page 8 daily nebraskan friday, february 27, 1981
Monster' jazz artist Ross to perform at UNL
By Sioux Braun
If you'd like to see a "very aggressive" musician who
plays "hard be-bop" jazz and is a "monster" on sax, John
Kirsch suggests you go to Kimball Hall Saturday night and
check out Dr. George Ross, guest artist with the UNL
jazz ensemble.
Director Kirsch is excited about his reunion with
Ross, an ex-schoolmate from the Lastman School of
Music. And he's anxious lor his band members to work
with Ross.
"I've seen him do it before," said Kirsch. "lie has
electrified a lot of people out of Last man. He's just a
clown and a great entertainer."
Ross also has been acknowledged by the Notre Dame
Jazz festival, winning the Outstanding Instrumentalist
award at the festival in 1 c75 .
Ross said he grew up w ith the sound of be-bop and has
developed a passion for playing it.
Professor at Maryland
Me is the coordinator of jazz studies, director of jazz
bands, and assistant professor of music at the University
of Maryland.
As a jazz saxist, he has played with Hubert Laws, Thad
Jones, Sonny Stitt, and Ron Carter. He earned his doctor
ate degree from Lastman in music education, with an
emphasis on bassoon. He also has performed with the New
York Philharmonic and other orchestras.
Saturday night, Ross and the UNL jazz ensemble will
deliver several arrangements composed by Ross, including
one of his favorites, "Reflections in Lbony."
The composition supplies several moods that anyone
can identify with, according to the composer.
"The first movement is slow and plaintive and develops
to a fast tempo like a rocket trip," said Ross.
It's his pride and joy because "the audience appeal has
always proven to be supportive."
" The band has a lot of interplay with the soloist. It's
like a conversation. And it's that interaction that com
mands the good reception," he said.
"Lbony" is also responsible for Ross earning the Best
Big Band Composition and Arrangement Award at the
Notre Dame Festival.
Improved jazz programs
Since that competition in 1975, Ross has been travel
ing around the nation hosting clinics and performing with
students. From his touring circuit he has noticed that
jazz studies programs have increased in many of the
colleges and universities and have reached a high level of
accomplishment.
"Bands are playing more difficult compositions and
playing with wonderful time and feeling. This may be due
to the fact that there are better teachers at the college
level who can play as well as teach jazz," he observed.
Kirsch's efforts continue to bring guest jazz artists to
UNL. After a few unsuccessful guest appearances by jazz,
artists, the students in the Symphonia Scholarship pro
gram relinquished their support for visiting jazz, musicians.
The music department furnishes no financial support
for these concerts, so Kitsch ai.-l the jazz bands have had
to get their own funds to accommodate guest performers
for the last two years.
Kirsch said guest appearances are beneficial for all stu
dents. "It is a goal for most music students to play with some
one really good. It's putting the musicians in a real situa
tion, because once they start playing professionally, the
musicians will have to adjust quickly to all levels of musi
cianship," said Kirsch.
Door receipts from Saturday night's concert wiil pay
for the artist's expenses and possibly help the jazz, en
semble get the necessary finances to compete in the
Wichita Jazz Festival this spring. Tickets will be $2.50
at the door.
Charlie Brown finds Union grief is not so good
There was tension in the air at the International Ani
mated Characters Union Local 228 meeting, as the love
able Peanuts gang tried to initiate a strike vote. Charlie
Brown, chairman of the local union chapter, took the
floor to speak lor the pro-strike (action.
dark
"Lidies and gentlemen of this benevolent union,"
began the chubby little spokesman, "we're at the end of
our rope."
"(iood grief, he sure gives a pompous speech," whis
pered Linus in the audience.
"If I had my blanket right now, I'd throw it over my
head."
Charlie Brown continued speaking through the intrus
ion, saying, "As you know, the unemployment rate
among animated characters is increasing every year. The
secretary of our local informs me that some of you are
so strapped for money that you've been unable to scrape
up the bucks for our modest monthly dues."
"So what are you going to do about it?" came a shout
from the audience. It was Sehroeder.
"With the voting approval of this union, we will
strike, and the strike will begin at midnight after the
show mg ol She's a (iood Skate, Charlie Brown. "
A clamor if discussion arose from the crowd, until
finally Peppermint Patty stood and said. "Hey.
Chuck. I don't think that's the proper time to strike.
I mean, it's the first starring role I've ever had in a Peanuts
special. . ."
Future security
"I can understand your concern," said Charlie Brown,
"but you stand to benefit as much from this strike as any
body." Antiques sale set
for March 13-15
The 4th annual Lincoln, Nebraska Area World Wide
Antiques Show & Sale will be "one of the nation's finest,"
manager Van D. Crowson announced Thursday.
The 4th Annual Show & Sale will be held March 13
15 at the lower level of Pershing Municipal Auditorium
Exhibition Hall.
Displaying merchandise in almost every antiques cat
egory will be more than 40 exhibitors from 10 states,
including Nebraska.
Included will be displays of art glass, cut glass, ster
ling silver and silverware, china, jewelry, music boxes,
porcelain, food molds, and french cameo glass, in addition
to outstanding antique furniture from all periods and
styles.
"We're pleased to have so many fine exhibitors for this
show,' said Crowson. "Both beginning and long-time
collectors can learn something from our show."
"How so?" said Peppermint Patty.
"Because right now you are a star, but what about five
years from now? We are in this to attain a little job sec
urity for everyone in the Peanuts gang, and for animated
characters everywhere. Just look what has happened in
the last five years. In 170, we were doing a couple of
special a year; real quality stuff, with a big holiday view
ing audience. Then look at the show last night. Sehroeder
didn't even get cast. Lucy and Linus got on tor about 10
seconds in a crowd scene; they might as well have been at
a celebrity tennis tournament for all the air time they got.
Sally and Pigpen didn't even make the auditions. I was
only in one scene, and my name was in the title!
"We have checked out the animated characters who
performed in She's a (iood Skate, Charlie Brown, and
except for Snoopy and Peppermint Patty, and the brief
aforementioned appearances by some of us here, those
were all non-union animated characters. I see this as a
blatent attempt to kill the union.
"Okay, Chuck, I see your point. I'm all for the strike.
but what demands are we going to make?" said Pepper
mint Patty.
Charlie's list
"I have prepared a list." said Charlie Brown. He read
from the list. ""Point one. The union considers the use of
non-union characters illegal, and will take legal action it
this practice continues. Point two. The union will return
to work only if we arc allowed to appear in at least one
new special every year, and that such specials will make
speaking roles available for at least five members of the
union. Point three. That the following animated charac
ters Charlie Brown, Lucy Van Pelt, Linus Van Pelt,
Sehroeder, Pigpen and Peppermint Patty will be allowed
to matriculate through elementary school, as we feel
that the burden of trying to look like elementary school
children is unfair and unnecessary.
"Well, there's the list of demands. What's your vote,
ladies and gentlemen?"
The voices spoke in unison at the union hall. "We're
striking, Charlie Brown!"
Play depicts Whitman's beauty
By Penelope Smith
The people involved in the University Theatre
Lxperimental season's presentation of A Whitman
Portrait say they are intent on presenting the rejuven
ating joy of one of America's greatest poets.
A Whitman Portrait is a recreation of Walt Whit
man's life and times by four actors who portray the
poet and people affected by him.
Tom Mitchell, director of .1 Whitman Portrait.
and Willy Wood, who will portray Whitman, spoke
of their approach and perceptions of the production.
As an undergraduate, Mitchell had done research
on Whitman and had dreamed some day of writing a
play about him, he said . .1 Whitman Portrait more than
amply filled his desire and also his budget. The play has
a small cast and didn't require a lot of what Mitchell
calls "technical gimmicks" to make it work.
Without the gimmicks, though, the play required a
great deal more time, attention and craftsmanship, not
only because of its total reliance on the actors to re
tain the attention of the audience, but also because of
the play's format itself.
"It's not a plot line play and it doesn't have a lot of
drama so the rehearsal process has been pretty long,"
Mitchell explained. "It's a hard script.
"A Whitman Portrait could be presentational
readers theater, but we've chosen to give it plot, we
want to explore the effect Whitman's ideas had on real
people. Each member of the cast has created a specific
character and we've worked on real relationships so
that something is happening on stage."
According to Mitchell, A Whitman Portrait has in
volved a great deal of cast collaboration and exchange
as to how various aspects of Whitman should be
approached.
"For example, because some of the words are
archaic," Mitchell explained, "we've spent a lot of time
understanding what we want to say and how we can
act it out, demonstrate it to the audience so they
understand."
After having worked with the play and Whitman's
work, Mitchell thinks the audience will see the simpli
city of what they were trying to convey and the beauty
that was Whitman himself.
"Whitman had gentleness, the ideal quality in a
man. He talks about the glory of sensuality, being with
women, being with men, both glorious. I think the
meaning of the whole play is simple: each individual is
important, love between individuals is the important
thing."
Willie Wood, a senior theater major, also is affected
by Whitman and dedicated to portraying him. His dedi
cation is apparent when one discovers that he spends
22 hours a week on one hour of credit.
Wood said he has not done outside preparation for
the role but has preferred to approach it in a different
manner. He compares himself to John Hurt among
others.
"For The J lephant Man, Hurt was sent reams of
paper but he didn't read a bit of it, he let the script
affect him." Wood said. "The script for A Whitman
Portrait and history mesh beautifully together, it's
all in there.
"The play and Whitman are speaking to us now in
the 80s. It's like John Lennon's song "Clean Up Time."
Whitman said that from the beginning: clean it up and
care. In the rehearsals it is like exorcising all the terrors
we see during the day, in three hours we're rvital
ized." A Whitman Portrait continues tonight and
tomorrow at Wesley House at 8 p.m. Tickets are SI in
advance and S2 at the door for students
