mcndcy cctcbcr 11,1976
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CyDcs7r3
lb started cut in Festus, Mo. Then he went across
state to Farmingdale, Mo. Ills next stop was Meridian,
libs. Finally he arrived in St Louis.
Ahhough this may sound like the route of a wayward
bus driver, it is actually the trail that fed Rick Lee from
status as just another radio personality to station manager
of what is considered to be one of the leading progressive
rock stations in the country.
That station is KSIIE in St. Louis. KSIIE is different
than most progressive radio stations in the United States.
Not only has KSIIE survived when other progressive
stations have died or gone to more commercial format,
but it has made money and increased its listener ship.
"It's not the good music that you play that builds up a
Iistenership, it's the bad music that you don't play. Four
or five tracks on every album are bad tracks. You have to
take the cream and emphasize that."
The difference between a typical rock music station
and a progressive rock station, lie said, is in treatment of
the listener.
One-to-one
"You have to talk to the listener on a one-to-one
baas," Lee said. "We call KSIIE 'Real Rock Radio." What
this means is real rock musk, presented to real people by
real people:" ?
Lee said he is concerned that progressive and hard rock
often are thought to be synonymous. Lee described the
progressive field as an outlet for musicians who don't
want to be swept away by the mainstream.
Another of Lee's concerns is the charge that progres
sive music has been deteriorating over the last few years.
"The music has softened, but it is not less progress
ive," he said.
Industry executives have claimed the progressive radio
format is not profitable. In the past several years progres
sive stations have dwindled in number.
Lee views this theory with disdain.
"I don't agree that progressive radio is dying. Progres
sive music is more alive today than ever. Just take a look
at this market and youll see. Our audience has never been
larger.
"It was the big corporation structure that decided the
progressive format was dead. However, this is reversing it
self. It is being found that not only is this a workable
format but an economically feasible format.
Lee said he is aware of ratings, but tries to ignore them
ia the programming at KSIIE
"We've had consistency as one. of our theories," he
sakl. Te haven't allowed fluctuating ratings to change
our course. We had a conviction that progressive music
could work and we didn't allow anything to get in the
way of making it work."
Another k!ea Lre and his colleasues at KSIIh said Kiev
X
Photo courtesy ot KSHE
KSIIE station manager Rick Lee: Music softer, net
less progressive.
Lead penoxni
By Carla Engstrom
A cast of shabby circus performers masked in white
face warms up on stage as the audience is seated. It is
hectic and believable backstage action. One expects to
hear the roar of an elephant echo in the Studio Theatre
production of Stop the WorU I Want to Get Off. which
premiered Friday night and runs through Oct. 16.
The plot is easy to understand. It develops into the
play within a play. You are led to believe they didn't
have a script or director. They have to improvise into
the main plot.
Unfortunately, the circus bit drags too long. After
awhile, you wonder if they really do have a script or if
the play consists of two hours of mediocre mine.
Finally, one male performer sees a woman holding-a.
Hay market offers
chance for artists
to display works
: The Haymarket Art Gallery gives artists an opportunity
to both show and sell their work, according to Joye
Dsklotz, whose works are being shown in the gallery's
Nebraska Heritage display.- - -
The "Heritage" show is the third and final part of the
Ilayrnsrket's bicentennial project, . which . continues
through Oct. 25.
The ideas for Daklatz's paintings were inspired by
research at the Nebraska Historical Society end the
Germaa-Ilrsin Sochty.she said.
Stan lsdzea, Ihymazkct career, said he is satisfied
with t'shoisr. -
A3 the works here were done by residents of ffehra
sla except seme jewthy done by As-ie Owens, who was
iesiiassetthst2sh8isat!awIwsaM. '
Dilferenx rr-sdinra bate been used ta express the
" fcsritse cf Nebraska, indsdhg reg hockizg, painting.
wrsrr3 that intertwines with a cow's shell and benes.
Thate also is a display cf Americas Indian Jewelry,
icd'zZZrz a scrhnshaw set in a bracelet. Saiadhaw, sn
art ssEssi practiced today, is a method of carving
futures ia wilras tusk, ivory or whekbone.
Ancihar unusual work at the drplay is an oil painty
ca a dried Indian fig leaf done by Ursa Gupta. Gupta
i3 a ccnsnercial artist by profession but. recently has
ccrrnitied her time to working on projects for her own
erpysssst and for display at the Haymarket.
Sie said she is impressed with the gallery because it
;vcs artis a good cutlat to display and sell their work.
baby. He gets the idea to mime a baby growing into a
man. The process goes fairly fast. The chorus sings an
obnoxious version of the ABC's in child-like voices to
symbolize his childhood. They repeat the song in mock
opera form to represent his graduation from high school.
Actktn fuzzy
The action is fuzzy until he grabs one circus girl and
she resists. He starts to take on a definite character when
he says in a perfect working-class English voice, "The
funny thing about women is: The ones you can get, you
don't want to know, and the ones you cant get . . ."
The circus girl dubs him littleChap (Jay Perry) and she
becomes Evie (Kathleen Morrow). Evie is a "real posh
bird," according to LittleChap. She speaks in the Queen's
English and does a convincing job of characterizing a girl
from finishing school. C
LittleChap decides the only way to get a girl like Evie
is to get rich. But ultimately he doesn't get her by being
rich. They end up married because LittleChap doesn't
follow the advice of his mother.
In the song, Wanna Be Rich, he sings, "Mother said
I should never play with the girlies in the woods or
they'd end up in the family way." Mother was rht.
The costumes of all the players are leotards and tights
modified with a rag skirt or pantaloons.
The stage in Sutdio Theatre consists of dark and btond
wood panels and three curtained entrances that lead to
a dowrMl platform. The set is designed by graduate stu
dent Sandy MoeHer.
Rex McGraww Theatre Dept. chairman, said, This de
sign represents the first creative masters of fine arts thesis
in the newly established Department of Theatre Arts."
AH four Studio productions will be performed within the
new set design this season. .
littkChap has two daughters, Susan (Dawn Cains)
and Jane (Debbie MiSer). lis proves to be a totally self
centered man who ignores both his daughters and his
wife, . - . .-
He concentrates on his business. He coves from teaboy
to executive. He travels and finds lovers erosad the world.
Lrcazs ilzyzl ly ITasEsw
A3 his brers are played by Harrow. He uses the same
line on each cf thza.
1 lore you and it's as thoch we were fated for each
ether.
The cas&s of borrow in a3 the lovers rcks Custrates
that in all littkChap's searching, he's looking for the
saxne'thins.
Morrow has a talent for accents. She portrays a con
vincing Russian and German girl. The way she interprets
her musical numbers are amusing and enjoyable. Yet, at
times she doesn't seem to be playing to LittkChap. She
just gives hini a stt, painted doll stare.
Perry's characterization of littkChap carries the show.
His stage presence can be classified as professional. And he
makes the show well worth seeing.
share is that they wi3 seek to be different.
"Most stations feel that if some other station is playing
a song, then they have to play it too. We are more discrim
inate," he said.
The quest for "the different- is what Lee sad is one of
the factors that produced a need for progressive radio.
Ve all grew out of the counterculture. I don't think
any of us ever escape that determination not to be part of
the majority Lee said. '
Namegrocpsfcal?
Another factor needed for a successful progressive
station is sponsoring name groups ia concert.
"The progressive station should do everything possible
to promote a healthy concert scene. When a group is
coming to town we work hard to expose that group," Lee
said.
Lee said KSHE exposes these groups in several ways,
the most common being on-the-air interviews with the
group members. These interviews are on the afternoon of
the concert-creating interest in the group, the concert
and the station, he said.
Though progressive formats have existed nearly 10
years, Lee said it has been in only the last three years that
advertisers have recognized the strength of the progressive
market.
Lee said this has occurred for two reasons. First, there
was a general recognition of the advertising value of
progressive markets. Secondly, the needs of the progres
sive listener are the same as other listeners.
With the increase in potential advertisers, KSHE
remains with the same amount of advertising it had when
its advertisers were scarce, Lee said.
"We turn down more advertising on the basis of
creativity than any other station in our market."
By 'creativity," Lee refered to the use of imagination
in commercials. KSHE also rejects commercials it believes
employe high-pressure tactics or that do not otherwise fit
into the "Real Rock. Radio" concept, he said.
Lee said he still recognizes the importance of advertis
ing revenue.
"We have never been anti-commercial, Lee said. "It's
unrealistic to think that listeners will send money to
support the station. We need money to do our thing."
ndouf ift:S
i'GD-1
is B n n n mm
Line world
The chorus appears unprofessional compared to Little
Chap. They detract from the main focus of the plot.
They have an obnoxious way of reminding you that they
are there. -Chorus
shines hi one number
Yet, they do come off well in the number, A'cg, Nag.
Nag. They interject three words, "nag, nag, nag," while
LittelChap and Evie are fighting and the daughters are
singing, "There's no place like home." The tension and
noise build until you wish they would stop the world.
At intervals, LittleChap yells, "Stop the World."
Action freezes and he steps aside like a Shakespearean
character to talk m- Jnoe. It gives the audience a
chance to examine just how w Ue his life is.
After conquering the bu. wld, LittkChap goes
into politics and ends up Lord LittleCiap of Sudgepool.
By material standards, he's got it made. But the tragic
part in his life is understood too late.
He discovers he has never been in love with anyone
but himself. He has isolated himself from true human
emotion, and he's ready to die an alienated and lonely
man.'
Jean Keifs ;p!ay
: CcSege life becomes situation comedy in the phry
FtShstg Taudkss at 8 pxa. Friday throsi Sunday at the
Lincoln Ccnrnurity rtayhouse.
The comedy was written by Jeaa Kerr, anther cf
l?zy. ZZy and fiocrRk&zd. -v,.
The plot focuses around cc&ss Prof. Jeff Cooper, ha
wife Katy, and thalr feres sons (ess a Ilirrard sanicrX
The love Irt has dinsned ca the Cooper isarrle and
Jeff finds hinrsslf admirh a fasale stsdant h fck poetry
seminar.
Katy.find5 herself susceptive to ths attentions cf a
bachelor professor who rents the Cooper's rarese apart
ment. . Ths F3t thickens as their Harvard soa arrives hems for
the weekend with a house guest in tow. The rcsest hap
pens to be a luscious actress.
With that jplot, the stas is fertile for comedy.
Fortunately, the ressdfcn crises are resolved with all the
ski3, taste and perceptive humor that have become the
trademarks of Kerr's comic talents.
The .playhouse cast includes UNL student Amy
Thelander, with Rod McCuHough, Sharon Gearin Chris
Van Groningen, Alan Fenn, Jack WenstrandDruce
Elocher and Robin Bates.