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Show u -- rv fi a it 7) ra fj) ( four dancers depicting 1950s suburban housewives who, from the looks of their seemingly impenetrable perkiness, must live off of antidepressants. The evening concluded with guest choreographer Gabri Christa's "Chicken and danced by all the graduating Potatoes seniors. Danced to some damn sexy music by Burnt Sugar, "the arkestra chamber," "Chicken and Potatoes" reflects the time Christa has spent in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Curacao, with undulating hips and earth-boun- Senior Dancers Put on Impressive Show also this guy who was, to all appearances, fast asleep in a bed made up on the lobby floor. I still have absolutely no idea what all this had to do with the senior concert, but hey, it was something interesting to watch while waiting for the show to start. And what a show. It was an impressive display of the talents of the graduating modern dance students in dance performance, choreography, lighting and costume design. The pieces in Senior Concert I ranged from Sandy Christensen's joyful children's piece, "Spread Your Arms and Hold Your Breath," which was danced by adorable little girls from Virginia Tanner Children's Dance Theatre, to the sharp-edgejazziness of Janel Jungel's ".618034." Other highlights included Megan Matthes French maid and a bishop walk into (S the dance building no, I haven't MUJieard this one before either. I'm just describing the scene in the lobby of the Marriott Center for Dance before the U modern dance department's Senior Concert I last Saturday night: A young lady in a French maid outfit, her face painted white, pushed a young man dressed as a comatose bishop around the lobby, while two other women videotaped their antics. There was f" d, ritualistic movement sequences. Bare legs, arms and midriffs and the warm hues of the costumes designed by Steve Rasmussen added to the heat radiating off this piece. "Chicken and Potatoes like a challenging piece, technically and stylistically, but it also looks like a lot of fun to dance. What a way to finish an undergraduate career. So, are you saving to yourself, "Gee, these pieces sound great! I can't wait to go see them?" Well, too ... . f : i ,. L .... The modern dance seniors are clearly all very serious Shut Up and Dance!' And you, Shut Up And See This Show by Megan Matthes - and somber. f you liked Odyssey Dance Theatre's Halloween performances of "Thriller" (and, hey, what's not to like?), then odds are you will enjoy the company's Spring Repertory Program even more. Next week at the Capitol Theatre, Odyssey Dance Theatre will present not one, not two, but three different r0 h, the Greeks. Is there anything they can't i"Ateach us? From them, we learn that women are vile, nothing worthwhile isn't plagued by a foul curse and families should die at least half a dozen at a time. If you thought the Greek tragedies had it all, except the of the French and modern interpretive dance pieces set to Aerosmith covers, that is, then this is the production for you. Jean Racine, widely regarded as one of the great French master poets, was a very sick man. (Nope, no one has ever pretended to be shocked by this.) Racine believed strongly in repression that any expression of sexual desire whatsoever warranted the kind of wrath that only a Greek God could deal out. After writing "Phedre" in 1677, he shut him deep-seate- Rj2 1 d self-loathin- march g 21, 2002 RED self away to perfect his like some sort of abstinence ninja. (I hope Kirk Cameron never gets the idea to come up with another sequel to "Left Behind" using this concept.) As for the plot itself, "Phedre" follows the Neoclassic law to the letter, which is, of course, that the audience must be made to suffer at least half as much as the incestuoussuicidalmaniacalexileddethronedmurderous lover. Here, Phedre falls in love with her stepson and avenges his incorruptibility with one of those schemes I do not need to add, with disastrous consequences. Racine's verse is untranslatable. That having been said, this translation does bring out a feel for some of his more haunting lines and the exquisitely tortured character evil-wom- meganred-mag.co- Calloway," a piece that cele wmmmi uuiuuiuiiiJJiu,iiui.m 'r m brates the music and dance of the 1940s swing era, and Janalyn Memmott's moving "Rain," a standard of the Odyssey Dance Theatre repertory. The second show, "Deep Forest," features Yeager's title piece, which was a hit last sea- see odyssey, page K13 iuiui.mra,i i of Phedre. Magazine W - i ,,. Anna Christiansen plays Ismene (under the gaze of an audience member) In Jean Racine's "Phedre." The Lab's production is unique in that it uses masks, the symbolic significance of which is but which in practice distract from the most outstanding aspect of this performance the superb student acting. Amanda Phillips Fulks was particularly stunning, and I have only this to say about Frederick Jackson's portrayal of Theseus: Unfortunately, as for the modern-g, BAD-AS- dance j (355-ART- contemporary choreography under the headline of "Shut Up and Dance!" Show i, "Sledgehammer," features the rock ballet of the same name, choreographed by Artistic Director Derryl Yeager to the music of Peter Gabriel. Also on the program is "Club well-meanin- 1 28-3- 0 self-repressi- post-apocalypt- ic ' sec-Mar- shows featuring the hottest . Hatching cooking shows on television, 1 you sometimes get the impression that, ' for many master chefs, it wouldn't matter if the entree tasted like cardboard, just so long as the raspberry glaze decorating it formed an image of undying beauty. I mean, youU see them hack away with abandon on some poor fish that will end " i 'V; i V'up the entree, then adjust individual molecules of glaze on the plate. In the March 13 Virtuoso Series concert by soprano Heidi Grant Murphy, the attention to presentation was evident and what was presented was much '. w Doing the (Greeks by Rachael Sawyer Brent Olson by bad, sucka, Because Senior Concert I is over and done. However, Senior Concert II will be performed next better than weekend with a whole new set of m) i,iwinnTTTi-.isenior pieces that are just as good as tf irntiWfwt.iVsinniri With the lights dim, the ones shown in Senior Concert I. Heidi Grant last to the evening began as weekend's Maybe the punchline Soprano Murphy's stong presen- Murphy started lobby joke will be revealed as well. tatlon skills made the singing offstage. Tact or Friction, " The Department of Modem Dance's Senior Concert II, is at the After a few show, so to speak, In 13's Virtuoso at Marriott Center for Dance March onds, Murphy slowly Series concert. entered with a medi 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.50 for students, $8.00 are and available tation bowl that she general admission, or at the door. through ArtTix hitrhythmatically. Mary Margaret Northway's "Riding the Pine," a playground piece for tomboys in sports team shirts and pleated skirts, Amy KingwillV'Use It," a piece that utilizes the personal humor of the dancers performing it to hilarious effect, and Lindsay Ellis"'Consumer or Later," danced by JU.iuumiiiiuiiip.jLuiuj!.. Everything ji ls d 'rssetlt interpretation of the chorus, it was probably very interesting in the conceptual stage. If you want to do this my way, go see the play with a friend, then argue about whether the modern dancer personifies Venus or Death itself, realize they are one and the same to Racine, move on to discuss the role of the meaningless signifier in Lacanian theory, then speculate about how many University of Utah professors are members of the KISS army (we know you rock and roll all night and party every day, Dr. Metz) and go get yourself a big Popsicle. "Phedre"' runs March 21 through 24 at the Lab Theatre in the U Performing Arts Building. Performance times are at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, 4:30 and 7.30 p.m. on Friday, 7.30 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. rachaelred-mag.co- with a rod to create a clear chime. Thus began Cantigas de Santa Mar ia, del Rey Alfonso X el Sabio by anonymous (You have to love that anonymous person hesheit managed to be the first completely gender neutral individual and has been producing fabulous works for millennia). Murphy's voice easily reached the high notes without the grating edge of shrillness, something I constantly fear around sopranos. Capturin g the mystical devotion of the works, Murphy seemed a high priestess, sir ing praises unto God and the Virgin Mary without deigning to acknowledge the lowly mortals in the audience. Between the three songs, Murphy explained the songs' meanings in a chant-lik- e recitation. For the next works, Excerpts from Clarieres dans le del by Lili Boulanger, her husband, Kevin Murphy, accompanied her at the piano. Mr. Murphy, the Metropolitan Opera assistant conductor, did an admirable Job as accompanist. His playing was engaging enough to follow with enjoyment, but remained supportive of Murphy's voice. As the Excerpts gradually covered the spectrum of love lost, Mr. Murphy easily created the appropriate mood as his wife's voice soared above him. Throughout the Excerpts, Murphy remained ethereal, her natural vibrato adding to the fating unreality of the works. The second half opened with Songs, Op. 38 by Kachmardnoff. While Murphy shined in all of th 2 s ongs, her rendition of The Pied Piper was especially charming in' its innocence. Utx "Ira lal la la la la 0 rmy have left out a 'U') inTh Fled Piper had tr.; youthful exuberance of a shepherd alone with his sheep in s (cr so I wcJi assume, the hivir; never cr.?. mr'.-r.ta'.- r t:n y1 :iti rciur: s'j 3 j i ?i:ni-- ?f;:ft:r U Murpry's jfrseral.ty recr cmct-- ' r.s -- . tiara fl scf icrv. sri surrourdlrj it. Her Trench Song," by Den Tucker, and "Vanilla Ice Crem" were bcth hilarious, cl le h:-to her superb presentation m? shir f j perfectly with the text. The lengthy delays between the sectcr.s is the only issue I would want to raise about the performance. While it gave the ears time to cleanse the pallet it was often excessively long. The next Virtuoso Series concert will be March 27 by Pianist Lang Lang, at 7 p.m. in Llhby Gardner Concert Hall Tickets are $10 for students end $20 for ethers. brentored-mag.co- m |