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Show 'riyTWii0iiijyr( i9m lyynry-i- Eiq Bind SpnouTS Wiwqs For ChildREN's Wonkshop By DON C. WOODWARD, NEW YORK CITY A etiance meeting in Salt Lake City back in 1969 resulted in two of the most endearing creatures ever to .;nter the realm of chudhood: Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird. In the unlikely event that you haven't met these two television stars, call in your three year old. He'll readily identify them as pail of the cast of Sesame d Street, the award winning and childrens program for preschoolers. highly-acclaime- Robert A. Hatch, vice president for public relations of the Children's Television Workshop, producer of both Sesame Street and The Electric Company, mentioned the chance meeting during an interview in the CTW offices just across from Lincoln Plaza. "Carroll Spinney was participating in a puppeteers convention in Salt Lake City when Henson saw him and asked him to come to work for him, said Hatch. Henson, the creator of the Moppets. was then working out his part of the Sesame Street production and needed a man who could do a believable job of moving a puppets mouth and synchronizing the voice. 9 . Spinney became the cheerful, insecure. incurably naive bird who. despite the fact that he stands eight feet two inches ta'l. has become the children's favorite and is the only bird ever featured on the cover of Time magazine. For a sw itch, he also plays Oscar, a cantankerous grouch who loves trash. garbage-candwellin- - g "Big Bird appeals to the kids because he is always doing dumb things," said Hatch. "He epitomizes the mistakes, that they might make. And Oscar is a very close second to him. because everyone has his Oscar monments. and he helps Deseret News Business Editor us to realize that we are not all wrong because we have our bad days. to stations broadcasting have been earn ing it. There are others in the cast. too. of course. Most adults empathize with the Cookie Monster, whose passion for cookies knows no bounds. Daniel Keeler, instructional media specialist for the Utah State Board of Education, pointed out that Sesame Street, since it is aimed at children, doesnt directly come to the attention of the school system, but added. It is almost universally used in Utah. I cant imagine that you would find a family that doesn't use it its almost a saturation. pre-scho- Put together with a strong cast of humans, animation and a driving rhythm. Sesame Street became an instant hit. Back then no one really knew whether Sesame Street was going to work or not, recalled Hatch. Their worries were unfounded: Sesame Street and its spinoff, The Electric Cc., did much better than anyone expected. The Electric Co., he said, is used by about 30 percent of the teachers in the state who tune it in during class time. Some districts are higher than others, depending upon their facilities and their motivation. However, he said about 83 percent of the schools in Utah have access to the signals one way or the other. At last count, there were some 3,000 sets in use. Hatch, who is himself a native of Salt Lake City and a graduate of Utah State University (and former reporter for the old Salt Lake Telegram) says the two programs also helped expose public television to a greater audience. "It was one of the best kept secrets in the country, he says wryly. How the program childrens programs have ever been as extensively researched before No well have the two. programs done? Nielsen says we get 66 to 67 percent of the kids in the age range we are shooting at, said Hatch, but because public television stations aren't endowed very much, its hard for them to tell the figures on their local areas." The programs are broadcast locally over, channel 7 (KUED), channel 11 (KBYU) and channel 9 (KOET, Ogden) at various times of the day. they came on the air. Some $8 million was spent on Sesame Street alone. In its annual report. CTW estimated that in its third season with Sesame Street the cost of the series was about 42 cents per viewer for the year, a figure that is lower than the previous years. Due to the additional costs of starting up. however, the first season costs for The Electric Co. were higher, about $1.1 per viewer for the 130 programs. That is still less than a penney per viewer per show. CTW's annual report estimated that more than 9 million children watched Sesame Street this year, an increase of 2 percent over the target age. The Electric Company was estimated to reach more than 4 million youngsters in its first season, and nearly 40 percent of the schools in the L'.S. that have access Like many of the stations. KUED is reluctant to spend its'money on audience surveys, so it doesnt know exactly what share of the viewers it gets with the two programs. However, a spokesman for the station, Elayne Fitzpatrick, said. "It must be fantastic, because every time it is preempted, our switchboards are swamped with calls and we get loads of letters. i Sesame Street, for example, produced a 24 percent increase in basic skills in a test group of pupils who watched more than five times a week compared with a control group that did not watch at all. The gains depended upon how often the students watched, but a side effect also cropped up: those who viewed the program had more favorable attitudes Upward school and toward people of other races. The Electric Co., since it has only completed its first year, is a bit more difficult to judge. However, teachers reported that some gains in specific reading skills were reported by more than 80 percent of the teachers, with about 24 percent of the teachers noting a "great increase in reading interest and another 64 percent noting a "slight improvement. Whats ahead for the CTW? We T-- l I have learned to Io' e and respect His marvelous crea- a 1950s .will Noel Coward, comedy by Present Laughter. Coleman and Margaret ell. veterans of Crow- area theater; tions and have tried to keep in tune with Him. I recognize His great powers I stand in awe and reverence before Him. be presented at Theater 138 beginning Dec. 28. The play, the only one Coward ever wrote with himself in mind, tells about three days in actor the life of a middle-ageand his love affairs. Karen Jones, Steve Barber, David Keysor, George Sullivan, Cathryn Marsh. Charlotte Jeanne Trevathan, Durren, and Stu Falconer. Clifton Webb played the lead role on Broadway, and Coward played it in London. Cast members include Steve of small d Miss Trevathan is a veteran theater in the Midwest. Mr. Keysor, Miss Marsh and Miss Durren have played previous roles at Theater 138. Director Tom Carlin played lead the Present Laughter in New York stock theater several years ago, and Mr. Falconer played his present role at the same time. Stage design is by; Ariel Bal-liJan Hall is production assistant and Jim Anderson is Stage Manager. f. Calendar - Glass Factory, p.m.. Dec. Utah State University The Messiah Fine Arts Center. 8:30 p.m.. Dec. 10. The Terrace. Mexican Caravan of Stars 464 S. Main. 3 and 7 p.m.. Dec. 10. ' Terrace. 464 Loggins and Messina Main. f:30 and 10 p.m.. Dec. 13. - S. . B.Y.U.-S.LConcert-lecturThe Three Ds Center Forum series. Assembly Hall. Temple Square. 8 p.m . Dec. 12. Human EnThe Steadfast Tin Soldier semble Repertory, Theater play adaptation, Giass Factory, behind Arrow Press Square 11 Building No. 2: 4 p.m.. Dec. 15 and 22: a.m., and I p.m., Dec. 16, 23 and 39. - - Human The Miracle On 34th Street Ensemble Repertory Theater play adaptation. DINE IN LONDON TONIGHT! Arrow Press Square, and 8:30 28-3- Uncle Vanya Brigham Young University Pardoe Drama Theater, 8 p.m.. Dec. 9. and 13 through 16; also 1 p.m.. Doc. 12. Little Murders East. 8:30 p.m.. Dec. - Thea'er 12 and 138. d 13. Theater 138. Forty Carats East, 8:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays. 138-2n- d Deadwood Dick Silver Wheel Theater. Park City, 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays. The Star of Bethlehem Star Chamber program, Hansen Planetarium, 15 S. State, daily except Mondays. Free admission to museum and exhibit hall. tkeafoe, Painting is more than expressing the appearance of things. It is expressing the spirit of things. When you know and love a tree, you can paint its spirit, the quality God gave it. It has been said few artists can make a landscape speak like LeConte Stewart does. Whether it be an barn, or a old, weather-beateinfuses the he hill, rolling same alive quality into the canvas. that The other cast members are new to commercial theater. are in the first stages are part of the regular features on the Children's Television Workshop presentation of "Sesame Street." bility study on programs concerning health and health delivery." said Hatch. "It would cover the whole business of health, and would appeal not only to children, but in all likelihood to teenagers and adults. But we are a year to a year if and a half away from an air date there is one, Also, he said. "We are in tl.e very, very tentative stages of planning some a future series concerning child's emotions." In the meantime. CTW is helping to Street into other expand Sesame countries. It is already being viewed in 50 different countries, including two behind the Iron Curtain. They are working with the education authorities in other countries to develop programs built around a basic Sesame Street format. Already there is a Spanish Plaza Sesamo for Latin America, a Portuguese Vila Sesamo for Brazil, a Sesamstrasse for Germany, and soon there will be a French version. Much of the overseas work is being underwritten by U.S. corporations, since CTW has no funds for this type of work. Xerox, for example, underwrote the Spanish language and Portuguese of a feasi Snow been prominent in Utah art esteem because of his landscapes, says I learned to see beauty in every leaf and tree and hill. Noel Coward Comedy Big Bird AUTHENTIC FISH & ENGLISH n Said V. Douglas Snow, former chairman of the University of Utah Art Department: He captured something so essential about his landscapes that they will survive long beyond the ebb and tide that dominates so much painting within the past 50 years. Mr. Stewart resides in Kays-villand iiis home and its setting are a perfect example of his love for nature and rural simplicity. Because of the esteem which Kaysville residents have felt for the artist, they opened dii art gallery in Kaysville in 1971, it and named the IcConte Stewart Gallery of Art. Mr. Stewart was born in Glenwood, Sevier County. Utah, and was educated in Utah schools, and at the Art Student League in New York; in Woodstock, N.Y. landscape Hn on4 O ininfinrt paxiiuug udOTto, attu ai mv of Pennsylvania Academy Fine Arts. No-Bloch-a- By HAROLD LUNDSTROM Deseret News Music Critic Because Ernest Blochs Sahad never becred Service fore been performed in Utah, the Utah Chorale and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maurice Abravanel, performed a service in presenting work in the the broadly-scaleTabernacle Friday night. And despite the snow and freezing temperature, the Utah premiere performance of the Sacred Service attractaudience. ed a Though the long piece has its histrionic moments, for the most part it is rich, varied, warm, majestic and simple. Abravanel infused both his singers and his musicians with expresenergetic emotional sion. At times heseemed to be a charismatic kind of leader a conductor who was not concerned so much with being a skilled technician as with being an inspirer of his sing-eid all-da- y y The Utah Choralel handsomely garbed in new concert 2 LOCATIONS ALWAYS - dress, was at its finest. Its tone throughout was refined and healthy and had personality. And what a pleasure to hear a large soprano section not become shrill in its high notes sung fortissimo. Expertly trained and prepared by Dr. Newell Weight and John Marlowe Nielson, the Utah Chorale had great power for the loud passages, and as in the warmly beautiful a cappella Yihyu Lerozon section, a floating, luminescent pianissimo was produced. The Utah Symphony responded well to Abravanel, though there were some sharp attacks that almost covered the singers and soloist Don Watts, baritone. Don Watts did redit to his and calling as the cantor, created the kind of simmering drama that one anticipates in great operatic performances, f Though he seemed to tire toward the end of the unbelievably long 45 minutes of almost continuous singing, I think I have never heard hiu sing better of more convincingly. PROVO Brigham Young of Universitys production will continue Unde Vanya on the Pardoe Drama Theatre stage in the Harris Fine Arts Center Wednesday through at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. A matinee will be given Tuesday, Dec. 12. at 1 p.m. Stale St GOOD... OFFICE OR HOME t'aimr In fact, recalled Hatch, during one of her talks earlier this year, CTWs founder and president. Joan Ganz Cooney, casually mentioned the idea of a nationwide children's network, broadcasting meaningful programs for children all daylong. ; v . The response has amazed us. he said. "Maybe this is a good time to think of where we would fit into it."' Quartet internatHenri Temianka. ionally1 known violinist and chamber musician, will join the Deseret String Quartet of Brigham Young University in the performance of three string quartets Friday Dec. 15.. The musical will be at 8 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Harris Fine Arts Center. The concert opened with a rousing performance of Bachs Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, scored for string orchestra. One could hear all the various strands as they weave the wonderful fabric, and the string tone was clean and accurate as well as live and resonant. Admission public. The Utah Symphony and its conductor provided a special treat in an exciting performDeath and ance of Strauss in which Transfiguration Strauss writing was meticuset lously and passionately forth. Though the exposed woodwind soloists were unusually beautiful, the harmonies provided by the French horns were equally deserving of the famed Paganini Quartet, Temianka is no stranger to BYQT and Utah audiences. The Paganini Quartet, in residence summers at BYU for over a decade during the 1950s, performed more than a hundred works in Provo. Since the PaganinUQuartet disbanded, Temianka has occupied himself mainly with teaching, conducting, and occasionally playing with chamber tragedy in the futility of the lives portrayed. Tom include: Characters Rogers, Gale Sears, Robert Fowler, Stoddard, Tamara Lee Scanlon, Beverly Warner, Grace Nixon Stewart, Don Gottfredson, Kahlile Mehr and Dean Kerr. Displaying the pessimism during the 1900's in Russia, tne play involves an element of afi4vcty Sooth to the Temianka is replacing the regular first violinist. Percy Kalt, who is on sabbatical leave pursuing a doctorate. As founder and former violinist of highest praise. graduate students is free ensembles. He teaches a class of advanced violinists at BYU. Other members of the eret Quartet are Barbara Des- liams violin; Dr. David ton, viola; and Professor ert Ashby i cello. Dal- WilRob- r Salt Lake City THE TERRACE sMai K 7a CJISKICAN CAKAVAM 7 STARS 3 v ju L 4zy 2 Shows: PHONE 322 - 0031 138 obvious tion. Other short solo passages were commendably sung by Victoria Whipple, soprano, and Margaret Arnold, alto. Rabbi Abner Bergman was impressive in his narration that comes in the fifth and final section of the Sacred Service. W. Directed by Charles Whitman, this Russian Comedy by Anton Chekhov features cast members portrayed by BYU drama ar.d faculty. its Joins BY U i CURTAIN 8:30 p.m. & With this solid backing, t that the Childrens, Television Workshop is already a major force in U.S. educa- f3& pfoeamU 418 East 2n1 South 5 Phone 27th South phone The major fund source has been the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and. the U.S. Department of Health. Education and Welfare. U.S. Commissioner of Education Sidney P. Marland said Sesame Street alone was one of the best investments his office has ever made. de ''FORTY CARATS" .. .a- H. SALT ESQ. It has become an unusual partnership of the three elements of our society government, foundations and' busi' ness," said Hatch. Chekhov Comedy Twist IN PERSON: CHIPS d Temianka i Instead ol the same old tare... live a little! U.S. corIn fact, socially-orienteporations play a major role in the funding of CTW. They include such firms as the S.C. Johnson Co.. Mobil Oil. Radio Corp. of America, General Foods, and Quaker Oats. CONCERT ATTRACTS CROWD Leaf, Tree PRESENT LAUGHTER and us Judging by their report cards from independent testing associations, the two very well. programs are doing well In Every Charlotte Durren, Margaret Crowell, Steve Coleman are in cast of Theater 138's "Present laughter." Snuffle-Upag- Sesoame Streets bullseye was the disadvantaged child, while in the case of The Electric Company, it was anyone who is having trouble learning how to read, said Hatch. Beauty Continued from Page Mr. Lucha Villa, Juan Mendoza, Las Adelitas, Los Dandys, El Conscripto 3:0n P.M. & 7:00 r P.M. Pius Tickets on Sale for $3, $4, and $6 at Mexican Civic Center Layton Theatre. The Terrace 363-445- 1 155 So. 5th West 355-970- 2 K ; V. p 4 : MLdi-S- i |
