The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 06, 1983, Page 13, Image 13
I .entertainment
1'Alley compai
By James Heath
With its second performance at Carolina j
Coliseum Saturday night, the Alvin Ailey j
American Dance Theatre gave USC's
Carolina Concerts series an impressive
finale to its 1982-83 season.
1<jp i ne au member repertory dance company ,
dazzled the Coliseum crowd with a per- ,
formance that will long be remembered. ,
Energy of such magnitude is rarely found in j
an entire company, but the Ailey dancers all .
possessed a seemingly unending source of (
energy, which is certainly the strength of ,
the unit.
Ralph Glenmore, a member of the troupe |
who conducted a master class at USC last ,
week, said this energy is necessary for
dancers. He told the class, "The more you <
# do, the more you can do ? because the more j
you have to do." This statement seemed to
be an unstated philosoohv of thp mmnnnv
* j ?
J and each dancer proved it Saturday night. ]
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Dance company founder Alvin Ailey \
Play holds ovei
By John Vaughan
& Any actor hopes to perform before a full
especially when it comes to comedy, "there
numbers."
Bigger audiences give bigger responses. Pe;
consciously less aware of their own voices, ant
are heartier and more frequent when the who]
participating.
* Tfeatre has had the misfortune of piayir
Tinillf Piin Woit " liofnt-o
- ...v??v/, * *V/V* r VI* V/MU TIU11, (JUIVi V/ opal OC OUUJ
rather spartan home, West Columbia's Hey ward
' Arts Center. Nevertheless, the theater is holdii
^ over for four performances, tonight through Satu
THE FOLKS at Act I decided "Heaven Can W?
in competition with the ABC-TV miniseries '
Birds" and with the Easter weekend. And they
the theater, in its first real season, should contin
itself as much as possible.
So far, Act I has done a surprisingly good
department this season. "Deathtrap," which
season last fall, was a popular and impressive
U/pnt ftn tr\ talr? finet nlano in tHn etTIo r>r\r-v-1
P*MV,V ?w own, V.UUI[AFestival
of American Community Theaters. "St
the winter follow-up, also was held over for an e
and received much praise.
With "Heaven Can Wait," however, the nun
seats haven't been providing much safety, and
tion can't be tucked away behind the popularity <
predecessors.
The comedy itself is not of the caliber that "I>
as a thriller, or that "Shenandoah" is as a musii
I's production is not of the caliber that the theatei
be expected to deliver.
HARRY SEGAL'S script is based on anoth
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Iiici c Vvuiiico lTii . i;ui uau. uu^cu o LI/iiicuj / lan
the unusual trail of Joe Pendleton, a boxer who i
!0 swept off to heaven by a bumbling angelic mess<
Pendleton is not due at the pearly gates for 60
sent back to Earth.
But too late! Pendleton's manager has had
body cremated. Mr. Jordan, one of heaven's bij
find Pendleton another body to inhabit, and th
results are inevitable.
What is not inevitable is Act I's ability to drav
with sound results. While director Jim Quick
pacing loose and his blocking active, he cannc
tention from the tiny, junior-high-school-pageant
I ? The set is ordinary and uninspired, and the ligi
no bones about belying the lack of facilities. Tru
accept given limitations, but not necessarily wit!
the challenge to be that much more resourcefu
\h?r&:JVat>$t,tfpp^etot,UhOtfgh; ts'thfc "ShOrl 'cMpf <
ny provides ii
A UNIFYING theme existed through the WM
three works performed at the Coliseum, H
[ocusing on the relationships man strives for H
in life and the reality he faces when he [
realizes he may or may not achieve these |
desires. !
The troupe opened with "The River,"
choreographed by Ailey to Duke Ellington's
music. This work represents the major
collaboration between the pair. Com- \
missioned by the American Ballet Theater H
and performed in 1970, "The River" was
originally meant to depict the course of a g!
iver from its source to the sea.
Ellington, though, made it an allegory on |3
oirth, life and rebirth, and Ailey shows the H
'elationships one forms during this process. H
rhe entire company performed with H
strength and skill to visually portray both H
evels of translation. H
The second work was entitled 111
'Research," and was set by Gary H
OeLoatch, a company member and guest H
jhoreographer. "Research" demonstrates (HI
he relationship of man to his senses.
BEGINNING WITH the five senses
lancing playfully together, the work
progresses as people encounter them and
? 1 -< ? " "
ctiiitc uuw uiucn 01 me mey miss without
he senses of touch, sight, hearing, taste and
>mell.
The people, who are greedy, take glittery ***
>ilver orbs from the senses and, without IV
-egard, run off to enjoy their newly found fin:
pleasures. The audience then sees the
senses on stage in the dark, wearing form- An
itting body sacks and wandering aimlessly, the
rying to find any part of what was taken in
rom them. rel
Through the use of flashlights and sal
costumes, the choreography becomes like
hat of Polobolus, concentrating on modern tel
orms rather than technique. The people Ea
igain encounter the senses and realize how gel
ost they are without direction. 1
The work ends with both groups reaching the
in understanding and enjoying the benefits pui
)f the precious senses. Wc
mu
1II
AILEY'S IMMORTAL "Revelations," fee
3ased on the motivations and emotions of mz
r with higher he
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house, but | | j \ |
is safety in j ^ j| | ^
tition of the
lenandoah," J||
xtended run fl
-should now
Debra Leopard appears as Julia Fa
plays Tony Abbott, Larry Webster is
ier, entitled Jones portrays Bette Logan in "Heavi
tasy follows
s too-hastily THE BEST thing about the sho\
?nger. Since Jordan. Canaday's unique physic;
years, he is are especially suited for this role ; h
voice make Mr. Jordan thorough
the boxer's quietly and modestly upstages ever
gwigs, must Canaday is supported by Debra
e humorous sworth and Perry Simpson as Mc
fidently caricatures her character
v the humor spotlight, and she earns plenty of
has left his posing and affected accent and as
>t divert at- pointed gun.
atmosphere Simpson is much improved ovei
?... i ?4 a?i ?
it;vicwt;i iuis auenueu, primarily
iting makes suited for the role. The tall, lanky
e, one must as Max, and his confusion as he c
loutafight; Farnsworth's body provides sonv
1 is not met moments.
*rgot>d yt't * * * La?Yj wteftf-"a$\n*.\Jerry-s&
npressive se
BBMHBBB^Hk>fB^ ^^MMBBa 0?$&?&U
W,wwi,i j^yyjrMembers
of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Thea
al number in the troupe's Carolina Coliseum show
"lerican Negro religious music, served as
; evening's finale. This moving work, set M
three sections, shows man and his G<
ationship to God, who provides hope and
vation.
'Pilgrim of Sorrow," the first section, th
Is of the troubles one must endure on ov
-iL ? *? * ' ?*????
run wrnie asserting tnat laith will help to su
: man through times of hardship. of
rhe second section, entitled "Take Me to M
i Water," portrays baptism and the re
rging of one's sins. Sharrell Mesh, Donna co
>od and DeLoatch were memorable here,
e dancers' sincere joy enveloped the foi
ling of religion in the hope it provides Cc
in. hi]
moc I nro! v?
; j! . H i; k: debUtS'
From Staff Reports
|yj I j; Zylofonia!
Jlfck . ^ I [j | r j Now that the na
1^ . c*e^n^on s^ou^ ^
^ ^ U a
BARKY BRIDU
and Donna Webb w
a concert of diverse
The first half of
three classical wor
marimba quartet.
fThe second hall
ragtime music of I
"Xylophonia" by
"Chicken Heel" ai
IB I and "Yes! We Hav<
The performance
and Stripes Fore
cornpaniment arra
rhsworth, Jerry Stevenson THE QUARTE'I
; Joe Pendleton and Penny Percussion, nn S
? laf _ ? and Herbie May on
an Can Wait. J
The performance
v is Bill Canaday as Mr. according to the q
i\ presence and delivery catchy phrases. It's
is dancing eyes and lilting
ily fun to meet, and he "
>'one Jl -nI
nAr\o rrl oc? Inlin K*
A^v/pu i v* ao ./una rani" 2fsra H I ^ ^
ix Levene. Leopard conwithout
trying for center From Staff Report
laughs with her constant
she dodges a carelessly Johnathan, a p
in a solo act, 1
" past performances this Ballroom,
because he, too, is well- Sponsored by
actor seems comfortable Programs Comm
onfronts Joe in Jonathan billed as "a hare-i
e of the play's funniest The performan
the gene^l publ
eVSrtsbfw aVTohj'-AtrtwW ' * - mVreiVfbrmatltfn
See "Play," pagu H !
iries finale
> % *M,,#00U ^ ^ Jfy.
ter perform a section of "Revelations," the
The third section, "Move, Members
ove" shows that though man may stray,
)d will grant salvation.
NOT YET satisfied with a final curtain,
e coliseum crowd gave a standing
ation, and the constant cheering peraded
the company to perform the last part
the third section again. Entitled "Rocka
y Soul in the Bosom of Abraham," it
ceived an enthusiastic replay by the
mpany, which never seemed to tire.
Both inspiring and enjoyable, the per~mance
by the Ailey company brought the
irolina Concerts season to a close G?i a
gh note.
/iophone quartet
tonight at (JSC
me lias earned the reader's attention, a
)llow. Zylofonia! is a USC student quartet
ime marimba music.
ns play that unusual instrument known as
1 the group will make its debut tonight at
ELL, Joey Henderson, Mike Van Eaton
'ill each perform solo on the xylophone, in
?musical influences.
the concert will feature transcriptions of
ks, as well as one original composition for
Prokofiev's March from "The Love of
' a prelude by Stanley Leonard,
ka from "The Golden Age" and Haydn's
is 33, No. 3 will be performed.
of the concert will be devoted to the
:he 1920s and '30s. with suoh nnmhpr? a?
Joe Green, "Nola" by Felix Arndt,
'Cross Corners" by George Greene,
id "On the Woodpile" by Harry Breuer,
; No Bananas" by Horace Silver.
j will close with a rendition of "The Stars
iver," with the unique marimba acnged
by Bridwell.
' will be accompanied by Jim Hall on
>trong on string bass and Susan Jeffcoat
marimbas.
s is scheduled to begin at4'8:02 1/2 p.m.,"
uartet, which seems to have a knack for
> free and open to the public.
t for Ballroom
S
erformer who mixes comedy and magic
iri 11 or\rvAar ~1 1 *T
rvm Hi rvub?>eil House
the Carolina Program Union's Special ?
ittee, Johnathan's performance is being
raising experience."
ce begins at 9 p.m. Admission is $1 for
t(,' angl cen^s .tyr JJSf,student^v Fpr
; crfir 777-7 no