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Show Arts & Entertainment Marie Osmond Made An Overreaching Debut With The Utah Symphony certs were somewhat of a departure from her award-winnin- g country recordings. Osmond was fly in a black velvet blouse, black leotard-lik- e pants, long black leather boots with spiked heels and a classy red satin blazer-lik- e jacket. She seemed the unlikeliest of candidates to sing such ballads as Cant Help Lovin Dat Man (from Show Boat). B ut she soon had the audience eating out of her hand. Her smooth style and exciting interpretations gave new color and dimension to every song. Her delivery of three selections from Phantom of the Opera, complete with spectacular lighting and visual effects (white fog that shot up from the stage floor) was magnificent Osmond also sang songs from West Side Story, All that Jazz, Cabaret, Funny Girl, Gypsy, The Wiz and Annie. The songs she chose seemed tailor-mad- e for her. Her versatility, which has made her one of Americas most enduring performers, was clear. Osmond explained how she grew up in a family that listened to all types of music from classical to jazz, but she fell in love with country music. Not surprisingly, her performances of songs of that genre were the best of show. She was lithe and lively in her renditions of such gems as Jambalaya, Wabash Cannonball, Honkey Tonk Blues and her signature song, Paper Roses. The above selections alone, would have made a superb, show. But Osmond didnt stop there. Her somewhat overproduced show included a giant movie screen that emulated from the middle of the stage and showed ck by Calvin L. Harrington Forum staff writer Singers, like athletes, perform best in their home arenas. So was the case when Marie Osmond sang in her Utah Symphony debut on April 10 and 11 in Symphony Hall. However, the performer, as though possessed, couldnt stop singing and her Saturday night concert spread in all directions, like a vine. The program began with Joseph Silver-stei- n conducting the Utah Symphony in four light classics by John Phillip Sousa, Dvorak, Chabrier and Tchaikovsky. Jerry Williams, Osmond's music director, conducted the Utah Symphony (and played keyboard) during her portion of the show. The settings for Osmonds sold out con Ririe-Woodb- by Calvin L. Harrington Forum staff writer The Dance Company will present Salute to Choreographers at 8 p.m. on April 24 and 25 at the Capitol Theatre. With guest performerchoreogra-pher- , Douglas Neilsen, this final performance of the season will feature The Inky Headstart and Deep, Big Brother, Wreck a Pair. Also included will be two premieres: Episodes, choreographed by Joan Woodbury (to a musical score by temporary Utah resident, William Wallace), as well as a sixth work choreographed by Shirley Ririe for three men and bungee cords (with an electronic music score by local composer Marden Pond). The Inky Deep is a high-pacephysically challenging work that involves dancers use of a ladder. Inspiration for the dance comes from the sense that man can rise from the inky deep and climb to new heights. Big Brother is a fantastically athletic solo number with guest artist Neilsen danc-- v ing about the stage on steel stilts and moving steel chairs around with bold, fearless courage. Headstart is a tribute to Olympic athletes whose images are replayed on video during their personal moments of concen- ry d, 1 Page ed ed Great Thou Art, and absolutely stunning with Over the Rainbow, exhibiting a surprisingly wide, mature vocal range. But that gigantic movie screen came down again and the audience saw film footage highlighting her career (Osmond receiving several awards in Nashville, clips from The Donny and Marie Show, Osmond with Bob Hope, Osmond performing fortheReagansattheWhiteHouse, her as a little girl on The Andy Williams Show, with John Wayne and a virtual whos who of film and recording stars, and lots of cutesy baby pictures). She did a rousing, knockout version of Bugle Boy from Company B, which will be featured on her upcoming album. After several standing ovations and an encore, Utah Symphony members left the stage. Some members of the audience (including her parents) started to file out, also. Osmond came back, and completely reversing her emotion and rhythm, she jammed with the members of her band. She performed four uninhibited reverberations of country and rock n roll, obviously for the youngsters in the audience who were captivated by her zest and who identified with her youthful vitality. Her show culminated in a powerful, danceable rendition of Stuck on You. Older patrons who simply like a song well sung, stayed and enjoyed too. Trimmed down a tad, this would have made a super, memorable national television special. However, in Osmonds gracious attempt to please her homeboys and girls, the overcrowded audience was overcompensated by the surpassing star. Dance Company Swings Into Spring This Weekend ury Ririe-Woodbu- well-round- her new, video, True Love Never Goes Away. She sang three patriotic songs and told of her love for the USA, her experiences while performing for sailors on several U.S. Navy vessels and she gave commentary on herUSOshows for American troops in Saudi Arabia. She then sang the Lee Greenwood song (you guessed it) God Bless America. As a stand-u- p comic, Osmond is no slouch. She kept telling men in the audience how cute they were. When she called one of them on stage, the audience howled (he was an elderly, balding gentleman). She flirted with him on stage (a la Mae West) and apologized to the mans wife for flirtingwithherhusband. The wife snapped, You can have him! With this gentleman, Osmond sang an impromptu duet, Patsy Clines Crazy, that was delicious. Four electric guitarists from her band, along with the Utah Symphony, performed a dynamite modem version of Rossinis William Tell Overture (better known as the theme from The Lone Ranger). Osmond changed clothes during this number. She came back resplendent in a wide-skirtmini dress with sequined, multicolored bodice jacket At one point, Osmond was overcome with emotion as she introduced her parents who were in the audience. Reminiscent of Judy Garlands legendary Carnegie Hall concert, Osmond gave much more of herself than any reasonable audience member could ever expect. She was moving in a religious number, How April 21,1992 tration. It is also an actualization of what athletes might visualize in their minds (simultaneous triumph and defeat) before the contest begins. Wreck a Pair is a duet which exemplifies the complexities of malefemale relationships. Riries new work was inspired by the daring possibilities of working with dancers and bungee cords. She is enthusiastic about the gravity defying images created by her new choreography. Pond (the composer for Riries work) was recently honored as Utahs Composer of the Y ear. Last year, Pond was awarded a grant from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University for a collaborative work with the Dance Company. He was selected from 120 others. Pond has also received commissions from numerous colleges and universities, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Utah Music Teachers Association. Although Woodburys Episodes has been performed on tour throughout the United States by Dance this will be the first performCompany, ance on the Capitol Theatre stage. Wallace (the composer for the Woodbury work) is a visiting professor at the University of Utah. He has also been on the Ririe-Woodbu- ry Ririe-Woodbu- ry faculty at Rutgers University in New Jersey and McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada). Wallace recently recorded a CD on Champion label (performed by the London Philharmonic, Boris Brott conducting). Wallaces composition for Episodes will be performed live during the performances at the Capitol Theatre. The percussionist will be Angel Williams (a senior at the University of Utah) and Jeffrey Price Utah artist) will be (another well-knofeatured on the piano. The Dance Company is a critically-acclaime- d international modem dance company based in Salt Lake City. The company is a nonprofit organization funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Utah Arts Council and the Salt Lake City Arts Council. Tickets for this spring repertory gram, Salute to Choreographers range from $ 1 2 to $25 and can be purchased at the Capitol Theatre box office, Tickets for students and senior citizens (half price) are also available. Ririe-Woodbu- ry 355-ART- S. |