Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, February 4, 2000
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Student vocalist to star in opera
By BriAnne Hess writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
When Krista Blackwood, Lawrence graduate student, auditioned for the opera Little Women in Kansas City last summer, director Linda Adi Brand knew her search for the lead was finished.
Brand said she and conductor Reuben Reynolds III of the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City weren't even sure they could cast the opera, let alone find the perfect person to play the lead character, Jo.
"She is such a talent," Brand said. "She can act the pants off of it and sing beautifully."
Mark Adamo's Little Women shows at 8 tonight and Saturday at the Folly Theater, 300 West 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.
This is the second showing of the opera anywhere, so Blackwood is only the second person to ever play the part of Jo.
Blackwood said the opera was a skeletal adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel, *Little Women*. The novel and the opera revolve around Jo's relationship with her three sisters and her conflict with change as they fall in love, marry and deal with one sister's death.
"She doesn't want her sorority of sisters to break up, but as the play progresses she realizes that change is OK," Blackwood said.
To prepare for her role, Blackwood reread the novel this summer. She said the opera was a psychological study of the character of Jo.
"it's very accessible for modern opera, with nice musical themes for the modern listener."
Vana Jessee, left, and Mary Traylor, right, help Krista Blackwood, Lawrence graduate student, with her costume. Blackwood plays the role of Jo in the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City's production of Little Women. Contributed photo
Blackwood, who has an undergraduate degree in music education, has performed in several
Blackwood said.
"It is remarkable to find a new work that is so accessible but isn't trite."
Linda Adi Brand
productions, including operas. However, her role as Jo is is the biggest she has played.
Director
"It's a tour de force dramatically and vocally," Blackwood said. "I've enjoyed the challenge of getting her character under my belt."
Blackwood had never seen an opera until she performed in one, she said. However, she said she was not afraid of the challenge from the moment she became involved in the opera.
Blackwood also will perform in *The Rape of Lucretia*, a University Opera production, this spring Admission to Little Women is specially priced at $2 for students.
Richard Green, president of the board of directors of the Civic Opera of Kansas City, said he hoped the specially priced tickets would encourage students to attend.
"It would be great to have a rush of students," Green said. "I've been to the rehearsals, and it's a grabber."
Brand said that the opera's combination of music, plot and performances made a moving production.
"It's remarkable to find a new work that is so accessible but isn't trite," Brand said. "It's luscious — a bring-your-Kleenex kind of opera."
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City bus contract causes legal conflicts
By John Audlehelm
Kansas staff writer
writer@kansan.com
After being denied the city of Lawrence's bus manufacturing contract, a transit company is suing the corporation that won.
Laidlaw Transit Services, based in Overland Park, complained to the Federal Transit Administration that MV Transportation Inc., based in Fairfield, Calif., should not have been awarded the contract because of a conflict of interest in the selection process. Laidlaw sued MV Transportation.
Antoine said MV's proposal to the city conspicuously forgot to mention this.
Bob Antoine, vice president of human resources for Laidlaw, said one of the city's consultants, Steve Klika of KA Associates in Wichita, had a conflict of interest because his brother, Kevin Klika, worked for MV Transportation.
"We don't believe this omission was accidental," he said.
John Biard, general counsel for
MV, said Steve Klika disclosed the information to the city in mid-October, when it became known that MV would make a bid for the city's bus system.
At the time, he said, Kevin Klika worked for Laidlaw and told his brother he was switching to MV the same day Steve Klika disclosed the information.
"Steve Klika had no participation in who was selected," Biard said.
Steve Klika said he then removed himself from the selection process, which was handled locally.
"I refuse to have any part in any conflict," he said.
Steve Klika said he felt caught in the middle of a battle between two private companies.
He said he also asked MV that Kevin not participate in any part of the contract to further avoid the conflict.
City manager Mike Wildgen said Steve Klika did not have an influence on the city's decision to award the contract to MV.
Wildgen said that Laidlaw
protested to the city in December and that the city denied the protest in January.
"I call it corporate crossfire," Wilden said. "We're just trying to stay out of the way."
Antoine said Laidlaw also sued MV because another of the company's former employees, Michael Sweeten, went behind Laidlaw's back and interviewed with MV and Lawrence for the job of project manager.
Biard said Sweeten was working with Laidlaw at the time, and MV said that if the company received the contract, it would hire him as project manager.
"He was a given a conditional offer of employment," he said.
Biard said such competitive bids for competent managers happened all the time in the industry.
Steve Klika said he was one such manager.
"I used to work for Laidlaw," he said. "People jump companies left and right."
A third point of contention in the lawsuit is Sweeten's resume.
Antoine said.
He said the resume said he had been a manager at the University of Texas' bus system, but Laidlaw's records showed he had been a dispatcher.
Biard said this was because of companies' different names for similar positions. Sweeten had been a manager at the bus system, he said.
Biard said Laidlaw recently had experienced a loss of managers and an extreme loss of business and was disappointed that the Lawrence bus contract went to an out-of-state competitor.
A similar complaint was raised by Chance Coach Inc., a Wichita manufacturer that was denied the contract to build the buses. Wildgen also denied that complaint, and Chance protested to the FTA.
"Laidlaw was sorry to lose this," he said. "They taught Lawrence, Kansas, belonged to them."
"It doesn't mean what's best for Chance or what's best for Laidlaw," he said. "It's what's best for the city."
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