Universit Daliy Kansan / Fridav. February 8, 1991
Arts and Entertainment
9
KU graduate enjoys return as director
"The Velveteen Rabbit" reminisces about childhood toys and innocent days. From left, Dan Waller, Ames, Iowa, freshman as Ben; David Hall, Hannibal, Mo., junior as the Velveteen Rabbit; and Diana Dresser, Lawrence senior as the Rocking Horse.
Photograph courtesy of University Theatre
MOVIES
'Green Card' fails to create romance
REVIEWS
to create romance
I would like to meet the movie reviewer who said that if you liked "Pretty Woman," you would like "Riverdale." You would like "Woman." I don't like "Green Card."
OK. Julia Roberts, who played Ms. Vivion in “Pretty Woman,” and Andie MacDowell, who plays Bronte Parrish in “Green Card,” are two of the prettiest women with acting abilities. But that’s where the similarities end.
"Green Card" is the story of a New York City horticulturist who agrees to marry a Frenchman, George Faure, played by Gerard Depardieu. The marriage is arranged so he can live in the United States and compose, and Bronte will be able to rent the apartment of her dreams. The marriage was to end quickly through divorce, but things got complicated.
To make a mundane story short, George is forced to move in with her to prove to the government that the marriage wasn't arranged
She tries to hide her charming guest from her artist friend, her parents and her ecologically conscious but egocentric boyfriend. But her attempts to shield George from them are to no avail. He befriends everyone (except for the boyfriend), and gradually we are led to believe that Brone has fallen in love with George.
I like MacDowell. I like plants. I like New York City. I like Brontë's sculpture. She does a gentile nature within a brush card. But I didn't like "Green Card."
Kristine Curley, Special to the Kansan
VIDEO
"Quick Change" isn't very fast on humor, depth or character. It's a slow move that unfortunately marks Mr. Franklin's murder of Murray Howard Franklin co-directs.
'Quick Change' moves sluggishly
Murray stars as a bank robber who thinks he has the perfect scheme for a heist. There are would be laughs and want-to laughs during the early scenes in the bank — with Murray dressed as a clown and Randy Quail disgusted as a wimp. But it all falls pretty flat in the end.
Geena Davis is her usual wideeyed, dimpled self and doesn't offer much as Murray's girlfriend.
From The Associated Press
From The Associated Press
SUA Coffeehouse, performance art.
7:30 p.m., Big Eight Room, Kansas
Union, p.m.
Mary's Danish and The Millions, 9:30 p.m., The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St, advance tickets necessary.
"Listen Up. The Lives of Quincy Jones." SUA Movie, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union, $2.50.
The Homestead Grays, 9:30 p.m. (the Jazhaws, 8%27s) Massachusetts St., $4.
"Blue Velvet," SLIA movie, midnight,
bodrift Auditorium, Kansas Union,
$5.
Friday
"Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones." SUA Movie, 7 and 3:30 p.m. Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union, $2.50.
CALENDAR
"The Velvetween Rabbit," KU Theatre for Young People, 2:30 and 7 p.m. Crafters-Prayer Theater, Murphy Hall,ickets at Murphy Hall Box Office,
"Stormy Weather," SUA Movie, 4 p.m. Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union, $2
Human Rights, reggae band, 8 p.m. Ballroom, Kansas Union, $5.
Saturday
The Homestead Grays 9:30 p.m. the Jazthaus, 92% of Massachusetts, $4
"Blue Velvet" SUA Movie, midnight
Auditorium, Kansas Union,
$2.50
Sinister Dane and Cain Is Abel, 9:30 p.m., The Bottleneck, 737 New Hamp-
Sunday
Rec Tournament, racquetball and table tennis, 1 p.m., Robinson Center, entry form at $1A office, $6 entry fee
■ "Listen Up; The Lives of Quincy Jones," SUA Movie, 2 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas University, $2
Trio of Milano, Chamber Music Series,
3:30 p.m. Cranpton-Preyer Theatre,
Murphy Hall, tickets at Murphy Hall Box Office
By Patricia Rojas Kansan staff writer
■ Paul Garritsen, clarinet, Visiting Artists Series, 8 p.m., Swarthout Recital Hall, Fleetwood.
■ Hawk Talk with Coach Williams, 6 to 7 p.m. Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union, free.
Although James Still has seen actors perform his play, "The Velvet Rabbit," for more than five years, watching a KU production of the play this week has been a special experience.
■ Pianists Robert Andres and Artur Pizarro, chamber music recital, 8 p.m. Swanhall Hall, Fell
Monday
The University of Kansas Theatre for Young People has been present still's play to Douglas County schoolchildren since Monday.
Open Mike, 7 p.m., The Bottleneck.
■ Kansas City Jazz Review, photo exhibit, through February 23, SUA Gallery, Kansas Union, free.
In the KU production of the play, Still is the director rather than a spectator, which he was in all previous performances.
Still was commissioned in 1985 to adapt Margery Williams's "The Velveten Rabbit" into a play by the oldest children's Theatre in Omaha, Neb.
KU Theatre for Young People stages two special presentations a year for children in the area.
"It's like going back to an old friend and working with him again," said Still, a 1982 KU theater graduate.
737 New Hampshire, free.
The story discusses the relationship of a 4-year-old boy, Steve, with his stuffed velvetleen rabbit. The narrator in the story is Steve in his
Tuesdav
■ "A Room with a View," SUA Movie, 7 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union, $29.
**nick Cosmos and Crushed Velvet**
Matadors, 9:30 p.m. *The Bottleneck*
737 New Hamshire, $3.
Wednesday
■ "A Room with a View," SUA Movie, 7 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union, $2.
"Waking for Godot," Inge Theatre Series, 8 p.m. Ipne Theatre in Murphy Hall, tickets at Murphy Hall Box Office
Terry Farmer and the Bead Band and Children, 9:30 p.m. The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, $3.
"A Room with a View," SUA Movie, 7 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union $2
■ Fairmount String Quartet from Wichita State University, Visiting Artists Series, 8, n 9. Swarthout Recital Hall, Free.
James Sull Director of 'The Velveteen Rabbit'
■ "Waiting for Godot," Inge Theatre Series, 8 p.m. Ige Theatre, Murphy Hall, tickets at Murphy Hall Box Office.
Valentine's Day Open House, Kansas
Union, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., free
Thursday
'It's a very dangerous world. We were all children at some point and can hopefully look back at a more innocent time in our lives.'
early 20s. The plot develops as Steve remembers childhood experiences that involved his toys.
Still said he wanted to incorporate the war into the play in a subtle way.
sout said that he made some changes in the play while directing it. He did not alter the text, but he did make some visual changes, he said.
"There was no reason for me to direct the play unless I had something specific to say about it that was current," he said.
"I just felt that we needed to acknowledge the world as it is today." Still said.
For instance, during this week's performances the main character of the play wears a military outfit instead of civilian clothes. Still said the entire cast had agreed with the change.
Sean Andrew Gutteridge, Oklahoma City sophomore, plays the
older Steve. He said he saw a parallel between the main character in the play and the soldiers leaving for the Persian Gulf.
He compared the older Steve as he says goodbye to his velvet rabbit to a departing U.S. soldier as he waves farewell to his family.
"It's kind of a last effort to take something of his childhood with him," Gutteridge said.
"It's a very dangerous world." he said. "We were all children at some point and cart hopefully look back at a more innocent time in our lives."
Still said that although "The Velvet Rabbit" was a children's story, he thought anyone who saw the play could be able to relate to it in some way.
Performances will be at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall.
Portuguese pianist flourishes with help from KU professor
Kansan staff writer
By Patricia Rojas
Twelve-year-old Artur Pizarro stood behind the stage, waiting for the audience to arrive. He was an amateur pianist and would give his first piano performance.
"I was never really scared to give the "pizzeria," Pizarro, 22, says now. After all it is what I wanted to do all my life and I would be so happy so I could do more recesses."
Pizarro, a KU piano student from Portugal, now gives about 80 performances a year. His schedule for the next two years includes performances in Japan, England and the United States. This year he will sign a contract that will include recording with compact discs with ICM Artists.
On Sept. 4, Pizarron won first prize in the 1990 Harveys Harrison Leeds International Pianofoe Competition in Leeds, England. The prize included a Princess Mary Gold Medal and $12,000. Pizarron has won two other international piano competitions.
played a piano. "When I start to remember, the piano was already there," he said.
He took his first piano lesson from Sequeira Costa, Cordella Brown Murphy distinguished professor of piano, who is still his piano teacher.
Pizarro started taking piano lessons when he was 5 years old, but he does not remember the first time he played piano.
Costa, who married Pizarro the mother four years ago, said he recognized his stepson's musical talent the first time he gave him a piano lesson.
"Arturo Pizarro is without any doubt the best musician of his generation in the whole world." Costa said.
inform him wisely to listen
Similarly, Pizarro believes his
stepfather is the best piano teacher
he could have found.
In 1977, Costa received a professorship in the KU department of music and left Portugal, his native land, to Lawrence. Pizarro followed bimber bimber.
Artur Pizarro will perform tonight in a benefit recital at Liberty Hall.
"I believe in the one-professor philosophy," he said. "If you find the right teacher when you're young, then why bother? Give them a go around asking for other opinions."
"This has been home base until now," Pizarro said of Lawrence.
During his school years at Lawrence High School, Piziraro had to work around his schedule so he could continue his piano career.
"Now I'm really not sure where home base is because I'm all over."
But despite the inconveniences, Pizarro said he never doubted that he wanted to be a performer.
There are still aspects of his profession that Pizarro does not like, but he is willing to put up with them.
he is willing to put up with them. For example, he dislikes late and noisy audiences.
"I've noticed that an audience will be furious if the musician is on stage two minutes late," he said. "But if the audience is 15 to 20 minutes late, and Ive yet to see an audience that gets to the recital on time, the
He said the soloist-audience relationship was a two-way street, where both sides had obligations to the audience and all members of an audience to be silent, he said.
pianists can't be furious because they'll label those as people who are difficult to work with."
"You don't just go in and pop your chewing gum, gin or your feet up on the chair and decide that you can talk to your neighbor and the person on stage is not going to hear it," he said. Pizarro is giving a solo recital at 8 tonight at Liberty Hall as part of a benefit for KU Students Against Hunger. He also will play the Slavonic Dances by Anton Dvorak at 8 p.m. Monday in Swarthout Recital Hall as part of a chamber music recital.
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