Showing posts with label Center for the Arts at George Mason University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Center for the Arts at George Mason University. Show all posts

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Two 'Fantasias' plus live orchestra = enchantment at George Mason U

Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert featuring Czech National Symphony Orchestra, licensed by Disney Concert Library, copyright Disney

I was quite disillusioned when I was a child and my parents took me to Fantasia. 

Why?

Because there were no words. Why ever would anyone make a cartoon without words? I was furious with the producers. Imagine, a cartoon without words.  The nerve.  

And yet, and yet...I was captivated by the visuals and sounds of the Sorcerer's Apprentice, remaining etched in my mind for decades, the message, the music, Mickey scrambling, and I can bring it to life there again if I think about it.

Oh! To hear the music played by a real orchestra with the film whirring on screen would be utter delight and that's exactly what happened at the George Mason Center for the Arts when Disney presented the film and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra played the music.

For the performance, Disney fused the two Fantasias of 1940 and 1999 into one really big show and brought the animation back with classical music for a momentous ride through magical forests and clouds and sky, floating as we were amidst pastel colors with dreamy-like persons flying through the air, skimming tree tops, and dashing from volcanoes.


Much of it could be quite scary for children, I thought in my adulthood, but few were there at George Mason, perhaps because the show began at 8 p.m. Scenes with great big red monsters and mammoth-sized snakes streaked the screen, enough to produce shrieks, but none were heard from the sold-out audience which applauded often and emitted only bits of adult laughter now and then after a comical scene.

The orchestra played portions of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Stravinsky's 1999 Firebird Suite, Camille San Saen's Carnival of the Animals complete with Donald and Daisy Duck and Noah's ark, and, of course, my favorite, Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice, and other works.

(Omitted from the program, sadly, ("Programs and artists subject to change without notice") was another all time favorite, Debussy's "Clair de lune.")


The Czech Orchestra only began in 1993, and brought 68 musicians to play on its U.S. tour. Conducting was Ted Sperling, the principal conductor for the Westchester Philharmonic, who also is a stage director, performs at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and sings, plays the piano, violin, and viola and orchestrates for Broadway, that's all.

He presented a broad smile whenever he turned to face the audience which did not fail to respond enthusiastically to his baton.

Never have I been disappointed in any production at George Mason and that includes the one-act show by adjunct professor, Kaiulani Lee, as Rachel Carson in A Sense of Wonder. I wonder why she's not on stage 365 days a year, twice a day, delivering the powerful message, especially during these dangerous times of climate change. (Wake up, World! I think the rest of it has, but the U.S.? To listen to most of the Republican presidential candidates, no.)

George Mason's Center for the Arts has many fantastic upcoming performances in its playbook. To see all of them, click here. Below are a few:

March 13, 7 p.m. Pianist Jeffrey Siegel plays Beethoven's final Piano Sonata and other works. Tickets from $24.

March 20, 4 p.m. For St. Paddy's Day and direct from Ireland, Celtic Music, dancing, and storytelling. Tickets from $29.

April 16, 8 p.m. Moscow Festival Ballet performs Giselle. Tickets from $34.

April 17, 4 p.m. Moscow Festival Ballet performs Swan Lake. Tickets from $34.

April 23, 8 p.m., and April 24, 2 p.m. Virginia Opera presents the Flying Dutchman. Tickets from $48.

April 30, 8 p.m. Fairfax Symphony Orchestra plays Beethoven's Eroica with pianist Awadagin Pratt. Tickets from $34.

May 21, 8 p.m. Fairfax Symphony Orchestra with pianist Andrew Tyson play Beethoven and Brahms. Tickets from $34.
 

Directions are here.
 

Parking: Free in Lot K
 

For more information: 888-945-2468 or
(703) 993-8888
patricialesli@gmail.com



Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Blue Brothers take 'em high at George Mason

The Blue Brothers Show at George Mason University/Patricia Leslie
 
 
 
The best party in town Saturday night wasn't in D.C., it was in Fairfax, Virginia at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University where a Blue Brothers' revival carried the audience up, up and away for a solid two hours of pure showtime.
Singing, dancing, and partying in the aisles with the performers was the almost-sold-out, mixed-aged crowd who adored Jake (Brad Henshaw, writer and director) and Elwood (Daniel Fletcher) Blues. The "brothers'" cartwheeled across the stage and wowed the audience with the synchronicity of their steps, matching heels backwards in mid-air at one point.  Martha Graham would have been proud of the choreography by Debbie Jenner.
 
The Blues Brothers Show at George Mason University/Patricia Leslie
 
The shimmering Bluettes (Jocasta Almgill, Victoria Ekanoye, and Victoria Goddard) in multiple glittery costumes sang strong backup and gyrated right along with the leads, to the delight of the throng, some of whom dressed the part.
On sax was Derek "Ricky" Mian and playing trumpet, David Mian (relationship?) who showed their stuff all through the night, but especially in the Theme from Dragnet which started Act 2.   
 
The best crowd pleasers seemed to beee King Bee, Riot in Cell Block #9, and Joe Cocker's With a Little Help from My Friends.
Jake Blues (Brad Henshaw) and Rufus Ruffell on guitar perform Joe Cocker's With a Little Help from My Friends/Patricia Leslie
 
 
Blues and soul numbers excelled, but the audience's response to every single number, including an unimaginative arrangement of  Under the Boardwalk, was enthusiastic and loud.  Yes, everyone was happy.
The lighting designer (Tjeerd Hendriks) and technician (Aoife Hendriks, relationship?) were outasite.
 
The Blues Brothers Show in blue at George Mason University/Patricia Leslie
 
The Blues Brothers Show at George Mason University/Patricia Leslie
 
It was a memorable and fantastic show with big bang for the bucks necessary for the tickets, priced much lower and with cheaper (free) parking than a concertgoer finds in the District.
 
The Blues Brothers Show at George Mason University/Patricia Leslie

The Blues Brothers Show at George Mason University/Patricia Leslie

He (?) did Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher/Patricia Leslie


Some members of the Blues Brothers audience came dressed to kill/Patricia Leslie

Their looks are deceiving for they were having a very good time inviting attention outside before the Blues Brothers Show began/Patricia Leslie