University Daily Kansan / Thursday, December 6, 1990
Entertainment
11
Ballet company brings tradition to holiday show
By Jamie Elliott
Kansan staff writer
A classic tradition tradition will come to KU on Tuesday when the Tuba Ballet Theater performs "The Nutcracker" in Crafton-Prever Theatre in Murray Hill.
In addition to being a beloved holiday tradition for audiences all across the world, "The Nutteracker" is a tradition for the Tulsa Rollet.
"We believe in it," said ballet company's artistic director Mosely Larkin. "The Nutracker is a phenomenon unto itself. Nothing warms the heart like the Nutracker. It's not like Christmas without it."
The ballet tells the story of a family's Christmas celebration. Clara, the daughter, receives a toy nutracker as a gift, but her beloved toy is broken in a scuffle with her brother. Clara creeps downstairs guests are gone to try to save her toy, and she falls midnight, the Christmas tree begins to grow, and the toys under the tree come to life.
Clara's nutcracker becomes a handsome prince who takes her on an magical journey through the Forest of Christmas where they see the Snow Queen dance, and the Kingdom of Sweets, where they see the Sugar Cane Blossom, and the wonder of an eye. Clara is back home, wondering if it had only been a dream
The Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince in "The Nutcracker."
The company performed its first Nutracker suite in 1959, and its first full-length production of the ballet in 1969.
"I think that the Nutcracker reflects the growth of our company and its dancers," Larkin said. "We must have done 400 performances all across the country. Our Nutcracker will carry all the way back to the original."
The original production of the ballet premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, and the Tulsa Ballet
production faithfully recreates the choreography of the original.
Another Tula Baller tradition is using local children in their Nutracerk performances. Larkin said that in the children would perform in the ballet.
For the KU performance, about 40 children from the Lawrence School of Ballet will dance as mice, rabbits, angels, toy soldiers and clowns.
"The Tulsa Ballet enjoys a national reputation of very high quality," said Jacqueline Davis, Concert Series director. "I knew the quality of the children was important and the opportunity to involve local children was very appealing to us."
The ballet company has worked for more than 30 years to achieve its reputation. Larkin, who was born in Miami, Okla., said that it grew from a dance school into the Ballet Theatre artistic director Roman Jasinski established in 1956.
"When I became pregnant with my son Roman, I didn't want him to grow up in a suitcase." Larkin said. "We came home and established a studio. People in Tulsa kept saying 'this is ridiculous. With all your talent you should do a performance.' People just kept asking us, and dancers wanted the training. It just grew from thing to thing."
Tulsa was the perfect place for the ballet to grow to its present national reputation, Larkin said.
"Tulsans are great supporters of the arts," she said. "I love Tulsa. We could have picked any city in the world."
The ballet developed through civic ballet status and the regional dance movement until its 25th anniversary season, when it became fully professional. Larkin said the company "is doing a lot along the lines of the Ballet Russe."
"We wanted to have the best small company in the world that would
carry on with the traditional Ballet Russe charisma," she said. "In the Ballet Russe, all the dancers have personality. "Our company has a basic tradition — they are involved and love dancing. Our company is considered by the best critics in New
Tickets for the performance of "The Nutcracker" are on sale at The Mall Hall box office. All seats are reserved and are $10 and $7.50 for KU students.
York to be one of the top eight companies in America."
Playwright to stage dance piece at KU
Director wants audience to accept nudity in last scene of 'explosive' production
Kansan staff writer
Despite the problems of racism, sexism and homophobia, all humans are the same underneath. That's an idea choreographer Bill T. Jones wants to illustrate in "The Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin," a new dance and theater piece that will be performed at KU in February.
For the KU performance, 40 dancers and non-dancers of all shapes and sizes will have a chance to help Jones prove his point by appearing nude or nearly nude in the last scene of his work.
"Nudity is introduced as a statement of the body, a poetic statement," Jones said at its preview. "Who are the naked people; is it a Black woman, a gay man, someone who has AIDS?" In this day of impending censorship, this work is a gentle affirmation of our right to use our bodies in our art and to deal with subject matter that we choose."
Auditions are scheduled to begin at noon Saturday at 240 Robinson Center, with an 11:30 a.m. check-in. The audition will be Peb. 5 at Hoch Auditorium.
"We booked this piece because I saw his work and thought it was important for the Lawrence community to see," said Jacqueline Davis, director of the KU New Directions Series, who saw the work presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. "But I knew this was work that would probably controversy in any community."
The controversy Davis is worried about doesn't necessarily concern death, homophobia, racism, sexism or disillusionment with religion, although they are are all forcefully addressed in the piece. It is the final scene that has Davis working to ensure his audience will be comfortable with the playwright's artistic intent.
"It will be unfortunate if nudity
becomes the issue instead of all the other issues," said Michelle Heffner, an assistant at the Concert Series office.
Davis agreed, and said she was already working to create an accepting environment for the production.
"Our thinking has developed to include education of the audience and responsibility to the artist," Davis said. "I am interested in making sure the audience is comfortable with the works being presented, and that the artist can present his work in a receptive atmosphere."
The images of Jones' latest creation have been called indebile, explosive and transcedent by the Minnesota State Journal. The final section of the work premiered.
Dancers from Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane & Co. will perform in the first sections of the piece: "The Cabin," on The Ice" and "The Supper."
Davis said the first three parts of the production dealt with the topics of slavery, discrimination against black in America and questioning faith.
"A real live local minister will tell the story of Job in his own words," Davis said. "Bill T. Jones will ask him unscripted questions."
In addition to the improvising between Jones and the minister, Jones' mother offers an unscripted prayer between two acts.
About 40 men and women will be chosen from the auditions to perform in the last section, "The Promised Land." This section ends the entire work with the image of 52 naked or nearly naked individuals.
"He uses the nudity to communicate the device of the universality of us all." Davis said. "We're not far or skinny, white or Black. There is no discrimination when you're dealing with no trappings."
REVIEWS
'Little Lady's' new storyline shows a sequel can be a hit
I hate sequels. But I liked "Three Men and a Little Lady."
The movie is a continuation of the previous hit, "Three Men and a Baby," in which a baby named Mary changes the lives of three "free and easy" bachelors who find her at the door of their penthouse.
Repeating their roles as roommates who involuntarily take on the role of father are Tom Selleck as Peter, the high rise architect; Ted Danson as Jack, the misguided buddy; and Lily Bloom as Michael, the cool cat cartoonist.
The trio, who invited Mary and her mother to live with them at the end of the first movie, are faced with the challenge of living with a child in the house.
Their definition of the term "extended family" becomes complicated as Mary enters school and the adults realize that wild parties and career advancements are not the most important aspects in life.
Danson, as the irresponsible biological father, and Selleck, the responsible honorary father, deliver pleasing performances as hip parental-types who rap-sing their daughter to sleep. Guttenberg is marginal in
his portrayal as he seems to have outgrown his role as patriarch.
The introduction of Mary's mother, played by Nancy Travis, adds a new dimension to the story. She becomes the emotional lifeline for the movie. The mothers are sustained by the believable tragedy of Mary by Robin Weisman.
The funniest and most entertaining performance, however, is delivered by British actress, Fiona Shaw. As Miss Lomax, the head mistress of an artist who has been a very strict friend every bodily contortion possible in a vain attempt to seduce Peter
Although the storyline is not realistic, it proves that sometimes the simplest ideas work the best. Unlike other sequels that seem more concerned with following the exact formula that made the first movie a success, "Three Men and a Little Lion" takes on creating a new story, extracting from the necessary formalities that made the first one a hit.
"Three Men and a Little Lady," would melt even the coldest of hearts. And Tom Selleck doesn't look bad either.
Kristine Curley, special to the Kansan
Book captures 'dashing' life of Dyche
By Jamie Elliott
Kansan staff writer
To most students at the University of Kansas, the names Strong, Wesco, Fraser and Dyche are just names on buildings.
But two KU faculty members have recently completed a book, "The Dashing Kansan," that puts a face and a story behind one of the names, Lewis Dyche, for whom Dyche Hall is named.
Dyche was the driving force behind the construction of KU's Natural History Museum, one of the top museums of its kind. Dyche himself contributed many of the specimens to the museum.
Peggy Sullivan, who teaches English in the Continuing Education department, and William Sharp, who teaches Western Civilization classes, published their collaborative effort in November. The book is on display at the KU Bookstore in the Kansas Union.
The book tells, in chronological fashion, the story of Lewis Lindsay Dyche, 19th-century naturalist, explorer and creator of the wildlife panorama at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
He started life as an unschored pioneer youth and ended up as a KU professor of physiology, a taxidermist, a professional curator of birds
and mammals, and a global explorer.
Sullivan said, however, that it was Dyche's looks that originally attracted her to the subject.
"He's just the sort of quintessential 19th-century fellow in the tradition of Mark Twain," she said. "But I found that he lived a fairly pedestrian life, an average guy with a sense of humor and the cumulative of all the things he did that made him the dashing Kansan."
Ray Hiner, KU professor of history, said Dyche's life story provided an interesting look at KU and Lawrence history.
"It's a colorful story, and people who want to know what KU and Lawrence were like at their beginnings will find it very interesting." Hiner said. "Dyche's life can be a window into what it was like. The book is well-researched and well-written."
Sharp said Dyche's life was amazing.
"He was a remarkable man," Sharp said. "His life was so interesting and extremely important to the University and the state."
Sullivan and Sharp spent between seven and eight years working on the book.
Sullivan and Sharp display their book "The Dashing Kansas."