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Mozart's birthday cause for celebration
By Sarah Baker
Senior Reporter
Anyone’s 242nd birthday calls for an uncommon celebration.
Especially when that person is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
“Amazing Amadeus,” a celebration of Mozart’s birthday, is a special collaboration between the
Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and the Lincoln Community Playhouse.
“We wanted to do something special for the birth of one of the world’s great musical genius
es,” said Jeth Mill, executive director for the Lincoln Symphony.
Mill said the performance is unique because, during the concert, 12 actors will be on the stage
performing scenes from the play “Amadeus,” which is currently playing at the Lincoln
Community Playhouse. ‘
Mill said the performance integrates the music of both Antonio Salieri and Mozart.
“The production does a really good job of showing the contrast between Mozart and Salieri,
the rival composers in die play,” Mill said. “This treatment gives insight on the composers, and it
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Robin McKercher, director of the play, said in a press release he thought the show was an inter- *
esting mix of music and performance.
: “The music for ‘Amadeus’ is usually taped, so the thought of a live orchestra performing with
the actors is tantalizing,” McKercher said. “It promises to be a wonderful sensory experience.”
Mill encouraged people to go see the performance, saying it was more than just great music.
“It is entertaining, both visually and to the ears,” he said. “It’s a new form of concert perfor
mance, which incorporates acting, dialogue, music and costume. I am interested to see the
response from the audience.”
“Amazing Amadeus” takes place tonight at 7:30 in Kimball Recital Hall. For ticket informa
tion, contact the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra at (402) 423-2211.
New live albums capture
essence of old punk rock
By Jim Zavodny
Staff Reporter
After a one-week hiatus, the new
release column is back and in full
effect. This week’s class includes new
music from the bands the Phunk
Junkeez, Screeching Weasel, The
Skatalites and Hum.
Two legendary punk rock acts are
coming out with live albums today
that were recorded in San Francisco.
Richmond, Vt., band Avail releases
its album, simply titled “Live in San
Francisco,” while SST records re
releases an old Black Flag show
recorded in the golden gate city on
Aug. 26,1984.
A group of albums by rhythm and
blues and rock veterans discovered in
the vault also make their debut this
week. Motown Records will release
newly remastered albums with
restored artwork from the Jackson
Five and die Temptations. A Jefferson
Airplane album and box sets from
Ted Nugent and Kansas will also
make hit the stores today.
New Releases:
January 27,1998
16 Horsepower: Low Estate
(A&M)
Avail: Live in San Francisco
(Lookout)
Jeff Beck: Beckology (Legacy)
Black Flag: Live ’84 (SST)
Gadjits: , At Ease
(Hellcat/Epitaph)
Hum: Downward Is Heavenward
(RCA)
The Jackson Five: Greatest Hits
(Motown)
Jefferson Airplane: Crown of
Creation and Volunteers (RCA)
Kansas: Kansas (Legacy)
Mary Lou Lord: Got No Shadow
(WORK Group)
Ted Nugent: Out of Control
(Legacy)
Pee Shy: Don’t Get Too
Comfortable (Mercury)
Phunk Junkeez: Unidentified
Funky Object (Trauma)
Various Artists: Ride Soundtrack
(Tommy Boy)
Screeching Weasel: Major Label
Debut (Lookout/Panic Button)
Sepultura: Arise, Beneath the
Remains, Morbid Visions/Bestial
Devastation and Schizophrenia
(Roadrunner)
The Skatalites: Ball of Fire
(Island Jamaica)
The Temptations: Greatest Hits
Vols. I & //(Motown)
Various Artists: Zero Effect
Soundtrack (WORK Group)
Nebraska Arts Congress in session
By Jason Hardy
Assignment Reporter
A congress of a different kind is
in session this week. Though it is
politically minded, this congress is a
far cry from a suit-and-tie setting.
The Nebraska Arts Council is
celebrating the arts this week by
holding the 1998 Nebraska Arts
Congress in Lincoln today and
Wednesday. The two-day congress is
held every other year, and this year it
features a keynote address today and
the Governor’s Arts Awards on
Wednesday.
“Celebrate! The Time is Here!”
is the theme of the arts congress,
which is set to begin today with a
keynote address by Patrick Overton,
a professor of communication and
cultural studies at Columbia College
in Columbia, Mo. The address is
being held at the Nebraska Center
for Continuing Education, 33rd and
Holdrege streets. Overton also will
lead a series of sessions to address
problems encountered by art-organi
zation administrators.
According to Suzanne Wise,
manager of programs for arts, orga
nization and artists for the Nebraska
Arts Council, these concerns are
important to both Nebraska’s artists
and communities. She said ait was
often ignored by politicians and it
was the responsibility of people in
the art business to change that
“People in the arts have to recog
nize that they are a constituency,”
Wise said.
She said the congress would give
people ideas on how to get involved
with community politics.
“They'll be talking about the
importance of arts in the political
process,” Wise said. “Ways to advo
cate (arts) and ways to be a part of
the political process.”
She said until now Nebraska’s art
community has been a bit lackadaisi
cal about promoting die arts. She
hopes this congress will change that.
* “We haven't been doing enough
work with the political or business
infrastructure to let them know that
arts mb important,” Wise said. “We
need to make sure that we keep that
message in front of our politicians
and business leaders.”
After a day of brainstorming and
discussion about the state of the arts
in Nebraska, congress attendants are
invited to unwind and enjoy the
cream of Lincoln’s downtown art
gallery crop in a movable reception.
The Noyes Gallery, Gallery 9, the
Burkholder Project, Haydon Gallery,
Milestone Gallery and the Wagon
Train Project will offer food, music
and a look at what’s happening in
Lincoln’s art scene.
Wednesday’s talks will be held at
the Cornhusker Hotel and feature
Anthony Radich, director of the
Western States Arts Federation.
Radich will hold a presentation on
art advocacy, after which partici
pants will be encouraged to visit
with senators at the State Capitol and
bring them back to the Cornhusker
for the day’s final event, the
Governor’s Arts Awards Lunch.
The award luncheon is a biennial
event which recognizes artists, arts
organizations, businesses and indi
viduals across the state for their con
tributions to the arts in Nebraska.
Gov. Ben Nelson will present the
awards at the luncheon.
Tickets for the luncheon cost
$15, and registration for the con
gress is $30 per day. Registration and
tickets must be reserved in advance
by calling the Nebraska Arts Council
at (402) 595-2122.
66
People in the arts have to recognize that
they are a constituency
Suzanne Wise
Nebraska Arts Council member