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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1995)
WELCOME! About 10 years ago, a band took over the music wdtld. For about a month. Many one-hit wonders have come and gone since then, but few have had as much success in as short a time as Frankie Goes to Hollywood had with “Relax.” At thrift shops, you can still find T shirts that scream “FRANKIE SAYS RELAX!” The song can still be heard on drive-time radio, 1980s nostalgia shows and even alternative stations. Listening to the song now, I realize that I didn’t have a clue what it meant back when it was released. Now, I am surprised that I ever heard it at all. I am glad my mother didn’t. The song was banned in Britain and caused a stir here in the States. All I knew was that it was a weird dance tune and “Frankie” was supposed to be the Next Big Thing. Ten years later, much has changed: The cold war is over, half my high school class is married, “Frankie” lead singer Holly Johnson has AIDS and I am contemplating the future of my exist ence. “Frankie” and fourth-grade days may be gone, but whenever I want to hear the last days of New Wave, I can throw in my roommate’s “Awesome ’80s” com pact disc and just... relax. Dave Oldham, sophomore news-editorial major and Dally Nebraskan staff reporter. UNL Chorale holds annual Invitational From Staff Reports The University of Nebraska-Lincoln University Chorale will hold its annual Women’s Invitational Festival tonight at 7:50 in Kimball Recital Hall. The festival will feature women's ensembles from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Henderson High School in Henderson, Neb. and each of the four Lincoln public high schools, said Carolee Curtright, director of the cho rale. Two guest ensembles also will per form, Curtright said, a women’s jazz ensemble directed by Sheryl Monkelien and “Soul Support,” a male quintet. The performance will culminate in a combined performance of all the en sembles singing “Life Has Loveliness to Sell” by James Mulholland. The piece will involve approximately 200 women, she said. The festival, which is in its fourth year, gives many women singers a chance to perform that they otherwise might not nave, Curtright said. “Often women don’t have that many opportunities to sing. This is a very nice way for us to perform our music, and See CHORALE on 14 Give my regards to.... ’——* y - — '«ww——"v 1 —' » AmySchmidt/DN Opera Omaha brings Broadway home By Gerry Beltz Senior Reporter Omaha, meet Broadway. Broadway, this is Omaha. Through a partnership with Jujamcyn Production of New York and Opera Omaha, Broadway shows are coming to Omaha. The first, “Crazy for You,” will open in July at the Orpheum Theater. April Karstens, Opera Omaha spokes person, said Jujamcyn Productions had de cided it was time to grow. “They felt a need to expand into other communities and areas not getting Broad way shows,” Karstens said, “and they be gan looking for opportunities. “Omaha is lucky enough to be an area that would work for them. We are very fortunate to have this opportunity, an op portunity that doesn’t even exist in larger areas.” The Omaha Broadway Series will fea ture five different shows, starting with “Crazy For You,” which will run July 11 16. Other shows running through April 1996 include “The Who’s Tommy,” “Grease” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” “These are the actual shows from Broad way,” she said, “not watered-down ver sions. “This is the real thing.” Having Broadway shows in Omaha will benefit both the city and the state, Karstens said. “We will be able to offer something that other communities can’t or don’t offer,” she said, “ ... a consistent series of Broadway shows that are real Broadway shows.” Karstens said the series may help Ne braska earn a reputation as a cultural- and program-arts community. “This is entertainment that is wanted and needed, and I think it will have a very positive impact for the audience to be served,” she said. The community’s economy also will benefit from the Broadway productions, Karstens said. “Our studies have shown that for every dollar spent on a ticket, two-and-a-half dollars will be spent in the local commu nity.” Ticket sales for the Omaha Broadway series already have been excellent, she said. “It’s been tremendous. The phones have almost been ringing non-stop since Mon day morning.” Tickets are available through Opera Omaha. : : : -; ; : : :;: . - _ . - . i Lecture series to share Nebraska art By Gerry Beltz Senior Reporter Few people could give a series of lec tures about die Nebraska art scene, but Kyle MacMillan is one of them. MacMillan has worked as an art critic for The Omaha World-Herald for eight years. His job has taken him all over the state to view exhibits and meet artists. He will share his knowledge of the Ne braska art scene at five lectures scheduled for Tuesday nights through April 18. The first lecture is tonight at 7:30 at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. MacMillan’s topic will be landscapes; he will discuss artists Keith Jacobshagen, Lana Miller, Karen Kune, Bill Ganzel, John Spence, Michael Flecky, Charlotte Ingram and George Neubert. MacMillan’s job uniquely prepares him for the lecture series, he said. “I’m pretty much the only person in Nebraska that does art critiques on a regular basis. There are a few that do it on a part time basis, but for anyone who does it regularly, it’s a rare thing.” MacMillan writes from 50 to 100 re views each year.G “I guess what that means is... I look at a hell of a lot of art over the year. “I think with that background in mind, and the knowledge that a lot of people don’t have that view, I approached the Nebraska Art Association about doing this kind of a lecture.” MacMillan wanted to talk about the state’s art scene because few people know about the art scene outside of their own cities, he said. “Generally, what I especially find is that . people from Omaha don’t know of art out side of Omaha, and people from Lincoln don’t know of art outside of Lincoln.” MacMillan’s work has convinced him that Nebraska’s art scene is richer than most people know. “I’d like people to Realize that Nebraska is bigger and more active with art than people think. I’d like to give people an overview of what actually is going on.” MacMillan’s formal art background is limited, he said. “Much of what knowledge I have has come from actually doing it, looking at and attending dozens, even hundreds, of art exhibitions.” But MacMillan did study art history in Toulon, France, during his junior year in college. The best part of studying overseas, he said, was being close to authentic artwork. “The art is actually there,” he said, “There are no slides, you go right to the source. From Gothic to present-day, it’s right there in France.” Being a successful art critic requires one skill, he said. An art critic must be able to transform visual imagery into words. “You have to get out there and look at the art. The most important thing to do is that you must build your own art library in your mind, and you literally do that by looking at hundreds of art exhibits all over the world. “Looking and looking and looking, that’s the secret.” What you know is what you use, he said. Admission to MacMillan’s lecture se ries is $25 for Nebraska Art Association members and $30 for non-members. Indi vidual lectures cost $7.50 for members and $10 for non-members.