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September 20, 1984 Page 6
ENTERTAINMENT
The University Daily KANSAN
Directors trying to hook youths on K.C. classics
in evening at the opera for some, well, ... for many, brings to mind gray-haired men and trumpet women peering through tiny binoculars at a distant stage of performers singing in language, a rather stuffy experience.
Companies associated with the classic arts in Kansas City — the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Ballet are making an appeal to younger audiences.
The Opera
"Candide," which will open the Lyric Opera's 27th season at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Lyric Theatre, is a good example of the more upbeat and light operas that are being performed by the company, said Brian Langham, associate general director of the Lyric Theatre.
"A lot of people think of the opera as an activity for snobs, as a detached and removed art," he said. But many scores lie between traditional opera and Broadway musicals, he said.
During the past three years, much of the music has been reworked and the dialogue has been tightened up to make the line of music more connected, Lingham said. Instead of the opera being chunks of dialogue mixed with music, it is more of a coherent whole.
The Kansas City Ballist is seeking a younger and more diverse audience.
"This way, it makes musical sense as well as dramatic sense," he said. All of the company's operas are performed here and they more understandable, he said.
The Ballet
When the company was restructured in 1980, a new artistic director, Todd Bolender, an internationally known choreographer, was brought to the company.
Since Bolender has been with the company, each year's scheduling has included classical, funny and contemporary pieces, said Madelyn Voigts, general manager of the company.
"Concert in F," named after and set to the score written by George Gershwin, is one of three ballets that will be performed in the company's opening season performance Nov. 1-4 at the Lyric Theatre.
The Kansas City Symphony, which formed in 1982 after the Kansas City Philharmonic folded, is under contract by both the opera and the ballet.
"George Gershwin is certainly an all-American musician," she said. "You don't think of Gershwin and you don't think of Gershwin and unbeat music."
"Concert in F" exemplifies the kind of performances that the company is doing to appeal to younger people, said Andrea Catalano, public relations director for the company.
The two other ballets in the opening performance are "Con Amore," a comedy with a wide array of characters, and a more classical piece. "Afternoon of a Faun." Catanzaro said.
Susan Fernando: operations man-
cantes for the symphony, save the
symphony of La Bohème.
"Ballet is not just done with a tute and classical music," she said. "You don't have to be silent and reverent, you can enjoy yourself."
The Symphony
intent of attracting a more diverse audience.
"We wanted enjoyable, upbeat,
good quality music that was availa-
ble at the show."
Last year, the symphony performed a jeans concert at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The conductor wore jean tuxedo tails, and admission was free if the tuxedo-goer was wearing jeans, she said.
The diversity of music offered within each series also attracts younger audiences, said Davina Hill, public relations for the symphony.
The subscription series lends itself to the person who knows and enjoys classical music, she said. The pop series is lighter entertainment that includes Broadway and bluegrass music. Last year, the pop series also toured the new music "It was such fun to see cowboy hats in the audience." Hill said.
The symphony also offers a composers series, which emphasizes folk and jazz music. The family series offers short, classical pieces such as the "William Tell Overture" and "Flight of the Bumblebee," Hill said.
But while the symphony, ballet and opera are incorporating more contemporary work in their programs, music has not forgotten their classical origins.
Lingham, Voigtis and Fernano all agreed that Kansas Citians have a revived enthusiasm in the classic arts.
Fernando, whose husband played with the Kansas City Philharmonic and now plays with the Kansas City Symphony, said, "I think it's like a lot of things in life — we don't realize its precious to us until we almost lose it.
Three members of the Kansas City Ballet, top, dance "A La Francais" while on tour last year. The ballet company will open its 1984-85 season Nov. 1. The Kansas City Symphony, above, performs one of its formal concerts at the Lyric Theatre. Its subscription begins Nov. 9. Left, Jeff Noelle, Ty Richardson, Jan Curtis, Thomas Garrison and Jim Forbis rehearse a scene for the opening of "Candide" Saturday night. It will run through Oct. 3.
Story by Erika Blacksher
Jeff Nolte, Fulton, Mo., graduate student its opening production of "Candide." debtereens with the Lyric Opera for
Student singing with Lyric Opera
By DAVID LASSITER
Staff Reporter
While most other KU students write papers, conjugate verbs and read books, Jef Holte sticks himself in a room for seven hours and sings. Most of that time, he spends those seven hours at the Lyric Theatre, practicing for his Kansas City debut.
Nolte, Fulton, Mo., graduate student, is working in the work of "Candide," which is the season teacher for the Lyric Opera in Kansas City. Mo It will run on Sept. 23, 24.
"The seven hour rehearsals really take it out of you," said Nolette
LAST CHRISTMAS, he began his professional career in St. Louis with a minor role in the opera "Die Fledermaus."
Nolte likes this production of "Candide" because, he said, it is not a typical opera. Even if people do not care for opera, they might like this production, he said.
"The characters are lovable and the voices are charming." Noelle said "This musical allows you to act and have fun on stage."
The sets are unparalleled to any of those at
the Lyric Theatre before, Nolte said. A part of the stage juts out and over the audience.
And the stage direction is not the typical opera style, either. There are no blackouts or curtain pulls between scenes. Instead, the costumes and set changes take place right in front of the stage.
"THE SCENES JUMP into one another." Nolte said. "I think the audience will become so caught up in the show that when they wend their arms they won't believe 45 minutes has gone by.
Although he is a member of the ensemble, Nolte also has a few speaking lines. These few, small speaking lines are the first steps in order to a professional opera career; he said
BUT TOMORROW, none of the color will be around the Lyric stage
The company began dress rehearsals Tuesday night.
"The setting is timeless," said Nolt. "We were told to use our imaginations for our costumes. We have some stuff from the Third Reich and some from medieval times."
"It's a good way to get started." Nolle said. "This way we get experience having parts in shows, and the theatre doesn't have to call in and pay other performers."
Tomorrow is "Dark Day" at the theater. Nothing happens in the opera house on Dark Day. The singers, conductors and orchestra members try not to get close to the theatre. Nolle said it created a feeling of freshness for the production the next night and allowed the cast and crew a chance to rest.
The opera has not been the only thing keeping Nolte busy the past few weeks Besides practicing for the Lyric, he is taking six hours of graduate classes and teaching 20 vocal students.
"The reason that I stayed at KU was because the curriculum here allows students to put their foot in the door of the professional field as well as keeping the other in the classroom."
Later this semester, after he gets "Can dude" underway, he will begin work on the University's production of "1776" in which he will play John Adams.
He will also be involved in the production of "Hansel and Gretel" in his opera workshop at KU.
Nolte has played characters such as Eisenstein in "Die Fiedermaus" and Papa Geno in the "Magic Flute" in past KU productions.
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