VOGUE
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Entertainment
University Daily Kansan, February 25, 1983
Julie Weisshaar, Creston, Iowa senior, Laurie Samuelson, Overland Park senior, and Cristi Catt, Lawrence freshman, practiced their song, "Three Little Maids from School," earlier this week in preparation for Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado."
'The Mikado' lampoons habits of the proper way of courtship
By LADONNA LONGSTREET
A constant bargeage of satiric humor is sure to elicit giggles from the audience at this weekend's performance of "The Mikado," a 19th century Gilbert and Sullivan operetor.
Staff Reporter
century Gibber and Sawyer will present "The Concert for Young People will present "The Mikado" at 2 p.m. Sunday in the auditorium of Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana St.
The story puts the interwoven emotions and plots in stratified Japanese society in a humorous light. Although the setting is Japanese, the opera is satirizing British customs.
customs.
"The Mikado' is a lot of fun," said Barbara Stephens, publicity chairman. "It's a good first opera.
open.
"It is a good way to introduce children to opera because it's more down-to-earth. The humor is easier to pick up on, and it's fast paced."
Adults will enjoy the show as much as children, she said, though Concerts for Young People is primarily performing it for youngsters.
The operetta begins with Nanki-Poo, son of the Japanese ruler, the Mikado, having fled his father's court to evade an unwelcome marriage a year ago. In the intervening time he has fallen in love with a young girl named Yum-Yum, who is to wed her guardian, Ko-Ko.
When Nanki-Poo hears that Ko-ko will be beheaded for flirting, he hastens to Ko-Ko's court in Titipu to find out whether he can marry Yum-Yum.
The ensuing comedy promises to be entertain
ing as well as satirical. Gilbert and Sullivan take subtle and obvious jabs at British social restraints, the "nobleness" of noblemen and the debaturate system.
Robert Anderson, KU associate professor of French and director of the production, said, "the stuffiness of the British blue blood is salutized." The character Pooh-Bah is haughty and patronizing, yet he is always broke and trying to earn money in degrading ways.
Stephens said she had eliminated and shortened some of the songs so that the original two and one-half hour show could be performed in 75 minutes. The shorter version is a good length for children which she hopes will hook them on opera, she said.
"The musical numbers that have been cut are not necessary for the plot," she said. "Things had to be changed to make up for the lost numbers."
Anderson converted some of the omitted songs in dialogue to keep continuity of plot.
to imagine. Some people will miss their favorite songs,
Anderson said, but the shorter version is better for children between the ages of 5 and 15. The show still keeps 99 percent of the original meaning.
Some of the principal characters are Ko-Ko, played by Alfred Lata, KU chemistry lecturer; Nanki-Po, by John Secrest, Rockford, Ill.; Larry McLeod, by Laurie Sammulon, Overland Park senior.
Simonson, of the characters sound somewhat Japanese, but they are nursery words for young children." Anderson said.
It's a salute of the way the British saw the
*napanese.*"he said." The British had a very provincial way of looking at them.
After Narki-Poo arrives in Titipu, he discovers that, instead of being dead, Ko-Ko is now the Lord High Executor. Ko-Ko receives soon thereafter a letter from the Mikado telling him that if he does not execute somebody within a month, then his post will be abolished.
Nanki-Poo volunteers whether he can marry Yum-Yum for one month. The wedding is set when Ko-Ko discovers that if a married man is beheaded, his wife must be buried alive.
The Mikado approaches and a decision must be reached at once. Ko-Ko decides to give the Mikado a fake certificate saying that Nanki-Poo is dead.
When the Mikado realizes that Ko-Ko has executed his son, the heir apparent to the throne, he decides they must all be dunked in boiling oil.
Nani-Koo is afraid to confess that he lives because he and Yum-Yum are already married, and the lady to whom he was betrothed a year ago is part of the Mikado's kid. If she realized what has happened, she will surely condemn them both to die.
but both women were the problem by marrying Katisha, the rejected bride, after he sang "Hymn to God."
Secreted he went to grade schools to tell the children about the plot.
Stephens said that the actors had been taking turns going to schools to put on a short sketch and explain what the show is about to help build interest.
Weekend Review
Secrest said, "That way when they come to the show they'll know what's happening."
Rating System
superior
图
"Lavesick" with Dudley Moore and Elizabeth McGovern.
The psychiatric term "counter transference" is the basis for the plot of this film about a psychiatrist who falls in love with a patient.
Benjamin's obsession with Chloe leads him to take her keys, break into her apartment and read her personal journal about her feelings for him, making the movie even more unrealistic.
psychiatrist who rallies in his humour. Moore's风吹 will not find him in his usual humorous role as he portrays somber Dr. Saul Benjamin. With McGoventry's entrance as Chloe the movie becomes unbelievable Benjamin fantasizes about Chloe, and during his fantasy he is visited by Freud who discusses Benjamin's psychological antics with him.
Don't spend your money on this predictable movie.
hilarious thinking. Benjamin's other patients supply the only humor in the movie. And the most intense moment comes when Benjamin prepares to perform a magic trick in front of his judgmental colleagues.
蜜蜜
"The Sting H<sub>2</sub>" with Jackie Gleason and Mac
Davis.
Kinda fun. Not a lot of fun, but kinda fun.
It's not as good as "The Sting." It's not even close. But the movie does have some interesting wists. With its worthwhile storyline, though, "The Sting II" would have been hurting.
The acting does not sparkle, and the dialogue is bad. The show revolves around three gangsters all trying to pull something over on the others. The gangster who guts stun in the first
move in to the front office.
Karl Malden plays a big time hood from Coney Island who tries to cash in by betting on a disgruntled boxer, and Gleason portrays the nice con-man who is trying to revenge the death of a friend. He puts in the best acting performance of
his career, but so what. The con is boxing, with Daisy posing as the prizefighter.
not much substance to the film, but a few good laughs.
--except humor.
Jokes are telegraphed or are clichés, but when the jokes stop, the movie has something to say.
Hoffman discovers sexual prejudice from a woman's perspective and decides he is a better man as a woman.
"Toolsie," with Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange and Bill Murray.
- "Footie" has every element of a good comedy except humor.
man as a woman.
Despite his gravid voice, Hoffman gets an acting job as a woman in a soap opera. He spends his time worrying about new clothes, makeup, his 5 o'clock shadow and how he can sneak a peek at Lange in the dressing room.
The bright spot is Murray, who has a small role and every really funny line in the movie.
--indicates the weakness in Newman's inability to shed his likable image for that of a boorish loser. Maybe that's asking too much.
"Gandhi," with Ben Kingsley
"Gaudi, with his Rang Mahal,
"Gandhi" has a message as important as
these found in any move of the last few years.
It is the story of this century's greatest leader of
non-violent resistance, a little man who beat the British Empire by refusing to eat.
Director Richard Attenborough sends intriguing characters fitting in and out of the movie, leaving the viewer wondering where they came from and why they left so soon. With the exception of Gandhi, his characters are left undeveloped.
"Gandhi," a three and one-half hour movie that doesn't drag, is the best picture that came out in 1982. That's not saying much.
Though some legal points may be a bit shaky, the movie builds toward a gripping climax with the help of a strong supporting cast and twisting plot. James Mason, a high-prized lawyer who is the epitome of evil, and Jack Warden, who plays Galvin's friend, both turn in sterling performances. Galvin's lover, Charlotte Rampling, indeed makes the most of a small role.
"The Verdict." with Paul Newman
The Vulture is the
Paul Newman will win an Oscar for his
portrayal of drunken shyster Frank Galvin, who gets a shot at redemption.
"The Lords of Discipline," with David Keith. This is a film about a Southern military institute's honor code and a student who believes the code for its own sake, no matter what the cost.
David Keith is McLean, a cadet at Carolina Military Institute in the early 1960s, who is looking forward to an easy time before graduation until his routine is upset by the entrance of a black cadet, Pierce McLain's life is fortunate. He met a professor at the mentor that asks him to look after Pierce.
While aiding the black student, McLean stumbles onto a secret group at the institute made up of the ten best seniors and known only as "The Ten."
The problem with this motion picture is that the screenplay and director Franc Roddam take the easy way out. Rather than carrying through with the question of honor and those who discard it for expedition, the film too often gives way to action-adventure.
Keith's fine performance — his consistent and believable characterization — is the film's strong point. And the film's commentary on the quasi-religious nature of Southern militarism comes through strongly.
"Sophie's Choice," with Meryl Streep.
*Sophie's Choice*, with Meryl Streep. An incredibly powerful film featuring Meryl Streep in a wrenching performance. She manages to step beyond the persona of Streep the actress and becomes Sophie — concentration camp survivor and possessor of a terrible secret.
Southern harrison by a waiter in Brooklyn in the late 1940s, the story is told from the point of view of Singo, a young Southern writer who comes to work to write his first novel and find out what life and love are all about. He gets his first lessons almost immediately when he moves into the apartment beneath Sophie and her lover, Nathan.
The film moves with the pacing, flavor and Southern narration of a William Faulkner novel.
Nathan.
Slowly, with a hint of the tragedy to come, the audience is drawn along with Stingo into the world of Sophie and Nathan. Flashbacks of Sophie before and during the camp come like unrelenting hammer blows until past meets present and Sophie's heart-rending choice is revealed.
Stireph has been known as a very good actress for several years, but as Sophie she comes into her own and must be recognized as one of the very best in her craft.
Painter, ceramist create fantasyland in show opening at Kellas Gallery
By JOHNNIE BETH FISCUS
Staff Reporter
It is a room of make-believe. Fantasy pastel landscapes peek through painted windowpanes, capturing the images of daydreams. Ceramic earthstone pots are interspersed to complement the paintings.
This erect is the creation of a two man show by painter Philip Hershberger and ceramist Gary Bloom. They will display their handcrafts in the front room of the Kellas Gallery, 7 E. Seventh St., through March 19.
"Five Signs on the Tokaido," a series of oriental serigraphs, or prints, by Roger Schimura, KU professor of art, will be shown at the same time in the East Room.
The exhibits open tonight with a champagne reception from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The Kellas Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
This is the second show at Kellas Gallery for Hershberger. His first was about a year ago.
But this is the first time since his undergraduate days at Emporia State University that he will display canvas paintings, he said.
"I was feeling the limitations of paper. Paper is real flexible. You can wash, erase and cover up, but canvas is even more flexible in this regard." he said. "You can mix up a fatch of paint and paint the canvas and start over. Some of these have many layers of paint."
But most of Herberger's work in this show includes drawings on paper. He uses a
combination of oil wash and pencil drawing to achieve a guazy transparent effect in his work.
The haziness in his pictures and the gently colored pastels and grays he uses enhance his daydream technique.
To further the effect, Hershberger also uses a window theme in which the viewer seems to be looking out of a window at a landscape
"A lot of the paintings are daydreams. And looking out windows is a daydream thing to do," he said of his technique.
he said of his ocean heen. His hershberg has built a loyal following in the Lawrence area. Last year his show sold out, said Mary Lisa Pike, the director for Kellas Gallery.
Pike said that the show would be well coordinated because the colors and textures used by Bloom and Hershberger complemented each other's work.
Each of the pots on display has a unique design, meant to represent running chickens or other shapes, although their overall size and shape are the same.
Shimomura is one of the most prominent artists in the region, Pike said. His works have been shown extensively in both national and international exhibits, and his paintings are included in hundreds of public and private collections.
BLOOM, who received a master's degree in fine arts from KU in 1982, now lives in Oregon.
Shimomura's new serigraph series, which opens at the gallery at the same time as the two-man show, consists of portraits of Japanese-Americans.
Spare Time
Friday
A Senior Recital by Alvin Smithson, piano, will be at b.f.P., in Swarthout Recital Hall
"Much Ado About Nothing" will be at 8 p.m. in the University Theatre. All seats are reserved; $5, $4 and $3, special discounts for students and senior citizens are available.
Saturday
"Much Ado About Nothing" will be at 8 p.m. in the University Theatre.
The Dresden Staatskapell Orchestra, with Herbert Blomstedt, music director
will be at 8 p.m. in Hoch Auditorium. All seat reserved: $10 and $9, special discounts for students and senior citizens.
The KU Symphonic Band Winter Concert will be at 3:30 p.m. in the University Theatre
A Faculty Recital by Larry Maxey, clarinet,
and Sequeira Costa, piano, will be at 8 p.m. in Swarthout.
The KU Chamber Choir Concert will be at 8 p.m. in Swarthout.
A Senior Recital by Elizabeth Krueger soprano, will be at 8 p.m. in Swarthout
World's oldest orchestra to perform at KU on second U.S. tour
BW LAUREN PETERSON
Staff Reporter
"The Dresden Orchestra is considered one of the best that exists," Nielly Walter, vice president of Columbia Artists and agent for the theatres' U.S. tours, said.
[The world's oldest orchestra will come from behind the Iron Curtain to perform, in Hoch auditorium tomorrow, a product of centuries by work by famous musicians and composers.
Sponsored by the KU Concert Series, the East German Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m.
Founded in 1548, the orchestra made its U.S. debut in 1979. Walter said the orchestra's appearance in Lawrence would be one of 26 performances in the Midwest and on the East coast in their second tour of the United States. He said Dresden, an industrial city on the River river, was considered a musical mecca for world-renowned composers and musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Schumann, Parmelia, Brahms and Stravinsky.
began major works by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner also premiered in the city, she said.
She said that, because she had been a native of Dresden and moved to the United States after World War II, Columbia Artists sent her to negotiate with the communist government.
Walter said that it had been difficult to persuade the East German government to allow the celebrated 133-member orchestra to come to the United States.
The first tour, which covered the East Coast and Midwest as well, was extremely successful. Walter said. The group had no problems with members trying to defect.
"From my point of view, I know only good news," she said. "I don't know any politics in music.
"I went to East Berlin, I made friends and convinced them to let the orchestra come to America," she said.
"They are bound to their orchestra. They do not want to go anywhere else."
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor of the orchestra and a resident of Stockholm, Sweden, has been with the orchestra since the early '70s and has undertaken several world wide tours, said Jacqueline Davis, director of the KU Concert and Chamber Music Series.
An Chamber Music Society
Davis said the orchestra would play "Death
and Transfiguration" or "Tod und Verkleurung, Op. 24." by Richard Strauss; "Concerto in A Major for Harp and Orchestra," by Carl Ditters Vont Dissertorsd, featuring Jutta Zoff, harpist; and "Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92," by Beethoven.
Tickets are available at the KU Murphy Hall box office. Reservations can be made in advance, and there are special discounts for students and senior citizens.
students and senior citizens.
George Lawner, KU professor of orchestra who was born in Vienna, Austria, said that he had never heard the famous orchestra but that he was familiar with the music that it planned to perform.
Lawyer said that the Strauss symphony, which Strauss composed when he was in his 20s, dealt with the concept of a person wrestling with death and then being transfigured into heaven.
"Strauss has a great gift of interweaving and using wide skirts," he said.
Von Dittersdorf was a contemporary of Mozart, he said, and was one of the few who composed a harp piece during his time.
"It is a perpetual motion of notes," he said. "It has something intoxicating about it."
Beethoven's symphony, Lawner said, was one of the composer's most famous.
The world's oldest orchestra, the East German Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra formed in 1548, will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow in Hoch Auditorium. Members of the Swarthout Society, KU's friends of the arts, will have the chance to meet the celebrated orchestra at a reception after the performance at the Eldridge House.
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