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In this issue...
Saturday, October 1 • 8:00 pm
Tickets: $36/30/18, UW-Madison Students $10
Free Pre-concert Lecture
by Perry Allaire, 7:00 pm
LOCATION: check "Today in the Union" (TITU)
Angela Hewitt, the pianist who, according to Stereophile, “will define Bach performance on piano for years to come,” opens the Wisconsin
Union Theater’s Concert Series. She will perform Bach'sThe Well-Tempered Clavier, Chopin’s Three Mazurkas Op. 50, and Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin. Program notes will be available one week before the show on the theater's website. The audience will have an opportunity to meet the artist following the show.
Hewitt’s ten year project to record all the major keyboard works of Bach has
been described as “one of the record glories of our age” and has won her a huge
following. But she doesn’t stop there—her vast repertoire ranges from Couperin
to the contemporary.
“One of the reliably mesmerizing musicians of the day. You sit entranced….it
would have been more accurate to say I was floating just below the ceiling,” says
Paul Driver in The Sunday Times. “She seems to me the complete performer, gifted not only with fingers that
imprint each note with a svelte newness…but also with the ability to convey a
spiritual seriousness that nonetheless does not exclude an utter charm.”
Wednesday, October 12 • 8:00 pm
Tickets: $36/30/18, UW-Madison Students $10
Free Pre-concert Lecture
by John Barker, 7:00 pm
LOCATION: check "Today in the Union" (TITU)
Awe-inspiring and uplifting, Chanticleer originally dedicated concerts to the
vocal music of medieval and Renaissance periods, both rarely performed eras. Now,
almost three decades later, this Grammy-winning male vocal ensemble has gained
a reputation for its vivid interpretations of music throughout the ages, from
Renaissance to jazz, gospel and current music. They’ve most recently gained praise
for their performances on the HBO hit series “Six Feet Under.”
The ensemble’s 29th CD debuts in September 2005. "Sound in Spirit" is a powerful
and unusual exploration of transcendent chant and other primal vocal expression.
The ensemble has also created an original theater piece based on the life of Hildegard
von Bingen, an 18th century Abbess. In the Wisconsin Union Theater they will be performing their
EarthSongs, pairing poets’ words with music to celebrate the grace of Earth’s
creatures, the voices of the seasons, and the rhythms of our planet.
“Luxurious perfection,” raves the
Los Angeles
Times. “
America
’s favorite choral ensemble,” says the New Yorker Magazine.
After the show, enjoy meeting the artists in the theater’s mezzanine.
Seasons Change…
…or what happens when the show can't go on
Our commitment to presenting new or challenging work by international and emerging
artists comes with certain risks. International artists may run into visa trouble,
renowned soloists sometimes get sick, and up-and-coming groups don’t always have
the rigors of touring fine tuned. Sometimes there are changes or cancellations
once the season has been booked.
“If we played it safe, we’d lose something that’s integral to our season,” states
Cultural Arts Director Ralph Russo. “Instead, we rely on our tradition of quality,
so that our patrons can trust us, even when there’s an element of surprise in
the schedule.”
Theater lore includes this story of “surprise”: In 1973, soprano Beverly Sills,
who was at the peak of her stardom, was booked for a sold-out April concert. A
late spring snow storm threw a wrench into the works when the singer couldn’t
get transportation into
Madison
. Luckily the show could be rescheduled for the end of the month and was “an
absolute smash” according to then theater director Bill Dawson.
Which just goes to show that temporary setbacks with happy endings are a time
honored tradition here.
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Sunday, October 2 • 8:00 pm
Tickets: $36/28/18, UW-Madison students $10
Dance is fleeting—a burst of motion, color, and sound, slipping through our senses
as quickly as it appears. Yet some dances go straight to our core and offer themselves
up for contemplation years later.
Although it has been almost 10 years since I saw the Parsons Dance Company perform,
some images from the show are still fresh for me: a dancer tossed into the air,
swirling with giddy delight, and then plunging back into the embrace of the ensemble;
bodies skimming across the stage, like leaves swept in an autumn breeze; a frenzy
of movement, then a sudden moment of still and simple gesture, as dancers take
hands and turn their backs to the audience.
On October 2 the company will present the Midwest premier of "DMB," which is
set to the music of the Dave Matthews Band. The program also includes Parsons’ signature piece “Caught,” which begins as a dancer launches himself
into the air. We don’t see his feet touch ground until minutes later. It’s a simply
constructed and deeply satisfying illusion.
No wonder reviewer Sylviane Gold calls this dance “a wordless heaven.” Parsons
Dance Company offers the immediate thrill of the dance and the lingering pleasure
of the enduring image.
—Heather Good
with James Tompkins
October 17 & 18 • 7:30 pm
Tickets: $10, UW-Madison Students $5
The first offering in this season's Travel Adventure Film Series brings us the magnificent Alps. Carrying over 30 pounds of camera and other gear,
Jim Tompkins and his brother hiked the
Alps
for over two months. Traveling by bus, rail, and on foot, the two traveled through
eight countries in
Europe
. They traverse the green pastures, vertical falls, romantic promenades, fairytale
castles, and cobblestone streets of legendary cities throughout the
Alps
, bringing the viewer on an incredible journey through nature and culture.
Daara J—Senegalese Rap
Daara J will perform on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at 8:00 pm. Daara J has been billed as the "Top Senegalese Rap Group" and is the recipient of a
2004 BBC World Music Award. This is music with a message—they were the first Senegalese rap band to tackle religious, social, political and
spiritual issues. Their work blends harmonies borrowed from traditional tribal music
with influences from American rap, reggae, roots, soul funk and Cuban music.
Daara J replaces Ojos de Brujo, who cancelled their American tour. Subscribers to the
World Stage Series and single ticket holders can use their Ojos de Brujo tickets
to attend Daara J, or they can exchange their tickets for a Wisconsin Union Theater
Gift Certificate by visiting the box office. Ignite Series holders can use their Ojos de Brujo tickets to attend Daara J.
Angelique Kidjo
Tickets still available
for these September events!
Thursday, September 22 with Redefined • 8:00 pm
Friday, September 23 with UW MadHatters • 8:00 pm
Tickets: $28, Students $18, UW-Madison Students $15
This certifiably unique a capella group creates a sound and impression like no
one else, with opening acts by UW-Madison's own a capella stars.
Thursday, September 29 • 8:00 pm
With free dance party following
Tickets: $32/26/18, UW-Madison Students $10
Angelique Kidjo promises a night of amazing fusions of traditional West African
sounds with American R&B, funk, and jazz.
Parsons Dance Company
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