Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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r? 11 A i* . v^aromia w?r * ;-^', , -HiP^ ^jf^" gsra^ Jh hk|B I SHHU^n * J!93B^SriBHESl:*iS&^ : p^^Sl T^BnS3i3I^Mfl^ffM^^^^Hfry ^ Hn& w8m?BIB$ By Doug Jolley Gamecock Staff Writer Applause. Performers live and die by it, for it is supposedly the measure of their success. If so, USC's singing ambassadors, Carolina Alive, are well-named. Lauded by presidents and senators, governors and congressmen, Carolina Alive entertained audiences on two continents last year. They finished the season with a tour of Rumania, stopping en route for concerts in Washington, D.C., and New York. Tomorrow night the group begins a new season at the Southeastern Governor's conference in Myrtle Beach. Carolina Alive was formed in 1973, when Dr. Richard Conant, the group's director, came to USC from the University of Texas. Their first performance was at the United Way Convention that year with General Westmoreland in attendance. Since then, they have blossomed into one of the most recognized and most well-liked singing groups of their type in the South. Carolina Alive sings mostly contemporary pop music. The group consists of a main ensemble bearing the name Carolina Alive, comprised of 42 men and women and two smaller groups; Rhythm of Life, a smaller pop group composed of six men and six women, and Radiant Vibrations, a group of seven female soloists best known for their 50s medleys. Conant said he feels the main function of the group is as a IT sir Th.0n.tr0 R V k/ v>? & ? rx/vw* v/ H 1 Season to begin : with ; i October eomedv : V tl i I | I L f 1 \ III? I . 111 III MM in I I * ?>" - , ? ttc^v : r?U |J\J ? &lllgl "jB?iji-^pyB|fc^i^?Ol^|HEiBp^^ BV?P? IjlflL^^SBftfr >::tSB?^*?&$ Iral^ ^W|^BBL ^ss^w.lBr J^K^- MRMBBI fgarj pipla ^gSapBjjffe ^$jE?BpBB&ff^^ ! J |MI | J I |gt|M| l| u B M||M^BI? WteT' l&B? ^9HHK ,1 ^ ^ ,.. &"** ?^% public relations arm of the university. "With the current trend toward diminishing higher education, we try to make the university look a little brighter," he said. "AFTER THE unrest and riots on campuses during the sixties, we're trying to polish our image a little bit. When we go around touring at high schools, etc., we try to make Carolina look a little better to the potential students and their parents for the time when they decide where to go to college." "And of course, there's always political support. We do a lot of conventions, and we'll be singing for all the candidates." Group members were excited telling about their recent trip to Rumania. Delle Parris, a member of all three ensembles, was critical at first, but soon became enthused when the project became reality.4'I was really skeptical at first that we would even get to go, and when we got there I was kind of skeDtical again about our receotion. Rumania being a communist country," she said. "But I was wrong," she continued. "We got a really warm welcome. Some people may say that they (the Rumanians) weren't very friendly, but I thought they were really friendly. We were given top priority wherever we went, and they showed us a lot." THE USC singers were in Rumania two weeks, giving Rv .Innpt nihsnn J w WW J Oamccock Staff Writer ? "You Can't Take It With You," a comedy written by the loss Hart and George Kaufman, will be USC's first ? lajor production, opening Oct. 3 in Drayton Hall. Pig According to Ann Dreher of the Department of pro 'heatre and Speech, two diverse seasons are being q ilanned. One season will be under faculty directorship ?a nd the other directed and designed by graduate rui1 tudents. son Hart and Kaufman are best known for their production ?? f "The Man Who Came To Dinner," Dreher said. pja "You Can't Take It With You' is a classic American Ma omedy with lots of zany humor," said Patti Gillespie, chairman of the Department of Theatre and Speech. " 'One of the characters is a playwright, but only because skj > typewriter was accidentally delivered to the house." mo Die story also involves a grandfather who develops his ma ixplosives in a basement while snakes creep around the 4 touse. I Gillespie said the show has a cast of 19 characters, pre ncluding Bill Parker, an associate Drofessor from bv _ - ? ? %f >acific Lutheran College in Tacoma, Washington. S >arker will portray the grandfather. Fel Bill Wohrrnan, a professional actor and model, and sai ormer USC football star, and Leslie Horton also have Yoi eading roles. I Gail Stewart, James Frink and Dave Engel have also dis >een cast, she said. or * ng diplomats - "v^'" v' ''" f: ^ ^i<^r gag Svv>::>-:::BKa01^^Bi^^^HnHPK^' %mk m M mkxIrBwj&te jRi 1 ^jBSjBI^ ^Uwt$ tMBP <BIlr^?MI,,1'!1 '''I'fi,MiA,iiiA,,'1 i|ii7ij[)tl'i'. 1 r ^iH? sEHPr ^|riK sHH9HB^BHIHHHI^R88? M jwMgp fy -aP- ^ wwwWwBWWBwBWBBWWBBBBBBBBBBBBBi nine concerts all over the country. They played mostly to a public audience made up mainly of village peasants and students. "Lots of the younger people wanted to come back to the U.S. with us, to see our way of life," Parris said. 'The older people were satisfied with their lifestyles. "A lot of the students had to come, to see the American way of doing things. But we were jam packed everywhere we went." At the end nf thpir trin fftrnlina Allvo momlwrfi ct>woH with a peasant family in the mountains by the Black Sea. Conant was more academic about the communist country, but enjoyed the contact with the people of the country. "They were not terribly repressive. They put on a good face for us. We opened our show for them with a little contemporary pop, and then we had some message music, with a number called "Shake Hands," where group members went out while singing and made contact with the audience. The people loved it. They loved the ability to take part." Other upcoming performances hv the aroiin include th? S.C. Savings and Loan convention, also at Myrtle Beach, on Sept. 20. WIS-TV will be holding its 25th anniversary soon, Mid Carolina Alive will take part, performing for top NBC officials. They will also take part in Homecoming festivities again this year. oel Hawkins and Linda Haines will be dancers in the . y. Visiting director for the play will be Mida Scott of j Tulsa Alliance for Classical Theatre. 5 Eccentricities of a Nightingale" and "Fields and ures of Modern Dance" are also scheduled ductions for October. ither productions planned by the department include Doll's House" in December and "Streamers," a play ning in February, which Dreher said might contain I le ottensive language and homosexual overtones. Approaching Simone" and "Requiem for a Nun," a y taken from William Faulkner's novel are set for rch. Pippin," the musical which swept Broadway and 'rocketed Ben Vereen's career, will probably be the st elaborate production, Dreher said. "There will be ; ,ny magic effects in Pippin," she said. Pippin" will end the season in Drayton Hall in April. j JSC's Music Department will also be involved in j iductions, Dreher said. "The Magic Flute," an opera Mozart, will be presented in November. Itravinsky's ballet, "Firebird," scheduled for bruary, will involve the USC Ballot r/>mnanu | VllVi d. She added that the Acting Company from New j rk City is scheduled for USC in March. )reher said season tickets will be on sale at special count rates. Reservations can be made by telephone by coming by Longstreet Theatre.