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Pago 10
Daily Nebraskan
Monday, November 14, 1033
Lionel Richie show an u iGtown xlaszler
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Stafl photo by Craig Andrt 8n
Lionel Eichis oa stags Saturday rdfct: "Class."
By Ward W. Triplett III j
Class. For lack of a better word, that's the best way
to describe what Lionel Richie showed to a packed
Bob Devaney Sports Center audience Saturday
nignt.
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i
- j Review
The Richie show, part of his first major tour with
out the Commodores, was simply a class perfor
mance from beginning to end. It flowed smoothly
regardless of whether Richie was sinking, making
fun of Michael Jackson, pr mocking the 67-13
Dance troupe's grace
matched by j versatility
.- Review by Vicki Grosssntacher
Kimball Hall was nearly full Friday evening as the
Ohio Ballet presented a combination of romantic
ballet and modern dance, i -
Pianist David Fisher's talent was evident through
his accompaniment of "Allegro Brillante" and
"Scenes from Childhood." Charles Avison and Peter .
Tchaikovsky's recordings seemed live as they accom
panied "Dance Suite" and th' final number, "Reflec
tions." The lighting by Thorns li SI;elten was subtle"
.' and .effective'
Nebraska football victory. Richie made it seem so
easy, and perhaps that's the only way it could have
been after 15 years of concert experience. Richie
was a treat the 14,000 people in attendance won't
soon forget
First, Richie's stage was set up as uniquely as they
come. The stage had eight different platforms, one
for each band member. The middle supported a
silver piano, which replaced the white grand Richie
used while touring with the Commodores. And some
of the best studio musicians in the business today
were hired to 'replace' The Commodores. Each per
formed as if the stage had been a second life for
them all these years. Guitarists Gary Jones and Car1
los Rios each helped out on Richie's latest album,
Cant Slow Down, drummer Jerry Brown, bassist
Henry Davis and keyboardist Randy Sterns also per
formed admirably, while percussionist Sheila Esca
vedo worked on Quincy Jones' The Dude album.
Finally synthesizer-keyboardist Greg Fhl!l2r.gc3,
who helped Richie out on vocals, did the bulk of
keyboard work for Michael Jackson's Off the Wall
and Thriller albums, as well as Vie Dude and sev
eral Brothers Johnson records.
At the beginning of the show, the spotlights
focused on the piano, as the solo portion of "Truly"
was heard above the first of many roars from the
. crowd. The piano's platform then slowly revolved to
show the instrument was playing itself, and Richie
emerged from the back of the open stage to sing the
last part of his first solo hit.
From there, Richie mixed speeches praising the
Commodores, the Husker victory ("What kind of
football team wins a game 6743?"), and how his
show would be between "Sail On," "Easy" and "Brick
house" from the Commodores days.
Richie didn't sing "Brickhouse" while he was with
that group; Walter Orange-sang it, while Richie
played saxophone. It was the first big show-stopper,
S3 Damito Jo Freeman, one of the orignal "Soul
Train" dancers and until recently a featured actress
on television's "Private Benjamin," came from the
back of the crowd to dance with the band on stags.
After the song was done, Richie turned comedian
for a few minutes. After mocking the slow, back-wards-walk
dance step Jackson has perfected and
Freeman performed, Richie claimed to have taught
Jackson every dance step he knows.
Richie then continued his familiar, songs-only
show, with "You and Me," "You Are" and "My Love"
before taking a break and leaving the stage to his
.band members, who traded solos throughout short
renditions of "We Can Work It Out," "Satisfaction" and
"Going to a Go-Go."
When Richie returned, the Pointer Sisters, who
had opened the show with a short, tight set of their
own that included full versions of each of their six
hits and two from their new album "Breakout,"
joined him for "Jesus is Love'Takm' It To the Streets"
and "Three Times a Lady." Richie ended the show
with "Endless Love," "Lady" and "Still." The one
encore included "Lady, You Bring Me Up" from
Richie's last Commodores album and his recent hit
"All Night Long." During that song Freeman return
ed and each band member except the drummer .
exchanged instruments at least once during the
song without miscir.g a teat.
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Although "Allegro Erillarie" dinced to Tchai-
kovskrfs "Concerto No. S" in tradltien is a be.!!et, the-
applauss indicated it waj cci ts radiance's favor-. .
ite piece. The dance bem as! the bass notes cf the
. piano played slowly. The principal dnrxsrs were
Ui tfwwv a wuvt VttiiJMijj ia.t W&tt wl V m.l '
P"'!! t"''! rf-"1 Of A V-v ' i
- Ths: dancers' confidence tivthfj pl;cs .ceizrsd
farced. IIoT7Ccr, thzli centred tcchri:;::s ra.
kitcrlda, o thz 10 men and Tfsz:sn ercctci ttn
v t t
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'Untitled's- unclothed
only minor distraction
I will admit apprehension about the whole thing. I
had never seen the art of dance performed naked
before an audience. I was not sure how I would react
" when the Ohio Ballet performed nude Saturday"
. night at Kimball Hall: : ...
-1 forgot my fears 'as I watched the first two dances,
"Schubert Wates" and "Ccenss from Childhood." .
Both were traditlsnal: wossn on toe shoes and men
in unbearably tight tights. Their moves were strong -
''and conSdent. I marvelled as the dancers seemed
i not to tire, but reach greater heights o they leaped
and ari,-d to ths iiv pnn ffl,w.mi.
......
Aslda frca ths rpcllshcd technical" abty cf the -troupe
ths ncct. tr!g part cftha psrfsnnancs
was 12:3 rz'czl d-nccrs pcrron-!Iiic3. Thsy fzl
:. yi'- rr.a ccpiurca iz, ana tr.cy Czt
either in ssb, daet cr grcrp rz l';;!;t .
ths .dancers surroundsd tha .coq'ietti:!! prii -,
' The high polr.tcf ths dance r;It.h a laud,
allrgro bass with four women os'4r.g tic;; ly o jus-.
L-i jfvf fftfl rrw4 s,, . i m . l
g-W jlrffi frrt 4- fffl vsftws .-a T' "n w ?1!'1f, tin
AMMi.a-u' fe'wjp. 'A WwA W A iipsi,- 4aS
ths head cf a isals dancer, o h-3 l!
; .Firmer a rn::fy. ci'ths ihcrt;-V;e!-
" punches o H ha kid Just ccsig out cf ths rActhsfa
, Th,en, women with ribbons In their hsir, wearing & '
.variety cf cdered Cev;ered clrts and lleuees cf
. . ..,.11 .... .... a. a
I had al:r.cet fecetten my tsnebn when it . . .
: pcet . . . hed. "Untitled," cherce-rched ty
: ths trc-j?o r::-!-,T7as cr?.t.?y -tended fertis
.dancers, to cf then nr-f..i:;r in K;
i-f prc.urvcra a sccr.s o tasy
.'jeined into pairs and mcved to center cte.e-, where
ths held in a te..:!:tlll:2 cT-ir. .
.. "Danes C'i!i3 wra perf :ir :i ta Clierlei Avtren's
' mfi it ifs .s r;-;. t s . - .
w;ccru uru-ej. ia t 3 u a ce.erui ce.Tx:na
'tien cf taTeS end noCztn tZlzx-T neztirro
. ch2 te-eet cXt!:: d'-ee rriz t"; e eer:tre:t cf t:.e deea
ccien ci reen cr.a n:;: ;
; i::2 creeeei cf ths
c:
fe i-- ..i J
:. i-reei aa t:is eerce:fu:.e Ohia Eallet allerei ths
raeii to wear cainethlrj C;s G-cirL-o 3 th.it ths
. "Untltied" bscin irfth'twoisthern fceZes rflr'
tes in thefx pre-Chil 7ti drceeea. EadderiJ t-y '
grcjf. Hairy lejs pranced under their r Tha ;
audience loved it; ths women behind ms c--," r
:.eert:de!!y when ths slirts whirled and tc:::
rcve:...3 ths eend-nuds men underr.ee.th. .
JBlzP?C:v rr-i a ttU.
rfc- As trs nen been to c f--i
D,..,n tr.3 rcenens lzi t-s n f-, r .1
1 -2 e: 7.: er.ee it be 2 c' r t- r-
we- en v;::s refr-their rr.:.:ev'--Trl;;:
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