Newspaper Page Text
ARTheat
e ¥ e *
s gy LB e 8
s *,, i =*l.:—“;Lqm——:a—*§“§i§? e ;
1;,,42;9;," DoEREEERa SRR e e R e i
g R e R e e i R e s
SERHTT s B s B s s e R izt R T S
sG L R CEEHEHE TR R g e Lreiiii— L SR 4
: : aam e
it g L e iEmEE R T e B
L R s s i S LR 1 SR
il S R s P SEmaEm
-%: B : g EnEmaama s | i
i R R s e e R $ - R e i
coHELE ERER R EEe i P
R S e R R R i Fiimn s EReEE $
% B ,Tai,g ; i A i | H
£ g SRR 11’11 : e 5
e e h’"rfi‘f?*'sg P 335’;3111? . {
3 fi HEEE .SE fEH i
sog R R RS R i i ':Ef'fia:“‘{ Ei
i g R P G i § | AEEE R R
B R T T S o i el g pa
g Rs R e i i i S 3 e
L . i B CME ; : T
CaEE e e DT e F i ER ;
oEoEE B h E Lo RE £ ; ; s Ml
st = iR i R e i
g¥o i - —
b e i m | 1 e ‘ REEH i B i i ‘l, 7 i i s
e AT : ’ i i B PG Bt
PR e SR D i B i 1 i
Se B R S ik g
T e .; i g i R T i m cHE
s .::"':, 'l=:;':.;=‘-“_ i ~=~ bt i E
i ] 0. R l S
A o i Lo e
i i iy e M
i L
. TR e
: T i i - e ‘ i
° .
Alain Rodkin (right) is a former rock musician who is landing top roles in classical opera. Photoby Shun Norris
Singer brings training and
experience role in Faust
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
The Augusta Opera lost their head
director of 35 years, Edward Bradberry
on February 24, 2002. Although a diffi
cult time for fellow employees and cast
members, the show must going on. In
deeditisbecause Charles Gounod’s Faust
is coming to the stage, and soon.
The opera tells the story of a very old
and bitter man who wishes for eternal
youth. Unfortunately for him, the devil
Mephistopheles hears him and hascome
to grant the wish, in exchange for his
soul of course.
Vice president for Marketing, Gloria
Greenbaum, says Ed always had aknack
for choosing singers.
“He had a tremendous talent for find
ing excellent young singers,” she said.
According to Greenbaum, the cast is
excited about doing an excellent job in
Bradberry’smemory.
“They are all just fired up. We all loved
Ed very much. It was a big loss to us but
we are going to pick ourselves up and go
on,” she said.
Bradberry didn’t miss the talent mark
when he snagged Alain Rodkin.
Rodkin portrays Marguerite who is
seduced by Faust and gives birth to his
child. When Mephistophelesdecides that
hewants Marguerite for himself, the plot
takes a drastic turn and climaxes to
unexpected heights.
Ragtime brings real people to life in popular musical
By Shun Norris
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
RAGTIME! That’s usually
how this Broadway musical is
expressed; with excitement,
anticipation, and eagerness to
know more.
The four-time Tony Award
winning musical is making its
way to the city of Augusta for
just one performance.
. Written by novelist, E. L.
Doctorow, Ragtime tells the
story of three families; one
upper-middle class, white
Anglo-Saxon Protestant, one
socialistimmigrant thatis Jew
ish and one Harlem black.
While each family finds their
way toself-discovery, their lives
become intertwined with one
another, as well as with real
life historical characters in
cluding Emma Goldman,
Harry Houdini, J. P. Morgan,
Before Marguerite and other major
characters, Rodkin was in arock band as
a drummer and then later a singer.
“I didn’t know how to play drums but
it was fun,” she says with a laugh that is
contagious. “I waslater promoted tolead
singer. I didn’t know anything about
classical music, just rock and roll.”
When mother decided that daughter
needed amorecultural outlook on music,
Rodkin auditioned for the Oakland Youth
Chorus and was shown a different side of
music.
Ayearlater sheattended collegeat San
Francisco Conservatory of Music, a pro
gram she says prepared her musically.
“I learned how to read music, what to
sing, what not to sing, and how to sing,
for real,” she says. There’s that conta
gious laugh again.
Rodkin wasfortunateenough toattend
the well-known Julliard for her Master’s
degree. She informs that the school lives
up to its reputation of being hard on its
students.
“It’'satoughenvironment.lhadahard
time with just the stress of being there.
Theyreally aregeared towards preparing
you in all kinds of ways for a professional
career and for the professional environ
ment. So, on one hand, I came out and I
think I was very prepared and maybe
more prepared than some people who
have gone tosome other schools and they
getcoddled,” shesays. “Julliardiskind of
hard on you and you just learn to gut it
out. You learn todot thei’s and cross the
and Booker T. Washington.
Cast member Kristen
Jepperson who portrays char
acter Emma Goldman shares
her feelingson bringingareal
life person to life on stage.
“It’s cool,” she says. “You
can get information on the
person because there’s so
much about her. You can do
research as opposed to mak
ing it up which is cool too, but
real life characters are great.”
- Emma Goldman was the
leading propagandist for the
anarchist movement in the
United States from the 1890’s
through the 1930’5. She was
not only considered the best
public speaker of her time, but
was named one of the most
dangerous people in America
by J. Edgar Hoover. She was
involved in an assassination
attempt and served three
prison terms while living in
t’s and go back and make sure they are
correct. Julliard is really good for that.
But it’s not for the faint of heart.”
Rodkin’scareerincludes Broadwayand
an European debut with Ope “ra Comicque
as Micheala in Carmen.
Being a minority4n the opera field isn’t
an easy task and Rodkin knows first hand
about type casting of roles.
“Ithink I haveit doubly hard to try and
convince people that I am this character.
Because when you walk through the door
for an audition, they don’t look at you and
think ‘oh that character or this charac
ter,”” she said. “Sometimes I do feel like I
have to be ... I hate to say this but maybe
... better and more convincing than other
people who do get cast.”
Rodkin describes her character Mar
guerite as pure, sweet'and innocent. She
prepared for the role by researching, and
doing a complete transition of the opera
that is independent of what is being sang.
Rodkin says she identifies with her char
acters ... in some way.
“I’m probably not as pure as Marguer
ite,” she says with that laugh. “I think I
try to find a kind of strength and a kind of
universal aspect to bring to these charac
ters.”
To see Rodkin and other cast members
identifyingwithcharacters, get thetickets
now. Prices range from sl2-40. The opera
hits the stage at the Imperial Theatre on
March 20, 22, and 23. All shows start at 8
p.m. For more information call The Au
gusta Opera at 706.826.4710.
the United States.
Jepperson, a graduate of the
California Institute of the Arts,
holds a degree in Harp Perfor
mance. She has toured the
country with the New Christy
Minstrels and has played with
Ray Charles, Shirley Jones,
and Tony Bennett.
“It’s fun actually (touring),
and it’s neat to see different
places and thedifferent people
we meet. I do wish we could
spend more time in the cities
sometimes,” she said.
Ragtime displays American
life at the turn of the 20" cen
tury- an age of stimulating
modifications and grand vicis
situde. The musical is filled
with momentous historical
events such as the birth of the
American labor union, the de
velopment of assembly-line
technology and the beginning
of the automotive and motion
pictureindustries.
Tony Award-winning play
wright Terrence McNally is
responsible for the re-cre
ation of Ragtime. The score
is by Lynn Ahrens (lyrics)
and Stephen Flaherty (mu
sic) who also collaborated in
the past on Once on This
Islandand My Favorite Year.
Don’t miss the chance to
see one of the greatest musi
cals of all time. Showtime is
March 20 at 7:30 p.m. in
Augusta’s Bell Auditorium.
Tickets are priced at S4O,
$35, and S3O and are on sale
at the Augusta-Richmond
County Civic Center box of
ficeand all Ticket Master out
lets.
For more information call
theboxofficeat 706.724.2400
or ticket master at
706.828.7700.
First Friday Jazz Warm-up at the Morris Museum
R ee e it i TR e N
%2 & fi‘?‘é‘éfifi eE;
iEe[ T e e B
L e e e pon iean Plae TR SR
oW L, = ey
R e e %‘2 s ’fi‘ B giE LR
| RSRLR S L 4 eEe
s L e
i e
7 §f’§l‘ - NA
Foe LPy =
: S S £ S e
Pe o . %‘? -
L sy flerd “"*@?%
bl b | B i nE R
L e e oG e
L e e Bl .
--’;3’.o Lt ;E“’E Ei‘qi“r'w
Before heading over to Broad Street next First Friday
(April 5), celebrate first at the Morris! The Museum will
be open at 5:00-8:00 p.m. Enjoy the museum’s perma
nent collection, special exhibitions and entertainment.
Robert Foster and Alan Knight Jazz Duo will perform
selections by Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael and
Charlie Parker. The session lasts from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
and the cuisine is courtesy of Chow Restaurant. In the
Gallery Spotlight: Southern Impressionism, 6:30 p.m.
Admissionisfree.
Augusta hosts Chinese
entertainment
e 5.
/ J ;?-,!“
Dr. Charles Cheng '
Dr. Charles Cheng (above) and Dr. Alex Chiu (below)
were part of “The Many Faces of China” program
held at Augusta State University on Thursday, March
7,2002. Three local Chinese groups coordinated to
present an evening of entertainment in conjunction
with ASU’s Cullum 2002 lecture series on mainland
China. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Asso
ciation (CCBA), the CSRA Chinese Association, and
the Chinese Student and Scholar Association of MCG
(CSSA) presented a program including martial arts
demonstrations, musical performances by flute and
piano, videos of Chinese acrobats and an opera,
and the traditional lion dance.
o :
§
L
e
I i:“v‘: i
L' i il i
P i i
P L
AR i ik W
’E«sizfif*’?wre!zzéfi;}%s*‘ ; T
i | -
i h i !5‘.:
Pi o i
A, oo
'} i , P
i T, 1
B .
L R
i 1"3(' " i
L : L
it ' i
it G
il it ' {
|IL i |
x i | ~ lr:"‘“fi b |
¢
| \
J’" ‘
g ,
i v R
iy \
' i
Dr. Alex Chiv Photos by Lillian Wan
March 14, 2002