Alfred University Division of Performing Arts

CenterStage

Late Fall 2006

Shakespeare’s Comedy Twelfth Night
Opens November 15 at AU
Twelfth Night; or, What You Will by William Shakespeare invites an audience into a joyful, raucous celebration of love. Written around 1601, Twelfth Night has delighted audiences for more than four centuries. Numerous film and television productions, as well as hundreds of stage versions, have made this one of Shakespeare’s most performed comedies. Of the bard’s reputed thirty-seven plays, Twelfth Night is the only one with a multiple choice title. The doubled title bespeaks the doubling of the confusion on the tiny island of Illyria, when shipwrecked and separated twins arrive at different times, but encounter the same people of the town without anyone realizing there are two.
Twelfth Night centers on some of Shakespeare’s most beloved comic characters. Maria, the clever, pert maid, leads Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in befuddling the dour, pompous Malvolio. Feste, the clown, sings to Olivia’s house as well as Orsino’s while jesting all across the island. Plucky Viola arrives in Illyria and quickly finds a station through her disguise as a man. Almost every character hides something or dupes someone else. Most are engaged in excessive behavior in some way or another, lending credence to Shakespeare’s lines in the world of this play “Care’s an enemy to life.” or “God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools, let them use their talents.” Most famous, of course, is the line with which Maria goads Malvolio into another kind of excess altogether: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em,” convincing the self-satisfied steward that Olivia is in love with him and thus promoting his playing the fool for the entire household.
Directed by Becky Prophet with costume design by Marketa Fantova, Twelfth Night runs November 15 through 18 in the C.D. Smith III Theatre in Miller Performing Arts Center. Reservations may be made by calling 871-2828 or by going to the “Box Office” at www.alfred.edu/performingarts. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for area students. Alfred University students are admitted for $1. All performances begin at 8 p.m.

Cast members Caitlin Casey and Jared Hilliker

From left, cast members Lily Katz, April Nell and Jeff Baxter

AU Chorus presents Autumn Concert
On Friday, November 17, at 8 p.m., the Alfred University Chorus under the direction of Dr. Luanne Crosby will present its first concert of the season in the Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Church. The program features three early works in English: two by British composers, “Which is the Properest Day to Sing” by Thomas Arne and the stunningly beautiful “Ave Verum Corpus” by William Byrde, and “The Rose of Sharon” by American composer William Billings. Also included on the first half of the concert are the spiritual, “Soon ah will be done” and the “Cantique de Jean Racine” by Gabriel Fauré with organ accompaniment by Laurel Buckwalter.
Musical Theater Through the Ages is the theme for the second half of the program. “When the Foeman bares his steel” from the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance showcases the booming baritone of Steve Crandall, Director of Herrick Library. Other faculty and students will perform a few selections from The Music Man, and the chorus will close with a dynamic medley from the contemporary
musical Hairspray. The community is invited to this free evening of beautiful and entertaining music.

Fall Student Recital
On Sunday, November 19, in Howell Hall, the fall student recital will be presented at 3 p.m. On the program will be clarinetist Georg Neubauer and vocalists Frank Alegria, Alyssa Blittersdorf, Alison Beishline, Phil Dickerson, Jaimie Pinkham, Nate Smith and Tori Collins, accompanied by pianist Laurel Buckwalter. Pianists to perform include Jessica Goff, Christy Evers, Erin Paradis, Saeko Nishimura, Maya Shiotani, and Minh-Chau Tran, offering works by Bach, Beethoven, Corea, Debussy, Scriabin, and Shostakovich. Also performing will be the AU String Ensemble, comprised of violinists Jinkook Kim, Rachel Short, Alena
Giesche, and Jasmine Reese; violist Carolyn Kassnoff, and cellists Megan McKee, Stephen Peifer and David Russo. All are invited to this free event.

AU Chamber Singers offer
Treats, Sweets and All That Jazz
You are invited to join the Chamber Singers and the Trio Nouveau on Saturday, December 9, for a special Alfred event. The evening begins with a cash bar at 7 p.m. in Howell Hall with background music provided by the Trio, comprised of guitarists Ken Maracek and Mark Amman and bassist Rick McLay. The Chamber Singers will then entertain with a cappella jazz selections and solos accompanied by the trio, while guests enjoy delicious appetizers and tempting desserts.
Tickets will go on sale November 27 in Powell Campus Center, daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Prices are $15/single, $25/couple or $125 for a table of eight. Tickets may also be reserved by emailing Jaimie Pinkham ((jlp6@alfred.edu) or Lily Katz (lk3@alfred.edu). Proceeds go toward the Chamber Singers 2007 Tour to Greece and Bulgaria.

AU Dance Faculty Angier and Bingham
Present at NYC Festival
On October 21, AU Dance faculty members
Chase Angier and Robert Bingham performed their duet "Regardless" in New York City at the Dumbo Dance Festival, which ran October 19 to 22, at White Wave’s John Ryan Theater, as part of the Tenth Annual d.u.m.b.o. art under the bridge festival. D.U.M.B.O. is the acronym adopted within New York City that describes the industrial neighborhood "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass" on the Brooklyn waterfront where nearly one thousand artists now work and live. For twenty years artists have moved to this neighborhood because of its loft buildings and proximity to Manhattan's downtown. Both indoor and outdoor artwork and performances took place throughout the fine arts celebration, New York’s liveliest. A quarter of a million people were expected in the streets, and in the myriad galleries, studios and performance spaces in the festival area. Approximately 1,500 established and emerging artists participated in this year's event, making it the nation's largest free contemporary visual arts festival.
Curated by the White Wave Dance Company, the Dumbo Dance Festival showcases the work of choreographers from around the globe. Now in its sixth year, it has a reputation for drawing large crowds seeking new and distinctive voices in dance. Press for the festival reads: "More than 80 competitively-selected choreographers and companies, representing some 'jewels' of the cutting edge contemporary dance world, will present stunning performances of ferociously inventive works." Congratulations go to Angier and Bingham who were included in that distinguished group of dancers and choreographers!

Wada to perform
With AU Orchestra
On Friday, December 8, cellist Rintaro Wada will be the featured soloist performing the breath-taking Concerto in A minor by Saint-Saëns with the AU Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Lisa Lantz. The program which begins at 8 p.m. will open with the “Impresario Overture” by Mozart, followed by the “Consecration of the House” by Beethoven.
Due to the renovation of Holmes Auditorium, the location will be announced closer to the event. Please watch for posters or call 871-2828.

Informal Dance Showing
Promises Great Variety
Informal showings of what the dancers on the AU campus have been working on all semester will be presented Thursday through Saturday, November 30 through December 2, at 7 p.m. in the C. D. Smith III Theatre. Included in the offerings will be a new work by Robert Bingham, independent dance works by individual students, and performances by the AU dance classes (Modern, Jazz, Fundamentals, Composition, and the Repertory Class). The Repertory class will present a historical etude by Pearl Primas. There will be performances by the campus dance clubs (Hip Hop, Dance Team, The Middle Eastern Dancers, Alfred Steppas, and Swing Club). Each night will feature a different program; the admission is free. Contact Chase Angier at
angierc@alfred.edu if you have any questions. Please note the earlier starting time of 7 p.m.

Division of Performing Arts
Calendar
November
12 Please note The Alfred Trio concert set for this date
has been postponed to February 18.
15-18 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.
8 pm, CD Smith Theatre. Tickets required.
17 AU Chorus. 8 pm, Seventh Day Baptist Church.
19 Student Recital. 3 pm, Howell Hall.
30 Informal Dance Concert. 7 pm, CD Smith III Theatre. Limited seating.
December
1-2 Informal Dance Concert. 7 pm, CD III Smith Theatre.
Limited seating.
2 AU Concert Band. 8 pm, location tba.
3 AU Jazz Band Concert. 8 pm, Nevins Theatre.
8 Orchestra Concert. 8 pm, location to be announced.
9 Treats, Sweets…..and all that Jazz! With the AU
Chamber Singers and Trio Nouveau. 7 pm, Howell Hall. Reservations required.
January
26 Guest Artist Recital. Tenor JR Fralick with Rebecca Weaver and Luanne Crosby. 7:30 pm, Howell Hall.
February
4 Guest Artist Recital. Matthew Slotkin, classical guitar.
3 pm, Howell Hall.
15-17 Dance Concert. 8 pm nightly, CD Smith III Theatre.
Tickets required.
18 Guest Artist Recital. The Alfred Trio.
3 pm, Howell Hall.
23 Guest Artist Recital. Fredonia Percussion Ensemble. 7:30 pm, Holmes Auditorium.

Division of Performing Arts
Alfred University
Miller Performing Arts Center
Saxon Drive
Alfred, NY 14802

Non Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
At Alfred, NY
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