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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > April > 16
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Explore Austin’s other live music scene
We’re in the midst of a five-week project exploring Austin’s ‘other’ live music scene — classical music. Recent coverage: | UT scholars fill in where Ellington left off on his only opera, ‘Queenie Pie ’ | Thomas Burritt bangs a new path with mallets and Tweets | Q-and-A with Lois Ferrari, conductor
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Review: ‘Avenue Q’
I have a weakness for puppets. I suspect I’m not alone. There’s probably an explanation in evolutionary psychology and a human need to care for cute, furry things. There’s also years of “Sesame Street” and “The Muppets” drawing in young eyeballs. But as an adult — and, again, I think I’m not alone — there’s not much that’s funnier than a puppet working blue.
While the satire’s softened in the years since its opening (and Tony-award-winning season) in 2003, “Avenue Q” still knows how to find the joy in a foul-mouthed fur monster and even a few subtler jokes as well.
Avenue Q is the fictional lowest-rent section of New York City — a move to Hell’s Kitchen is a step up—and its residents are a mix of humans, puppets, monsters, and Gary Coleman. Their one common bond is that they’re all people, as the opening number explains, whom it sucks to be. But as much of a downer as the thought could be, it’s chirped more than whined and grinned more than gritted. That’s the magic of puppets; even suicide is a laugh when it’s presented by the falsetto-voiced Bad Idea Bears.
But in the central story around Princeton, a recent liberal arts graduated puppeteered by Robert McClure, and Kate Monster, a furry activist brought to life by Anika Larsen, there’s also a little real feeling. The “human” touches about a relationship help keep the material fresh and jokes poignant.
And even though the point of the production is to put the puppets in front of their operators, Kate’s stitched-on grin seems alone in the way it’s out of place with her story. No other character ever really lets their utter failure at life get the best of them, but Kate ranges from happy to sappy to bitter to spiteful. And some of those emotions are out of the range of her googly eyes. So while most of the puppeteers in their dark clothes and practice of standing just outside of the spotlight fade away, it’s easy to fall in to the habit of watching Larsen’s face as much as her hands. The juxtaposition of perma-cheer and changing feelings highlights the absurdity — and humor — of the rest of the production.
Not all elements hold up as well. “Avenue Q” is still, quite literally, a laugh a minute, but just since its opening six years ago, this brand of absurd satire has gained something between a foot- and stranglehold on pop culture. While Danielle K. Thomas’ version of Gary Coleman singing a lesson schadenfreude is still funny on a meta-level and superbly performed on its own, the larger joke has been played out countless times on the small screen.
Fortunately, while satire loses its point after a while, I’m not sure dirty puppets will ever lose their fun. And with this cast, several of whom come straight from Broadway, most of the material feels as fresh as ever. So forgive some nitpicking (my favorite Muppets were always Statler and Waldorf) and don’t miss “Avenue Q.”
(“Avenue Q” continues at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, and at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Bass Concert Hall, 2300 Robert Dedman Dr. $19.50-$73.50. 471-1444. www.utpac.org.) Joey Seiler is an American-Statesman freelance theater critic.
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Weekend Arts Pix
TODAY
‘Megan Geckler : Straddle the Line, In Discord and Rhyme’ and ‘Lauren Levy: New Works.’ Park once, see art twice for free. Two female artists, two galleries right around the corner from each other and two openings scheduled for tonight. At Women & Their Work, Geckler uses brightly colored commercial industrial plastic tape to fashion enormous, vivid installations that become translucent optical fantasies. At D. Berman Gallery, Levy takes her whimsical found button sculptures to a new level. 6 to 8 p.m. tonight. Women & Their Work, 1710 Lavaca St. and D. Berman Gallery, 1701 Guadalupe St. Free. www.womenandtheirwork.com. www.dbermangallery.com.
TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY
‘Tenebrism.’ The Rude Mechs present Minneapolis-based theatre company Lamb Lays With Lion which experiments with that fragile line between performance and reality by sharing its failure with the audience. ‘Tenebrism’ is inspired by the religious imagery of Renaissance painter Caravaggio, Martin Scorsesse’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” and legendary rock star Ian Curtis and his iconic post-punk band, Joy Division. The host, Jeremey, promises the audience a show about Jesus, Joy Division, and Caravaggio. However, as ‘Tenebrism’ unfolds, it becomes clear that the real performance is in witnessing just how hard it is for Jeremey and his assistant, Jayne, to get the show to “go on” at all. 10:30 p.m. today-Saturday. Off-Center, 2211 Hidalgo St. Tickets are $5-$25, sliding scale and cash only. www,rudemechs.com
SATURDAY
‘Bayanihan: Work From Manila.’
The indie artist-run gallery Okay Mountain continues its international ‘No American Talent’ exhibit series with new art from nine emerging Philippine artists. Curated by Austin artist Tim Brown, ‘Bayanihan’ refers to a Filipino term that means place, town, community or even nation — or perhaps in our global 21st century, it means state of mind. Opening reception: 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Exhibit continues 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays through May 23. Okay Mountain, 1312 E. Cesar Chavez St. Free. www.okaymountain.com.
Gala Ganesh. For its spring fundraiser, Women & Their Work uses India and the Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesh, remover of obstacles, as inspiration. 8 to 10 p.m. Big Red Sun, 1102 E. Cesar Chaves St. $100. www.womenandtheirwork.org.
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Q-and-A with Lois Ferrari, conductor
For their next program on April 25, Austin Civic Orchestra is joined by the noted violinist Brian Lewis and violist Roger Myers. We caught up with conductor Lois Ferrari.
Here we are in the year 2009, yet we still don’t see too many female orchestra conductors.
Women in leadership positions are few and far between in many fields. I don’t know for sure why this is but it seems to me that, as in any profession dominated mostly by men, it takes a few generations of women breaking into the field before their presence is not considered revolutionary or odd. I hope for the day when people don’t think of me first as a woman conductor, but rather just a conductor.
I think it’s very important for women in traditionally male professions not to set themselves apart purposefully as special and then expect to be treated equally. I have made a point throughout my career to not place a name tag on myself or make my choice of profession any kind of mission or statement. I think making strides via the mainstream makes a more lasting impression.
Can you tell us a little bit about your experience as a conductor?
My first experience as a bona fide conductor was teaching middle school band and orchestra on Long Island in the mid 1980s. It was there that I realized that conducting was my preferred niche in the music education field and decided to pursue this further. I went back to Ithaca College for my masters degree in conducting and was very fortunate to be a part of a program that not only allowed me to study with wonderful conductors but also in all three areas of conducting: band, orchestra, and choir.
In 1989, I took a position as a high school band director in upstate New York, but spent all my spare time traveling back and forth to Rochester to watch Donald Hunsberger rehearse and perform with the renowned Eastman Wind Ensemble. Shortly after that, I knew what I wanted to do, so for two years I studied hard and prepared for the audition into the doctoral conducting program at Eastman. I still remember the exact moment I opened my acceptance letter in the parking lot of my apartment complex.
Two years later, in 1993, I accepted the job offer from Southwestern University, thinking that this New Yorker would spend about three years gaining experience and then off I would go. Sixteen years later, I am still extremely happy at SU and can’t imagine working with better people anywhere.
My musical life and career also improved a great deal in 2002, thanks to my being nominated for and then appointed to the position of music director of the Austin Civic Orchestra. There are not enough superlatives to express my admiration and affection for all the wonderful, selfless people that make this organization work so well. I feel very lucky to be associated with both institutions and look forward to continuing to grow with and learn from them.
Through all these experiences, I don’t recall anyone ever telling me I couldn’t be a conductor because I’m a woman. A few people have remarked over the years that this was something noteworthy and might be difficult to achieve, but I don’t know of anyone who made disparaging or negative comments, at least not to me personally.
You’re a big champion of music by living composers. What’s important about supporting new music?
Until the mid-19th century, nearly all the music that the Western public consumed was new. There was no way to record performances and thus, music had no way to become “standard” or “popular” on a very large scale. There were favorites in small circles, of course, but the idea of new music in live performance was accepted as routine.
The advent of technology really made it difficult for composers in the 20th and now 21st centuries. Today, most Western audiences regard classical music concerts as entertainment and thus, expect to hear their favorite works, which have been preserved and mass distributed via easily available and affordable media.
The interesting thing, though, is that these same audiences, when presented with new material, almost always embrace the experience as at least interesting and rewarding, if not wholly extraordinary. I truly believe that audiences would welcome new music more if it wasn’t treated like a plate full of Brussels sprouts by some of us who are responsible for programming concerts.
Right now, the best or largest audience for new music is in academia and it is there that I feel not only the desire but the responsibility to commission and promote new compositions. Otherwise, the art of music would stagnate and disappear, and sadly we have been experiencing some of the tell-tale signs of that for some time.
On April 25, the ACO will present the third world premiere I have helped give birth to this semester, a work by Jason Hoogerhyde entitled, “Lament,” for string orchestra.
How could Austin’s classical music scene be improved?
That’s a tough question since Austin already has a very rich music scene of which it should be very proud. I guess the thing I would like most to see is the same amount of financial and community support that is given athletics in the public schools be given to Arts programs. In my not so reserved opinion, it is the Arts that defines us as human and evolved beings and it is the Arts that will ultimately save us from our own savagery. As my idol, John Adams once said: “I must study politics and war that my children may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My children ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain”
Spring Concert: Premiere of “Lament” by Jason Hoogerhyde; Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante; Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony
7:30 p.m. April 25
Reagan High School, 7104 Berkman Dr.
Tix: $10 ($8 students, $3 children 12 and under)
www.austincivicorchestra.org
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