Performance Report 2

The art of storytelling through song is a living art form and one that has truly withstood the test of time. It is an art form dating back to 5^th century B.C. where the ancient Greeks used it as a pastime much like that of today. They used huge open-air amphitheaters to incorporate music and dance in their stage tragedies and comedies. Spanning time for over 2500 years, musical theater has remained quite true to its original identity. Side Show the musical, a modern day performance, is a story of the lives of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. The story is set in the 1930s and confronts issues of love and identity while the Siamese twins take on uncharted territory while pursuing fame as a musical act.

An original Broadway production, Side Show the musical was brought to us by the UT Dallas School of Arts department and the production was held from April 8-17, 2010. For the purpose of this review, the focus will be on the production that took place on the evening of April 16. Not hindered by the admission fee, a huge crowd turned out for the performance. The audience ranged from young to old in terms of age. Most individuals appeared to be current UTD students as well as a few past students of the Arts program showing up for support evenly dispersed throughout. There were also many large groups of people attending together and last but not least, there were quite a few parents in the turnout. The theater itself was not immense yet it was a large enough stage to effectively present a production of this magnitude and not leave the audience feeling over or underwhelmed. The theater was an excellent choice venue for the musical as the size was also quite perfect for the soundscape of the musical. The theater was greatly insolated and the reverberation had a nice even balance, not too much and not too little.

The performers came across as very authentic in their delivery and overall appearance on stage. The attire was era and event (circus acts) appropriate and highly characteristic of the individual parts. For example, there was Jake the cannibal who was disfigured with scars and wore almost nothing but a drab fraction of clothing, which really played into the fact that he was a savage. Alternatively, there were Buddy and Terry who were adorned in suits and displayed money like the businessmen they were. Further, the entire stage space was used by the actors who seemed to always be in constant motion throughout unless there was standout solo or duet in which the actors would take center stage while standing in place.

The musical consisted of two different acts. The first act served to be the inspiration and cultivation of the Siamese twins as a viable act while the second act shows them getting past the transition as seasoned performers trying to make it on their own. The orchestra was not really inclusive of the actual production but more so relegated to the background off behind some of the props. The music seemed to always keep pace with the performers never getting ahead or falling behind. Consisting of mostly wind instruments, most of the music was very light and not a lot of dark drab kind of stuff with the major themes sticking to a circus type of repertoire. A great deal of the music was kept to a low volume in order to not overwhelm the dialogue of the actors. The rhythm was pretty swift and upbeat in most pieces only allowing for a few to be slightly slowed and mystical for pieces such as “Come Look At the Freaks.” As for the singing, most if not all of it was straightforward. In order for the audience to understand the dialogue, the ornamentation and accenting had to be kept to a minimum.

All in all the musical was an absolute success judging by the amount of applause by the patrons. While the musical displayed an array of different emotions, it stayed faithful to the ideals of the original musicals orchestrated centuries ago and is sure to make its stamp in UTD’s unique history as well.

Gullah People Music Culture

The Gullah people come from a line of slaves that were made to work as manufacturers of rice in South Carolina and Georgia coastal plantations in the 1700s. Even today there remains many small rural communities in the islands just off these two states' coast and the people have managed to retain some parts of their culture and language from their African homeland. It has been said that because of the geographical climate and diseased environment in which the Gullah people were/have been subject to in this region, they have subsequently been able to keep their traditions intact.

Reminiscent of other forms of African music, the Gullah music primarily consist of drums. Also, like many other music cultures of Africa there is a great deal of dancing. The dancing seems to be highly organized and it is evident that tradition plays a great role among the performances. Most of their songs that include a vocal component is made up of some kind of chant or a collection of voices singing to the music.

Today, it is even more evident that the Gullah people are more determined than ever to fight outside pressures in preserving what remains so dear to them. Many developers want to come into the region to commercialize their way of life. However, the Gullah remain steadfast in their beliefs and traditions and continue to share their unique way of life with the rest of the world in hopes that others will recognize it's value as well.

Performance Report: Shakespeare in Song

William Shakespeare was a famous English poet and playwright. He is one of the most influential figures of English history and widely regarded as one the greatest writers of the English language. Even further, Shakespeare is known for his superior theatrical prowess. On the 26^th and 27^th of March, Friday and Saturday evenings respectively, the University of Texas Dallas Chamber Singers showcased a rendition of collection of Shakespeare art entitled “Shakespeare in Song” .

I attended the Friday performance that took place at 8pm that night. The showcase was presented in the Jonsson Performance Hall on UTD’s campus. The Hall itself was not that big, but not miniature either. The stage was big enough to hold a piano, a set of bleachers big enough to hold about a 15-20 piece choir, their accompanying equipment, and lastly a small space for acting out their scenes. The performers were all students either serving as Chamber singers or another part of the performance art program at the university. Since performance is incorporated into these individuals’ curriculum, I believe it was fair to say that they were effectively seasoned in their respective roles with very few mishaps.

On stage, there was the pianist, the director, and the performers. The pianist was off to the left side of the stage enough so as to not take away from the performance but also not far off as to be relegated to the background. Everyone on stage dressed in period clothing, which served to promote a greater connection with audience and really make the context of the performance more engaging.

The entirety of the show was done in two different segments with a brief intermission in the middle. Total, there were 16 different acts and 17 individual pieces performed within them. All of the classical pieces were composed of the pianist and either a soloist and/or choir. There was great variety in moving between pieces. As far as arrangement is concerned, the pianist was the constant throughout with no acapella performances. There was a great amount of contrast between each song in terms of tone, texture, etc. I noticed that each piece went back and forth between dark and gloomy to light and joyful tones while progressing throughout the overall program. With these transitions, there were also differences in the tempos and volume. The increase correlating with the happy feeling music and the decrease effect attached to the darker pieces. In some songs, there was even varying lyrics with the chorus. For instance, the sopranos sang something different from the tenors. I also believe that the piano was pivotal in these transitions, usually playing more intricately in the lighter pieces providing multiple layers (which happened to be where the choir came in most of the time) and fewer layers in the darker performances.

I think it’s worth mentioning that the overall demeanor of the performers was quite composed. There was really no deviating from this unless there was a soloist or there were lines to recite. There was very little grand gesturing on the part of the director. She used little nuances that told the performers when to begin and end, and she gave ques as to when the audience could pay their respects in the form of applause. The audience mostly consisted of students and Chamber Singers of years past. The performance hall was about 40 to 50 percent full I would say and the majority of the students were there on assignment as evidenced by the note taking.

Overall, the performance was a success. The pieces varied enough to keep the audience engaged but similar enough to keep within the parameters of the theme.