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Show WASATCH PAGE 24 COUNTY ‘PROTOSAARRIC : Lads Lifestyle COURIER AuGustT 10, 1999 Singing n’ Dancing the Nights Away “$e re tien <vid ete Saowsth This Monday is the Final Free Be MORE ~ Black & White » Begin « Hand aa Tinted a Heber Valley Concert in Midway By JEAN CROASMUN LIFESTYLE EDITOR aul Askins is old hat at promoting a P Feber qyalley JFi istoric Qgilroad Bison Terrell Proprietress 450 South 600 West. HeberCity, Ulah s4032 ASS E5T-1955 free concerts. He started this hobby of sorts over in Park City a few years back, when he was residing: there. Never did he imagine how popular the concerts would become. Now Park City has free concerts every Wednesday night during the summer and they're packed. The Chamber of Commerce tags its farmers market with the concerts. Public transportation had to help because there were too many cars and simply no place to park. | This summer it was Heber's turn. Askins, owner of Wasatch Computers and now a Charleston resident, decided that Heber could use a little free entertainment. So this past spring, Askins started putting together a plan, signing on spon- 435-654-7110 sors, and getting entertainers lined up for the summer. The result? The 1999 Heber Valley Concert in the Park Series. New Computer System Sales - Computer Upgrades and — Hardware a Seftware Consulting Once. again, the concerts are in the park, once again the concerts are free. Once again, attendees are invited to bring 2541 Soaie 3000 West their picnic dinners and enjoy a little live entertainment courtesy of Askins' hard Heber City, UT 84032 Office 435-654-7110 www.wasatchcomputers.com from page 21 life ring-leader and large stage presence. Dustin Harding, in the role of Oliver, HOUSE School Pane) otal Mountain telah noel all ae The new Beane ela will ae ao il Peso? and eee teael excellence as the existing Kindergarten/Preschool. In addition to the regular Montessori comprehensive curriculum, we will have Spanish, Yoga, Outdoor Bes erties Building,-and individua: tose) for cu Terie Tea as with his large voice, large stature, and CHILDREN’S Reaction performance _ teacher of the apprentice pick pockets montessori aera Applications was equally as professional, as was Aaron DeJesus as the Artful Dodger. Both Harding and DeJesus were able to maintain their cockney- accents throughout their performances, without sounding like Johnny Rotten or venturing into a southern drawl-something not all other cast members were able to do. Particularly disappointing was Britani Bateman (Nancy), who gave a moving performance as Genevieve in Sundance's earlier production of _The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, but didn't seem to have the same zest for her role in Oliver! Sundance once again used a minimalist set and non-specific time period cos- tuming, neither of which worked for this eh ienk- ae School © The Children's Bete 36 East 400 North Heber City 435-657-2099 Park on Monday nights. The first ‘one, according to Askins, was a little rainy. The second concert, featuring Motherlode Canyon Band, drew well over 150 people. Weather permitting, the final concert, featuring Lovebucket, should be an even big- ‘ ger draw. Askins, also a volunteer D.J. at KPCW in Park City, approached Heber's city council with the idea and they suggested Monday nights. Monday night are big family nights, plus the only scheduling conflicts they could find on Monday nights were with softball leagues. Ultimately Askins would like to see the concerts extend into the fall-something the weather wouldn’t permit him to do in Park City. Askins would also like to hold two concerts each month next summer. - Lovebucket will perform this Monday night, August 16, at Heber's City Park. The free concert starts at 6:00 p.m. OLIVER . pounta tp Ne work, and the sponsorship of Community First National Bank, F.O.E. 3777, Wasatch Computer Services and the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce. Monday, August 16 is the final concert, all of which have been held in Heber's City Preschool pr Kindergarten Mountain Montessori 476 South Main Heber City 435-654-1818 performance. Maybe. it's because the audience is so familiar with the film version of Oliver!, but snowboard jackets, peddle pushers, tennis shoes, fitted tank tops and baggy pants made the cast looked like they were plucked straight from the nearest mall or high school. Coupled with the lack of set and propspicked-wallets were folded pieces of white bond paper, and multi-colored plas- tic school desk chairs surrounded the stage, and the occasional, staged interruptions from the crew, the illusion that the audience was watching a play that should be taking place in i850 London wasn't successfully created. Surely they had a couple of real wallets lounging around lost and found or in the catalogue store. Maybe an Bver-priced wooden chair or two? | Director Damien Gray justifies this, presumably, by noting in the playbill that the play is in London, about 1850, but the action is in a rehearsal hall present _ Whatever that means. While Lloyd is a treat to rach five, and DeJesus and Harding are good,. three actors can't carry the whole musical. As far as this summer's plays go, Oliver! falls smack in the middle of the dreadful Cinderella and the brilliant Umbrellas of. Cherbourg. ‘My advice for Director Gray-spend a couple of bucks on props and costumesjust enough to maintain the illusion. Don't give the production crew speaking . parts. Build in rain-out days. And, unless you're up for changing the script drastically, stop trying to set traditional musicals in different time periods. This is Utah. Change, unless properly executed, is bad. Oliver! runs at Sundance's Summer Theatre through August 14. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. SHARP if it rains; somewhere closer to 8:30 p.m. if it doesn't. Bring blankets, maybe a waterproof sleeping bag. And if you're going to use an umbrella, make it a small one. |