THIS WEEKEND: CU Department of Theatre & Dance presents DANCEWORKS 2010 — “Vision”

"Vision" is a phenomenal presentation that truly delivers something for everyone! High energy hip-hop caps off an exciting night of dance that everyone is sure to love! Get your tickets now, they are selling fast!
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University Theatre
University of Colorado at Boulder
THIS WEEKEND
March 12-13, 2010 at 7:30pm
March 14, 2010 at 2pm
Single tickets: $12 - $15

Box Office: 303.492.8181
On-Line Tix: www.cudance.org

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VISION is a diverse and exciting evening of dance featuring choreography by CU faculty members Nada Diachenko, Michelle Ellsworth, Onye Ozuzu, and Gabriel Masson with special guest artists: Rennie Harris, Kathleen Hermesdorf, and David Capps.


Rennie Harris,
artistic director of Puremovement and guest artist in the dance department, brings his world-renowned, award-winning hip-hop style to CU. With a fun and unpredictable aesthetic, his latest work for the stage explores the superficiality of relationships through the politically correct feelings that have been manufactured by society. This piece is an exciting preview into this world-renowned artist’s process as he embarks on the creation of a larger work that explores our need to be loved.

Kathleen Hermesdorf,
artistic director of La Alternativa and the Roser Visiting Guest Artist, presents Stranger. This piece examines the preconceptions and experiences of strange, stranger and ‘the stranger’ via the body, its motive and its relationship to others. Physical, audio and visual layers of information intersect through scenes and situations of interior/exterior, psychic/iconic, raw/raconteur and curiosity/mystery. The work delves into the identity of outsider alien, shadow, incognito, and invisible, and reveals some of the discomfort, exposure and surrender that unknowns lure and require.

David Capps,
Artistic director of David Capps/Dances, collaborates with faculty member Toby Hankin in a duet inspired by the haunting lyrics of three songs from Shubert’s Winterreise. The piece depicts the inner journey of two travelers as they ruminate on their past, and perhaps, future relationship. It ranges from wistful to fierce, from passionate to pliant, and capitalizes on the performance skills of the performers, who have collaborated on many projects for more than 15 years.

Nada Diachenko,
in collaboration with her dancers, presents Shared Spaces - a dance for five women who explore and share the dance space with each other and five pieces of furniture. Hints of tenderness, support and tension are revealed as the dancers move to excerpts from Visual Diary, an electronic soundtrack composed and performed by Sergio Cervetti for a film made from photographs by visual artist Valerie Sonnenthal.

Michelle Ellsworth
will premiere Excerpts of five or more dances with hamburgers, which explores what is possible and desirable about dancers dancing with fast food while simultaneously asking the question, “where is the dance that is lost in choreography?" Speed, levitation, violence, salt and ritual
provide the container and/or space for this new art/food experience.

Onye Ozuzu
presents Love Being Song, A dance for nine women dancing as one. It is a lush, grounded, sensationally oriented piece that explores communication as a way to establish integration, dissolve barriers, see as one, hear as one, act as one, grow, and remember.

Gabriel Masson
will premiere a pas de deux commissioned by professional ballet dancers, Amy Docktor and Steven Straub. Choreographed to the romantic violin chords of Max Richter’s, On the Nature of Daylight, Masson explores the contemporary possibilities of this traditional form.

Visit GetBoulder.com for a complete listing of Boulder County dance events.

Muddled Magic - Mary Poppins: The Musical

Mary Poppins
Based on stories by P.L. Travers & the 1964 Walt Disney film; co-created by Cameron Mackintosh. Music & lyrics by Richard and Robert Shermans, plus new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe; book by Julian Fellowes.Directed by Richard Eyre
Choreography by Matthew Bourne
At the Buell Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, through April 4

By Rebecca Jessup
Mary Poppins, as everyone knows, is a nanny with mysterious powers. In the very early 20th century, she appears in the Banks family home at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, London, where Mr. Banks (Laird Mackintosh) is a regimented banker with no time for family life. His wife (Blythe Wilson) is overwhelmed and largely ignored. The two children, Jane (Katie Balen/Bailey Grey) and Michael (Bryce Baldwin/Carter Thomas), are so wildly undisciplined that they’ve driven away a string of nannies. The household is run by the shrill housekeeper, Mrs. Brill (the memorable Rachel Izen), impeded by the inept handyman Robertson Ay (Dennis Moench).
Most audience members will fondly remember the Disney movie; fewer are familiar with the original books by P.L. Travers. For those of us who first knew Mary Poppins from the books, the Disney version was saccharine, missing the original texture. The stage musical promised an effort to regain some of the depth and substance of the books. This worthy goal fails because it is undertaken not radically, in the structure of the story, but superficially, by adding darker, unhappier fragments based on characters and events from the books. The result is an implausible mix of giddy fun and fearful threats, with a happy ending.

When Mary Poppins (Caroline Sheen) enters the children’s lives, she introduces them to magic, music, fantasy, dancing statues in the park. Their lives are suddenly a great deal more fun, so they love her and and behave. But there is no coherent theme, no central conflict, no deeper understanding achieved; the villainous Miss Andrews, a character who descends on the family in the second act, is driven away (oh, thank heavens!) sheerly by the magic of Mary Poppins. At one point, Mary abruptly leaves the household, and in the next act she returns. She moralizes that there are things the family must do on their own, but it is far from clear what these things are, whether they are achieved or by whom, or why Mary comes back when she does.

The production is quite extraordinary, and the sets, cast, dances and costumes are well worth seeing. Children over 6 will love it. The three-story Banks house is a wonder of design and construction, as is the London skyline where the large production number “Chim Chim Cher-ee” takes place. Most of the favorite Disney songs ring out, along with a few new ones written for the stage. Bert (Gavin Lee), the chimneysweep narrator, is as affable and limber as Dick Van Dyke, and performs one of the show’s two thrilling stage tricks by marching up the side of the proscenium arch, tap-dancing across the top (hanging upside down) and marching down the other side. Sheen, playing Mary, performs the other when she sails across the theater over the heads of the audience. She turns in a talented performance, winning and tuneful—but she can’t make up for the inherent ambiguity in her role as written. The strongest voice and character belong to Miss Andrew (Ellen Harvey), the terrifying nanny from Mr. Banks’s childhood. She has a powerful, operatic voice that she uses with great skill to evoke menace and malice. The other menace arises from Jane and Michael’s toys, which come to life to express their outrage at the careless way the children treat them.

In the end, Mr. Banks becomes a better husband and father, the family is happy, and all seem set to make their way without further magical intervention. If there were a lesson to take away, it could only be that having someone with occult powers sweep into your life will make everything all right. Or that an extremely expensive production (hardly) covers up a muddled story line.

Rebecca Jessup (jessupr@comcast.net) is a freelance writer and Latin teacher.

Appassion-whata?

What to listen for in Beethoven's Appassionata with pianist Lisa Harrington, Saturday, March 6, 4pm.

One of the greatest works for the piano, the Sonata Op. 57, “Appassionata” is much more than a beautiful piece of music: it is Beethoven’s metaphysical study on good and evil, his treatise on humanity’s capacity for kindness and cruelty. Epic in scale and intensity, the sonata is also a wonder of ingenuity. Understanding the logic of Beethoven’s musical ideas can make listening to the Appassionata an even more powerful experience.

Pianist and Musicologist Lisa Harrington will bring to light the workings of Beethoven's creative genius in a down-to-earth and lively demonstration, followed by a complete performance of this most beloved masterpiece.

Whether the word “Appassionata” evokes fond memories of the great performances of Rubenstein and Horowitz, or mere curiosity (Appassionwhata?) this concert is for you!


Canyon Theater
Boulder Public Library - Main Branch
1001 Arapahoe Avenue
303-441-4492


For more information about the Canyon Boulder Public Library Concert Series, visit www.boulderlibrary.org/events/concerts.html

A Very Important Date!

March 5, 5-10pm

St. Julien Hotel & Spa
900 Walnut St, Boulder

Venture down the rabbit hole and experience Alice in Wonderland-inspired fashion, live music, cupcakes, "Mad as a Hatter" beverages and prizes fit for the Queen of Hearts when the St. Julien Hotel & Spa celebrates it's 5th birthday and the release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

Mad Hatter Happy Hour is 5-7pm. Come dressed as a classic Wonderland look-a-like and you will be entered into the exclusive "White Rabbit" giveaway. The winner will receive tickets to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in IMAX, a $50 gift certificate to Jill's Restaurant and a "Treats for Toes" pedicure. (Note that The Ritz costume shop in Boulder is offering 15% off.)

A Very Merry "Un-birthday" Celebration is 7-10pm. Celebrate the St. Julien's 5th birthday - or your "Un-birthday" - with live music by Sambadende in the Xanadu Ballroom. Jill's in the St. Julien is located at 900 Walnut St. 720-406-7399.

Chili Cookoff at Boulder's Upslope Brewing Company, March 6

Attention Hungry Beer Lovers - Upslope Just Got Better!

This Saturday, March 6, join Upslope for their first annual Chili Cookoff from 2-6pm.

Upslope will host a Chili Cookoff in the brewery open to all who wish to participate. Chili dishes will be limited to 20 entries so hurry to the Tap Room to reserve a spot or you can shoot an email to Chad@Upslopebrewing.com. Along with bragging rights, Upslope Tap Room gift certificates will be awarded to the top three chili dishes; $75 for first place, $50 to second place, and $25 to third place. Judging will be done by Upslope staff as well as John Dubbins from Dubbins Sandwiches.

$5 will get you a spoon and a bowl to enjoy all of the chili you can eat throughout the afternoon (chefs eat free).

Entries must be able to serve 20 people to compete. Please bring a crock-pot to keep your chili hot! Meat and Veggie chili are welcome.

"PINTS FOR PEOPLE"

On another note, today, Upslope's Tap Room is starting its "Pints for the People." Every Wednesday they will donate a dollar from all pint sales to a charity. For the month of March, donations will go to continue relief in Haiti.

STAY IN TOUCH!

Visit Upslope's new blog at upslopebrewing.com.You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

TAP ROOM HOURS

Wednesday - Saturday
4:00-8:00 PM
1501 Lee Hill Road, Boulder