Good reviews for "The Magdalene" as it opens Off Broadway

Lindsie Van Winkle (left) plays The Magdalene and Shad Olsen is Yeshua in "The Magdalene"

The Casper Star-Tribune today wrapped up its five-part series by Margaret Matray called "Making It," which follows Casper College theatre professor Jim Olm in his quest to produce his show "The Magdalene" Off Broadway. Wyomingarts hates to ruin the suspense, but the show did open and has received favorable reviews. Its continued run into September depends on ticket sales, so if you're heading to Broadway to see blockbusters such as "Spider Man" and "Book of Mormon," take the four-block walk to the Theatre of St. Clements at West 46th Street and see "The Magdalene." 

The CST series dug deep into the amount of dedication and work it takes to put on a play. Very instructional for any aspiring playwright or actor or director. 

In Cheyenne tonight: "The Music of Star Wars"

From the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

Toby Rush is set to give his "The Music of Star Wars" presentation, a hit on the UNC campus, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Highlands Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne. By all accounts, prepare to come away with a new appreciation for "Star Wars." 

"But this isn't a straight-laced academic, hoity-toity, bow-tie presentation," Rush said. "We have a tremendous amount of fun. We have a lot of laughs. A lot of it is just enjoying some of the great scenes and the music from those films."

"Star Wars": Behind the music behind the movies - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

On the road with the Monk and Moby Grape

When the idea came up for me to come to California and tag along as a possible back-up singer in M.L. Liebler and Peter Lewis's poetry and music act, I thought it was just a passing product of the time when you all meet for the first time and everybody's high on the positivity of whatever event that brings you all together. (M.L. and Peter came for Wyoming Poetry Out Loud at the end of February of this year.) So I really never thought that it would happen. Then Peter called me and asked me if I was still coming. "Absolutely," I decided at that moment.

You might want to get your broom and dustpan out now so you can sweep up all the names I'll be dropping here. It's the world that these guys travel in. All very nice folks, working hard at their craft. And a note on the visuals--they aren't great.

This past long weekend was my trip to Hollywood. ML picked me up at the airport after having spent all Thursday afternoon practicing with Peter and the band out in Venice. They had three gigs scheduled, one each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and the performance in Venice at Beyond Baroque in the theatre would be the first.

Capitol Records Building

On Friday morning, M.L. and I went to Redondo Beach for a 2-mile fast walk. He warned me. I kept up, but he definitely won. He then took me on a mini Hollywood tour; first past the  Capitol Records building. Then past movie and television stars homes -- Ozzie and Harriet's, Lucille Ball's, Jack Benny's and Agnes Moorehead's. I took a photo of the Nelson's house, the front door of which was used in the opening shot of the TV show when the family would come out and stand during the opening credits.



Nelson's home

We drove past Book Soup, the famous independent book seller. M.L. was there for Chris Lemmon's (Jack Lemmon's son) book signing, where he sat next to Jack Klugman. There's where The Morrissey's have an apartment. There's the hotel (now an apartment house) where Janis Joplin died. Down this street is where Sal Mineo was stabbed to death. There's Whiskey a Go Go. The Roxy. Past Doheny Drive. Laurel Canyon. Stone Canyon Road, where Ricky Nelson lived and the band's name came from. Peter and Ricky were good friends. There's a song titled "Between Clark and Hillsdale." M.L. has this classic album. We drove by Pink's, the famous hot dog stand where many of the stars eat. There was a big line. M.L. had a dog there the day before. "Sometimes the line is all the was down the block," he said.

That afternoon, the boys wanted to have another short practice session and so I met Tony, at whose house they were practicing. Tony and Peter became friends when Tony was doing a documentary on Moby Grape, which is yet to be released. I also met Bill Bentley, drummer (VP of Vanguard Records; there isn't anybody in the music business who doesn't know Bill, and vice versa), who put on some nice brush work. M.L. and I took off to get ready for the gig.

Beyond Baroque is THE literary and arts center in L.A., and one of the leading poetry centers in the U.S. There are a few other centers around the country that also reach this realm -- Poetry Center in San Francisco; St. Mark's Poetry Project in New York City; Poetry Flash in Berkeley. The black box style theatre seats 70 and is, as you'd expect, intimate. M.L. and Peter were brought in under Baroque's new Beyond Music (scroll down to read more) series.

Poster in Beyond Baroques's
window

That evening I met Joyce Jenkins, editor and publisher of Poetry Flash. She came to California from Detroit in the 1970s to do the hippie and literary thing and ended up staying. I also met her daughter Claire, who is a visual artist. Claire and I had a terrific conversation about the weird kind of isolationism of L.A. and the famous Hollywood sign that LAers inevitably try to inventively climb up to (artistically and financially), but who are all living under it's seemingly significant cultural shadow.

The Friday gig went well. Joyce began the program with readings of poems that she'd written about Detroit, "in a California state of mind." A poem to her friend who passed away, "Robin's Song," was poignant and heartbreaking. The full band sounded great. Joining the band was Willie Aaron, guitarist and producer for Leonard Cohen, and Willie's longtime friend from childhood, Dave Sawyer on bass. M.L.'s and Peter's current repertoire usually includes works such as, "The Road," a tribute to Jack Kerouac; "Louisiana," "Jesus Gonna Be Here," "London," (poem by William Blake); "It's Late," a Ricky Nelson tribute; " and "Monkey Man," by The Rolling Stones.

M.L. picked me up on Saturday morning. We made a trip to Amoeba, that bills itself as the "World's Largest Independent Record Store," and carries vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and all kinds of rock memorabilia. What a store! We could have spent hours there. M.L. has on other occasions, but that morning, he was scheduled for an interview with Rattle Magazine. I met Editor-In-Chief Alan C. Fox, who greeted us at the front door and escorted us to his offices; editor Tim Green, and Daveen, Alan's wife and board member. The interview, which Alan thought turned out as one of their best, will be in the December issue.

We reached Peter's and we all dressed up for the gig in San Luis Obispo. Peter put on his tuxedo shirt painted with bunches of purple grapes down the placket and on the back tail. It was given to him by a movie star, whose name escapes me at the moment, but you'd know her if I dropped it here.

The drive wasn't far. San Luis is a quaint little town with a European-feel downtown area; it is one of California's oldest communities. There are many historical buildings there. The coffee shop where we'd be playing wasn't busy at all, maybe three people in the back room wheree the stage area was; the person who was supposed to greet us wasn't there. After a couple of songs, for which we received absolutely no notice, it was decided that we'd go to Pismo Beach and have some dinner. We sat out on the heated patio and had wine, big bowls of clam chowder, crab cakes and calamari. It was relaxing, something that it seemed like we hadn't had time for since I'd arrived. When we returned to Peter's he put in the so far unreleased CD recording of Moby Grape members Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson and Peter, Skip Spence's son, Omar, and John Mellencamp's rhythm section, of Grape classics and newer songs. Omar is a terrific rock vocalist. The music moves from rock to Peter's more gentle folk rock songs, and  songs in between.

Peter also let me listen to a couple of new songs that he's composed for a new solo CD. They were surprising in that he moved away from his beautifully gentle melodies and rocked out on these, but they sounded terrific -- relevant and contemporary, but with that history of having authored "brilliant masterpiece songs," brought forward to this point in time. Peter is really such a talented musician and song writer, in that league of people who have been creating in their discipline and have not only the technical discipline and background but the quick discernment about their work and others' work they encounter -- what it might need to make it better or more complete. And as many accomplished artists can, he works very quickly. He does all of his recording work on a Roland Boss digital device, and puts on all the tracks himself -- lead guitar, rhythm, lead vocals, harmony, bass and drums. His studio is minimalist, effecient and effective: a desk on which sits the recording machine, a pair of headphones, a pair of small speakers, a single mic on a stand, and a stool. Peter has been an inspiration to me, as he is to many.

On Sunday, we had to get up to Berkeley for the performance which would be a fund raiser for Poetry Flash at the Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Theatre (scroll down on home page under June events, and read about this event at Sunday 06/26/11). M.L. and Peter were up second. I joined them for a couple of songs, playing my ukelele, strumming on one song, playing "uke drum" on the next, because I didn't know all the chords to that one yet. Poets read -- Susan Browne, Raymond Nat Turner, and David Meltzer, an icon of the Beat generation poets and the San Francisco Renaissance. He and his wife Julie Rogers read together and then David closed the show by reading "When I Was a Poet" (City Lights, 2011), also the title of his most recent publication of  collected works. We stood when he was done with that one. Whew! We had a great time.

M.L. and I had to leave early on Monday, and so didn't get to say goodbye to Peter, he was still sleeping. We were very late getting home, and had to leave by 9 a.m. to get back in time return the rental car and miss any delays at the airport security checkpoints. But, we did get back to LA in time to go to Pink's and have a dog. We pulled at a most opportune moment. There were only a few people in line; we were served quickly.

ML in front of Pink's

M.L. was on a different airline than I, and his plane was leaving before mine, so we said our goodbye's on the rental car shuttle. He really took terrifically great care of me.

M.L. is off to Israel in a couple of weeks to teach a class sponsored by the State Department. He's been doing an American Studies program since about 2006. As all things do, the classes have evolved from teaching creative writing to teaching classes in American Studies -- The Beach Boys, African-American experience, Native Americans.

Watch for a further article focused more on M.L.'s and Peter's collaborative relationship. They will soon be releasing a CD of ten songs based on M.L.'s poetry that Peter has put to music. If my instincts are on, it will be worth adding this to your music library.

--Linda Coatney

In Minot, the show will go on once flood waters recede

Photo by Eloise Ogden, Minot Daily News

Have to hand it to Cheyenne's unofficial sister city, Minot, N.D. (Minot has missiles too).

The rain and decidedly un-summerlike weather has put a serious crimp in the Arts in the Parks summer concert series, but organizers hope to resume the Oak Park performances as soon as is practical. 

Read about it at Arts in the Parks on hold from MinotDailyNews.com

The show must go on, and it will, as soon as the Souris River recedes and patrons don't need boats to attend concerts.

There are many ways to support Minot's hardy people and its lively arts scene. There is the very active Minot Area Council of the Arts. Many of the city's arts venues will need restoration. That takes money, which always is in short supply in the non-profit arts world. Also see the complete list of community and government resources at http://www.minotdailynews.com/. Donations to the American Red Cross can be designated for a particular need. Go here. 

Casper College board of trustees names theatre for Tom Empey

On Wednesday, Casper College trustee Bill Hambrick spoke in favor of renaming the college’s Black Box Theatre for former theater director Tom Empey. Empey is a former board chair of the Wyoming Arts Council.

The Casper College board names buildings after people who have given “distinguished service” or substantial monetary gifts, according to a new policy approved by the board last year. 

Empey created the college’s theater department and taught for 31 years at the college. The board unanimously approved the naming. 

“The theater is not just recognized in this area — it’s recognized regionally, and Tom is responsible for so much of that,” Hambrick said.

Read the Casper Star-Tribune article here: Casper College's black box theatre named in honor of Tom Empey

"Murder Rides Again... in Jackson Hole" opens June 22

Jackson Community Theater presents "Murder Rides Again....in Jackson Hole," a wacky wild west murder mystery Dessert Theater show for the whole family. 

Discover how the West was fun!

Shows are June 22, 23, 24 at the Elks Lodge, 7:30 pm. Tickets available at Valley Books and at the door.

Call 307-733-7925 for more information. 

Micah Wyatt on stage at the Oasis Lounge June 3

Musician Micah Wyatt will perform on Friday, June 3, 6 p.m., at the newly reopened Oasis Lounge at the Holiday Inn, 1809 Sugarland Drive, Sheridan.

Musician Micah Wyatt will perform on Friday, June 3, 6 p.m., at the newly reopened Oasis Lounge at the Holiday Inn, 1809 Sugarland Drive, Sheridan. 

Amazing Arthur on stage June 25 at NIC Fest

Self-proclaimed “professional showoff” and “comedy superhero” Arthur Fratelli – who’s also known as The Amazing Arthur – will be one of the featured Family Area performers for NIC Fest 2011. On Saturday, June 25, Arthur will be showing off his talents at the Natrona County Public Library at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. He will take to the NIC Fest Family Area Stage on Sunday, June 25, at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. As a professional family entertainer, Fratelli travels the country performing a unique blend of magic, juggling, yoyo tricks and comedy.  Fratelli has more than 12 years of full-time stage experience, and is constantly refining his act. He is also a former elementary school teacher and a past student in the prestigious Second City comedy school in Chicago. For more information about The Amazing Arthur, visit www.theamazingarthur.com.

Washakie Museum in Worland receives $10,000 grant from National Endowment for the Arts

Washakie Museum and Cultural Center. Photo by David Huber

The Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland is the recipient of a $10,000 Access to Artistic Excellence grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

According to a May 17 NEA press release, the grant will “support a series of visual and performing arts presentations. Project activities will include traveling exhibitions of Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers; American Legacy: Our National Parks, On Location with the Plein-Air Painters of America; Montana Repertory Theatre's performance of Doubt; and a music performance by mezzo-soprano Lindsay Craft with the Museum Singers Choir.”

FMI: www.washakiemuseum.org

UW Happy Jacks on concert tour through 5/21/11

UW Happy Jacks, a cappella group

5.16.11, 7:00 p.m., Newcastle HS Auditorium, free

5.17.11, 7:00 p.m., Rapid City Central HS Theatre, Rapid City, S.D., free

5.18.11, 6:30 p.m., Tongue River HS Auditorium, free

5.19.11, 3:00 p.m., Campbell Co. Senior Ctr., Gillette, free
5.20.11, 7:00 p.m., Big Horn HS Auditorium, free

5.21.11, 7:30 p.m., Kelly Walsh HS Auditorium, Casper, ticked by ArtCore

UW Fine Arts Building enters next phase of renovation

From a UW press release:


Additions to and renovations of the University of Wyoming Fine Arts Building will move forward following Friday's selection of an architect/engineering firm for the project, the second phase of improvements to UW fine arts facilities. UW's Board of Trustees on Friday selected Tobin Associates P.C./Hammel, Green & Abrahamson of Cheyenne and Minneapolis, Minn., as the project's architect and engineer. A silver equivalent LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating, with alternative energy and systems approaches to sustainability, will be a requirement of the facility design and construction. Portions of the Fine Arts Building will be vacated by the Department of Art upon completion of the first phase, the Visual Arts Building expected to be completed late this fall. The Performing Arts project may include approximately 50,000 gross square feet of new construction and renovation of portions of the existing building of approximately 120,000 gross square feet. The improvements to the building will include: Personnel and faculty offices; office support such as work rooms, reception, conference/seminar rooms, lounges and storage rooms; teaching laboratory/studios such as music, music rehearsal, acting and dance; and performance spaces such as concert halls and theatres. The funding is available through a 2011 appropriation to complete the design and construction documents to obtain a guaranteed-maximum price to present to the 2012 Wyoming State Legislature to construct and equip the Performing Arts addition and renovate the Fine Arts Building, says Douglas H. Vinzant, the university's vice president for administration.

Ensemble entertainment with George & Kristi Armijo May 15 at Casper College

“Ensemble Entertainment with the Armijos” on Sunday, May 15, 4 p.m., in Durham Hall, Aley Fine Arts Center, Casper College in Casper.

George and Kristi Armijo are active members of Casper’s musical community. Both sing with the Casper Civic Chorale and are members of the Casper Recorder Consort. George is a freelance trumpet player in the Casper area and has performed with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Beach Civic Symphony, Augusta, GA Symphony Orchestra, Armed Forces School of Music Bands, Casper Municipal Band and Casper College organizations. Both Armijos are graduates of the University of Wyoming in Music Education. George has done graduate work in music at the University of Northern Colorado, University of Wyoming and George Washington University. Kristi has a MA in Curriculum and Development from National Louis University .For more info and tickets, go to http://www.artcorewy.com/event.php?id=218

Ensembles and soloists take the stage May 5 at Casper College

A concert consisting of small ensembles and soloists will take place on Thursday, May 5 beginning at 7 p.m. in Durham Recital Hall at Casper College in Casper.

The concert will feature the Casper College Brass Ensemble under the direction of Douglas Bull, brass instructor, and the Casper College Flute Ensemble under the direction of Delores Thornton, adjunct flute instructor.

In addition to the ensembles, the concert will feature brass duets, flute duets, a flute solo, a scene from an opera, and others to be announced at the concert.

Durham Recital Hall is located in the Aley Fine Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public.

Follow Casper College events on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/caspercollegeadmissions 

Casper College Chamber Orchestra performs Mozart May 1 at St. Mark's

Mozart’s “Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Major and his composition “Vesperae de Dominica,” will be the highlights of the 2011 Music of the Masters Concert featuring the Casper College choirs, the Casper College Chamber Orchestra and soloists Jerome Fleg, Gary DePaolo, and Douglas Bull on Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m.

The concert will begin with a performance of Mozart’s “Concerto” featuring Fleg on clarinet, followed by “Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in G Major” by George Phillip Telemann featuring DePaolo on viola, and ending with “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra” by Johann Nepomuk Hummel featuring Bull on trumpet.

The second half of the concert the Casper College Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir, and Collegiate Chorale will perform Mozart’s “Vesperae.”

The chamber orchestra is under the direction of Jennifer Cowell, Casper College strings and orchestra instructor, while the choirs are under the direction of Patrick Patton, Casper College voice and choir instructor.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church located on the corners of 7th and Wolcott streets in Casper. A free-will offering will be accepted at the door. Proceeds will go to help defray the costs of music-related events.

FMI: Lisa S. Icenogle, Information Coordinator, Casper College, 800-442-2963, ext. 2372

WAC offers summer professional development courses

The Wyoming Arts Council is offering several professional development opportunities in the arts this summer. All of these classes offer opportunities to learn and hone arts skills, and get credit towards re-certification or lane changes! Classes are open to anyone interested. Please click on the links to learn more about them:

Beginning Glass, Riverton, June 13-15 
Advanced Fused & Slumped Glass, Riverton, June 19-24 
Theatre Intensive, Casper, July 24-29 
Vocal Jazz Camp, Douglas, July 25-27 

WhatFest fund-raiser April 23 in Laramie

This is a fund-raiser event for WhatFest this summer! Come down Front Street Tavern (Sweet Melissa's) in Laramie for good times, good people, and good music with John Kirlin and the High Plains Drifters, J. Shogren and Guests, Jeff Duloz and Niles Mischke, Shotgun Shogun, and Patrick Harrington.

Postmark deadline April 25 for performing arts fellowships

Monday, April 25, is the postmark deadline for the Wyoming Arts Council performing arts fellowships in music composition.

This competition is open to Wyoming performing artists only.

Find a printable application at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/Artists/Performing.aspx

Call Michael Shay at the WAC at 307-777-5234 if you have any questions.

Terry Gunderson leads the Casper College Percussion Ensemble one more time

Terry Gunderson, Casper College percussionist instructor, will lead the Casper College Percussion Ensemble for the final time on Thursday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Durham Recital Hall.

Gunderson, a member of the Casper College Music Department for the last 33 years, will be leaving the college to join his wife, Patty, in her new career as an architectural engineer in Washington, D.C.

"The concert will feature the music department's remarkably talented students playing works that form a retrospective of my years here including a composition I recently completed as a final number for the ensemble, The End of the Beginning, to celebrate my final years here," said Gunderson.

Pieces will include Warsaw 1939, the percussion sextet that opened the first concert he directed at Casper College in 1978; Fancy That, a "charming jazz number" the ensemble hasn't played since the 1980s, featuring Matt Greenlee on vibraphone. And, as promised at last year's concert, the group will perform Khatchaturian's Sabre Dance, featuring Rob Benson on xylophone.

Rhythm Net, one of many works Gunderson has composed for his students over the years, and performed by the Peruvian group Takaq, can be viewed by visiting www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwQLLqOk0aY

The concert is free and open to all. Durham Recital Hall is located in the Aley Fine Arts Center on the Casper College campus.

In Memoriam: Locke Hamilton

Locke Hamilton (photo by Earl Sampson)

It is with sadness that the Wyoming Arts Council notes the passing of musician Locke Hamilton of Dubois. Audiences throughout Wyoming and the West know her as a member of Prickly Pair & the Cactus Chorale. The group has been on the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster for many years. Here is the notice about Locke's death as it appeared on the Davis Funeral Home web site:

Locke Hamilton died at her home in Dubois on April 7, 2011. She was 58.

Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held this summer.

Locke Hamilton was born June 16, 1952 in Philadelphia, Pa. to Joseph and Charlton Corson.

She married Les Hamilton on Dec. 31, 1996, in Lander, Wyo.

Mrs. Hamilton was a world class equestrian trainer and competitor.

She performed with her husband, Les, and Norman Winter as the Prickly Pair and the Cactus Chorale. Musical achievements include winning the Western Music Association’s Marilyn Tuttle Best of the Best 2009 Harmony Award and the 2010 Award for Best Traditional Album by a Duo or Group for their album “Romance With the Range.” Six of the trio’s eight albums charted nationally on Americana Folk Radio and were rated in the top 10 for well over a decade in the Western Music genre.

She also won the Christian Music Association’s Album of the Year award for her mid 90s release “God’s Country.”

Her family said her whole life was music and horses.

She is survived by her husband Leslie Hamilton of Dubois; daughter Tara Golliher of Dubois; her father, Dr. Joseph Corson of Pa.; brother Bill Corson and sister Dr. Ann Corson, both of Pa.; stepson Shad Hamilton and his wife Amanda and their children of Lander; stepdaughter Hope Hamilton of Va.; close friend and band member Norman Winter of Dubois.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Charlton Corson, and brother Ted Corson, both of Pa.

Memorial donations to help offset medical costs may be made to Les Hamilton, 605 East Fork Road, Dubois, WY 82513.

Piatigorsky Foundation tours begin today in Wyoming

Raquela Sheeran

Soprano Raquela Sheeran and pianist Efi Hackmey launch their Piatigorsky Foundation tour of the east side of Wyoming with a concert at the Sundance High School Auditorium at 7 p.m. this evening. Free and open to the public. For full tour schedule, go to http://www.piatigorskyfoundation.org/onetour.cfm?tour=10404

Evan Drachman

Meanwhile, of the west side of the state, the Piatigorsky Foundation presents cellist Evan Drachman and pianist Jeffrey Grossman at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Trinity Lutheran Church in Evanston. For full tour schedule, go to http://www.piatigorskyfoundation.org/onetour.cfm?tour=10403

Both tours are sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Piatigorsky Foundation and Muriel and Seymour Thickman of Sheridan.

FMI: Call the WAC at 307-777-7742.