Playfooi ]arol’
SCROOGE from page 9
the program. . -
Lambrecht said this is the first
time he has played Scrooge since he
was a student at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992.
That year, he was a stand-in as
Scrooge in the weeks leading up to
the play until the equity actor got
there the week of the performance.
^ “It is a challenge to play Mr.'
Scrooge because it is easy to hall into
doing a caricature of him - you know,
trying to do the bent-over, old-man
type of character,” Lambrecht said.
“Scrooge was only 60, and even in the
1800s that was by no means decrepit”
“Trying to keep him real and also
playing someone 30 years older than
myself has been the biggest chal
lenge,” he said.
Lambrecht said he has an advan
tage in playing Scrooge because he
Ttolw PnHrtBW 1^0
Tbs Facts
What: “Mr. Scrooge’
Where: Lincoln Community Playhouse
When: Opens Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Sldnny: Playhouse brings new twist to
Dickens classic.
has seen it done so many different
times.
“I’ve seen Mr. Scrooge done so
many different ways that it is actually
a good thing because you are able to -
pull bits and pieces from other perfor
mances,” he said. “You can do things
you’ve seen and liked and incorporate
them into your own character.”
Lambrecht described working
with this particular cast as incredible.
“Sometimes when you get into a
show with this many children it gets
unruly,” he said, “But the kids have
been really great and cooperative.”
iwmiL : -1. —• i
. _ Sharon Kolbet/dn
PATRICK LAMBRECHT plays the infamous miser, Ebinezer Scrooge, in the
musical “Mr. Scrooge.”
Variations keep play fresh
NUTCRACKER from page 9
Shell-True said the Lincoln
Midwest Ballet’s production also dif
fers in that it presents Clara as an older
girl. Because of this, the production
does not play into the Candyland
theme. , _ ,
Instead, Clara visits the Jewel
Palace filled with candy and jewels.
The dancers, representing different
countries, act as different jewels and
present Clara with a gift.
Differences such as these make the
story of the Nutcracker refreshing for
audiences year after year, Shell-True
said.
“The books don’t have a set story. It
doesn’t have to be one set thing,” she
said. “It’s fun to come up with new
takes on different parts of the show. It
would be boring to leave it the same
year after year.”
Shell-True said she changes some
of the choreography for the ballet about
once every two or three years. This year,
she decided to change the Marzipan,
' which are usually flute players or
candy, to sherbett ice cream.
Although this is the Omaha Theater
Company Ballet’s first production of
“The Nutcracker,” Welch said it plans
on changing things every couple of
years as well.
“We are talking about getting a
whole new set in a couple of years and
then alternating between the two,” she
said. “But the main, beautiful story is
always going to be the same.”
Although Shell-True’s production
does have professional dancers in it, the
Omaha Theater Company Ballet is a
professional dance company, and all
the dancers in its production are resi
dent professionals.
“All of our dancers are profession
al, and they have worked all over the
world,” Welch said. “This is our pre
miere performance as a professional
- ballet company, as well as the OTC’s
" 50th anniversary. ‘The Nutcracker’ just
seemed like a logical season opener for
us.”
The dancers for the Omaha Theater
Company Ballet will continue to per
form throughout the season, whereas
the Lincoln Midwest Ballet presents its
biggest performance of the year with
“The Nutcracker.”
Shell-True said this is partially
because of a small budget but also
because the dancers in the show are
mostly local students, not profession
als.
‘‘This is a stepping stotiefor the
kids to find out what it’s like to be in a
professional company,” she said. “They
get a chance to work with the profes
sionals we bring in to fill some of the
parts of tiie show, and they make con
nections with them. It’s Hke a Spring
board for young dancers.
“These kids do it because they love
it. They live and breathe it, and they
bring that spirit onto the stage with
them.” _ -
In order to decide who gets what
part,;open auditions are held, and
judges are brought in to cast the show.
Whatever parts are left are filled by
professional dancers.
Shell-True believes this is the best
way for the production to be cast.
“I want the best person for every
show” she said. “When you are a direc
tor, you want the best person for every
Tickets,
locations
and times
The Lincoln Midwest Ballet
will be performing at the Lied
Center for Performing Arts, 301
N. 12th St,, on Dec. 18 at 2 and 7
p.m. and on Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $ 18, $22 and $26
with half-price tickets for stu
dents. For more information,
call the Lied Center Box Office
at (402) 472-4747.
The Omaha Theater
Company Ballet will be per
forming at the Orpheum
Theater, 409 S. 16th St. in
Omaha, Thursday through
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $ 17.50 to $33 for
adults and $ 11.50 to $21 for
children 12 years and younger.
For more information, call
TicketMaster at (402) 475-1212.
part because it makes your show look
good. I believe in the system, and I
believe it works.”
This year, Shell-True said, the
dancers’ ages vary from 6 to 60, but
most of the principal characters are
juniors and seniors in high school.
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Date: December 17,1999 (Friday)
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Outdoor Adventures
Campus Recreation Center
472-4777
Spring Break Trips
Wilderness First Aid:
March 11 & 12, $115
Grand Canyon Backpacking:
March 11 -19, $350
Spring Semester
Trips and Clinics
Kayak Clinic 1 Basic:
February 12,9am - 12pm, $10
Cross Country Ski Clinic:
February 5, $10
Backpacking Skills Clinic:
February 12, $15
Rock Climbing Skills Clinic:
February 23, $15
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February 26, $15 '
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March 4,9am - 12pm, $10
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