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By Donna Sisson
The blues is a tradition that has been
around almost as long as America.
Cocktail Shorty and the Tablerockers
helps keep the tradition alive in Lin
coln. Like the blues they play, they are
a band that refuses to die.
The Tablerockers are four musicians
that are becoming part of the Lincoln
blues legacy. They have played to
gether in some capacity for more than
seven years.
These musicains are: Sean Benjamin
(guitar, vocals), Larry Boehmer (bass),
Doug Rosekrans (guitar, vocals), and
Marc Wilson (drums).
Their initial effort was as the Heart
Murmurs, a six-piece band that began
on Valentine's Day of 1977. The Heart
Murmurs did some recording and a lot
of traveling, which was one of the rea
sons for its demise.
"It was a real band that was a full
time situation," Boehmer said. "I had
to get out because of business and fam
ily." Others quit because of commit
ments to other bands, he said.
The remaining four musicians even
tually grouped under the name Cock
tail Shorty and the Tablerockers
which, Boehmer said, was kind of a
throw-together thing. Cocktail Shorty
is one of Benjamin's nicknames and
Tablerock, Neb., was one of the first
places they ever played together, he
said.
The Tablerockers, which began in
July 1981, was always meant to be a
part-time thing, Boehmer said. If it
builds to the point that it is almost
full-time, theyjust quit for awhile, he said.
"It's a situation where we all have a
real good time playing together. When
Sean and Mark (who play full-time
with the Backbeats) have the evening
off and we can fill in some dates, we do
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Larry Boehmer of the Tablerockers. Boehmer also owns the Zoo Bar,
where the Tablerockers perform.
it," he said.
One reason Boehmer said the four
musicians continue to play together is
because they all feel comfortable to
gether. "There's probably nobody else in
town that I would feel comfortable
playing with, and I think they feel the
same way," Boehmer said.
Because they have played together
so long, said Rosekrans, "Everybody
knows what everybody else is going to
be doing. We never rehearse except
on stage. That's what's real fun about it
because it's all real spontaneous," he
said.
"We have an understanding about
the music we play," Boehmer said. "We
don't have a song format, we have no
idea when we hit the stage what we're
gonna' play, but because weVe played
this stuff for so long ana weve an lis
tened to the same kind of music for
years, we have a feel for it " he said.
"We feel like we play blues in the real
blues tradition, like Magic Slim, or
some of the Chicago blues bands,"
Bohmer said. "Slim doesn't rehearse,
they learn new stuff by hearing songs
on a jukebox at clubs or just working
them out on stage," he said.
The Tablerockers play 90 to 95 per
cent straight blues, Boehmer said.
Some '50s style rock and roll might be
thrown in during the evening or they
might do a swing tune, but basically,
they do blues, he said.
Boehmer, owner of the Zoo Bar, said
that at times there are distractions
when playing in his own bar. "Here, I
have to think about if the lights are too
bright or if somebody's getting too
rowdy. At somebody else's bar, I don't
care," he said.
Though it does distract him, the Zoo
is a good place to play blues. That
overpowers any other strings attached
to playing there, Boehmer said.
There's always an appreciative aud
ience at the Zoo, Rosekrans said,
whether there are two people or 200.
One of the main attractions in the
blues is the soloing, said Boehmer. It's
a very simple structure, limited to a
degree, but blues allows players to solo
while rock and roll is pretty well pat,
he said. ,
With somebody out there soloing,
every night he plays it's going to be
different, depending on how he's feel
ing that night, Boehmer said. "To me,
that's real interesting because you get
down to the real nitty-gritty of what a
musician is doing. Blues gives them a
chance to really play from the heart,"
he said.
Continued on Pass 9
'Magic Flute 'performance delightful
By Mary C. Reilly
Mozart's The Magic Flute, currently being pres
ented at Kimball Hall by the UNL Music Theatre, is a
fantastical, thrilling performance to behold.
This "fantasy opera sung in English," as it is
billed, is quite easy to understand, unlike most ope
ras. The characters carrying out the magical story-
Review
line are delightful and the drama is spellbinding.
Viewing The Magic Flute, one feels a bit like a child
immersed in a live fairy tale. The effect is tickling.
Often the word "opera" sets forth a stereotyped
concept: a drama with a lot of vikings in flowing
gowns singing unbearably high pitched, loud wails
in a foreign language. The Magic Flute shatters this
concept.
The performance is wondrous. Anyone can under
stand the story and feel for the characters. While
some of the sung verses and dialogue are hard to
understand, the actors' and actresses' display of
emotion completes the picture. The program con
tains a synopsis of the opera story line, which helps
a great deaL
Tke Magic Flute, composed in 1791 during Mozart's
months, has historical importance as a humanistic
opera and as one of Mozart's unique masterpieces.
The opera is a distinguishable work of Mozart's
because of the quality and complexity of its music
and because of the serious meanings that lay
beneath the surface. The Magic Flute has been
termed "fantasy about enlightment" by Gregg Tall
manstage director-conductor at the UNL School of
Music.
The opera tells the tale of a prince, Tamini, (John
David De Haan) and of a bird catcher, Papageno,
(Brian Leeper) who are both seeking love and fulfil
lment. The plot thickens as the two young gentle
men endure suffering and hardship on their path to
the realization that they are in control of their own
destiny.
One must be patient while experiencing The
Magic Flute, just relax and aliowthe music to flow in
and soothe the mind. At two and a half hours in
length, the performance is divided into two acts
with a 20-minute intermission.
Dellaan as Tamino, the young golden-haired prince,
is dazzling, convincing and handsome. Laeper, the
warm-hearted, humorous, ordinary bird catcher,
draws continual chuckles from the audience with
his quick wit, dramatic facial expressions and flip
pant feather ruffling.
The three ladies, attendants to the Queen of the
Night (Tracy Jordan, Ammia D. Hardner and Laurie
Martinez) garner attention through their sexy
sweet wicked enticements in unision.
All of the cast members have beautiful voices
strong, pure, sweet, clear and perfectly in pitch. Lila
Olson, playing the Queen of the Night, has an excep
tionally awesome voice. Audience members gasp
and cock their ears in disbelief as Olson strikes
soprano notes one would believe no human could
hit
Pamino, (Constance Rock) the beautiful blonde
daughter of the Queen of the Night, presents a
simply pure and pretty performance. Rock, as the
helpless, sought-after, virtuous princess, floats
around the stage looking light and airy like cotton
candy in a delicate pink gown.
Monostatos (Paul Eschliman) plays the devious,
clever slave of Sarastro, the high priest, Eschliman,
the mischievous little devil after Pamino, is cunning
and humorous.
Kelly Eilenwood, the pretty, perky little Papagena,
plays the perfect match for Papageno, plays the
perfect match for Papageno. Eilenwood absolutely
flutters around the stage, gingerly dancing in delight
as Papageno's new wife.
Mark Pearson sings the role of Sarastro, the high
priest. Person is obviously a polished professional.
His bass voice fills Kimball Hall, resonating through
out each corner.
The UNL Music Theatre's production of The Magic
Flute is the fantastical blend of fairy tale and music,
a credit to the respected history of the dramatic
opera.
Television
Frontline, PBS' weekly news digest, will
feature filmmaker Ofra Bikel's Captive in El
Salvador. The documentary examines the pol
itics and the people the U.S. government is
supporting there.
Radio
The Lincoln Symphony Orchestra will be
featured tonight on Lincoln in Concert, broad
cast at 8 p.m. weekly on KUCV, 90.9 FM.
Featured soloist is soprano Kristine CiesinskL
At the Sheldon
Emile de Antonio's In the Year of the Pig
will be shown today in the Film Theatre. This
1969 documentary explores America's involve
ment in the Vietnam War. Screenings are at
3:30, 7 and 9:1 5 p.m. Admission is by donation.
At the Kirabsll
The final performance of Mozart's The
Magic Flute will be at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets
are $3 and $5 for students, $5 and $7 for the
general public. A review appears elsewhere on
this page.
On Campus
A saxophone ensemble from UNL's School
of Music will perform at 3:30 p.m. on the plaza,
north of the Nebraska Union. In case of rain,
the concert will be moved to the Union's main
lounge.
Two films wll be screened in the Rostrum
of the Nebraska Union tonight, in conjunction
with Women's Week. We Dig Coal: A Portrait of
Three Women is a documentary which tells the
story of Marilyn McCusker, who was killed in a
1979 mine accident in central Pennsylvania.
The Amazing Equal Pay Show is a political
burlesque, incorporating elements from the
musical, horror film and comedy genres. It
examines the issue of equal pay, women's
participation in the unions and the status of
women's work under capitalism. The film is
adapted from a play first performed in 1372 by
the Women's Street Theatre Group. Admission
to the two films is by donation. Scrccnir.rs
begm at 8 p.m.
