmichael, demanded the audience’s attention. Bernstein, who utilized every ounce of the full orchestra, created a great expose on different types of themes and music in his “Divertimento for Orchestra.”

Every movement makes you want to leap out of your seat and begin clapping, but really that would be a concert foul.

It seems there are always concertgoers that get confused when they are supposed to clap, and many concertgoers just clap because they heard someone else doing so and think that the appropriate time to clap has arrived … but it hasn’t. So, for those who enjoy music and attend concerts, let me clear up once and for all the “clapping controversy.”

Just because there is a pause in a piece doesn’t mean the composition has actually ended and it is time to clap. Often, composers utilize silence as part of their composition (i.e., John Cage). When reading the program, you will often see a Concerto, or in this concert’s case, a Divertimento headline next to the composer’s name. Underneath the title of the piece, you’ll see a subset of pieces (usually indented). Those subtitles make up the entire piece.

When you clap after the first movement, even though it very well may merit clapping, it is as if you are leaving a baseball game after the first inning, reading the last page of a book after the introductio, or eating a food that has yet to be fully cooked. A movement only represents part of the entire piece. So before you jump to your feet and put your hands together wait to hear the song in its entirety and listen to what the composer has to fully say!

Having gotten that cleared up, the featured pianist, Gabriela Montero, was a breath of fresh air. As she approached the grand Steinway in her leggings and boots, she had an air of youth that is often not seen in concert halls. Her youth breathed life into the piano and took her complete time as she made “Rhapsody in Blue” look as easy as “Chopsticks.”

She then spoke to the audience and improvised “Back Home Indiana” after an audience member fulfilled her request of giving her a short melody. It was apparent that she was highly classically trained and has played quite a bit of Bach in her day, for the entire improvisation seemed to be variations of “Back Home Indiana” in Prelude and Fugue format. The audience leapt to its feet –– and rightfully so.

Having ended the concert with Copland’s “Hoe Down,” the Symphony left the entire audience as if it rediscovered the West. The concert was truly a tribute to America and gave everyone such enthusiasm for this concert season.

Bravo!
(You can clap now.)

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by Tory Flynn

The Shame of Fame — the 2009 version Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:38:00 +0000

With great anticipation I entered the theater to view the much-hyped 2009 version of the now classic 1980 original Fame. With no preconceived opinions of the film, I took my seat — popcorn and peanut M & Ms in hand.

At the time I was thinking it would be unfair to make any comparisons between the two. After all, dance and music have come so far in the past 30 years. But a feature film about kids in a school of performing arts would have to be incredible.

The first seven minutes of the film did not disappoint. The collage of “improved” dance, music and vocals that came together in the school’s lunchroom was an exciting intro to what should have been an artistic adventure.

Instead, the audience was privy to four great music videos (a special mention goes to the “CarnEvil” scene) strung together with sketchy story lines for far too many characters. Except for Denise and maybe Malik, you don’t really get to know any of them well enough to care — or even see how they truly had transitioned over their four years in school. And there was no fluidity. By the time the aspiring ballet dancer lost all hope, I had forgotten he was in the movie and even his name. That’s pretty bad since Kevin is my brothers’ name.

There also were an inordinate number of scenes where the high school kids found themselves in some very adult situations without any adults present. Sure, we are living in different times, but this was hard to swallow. Apparently, the attempt here was to show how difficult the world can be for those who truly want to make it. Point made... I guess.

A few great actors — Charles Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth… — as teachers and mentors were thrown in to add some spice to the mix but their roles fell flat. Of course, the story is about the kids but the audience should be given a little more than a cheap Karaoke performance from Megan Mullally to give credence to her as one who could inspire these “wanna be” stars.

The shame of Fame is that there are very talented dancers, singers and actors that just simply were not given the time to shine in a two-hour film. No doubt you will be seeing a lot more of Naturi Naughton who played Denise (I think she’s got a good agent).

But all in all, this was a “wait-for-video” film for me.

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by Michelle E. Latney

Beatlemania comes back to Indy Classical Mystery Tour is a must-see for any Beatles fans Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Beatlemania happened far before I came along, but you’ll still find plenty of Beatles songs on my iPod.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to see Classical Mystery Tour at a preview performance at the Hilbert Circle Theatre before they headed north for two shows at Symphony on the Prairie.

Tom Teeley (George Harrison), Tony Kishman (Paul McCartney), Chris Camilleri (Ringo Starr) and Jim Owen (John Lennon) comprise Classical Mystery Tour and pull off their sound-a-like and look-a-like act with precision. Combine clothing and hairstyles, and each member bears an uncanny resemblance to his Beatle counterpart.

Wearing Ed Sullivan Show-type suits (black with white shirts and skinny ties), CMT warmed up the crowd with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “A Hard Day’s Night.”

They changed into Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band regalia –– complete with mustaches and a longer-haired Lennon wig for Owen –– to perform “Yellow Submarine,” “Got To Get You Into My Life,” “I Am the Walrus” and “Here Comes the Sun,” to name a few.

My favorites were “Yesterday,” a Kishman solo, and “Imagine,” a beautiful performance by Owen made even better by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s accompaniment.

My only complaint? I would have loved to have heard “Twist and Shout.”

Although many audience members were old enough to have experienced Beatlemania, there were plenty of youngsters (even younger than me!) in attendance as well, a true testament to the lasting sound and widespread appeal of the Beatles –– and of Classical Mystery Tour.

This is my second time seeing the band perform, and I hope it won’t be the last. I think they’re a must-see.

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by Laura Kruty

Indianapolis State of Mind ISO plays the music of Billy Joel Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Michael Cavanaugh

Conner Prairie was more packed than I had ever seen it. Dinnertime picnics were drifting into the center aisles as people packed in to see the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra play the music of Billy Joel. The concert had such a large attendance that ushers ran out of programs. But for most of the crowd, programs were not needed. The songs that were played were so well known that audience members of all ages could be found mouthing the lyrics.

Michael Cavanaugh, a rising super nova in the music industry, kept the audience enthralled with his riveting performance as he belted out Billy Joel classics such as “Uptown Girl” and “River of Dreams.” His voice had an incredibly similar resemblance to his mentor, Billy Joel. In fact, Joel handpicked Cavanaugh after seeing him perform at a dueling piano bar in Las Vegas. Joel approached Cavanaugh after the concert and gave him a life-changing opportunity: to back up his bags at New York, New York Casino and move to the real New York City to perform in Joel’s Broadway musical, Movin’ Out.

I was extremely impressed by the symphony bringing in such American classics to their summer series. It helps expose the general population to a symphony in a pop culture kind of way. The music came alive with every bow stroke and percussion drum. But as much as this was an ISO concert, Cavanaugh truly stole the show.

Cavanaugh’s passion was evident in all the songs that were played, but the true indicator of his musicianship was his technical reign over the piano. This was evident when he played a non-Billy Joel piece, “Great Balls of Fire.” The audience went wild when he played the piece in true Jerry Lee Lewis style, even playing the piano with his foot! His talent was reconfirmed when he picked up an electric guitar and began accompanying himself.

The biggest disappointment of the concert was the classical piano concertos that Billy Joel wrote in 1990 when he was at Julliard. Conductor Jack Everly arranged a few pieces throughout the night, but “Waltz No. 1” was so poorly arranged that it should have been titled “Potty Break Waltz” because much of the audience left their picnic blankets to use the restroom during that song alone. What was more disturbing to me is that Billy Joel wrote the waltz specifically for the piano, yet Everly did not use the piano at all, instead transposing it to full orchestra.

The audience’s attention was regained as members returned to their lawn chairs from the restrooms as “Goodnight Saigon” began. The percussion was right on target, and ISO members played their instruments with an eerie resemblance to gunshots and bombs with every mallet pound. The powerful words of the song, “we would all go down together” could be easily felt through Cavanaugh’s voice exhibiting the pain that the song dictates over the thick sound effects of helicopters.

After the intermission, the mood was lightened by a slew of upbeat familiar Joel songs. The audience ran down the center pavement toward the stage to celebrate the music and dance. As the ISO began to play “River of Dreams,” more and more audience members danced their way to the stage that the concert began to resemble a musical itself. It was wonderful to witness the carefree dancing of young and old to such timeless Joel classics.

No Joel concert would be complete without “Piano Man.” As Cavanaugh played, the audience pulled out their lighters and cell phones and joined in unison song as they swayed to the sweet musical genius of Billy Joel.

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by Tory Flynn

The World of Neko Case Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Jason Lytle

Clowes Memorial Hall’s auditorium was scattered sparsely with music patrons to hear Jason Lytle’s group open for Neko Case. It was obvious the headliner was Case; however, the few people in the audience wanted to root for the underdog, the opening band.

Jason Lytle’s group appeared on stage — each holding two beers in hand. They exhibited the Seattle grunge style of un-trendy-ness somehow equals trendy. The drummer looked like Tom Hanks in Castaway — but that look sells. The clean-cut 1950’s alternative/pop group has no place in the 21st century, that is, unless they started their career through the Disney Channel.

The drummer was highly intuitive to the other players, and his rhythm was perfect like a metronome. Their music was very Grey’s Anatomy as if after each episode ABC would try to sell the record for the group. Jason’s voice was the somber singing that so many collegiate coffeehouses would pay to hear. However, it seemed that the band cared more about drinking their beers than playing their music. After every set they would each reach for their beers and take a unified swig. If only their music had been as uniformed.

Neko Case

After the intermission, the auditorium quickly filled up with Neko Case fans. When she appeared, they screamed — and as soon as she began singing, I knew why. Her voice was so incredibly unique that it forced the listener to enter her world. Her voice exhibited a southern sense of pain and pride, which is strange since she only spent a short amount of time in Alexandria, Va., when she was growing up.

The group gave a real show by not only speaking directly to the audience but also by combining images with her music on a large projection screen. Her band was unpretentious in appearance and treated the stage as home. Kelly, the background singer, was so comfortable that she sang in her bare feet. Case even brought her dog on stage, which sat with the background singer for one song, had an obvious case of stage fright and disappeared from the stage for the rest of the concert.

The musicianship of the group was incredibly solid — not one falter, not one flat note. It offered the audience a spectrum of instruments, some of which are very rarely used in today’s music (i.e. the banjo, zither, etc.). So frequently do groups opt out of the traditional standing bass and go for an electric one — it was nice to hear the deep baritone notes of the instrument again. Her group’s sound was one of a kind and unique to itself. After every set she would use her charming wit and keep the audience’s attention as she strapped herself into one of her arsenal of guitars. She would then belt out another tune and even used the microphone as an added feature to her voice. By slowly tilting her head away from the mic as she sang a long note it would create a decrescendo.

Her music and talent was so real, unlike the mass production of pop star cookie cutters, it made me believe in the musicianship of my generation once again. Some people have it, and some people don’t. Neko Case has it.

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by Tory Flynn

The Mercy Papers chronicles a mother’s death, a young woman’s grief Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance: The five stages of grief as identified by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross are all there in Robin Romm’s The Mercy Papers, a Memoir of Three Weeks. But it’s the first three that have Romm in a vise grip in her raw rendering of the final weeks before her 56-year-old mother Jackie succumbs to the cancer she fought for nine years.

In a non-linear journal of the time she spent on deathwatch in her parents’ house —along with her father, her dog Mercy, other assorted canines and cats, friends, family and a parade of nurses and social workers — Romm seems literally to pour out blood and guts as she tells her story. She minces no words when it comes to the emotional and visual horrors of the advanced disease resulting in tumors protruding through her mother’s skin and threatening to split open her distorted purple breast.

But the book is not without its humorous moments — though they always are tinged with sadness — like a description of Mercy dressed for Halloween in a Brussels sprout hat and an old, green, too-big dog sweater. The levity is lost on Jackie, though, whose steady doses of morphine leave her semi-conscious much of the time.

Throughout the book, Romm struggles mightily with the fact that she can’t tell her mom — once a vivacious, passionate attorney — that it’s OK for her to die. Toward the end, when Romm confesses this dilemma to her mother, she finds it doesn’t matter. “I dun need your permission,” her mother says with slurred speech.

“This is what I wanted to hear; it’s my release,” Romm writes. But even in moments like this, the heavy cloud of dread and grief still hangs over every word, every paragraph and every chapter.

Indeed, Romm does not once blink in her stark tale of death. Her anger and sadness are not tied up in a pretty, silver-lining conclusion. The point of the book seems to only be this: to tell the truth about love and loss.

But there is an important take-home lesson here: Spend time now with the ones you love. In that vein, The Mercy Papers serves as a cautionary tale to those who still have their mothers — and a resonant survivor’s song for those who don’t.

“The Mercy Papers, a Memoir of Three Weeks,” by Robin Romm. Simon & Schuster, 2009. 211 pages.

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by Nancy Larson

‘Waiting for Daisy’ not your typical infertility saga Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:46:00 +0000

At 35, Peggy Orenstein’s feelings about motherhood suddenly blast through ambivalence, race toward desire and speed straight to obsession. It’s a familiar theme: another 30- or 40-something woman who has put off pregnancy only to discover she really might not be able to have it all.

But while there have been countless books and articles about the seesaw struggle of infertility, Orenstein’s memoir is honest, insightful and even funny.

With one ovary and a singular vision, the successful feminist author’s quest at one point leads her to a destination well-known to many couples: in vitro fertilization. To initiate that process, Orenstein is instructed to give herself injections of the purified urine of postmenopausal Italian nuns.

It’s a new spin on the concept of immaculate conception, Orenstein writes, a child to be conceived not through intercourse, but after a virgin’s pee helps produce an abundance of eggs. “Putting voodoo dolls beneath my mattress no longer seemed so unreasonable,” Orenstein realizes. But neither spells nor needles do the trick.

That her marriage stays intact is the true miracle. Orenstein does not mince words about the toll that sex on demand, her necessary self-absorption and a calendar completely controlled by her cycles took on their relationship. “I can’t do this,” her husband admits, telling her he will only continue to try for a baby if she dials back her desperation.

With her fingers crossed behind her back, Orenstein promises to stop caring so much. Feeling like a complete failure, she takes in a stray cat, then a young friend willing to lend her womb. Almost no option goes untried.

In another literary work whose title also begins with “Waiting for” but ends with “Godot,” the subject of the characters’ anticipation never shows up. This book may not be quite as important as Samuel Beckett’s epic play, but for the reader and the author, its ending is worth the wait.

By Nancy Larson

Simply ‘De-Lovely” Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:04:00 +0000

After a rained out concert, the Cabaret on the Canal brought back sunshine to the city as Shannon Forsell took center stage. Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” classic featured Forsell’s meticulous voice that cut through each note like a knife to butter. The audience simply melted into the jazz mood. Tom Nichols accompanied Forsell on percussion and Ray Lahrman on keyboard. As big and bold as Forsell’s voice was, it did not take the complete spotlight.

Lahrman was easily noticed through his perfect walking bass lines and his vibrant musical interpretations particularly in “Fly me to the Moon”. You would have never known that his primary focus at IU was saxophone and not the piano. He began playing the piano when he was three years old, mostly by ear. Thanks to his Grandma for pushing him to play in church, he quickly learned the piano and shared his talent for the entire city to enjoy. Lahrman is a shining jazz pianist whose musicianship was not only easy to recognize, but made a performance equally memorable.

A Gershwin classic, the audience was visibly pleased when Forsell launched into “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. The song highlighted the drummer Tom Nichols as he kept a perfect jazz swaying 4/4 tempo. It is no surprise that this perfectly composed song turned into a jazz standard in the 1930’s. She also shared the spotlight with a local legend whose career spans over five decades.

Jimmy Guilford has performed with international figures such as Etta Jones and Ray Charles, and it certainly showed. His voice was a sweet surprise as he easily maneuvered around jazz standards demonstrating the depth of his musicianship especially when Forsell and Guilford sang “Blue Skies” in a duet. Guilford brought out the classic gravelly jazz voice as he dug in deep into the notes. Together, their voices complemented each other well. Forsell’s smooth notes were perfectly paired with the graininess of Guilford’s. When Guilford sang in the band “Ink Spots,” a friend of his had the opportunity to meet Louis Armstrong. Guilford learned how to find the raspy classic jazz voice from Armstrong himself, but it certainly helps that his passion and primary form of expression is music.

The highlight of the concert wasn’t Forsell’s typical forte, a selection from “Aida”, but rather “Blues in the Night” where she punched out passion with every lyric and gained the attention to those simply floating by in the boats on the canal. The group was perfectly in tandem and even when there was an elongated rest in the music, they took that opportunity to still speak to the audience – a very difficult task for any musician.

The Cabaret on the Canal proved that jazz was alive and well in Indiana, and left all wanting more.

See for yourself…
Jimmy Guilford will be singing at the Connoisseur Room on August 15th
Shannon Forsell will be singing at the Connoisseur Room on October 9th and 10th

by Tory Flynn

Mei-Ling Hopgood ‘Lucky Girl’ is a memoir of mixed blessings Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Click cover to buy

Unlike many adopted children, Mei-Ling Hopgood did not go in search of her genetic roots. Instead, at 23, her birth family—mother, father and seven siblings—found her.

Growing up in the Detroit area, Hopgood didn’t give much thought to her first seven months of her life, spent in Taiwan in the care of an American nun. Her eventual home with Chris and Rollie Hopgood and her two younger, adopted brothers was a nurturing place where the subject of adoption was an ongoing discussion.

Just after graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, Hopgood took a job at the Detroit Free Press and then moved to St. Louis to work for the Post-Dispatch. But no news story would rival the personal one that was beginning to unfold in Hopgood’s life.

In 1997, after an appeal from her Chinese family, Hopgood booked a flight to Taiwan that would bring some answers but more questions. A request by the family to bring large-size clothes for a brother whom the family adopted just before Hopgood was given up was one of many ways the cultures clashed.

The heartbreaks of being female in mid-to-late 20th century China play out not only in Hopgood’s having to leave her family, but also in the tortured life of loss and subjugation led by her birth mother.

In many ways, Hopgood knows she really is the lucky one — and so do her Chinese sisters.

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By Nancy Larson

New Kids on the Block The boy band still knows what its fans want Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:23:00 +0000

The typical reaction I got when I told someone I was going to see New Kids on the Block in concert was, You’re kidding. Why?

Why wouldn’t I go? I have extremely fond memories of NKOTB, listening to their cassettes while on family vacations and watching a televised concert on video over and over and over again.

The new kids are clearly not kids anymore –– the youngest member, Joey McIntyre, is 36 –– but they still know how to bring their overwhelmingly female fans to their feet, as evidenced by the Indianapolis stop on their Full Service tour at Verizon Wireless Music Center.

The show opened with “Full Service,” one of a handful of songs from the group’s 2008 release, The Block. The crowd moved and grooved to the newer songs, but they didn’t exactly get full-on crowd “participation” with those.

Unsurprisingly, it was the “classics” that really got the crowd moving and shaking, songs like “Please Don’t Go Girl,” “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Step by Step” and “I’ll Be Loving You Forever.”

The group also paid tribute to Michael Jackson with an audience sing-a-long of “I’ll Be There.”

“Hangin’ Tough” ended the show on a rowdy note.

McIntyre, Jordan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg were clearly the vocal leaders, with McIntrye and Knight sharing the bulk of the lead vocals. Danny Wood had a brief vocal –– as well as breakdancing –– solo, and Jonathan Knight often looked like he’d rather be scrubbing a toilet than being on stage. As a result, it was easy to forget he was even there.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the “kids” still sounded. On some songs, it was difficult to tell if they were lip synching or not, especially when the venue’s big screens showed graphics instead of them singing. I’m not sure if crowd members, many of whom were decked out in buttons, T-shirts and neon leggings, cared either way.

America’s Best Dance Crew’s Jabbawockeez and pop singer Jesse McCartney held their own as the show’s opening acts.

by Laura Kruty

Tut’s Treasures Children’s Museum plays host to dozens of Egyptian artifacts

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:22:00 +0000

For a chance to see priceless Egyptian artifacts –– more than 100 in all –– don’t miss The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis’ latest exhibit, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, which opened June 27.

The exhibit, organized in conjunction with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, includes authentic artifacts from 2600 B.C. to about 600 B.C., including a pair of gold sandals found on King Tut’s feet when his mummy was unwrapped for the first time in 1922 –– truly stunning. Talk about a trend-setting gladiator sandal!

Other pieces include a coffinette (essentially a miniature coffin) that once contained the stomach of King Tut, statues of various Egyptian pharaohs, jewelry, furniture, weapons and other containers that held organs of the dead.

Many artifacts have never been to the United States prior to this exhibit’s tour.
“Tutankhamun’s magic still captures the hearts of people all over the world, even though more than 85 years have passed since the discovery of his amazing tomb,” says Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “We reveal parts of the mystery, but the mystery still remains.”

More than 50 artifacts are from King Tut’s tomb, first unearthed by British explorer Howard Carter. The exhibit features four galleries that correspond to the layout of Tut’s tomb and also includes information on the latest in scientific research on Tut, the role of pharaohs in Egyptian society and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people.

The exhibit isn’t cheap, but I think you’ll find it to be worth the money. After all, it’s not every day you can see a pair of sandals several thousand years old or jewelry that makes you stop and think, Now how in the world did they make that back then?
Admission Monday through Thursday is $25 adults, $23 for seniors 60 and older.

Admission Friday through Sunday is $30 adults, $27.50 for seniors. Kids 2-17 on any day are $15. A guided audio tour is available for an additional charge.

The exhibit runs until Oct. 25 and has special hours, so check before you go. Call (877) 888-8587 or log on www.kingtut.org for tickets.

by Laura Kruty

Consider it Transformers on steroids. Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:03:00 +0000

In the sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just about everything is pumped up — the action, the number of Autobots and Decepticons, the jokes and the eye-candy for the guys who can’t seem to get enough of Megan Fox.

If you’re one of those people who don’t buy into the idea that less is more, you’ll enjoy the sensory overload delivered by director Michael Bay.

In Revenge of the Fallen, two years have passed since Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the Autobots have saved the human race from the invading Decepticons.

Life seems to be getting back to normal for Sam as he heads off to college for the first time. However, things change pretty quickly as he realizes that the battle between the Autobots and the Transformers — who are now trying to anonymously co-exist with humans on earth — is far from over.

The Autobots, who are partnering with the military of a secret team called NEST, spend most of their time tracking down the remaining Decepticons hiding among them on earth.

Though this battle between good and evil robots lends itself to a few interesting fight scenes, a more sinister Decepticon plot is unveiling itself with Sam as the prime target.

At the same time that the Decepticons are preparing to wage an all-out war in an effort to destroy earth, a few government officials have decided that the Autobots are too dangerous to live among humans. One in particular makes it his personal mission to drive them out of town.

Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, agrees to leave but issues a warning that our planet wouldn’t have what it takes to defend itself against the Decepticons.
The film starts off with plenty of lighthearted comedy relief, delivered by some unlikely characters, including Sam’s mother (Julie White), and then quickly transforms (pun definitely intended) with a heavy dose of robotic battles.

With more actors and robots, Revenge of the Fallen can get a bit overwhelming at times. Even so, the introduction of Ramon Rodriguez as Sam’s roommate Leo and the return of National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway (John Benjamin Hickey) provide a nice balance to the cast of characters on the run from the Decepticons.

And, of course, male moviegoers can expect to get enjoy plenty of scenes with Megan Fox who gets some competition from a blonde co-ed (Isabel Lucas) who obviously has a thing for Sam.

If you’re into over-the-top action, a slew of fighting robots and a parade of college students who could double as runway models, check out Revenge of the Fallen.

by Shari Finnell

Phantastically Phish A Night with Phish @ Verizon Wireless

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:23:00 +0000

by Lindsay and Nick Eichelman

Lindsay and her brother
Nick @ a show

For the Phish faithful, Friday, June 19 was a much anticipated night in Indianapolis. Temperatures topping out near 90 degrees did not deter tailgaters who gathered in the packed parking lots at Verizon Wireless Music Center prior to the venue gates opening. Many fans we visited with traveled from Illinois and Wisconsin to enjoy the show in Indianapolis, and many had plans venture to the two day stint at Alpine Valley Music Center in East Troy, Wisc., that wrapped up Phish’s 2009 Summer Tour. Vendors lined the sidewalk leading into the main gate and sold everything from the ever-favorite $1 grilled cheese to tie-dyed attire. The pre-concert festivities were a fun highlight for fans.

Once inside, the sold out crowd energized and prepared to jam as the sun started to set and ominous clouds gathered in the west. The band made their way onstage a little after 8 p.m. and began their first set with a somewhat mellow “Backwards Down the Number Line.” The crowd quickly erupted when the band broke into the first few chords of the second song “AC/DC Bag” and didn’t stop dancing until the first set ended with a rousing rendition of “Fluff Head,” complete with a sky full of flying glow sticks timed perfectly to the chorus of the song. The band filled the intense first set with many crowd favorites, including “Split Open and Melt” and “Lawnboy.” Fans were treated to a first-time performance of “The Connection,” a new song presumably included on the upcoming studio album. The band had a palpable joy for blasting out their music as the first set ended around 10 p.m.

Shortly after the first set ended, looming clouds let forth nasty lightning and wind. Page McConnell, Phish’s keyboardist, quickly came on stage and announced the postponement of the concert and advised lawn dwellers to move to their cars, promising to start the second set around 11 p.m.

True to his promise, the band returned to the stage as the storm passed and began an amazing eight song second set. Elated fans began to dry out and ditch their rain gear after the long walk to and from their vehicles. The glow sticks returned, and the reenergized crowd packed the lawn, dancing joyously in the aisles during the 35 minute jam including “Tweezer,” “2001,” a rare “Suzy Greenberg” and “Possum” which rounded out the second set. The encore began with a humorous and light “Sleeping Monkey,” followed immediately by the “Tweezer Reprise”. As the band fell into the reprise, they seemed truly in tune with the music as the sky once again opened up and the lightening flashed in conjunction with the beat of the song. While fans left the venue soaking wet departing later than anticipated, no one complained. The faithful Phishheads were simply glad the band was back on tour and happy to have witnessed such an amazing show. And for this brother-sister duo, our first official Phish show was even more amazing than either of us anticipated!

Grateful Dead Symphony Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:31:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), which is now one of 17 nation-wide full time symphonies, began the concert series by launching into “Cuban Overture” composed by George Gershwin. Gershwin originally composed the piece after taking a two-week vacation to Cuba. Instead of bringing back a Cuban cigar for his fellow Americans, his composition seems to have brought back Cuba itself. The trumpet rang out and was highlighted both by Gershwin and mere talent.

The wind instruments and the percussion section were highlighted in this piece, but any good musician also depends on both the acoustics and the ‘sound guy’. Unfortunately, the production sound kicked off to a rough start, but in the phenomenal oboe solo the trills made everyone think of perfection, not the sound guy. Interestingly enough, where most composers would give the solo to the first violinist, Gershwin gave incredible solos to the brass and wind sections. The first song left the audience wanting to do the rumba, the original first name for the piece.

Lucas Richman took advantage of the casual atmosphere of Symphony on the Prairie to speak with the audience. When introducing On the Town, by Leonard Bernstein, Richman commented on his excitement to conduct pieces by “American composers who understood the theatricality of music.”

On the Town is a musical that tells the story of three American sailors granted a 24-hour leave in New York City. As the oboe kicks off the movement, it becomes apparent that the sound guy finally pulled through. The bassoon was used for the swanky theme of the song. It was easy to visualize the Navy in ‘the town’. On the Town’s main theme was thrown back and forth between all of the instruments. Bernstein uses sliding notes that paint a very exaggerated picture of a woman’s swaying hips and throaty trumpets allude to a lounge-type scene.

Bernstein also mimics city sounds and translates them to music. The audience is transported into Times Square, and Bernstein leaves you there.

In “Overture to Candide” from Bernstein’s opera, Candide, he preys upon extremes. Candide, which is known to most people as a book by Voltaire, does prey upon the French cancan. Offenbach, the composer that was made famous for his burlesque-type pieces, rang through in parts of Candide’s overture. The song whips from cancan type dance music into a sweetly passionate, yet campy melody that would transport most audience members to a beautiful romance filled with innocence and sunshine. As the melody grows, ISO shows it by their crescendos and deep bow strokes. Then the wind instruments lead into a full orchestra melody. The music begins to once again crescendo with a presto tempo.

The ending is short – and perfect.

Looking at the audience, I could tell that most came to hear the last half of the performance, the Dead Symphony which was written by Lee Johnson who took some of Grateful Dead’s long pieces, improved on them, and took the most famous songs and made it into a symphony. Lucas Richman appeared in the second half with a wardrobe change, a tie-dye shirt – which was very fitting for both the audience and the music.

The Dead Symphony intertwined each movement with the next. The xylophone was made a central figure in the symphony reappearing throughout many of the movements. The Grateful Dead era came into play as a cello rang deeply with the strings lingering on. The haunting xylophone mixed with the harpsichord gave dissonance a new meaning. Dissonance, traditionally used in classical music where it would could later be resolved, left the audience to try to resolve the chords themselves, which was a refreshing surprise. Some of the ‘dead heads’ clapped when a familiar melody took center stage, but some of the traditionally classical music buffs were overhead saying, “What is going on?”

Even though a full orchestra was at hand, for part of one of the movements Lee Johnson metaphorically removes all of the orchestra except for a traditional quartet who pass along a melody to one another. In the last movement, Lee Johnson gives a musical quote to John Phillip Sousa, perhaps to draw a bridge between classical American music and classic rock.

Saturday, June 20
Lucas Richman, Conductor

By Tory Flynn

Travel; Chicago, IL The Field Museum’s “Real Pirates” exhibitmerges past with present

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:52:00 +0000

by Rebecca R. Bibbs

Looking for an educational day trip that gives you the feeling of having left the city without breaking the bank?

Consider taking your young buccaneers to see “Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship” at Chicago’s Field Museum. The Whydah is the first authenticated pirate ship found in U.S. waters.

The 8,400-squre-foot interactive touring exhibit organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International may not be exactly what you’d think. Though it features a treasure chest filled with silver coins and other artifacts like eating utensils and weaponry, it doesn’t glamorize it in a swashbuckling Hollywood kind of way. Instead it’s a sobering, looking at the history of one ship from its days on the high seas in the 1700s to how the shipwreck was found in 1984 by underwater explorer Barry Clifford off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass.

This exhibit is a great piece of multicultural history that examines the lives of some of the crew, including Capt. Sam Bellamy; Hendrik Quintor a free man of Dutch and African descent; John Julian, an afro-amerindian born into Nicaragua’s mosquito tribe; and 11-year-old John King, the youngest known pirate aboard the ship. Built to transport slaves in what now is called the Middle Passage, the history of the Whydah brings into focus the realities of life in the Caribbean.

Though no women are featured, there is a section of the exhibit that explains that plenty of women were attracted to this lifestyle and often were more brutal than men.

“Real Pirates” continues through Oct. 25. Gold Pass tickets to Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship includes basic admission to the Museum and are priced at $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and students with ID, and $13 for children 3-11.

For information, visit www.fieldmuseum.org or call or call 866-FIELD-03.

‘Balloon Voyage’ carries guests back in time Conner Prairie

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:50:00 +0000

by Laura Kruty

Fun fact: The first manned airmail balloon flight took off in 1859 from none other than Lafayette, Ind.

Destined for New York City, the balloon, manned by John Wise, got caught in winds and instead landed in Crawfordsville. The mail then was delivered to New York by train.

In the spirit of the launch, which drew thousands that August day in Lafayette, Conner Prairie opened its 1859 Balloon Voyage exhibit June 6, allowing guests to step back in time –– and soar more than 350 feet above Indiana soil.

Guests can experience the excitement of Lafayette that day by taking in the sights and sounds of a recreated Lafayette streetscape, which includes Lafayette Drug Store, Dry Goods Store, Art Gallery and Print Shop and Lafayette Gas Works.

Visitors also can build, fill, launch, navigate and land a balloon –– all while fighting what Wise called “rivers of wind,” or the jet stream, in Flight School.

The main attraction, however, is the 105-foot-tall balloon, which is twice as large as your typical hot air balloon and takes up to 20 guests per 10- to 15-minute flight.

I was lucky in that the day I went up was clear and picture perfect. The ascent is smooth (although that didn’t stop me from keeping a firm grip on the rail), and it only takes a few minutes to reach your height.

Since it was so clear, we were able to see downtown Indianapolis, Keystone at the Crossing and the Pyramids at 86th Street and Michigan Road. Everything certainly takes on a whole new perspective as you look down on it from a few hundred feet in the air.

The balloon held pretty steady as we “floated” there — it remains anchored to the ground the whole time so any movement is minimal — but I still didn’t feel comfortable enough to walk around in the gondola.

In all, Balloon Voyage is a fun –– and unique –– attraction.

Balloon Voyage is open through November. The balloon only operates in safe weather conditions, so check www.connerprairie.org before your visit to make sure it’s running.

Tickets are $15 per person non-members and $12 per member. A $5 coupon is available at area BP am/pm locations.

Call (317) 776-6000 or log on www.connerprairie.org.

Travel, Nashville, TN Country music in the big city

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:21:00 +0000

by Rebecca R. Bibbs

If you love country/western and bluegrass music, Nashville, Tenn., is the place for you. As you plan your trip to the Music City, consider dropping by some of the following places:

You never know who
Bill Cody will have on his
WSM radio program.

> WSM Radio: Located in the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, this was the radio station that put country music on the map. If your timing is right, you just might catch personality Bill Cody interview one of your favorite country/western music stars.

> The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Located on Nashville’s Music Row, the museum, originally located in a barn-shaped building, moved to it’s $37 million high-tech digs in 2001. Witness the history and view the artifacts of country music legends like the father of country music Jimmie Rodgers, the coal miner’s daughter Loretta Lynn and the legendary Williams family.

> Music City Walk of Fame: Similar to the Hollywood walk of Fame, this stretch between Fourth and Fifth Avenue South pays homage to entertainers like Vince Gilll, Reba McIntire and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

Feel the history inside
RCA Studio B.

> RCA Studio B: Make it a point to visit the studio that brought you Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers and Connie Smith. Feel the history as you sit at the piano where Elvis recorded his Grammy-nominated hit “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”

> Ernest Tubb Record Shop: Visit the store that put country/western into the hands of fans to be played over and again.

> Bluebird Café: Spend an evening listening to original country music, often by the songwriters behind the hits. If you think you’ve got what it takes, get onstage at the Monday night Open Mic or Sunday Writers’ Night.

> Ryman Auditorium: Take in a show at the “Carnegie of the South,” a former church that was the longest running home to the Grand Ole Opry until its move to its current site.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

> Grand Ole Opry: No visit to Nashville is complete without a trip to the newest home of the Grand Ole Opry. Take a backstage tour, where you’ll see the post boxes of Opry members like Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner’s dressing room and the circle of flooring removed from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium that is the Holy Grail of every country music hopeful. Enjoy the Opry Classics show, featuring country music legends like Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seeley and Jean Shepard or take in the Saturday night program, featuring superstars like Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley.

Travel, Nashville, TN The Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel & Convention Center epitomizes Southern hospitality and world-class opulence

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:05:00 +0000

by Andrew D. Smith

You never need to leave
the resort for scenic views.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center should be prime destination for travelers seeking a relaxing, fun filled, enjoyable vacation, honeymoon or long weekend. Located in extraordinary Nashville, Tenn., the resort is conveniently located to numerous attractions including the Grand Ole Opry, The Country Music Hall of Fame, LP Stadium, the vibrant and active dining and nightlife of downtown Nashville, the airport, and numerous golf courses and other outdoor activities.

> Personal accommodations: This luxurious hotel, the flagship property of the Gaylord Hotels family, is a true resort. Starting with the nine acres of beautiful gardens, lush and dramatic waterfalls, a winding river and creative landscaping, a visitor could spend days simply enjoying the soothing and relaxing panorama of nature.

The hotel features 2,881 newly remodeled guest rooms, including 174 spectacular suites. Each room features high-speed wireless Internet access and two phones, including one cordless. If one desires to be treated to a truly memorable experience, stay in the Presidential Suite, with its dual master baths, dining/conference room and catering kitchen.

> Convention facilities: Seeking a world class convention experience? Look no further than the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center. Offering more than 600,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the property has not only the most plentiful and flexible meeting space of any Nashville hotel, it boasts the largest non-gaming, in-hotel exhibition space in the world.

Savor crabmeat eggs
benedict served at
Cascades Seafood
Restaurant.

> Restaurants: Enjoy a lavish Sunday brunch at Water’s Edge Marketplace Buffet, a sumptuous dinner at Cascades Seafood Restaurant or a mid-day snack at the more casual Stax.

> Spa and fitness: A trip to the 20,000 square foot spa and fitness center may just be what the doctor ordered after sampling the tasty creations of the Opryland resort’s 5 executive chefs.

> Activities: If working out isn’t your cup of tea, you can walk off your meal by shopping at one of 25 distinctive fashion and gift boutiques. After shopping, take a relaxing flatboat tours.

Enjoy a great view
from the balcony of one of
the resort’s nearly 3,000
newly remodeled guest rooms.

> Nightlife: If you’re looking for bright lights and dance music, look no further than Fuse, the resort’s hip new nightclub. Billed as a Las Vegas-style club, Fuse is the perfect place to wind down with an apple-tini. And with celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Kid Rock who have stopped by, you’ll never know who you’ll see.
The Opryland resort is very easy to navigate. Signs and helpful staff guide you throughout.

Numerous limousines, shuttle buses, taxi cabs, and other transportation are available to take a traveler off the resort.

A discerning traveler seeking convenience, choice and value may wish never to leave this stunning resort.

Beyonce Obsessed harkens back to Fatal Attraction

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:21:00 +0000

by Andrew D. Smith

Obsessed brings back the tried and true formula of Fatal Attraction and adds some cool “it” factor by starring a hip young cast. What also sets it apart is the development of an African-American family at the center.

Derek Charles, played admirably by rising star Idris Elba, is an up and coming young finance manager who seemingly has it all. His beautiful, devoted wife Sharon, played by Beyonce Knowles, lovingly stays at home, raises their cute little boy and caters to Derek’s every need and desire.

However, this seemingly perfect life is about to be rudely shattered by scheming, conniving, femme fatale Lisa, cunningly played by Ali Larter. Lisa takes one look at the successful, handsome Derek and begins to manipulate and insinuate herself into his arms.

Admirably, Derek resists her best efforts, and Lisa’s scheme takes a dark sinister turn. Throughout the movie, Derek is tricked, trapped and endlessly stalked by the lovely but twisted Lisa. Sharon unwittingly falls for Lisa’s games and becomes upset and distanced from her husband. Finally, Sharon discerns the truth, and the inevitable clash between devoted wife and obsessed and demented stalker builds toward the final confrontation.

The pace of the movie moves the watcher briskly from beginning to end. The plot is well developed, and the cast does an exemplary job of bringing the characters to life. Elba does a wonderful job of portraying a successful young career minded man trying to continue to move forward and avoid the clutches of the desperate lady who becomes obsessed with having him.

Knowles showed an acting depth not expected from a pop star diva. Her role as protective wife and mother grew throughout the movie and added a sense of realism when she found out the truth behind the schemes of her nemesis. Larter as the obsessed temporary worker brought to life the complex role of Lisa. Switching from flirtatious to dangerous, funny to obsessed, Larter brought the character to life and made the story believable.

If you enjoy femme fatales and exploration of the depths of demented obsessions, make sure and check out Obsessed.

Star Trek This first of a new generation may help a renewed franchise live long and prosper

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:54:00 +0000

by Alan Inkenbrandt

The latest entry in the Star Trek franchise dares to boldly go where the original 1966 TV series has gone before — with highly entertaining results. In sharp contrast to the glacial pace of earlier Trek films, this one — the 11th — starts at warp speed and maintains that frenetic pace to the end credits.

Director J.J. Abrams, creator of TV's Lost and Alias, has reimagined the universe of the 24th century with a talented young cast and whiz-bang 21st century effects. Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew of the Starship Enterprise have returned — only a bit hipper and more intense than their original incarnations. They're also considerably more self-aware, constantly winking at the cornier aspects of the show that have inspired countless William Shatner impersonations.

That sort of post-modern jokiness could have sunk the new Star Trek, but Abrams manages to find the right balance between in-jokes and reverence. Everything from the performances to the art design remains true to the spirit of the original show without getting trapped by nostalgia. It's a tricky business, and die-hard Trekkies probably will howl. They'll also be horrified by the clever bit of sci-fi sleight-of-hand that Abrams employs to free himself from the constraints of the old storyline.

The crux of the story is this: The maiden voyage of the Enterprise is interrupted by a Romulan on a rampage. Nero (Eric Bana), rogue commander of an enormous Romulan vessel, has sworn revenge upon the United Federation of Planets in general and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) in particular.

After the Enterprise's original commander, Capt. Pike (Bruce Greenwood), is captured, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the rest of the inexperienced crew are left to stop Nero. They also discover why he has gone berserk, with very personal ramifications for both Kirk and Spock.

Star Trek is a terrific blend of action, humor and just a drop of pathos. The plot echoes the grand themes that made the original iconic, yet steers clear of the ponderousness that turned off non-Trekkies.

The actors have found a way to evoke the essence of their predecessors while making the roles their own. In short, this film pulls off the near-impossible task of introducing Capt. Kirk and his crew to the next generation without disrespecting the qualities that made the original work.

If the future sequels are as fun as this one, let's hope that the Star Trek franchise lives long and prospers.

References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot leaves the audience cold The Phoenix Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:16:00 +0000

Salvador Dali was a complex, imaginative artist who grew and evolved throughout his career. Unfortunately, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, the recent offering at The Phoenix Theatre, did not match Dali’s brilliant trajectory.

The play is follows the woes of Gabriela, an army wife stuck in the desert of Barstow, Calif., as her husband Benito survived the rigors of war in the Persian Gulf then is moved from place to place training soldiers. Benito is torn between his need to prove his valor in combat versus Gabriela’s need to have the loving, devoted husband she married long ago.

The six-person cast, led by Melissa Solozano as Gabriela, was overmatched and underutilized by the pedantic prose written by Jose Rivera. Solozano valiantly tried to bring to life the tortured, drama-stricken character but ultimately was unable to muster the realism of such a poorly written character.

Gabriela’s husband Benito was portrayed by Noe Montez. This actor came across as stiff, uncomfortable and extremely unbalanced as he tried to play the complex and poorly written Benito. Montez completely missed the character, and his attempt reminded me of a vicious parody of a comedian imitating Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowlaski in A Streetcar named Desire or William Shatner as the overwrought Captain Kirk.

The Moon, played by Matthew Roland, was symbolic of the failure of this play. Roland battled to bring a sense of realism, depth and characterization to an abstract, vague symbol to which was constantly referred throughout the play but never truly was defined or given a purpose within the story. In the end, just as the character Moon was left wanting and undefined, so was Matthew’s performance.

Phebe Taylor was brilliantly costumed as the seductive Cat, the temptress to the predatory Coyote. But Taylor was inconsistent as the salacious Cat. She was convincingly feline and did as much as could be expected with such a confusing part, but at times appeared uninspired during parts of the dialogue.

The hormone-driven Martin was weakly played by Julio Chaves. Martin was written to be a lust-driven teenager drawn to the lonely and confused Gabriela. However, Julio simply came across as creepy and pathetic in a sad, lost seemingly Kevin Federline-inspired performance.

In contrast to the difficult struggle of the overmatched cast, Coyote played by Nate Santana tried to breathe life into the dying performance. Eloquently portraying a Coyote yearning for the wildness and bloodlust of the dying desert, Nate found the proper balance between angst and passion. It was a shame that the Coyote part was but a minor portion of the play because the time Nate spent on stage was the highlight of the show.

The premise of the story has great potential. The angst of a lonely, striving housewife trying to save her marriage to a heroic, out of place soldier and better her social and economic standing could ignite the stage. However, the overblown prose penned by Jose Rivera never allowed the cast to bring the characters to life. This story is difficult to watch and is a shame because the Phoenix Theatre traditionally brings challenging story lines to compelling life. This offering just happened to miss the mark in executing a poorly written story.

by Andrew Duane Smith

Treasure Island: A Musical Adventure Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Get on deck!

You’ll want to be on board when the next production of Treasure Island: A Musical Adventure sets sail at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre.

Days after taking in the musical adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, I still can’t get the musical numbers and what I’ll refer to as “The Voice” out of my mind.

Yeah, the singing was that incredible.

And The Voice I’m speaking of belongs to Christopher Dickerson, who plays the role of Tom Morgan in the story about a young man in search of treasure. In a baritone worthy of an opera, Dickerson commanded the stage whenever he opened his mouth to sing.

The acting also was top notch, with Jamie Jackson convincingly playing the devilish and cunning role of Long John Silver.

Rick Desloge was equally convincing playing the youthful and naive Jim Hawkin, who is still grieving the loss of his father but has his heart set on finding his fortune along with a motley crew of good guys and bad guys.

During the voyage, the young Hawkins unwittingly befriends Long John Silver, who has managed to get his mutinous crew on board to rob Jim blind. Again, Jackson’s portrayal of the one-legged pirate was among the most complex in the production.

This classic tale of greed, friendship, redemption and the battle between good and evil is expertly delivered in the hands of guest director Marc Robin and actor Curt Dale Clark, who co-authored the production.

With this presentation of Treasure Island: A Musical Adventure, Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre continues to up the ante with the level of talent that it has been bringing to the stage.

The show is at Beef and Boards through May 17. For reservations, call the box office at (317) 872-9664.

Crowns highlights the relationship between Black women and their hats Indiana Repertory Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Talking hats may sound like something out of an animated show for children. But once you see a production of Regina Taylor’s Crowns you will understand that hats really do talk.

The play is based on the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry. The book Crowns is a photographic look at the various types of hats worn to church by Black women. The play brings the relationships between Black women and their millinery addictions to life.

This play is about more than hats, it is a story about relationships between men and women, Black and White, the young and the old, and God and his saints. Each hat is connected to a story. For example, one hat is symbolic of first time its owner was allowed to shop in a store that was historically for Whites only. There are stories of how the hats come into the lives of each woman, be it by purchase at a department store, a yard sale or as a gift from a White woman.

Interwoven throughout the play are various takes on Black American religious life. After all, a woman without a hat on Sunday morning in only half dressed. Crowns is a lesson on Sunday morning activities from various denominational perspectives. The audience will see a ring shout, the laying on of hands, a sermon, invitation to discipleship and a baptism.

But it is not only the women who wear hats. Dennis Spears, the only male cast member, portrays an array of men who also have stories that involve a hats and women. Finally, if you want to know what it takes to separate a woman from her hat, they have an answer for that too.

The cast for this production is small in number but mighty in talent. Each actor brings a plethora of talent and experience to the stage. Indianapolis is blessed to have this assembly of thespians in our city.

Crowns continues through May 2, Show times and ticket prices vary. Call (317) 635-5252 or log on www.irtlive.com.

by Joni Clark

Cirque de la Symphonie Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Music and circus acts come together for
Cirque de la Symphonie

The circus came to town.

No, it wasn’t at the Indiana State Fairgrounds or Conseco Fieldhouse. It was at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, a venue typically reserved for orchestral music.

There were no animals and no tightrope walkers but plenty of great music and awe-inspiring performances in Cirque de la Symphonie, a collaboration between the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and cirque acts.

Among the acts set to classical tunes were Elena Tsarkova, who contorted her body in a way that would give any gymnast a run for her money — all atop what looked like two connected bar stools. Vladimir Tsarkov, a mime/stagehand, who juggled rings and lighted clubs in two separate acts, and Aloysia Gavre, who did the majority of her act suspended roughly 30 feet above the stage on a hula hoop connected to a rope, garnered their fair share of audience applause. Aerialist Alexander Streltsov soared out over the audience on two curtain-like strips of fabric, giving the impression of a large white — and graceful — bird.

The final act, however, elicited the most “oohs” and “aahs” from the audience and deservedly so. Polish duo Jarek and Darek –– who probably have a combined body fat of 1 percent –– balanced on top of one another and contorted themselves in ways that left my muscles sore just watching them. When one balanced his entire body –– one-handed –– on top of the other’s head, it was truly an amazing scene.

The ISO was flawless as usual, playing songs like “Flight of the Bumblebees” and the theme from Star Wars under the direction of Jack Everly.

Cirque de la Symphonie was a unique and entertaining show, definitely fun for the entire family. It was just the right length, too. I only hope the powers that be at the ISO decide to bring back the show next season, hopefully for more than just three performances.

by Laura Kruty