Trilolgy of Syles at the Ballet

By Martin Thomas, Troubador

and 

Helene Vidovich

Independent Reviewer

Ballet at the August Wilson Center? Yes, even on the Franco Harris Stage.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is creating a prodigious amount of work this year. One wonders how they remember all their steps while learning the moves of the next performance. They couldn't possibly learn these pieces so fast… could they?

Last night, presenting "Unspoken," which consisted of three pieces. The first, Serenade, set to Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C, Op, 48, a hauntingly uplifting piece, was originally choreographed by George Balanchine. While PBT brought in stage director (and veteran Antony Tudor dancer) Donald Mahler, a "repetitor" from NYC to maintain the integrity of Balanchine's work, PBT made it their own. The Corp sculpted the stage with their bodies. The ethereal quality of the music, the movements of the dancers and the high stage ceilings raised the viewers to an "other worldly" consciousness. The costumes were simple, yet aesthetically pleasing. There was no scenery to distract from the elegant scenes the Corps presented through their body movements and interactions with each other as they gracefully danced en pointe, jumped and did precision lifts and turns singularly and in unison. The lighting enhanced the overall beauty of the production.




Second on the program was a piece originally choreographed by 20th century icon, Antony Tudor. Jardin Aux Lilas (Lilac Garden) a love story set to the music, Poem for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 28, written by Ernest Chausson. Again the "repetitor" was brought in to retain the integrity of the original.

Dancer: Joseph Parr
Choreography: Mark Morris
Photo: Aimee DiAndrea

Third on the program was a Pittsburgh premier of a Mark Morris dance, Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes set to 13 etudes by Virgil Thompson and performed live by PBT Company pianist Yoland Collin. Some of the music was "folky" and some was "quirky" while the dancing reflected the setting of the music. This piece deviated the most from classical ballet which seemed appropriate given the 20th Century setting of the music.







Overall the performance had a strong "blood flow," pumping excitement throughout the audience. After the last curtain we definitely felt our minds were raised to a higher level of excitement. If you haven't gone to see the Ballet, please do yourself a favor and see one of PBTs performances. Many Pittsburghers are proud of their Ballet troupe and rightly so.

Still time to see this amazing trilogy.

Saturday, March 9, 2013 - 8:00pm

Sunday, March 10, 2013 - 2:00pm

Thursday, March 14, 2013 - 7:30pm

Friday, March 15, 2013 - 8:00pm

Saturday, March 16, 2013 - 8:00pm

Sunday, March 17, 2013 - 2:00pm

Additional information and tickets: 

Not professional reviewers just everyday Pittsburghers availing themselves of Pittsburgh Cultural and Dance Events by as Mark Freeman says,  "Being a Tourist in their Hometown."

Helene Vidovich, Freelance Cultural Reporter

Martin Thomas, Videographer ~ Troubadour

Oldies Officianodos Unite at Roots of Rock and Roll

ROOTS OF ROCK and ROLL VOL 39

by Gregg Matthis

I had the great pleasure of participating in the RoRaR show at the Benedum on February 23^rd. The mostly senior crowd knows by heart most of the music being performed, so it is not just a watching show, it is a singing along show. There was an impressive line up of talent and they were all in fine form and voice for the show.

 

Since most of the artists were primarily vocal groups the performance of the back-up band is critical. This obligation was well served by Pure Gold's band who provided a steady but not overpowering sound supporting the singers. However, when it was time for the instruments to be highlighted, they sparkled.

Pure Gold, a Pittsburgh iconic oldies group, once known as Accapella Gold, opened the show with a rousing version of "With This Ring", which was followed with Susan DeLuca's solid cover of "Oh, My Angel" and they finished with "Hold Back the Night". While none of the songs were actually of the Doo-Wopean era, they were performed with energy and soul and got the show off to a great start.

Now, I've been an oldies officianado since they were newbies, but I have never heard nor heard of "Do You Close Your Eyes". It is apparently considered a Pittsburgh anthem. It is a beautiful song that was relearned by Josh White Jr. just for this show! Josh White Jr and has father have an amazing biography that is worth checking out.

Kathy Young was the next act and she looked much younger than 67. Her first hit "1000 Stars" was recorded when she was 14. Her voice was powerful and clear and she looked great. She also performed "Happy Birthday Blues."

One of the great things about Henry DeLuca's shows is his integrity for insuring that the acts feature the artists who were with the groups when their hits were recorded. This was the case with the Charts which featured two of the original five members and they sang "Desiree".

Porky Chedwick, "Daddio of the Raddio"

Porky Chedwick was introduced to a crowd who always knew him as "The Daddio of the Raddio". He had recently celebrated his 95^th birthday, and while a little unsteady of his feet he was as glibe and quick tongued as we remember from the 60s. He introduced the Clovers.

Without a doubt they were the strongest performers of the evening. They were doo-wop quintet and had 79 year old Harold Winley as their anchor. Harold was an absolute charmer and can still sing quite well. They did seven songs including "Lovey Dovey", "Your Cash Ain't Nothin but Trash" and, of course, "Love Potion #9". We were treated to the rare version which included the ending verse about Love Potion #10. Their vocals were powerful and their harmonies were tight. They were a treat.

Terry Johnson and the Flamingos were next on stage. They amazingly enough have just released a new CD. They had a new member with a huge powerful voice, and sadly I didn't catch his name, and are clearly still an active performing group. They sang six numbers including the two huge hits that Terry arranged, "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" (which he also wrote) and of course the Doo-Wop classic "I Only Have Eyes for You". They sang a very cool version of Queen's "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" which is on the new cd.

Next up were the Planotones. They aren't really from the 50's but they are true to the roots (think Sha Nah Nah). Kenny Vance was with Jay and the Americans, and so they did 3 of those hits, which included a very solid "Come a Little Bit Closer". Their vocals were tight and their showmanship excellent. They performed one of my favorite let's-get-drunk-and -sing songs by covering the Beltones "I've Had It".

The headliners of the show were Charlie Thomas' Drifters. Charlie became the lead vocalist of the Drifters after Clyde McFadder left the group in the late fifties. Their performance was slick and very well done, but I was a little disappointed. One of the elements that made the Drifters songs so good to me was their smooth but strong background vocals. While the vocals were smooth the backgrounds were a little muted. They sang seven of their many hits, and performed like an active touring group. They mixed some of their earlier work with some of the more popular hits from the early sixties. And closed the show with a strong "Under the Boardwalk".

All in all a great show. It has me looking forward to the volume 40 show. Although, sadly, Henry says that volume 40 will be the last one.

Gregg Mathis is a lifelong Pittsburgher, a musician and long time music lover. He is co-owner of Pro-Fry, Pittsburgh's Fryer Guys since 2006. Pro-Fry serves it's customers by reducing costs through micro oil filtration, reducing accidents by professionally changing oil and deep cleaning fryers, and by reducing waste headaches by immediately removing and recycling waste oil from customer locations.  (412) 720-6363

Drumline Live from Africa to Smoky Robinson and Hip Hop

Review of Drum Line Live

Benedum Center Show of 2-26-2013

Date 2-28-2013

Drumline Live

Participating in a Feast of Soul

By

Hank Walshak

Listening to a drum line hypnotizes me. The staccato beats. The syncopated rhythms. The  
 drummer's acrobatic hand movements. The counterpoised sounds. All of which goes on as the 
drummers complete their ensemble and solo numbers while they march in intricate, high-stepping 
patterns. The whole thing gets into the marrow of my bones. And I’m hooked, heart and soul, 
diggin' it, with feet tap, tap, tapping.                  

I first got hooked on the movie Drumline a few years back starring Orlando Jones and Nick 
Cannon. As I watched this film unfold, I kept saying to myself, “I wish I could see that in person.”

Well, on February 26, I got my wish at the Benedum Center, when my wife, Jeannette, and I 
thrilled to Drumline Live, hosted by Slater Thorpe. This show put it all out there --from the drum 
cadences and riffs and the brass melodies to the singers, the alto-sax and trumpet soloists, and the 
dancers who glided as if by unseen hands through their numbers. The physical energy of it all never
 let up.                                                                  

To say I was astonished would be an understatement. Don Roberts. Creator/ Director/Musical 
Director had the wizardry to capture the musicality and choreography that blare out on the football 
field to the restricted area of the theater stage. No small feat that.

Roberts had collaborated as a band consultant with the makers of Drum Line, the movie. 
Now, his Drumline Live captures the sparkle and unbounded electricity of the movie with the 
in-person energy of marching bands composed of students from Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities (HBCU).

Make no mistake about Drumline Live. This show prompted far more than just having audience 
members sit back and watch and listen. Nosiree. At set times, band members paraded up and 
down the aisles, playing and singing their hearts out and those of us in the audience rang out loud 
with our cheers, bravos, and clenched fists waving above our heads. Talk about involvement personified.

Taken as a whole, this production traced the history of black music from its unheralded roots in Africa 
to the strains of black congregations across the land chanting about the Good News.

The show brought to mind the pre-eminence and contributions of black singers, composers, and 
producers to create this black genre of modern, American music.

Who can think of artists like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Marvin Gaye 
without smiling and remembering their music sound for sound and word for word? Who can forget 
Smokey Robbins with his Motown sound, and the black stars and music he produced in the 
fifties and sixties?

Along the way, the cast of this production made real for us the singin' sounds of the big bands from 
days long gone to a half-time show without equal, and a drum battle between two players, with the 
audience choosing the winner with heaps of applause.

The performance ended with out-of-this-world dancing and music that brought back the best of 
Hip-Hop from the 80's and 90's.

The ultimate conclusion came with the entire case marching up the aisles to the foyer of Benedum 
Center, there to talk, laugh, and enjoy with the audience streaming out afterwards.

If you were looking for soul. You found it here. From start to finish, Drumline Live spoke to our 
hearts with plenty of not-to-be-forgotten soul, soul, soul and more soul.

-XXX-

   Hank Walshak

              Communications Expert for Experts

               Be read. Be heard. Be seen. 

                Walshak Communications, Inc.

               412-831-3023

               hankwalshak@verizon.net

               www.hankwalshak.com

An Evening in Paris at the Pittsburgh Ballet, Moulin Rouge

An Evening in Paris at the Pittsburgh Ballet

by Good News Reviewers, 
Helene Vidovich and Martin Thomas

  

Valentine’s Day on the bank of the Seine, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, was extra special this year. The Benedum had a full-house of sweethearts. There was an expectant tingling of electricity in the air as the Pittsburgh Ballet Corps took to the stage.

The inside and outside of the Moulin Rouge were nicely delineated by dropping a semi-transparent scrim painted with a façade of the establishments on the street. When this was dropped, the backlights and silhouettes were visible, but somewhat obscured. The use of the scrim, the colors and fabrics of costuming, the array of lights and the quartet of musicians, were layered together to take us back to Toulouse Lautrec and Impressionistic France. What a time it must have been...although it was also before penicillin.

It was fun to watch the painters dancing and spinning with their easels on wheels, one-foot-on and one-foot-off. We watched a band of gypsies as they spun and twirled, showing off their expert moves, as they auditioned for the Moulin Rouge. It was romantic and a feast for the eyes as the costumes, stage-set and dazzling lights blazed in a kaleidoscope of colors. The swirling petticoats were magnifique and occasionally led to a peek of little red-ruffled gutchies. I am quite sure the Theatre could have made at least as much selling Moulin Rouge dresses at intermission as it did selling tickets. Do we get a press discount with that?

A special treat was a cameo appearance of Sally Wiggins. And, as mentioned before, "Pittsburgh has a tremendous amount of talent." Whether musicians, tailors, set and lighting designers, builders or dancers, the ’burgh has at least, if not more, of its share of artistic ability. 



Not professional reviewers just everyday Pittsburghers availing themselves of Pittsburgh Cultural and Dance Events by as Mark Freeman says,  "Being a Tourist in their Hometown."

Helene Vidovich, Freelance Cultural Reporter

Martin Thomas, Videographer ~ Troubadour

"Sister Act" is a Class Comedy Act

"Sister Act" is a Class Comedy Act

by Good News Reporter, Joanne Quinn-Smith

I went to see Sister Act, the Movie in 1992 armed with twelve years of Catholic Education with the Penguins as we called them but more reverently, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary or IHM.  I went with the same armor but a little more jaded and the laughter came more easily as the sting of the stringent years and the smile of the loving care of the sisters of the IHM wore off.   I wanted to write this review much sooner but unlike the holy water in the Catholic Church, the bottled water that I took to the musical on opening night did not ward off the flu.

The Glorious Nuns ensemble, voices raised! Photo, Joan Marcus

If you were going to Sister Act, the Musical expecting to see the same plot as the movie and hear the same songs, then you got a pleasant surprise.  You will not hear “My Guy” or “I Will Follow Him.” You will however hear a Comic rendition of “It’s Good to Be a Nun.  You will not hear “Rescue Me” but you will hear a rousing rendition of “Take Me to Heaven.”  "If My Sister's In Trouble" is suitably replaced by “Sister Act”

And then there is irreverence with “Lady in the Long Black Dress” and “When I Find My Baby” by the gangster Curtis played by Kingsley Leggs.  He was so good as Delores’s murderous boyfriend that at the finale, everyone got rousing applause except him. He was the villain you loved to hate even after the play was over.

I found it delightful that Delores in the beginning of the musical downplays her energy and feistiness but really comes into her own in the habit of a nun as the director of the choir.  Well done Ta’Rea Campbell.  

 Other characters who were larger than life Sweaty Eddie played by Pittsburgh native E. Clayton Cornelius, big voice on a not so large guy and his comic antics were titan.  Absolutely the best casting however was the Mother Superior played by Hollis Resnik with her classical voice and almost Shakespearean portrayal which makes it even more hysterical when she takes the stage in the finale in a sequined habit to dance with Delores Van Cartier.  But kudos also have to be given to the casting of Lael Van Kuren as Sister Mary Robert—truly a little girl with a big voice who shined in “The Life I Never Lead.”

 

Finale  Sisters in Sequins, Disco Madonna, photo  by Joan Marcus

The Somber Scenery except for the church makes quite a statement   with the Disco Madonna in the finale and the silver sequined nun’s habits.  Richard Pruitt’s Monsignor O’Hara was inspired with his Barry White imitations.

And Sister Mary Patrick (Florrie Bagel) and Sister Mary Lazarus (Diane Findlay) gave new meaning to madcap hysteria and anachronistic rapping respectively. Because of them if you weren’t smiling when you entered the theater you were definitely smiling on your way out.

The Audience laughed out loud at Sister Act especially at the end with the Disco Madonna and the nuns dressed in silver sequin habits in the finale.  As the preview by-line stated: 

“A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, SISTER ACT is reason to REJOICE!”

 Radio Host and Serial Blogger, Joanne Quinn-Smith is the host of PositivelyPittsburghLive™ Internet Talkcast and TechnoGrannyShow™  On her shows, Joanne has interviewed over 1800 guests.  As an advocate for small Business, she was awarded the National Small Business Administration Journalist of the Year Award.  She is also the publisher of PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com which is a 2010 National Stevie Award finalist for best Media Website or Blog. PPL Mag features the GOOD NEWS, about Pittsburgh  and is  Pittsburgh’s First internet radio and TV network. PPL Mag attracted 2.25 million visitors last year.  Her radio network has accumulated over one million listeners. The Creative Energy Officer of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates, Joanne also teaches her online media platform building to small businesses in a client personalized, “Web2.0 Gorilla Branding Training™”.  Connect with Joanne at:  http://joannequinnsmith.com