Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives
Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives
Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives
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66<br />
Entertainment<br />
May<br />
CCS prepares to tap its<br />
way into your heart again<br />
By Ronald J. Bernas<br />
Staff Wnter<br />
Get out your tap shoes,<br />
Frances, the Center for Creatwe<br />
StudIes IS doing a show'<br />
Well, you won't have to aud!<br />
tIOn, but for those who say<br />
"you don't see much tap danemg<br />
anymore" every tlme they<br />
see a tap number on televIsIOn,<br />
DetrOit ISwhere you should be<br />
May 22 and 23 when CCS<br />
hosts Its second National Tap<br />
Dance Day celebration<br />
In 1989, at the request of<br />
Michigan Rep John Conyers,<br />
Congress declared May 25 Na.<br />
tlonal Tap Dance Day. The<br />
date has sIgnIficance - It's the<br />
birthday of one of the first and<br />
perhaps best tap dancers - Bill<br />
"BoJangles" Robmson.<br />
CCS's Lloyd Storey, 67, IS<br />
one of tap's final pIoneers. It IS<br />
- along WIth Jazz - the only<br />
tl'Uly natIve Amencan art form<br />
Not only dId he dance with Eo-<br />
Jangles as part of his famed<br />
troupe, Storey knew him as a<br />
mentor and fnend.<br />
It is that fnendship and Storey's<br />
dedication to his art that<br />
InspU'eS him to pass hIS craft to<br />
the next generatIon of tappers.<br />
NatIOnal Tap Dance Day is one<br />
way of domg that. As BoJangles<br />
passed It on to him, Storey in.<br />
tends to pass it on to another<br />
"There's only a few of us<br />
Meadow<br />
Brook<br />
announces<br />
season<br />
Artistic Director Terence KIlburn<br />
of Meadow Brook Theatre<br />
announced recently a sevenplay<br />
schedule for the 1991-92<br />
season. The new, shorter season<br />
will be reflected in reduced season<br />
tIcket pnces and opens Oct.<br />
3 WIth "Inherit the Wmd," a<br />
show postponed from the current<br />
season.<br />
ADMIT ONE<br />
Theater<br />
3NO.lIWaV<br />
The Jerome Lawrence-Robert<br />
E Lee courtroom drama, based<br />
on the Scopes Monkey Tnal of<br />
1925, Will feature Meadow<br />
Brook favontes Arthur J. Beer<br />
and Booth Colman. The Agatha<br />
ChristIe mystery "Ten Little<br />
Indians" will follow on Oct. 31<br />
Charles Dickens' "A ChrIstmas<br />
Carol" goes mto Its 10th<br />
year at Meadow Brook WIth a<br />
five-week run starting Nov 29.<br />
"A Chnstmas Carol" has be.<br />
come a hohday tradition for<br />
many famihes and performances<br />
are often sold out<br />
months In advance.<br />
"The Gin Game," the PulItzer<br />
PrIze.wmmng D L. Coburn<br />
play that starred Hume<br />
Cronyn and JessIca Tandy on<br />
Broadway, opens Jan 9<br />
Lee BleSSIng's new play,<br />
"Cobb," about DetroIt TIger<br />
Hall of Farner Ty Cobb, WIll be<br />
presented Feb 13. Meadow<br />
Brook is negotIatIng WIth De.<br />
trolt natIve and Tony Award<br />
wmner Lloyd RIchards to direct<br />
thiS Midwest premiere<br />
"Pnvate LIves,' the SOphlstl<br />
cated Noel Coward comedy,<br />
opens March 19, and the new<br />
Fats Waller mUSIcal "Am't<br />
MIsbehavm'," conceIved by<br />
Richard Malthby Jr, WIll close<br />
the season<br />
For ticket mformatlon about<br />
meadow Brook's 1991-92 season,<br />
call the box office at 370-<br />
3300.<br />
Meadow Brook Theatre IS a<br />
cultural program of Oakland<br />
Umvemty<br />
left," Store)! said<br />
"Tap ISa fUSionof the Insh<br />
JIg and Spamsh flamenco dallc<br />
mg " "Dunng vaudeVIlle, al<br />
most evelY act had a tap dance<br />
1ll It Then It began to Jose Its<br />
place to TV and other form~ of<br />
entertamment I - and d Jot of<br />
othel' people who loved tap -<br />
was concerned about the loss of<br />
an alt form Amellca doe!>n't<br />
have a lot of thmgs that are<br />
strIctly mdlgenous to the coun<br />
try "<br />
So he looked around and no.<br />
tlced there aren t many public<br />
schools teachmg tap as palt of<br />
theIr cw-riculum He volunteered<br />
to put on performances<br />
m DetrOit's schools as part of<br />
Black HIStory Month and was<br />
heartened by the kids' response.<br />
"They loved It," he saId<br />
So he doubled hiS efforts and<br />
today some schools In DetrOIt<br />
have tap dancmg groups And<br />
tap ISexperlencmg renewed<br />
popularity across the country,<br />
thanks to people like dancers<br />
Gregory Hmes and Paula Ab<br />
dul<br />
"We're Just mainly trying to<br />
keep tap alive," Storey saId.<br />
"And there's been a resurgence<br />
of tap, lIke, well, a renals.<br />
sance"<br />
Last year's celebratIOn of National<br />
Tap Dance Day was a<br />
Tcumer's portrait of Booker T. Washington.<br />
By Alex Suzcek<br />
SpecIal Wnter<br />
Maestro Jarvi concluded the<br />
season last weekend WIth yet<br />
another example of hIs talent<br />
for unusual but mcely balanced<br />
programnung.<br />
Not only did he treat his audIence<br />
to a preVIew of another<br />
soon-to-be recorded work, he<br />
programmed three non-tradItional<br />
pieces, presented a novel<br />
solo Instrument (the guitar),<br />
programmed vocal sound effects<br />
by the mUSICIansand made use<br />
of a sound system Whlle not<br />
all of it was fully successful, It<br />
made an mterestIng and en-<br />
IIghtemng evenmg.<br />
Walter PIston's "SUite from<br />
The Incredtble Flutist" opened<br />
the concert NotWIthstanding<br />
the programmatic character of<br />
this ballet score, it is 'beautifully<br />
crafted and engrosstng<br />
mucnc that reawakens Interest<br />
In the long neglected work of<br />
thIS American composer The<br />
themes are tuneful, ongInal<br />
and contemporary to Piston's<br />
tune (he studied in Pans With<br />
Boulanger In the 208)<br />
Most happdy, the perfor-<br />
one-nIght performance at Or.<br />
chestl a Hall featurIng Storey<br />
and hiS partner Frank Colvard,<br />
who together form "The Suitdns,"<br />
and other natIonal tap<br />
talents<br />
Orchestra Hall was standmg<br />
loom only<br />
"Last year when we planned<br />
the day we weren't sure If we<br />
\\ auld be able to sell tIckets but<br />
\\ e did," saId Kathleen Straus,<br />
one of the event's planners.<br />
"And It was the most enthusiastic<br />
audIence I've ever seen<br />
anywhere. And when they left<br />
they had the bIggest smiles on<br />
theIr faces and they asked us to<br />
do It agam next year"<br />
ThIS year's event runs two<br />
days and mcludes one free day<br />
of all the tap you could possibly<br />
want. On Wednesday, May 22,<br />
from noon to 9 p.m. Hart Plaza<br />
Will be the stage for hundreds<br />
of tappers at a state.wide festival<br />
Dancers of all ages from<br />
across the state will participate<br />
In the free program. The day<br />
was made possIble m part by a<br />
grant from the Knight Founda.<br />
tlOn<br />
Then on May 23, Storey and<br />
hIS partner and other nationally<br />
known dancers will Pf- 1'-<br />
form at Orchestra Hall pccom.<br />
panied by Jazz great Ma rcus<br />
Belgrave.<br />
Honorary chaIrman of the<br />
mance truly sparkled Jarvt's<br />
penchant for a httle fun was<br />
also eVIdent, to audIence delIght,<br />
as crowd sounds were<br />
shouted by the musIcians to<br />
add verlSmo to the<br />
ences of the circus march m the<br />
middle of the "Suite."<br />
Music<br />
~<br />
lively cad.<br />
The performance of Rodngo's<br />
"Conclerto de AranJuez" was<br />
more of a topiC for debate The<br />
work IS a blatantly romantiC<br />
guitar extravaganza utlhzmg<br />
popular and ethnic styles of<br />
Sparush gUJtar mUSIcIn a class-<br />
Ical format. Rasgueados borrowed<br />
from namenco gypsy<br />
music, plamtIve melodJes and<br />
rhythnuc strums recall earher<br />
but stilI recent tradttlons<br />
It was only at the start of<br />
thIS century, when FranC19CO<br />
Tarrega created a claSSical<br />
techmque capable of rendenng<br />
two-day event is Hmes He has<br />
been mvited to perform at Orchestra<br />
Hall, but recently began<br />
filmmg a new movie and<br />
schedulmg may not permIt it.<br />
Last year Hmes sent a tape recorded<br />
message which was<br />
played during the performance.<br />
All money raIsed by the<br />
event goes to support dance<br />
scholarshIps at the Center for<br />
Creative Studies, where Storey<br />
teaches part tIme.<br />
Storey, a constant ambassador<br />
for tap, will continue teaching<br />
and performmg and next<br />
year WIll travel to MeXICOas<br />
part of a cultural exchange.<br />
He's been to Japan, also under<br />
a cultural exchange program<br />
"We have to keep tap alive,"<br />
he saId.<br />
For more m{ormatwn on the<br />
CCS tap dance celebratwn<br />
events, call CCS at 872-3118,<br />
ext 278<br />
Uoyd Storey<br />
Born m Pittsburgh and<br />
raised In PhIladelphia, Tanner<br />
studIed under the famous<br />
Thomas Eakms at the Pennsyl.<br />
vania Academy of the Fme<br />
Arts.<br />
Declanng he could "not fight<br />
prejudice and pamt at the same<br />
time," Tanner saIled for France<br />
in 1891, where he made hIS<br />
home for the rest of hIS life, ex.<br />
cept for brIef VISits to the<br />
Umted States<br />
He began to exhibit at the<br />
annual Pans Salon m 1894,<br />
and was soon wmnIng awards<br />
and selling hIS pamtings to<br />
museums and private collec.<br />
tors. Two of Tanner's most famous<br />
canvases, "The BanjO<br />
Lesson" and "The Thankful<br />
Poor," were origInal and movmg<br />
deplctlOllS of the hfe of AfrIcan-Americans<br />
following the<br />
CIvil War. Later, he gamed renown<br />
for hIS portrayals of bIbhcal<br />
subjects which were enbe<br />
attamable in the acoustics of<br />
the DSO's hall.<br />
The adagIo second movement<br />
transcended these problems to<br />
some extent. It IS certamly the<br />
best music in the "Conclerto"<br />
and Parkening performed it<br />
with style, never forcmg the<br />
tone of his mstrument<br />
Elsewhere, however, he con-.<br />
tributed to the difficultIes.<br />
WhIle Parkenmg's performance<br />
was often exciting, even technically<br />
dazzhng, at tImes It was<br />
labored.<br />
FInally, a generous pall' of<br />
encores were played so mdlfferently<br />
as to seem tnte Not for<br />
lack of techmque, It was the fI)-<br />
cus and tenderness that were<br />
mIssing<br />
But Jarvt has an uncanny<br />
knack for bnngIng concerts to a<br />
triumphant conclUSIOn and hIS<br />
chOice of the Roussel Symphony<br />
No 3 was another coup Also<br />
long overlooked. the musIC IS<br />
ready for re-dlscovery It Will be<br />
mcluded by Jarvi In a forth.<br />
comIng CD of French musIc.<br />
ThIS post ImpreSSionIst<br />
16, 1991<br />
<strong>Grosse</strong> <strong>Pointe</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />
Detroit Institute'.'o Arts opens<br />
exhibition of Tanner's work<br />
'f.<br />
The DetroIt Institute of Arts<br />
will present the work of Henry<br />
Ossawa Tanner in a major exhIbItion<br />
through Aug. 4.<br />
Tanner (1859-1937) IS recogmzed<br />
as the foremost Afncan-<br />
American artist at the turn of<br />
the century. With more than<br />
100 paintmgs and drawings,<br />
the exhibItIOn represents the<br />
artIst's entIre career<br />
The exhibItion and its catalogue<br />
were made possible by<br />
Ford Motor Company<br />
The exhibItion was organIZed<br />
by the Philadelphia Museum of<br />
Art. AddIt1Jnal support was<br />
prOVIded by The Pew Charita.<br />
ble Trusts and the National<br />
Endowment for the Arts<br />
In Detroit, the exhIbItion is<br />
made possible by addItIOnal<br />
fundmg from Ford Motor Company,<br />
the state of Michigan, the<br />
city of Detroit and the Found.<br />
ers Society.<br />
more than gypsy strums and<br />
the scales of baroque music,<br />
that the artistic genius of<br />
Andres Segovia could win status<br />
for the guitar as a classical<br />
concert instrument.<br />
Even so, the guitar is limited<br />
dynamically and IS at a chsadvantage<br />
playmg with large orchestras<br />
m big halls. Accordingly,<br />
Rodrigo scored the<br />
"CollClerto" for reduced orchestra.<br />
And soloist Chnstophl:r<br />
Parkening chose to play WIth<br />
amplification. This altered the<br />
character of the sound and balance<br />
and emphasized percus-<br />
SIve and harsh aspects of Parkemng's<br />
playmg It also<br />
neutralized the very expressive<br />
delIcacy and tenderness of tone<br />
(made possible by Tarrega tech.<br />
mque) that are the tnstru.<br />
ment's most endeanng qualI.<br />
tIes.<br />
RecognlZlng this undesIrable<br />
trade-off, other performers (and<br />
guitar makers) focus Much effort<br />
on prodUCIng more volume<br />
WIthout electronics and achievmg<br />
a good natural balance<br />
WIth the orchestra Some have<br />
excellent success which should<br />
dowed with the same human<br />
dIgnIty that characterized his<br />
scenes of everyday life.<br />
Tanner's long and distmgulshed<br />
career was recognized<br />
by the French government in<br />
1923 when he was made a<br />
chevalier of the Legion of<br />
Honor<br />
AdmiSSIOn to the exhibitIOn<br />
WIll be free; donations of $3 per<br />
adult and $1 per child are suggesteli.<br />
Free group tours of the<br />
exhIbItion for 15 or more persons<br />
may be scheduled by calling<br />
the DIA tIcket office at<br />
(313) 833-2323 Meetings and<br />
specIal events may be arranged<br />
by calling the DIA food service<br />
and activities office at 833-<br />
7967.<br />
DBa reEQrt:<br />
Electronics impede the artful playing of the guitar<br />
French composer, sometimes<br />
dIsmlSSed as a neo-classicist,<br />
was an original whose ideas<br />
can be ef\joyed today. He also<br />
provides pyrotechnics m this<br />
symphony by making lavish<br />
use of percussion and brass<br />
which open and close the work<br />
with a breathtaking rhythmic<br />
pulse.<br />
The DetrOIt InstItute of Arts<br />
is open Wednesday through<br />
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.rn.<br />
(Closed Monday, Tuesday, holidays).<br />
WhIle the extraordmary pol-<br />
Ish evident In the performance<br />
of the Ptston work was lacking<br />
here, J8rVl gave the Roussel a<br />
spnghtly and highly enjoyable<br />
readIng that whetted the appe.<br />
tite to hear more of this com<br />
poser's works.<br />
The ovation trIbute that followed,<br />
WInning another encore,<br />
must have been music to Jarvi's<br />
ears His Jove affair with<br />
the DSO audience appears<br />
more passionate than ever.<br />
We can look forward to Its<br />
contInuatIOn thIS summer at<br />
Meadow Brook where the innovative<br />
progranumng includes a<br />
contInuatIon r:i J8rVl'S creative<br />
Ideas For more Information,<br />
call 833-3700<br />
I<br />
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