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Show 8 ROCKY MOl'NTAIM REVIEW, THE PERFORMING ARTS May 13, 1963 FROM LOWELL DURHAM Audiences Thrill Symphony Ballet , , Opera Local proRETROSPECT el opera ductions of and ballet, plus a Tabernacle appearance o f the Chicago Symphony pretty well sum up the local scene in recent days. top-lev- Biggest surprise was the audiences complete sell-owhich jammed Kingsbury Hall for performances of La Bo- ut herae Opera, most expensive of the performing to mount, has struggled long and hard for its place in the local sun A measure of success was attained by the old Salt Lake Emma Lucy Gates Opera Company during Theater-house- d the century's first quarter Carlos Alexander brought off the next most successful attempt in the days following World War first, 11 in Provo, and later (and more seriously) in Salt Lake Lack of sufficient underwriting and or sponsorship eventually led to dissolution But the Ardean Boheme appears to have conquered these perenFor the first nial problems time since the lat- Gail Plummer engineered appearance of the old San Carlo Opera Company as a feature of the 1947 Centennial, Watts-direct- . ed eek-long Mr Watts and his colleagues SRO brought off a winner crowds! This follows the national pattern -- - sans European-typ- e subsidized opera bouses, opera in the U S.A has moved onto university campuses, and its future appears to lie witness the Univerthere sity of Indianas thriving opera program and other top collegiate contenders like U S C. and U C L A But this is not the whole story. The truth is that Mr Watts assembled a first-rat- e cast and brought off truly if AMS FRIDAY professional and exciting performances He accomplished this by assembling the community's via leading vocal artists the Universitys Division of Continuing Education. Opera is for the mature vocal artist Very few college-age performers are cap- physically or emotionof bringing off leading roles adequately They can and should, however, gain experience and discipline m minor roles ( andor supporting chorus Mr. Watts may have found the answer in the organization he ena student Opera visages: Workshop and a professional company of mature artists, both campus-base- d It i s not unlikely that the latter could follow the lead of Wiliam Christensen's U. of U. student corps and Ford Foundation -- underwritten Utah Civic Ballet Company, counterpart, the Utah Symphony, has nearly two decades advantage. Both opera and toilet -- - which rise or fall with the availability of professional, routined instrumentalist should profit from the orchestras experience All three must take into account the new Civic Auditorium and adjoining hall The Utah Symphony will certainly be housed therein. The same may be ventured for the Civic Ballet aspect of William Christensen enterprises. y-produced opera is more apt to remain on campus. However; It is safe to bet that completion of the downtown Symphony Hall will see a one or visit by the San Francisco Opera Company each autumn following its Bay area and Los Angeles schedules. Such appearances, presented as an extension of the Utah Symphony season, would redound to the benefit of our leading performing arts organizations, serving as a prod, particularly, for more and better operas by a local company. Now back to Boheme . Two excellent Mimis were heard; both, genuine artists Blanche Christensen and V&l Lila Stuart. Stuart's Rodolfo, musicially, left little to be desired. Most successful pro" among the professional singing-actor- s'' ws Marvin Sorensen, veteran W nearly every serious local opera production In the last two decides. be Stage-wito be ' play- appeared able ally ed thelat-instrumen- MARSHALL NAIFY PtlMNTl THE PICTURE THE WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING TO SEE! ; tal symphon- y-opera-ballet Locall- J$RLQW, CM UfNLEY two-we- EFREM MM, JR. BM SUM tirCTKCXCVSfSX Production husai h macm wsratimo cow. An M I Jmm PLUS MUSICAL CO-H- IT "A SWINGIN SUMMIR TUNING UP FOR MELODRAMA Ready for the newSalt Lake Playmakers production of Gold In The Hills which opens in Park City, Friday, May 14, are left to right, Adele Peterson, who plays Mamie, Queen of the Bowery, Shirley Stoll, as Sassy O'Shay and Pat Holt, as Professor at the Pianoforte. "GOLD IN THE HILLS" (Belongs Who CP repa re Jor Jt career college and finishing school has a NEW FACE Its Located Playmakers S late New Melodrama Melodrama fans will have plenty of opportunity to hiss the villain and cheer the hero in the Salt Lake Playmakers new production, Gold In the Hills or ' The Dead Sisters Secret". Curtain Time is 8 P.M., Friday, May 14, at the Silver Wheel Theatre in Park City. With this opening the Playmakers start a new policy of melodrama every Friday and at 423 So. 5th East Phone 521-334- Saturday nights, instead of only Saturdays. Gold In the Hills spins a tale of murder, romance, and triumph revolving around the Innocent hero and heroine portrayed by Earl Tenney and Lynne Fisher. Chief villain of the plot is played by Wade Merrill while his sidekick Is played by Cliff Hagger. The first and third acts take place at the Old Homestead in the country, where pure, but simple folks are plagued and harrassed by visitors with smooth city ways. Second act takes place In a dance hall on the Bowery which gives the proper setting for a full folio act of songs and dances. Production is under the general direction of Tom Carlin, with Gene Pack as dialogue director, Marie Williams as musical director, and Mary Wareing as assistant to the tem-tati- - Kosher Food Pastrami - Corned Beef Cheese Cake Decorated Cheese and Cold Cut Trays for Your office Meetings and Bagel-Lo- x 9 Parties Melodrama will run over and Saturday night through the end of June. Tickets by reservations are $1. 50 and $1 75 To reserve seats, 1. call, The Salt Lake Playmakers are a community little theatre Established four years ago, the group is open to anyone having an interest in any capacity of the theatre. Board of directors for the Playmakers include Tom Carlin. chairman; Myrtle Belle Mackay, Mane Williams, Joan Oelench Boyer and Gene Pack Friday . 359-496- non-pro- FREE Personal Analysis Career Guidance Consultation Xu S hctutut alt I akes F irst and Besl btliceUMt 163 165 EAST BROADWAY 363-826- 1 fit se maker, as Marcello Except for minor instances, the remainder were well cast and vocally adequate. Byron McGraths staging andAriel Bal-lisets and lighting were indispensable factors in the artistic cess. and box-offi- ce suc- William Christensen rolled New York out the big guns dancers Lupe Serrano and to spark the Scott Douglas of his initial second week-en- d local attempt at double bill. His combined professional and student company proved a near-matfor the visiting team. The visiting artists, superb technicians, did not indefinable that possess magic the spread through audiences like electricity during earlier appearances of Jacques dAmboise, Eglevsky, Violetta Verdy, Pat McBride, etc , but they gave dazzling exhibitions and sparked the imagination and resolution of the local dancers. Artistically the two weekends were successes. Orchids particularly to Professor Christensen's Swan Lake and George Balanchine': rather severe, abstract Concerto Borocco. The latter proved to be most successful and unified of the six ballets. Musically, the undersized orchestra, ably conducted by Harold Wolf, left something to be desired. The sheer opulence and breadth of sonorities demanded by Ravels La Valse andTchakovskys Romeo and Juliet demand more than was available In the pit. Then, too, (perhaps becauswthe choreography dethe manded) Tchaikovsky Romeg broke all track records as it was taken at such a lively, clip as to nullify the heaving and sighing and Rubati inher- ch ALBUMS THE GREAT LISTENING y Paul Coburn seem destined to stay if not permanently are John Gary and Jack Jones. Another young newcomer to whom wed like to call attention: Jerry your Homes. He debuts with his album on Warner new Bros, titled, A Dramatic New Voice! Jerry Holmes his voice reminiscent of Bob Manning, is a young personable nice appearing boy born in West Virginia and like so many others, got started singing with his local church choir. He is a rich deep baritone and gives a nice straight clean reading to a song. If the chips fall right hell be one of recordoms important artists soon. His new album contains Who Can I Turn two-thir- long-rang- er By Richard 0. Martin Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, in the second of its two recent appearances in repertoire, the Utah Civic Ballet offered up some rather mixed fare It ranged from the pure of abstraction classical ConGeorge Balanchines certo Barocco," through the bravura of the 'Black Swan Pas de Deux, as performed by guest artists Lupe Serrano and Scott Douglas; to the sickof ly sweet Lew Christensen's "Beauty and the Shepherd ". Also on the program was the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy" choreographed by Civic Ballet's artistic director Wi- lliam F. Christensen to Tchaikovsky's rather terse and abrupt score. By all reckoning, Miss Sere rano and Mr. Douglas provided the opening night highlight in their exceedingly strong Black performance of the Swan Pas de Deux. The pas de deux, adapted from Swan Lake, provided both dancers ample opportunity to display their virtuosity; Miss Serrano with the famed sequence of fouettes, and Mr. Douglas with lightnitours en l'air; Jetes ng-fast and cabrioles. Despite their strong solo abilities. Miss Serrano and Mr. Douglas achieved elegant grace and simplicity in the adagio, almost instinctively anticipating the movement of one another. Another truly exciting portion of the evenings ballet Ipan-em- a, Shangri - La Once Time," A Upon ' Softly As I Leave You and others. I know youll like this new singer who can be heard daily on K.W.I C. the Great Music Album Station, 1570. ALBUMS. NEW Tony Bennetts itew album Is a real surprise Insofar as the accompany ment and In strumentatioo is concerned There is something for everybody! For example on one cut there is just Joe Marsala on clarinet and Hackett on UK Bobby ULELE! Bobby will be remembered as the great tru mpet with the old Glenn M iiler band during the war. Many do not know that Hackett s original Instrument was guitar. This new Bennett album is a beauty and is now being featured dally It was a beautiful concert bert, featured the first local performance of recent French composer ( and teacher of Martinon) Albert Roussels Third Symphony Beautifully conceived and performed, it was like so many French works, a lot of notes for so little music. But It Is always a delight to hear a work for the first time, (and, perhaps In this case, its last time, on K.W.I C. The beauriful opera sin Anna Moffo turns to the popular love song with consummate grace In her new album Oqo N irht Of Love." The tunes all soar remantically and include Ill See You Lover, Strange Music, Again, and nine others. THE NUTTIEST album cover of the month: "Whipped Cream And Other De lights by Herb Alperts Tijuana brass. The cover pic tures a beautiful girl dressed in nothing but whipped cream. Reducto adsurdum! ger well). Most OBSERVATION. people In the trade seemed disappointed In the Academy Award selection this year. It should have been Dear Henry Manclnl's Heart rather than the novelty chimney sweep song, Chim Chim Cheree. See you next week with another bulging bag of beautiful albums for great listening came with the performance of Balanchines Concerto Barocco". The dance is performed to Bach's Concerto in D MINOR FOR Two Vio- lins. and reflects the tensions, rhythms and moods Mr. Christensen's dancers performed with both technical verve and feeling, mirroring the musics complexities. In the first movement soloists carolyn Anderson and Shirley White developed the relationship of the two violins (played by Kenneth Kuchler and Norma Lee Madsen). Phone for the Fastest Food in the West: P.D.Q. DINNERS THE HAWAIIAN radio dispatcher Will reloy your order instantly to the nearest mobile unit in Johnny Ouong s Fast Food Fleet. Within minutis a gaily pointed Hawaiian von will arrive ot your home with your PDQ dinners, steaming hot ond Individual white plastic serving troys and covert with eoch dinner are FREE yours to keep or throw oway. ready-to-serv- - Prtrty Dorn Qi,k PW Choice ef Six fret One Delivery roo Perfc 1 Dinners lew Price Chew Weiii, Sweet 4 Seer Spero roe erfc Pried PM PM Classes in: Modeling, Finishing and Fashion, Merchandising. m "Girl Fro To, and, in addition to the Schu- as 82. new TALENT. In recent volumns we have devoted considerable and warranted space to the new breed the new talent meritorious of mention. Two of these newer singers who Utah Civic Ballet Offers Mixed Fare on directors. 5 ek LOWELL DURHAM NEW ant in the score To bring off Shakespeare's dramatic action in 15 minutes is imposThe Russians themsible. selves discovered this; hence ProkofiefTs very successfu and much longer score. In spite of this, Romeo' proved to be the audiencess favorite, if applause is the gauge. Most brilliantly staged was another Ariel La Valse. Ballif triumph Set and lighting actually topped all aspects of the performance. For balletomanes accustomed to the traditionally sold-o- ut audiences and week-lon- g audiof The Nutcracker, ences for the double-head- er Half were disappointing houses on opening nights to capacity Friday and Saturdays maintained For ballet officials who have their e, eyes and ears on the however, partially -filled Kingsbury Hall was encouraging. considering the expanded offerings made avT liable by the Ford grant. The Utah Symphony ponsored concert by the touring Chicago Symphony resulted in an evening of lesser known works tastefully performed Schubert's charming Fourth Symphony, with its melancholic undercurrent and its fabulous finale, topped the music Jean Martmon Conductor (successor to the late Fritz Reiner) put on a suave display of baton technique, achieving superb nuanaces of phrasing and dynamics. And he came near blowing off the staid Tabernacle roof as he wound up for the noisy ending of Pictures at an Exhibition" a la Whitey Ford of the Yankees The crowd was somewhat But, naturally disappointing enough, Salt Lakers will turn out in force for one of the Philadelphia, Big Three Poston and New York orchestras. But the Cleveland and orchestras, (like Chicago Avis, only No. 4 and 5 in that order) have to "try hard- J Wem, Hei Fried Wele, If g Pee life SO-PI-SH Veng, (keP e tKkKpel, end Keeey SHitwe. e n e. petee, teied, PM lice. CHICKIH tllD etto a. bi lew be Stirimp Rerk Chew Heel Fried PM Iff tee reN ed Keeey CHIPS, ed beiiey (CUP 1HIS AD AND KEEP petete, teied. (T NEAR YOUR PM erdert fitted Irem 1.X re P 30 p ie. depute Heere Oplivpry Sere.te Preei p.m. te amdeifKt CALL TODAY reN PHONE) deity Phone Tour Order Now; 466-07-67 or 467-931- 1 tho HAWAIIAN 521 - 3345 ?920 H.gMond ( rtMtf 18U WUlK RiUMl SneilS tUIIOWU HSUUUS f0UCU UMWMU. MR Drive Horn of The Yum-Yu- Room |