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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1992)
Cinderella dances into audience’s heart Music highlights Playhouse show 'theater. By Jill O’Brien Senior Reporter _ Rodgers and Hammcrstcin’s magi cal, musical fairy talc, “Cinderella,” Saturday came to life on stage at the Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S. 56th St. “Cinderella” was no small under taking for cast or crew, considering the variety of songs and dances per formed throughout the two acts. The strong-voiced herald, played by Monte Michclscn, belted out the opening song, “The Prinee Is Giving a Ball.” Other familiar songs included “Ten Minutes Ago,”“Impossible”and “Do I Love You Because You’ re Bcau tiful?”—the romantic ballad sung by the dashing prince (Anthony Ballard) and his bashful bride-to-be Cinderella (Shannon Marple). Marplc’s tender performance of the angelic Cinderella was as daz zling as a glass slipper as she danced on an impressive storybook stage and sang her way into the hearts of the audience and the arms of the prince. The only flaw appeared when Marplc’s sweet singing was drowned out occasionally by the orchestration. Of course, one can ’ t have a Rodgers and Hammcrslcin musical without an orchestra, and “Cinderella” was backed by the Lincoln Musicians’ Association conducted by Vincent Learned. Aside from playing too loudly at times, the orchestra should be com mended for providing live music for the cast. One more regret that a nitpicking, hopeless romantic might have is that the kisses exchanged between the prince and Cinderella weren’t long enough. “Cinderella” has every reason to succeed. Guest director Rhonda Lake re cently came to Li ncoln after spending 10 years in New York City. Her di recting credits include “Into the Woods,” “A Chorus Line,” “Big Time” and “Nunsense,” plus numer ous acting roles on soaps, films and commercials. Responsible for all those graceful moves on stage is choreographer Stephanie Chase, a Radio City Music Hall Rockettc. Also, set designer Julie Burney definitely should be applauded for her stage creations. Once, as the prince sang to the audience, Cinderella danced with the moves of a prima ballerina behind a hazy transparent blue curtain in the background. Peg Shcldrick played the role of the queen, and Daniel Rcinchr played the portly and sometimes cynical king, exhibiting royal arrogance and hu mor. But it was Sandy Fisher’s portrayal of the fairy godmother, who livened up the show with her spontaneous humor laugh. Sitting at the kitchen table, she told Cinderclla,“I’m your fairy godmother. Don’t ask me how I got into it. I’ve been one all my life . . .” More words of wisdom followed. After changing Cinderella’s rags to a royal white gown, Fisher Ricked her fairy wand and chuckled, “No one will recognize you for what you arc— people seldom do.” The gaudy, zany stepsisters de lighted thcaudiencccvcry time Portia (Krislipher Filarski) opened her shrill i mouth or Joy (Sarah Gibson) was plagued by hercrcaking knee. Gibson and Filarski convincingly played the insensitive nags, next to Sidney Johnson Way land’s wicked portrayal of Cinderella’s stepmother. The biggest surprise of the perfor mance came after the prince and the palace herald had exhausted their search for the woman who could wear the glass slipper. Well, not quite ex hausted — die two actors leaped off stage and into a startled audience where the prince tried the slipper on several other candidates, including a reluctant male. “Cinderella” will continue to play happily ever after until the final cur tain call Dee. 20. For more ticket information and performance times, cal I the playhouse box office at 489-9608. 2 Below revels in unique, fun style 4JNL graduates hope sjpieir funky mix leads to another release fo^MlvTEW-l By Shannon Uehling Senior Editor It’s been described as funky random what not with a hint of jazz, whatever that is. Other terms might include eclectic, flexible, intoxicating and provocative, but the music of local two-person band 2 Below never will be called dull or inelastic. “Let’s just call it country,” guitarist Kevin Kiclian joked. 2 Below, made up of K icl ian and keyboardist Scott Rchling, played Thursday night at the Edge, 227 N. 9th St. } The band has been a reality for less than two years, but the duo already has released two private-label albums—“The Next Door Zone” in 1991 and “They Dance Alone” this year. Kiclian said he met Rchling a couple years ago while working at the “Coffee House East,” or as it’s more commonly known, Paragon Music. They have since formed an eccentric friend ship and successful musical relationship. Their playful banter is entertaining even when they arc not making music. But when it comes lime to play, Kiclian and Rchling arc able to pick up each other’s cues as well as any band of veteran musicians. That’s not to say 2 Below makes no mis takes, but Rchling and Kiclian said they knew how to keep the audience from hearing their slip-ups. “We’re the best cover-up band in Lincoln,” Kiclian said. Rehling said it’s just a matter of “evil-eye contact.” Kiclian and Rchling, both graduates of the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln’s College of Business Administration, share in the song writing, and their repertoire is all original. Their playlist is a mix of reggae, jazz, blues and pop. When asked where the inspiration for their songs came from, Rchling answered that it stemmed from personal experiences and “pres sure not to have real’ jobs.” Last winter, the two musicians lived in Phoenix, where Kiclian went to school and Rehling “hung out by the pool.” While they were in Phoenix, they recorded “They Dance Alone.” Scott Rehling performs on keyboards and sings while Kevin Kielian plays guitar during a performance earlier this month at Rockin’ Robin. “Wc want to be in the South every winter,” Rchling said. This year will be no different. Kiclian said he plans to move to Austin, Texas, in January. Coupled with Kiclian's move to Texas, the two musicians said they hope to achieve several goals they have set for themselves. One of those is to be accepted into the “South by Southwest” music festival in Austin. Another goal is to record another album . “We’re definitely going to pul something out on 8-track,” Kiclian joked. But in the meantime, 2 Below is looking casually for a new manager and performing about three or four times a month. Like a number of other bands, 2 Below sometimes uses the talents of guest musicians who sit in on their performances. For example, they were playing at Omaha’s Howard Street Tavern one night when a musi cian, Tony Seville, approached them and said, “I play saxophone — can I sit in with you?” Rchling told him to come back the next night, which he did. Seville has played with 2 Below a couple times since then. Although the future of 2 Below is somewhat hazy, Rchling and Kiclian said they plan to continue making their own brand of mixed genre music. r1 “There’s no need to rush now,” Kiclian said. “We have a lot of development to do.” Seasoned author gives Sci-fi fans thrilling view of environmentalism “The Venom Trees of Sunga” L. Sprague de Camp Del Rey Books By Sam S. Kepfield Staff Reporter One of science fiction’s great joys is finding a new title by one of the old pros, picking it up and discovering it to be as current, entertaining and last ing as one of the author’s older works. Such is the case with “The Venom Trees of Sunga.” L. Sprague dc Camp has been around since the dawn of the Golden Age in 1939. In those 50-plus years, he has written nearly 1 (X) books (“Lest Darkness Fall” is one of his more noted works,) and countless short sto ries. dc Lamp also is one oi inc lew science fiction writers to do a passing job at non-fiction as well (Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein — the “big three” of science fiction for decades were others). “The Venom Trees of Sunga” ought to warm the heart of anyone. Kirk Salazar, son of an academic legend, journeys to the island of Sunga * on the planet Kukulcan. His mission: examine the famed nanshin trees, which exude an acid-like venom, and how certain animals avoid gelling harmed by it. No thesis is ever this simple, though. Salazar runs into George Cantcm ir, Tcrran corporate representative, who is in charge of clear-cutting the venom trees to make way for human habita tion of the planet, which has been allowed by the ruler of the native sentient race called the “kooks.” The move for habitation is led by the Rev. George Dumfries, a funda mentalist preacher spearheading the settlement to case Earth’s overpopu lation See TREES on 15
