Displaying items by tag: Arts Pass

In an age where media influences everyday lives, the University of Utah Department of Theatre is bringing the media spectacle musical "Floyd Collins" to the Babcock Theatre Feb. 14 – Mar. 1, 2020. Based on a true American legend and one of the most sensationalized news events from the early 1900s, this tale brings history and art to one stage. 

Set in rural Kentucky in 1925, "Floyd Collins" is an American folk-style musical following the story of a young cave explorer searching for fame and fortune underground. When a cave-in leaves him trapped 55 feet below the earth’s surface, the media circus above ground makes his personal tragedy a national spectacle.

Tina Landau and Adam Guettel’s award-winning musical is an examination of the media’s reaction to the events in the cave, the various attempts to rescue Collins, and a moving insight into a family’s suffering.

The show is directed by Associate Professor Denny Berry, Head of the U’s Musical Theatre Program, and will be the fifth show in the university's 2019-2020 theatre season.

"This play is hard material to deliver and hard material for an audience to receive," said Berry, who believes the highlight of this production comes from the ability of her students to create the world where this heart-wrenching tale unfolds. "These young artists have proven themselves capable of this difficult music and storytelling. As a professional myself, this makes me very proud of their work and their future possibility."

Don't miss it! 
Floyd Collins 
Babcock Theatre at Pioneer Memorial Theatre
Feb 14, 15, 20-22, and 27-29, 2020 | 7:30pm
Feb 16, 22*, 23, 29, and Mar 1, 2020 | 2:00pm
*ASL interpretation Feb 22 at 2:00 pm 
Talkback with the cast and production team following the February 28th performance! 

Tickets available here. 
U of U Students get in free with ArtsPass! 

The School of Dance presents four exciting dances in Spring Utah Ballet, including faculty works, new creations and traditional pieces. The show opens February 6th at the Marriott Center for Dance. Utah Ballet will include an original piece from award winning choreographer Heather Gray, and a world premiere from School of Dance assistant professor Melissa Bobick. In visiting professor Rick McCullough’s "Preludes," dancers will be joined on stage by pianist Dr. Vedrana Subotic from the University of Utah School of Music. Finally, Utah Ballet will include assistant professor Chris Alloways-Ramsey’s reimagining of the romantic "La Vivandière," originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon.

Guest artist Heather Gray originally choreographed "Il Riposo" over 15 years ago, with the idea of creating “an eccentric classical ballet. I have always loved how traditional ballet choreographic form typically incorporated line, unison and exact precision of movement... What would happen if one dancer were to break free from tradition and were to find their own unique way of moving within the group?” she asks.

This question serves as the basis of her choreography and remains something she continues to reflect on throughout her creative process. 

“The movement vocabulary was inspired by using simple balletic movements designed to push the limits. The movement was also created with a technically strong dancer in mind because agility would be required. Elongated lines, mixed with intricate contemporary footwork would help me to create an interesting aesthetic as the piece was taking form. This piece is choreographed to three Vivaldi concertos, which generated a perfect framework for the style.”

Over the years, "Il Riposo" has received many accolades, including being selected for the National Choreographic plan at the Regional Dance America Festival as well as winning 1st place at the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition.

Assistant professor Melissa Bobick’s "UNCOVERED" will make its world premiere at Utah Ballet. Bobick has created movement that is accented by beautiful, full skirts designed by School of Dance costume shop director Chris Larson. 

“These skirts, which represent the ‘costumes’ we feel we must wear to be ready to face the world, were an integral part of the choreography’s creation and informed the movement quality extensively,” Bobick says. "The performers in the piece have used the collaborative process to explore the range of emotions they feel within themselves in response to their masks. At times, the masks are quite burdensome and difficult to carry. At other times, they offer us comfort and security. Yet, in either instance, they are always with us. As we are wrestling with our masks, however, being truly seen is all it takes to help us let them go. In that place of vulnerability, we discover who we really are and no longer feel 'UNCOVERED.'”

Visiting professor Rick McCullough’s Preludes is a meditation on how ballet dancers prepare and warm-up for performance.

“Observing myself and others at the barre, I thought that personalities were revealed in the way dancers approached their warm-ups. Some dancers were nervous and self-centered, others were easy-going and lethargic, some were introspective and thoughtful, others might be running late and anxious. Each had their own 'Prelude' to their time on stage, that place of transition from dancer to stage artist,” explains McCullough. “Essentially, 'Preludes' is a group of character studies set to piano Mazurkas, Etudes, and Preludes of Frédéric Chopin, each with its own mood.”

McCullough originally created the piece on students at Southern Methodist University in 1986, and has re-staged it several times since.

“Originally I had hoped to make duets, but not having enough men, I decided to use the familiar ballet barre as the "partner" so to speak. Barre is one of the most familiar and comfortable places for ballet dancers, and the dancers move over, under, and around it,” he says.

Pianist Dr. Subotic, associate professor from the U’s School of Music, will join the dancers on stage to provide live accompaniment for the performance, marking a first for "Preludes."

The program concludes with "La Vivandière," a  bright, romantic ballet with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon set to music by Cesare Pugni. It was presented at Her Majesty's Theatre in London in 1844, and subsequently restaged for the Paris Opera in 1848. This ballet tells the story of Kathi, a vivandière who sold provisions to troops during a war, and Hans, the soldier she falls in love with. Christopher Alloways-Ramsey has restaged the Pas de Six based upon Saint-Léon's choreography. This Pas de Six, which has been performed by ballet companies all over the world, is known as either the "La Vivandière Pas de Six," or, in Russia, the "Markitenka Pas de Six."

Utah Ballet runs February 6 – February 15. Don’t miss this delightful evening of ballet!
For tickets and showtimes visit https://tickets.utah.edu/events/utah-ballet-ii/
Students get in for free with Arts Pass! 

Sisters Tilly and Agnes Evans are at the heart of the “She Kills Monsters,” (now open at Kingsbury Hall). While grieving Tilly’s death, Agnes Evans discovers a whole new side of her late sister, anchored in the wild world of Dungeons & Dragons.

We caught up with actors Allison Billmeyer and Piper Salazar, about the challenges and triumphs in the journey to bring the sisters to life.

What is the most challenging part of embodying Tilly and Agnes in "She Kills Monsters?"

Allison: Throughout most of the play, Tilly is essentially a figment of Chuck’s imagination (the Dungeon Master that Agnes enlists for help). I think that was tricky to wrap my head around -- how she’s so many different versions of herself. But still playing it straight through.

Piper: The most challenging part of being Agnes is embodying a character who has experienced extreme loss. Agnes has lost both her parents and little sister in a car crash, and it is incredibly hard to channel that kind of trauma and energy into a character.

What is the number one thing this play taught you? 

Allison: This show is massive. Kingsbury Hall is  a huge space to perform in. There’s so many moving pieces that make it all come together. It’s been incredibly challenging and rewarding to get to work on a show that really pushes you to work on and utilize the skills we learn in the Actor Training Program. We get to work on so much in this show from fight choreography, character work, vocal work, puppets & shadow play, intimacy choreography, and text work. 

Piper: The number one thing this play has taught me is that people deserve to be seen for their best. Every person is magical and amazing even if it is not noticeable at first glance or by the way they present themselves.

What’s one thing about Dungeons and Dragons the general public would be surprised about or interested to know?

Allison: I suppose, just how involved & complicated D&D is. It’s not an easy game to wrap your head around or start playing because there’s a lot of information to take in. 

Piper: D & D is more than just a board game. As we learn in the show, it is about having fun, saving the world, and wish fulfillment. You can be anyone you want to be when playing the game.

There are lots of chances to see these women in action this weekend at Kingsbury Hall!

She Kills Monsters
January 16 – 19 at 7:30 pm
Matinees January 18* and 19 at 2:00 pm
*ASL interpretation available

Utah Ballet opens Thursday October 31st  at the Marriott Center for Dance. This is the first of a two part concert series showcasing the strength and versatility of the U’s ballet program, featuring an eclectic mix of ballet classics and fresh choreographic works.

“The language of ballet has been evolving throughout generations and this is reflected in the repertories of countless ballet companies around the world,” says concert director Pablo Piantino. “As faculty members of the School of Dance, we have a responsibility to introduce and challenge our students, and our community, to these trends and changes in the field.”

Utah Ballet’s program includes the second act of Giselle, choreographed in 1842 by Jean Corelli and Jules Perrot and masterfully restaged by Assistant Professor Jay Kim. This ghostly romantic tale of deceit, forgiveness and the triumph of love will surely be an audience favorite. On the other end of the spectrum, as an African American artist committed to dance for social justice, Charles O. Anderson offers (Re)current Unrest We the People, a work that gives testimony through contemporary-dance expressions of the African Diaspora, performed by students from both the Ballet and Modern programs.

Alejandro Cerrudo is a choreographer sought after all over the world, and his piece  Second to Last has been set on the students by School of Dance Assistant Professor Pablo Piantino. “It is truly a treat for me as a re-stager to be able to set Second to Last on our students, a work Alejandro choreographed for Ballet Arizona several years ago,” says Piantino. “When I asked him what the work was about he said, ‘…relationships perhaps, I’m not sure. I think the dance should speak for itself.’"  

The final work of the program is Carmina Terra, choreographed by Susan Jaffe, one of America’s greatest ballerinas. Declared by the New York Times as “America’s Quintessential American Ballerina” Jaffe was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre from 1980-2002. Jaffe presents a challenging, yet fulfilling ballet that will further showcase our dancers’ ability to perform at the highest levels. 

“The inspiration for Carmina Terra (Earth Songs) is inspired by the natural spirals in nature. You see these spirals in seashells, the way water spirals going down a drain, and the spinning spiral of the galaxy. These types of spirals twist and turn within the choreography, and coupled with the transcendent contemporary music, creates an otherworldly environment of rhythm, detail, and kinetic force.”

Utah Ballet Runs October 31 – November 7 at the Marriott Center for Dance
Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.utah.edu 
Current U students get in free with ArtsPass! (UCard) 

University of Utah’s Utah Philharmonia will channel the mystique of supernatural folklore at this year’s “Haunted Orchestra: Myths and Legends,” Oct. 24-25 in Libby Gardner Concert Hall. 

For 18 years the Utah Philharmonia has delighted audiences with its annual Halloween concert. In previous years the orchestra performed scores from "The Phantom of the Opera” and “Star Wars,” becoming an anticipated favorite and family tradition. This year the orchestra will perform selections from the movie “Thor,” Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” plus other Halloween favorites.  

U School of Dance has been collaborating with the Haunted Orchestra since 2004 featuring a variety of works over the years including excerpts from “Star Wars” and “The Firebird.” 

Student choreographers Emma Furukawa and Sana Tepley have been working on developing choreography to accompany "Uranus, The Magician" from Holst's “The Planets” as part of the concert. Seven dancers will make use of the spectacular space in LGCH to entertain the audience with Harry Potter-inspired choreography.  

The entire orchestra will be dressed in costume including the conductors. Attendees are encouraged to wear their costumes too. The annual costume parade will showcase audience members of all ages. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. 

Admission is $12.50 for adults and $6.50 for students and children/faculty and staff/seniors. The event is free for U students through Arts Pass a.k.a their Ucard. Tickets may be purchased from Kingsbury Hall Ticket Office, at the door, or by calling (801) 581-7100. For more info visit, tickets.utah.edu.

This semester, the School of Dance hosted guest artists Omar Carrum and Charles Anderson, whose work will be shown this week in Performing Dance Company’s fall concert, opening this Thursday in the Marriott Center for Dance. In brief but powerful residencies on campus, these artists left more than just polished works behind. The philosophies and experiences they shared with dancers continue to have lingering impact beyond the stage and studio. 

Hailing from Mexico City, choreographer Omar Carrum collaborated with the students to create “Alchemy of the 7 Elements,” an elegant journey through the dancers’ memories and beliefs. “I've been researching how to use our deepest emotions without them disturbing or hurting us while accessing them -- to be able to go in and out, using just a drop of sincerity in the process,” Carrum said. “I think of movement as reactions of what’s happening inside.” Omar Carrum partners with School of Dance student

While in the studio, Carrum worked with “the development of fictional characters based on real experiences from our past histories, and how those histories interweave with the histories of others.” He asserted, “I truly believe that artists are alchemists that can change any ‘lead’ experience into a ‘gold’ metaphor.”

“So many dance teachers say ‘leave your baggage at the door’ but Omar explicitly asked us to share our baggage with him and each other. Omar helped us develop individual characters by combining different versions of ourselves,” dancer Arin Lynn said. “Personally, I am learning a lot about what identity means to me. By researching these types of questions, we become more alive inside of performance.”  

Lynn also found Carrum’s “drop of sincerity” a useful tool in making performance honest but not overbearing. “This idea has affected all of our dancing and I believe it will take me a long time to fully understand that concept,” Lynn said. “However, the drop of sincerity awakened a psycho-physical awareness which has changed my relationship with my own dancing for the better.” 

Choreographer Charles Anderson worked with 15 dancers, including both ballet and modern majors, to reconstruct an excerpted version of "(Re)current Unrest," an evening length immersive performance ‘ritual’ built upon the sonic foundation of Steve Reich’s three earliest works. The larger project began as an investigation of legacy, authorship and citizenship and protest through the lens of the erasure of the Africanist presence inside of Reich’s compositions. The excerpted version, “(Re)current Unrest: We Are The People” is a meditation on the increase in racially motivated violence and what it means to be an American. 

Anderson wrote, “I am a Richmond, VA born and raised, Black, gay, first-generation, ivy league college educated artist-educator-activist.  As a choreographer I am formally trained as a post-modernist.  As an African American artist committed to dance for social justice, I am a kinetic storyteller.  I approach choreography and dance theatre as metaphor for kinetic storytelling or testimony.  I create dance-theatre that is informed and inflected by contemporary expressions of African Diasporic vernacular dance.”

Graduate teaching assistant Alexandra Barbier assisted Anderson in the rehearsal process. For Barbier, Anderson’s work extended far past technique and “steps.” “Parts of the choreography are pretty complicated, but I believe that one of Charles's main goals in setting this work was to build community and to expose us to the unquestioned, sometimes problematic, ideologies within our culture that shape how we learn and perform as dancers,” she said. 

When it comes to social activism, the final performance product is not the only place of impact. Barbier continued, “Charles led conversations about race, class, gender, the systems that perpetuate oppression and the questions we should ask ourselves in order to dismantle these systems. I have no doubt that the cast will continue to grapple with these ideas outside of the time spent in the studio... and that is the activism. The audience may not engage with these concepts beyond the 12 minutes they spend viewing the final product, but the knowledge gained in the process will (hopefully) live on and be disseminated by the dancers as they interact with the world.”

Don’t miss the chance to see Performing Dance Company Oct. 3-5 and 17-19. For more information visit dance.utah.edu. 

“Macbeth” may be a classic, but for guest director Wendy Franz, its keen modern relevance is undeniable. “The questions at the heart of the play speak to the human experience in any century,” she says.

Franz continues, “When there's not enough to go around, who should decide who gets what? Which is the stronger force shaping our lives: fate or free will? The play also serves as such a visceral cautionary tale for the havoc that ensues when we stop empathizing with other people.” 

This Friday, the Department of Theatre will open its production of the well-known tale by William Shakespeare. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where massive disasters have left resources scarce, this production of “Macbeth” explores the perils of unbridled ambition in a time of great scarcity and fear. 

And this time, Macbeth is a woman.  

“I wanted to cast the strongest actors for the lead roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, regardless of gender,” Franz explains. “So I waited until I'd seen all of the students audition and then, working with the theatre faculty, we cast the show, choosing the actors with the most training, confidence, and fluency with Shakespeare.”

Non-binary actor Morgan Werder was cast to bring the fascinating psychology of Macbeth to life. “It has been a real pleasure working with Morgan on figuring out where Macbeth is coming from, why our Macbeth does the things she does, what frame of mind she is in at the beginning of the play and the choices that character makes that lead to the end of the play,” Franz describes. Actor Selah McKenna will tackle the equally complex character of Lady Macbeth.

Franz is the Managing Director at Colorado Shakespeare Festival, where she has directed, produced, and designed sound for numerous productions since 2001.

“This is my first foray into directing outside of a professional company and I have been so impressed with these bright young minds!” Franz says. “There are always wonderful discoveries to make in the rehearsal room when we start to unpack a script, but the most joyful discovery for me has been just how focused, disciplined and insightful these undergraduate students are!”

We couldn't agree more and anxiously await Friday night. 

Here are the details: 

Dates and Times:
Sep. 27, 29, and Oct. 3-5, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Sep. 29, Oct. 5 and 6, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

Location:
Studio 115 in the Performing Arts Building, 240 S. 1500 East.
Paid parking is available in the visitor's Marriott Library parking lot, to the south of the theater.

Tickets:
Free for University of Utah students through ArtsPass!
General Admission $18.00 
Get your tickets HERE!

Extras:
A post-performance discussion with the cast and creative team will be held on Friday, October 4, immediately following the evening 7:30 p.m. performance. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre, Mark Fossen will be leading the discussion with production dramaturg, Anna Coltrin where audiences are invited to engage in the conversation. 

On September 19th, the University of Utah’s premiere orchestra, the 85-member Utah Philharmonia will perform with students from the prestigious Wuhan University in China in a concert that explores cultural musical traditions and builds international student relationships.

To gain insight into this exciting program, we spoke with Director of Orchestral Activities and School of Music professor Robert Baldwin about his inspirations surrounding this collaboration and what most excites him about bringing Wuhan University’s students to the U campus.

Can you tell us about the program’s selections and what inspired them?

We are going to truly share this concert with our friends from Wuhan, China. This means we will be sitting side by side, making music together.

The first half of the program will feature two American and two Chinese selections. George Chadwick’s “Jubilee” and Charles Ives’s “Fugue from Symphony No. 4” will represent the American works. I wanted to share music that was not too cliché (so no “Stars and Stripes” or Cowboy music for example), but still quintessentially American in sound.

We will contrast that with two orchestral works that Dr. Bo Wu is bringing from China. On the second half, we will play one of the monuments of the repertoire, Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Organ Symphony.” It’s a massively powerful work that will utilize the combined forces and showcase the organ in Libby Gardner Hall. School of Music alumni, David Fox, will be the featured organist.

What is most exciting about this meeting of students from the U and Wuhan University?

I feel it is important anytime we can bring people together. The arts do this better than almost anything else because it relies on collaboration and sharing. We all need to work together to make a concert happen, and in doing so we concentrate on the goal rather than our differences.

From my experience, in the end, we realize that we are all essentially the same at the core. I believe the audience picks up on this as well. This generation of students represents the future. I know that sounds cliché, but I also know that coming together like this will be something they remember for the rest of their lives. Who knows where it might lead?

Another exciting element of this concert is the return of one of our alums, Dr. Bo Wu to the Libby Gardner Concert Hall stage. Dr. Wu will be sharing the conducting podium with one of his former classmates, Dr. Lawrence Spell. Both are exciting and capable young conductors. It is very gratifying for me as a teacher to watch their careers develop. The U of U is producing some very promising careers in the Arts!

Finally, we hope this is not a one-time shot,. The students of the Utah Philharmonia hope to be able to travel to China next year and return the favor of their stage, renewing these friendships that have formed over music. More than just a “trip,” this is the path towards future understanding.

What musical traditions do you feel the students share, and what major differences do you see?

The western classical music tradition is solidly established in the U.S. and becoming more readily seen in China as well.

I’ve had the good fortune to conduct in two Chinese cities and was amazed at the depth and enthusiasm for western classical music there. Classical music is everywhere. I’ve been amazed that the concerts I’ve conducted in China have been sold out. I’m sure that’s because of the music. Whether it is curiosity or love of the music doesn’t matter—they keep coming back!

Famous European and American orchestras regularly tour there, but there are also many good local orchestras, Symphony Orchestras, in almost every city in China. The power of Beethoven’s music speaks across time and culture!

I think that China has a bright future in terms of western classical music. I’m also certain that they are in a period of exciting discovery, as more of their composers write for symphony orchestras. There is some really exciting music being produced now in China, and it is different from what an American composer might create. But we must remember that those American composers’ works also sounded different from their European counterparts.

Culture has a way of shaping art, and vice versa. So, yes, I hear some differences in terms of the scales employed, and perhaps also the form and rhythm in Chinese music. But overall, that which survives is nonetheless good music. From my perspective, the musical traditions of China are evolving in exciting ways, and at a very fast rate, much like America was at the time of Chadwick and Ives, the composers whose works will open the concert.

The concert will take place at 7:30 PM at Libby Gardner Concert Hall. Get tickets here. 
Don’t forget that this event is FREE to U of U students through Arts Pass (just bring your UCard)!
We hope to see you there!

Get ready for drama. Prepare for suspense. Lean into romance.

It's time to kick off the Fall Season of Theatre here at the University of Utah with "Dracula, the Musical!"

Described by Director & Choreographer Denny Berry (Musical Theatre Program Head) as a "Gothic, horror fantasy," "Dracula, the Musical"  will delight audiences starting this Friday through September 22nd. With a powerful score by Frank Wildhorn, and lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, the production follows the famous Count Dracula in his lust for new blood. Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray fall victim to Dracula's unnatural charm and, along with Doctor Van Helsing, must fight Dracula's supernatural powers. 

Travel from Transylvania to London with the U of U's talented cast including including Talia Heiss as Mina Murray, Hayley Cassity as Lucy Westenra, and Matthew Rudolph as Johnathan Harker. International Pianist and Music Director, Alex Marshall conducts the hauntingly beautiful score on the set designed by Rachael Harned with lighting design by School of Dance Associate Professor, Cole Adams.

Get your tickets here. 
You won't want to miss it. 

Sept 13-15, and 18-21, 2019 | 7:30pm
Sept 15, 21, and 22, 2019 | 2:00pm
The Hayes Christensen Theatre
330 S 1500 E
Located on the first floor of the Marriott Center for Dance

by Marina Gomberg 

Can we really even say that Fall semester has started until Arts Bash has happened? We didn’t think so either. 

That’s why on Wednesday, Aug. 28 from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., the arts at the University of Utah are taking over the Marriott Library Plaza (and it’s going to be our biggest bash ever!). We’ll be serving up live performances on a massive stage, interactive art, free food, free T-shirts, free swag, and all the info you could ever want on the different ways to experience the arts on campus. 

And it’s all to celebrate the U’s Arts Pass program. 

Wait, you know what Arts Pass is, right? It’s the one-of-a-kind and award-winning program that makes it so you can use your UCard to get free or deeply discounted tickets to literally hundreds of arts experiences on campus each year. This includes dance performances, music concerts, plays, exhibitions, film screenings, and more on the super cheap — and it even includes special student access to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, UtahPresents and Pioneer Theatre Company.  

Here’s why the U makes the arts so accessible to students: Because more and more research is showing the positive impacts of the arts on education. The findings are significant: exposure to the arts is linked with better critical thinking skills, greater social tolerance, a greater likelihood of seeking out art and culture in the future and better workforce opportunities. (Maybe that's why we issue tens of thousands of tickets to students every year.) 

But, back to the Bash: First things first, pick up a passport from any of the booths, visit other booths to collect stamps, and when your passport is full, visit the Info booth to redeem it for a super soft bright red Arts Pass t-shirt that you can take to get your choice of design screen printed on it right in front of your eyes. Then you’ll grab some food and catch a couple acts on stage. 

You’ll be able to visit with folks from: Back to school bundle includes: Herschel Backpack, Air Pods, 16 oz. red Hydro flask, $20 gift card to Starbucks, set of three felt pouches, Minimalist Planner, Notebooks, pens, post-its, and swag from Arts Pass, UMFA, UtahPresents, and Pioneer Theatre Company

Department of Art & Art History
School of Dance
Department of Film & Media Arts
School of Music
Department of Theatre
CFA student leaders
Arts Education
Pioneer Theatre Company
UtahPresents
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Marriott Library’s Creative & Innovative Services
ASUU
Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
LGBT Resource Center
Student Success Advocates
Union Programming Council
Utah Cultural Alliance
Salt Lake Acting Company
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Plus, we’ll have a contest running where you can enter to win this amazing back-to-school bundle. 

So, come. Experience. And start thinking differently.