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Show 4 ARTS Wednesday, O ct ob er 27, 20 10 Dracula returns to evil form IIE Devin Richey A poetic, colorful occasion MOHAMMAD ALLAM Arts Editor p oetry enthusiasts take note. This Friday, in a fitting collaboration of art and poetry, there will be a poetry reading at the Patrick Moore Gallery set in an exhibit of watercolor paintings inspired from lines of poetry, titled "Poetry in Color." The poet featured is Katherine Coles, a professor in the English department, who teaches courses in creative writing and literature. She was named the Utah State Poet Laureate in 2006, for a five-year term. Coles also has four published books that feature collections of her poems, and has magine a several commissioned works universe that breaks across the state. For example, in wave—it's Coles' "The vacant, offers Numbers" is used in the art emptiness, or love; piece done by here, invisible within Anna Campbell Bliss, "Numbers this space imagine a and Measures," which is in the universe, its broken Cowles Building in Presidents waves withdrawn, Circle. Needless so we can't touch its to say, her other face." repertoire is From Katherine Coles' poem impressive. "Cat's Cradle," in her 2001 book Even putting The Golden Years of the Fourth her state-wide Dimension: Poems. recognition and impressive body of work aside, I really enjoy her poetry. Coles does a great job of using nature, intertwining it with reflections on the human spirit and emotions. It's fitting that Coles' reading will be in conjunction with the "Poetry in Color" exhibit, as the artists of the Utah Watercolor Society were told to find inspiration from a line of poetry. This event looks to be a beautiful collaboration of art and seems to me to be a great way to spend a Friday night, "An Evening of Poetry and Art." The Patrick Moore Gallery is located at 2233 S. 700 East. The event is Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is free. m.allam@chronicle.utah.edu " www.dailyutahchronicle.corn STAFF WRITER In a popular culture where monsters are almost always redemptive figures and vampires have become nothing more than closeted glitter-users who seduce girls ioo years their minor, it can be easy to forget that before "True Blood," Anne Rice or Stephenie Meyer novels and the classic Bela Lugosi movie existed, Bram Stoker wrote a book that still influences a generation's horror stories more than a century later. The story of Dracula, as intended by its author, can now be seen at Pioneer Memorial Theatre in all of its original lateVictorian horror glory. Charles Morey, who has worked as the artistic director of Pioneer Theatre Company for nearly 4o years, wrote the stage adaptation. The original theatrical adaptation of the play, written in the 192os, severely cut down the plot from its source material and wrote out several characters. Morey's adaptation brought back the foregone characters to their original roles and restored the narrative to its full length through the use of a few theatrical techniques. Rather than following all events of the book verbatim, characters speak in asides to the audience, excused as diary excerpts that speed up what would be excessive material. Morey expertly uses the interludes to keep the audience invested in the most interesting parts of the story without slow or excessive material to bog them down. The story of Dracula and his impact on a group of friends and love interests in Victorian London begins with a trip by estate agent Jonathan Harker (played by Christopher Kelly) to Transylvania in order to help the wealthy count move into the densely populated city. As soon as the count has his affairs in order, he leaves Harker for death at the hands of his vampirical daughters and heads to London to begin his reign of terror over its inhabitants. However, Harker manages to escape his grim fate and recruits the help of Arthur Holmwood (John-Michael Marrs), Dr. Seward (Craig Wroe) and Abraham Van Helsing (Bob Ari) to stand between the supernatural killer and his intended prey—a struggle that becomes disturbingly personal for the vampire hunters. Mark Elliot Wilson, who gives life to the undead namesake of the play, prepared for his role by enduring a short diet of nothing but yogurt in order to understand the feeling of living without solid food. That, among other research and efforts of Wilson to understand and meet the expectations of the character, show during his performance and add an authenticity to his already gripping presence. Wilson also praised Morey's adaptation for veering away from the campiness and sympathetic explanation in modern adaptations of Dracula's motivations. "(Dracula) has been given love interests and other reasons for his actions in adaptations, but as he was written and how (Morey) kept him, Dracula is just an evil PHOTO COURTESY ALEXANDER WISEMAN Mark Elliot Wilson stars as Dracula and Stephanie Fieger stars as Lucy. dude," Wilson said. With a strong cast, classy writing and a talented director and adaptor, "Dracula" already stands as a highlight of this theater season. For those seeking a vampiri- cal villain who lusts after blood and power more than abstinence and Sookie, the must-see production of this Halloween season is here. d.richey@chronicle.utah.edu Musicians forgo black tie for 'Haunted Orchestra' Jamie Rankin STAFF WRITER In a concert more unconventional than other School of Music events, musicians ditch their normal concert attire and come transformed as a spooky assortment of creatures and characters for the Utah Philharmonia's annual Halloween concert "Haunted Orchestra: Fire and Ice." COURTESY SCHOOL OF MUSIC Dressed as wizards, cowboys and ghouls, the Utah Philharmonia will bring spooky sights and thrilling music to the stage in its widely popular Halloween-themed concert Friday at Libby Garner Concert Hall. Audience members are also invited to wear costumes. In one part of the performance, a kid's costume parade will run throughout the concert hall with orchestral accompaniment. "It's so much fun to play orchestra music outside of the usual format," said Matthew Castillo, a co-principal French horn player in the Philharmonic and a junior in instrumental performance and accounting. "It allows the orchestra to connect with the audience in a way that isn't normally possible. Plus, the creative energy that the lights, costumes and dancers contribute is absolutely invigorating." Robert Baldwin, director of the Philharmonia—whose costume is always kept secret until the show—will conduct the 95-member haunted orchestra along with graduate student conductors, who will also be wearing their Halloween best. "The thing I look forward to most is to see how the orchestra and the audience come dressed up...musicians are creative people, and this will allow (these) creative people to be creative," Baldwin said. Featured hair-raising music will include De Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance," Prokofiev's "Battle on the Ice" from 'Alexander Nevsky," Boccherini's "La Casa del Diavolo," Wendell's "Ride of the Headless Horseman" and Sondheim's "Ballad of Sweeney Todd." Dancers from the ballet department and singers from the Lyric Opera Ensemble will accompany some of the renowned pieces of music. "It's a fun and comfortable way to experience (classical music)," he said. "I mean, if you sit next to Frankenstein, what else could be more comfortable?" The Friday opening show starts at 7:30 p.m., and the Saturday matinee show starts at 2 p.m. They will both be held in the Libby Gardner Concert Hall. Tickets are $7 for general admission and $3 for students. j.rankin@chronicle.utah.edu `Scream and shout, let the poison out' at Tower's 'Rocky Horror' tribute Mitch Sears STAFF WRITER "Don't dream it. Be it," was the message first sung by a fish-netted Tim Curry 35 years ago, and it has been chanted by hordes of fans every year since. The message continues to ring true to hundreds of fans in Salt Lake City who attend the annual "Rocky Horror Picture Show" tribute held at the Tower Theatre by the local performance troupe The Latter-Day Transvestites. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the cult classic. With humble beginnings, this film has taken on a life of its own during the past few decades. This includes outrageous annual stage performances enacted all around the country every year. The film follows Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) after car trouble leads them to take refuge in a spooky castle. They are soon swept into the world of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Curry), a self-proclaimed "sweet transvestite, from transsexual Transylvania," hell-bent on bringing his creation—a muscle-bound, blonde- What: The Rocky Horror Picture Show Where: The Tower When: Oct. 28- Oct. 31 How much: $10 per ticket haired monster—to life. What follows is a spot-on tribute to sci-fi B movies, filled with sexual awakening and catchy musical numbers. The experience of the event varies, depending on people's familiarity with the show. For "virgins"— people who have never attended the stage show—the event is one of a kind. Fans in costume line up by the hundreds outside the theater. They can often be seen huddling for warmth because of Utah's cold Octobers, many dressed—both men and women—in little more than fishnets and corsets. "Tranny Packs" filled with playing cards, toast and other seemingly unrelated items are sold in line. After entering the theater, audience members take part in a tradition called the "virgin games." All first-timers are brought to the front of the theater and welcomed with catcalls and chants. A lucky few are pulled up on stage and take part in some hilarious games akin to a reality television show. The games are all in good fun and completely voluntary. "We don't force anyone to do anything they don't want to do," said Jen Ogle, director of the Latter-Day Transvestites. "If they don't do it, they'll go off stage and everyone will boo them, but we'll go right on with the show and it's no big deal." For the rest of the evening, the film is played on screen as the Latter-Day Transvestites perform in front of it while Susan Steffee, the emcee, adds her own local humor and comments to the festivities. "The jokes sort of write themselves," Steffee said, who has been part of the show for 23 years. "Here (in Salt Lake) there's all sorts of things you can make fun of." The event is a fully interactive affair, with audience members yelling out, throwing toast and getting hosed down by super-soakers. The Latter-Day Transvestites see themselves as a big family and love COURTESY RYAN FALL'S The performance group The Latter-Day Transvestites works to re-create the magic of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." the work they do. They all have day jobs and see the event as a release. "Dress up, come, let yourself go, relax, scream and shout, let the poison out," said Christy Ryan, performing as Columbia for the ninth year. "It's once a year. Nobody will judge you, and you can have fun." Performances are Thursday at io p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and midnight, and Sunday at io p.m. The preshow begins 3o minutes prior to showtime. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at the Tower Theatre box office. m.sears@chronicle.utah.edu For the, latest id° on arts events going on around the r and Salt take City, follow our Twitter account at twitfer.com/chrony. arts |