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Friday, December 8.1977
University Daily Kansan
Arts&Leisure
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Opera performances to close KU season
The School of Fine Arts will close the semester with two evenings of opera. Opera Workshop will present a scene from Gloria Dell'Acqua and perform the third act from Benjamin Britten's "Albert Herring" (1947) at 8 p.m., Dec. 12 and 13 in the Inge Memorial Theater in Murrayville.
The second scene from Act II of "Butterfly" will be performed. Nagasaki of the early 1900s provides the backdrop for the story of L.I.B. F. Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy, who is about to leave Nagasaki and San (Butterfly). He leaves Nagasaki after the honeymoon, intending never to return.
Butterfly, deeply in love, waits for his return. Three years later Pinkerton does return—with an American wife. Butterfly returns to the country and Pinkerton all night, with her sleeping child.
Her vigil is accompanied by the exotic lyricism of Paccin's music. The Oriental atmosphere is successfully captured by him in altered and sometimes dissonant harmonies, as well as characteristic rhythmic effects.
Charlene Ayers, soprano, is Butterfly and her servi Zagusi is Betsy Weaver, mezo-
soprano. Lt. Pinkerton is played by Richard Sittj
This May (1900) no girl in Loxford has been deemed an eligible candidate.
OFFSETTING the tragic is the comic Act III of Britten's "Albert Herrent," which will end the opera program. Every May Day a Queen of the May is crowned in Loxford, East Suffolk. The decision is based on the girl's virtue.
The committee in charge of the selection decides to crown a King of the May instead.
At a big celebration Albert's lemonade is spiced with rum. An inebriated Albert disappears into the night, seeking out buser pleasures. The next day, a hangover, bedraggled Albert brags of his new-found freedom.
Thomas Harper, tenor, plays Aberlert Harringer, Carl Packard, baritone and Jody Sterling, soprano, play the pranksters Sid and Nancy. Lady Billows, an elderly author who is responsible in part for the selection of works May is played by Jerlyn Combs, soprano
Musical director for Opera Workshop is James Kent.
Staff Photo by PAUL ROS
Madame Butterfly (Charlene Ayers) and her servant Suzuki (Betsy Weisher) comfort Butterfly's son (John Holmberg) while waiting for his father, who has abandoned Butterfly. A scene from Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" will be performed in next week's Opera workshop production.
Start Photo by PAUL ROSI
"Impassible! Drunk and disorderly! Our May King!" Questioning finger point Albert Herring's way, Albert, the King of the May, had disappeared from the May Day festivi-
One fine day
Kina of the Mau
Vespers continue tradition
The music of Christmas will fill Hoe
Auditorium on Sunday as the 53rd annual
Christmas Caroling.
A tradition at the University of Kansas since 1923, the original program has seen little change. The services were started by the school's first teacher in the School of Fine Arts, as a series of four vesper programs, one in the fall, one at Christmas and two in the spring. The programs proved so popular that crowds often attended from the old Fraser Hall auditorium.
The word Vespers comes from the ancient Greek word "hesperos," meaning evening star. Vespers were a religious musical ceremony in medieval times.
THE CHRISTMAS VESPERS program always began with a processional, traditionally, "O Come All Ye Faithful," and ended with a recessional, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Chames from Dyche Hall tower could be heard before and after the program, and carolers in the balcony would greet guests as they entered the auditorium.
In 1927, the service was moved to the new Hoch Auditorium, and a series of tableaux were added. Tableaux are scenes presented in large numbers that remain silent and motionless as if in a picture.
World War II affected the size of the groups that traditionally performed at vespers services. The University Daily Kansan noted a "serious depletion of ranks" in 1942. The Men's Glee Club, always present in Vespers programs, dropped from 45 to 35 voices by March 1943 and by December 1943 was no longer a performing group.
The themes of the tableaux also were,
fluenced by the war. The theme of the
tablescapes was a study in unity.
scintil
at the 1944 vespers showed two soldiers at a wintry battle front.
IN 1951, A GUEST conductor from Budapest and the Orchestra at the spring vespers.
In the late 1980s the spring and fall invaders programs were dropped, leaving only the Christmas service. The tableaux were used before 1987 because of financial difficulties.
The Christmas program Sunday will remain much the same as in the past. There will be the traditional processional and recessional. A balcony chair directed by William Anderson, will greet guests with Christmas carols as they arrive. A stage chair composed of the Chamber Choir, Concert Chorale and the Concert Choir will be presented by an assistant professor of ensembles. The World War II memorial Carillon will play before the service. The vespers service will be held at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Hochin. Admission is free but donations to the Christmas Vespers Scholarship FUND will be accepted.
ties. Selected because of his virtue Albert (Thomas Harper) is found drunk. The third theater, "The Alarm" ("Albert Herring") will be performed in the Inge Theatre and Tuesday nights.
Final album haunts
By Bill NEWSOME Reviewer
Lynyard Skynyrd's sixth and final album,
Street Survivors, "will undobsolls haunt the
girl."
A song on the newly released album, "That Smell," relates the gryn details of a car wreck that almost killed one of the group's guitarists, Gary Rossington.
In accordance with the record's title, an order form for a 'Lynyd Skierd Survival Unit' is available.
The album's cover is plain frightening. It shows the seven-member group standing under black skies, amid burning structures, and among the group look to be on fire themselves.
ON THE NIGHT of Oct. 20, just three days after the album was released, Lynnyd Skynnyd went down in a plane crash under black skies near McComb, Miss.
All of this probably wouldn't have meant that it hadn't been a tragic coincidence.
Two of its members, lead singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zandt and guitarist Steve Gaines, died in the crash.
"Street Survivors" is the group's last album. The five remaining members say that they will never record again under the name Lword Skived
"Street Survivors" is highlighted by two short but powerful songs, "What's Your Name," a classic Lykyn Skydren barrery brawling song, and "I Know a Little," probably the best rock n' roll tune the group has ever done.
The album's fast songs are effectively
the two songs in the second ballad,
"One More Time" and "Never Been"
*
Merle Haggard's country tune, "Honky Tonk Night Time Man"—the only non-original song on the album—is done in a more upbeat fashion. Van Zandt's growing voice in the background makes the song even better.
"Street Survivors" is a testimony of what Lynyrd Skynyd was and would have been. It's too bad the album was also a picture of the group's destiny.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Bridge can be addictive
This Week's
By MARY MITCHELL
Highlights
J. A. WATSON'S, Ninth and iowa streets:
Denver Locke, a seven-piece progressive
country rock group is scheduled tonight and
will play next Friday and Saturday nights.
Films
AT PAU, GRAY'S jazz place, 926
Wilmington Hills School of
Gardens Grass Trio
William S. Wilmington School of
Gardens
"THE RIVALS", by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, continues at 8 p.m. today and tomorrow at the William Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.
The Kansas State Historical Society is
summons a series, *CELLULOIDO*
OF UNDERSTUDIES OF WOMEN IN AMERICA.
Theater
At the LAWRENCE OPERA House, 644 Massachusetts ST. Morningstair, a rock band from Kansas City, on the main stage tonight. The Randle Chowning Band on the main stage tomorrow night. The Dry Jack Jazz at Dillon's Ballroom balcony tonight and tomorrow night. Harvest will play a country rock dance Wednesday night. The Pott County Pork and Bean Band will play country rock on the main stage next Friday and Saturday night, appearing with Missouri Woodland, an acoustic duo, who is scheduled for New Year's Eve.
THE SEEM-TO-BE PLAYERS will present two children's productions, "A Christmas Pantomime" and "The Adventures of Nymr the Sprite, Part 43," at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon at the Lawrence Arts Center, Ninth and Vermont streets.
Nightclubs
An aura of studied concentration pervaded the smoke-filled room. Only the sporadic clacking of cards on the tables broke the silence.
It was not the proverbial Saturday night poker game, but a weeklybridge bridge contest...
**FILMS**, *with showings each Sunday... Topeka*. This week's movie will be "Wild Horse"; starring Hoot Gibson, and a chapter of the serial, "The Oregon Trail"; starring Johnny Mack Brown. The shows begin at 1:30 afternoon at Whitson Elementary School, 17th and 18th in Topeka. There is no admission charge.
SARAH CALDWELL will conduct the KANSA
CITY PHILARHIMON in Berlioz; 'L Enfance du Christ' next Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the Music Hall.
"THE WILD ONE" *starring Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin, plus* "REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE" *starring Dean Jean and Natalie Wood, will be shown at 3:30, 7. p.m. and 9:30 p.m. today and tomorrow in woodford Auditorium of the Kansas Union. (SUA.$1.25)
"NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD," a 1968 film directed by George Romero, will be shown at 7.30 p.m. Monday in Woodruff Auditorium. (SUA, $1.)
The annual CHRISTMAS VESPERS will
be at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday in
Hochfurth Park.
Concerts
STEPHEN ANDERSON, TROMBONIST,
present a faculty reception at 8 p.m. Monday in
the auditorium.
A OPERA WORKSHOP will begin at 8 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday in the Wilmington IA
Theater.
THE KANSAS CITY PHILHARMONIC
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA will present a concert
at the Kansas City Opera.
A STUDENT COMPOSERS RECITAL will be held in Swarthout in Recital Hall in Murphy Hill.
Art Gallery, Karen Yarmat, who has appeared with the Lyric Opera and the Philharmonic, will also be on the program. There will be no admission charge.
Exhibits
At the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in Dyce Hall. Watercolors by Louis Agassiz Fuertes will remain on display through Dec. 30.
Duplicate bridge is a more precise form of rubber bridge or auction bridge and is strictly a partnership game. A player and his partner bid on and play hands that are rotated to other competitors pay and bid on the same hands.
At the ELIZABETH M. WATKINS COMMUNITY MUSEUM, 1047 Massachusetts St. The permanent collection features the Van Hale playhouse, a reconstructed 19th century playhouse.
At the LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY, Seventh and Vermont streets; oils by Paul Penny in the lobby; wreaths and dried arrangements by Pam Carvainho in the gallery; pottery by Lennie Skink in the cases, and paintings by John Webb in the auditorium.
At the KANSA UNION GALLERY: The annual faculty exhibit of the department of art and design.
At the 7E GALLERY, J. E. Seventh St. The Sixth Annual Printmakers Show features works by Evonne English, Jamie Jones, Karen Schory, John Tallieu and John Wilson.
At the SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY:
"Kansas Portraits" in the Kansas Collections.
The King's Cabinet Art Collections of Louis XIV" in the Main Gallery; "Other Curious Cabinets" in the North Gallery, and "Student Organizations and Activities" in the Archives.
At the LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER, Ninth and Vermont streets: The third annual Lawrence High School art show runs through next Friday.
Pairs are either designated North-South or East-West, and the sides compete against each other in play only. If a player is North-South, his score is compared with the scores for other North-South players. The same is true for the East-West players.
DURING THE PLAY OF the hands, cards are shown face up in front of the player, instead of throwing the cards into the middle of the table, as in rubber bridge. At the end of each hand, the cards are flipped and placed in a metal tray with four pockets called a dumbbell board.
The boards are marked with North-South and East-West directions and indicate which player is dealer. The use of boards enables four different players to withdraw the cards and bid and play the same hand.
The player's score for each hand is determined by a match-point system. In the method now used, you are awarded a match point for each pair whose score you beat and one-half of a point for each pair whose score you tie. The player with the highest cumulative total is the winner and is awarded tenths of master points, sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL).
AN OFFICIAL GAME is held each Thursday in the Kansas
KU club has only recently become franchised by the
ACCHI.
McGheehey had he to take a test to become qualified to direct the game. He had to learn how to set up the game, to score the goals and to score them in order.
Mike McGhehue, Topeka junior, serves as the club's director. Each franchised club must have a director or on rufifications of bursaries.
He said that it wasn't hard to direct because he could refer to a book on the laws of contract bridge to determine what to do.
An average of six tables, or 24 players, usually participate in the weekly rames that are sponsored by SUA.
A PLAYER MAY join the ACBL by paying the $8 yearly dues. Members now total 200,000 in the United States. Some 321 state groups and 5,000 local groups hold weekly or daily ACBL-affiliated games.
In addition to these regular games, there are numerous weekly tournaments all over the country. Three national tournaments are held each year. International competitions, where such bridge matches are played, include the captain, are treated, by some, with as much gravity as the Olympics.
spirit of competition and the love of the game are not the only reasons players participate in tournaments. At national and regional tournaments, special red and gold points are awarded. At regular local games, the points are black.
A PLAYER DOES not have to be an ACBL member to be awarded points or to participate in the games.
Master-point rankings range from Junior Master, attained with the accumulation of one master point, through Life Master—the highest.
McGhehsey said most of the players at the KU games were beginners or people who did not have the rank of Life Master.
Harlan Hullinger, instructor of mathematics, who has obtained 100 master points by playing for just one year, said. "Bridge is a game where you must figure out the best move."
gaining of 300 master points of which at least 25 must be red and gold.
"People play for fun here," he said. "Some people call the game a sport, but it's definitely a game of skill. The way the hands are made is very different."
Paul Therofol, Kansas City, Kan., senior, said that he wasn't so sure that luck had been eliminated. "Luck is a big thing," he said. "I can bid a perfect good hand correctly, but if the defense goops up, then I get a low score."
Thereoff said that he had been playing for a year and that he particularly liked the spirit of competition at tournaments, even when he was a junior.
Pros earn their living at the tables and play in international competition for big money. Winning gives them the prestige that allows them to charge substantial fees and expenses when playing professionally and to teach less gifted bridge players for as much as 50 $ an lesson.
"I'm trying to get back to the game aspect of it," he said, "but the competition can be fierce and intense."
BILL WEBER, Wichta sophomehr, said he had become so involved with bridge that he had forgotten that it was just a game.
The competition is particularly intense at tournaments. Many regular tournament players hire professional player bridges to play.
However, the KI bridge group is low-key and casual.
"I think it cheapens the game," he said.
Hullinger said that the people there were relaxed and did not create the tension that one experienced in tournaments. He said the problem of nervousness at tournaments arose from the mediocre players who always cropped up.
WEEBER, WHO HAS played duplicate for four years, said that he did not agree with the concept of hiring pros.
Ward Stanley, Lawrence sophomore, plays bridge three times a week.
"It interferes with my studies, but I have my priorities," he said. Stanley said he once played in a tournament against professional Polish players.
"There are people there who are die-hards, he said. "For them, it's life or death. But the good people don't feel that way, and they just walk."
"I was so nervous that all four boards we played were bottoms," he said.
ALTHOUGH BRIDGE DID not achieve its prominence until the early part of this century, it has been around in some form since before the late 1800s. Historians have traced a similar game to Constantine and Greece. Its most direct ancestor was "whist," which was played in Victorian England and was referred to in many novels of the time.
one spring of 1953, a bridge player made headlines. President Dwight D. Eisenhower usually played as much as possible, and some of the bridge experts said he played bridge better than he played golf.
Even though the game is sometimes frustrating and calls for as much skill and concentration as chess, players usually become diddle.
As Somerset Maughan once said, "When all else falls–sports, love, ambition—bridge remains a solace and an entertainment."