MARCH TO ADJOURNMENT Democratic legislative leaders continue to insist they will wrap up their work before the end of the month. “We continue to believe we are on target to finish two weeks from (March 12),” Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said Thursday. The House and Senate will take up appropriations bills next week and Democrats plan to roll out a long-promised jobs creation bill using I-JOBS bonds. House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said he had talked with Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy about the “end game” and said a March 26 adjournment is possible as long as Democrats
stay disciplined” and don’t try to load budget bills with policy measures the majority party hasn’t been able to pass.

CHARTER APPROVED: The State Board of Education approved the renewal of  Storm Lake school district’s charter school on Thursday. Several students from the school made the trip to attend their meeting and share their positive experiences at the school, which allows high school students to earn college credit. The charter school partners with Iowa Central Community College and Buena Vista University. The school is open to all students, but aggressively recruits non-Caucasian students and targets English-language learners. About 50 to 60 percent of  students are the first generation from their family to graduate high school, officials said. Student Evelyn Castro, who is graduating this semester, said she is the first in her family to go to college. Going to the charter school meant her parents, who both work in a factory, wouldn’t have to struggle to pay some college costs, she said. “Charter school was a great opportunity for me,” she said.

DISASTER MEASURES: Cities and counties in disaster-struck areas would get some assistance in their efforts to recover under provisions of two measures discussed Thursday by two House Ways and Means subcommittees. One bill would allow local governments to use post-disaster property value assessments in paying off bonds for tax-increment financing (TIF) districts without impacting property owners’ tax bills. Backers were considering establishing some damage threshold to avoid a wide open process in 88 counties covered by a presidential disaster declaration in 2008 that might adversely the state’s school aid formula. A separate measure would give cities and counties flexibility in setting special elections for disaster-related bond issues beyond the four election dates currently specified in state law.

STUDENTS RALLY: Hundreds of elementary and secondary school students – mostly from the Des Moines area – held a noisy rally in the Capitol rotunda Thursday in support of state funding for education. The students – many concerned that funding cuts could lead to layoffs for art, music and P.E. teachers – chanted “no art, no culture” and waved homemade placards to get lawmakers’ attention. Their message was aided by a string orchestra, band and choir students who performed on two floors of the Capitol building. “Don’t let this be the day the music dies” said one boy’s sign; “SOS Save Our Soles, Save the Arts” proclaimed another. One girl beat her drum so loudly a state trooper had to curb her enthusiasm with a gentle tap on the shoulder.

BILLS BECOME LAW: Gov. Chet Culver signed seven bills into law Thursday, including one that assures local authorities, through their home rule power, can continue to regulate taxicab and limousine businesses in the same manner as they have done for many years. Senate File 2246 addresses a recent district court decision which concluded that the term “motor carrier” did include vehicles such as taxicabs. The court ruled that the DOT authority is exclusive. Several cities currently regulate taxicab and limousine businesses. The practical effect of the district court decision is to eliminate the ability of local governments to regulate taxicabs. Culver also signed House File 2318, which changes the length of term for a city development board member from six to four years and eliminates the term limit.

MASTER BUILDERS: The Iowa Department of Education has received a $100,000 “Construction Program of Study Funding Award” from the Master Builders of Iowa to help establish standards and model programs of study that will guide Iowa students seeking a career in the construction industry. Judy Jeffrey, director of the Iowa Department of Education, called the project a model industry-education partnership and will allow participants to keep pace with advancements in technology and industry practices. The state agency and the 2,100 Master Builders members statewide are partnering with local schools and community colleges to help students begin their education in construction technology while still in high school and then continue to a community college or post-secondary program. The funds will be used to help education and construction industry representatives develop statewide standards for commercial construction education and provide information to students on how they can advance their career in construction.

IASB TRANSPARENCY: The Senate Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to require more public disclosure of taxpayer-funded programs and financial information by the Iowa Association of School Boards. Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, the committee’s chairman, said more transparency is needed in light of allegations of inflated salaries, conflicts of interest and other potential problems. The amendment that won unanimous support would require each school board to annual report their annual dues or fees paid to the organization and other financial information both locally and to the state Department of Education. The proposal was attached to an $844 million education appropriation measure that would fund DOE, community college and regent universities operations during fiscal 2011.

LEAD LEADERS: Iowa has become the second state in the nation to be federally authorized to administer and enforce the federal Lead-based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting program. That is according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office in Kansas City. Wisconsin was the first state to be certified. The program mandates training and certification in lead-safe work practices for construction contractors, property managers and others that work in homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978. Gov. Chet Culver has certified Iowa’s program to be administered by the state Department of Public Health. Effective April 22, anyone performing renovations or repairs for compensation must be trained and certified, and follow lead safe work practices.  Because lead-based paint in the home is a major cause of childhood lead poisoning, the program places new requirements on property management companies, landlords, contractors, renovators and painters for lead safe work practices to reduce the lead exposure of children. Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until it was banned for residential use in 1978.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’re just beginning to dig ourselves out of the hole and, in this case, it’s a big, big hole.” Holly Lyons, a Legislative Services Agency official and member of the state Revenue Estimating Conference in assessing Iowa’s economic outlook.

The liner notes are in French but the music is universal.

 “Sur le Toit des Voisins (Neighbors on the Roof)” is a wild spin through gypsy and klezmer music that stirs the soul and rouses your inner beat to action.

Gadji-Gadjo, a collection of six musicians from Montreal, puts new spins on Old World traditions on its second CD. The result is a nonstop party that will raise any roof.

The spirit of the CD is translated into English on the liner notes, musing about how nice it would be to create green roofs, growing flowers and vegetables there, and adding a final ingredient of music. “Roofs around the world alive with sounds, smells and festivities, so that the best place to be would be … Your neighbor’s roof.”

Whether gathering on a roof or around a fire, all 13 cuts on this CD would fuel the festivities.

The first cut, “Sher Evreiskii Nardinii Tanets,” kicks it all off with a Ukrainian fervor, before quieting the mood with solo a cappella vocal oohs on “Perds-Pas Ta Langue!” The other musicians chime in to create an eerie tone before unleashing some blistering horn and something akin to vocal percussion.

Accordion, blazing violin, clarinet and bass clarinet stream through the rest of the album, complementing each other in surprising ways. One of the prettiest cuts is “Reverie Ephemere,” with delicate glockenspiel plinking merrily through the dream state.

“Allegro Diabolico” changes the mood with its bombastic flair before coming back to the album’s gypsy roots on “Bihav Haitshito Ande Phuv.” This song livens things with its joyous hand-clapping section, skittering clarinet and strong percussive backbeat.

Most appropriately right now is “Gargantuburlesque,” which sounds very much like circus music. Ironically, accordion player and band leader Melanie Bergeron, who wrote the song, also performed with another band on the Cirque du Soleil album “Corteo.”

So circus fans can see Cirque du Soleil’s shows this weekend at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids and head down Third Street SE to see Bergeron’s band in action Sunday night at CSPS.

FAST TAKE

Title: “Sur le Toit des Voisins (Neighbors On the Roof)”

Artist: Gadji-Gadjo

Label: Outside Music for Mange Ta Main! Productions

Performance: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 14, CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

Tickets: $14 at www.Midwestix.com or $18 at the door

Information: www.legionarts.org/music/Gadji.htm or www.gadji-gadjo.com

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (from left) Jeff Hanna, John McEuen, Jimmy Ibbotson, Bob Carpenter and Jimmie Fadden will headline the Coralville 4thFEST free concert July 3 in S.T. Morrison Park.

CORALVILLE — The Grammy Award-winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will headline the Coralville 4thFEST’s free concert  at 8 p.m. July 3 in S.T. Morrison Park.

With a career that spans five decades, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is known as a pioneer of country rock whose influence is still being felt today.

The band’s “Will the Circle be Unbroken” album became a multi-platinum success. Thirty years later, it was one of 50 recordings to be preserved by the Library of Congress. The ensuing “Circle II” album won three Grammy Awards and the Country Music Association Album of the Year. “Circle III” garnered the International Bluegrass Music Association Recorded Event of the Year and a 2005 Grammy for Country Instrumental Performance.

Hits including “Dance Little Jean,” “Workin’ Man,” “Long Hard Road,” “Baby’s Got a Hold on Me” and “Fishin’ in the Dark” put the band at the top of the country charts for over a decade.

The free concert is one of many long-standing Coralville Independence Day traditions, which also include a July 4^th parade and fireworks.  Watch www.coralville.org for more details.

“It’s absolutely a complete boondoggle giveaway,” said Victor Elias of Child and Family Policy Center, who cited numerous studies indicating film tax credits in other states have produced a poor return on investment at pennies on the dollar. He said the money spent on moviemaking could have paid for 1,500 to 4,000 school teachers.

Neil Wells, a writer and filmmaker, countered that the program has been a windfall – directly from movies shot and produced in Iowa and spin-off spending, jobs and image benefits associated with those projects. He said recent state budgeting decisions, not “evil Hollywood people,” are responsible for the state’s financial woes.

The comments were made during a Senate Ways and Means subcommittee meeting on a bill seeking to end the film tax credit. A separate subcommittee approved a measure to suspend the program at least through June 2011 while legislators revamp the credit.

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, an Iowa State University economics professor, said he sees no way to fix the film tax credit under a suspension that would make it pay.

“So many states have tried this in various ways and there seems to be broad-based failure,” he said. “I don’t know how we can succeed when so many others have failed.”

Elias said Iowa could become the surf board capital of the world if it pays 50 percent of the production costs like the Iowa Film Office initially was doing with its “half-price” filmmaking promotion that overcommitted state outlays estimated at up to $38.5 million.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has stepped in to deal with film projects currently under contract or that are registered for film credits and has interpreted the 25 percent credits for production or investments to be an either-or benefit, not a total of 50 percent.

“We’re trying to sort out the mess that’s been handed to us,” said Eric Tabor, chief of staff in the AG’s office.

Dick Thornton, a lobbyist representing the Motion Picture Association of America, said Iowa likes to “brag” about movies like Field of Dreams or Bridges of Madison County, “but when difficulty comes, we like to duck.”

State leaders have indicated Iowa’s troubled film tax credit program could be in limbo for some time while legal issues shake out and lawmakers get a better sense of the state’s financial exposure for projects already in the administrative pipeline.

Film tax credit problems first surfaced publicly last September when two top state Department of Economic Development leaders resigned and former film office manager was fired amid allegations of lax oversight, mismanagement and other alleged abuses that led Gov. Chet Culver to suspend the program.

That move was followed by a state audit and criminal probe that resulted in a misdemeanor charge against Wheeler and felony thefts charges against two individuals and three companies involved in the making of a movie in Council Bluffs that drew down $1.8 million in state tax incentives.

Late last year Culver resumed the program for projects already under contract or registered with the state, but he kept in place the suspension on new projects pending legislative review.

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@gazcomm.com

Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, said legislators likely will suspend tax credits for any new projects until July 2012, although that suspension could be shortened as things progress.

A Senate subcommittee was scheduled Monday to discuss putting an end to the state’s embattled film tax credit program, but the meeting was delayed at least until later in the week, said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames. There was some question Monday whether the subcommittee would be scuttled altogether this session.

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said he expects lawmakers will move to suspend rather than eliminate the program before the Legislature adjourns.

“My judgment is that there will be an attempt that will get support to suspend the credit, either to a year from now or potentially for a longer period of time than that,” Bolkcom said. “I think there’s more support to suspend than to completely kill the program.”

State leaders have indicated Iowa’s troubled film tax credit program could be in limbo for some time while legal issues shake out and lawmakers get a better sense of the state’s financial exposure for projects already in the administrative pipeline.

Film tax credit problems first surfaced publicly last September when two top DED leaders resigned and former film office manager was fired amid allegations of lax oversight, mismanagement and other alleged abuses that led Gov. Chet Culver to suspend the program.

That move was followed by a state audit and criminal probe that resulted in a misdemeanor charge against Wheeler and felony thefts charges against two individuals and three companies involved in the making of a movie in Council Bluffs that drew down $1.8 million in state tax incentives.

Late last year Culver resumed the program for projects already under contract or registered with the state, but he kept in place the suspension on new projects pending legislative review.

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@gazcomm.com

However, Des Moines attorney William Kutmus — who represented Matthias Alexander Saunders, 37, of Minneapolis, at Friday’s preliminary hearing – said he will seek a continuance due to the complex nature of the case and questions whether the state actually lost any money.

“This case is extraordinarily complex,” Kutmus said in waiving speedy trial provisions for Saunders — one of two filmmakers recently charged in relation to the state’s film tax credit program. The class C felony charge of first-degree theft brought against Saunders carries a possible 10-year prison term.

Prosecutors allege Saunders and Wendy Weiner Runge, 44, of St. Louis Park, Minn., unlawfully inflated values on applications for tax credits for the movie “The Scientist.” The two filmmakers and three movie-related companies are facing theft charges for allegedly obtaining $1.85 million in tax credits for their movie by fraudulent means.

In an interview after Friday’s hearing, Kutmus said the financial dealings are complicated because the state incentive program allowed tax credits to be bundled and brokered, and “everything was approved by the state of Iowa.”

“This jury is going to have to be educated on what a qualified tax credit means and whether or not the state of Iowa lost one penny. Those are mammoth things in this case,” he added. “There is an issue whether the state of Iowa lost a dime.”

Kutmus declined to comment further, other than to note that Saunders is “an up-and-coming” cinematographer whose reputation is being impugned, adding that “anytime anybody’s accused of a felony, it can be damaging and that is why this case will be vigorously defended.”

On Friday, Polk County District Judge Odell McGhee also set a May 3 trial date for Maximus Production Services LLC of Minneapolis, one of three companies also charged with first-degree theft. The other two companies charged with first-degree theft included Polynation Pictures LLC and The Scientist LLC, both of Council Bluffs.

Court records indicate Maximus Production Services filed claims for rental equipment that were significantly inflated, such as $225 each for a push broom, a hand broom, a metal rake, a pick axe and a sledge hammer, and two shovels for $450. The invoices also included various sizes of step ladders that ranged from $900 each up to $1,125, and a 24-foot extension ladder reported to have been rented for $1,350.

Assistant Polk County Attorney Jim Ward declined to comment on the case after Friday’s hearing.

Also Friday, confusion among attorneys caused District Associate Judge Gregory Brandt to reschedule a preliminary hearing for former Iowa Film Office manager Thomas Wheeler, 41, of Indianola, who was charged with non-felonious misconduct in office, a serious misdemeanor.

Court documents allege Wheeler failed as director of the Iowa Film Office to verify the eligibility of an applicant for tax credits in December 2008.

One day earlier, Brandt denied Wheeler’s request to disqualify the Iowa Attorney General’s Office from prosecuting his case. Wheeler’s attorney argued unsuccessfully that the attorney general’s office had a conflict of interest by prosecuting him and defending the state in a lawsuit related to the state’s film tax credit program.

The state’s film tax credit fiasco already has claimed the jobs of Wheeler and five other people in the Iowa Department of Economic Development and its film office.

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@gazcomm.com

It’s not too early to don your green, grab your spoons and dancing shoes and head to CSPS on Sunday for a St. Paddy’s pre-party.

Dervish is bringing the merriment, straight from Sligo in northwest Ireland.

Traditional jigs, reels, hops and epic tales find new life in “Traveling Show,” the latest CD from these six masterful musicians.

From the very first cut, a retelling of the ’70s hit “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” you know you’re in for something special. Catherine Jordan takes a most welcome detour from Cher’s overwrought wailing. Instead, the Irish colleen captures the song’s spirit by letting her delicate, reedy vocals dance lightly over the gypsy jam band sounds of the strings, percussion and harmonies.

The album has a wonderful balance of wild reels and jigs that set your heart thumping and ballads that let you catch your breath as you absorb the Old World wonders of a fearless pirate queen, a cat hunting rats while a barn burns down and the swelling emotions that pitch in the high seas.

The first song that will break your heart is Suzanne Vega’s tale of the soldier who challenges his queen for an explanation of a seemingly senseless war. And the last is the album’s final cut, “Crucan Na Bpaiste (The Burial Place of the Children),” an aching look at the great famine’s cruel costs.

The longing and loss are palpable, but so is the joy laced throughout this fine collection. You’ll want to travel along on this remarkable ride.

FAST TAKE

Title: “Traveling Show”

Artist: Dervish

Label: Whirling Discs

Performance: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 7, at CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

Tickets: $20 in advance at www.midwestix.com or $25 at the door

Information: www.legionarts.org/music/Dervish.htm or www.dervish.ie

CEDAR RAPIDS — Antonin Dvorak and Leos Janacek were both Czech composers, but that’s where the similarity ended at Saturday (2/27) evening’s Orchestra Iowa Chamber concert.

Violinists Eric Kline and Miera Kim, violist Lisa Ponton and cellist Carey Bostian opened the concert with Janacek’s String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters.” The composition was written as the composer’s expression of love for Kamila Stosslova, a 25-year-old married woman with a small child who did not understand or return his feelings.

Janacek’s infatuation with Stosslova, who considered the much older composer strictly a friend, is evident in the opening movement that was inspired by their initial meeting at a health spa. The second and third movements explore Janacek’s vision of Kamila giving birth to a son and his mental image of her.

The final movement, marked by frequent mood and tempo changes, brings the composition to an impassioned conclusion.

Kudos are in order for the Orchestra Iowa quartet for creating a memorable performance of Janacek’s composition.

By contrast, Dvorak’s “Wind Serenade in D Minor” evokes the old-world atmosphere where the music of the aristocracy and common people merged.

Under the direction of Maestro Timothy Hankewich, the serenade was thoroughly enjoyable with its Czech folk music themes. The interplay between the woodwinds, horns, cello and double bass was perfectly executed.

In keeping with the flavor of Saturday’s concert, “Czech Mates,” the reception after the concert at Westminster Presbyterian Church featured various kinds of kolaches.

It was a mouthwatering end to the evening.

(Steve Eckert/Spotlight Images) Cooking up merriment, mayhem and fraud in “The Producers” are (from left) Trevor Debth as timid accountant Leo Bloom, Katie Knutson as Ulla and Scott Schulte as mastermind Max Bialystock. All are from Cedar Rapids and are Theatre Cedar Rapids veterans, returning for the show that will reopen the troupe’s downtown home devastated in the Floods of 2008.

By Diana Nollen 

CEDAR RAPIDS — Every night will be opening night for “The Producers” at Theatre Cedar Rapids.

The zany Mel Brooks musical is christening the new stage in the renovated Iowa Theatre Building, 102 Third St. SE. So all the audience members will be seeing something new whenever they attend, TCR staff members say.

Friday night’s gala celebration (2/26) is sold out, but plenty of tickets remain for the rest of the performances through March 14.

TCR is moving home, after 18 months of roaming the city for spaces to hold classes, rehearsals and performances — from area schools and the Grant Wood House on Second Avenue SE to the stopgap TCR Lindale.

Emotions and interest are running high for the show that reopens the theater’s downtown home that lost nearly everything but its shell in the floods of 2008.

“It’s a little like holding your breath for a really long time,” says Leslie Charipar, the theater’s artistic director and director for “The Producers.” “We’re really excited to exhale.”

With a mix of tears and smiles, the cast began rehearsing in the theater’s new second-floor dance studio Feb. 8. They had been rehearsing in the chapel at the Grant Wood House, with a couple weeks of dance rehearsals at Washington High School. The troupe made do with cramming 26 people into the chapel for scene work, but the school gave them a welcome reprieve for dance. “It’s really hard to tap on carpeting,” Charipar says with a laugh.

Leslis Charipar, director

A few other jitters have been creeping in for her personally, she admits.

“Then there’s that ‘boy, I hope I don’t screw this up’ factor. It’s a huge show and a huge building opening,” says Charipar, 43, of Cedar Rapids. “There’s so much anticipation by the public, I don’t want to disappoint anybody. We’re working double-time to make sure it’s everything people hope it will be.”

So how is she approaching the comedy about Nazis, Hitler, theater fraud and backstage flings that won a record-breaking 12 Tony awards in 2001?

“Respectfully,” she says with a straight face. “Working on this show has been really interesting, because it’s one of the classic pieces of theater. If you just do the script, you’ll be fine and won’t wreck it. Just do the script and don’t get too fancy, don’t try to do too much with this show.

“Mel has crammed in just about as much stuff as you can put in a show. Maybe I should say ‘Mr. Brooks.’ We’re not quite at the ‘Mel’ stage yet.”

The cast is full of faces familiar to TCR audiences. Everyone wanted to be in this show.

“We had a really big turnout (for auditions),” she says. “It was sort of overwhelming how much talent there was that turned out. The fact that it was ‘The Producers’ and the grand reopening” stirred up the interest. “Some of our greatest actors and comedians came down because they wanted to be part of the history.

“In terms of casting, our ensemble has a dozen of our principal actors, not your average chorus people who like to be in the chorus and don’t want a principal role. These are all people who have had principal roles in the past. It’s an exceptional chorus — Maria from ‘The Sound of Music,’ all of the Altar Boyz — all of these people in the ensemble have played huge roles prior to this. I don’t know that I’ve ever worked with a cast quite as talented as this one. It’s exceptional.”

And heavy hitters are in the principal roles, as well. Scott Schulte, well-known actor and Z102.9 radio personality, is returning to TCR after 20 years to play Max Bialystock, the shady producer portrayed by Nathan Lane on stage and screen. Trevor Debth, whose first lead was the title role in “Oliver” and who later starred in “Crazy for You” is cast in the Matthew Broderick role of reclusive accountant Leo Bloom. Katie Knutson, who played the title role in “Gypsy,” is back as sexy secretary Ulla.

Bialystock and Bloom team up to stage the world’s worst Broadway show, “Springtime for Hitler.” Thinking they can make more money with a flop than a hit, they turn to the worst script, penned by crazed Hitler fan Franz Liebkind (Jason Alberty), and the worst director, Roger De Bris (Tim Boyle). The best-laid plans go awry when the show is a hit.

“Scott’s fantastic,” says Debth, 29, of Cedar Rapids. “It’s been the most fun rehearsal process I’ve ever had. Hilarity you find in the script, but then there is constant just riffing off each other, taking things on and on. We have equal amounts, if not more, laughter about things not show-related. Knowing we have that trust between each other, that even when things go wrong it’s still going to be funny, allows for a lot of freedom, creativity and excitement every time we’re doing a scene.”

“Rehearsals are hilarious. You could charge a $2 or $3 cover to see the rehearsals,” says Boyle, 54, of Cedar Rapids. They’re also work, he adds. “The music is kind of difficult. We really want to get it right, but hard work is fun also.”

The script is not without its challenges.

“Springtime for Hitler,” a big production number from the show, seemed to make the audience squirm when Brooks was lauded in the recent Kennedy Center Honors.

“We were really sensitive to that one,” Charipar says of the play’s Nazi references. “(Scenic designer) Bret Gothe even went so far as to have lunch with some of his Jewish friends and posed this question: ‘What makes a swastika funny?’ To have a 12-foot swastika in the show is disconcerting to put together, but we discovered glitter makes a swastika funny.

“The key to this is mockery. Mel is ingenious with this. You take away all the power of something like that by mocking that, and it’s interesting to me. It really feels like Mel Brooks’ answer to Hitler — everything he’s ever wanted to say or do to Hitler is in this play. Everything in his power to take down der Fuhrer is in this play. He has zero respect for Hitler, zero respect for the regime. Hitler’s middle name is Elizabeth (in the play). If Hitler were watching this show, he’d be furious. … Maybe the whole point is to make Hitler roll over in his grave, taking everything (Nazis) stood for and dismantling it with irreverent humor.”

She’s hoping “people walk out of here and go ‘holy buckets, that was amazing,’ because we’re competing with a building here. If people hyperventilate a little bit because there’s this amazing building and a great show, that’s a good deal.”

FAST TAKE

What: “The Producers”

Where:  Theatre Cedar Rapids, 102 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

When: Feb. 26 through March 14; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: Friday’s opening night gala is sold out; tickets remain for the rest of the performances; $20 to $25 adults, $15 youths, through the TCR Box Office, (319) 366-8591 or www.theatrecr.org $12 rush tickets at the door 30 minutes before show time, when available

Rated: PG-13

Information: www.theatrecr.org/season.php?show=The_Producers

Chuck Swanson, Hancher Auditorium

The University of Iowa’s Hancher and Orchestra Iowa on Tuesday announced an artistic collaboration with a self-proclaimed “Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible.”

“An Evening at The Symphony with Dr. Prof. Tomas Kubínek,” created by Orchestra Iowa and Kubínek, will be presented by Hancher and premiere in November. After performances in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Decorah, and Mason City, Kubínek will perform the work with the Omaha Symphony and possibly tour with orchestras around the world.

Timothy Hankewich, music director of Orchestra Iowa, began working with Kubinek about a year ago to craft a one-of-a-kind symphonic and comedic production. Kubinek said he was introduced to Hankewich by Chuck Swanson, executive director of Hancher, after he began envisioning the show while touring theaters in Italy.

“When I was here at Hancher in 2006 for a program, Chuck and I had such a good time touring the state,” Kubinek said Tuesday. “I e-mailed Chuck and asked if he knew an orchestra that I could work with to create this project. He asked me to write the whole concept out, so that made me crystallize it.

Timothy Hankewich, Orchestra Iowa

“I didn’t know how badly Cedar Rapids and Iowa City had been devastated by the flood, so I kind of blindly walked into it. Chuck and Tim felt this was exactly what was needed to serve the state and travel.”

Hankewich said the program with Kubinek is the type of entertainment needed for symphony music to appeal to a broader audience.

“Orchestras are hungry for symphonic music performed in new contexts that bring new audiences of all ages together,” Hankewich said. “They’re able to experience symphonic music perhaps for the first time, but also in a safe, humorous and inviting manner.”

Hankewich calls Kubinek “a kindred spirit” who loves to laugh and create a memorable performance.

“We’re finding the music and creating the right mix that complements and describes what he does,” Hankewich said. “It involves things like shortening music, lengthening music, cuts, adding this, subtracting that, and putting it all into publication software. When orchestras around the country play this music, they will enjoy it and be absolutely amazed with what Mr. Kubinek does.”

Kubinek has appeared in over 30 countries on five continents and has been seen by millions of people in standing-room-only appearances at theatres, opera houses, international festivals, in television specials, and on Broadway.

But the 1,141 fans packing the Event Center were thrilled to see and hear the 73-year-old country icon. And by the end of the 90-minute acoustic songfest, he seemed to be feeding off the energy in the room.

He started the show with an unsteady voice, and after just a couple of songs, he apologized “for the involuntary yelps. I’m getting over being a little sick. Actually, it doesn’t sound any different than usual.”

With that, he was off and running, mix wit with wisdom, adding little asides in the middle of the lyrics, and pausing every now and then to grab his handkerchief.

“Isn’t it great to spend a lot of money for a ticket to a show and watch an old fart blow his nose?”

We didn’t care. We were just glad he could manage some jokes and smiles.

He played a string of hits greeted with cheers and bursts of applause, as well as cuts off his latest effort, “Closer to the Bone.” Most of the songs were laid back, with gentle beats, light fingerpicking on his guitar, livened up with some fiery harmonica lines.

He kicked off the concert with “Shipwrecked in the ’80s” before launching into the title track of his new album.

It was an evening of essential Kristofferson. Other hits along the way included “Darby’s Castle,” “The Best of All Possible Worlds,” “Jody and the Kid,” “Here Comes that Rainbow Again,” “Casey’s Last Ride,” “Loving Her was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” and “Jesus was a Capricorn.”

My two favorites were in the mix as well, with “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make it Through the Night.” He even injected some humor into the latter, after singing “I don’t care what’s right or wrong,” he wryly added “yes I do.”

The prettiest songs were tender odes written for his children, one with the heart-melting lyrics, “I love you from here to forever.”

The biggest laugh came after “Nobody Wins,” when he said, “George Bush and Dick Cheney were singing this song in the shower together.”

So we saw his sweet side, his political side, his socially conscious side and his hilarious side in an intimate evening of music. What more could you possibly want?

Take care of yourself Kris, we want you around for a really long time.

Rosanne Cash

By Diana Nollen

IOWA CITY — Rosanne Cash is genetically programmed for country music.

She may have started her career in the pop/rock realm, but 30 years later, she’s come home.

Sharing the DNA of her legendary father, Johnny Cash, and embraced by her stepmother’s musical Carter clan, she has the nature and nurture for country in her soul.

Wednesday’s sold-out crowd leapt to its collective feet several times during her Hancher concert at the Englert Theatre. Fans of her and her father showered her with cheers and applause throughout 100 minutes of hits.

Her program drew heavily from her new CD, “The List,” which just scratches the surface of the “100 essential country songs” her father told her she should know. He drew up the list in 1973 when he discovered his 18-year-old daughter didn’t know the music of her roots.

She knows it now.

The most wonderful aspect is that she taken the first dozen classics and made them her own, through beautiful arrangements, changes in tempo and her edgy alto vocals.

Surrounded by five band members, including husband John Leventhal on guitar, she opened the concert with the breezy “Miss the Mississippi and You” and “She’s Got You” before launching into my favorite cut on the CD, “500 Miles.” And old-fashioned organ sound provided poignant counterpoint to her earnest interpretation of this beautiful folk song, as the other instruments gently joined in.

She didn’t speak to her fans at first, which made me fear this would be a rather impersonal concert of very personal music. But when she did address the crowd, it was like she was chatting with old friends. She shared glimpses of the life and legacy of her famous family and begged our forgiveness if she couldn’t hit all the high notes after “flying among airborne petri dishes.”

At times her voice had more grit than she displayed on her album and her pitch dipped here and there, but I seemed to be the only person who noticed or cared.

She also displayed a devilish wit as she heckled several latecomers who strolled down the aisle 30 minutes into the concert to claim their seats near the front. She turned her humor toward herself when she put the verses out of order during an audience request for “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me.” She drew a huge laugh when she apologized, saying, “I can’t remember the lyrics. I should have written them on my hand.”

She struck just the right chord, however, in weaving her own songs through the texture of her father’s list. She also drew huge applause on the opening strains of her father’s “Tennessee Flat Top Box.” And especially sweet was a final photo on the backdrop, showing a young Cash and her father playing their guitars on a sunny summer porch.

The family flame is burning brightly as she claims her father’s list and begins to amass her own list for her children. Johnny would be proud.

The List” is a sublime collection of country standards Johnny Cash was horrified to discover his daughter Rosanne didn’t know.

Her beautiful vocals and tender arrangements float straight up to heaven where her extended Cash and Carter clan is no doubt applauding.

This was a labor of love 35 years in the making.

Cash explains that she hit the road with her famous father the day after her high school graduation. During long bus rides in that summer of 1973, her dad started talking about songs Rosanne didn’t know.

Worried that she was losing her country heritage to the pop and rock realm, he jotted down “100 Essential Country Songs” she needed to know.

She took a dozen of those titles and recorded them for her first installment of “The List.” Let’s hope more collections follow.

The titles are standards, but the arrangements are not. Even the oldest folk songs sound new under her slightly breathy vocals and the wonderful instrumentals mostly provided by her producer-husband, John Leventhal.

Her daughter Chelsea Crowell adds harmony on my favorite cut, the folky “500 Miles,” while a host of luminaries lend their voices to other tracks. Bruce Springsteen helps ride the “Sea of Heartbreak,” Elvis Costello joins for a spirited “Heartbreak by the Numbers,” Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy helps tell the tale of “Long Black Veil” and Rufus Wainwright adds some grit to Merle Haggard’s “Silver Wings.”

The music covers a wide range of emotion and styles, buoyed by organ, dobro guitar, fiddles, brush snare drums, walking bass, occasional horns and reeds.

The result is a melting pot as rich, strong and colorful as Cash’s musical heritage.

FAST TAKE

Title: “The List”

Artist: Rosanne Cash

Label: Manhattan Records

Performance: Hancher presents “An Evening with Rosanne Cash,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 , Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City

Tickets: Few seats available; $42 and $47 through Hancher Box Office, (319) 335-1160, 1-(800) HANCHER or www.hancher.uiowa.edu/tickets.html

Information: www.hancher.uiowa.edu/events/cash.html and www.rosannecash.com

(Bob Goodfellow photo) Laura Tatar (left) and Ryan Westwood star in "End Days," an outrageous comedy about science, religion and suburbia, on stage at Riverside Theatre through Feb. 21.

By Rob Cline

IOWA CITY — It would not be an exaggeration to say that I am rapturous over Riverside Theatre’s production of Deborah Zoe Laufer’s “End Days.”

Rarely have I been moved so quickly and so consistently by a play. Even fewer are times that I have been so deeply moved by a play that is as hilarious as “End Days.” This story about our individual quests for meaning and connection is a remarkable play, indeed.

Under the direction of Bruce Wheaton, each member of the five-person cast turns in a truly outstanding performance. This combination of a wonderful play wonderfully performed makes “End Days” a must-see. It was enjoyed on Friday’s (1/29) opening night by a capacity crowd.

The plot centers on the Stein family. Rachel (Laura Tatar) is 16 years old and has gone Goth; her mother, Sylvia (Jody Hovland), has recently given her life over to Jesus; and her father, Arthur (Jim Van Valen), has been hopelessly depressed since narrowly escaping the events of September 11, 2001, two years before the action of the play.

Their lives are shaken up when Nelson Steinberg (Ryan Westwood) — socially maladroit, irrepressibly optimistic, and dressed as Elvis — falls hard for Rachel and follows her home. Meanwhile, both Jesus and Stephen Hawking (both portrayed by Tim Budd) make memorable appearances.

Westwood is nothing short of brilliant throughout the play. With his shining eyes, his hard g sounds at the ends of words, his puppy dog earnestness and his ability to sing Hebrew scripture to the tune of “All Shook Up,” he would absolutely steal the show if he were not surrounded by such excellent peers.

Tatar is both tough and sweet, delivering snarky one-liners with precision while still snagging the affection of the audience.

Van Valen is utterly convincing as he portrays both his character’s deep depression and his tentative steps back. He and Westwood deliver some of the play’s most powerful moments as they bond over Nelson’s upcoming bar mitzvah.

Hovland skillfully walks the line between her character’s wackiness and her sincere faith. Sylvia honestly fears for the souls of her family and is desperate to know that they, like her, will be saved.

Budd, whose two characters would seem to occupy opposite ends of a spectrum, is equally funny whether he’s quaffing coffee as Jesus or revealing a locker combination as Hawking. Each role has unique demands, but Budd makes both seem effortless.

This character-driven work is served extremely well by strong costume, set, lighting and sound design.

A note on the play itself: From a certain angle, it would be possible to read the entire second act (if not the entire play) as a sharp criticism of Christian faith of the evangelical stripe.

But the playwright is up to something more complex than that. “End Days” ultimately values and celebrates faith — in God, in science, in one another. Faith in its many guises saves this family as they each find their way back from a destructive extreme to a more moderate place of love, comfort and acceptance.

FAST TAKE

What: “End Days”

Where: Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City

When: 7:30 p.m.  Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 21

Tickets: $12 to $26 at Riverside Theatre Box Office, (319) 338-7672 or www.riversidetheatre.org

University of Iowa graduate and 2007 Pulitzer Prize finalist Rinde Eckert of New York will unveil “Eye Piece” on Friday, Feb. 5, at Mabie Theatre on the UI campus in Iowa City. The new theatrical work was commissioned by Hancher.

By Diana Nollen

By spinning science and philosophy through a kaleidoscope of artistic devises, Rinde Eckert and company are creating “Eye Piece,” a theatrical exploration of vision and vision loss.

Eckert, 58, a much-lauded New York performance artist who grew up in Iowa City and studied music at the University of Iowa, is back to rehearse and refine the work, commissioned by Hancher. Its world premiere will be held Friday at Mabie Theatre in the UI Theatre Building. The play runs through Feb. 14.

It actually was set to be unveiled in November 2008 in Hancher Auditorium, but was among 13 events canceled that season because of the floods.

“We really felt this work deserved to have a great space to be performed in,” says Hancher Executive Director Chuck Swanson, 56, of Coralville. “We wanted it to impact the students, to have the most impact we could possibly have. We knew the situation on campus was not good.”

With the blessing of the funding sources, the premiere was rescheduled for the 2009-10 season.

“We needed to be in a better frame of mind — a better state of facility,” Swanson says. “It was the wise decision to postpone it.”

  The funding was “a real coup” for Hancher, Swanson says. The Association of Performing Arts Presenters awarded the project a $148,700 grant through its Creative Campus Innovations Program in March 2007. The funds will cover a variety of costs, from the artist’s fee and production expenses to marketing, evaluation and documentation.

“It’s a real big deal,” Swanson says. “It’s a very, very competitive process.”

   Among “thousands” of member organizations, Swanson says only eight colleges received grants, intended to integrate artistic programming with the academic environment on campus.

Because the arts are so visual, Hancher reached out to the UI Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration, then to Eckert in 2006, to develop the project plan.

“Rinde has a history with Hancher going back about 20 years,” Swanson says. “With the nature of the project, we knew we wanted someone who was going to be very passionate about it. … Plus, Rinde does great work — he does terrific work. He was just the natural choice for this.”

“The parameters were pretty much set as far as subject matter goes,” Eckert says. “It was up to me to decide how to do it. In my proposal, I said I intend to make art, not a documentary. I’m equipped to do thearical arts, taking information and elements of interviews and fashioning them into an artistic work.”

The topic fascinated him.

   “It’s hard not to be intrigued when you’re dealing with something as large as vision and vision loss,” Eckert says. “The subject is so broad. You can get into the genetics of inheritable eye diseases. … (The theme) brings up a boatload of philosophical questions.

Blindness is an issue not just for the blind. We find ourselves blind to things we need to have eyes opened to. It’s a metaphor. And the politics of the impaired and how we ought to treat the impaired in a civilized community. Certain political issues that arise — issues related to science and art, issues related to science and medicine. To what degree is medicine a science or is medicine an art? That’s a very interesting question.”

The research phase brought him to campus for about six weeklong stays. “I had to do a lot of just hanging out, attending seminars, trying to get a handle on it, absorbing as much as I could, and reading,” he says.  

When developing the script, he turned to radio plays to make the work accessible to both sighted audiences and people with vision impairments.

“There’s two ways to go about it,” he says. “The usual, conventional way is to provide the unsighted with a kind of recorded narrative of someone describing what’s going on. I was inspired by old radio plays using sound, embedding description in the dialogue in order to get people to be able to visualize what’s going on.”

He’s also using a Greek chorus to reinforce what the audience is seeing.  

“There’s a remarkable piece of choreography near end with 12 actors, who are more or less dancers, where it can’t be adequately described what we’re doing, so it takes the form of a dream. The main character describes his dream and the description of this dream is the dance. It’s a poetic description, not a straightforward description.

“Four people are seated in chairs (like) wallflowers. That immediately sets the tone, dealing with impairment issues of marginality. The dance immediately becomes indicative of the marginality of people who are not asked to dance. They begin being intoxicated by the music and go into a kind of ecstatic dance while seated in their chairs.”

Eckert held auditions in September in Iowa City. The cast includes two children, 16 UI students and community members, plus Eckert and four musicians performing his original score. The cast spent two weeks of intensive rehearsal in October and started again the second week of January.

In the end, he hopes audiences “walk away with a better understanding of the world of blindness and vision loss, their many permutations and philosophical dilemmas. There’s a lot to be taken in; it needs to be taken in a form that’s not overly preachy, but arguments have to be made.”

 Fast take

What: Hancher presents world premiere of “Eye Piece” by Rinde Eckert

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 5, 6, 12, 13; 2 p.m. Feb. 7 and 14

Where: Mabie Theatre, University of Iowa Theatre Building, 200 N. Riverside Dr., Iowa City

Tickets: $17 adults, $15 seniors, $5 UI students and youths, at the Hancher Box Office in Old Capitol Mall, (319) 335-1160 or 1-(800) HANCHER, www.hancher.uiowa.edu or at the door

Artist information: www.rindeeckert.com

Empty spaces in the former Clear Creek Amana Middle School in Middle Amana will house an 80-seat theater, rehearsal hall, costume and prop shop and a space for set production.

 “The Glass Menagerie,” by University of Iowa graduate Tennessee Williams, will launch the series April 8 to 25.

The Clear Creek Amana Middle School took over the high school building in Tiffin last fall when the high school moved into its new facility, leaving half the Middle Amana building empty. An agreement between the school and theater includes rent, plus performances and opportunities for Old Creamery staff to interact with Clear Creek Amana students. Younger students will see the company’s touring children’s show and Old Creamery staff will assist older students with their shows.

Studio shows have been held at the Ox Yoke Inn since the floods.

An open house will be held once the new space is ready. Volunteers will be needed at a later date to move items from the warehouse behind the Amana Woolen Mill to the new space. To help, call the theater at (319) 622-6034 and leave your name and phone number.

2010 Season

Dinner Theatre: “Educating Rita,” Feb. 5 to 21, Ox Yoke Inn, Amana. Dinner and show, $40 per person; show only, $25; through the Ox Yoke Inn, 1-(800) 233-3441.

Bluegrass Jam: Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Old Creamery Theatre; $16.50 at 1-(800) 35-AMANA.

Main Stage: “Everybody Loves Opal,” April 29 to May 23, comedy; “Rumors,” June 3 to July 3, Neil Simon comedy; “A Don’t Hug Me County Fair,” July 15 to Aug. 15, musical comedy; “Church Basement Ladies,” Sept. 9 to Oct. 17, musical comedy; “Blithe Spirit,” Oct. 21 to Nov. 14, Noel Coward comedy; “Plaid Tidings,” Nov. 18 to Dec. 19, ’50s and holiday musical favorites.

Studio Series: “The Glass Menagerie,” April 8 to 25, drama; “Red, White & Tuna,” Aug. 19 to Sept. 5, comedy; “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Sept. 30 to Oct. 17, drama.

For Young Audiences: “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” April 24 to May 8, musical; “Miss Nelson is Missing!” July 31 to Aug. 14, musical; “Hansel and Gretel,” Sept. 25 to Oct. 9; “The Snow Queen,” Dec. 4 to 18, based on Hans Christian Anderson’s tale.

Special Event: Doug Gabriel & Family from Branson, Mo., July 8 to 11, music and comedy.

Tickets and information: 1-(800) 35-AMANA or www.oldcreamery.org

Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, has introduced legislation making it an unlawful practice in Iowa to advertise or conduct a live-music performance or production as a throw-back or classic musical act if the performing group does not contain at least one of the band’s original members.

Dvorsky said he took up the cause of old-time rock ‘n’ roll at the bidding of Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, a former member of Sha Na Na who pushed the idea to him during a recent tour stop at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.

“It’s kind of a cool thing protecting these old groups,” said Dvorsky. “They never got a lot of money for what they did anyway.”

According to truthinmusic.org and other Web sites working to halt fraudulent musical acts from profiting off once-popular recording artists, the imposter bands are engaging in a sophisticated form of identity theft that is being addressed by state laws adopted to curb the practice.

Advocates of measures such as Senate File 2089 say the imposter groups are able to undercut the bona fide performances by charging less per performance, but in the process they’re damaging the original acts’ reputations by performing their original hits badly.

Under Dvorsky’s bill, advertising or conducting a live musical performance through the use or representation of a “false, deceptive or misleading” link to a performing or recording group would be an unlawful practice under Iowa’s consumer fraud provisions. The law would provide injunctive relief to block a phony performance and a civil penalty of up to $40,000 per violation. Additionally, a civil penalty of up to $5,000 could be imposed for each day for intentionally violating a restraining order or injunction.

Even though the 2010 session is dominated by money issues, Dvorsky was optimistic the bill could make it to Gov. Chet Culver’s desk yet this year.

“There shouldn’t be a lot of opposition, so I think it’s something that we could just go ahead and pass,” he said.

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@gazcomm.com

(Thomas Langdon photo) Iowa City native Conor Hanick, a second-year doctorate student at the Juilliard School in New York City, had the audience on its feet Saturday night as the featured piano soloist with Orchestra Iowa's “Fire and Ice” concerts.

By George C. Ford

CEDAR RAPIDS — While the audience had to contend with a cold rain outside, Orchestra Iowa created plenty of warmth at Saturday’s “Fire and Ice” Masterworks concert in Sinclair Auditorium. (1/23)

Maestro Tim Hankewich and the orchestra set the tone for the evening with the “Helios Overture” by Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The musical image of the sun rising in the stillness of the morning and traversing through the day until it slips below the horizon was conveyed by Orchestra Iowa’s performance.

Conor Hanick, a young pianist with Iowa City roots, electrified the audience with his performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major.” Hanick’s total command of the piano was evident from the outset as he effortlessly played a composition that offers many pitfalls for a lesser performer.

Hanick and Orchestra Iowa were in perfect sync, a tribute to the pianist’s technical precision and the masterful direction of Hankewich. The audience responded with a well-deserved standing ovation and hearty applause.

Hankewich introduced the final selection of the evening, Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 2 in D Major,” with an interesting bit of local musical trivia. The Masonic Library of Iowa in Cedar Rapids houses an original signed manuscript of the Finnish composer’s “Finlandia,” probably the best known of all of his works.

Orchestra Iowa delivered a bravura performance of the Sibelius Second Symphony. All sections — brass, percussion, strings and woodwinds — were in top form, starting with the stark cold mood set by the cello and bass in the first movement and ending with the glorious trumpet and horn fanfares of the finale.

Hankewich, exhibiting a fluid conducting style that audiences have come to appreciate, clearly enjoyed the Sibelius symphony. His enthusiasm was transferred to the orchestra, culminating in a memorable performance.

CONCERT REVIEW

Maestro Tim Hankewich and the orchestra set the tone for the evening with the “Helios Overture” by Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The musical image of the sun rising in the stillness of the morning and traversing through the day until it slips below the horizon was conveyed by Orchestra Iowa’s performance.

Conor Hanick, a young pianist with Iowa City roots, electrified the audience with his performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major.” Hanick’s total command of the piano was evident from the outset as he effortlessly played a composition that offers many pitfalls for a lesser performer.

Hanick and Orchestra Iowa were in perfect sync, a tribute to the pianist’s technical precision and the masterful direction of Hankewich. The audience responded with a well-deserved standing ovation and hearty applause.

Hankewich introduced the final selection of the evening, Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 2 in D Major,” with an interesting bit of local musical trivia. The Masonic Library of Iowa in Cedar Rapids houses an original signed manuscript of the Finnish composer’s “Finlandia,” probably the best known of all of his works.

Orchestra Iowa delivered a bravura performance of the Sibelius Second Symphony. All sections — brass, percussion, strings and woodwinds — were in top form, starting with the stark cold mood set by the cello and bass in the first movement and ending with the glorious trumpet and horn fanfares of the finale.

Hankewich, exhibiting a fluid conducting style that audiences have come to appreciate, clearly enjoyed the Sibelius symphony. His enthusiasm was transferred to the orchestra, culminating in a memorable performance.

(Thomas Langdon photo) Iowa City native Conor Hanick, a doctoral student at the Juilliard School in New York City, will be the featured piano soloist with Orchestra Iowa in next weekend's "Fire and Ice" concerts.

By Diana Nollen

Conor Hanick is training for a race that he’ll run sitting down.

At a grand piano.

The Iowa City native is returning home to make his debut appearance with Orchestra Iowa next weekend.

He’ll be performing Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto, which will put the fire in the orchestra’s “Fire and Ice” Classical Series concerts. They’re slated for 8 p.m. Saturday at Coe College in Cedar Rapids and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at West High School in Iowa City.

Orchestra Iowa conductor Timothy Hankewich, 42, of Cedar Rapids, says the Prokofiev piece has a little ice in it, as well.

“It’s fiery, but there’s also something steely and icy to his compositional style. It’s fiery in the bravura technique but is has something of that 20th century iciness. … I just love Prokofiev in general. It’s such physical music, extremely energetic, extremely technical and extremely impressive.”

The concerto, a 30-minute piece in three movements, will test Hanick’s mettle.

“Since I’ve been practicing it, it feels like a headbanger’s ball to me,” Hanick, 27, says by phone from the Juilliard School in New York, where he’s a second-year doctorate student. “It’s really energetic from first measure to last measure. There are very few sections with more introspective moments. When they do occur, they add really powerful strength to the piece. It’s a tour de force, virtuoso headbanger’s piece.

“Prokofiev is very sarcastic and sardonic in the way that he composes,” Hanick says. “There are really powerful moments of biting irony where he’s kind of jabbing you and stabbing you in ways that are sometimes kind of uncomfortable. That’s one of his strengths as a composer.”

 He first put the piece under his fingers at age 14 and began relearning it a few months ago, which has been no easy feat. For the past month, has been getting down to what he calls “the nitty-gritty,” practicing as much as eight hours a day.

“One of the more immense challenges I’ve ever had to deal with as a pianist is relearning this concerto,” says Hanick, son of Kevin and Pat Hanick of Iowa City. “I had such bad habits at 14. The only thing harder than learning notes to a different concerto is relearning one from your 14-year-old self.

“When I first started, it was like going in a time machine and revisiting the bad habits of my 14-year-old self and scolding myself. The grunt work of that is over and I can actually play the notes now,” he says. “Muscle memory is very powerful in the formative years of musicality.”

 The physical aspects rise to the top of the concerto’s challenges.

“Certainly the endurance component,” Hanick says. “It’s almost entirely composed with piano and orchestra, with few moments of orchestral interlude. It’s just the nature of the piano writing. It creates physical issues I have to look at. It’s like training for a race — you have to condition yourself.

“There are technical challenges with this piece you have to embody in order to bring it off,” he adds. “The texture and nature of the piece make it so when there are moments of more introspective playing, you need to find ways of making those passages speak in contrast to what is otherwise a pretty raucous texture.

“Certainly with pieces like this — Russian warhorse concertos — part of challenge for the performer is finding something unique and finding refreshing ways to present them.”

   Hanick began taking piano lessons in earnest at age 10 at West Music in Coralville. About three years later, he began studying with University of Iowa professors. He graduated from City High School in Iowa City in 2001, then went to Northwestern University in Chicago. With interests in reading, writing, the arts, architecture and chemistry, he ended up concentrating on music and journalism.

“I didn’t want to restrict myself from exploring (other options) by going to a conservatory,” he says. “By the time I graduated, I discovered my passion for music never really dissipated.”

With an eye toward getting a master’s degree from Juilliard, he took a year off, moved to New York and borrowed a friend’s ID to gain access to a Juilliard practice room.

“I was an honorary student for a year,” he says with a laugh. “I practiced like a madman for a year and got in with a really huge scholarship. It’s one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve made. It’s really a remarkable experience being in New York and seeing your career develop and seeing your interests expand.”

He’s entering his final semester of course work and expects to be there another two years, working on his dissertation and recitals. Hoping for a performance career, he knows a lot of that success will fall squarely on his shoulders.

“I’ll be striving to perform as much as I can,” he says. “I’m youthful and have the energy to learn this music and I have the eagerness to perform in public. Being a musician right now requires a desire to perform and you have to have the skills to write, teach, be creative and create avenues of success for yourself.”

And when opportunities come calling, you answer, especially if it means getting to go back home.

Hankewich had Hanick on his radar, hearing about him from audience and board members, as well as seeing glowing reviews for Hanick’s performances in New York.

When Orchestra Iowa called, Hanick said yes.

“That was an easy decision to make,” he says. “Anytime you get a chance to play with an orchestra you take it. …

“This is something I’m really looking forward to. I did so much performing when I was living there in high school. A lot of people contributed to my musical upbringing. It’s really special to come back and be able to play for them again.”

FAST TAKE

What: Orchestra Iowa’s “Fire and Ice” concert, featuring pianist Conor Hanick

Cedar Rapids: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, Sinclair Auditorium, Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE

Iowa City: 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, West High School, 2901 Melrose Ave.

Tickets: $14 to $39 at www.orchestraiowa.org, (319) 366-8203, 1-(800) 369-8863 or the Orchestra Iowa Ticket Office, 119 Third Ave. SE

Program: Nielsen, “Helios”; Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3; Sibelius, Symphony No. 2

Discussions: Free “Insight” discussions with Conor Hanick and Maestro Timothy Hankewich: 7 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium, 1 p.m. at West High School

Chariton native Amy Johnson portrays Salome with aplomb.

By Diana Nollen

CEDAR FALLS — Musically, “Salome” is a crowning achievement for the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and Orchestra Iowa.

Stylistically, it just didn’t work for me.

The 90-minute opera by Richard Strauss opened Friday at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center and repeats Sunday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m.

It’s a bloody tale of lust, incest, weakness, revenge and murder, based on the biblical account of John the Baptist’s death. I realize society hasn’t learned much or changed much in the ensuing years, but the director’s choice of placing the ancient action in a modern setting seemed incongruous.

Maybe it’s because I know the characters of John the Baptist, Herod and Salome too well to catapult them into 2010, where the royal guards wear desert camouflage and carry tiny machine guns, the women wear cocktail dresses and the ruler wears a cheap American suit.

The scenery was beautiful, with a lavish tent where partygoers gathered to celebrate Herod’s birthday and tiny hanging lanterns that glowed against gossamer draping that fluttered in occasional breezes. Those elements worked wonderfully to create a Middle Eastern desert oasis.

Having the royal family recline on cheap lawn chairs did not. And why would any woman wear a full length fur coat in the desert?

Modern actions didn’t bode any better, with Salome’s mother traipsing around the stage in a drunken stupor wearing one high heel and carrying the other or having a priest so overcome by Salome’s bewitching dance that he swooned in a fetish over her shoes.

And replacing Salome’s signature dance of the seven veils with a dance of the burqa and negligee were just such odd choices. I’m sure very heady metaphors drive all those actions, but they didn’t speak to me.

What did speak to me — and I’m sure to everyone else in the good-sized crowd — was the music. It transcends the ages and was glorious in the flawless artistry of all the singers, Orchestra Iowa instrumentalists and conductor Daniel Kleinknecht.

This has to be one of the most complex orchestral scores I’ve heard from the opera theater. It was thrilling from beginning to end, filled with the wonderful German late-Romantic tradition of bombast, dissonance and drama.

All the vocals were stunning, as well, from the countertenor high male voice we so seldom get to hear to the majesty of Amy Johnson in the title role and Mark Schnaible’s rich resonance as the prophetic Jochanaan (John the Baptist).

As an extra enticement, all the lead roles were played by world-class performers with Iowa roots.

Salome is a tour de force feat of stamina for any dramatic soprano, and Johnson, a Chariton native, handled her role with aplomb. Equally adept at singing, dancing and acting, her presence always commanded attention. She portrayed Salome as a cunning, manipulative seductress with a haughty air of entitlement. No one says “no” to her and lives to see another day.

Schnaible, a Sioux City native, thundered through his role with equal parts stoicism and possession as he spewed religious prophecy.

Sigourney native Katharine Goeldner and Coe College alumnus Jeffrey Dowd were perfectly paired as the shrewish wife Herodias and the weak, ineffective ruler Herod.

This production gives audience members much to discuss and debate on the drive home.

FAST TAKE

What: Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre presents “Salome” by Richard Strauss

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17

Where: Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, 8392 University Ave., Cedar Falls

Tickets: $34 to $12 adults, $34 to $10 ages 18 and under, through UNItix, (319) 273-4849 or www.unitix.uni.edu

Discussion: Free talks with director Gregory Keller one hour before performances in Gallagher-Bluedorn’s Jebe Hall

Extra:  Iowa Public Television will be taping “Salome” for broadcast at 8 p.m. Feb. 1 and 1 p.m. Feb. 7

Information: www.cr-opera.org

Simon Estes

World renowned Iowa bass-baritone Simon Estes will bring his “Roots and Wings” concert tour to every county in his home state over the next three years.

He will launch the event March 4 and 5 in Hampton in Franklin County, northwest of Waterloo.

The tour will raise funds for scholarships through the Simon Estes Iowa Educational Foundation and for local projects in Iowa.

Estes, a native of Centerville and graduate of the University of Iowa and the Juilliard School, will incorporate educational elements in his stop at Hampton. He will share his story and steps to success with area high school students at 2:30 p.m. March 4 in the Hampton-Dumont High School gym.

In addition to public and private receptions, Estes will show and discuss his favorite opera performances and take audience questions at 6:30 p.m. March 4 at Hampton’s Windsor Theatre.

He will perform at 7 p.m. March 5 at the Church of the Living Word Auditorium in Hampton. The concert will feature works from Broadway and opera, spirituals and inspirational music, as well as local high school and community choral groups.

For ticket details, go to http://simonestes.hamptoniowa.org/ticket.htm

Other spring concert dates include March 12 at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines; May 4 in Pella Christian High School, as part of Pella’s annual Tulip Fest; and May 8 in Aplington-Parkersburg High School. Concerts generally will begin at 7 p.m. Estes educational foundation officials say its Web site should be up in the next couple of weeks, with more tour information.

Since making his operatic debut with the Deutsche Opera Berlin in 1965, Estes has performed with major opera companies and leading orchestras around the world. He has sung for U.S. presidents, heads of state and international dignitaries, including Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Estes holds teaching positions at Boston University, Iowa State University and Wartburg College and maintains an active schedule of performances and master classes.

He and his wife, Ovida, reside in Waverly.

(Cliff Jette photos/The Gazette) Kathrine Goeldner (from left) and Jeffrey Dowd listen to director Gregory Keller during a recent rehearsal for "Salome" at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids.Tthe Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre will present the drama Jan. 15 and 17 at Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Fall. Goeldner, a Sigourney native, is portraying the scheming Herodias and Dowd, a Coe College graduate, is portraying her husband Herod.

By Diana Nollen

CEDAR RAPIDS — “Salome,” Richard Strauss’ shocking opera that premiered in 1905 was based on Oscar Wilde’s scandalous 1892 play based on a brief, bloody biblical passage that ends with John the Baptist’s head on a platter.

It would be years before audiences would be allowed to again see and embrace the opera and play showcasing Salome and her dance of the seven veils that seduces her mother’s husband, the ruler Herod. Enthralled, he decides to grant whatever Salome desires. With prompting from her vengeful mother, she demands the baptizer’s death.

The betrayals and manipulations between Herod, Herodias and Salome create “the ultimate dysfunctional family,” says soprano Amy Johnson, a Chariton native who is performing the title role.

“If Salome was in family court today, she’d be the victim, from the psychological abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse. It’s the only world she has known until she encounters John the Baptist. … She responds with the only vocabulary she knows, which is perverse.”

Because such themes still resonate, stage director Gregory Keller of New York is placing the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s production in the present, not in ancient days.

The one-act opera “was not written in biblical times,” Keller says, noting all the original elements of lust, greed, adultery, incest, abuse and murder “are still happening today.”

“Salome” will be performed Friday and Sunday, Jan. 17, at Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls. The larger venue is better suited for staging one of the local opera company’s most daring undertakings.

“It’s 90 minutes of really intense drama and intense music,” says Daniel Kleinknecht of Iowa City, the opera theater’s founder and conductor and newly named resident conductor for Orchestra Iowa.

The Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre cast rehearses the the upcoming production of "Salome" at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 30.

“This is the first time we’ve done any German late-Romantic opera. It’s a very complex score,” he says. “It’s difficult to sing, so it’s a challenge to the singers, and in a sense, a challenge on stage with all the activity and given what happens at the end. It also calls for a very large orchestra.

“It’s one of the most ambitious things we’ve ever done.”

That’s where the Cedar Falls facility comes into play.

“A great combination of factors led us to this piece,” says Kleinknecht, who also is an associate professor music at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids. “We couldn’t do it in Theatre Cedar Rapids — the (orchestra) pit isn’t large enough. As we’re waiting for TCR to reopen, we found ourselves needing to go back to Gallagher-Bluedorn, because it has a great pit. And because of our connection with Orchestra Iowa, it will be the orchestra for this opera.”

When casting the show, Kleinknecht says he wanted to highlight musicians with Iowa ties. He has achieved that with all four principal players.

“We found several world-class artists who come from Iowa originally and have made really great careers,” he says.

Amy Johnson will perform the title role of Salome.

Johnson, now based in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, graduated from Grinnell College and comes from five generations of Iowans, including a great-grandfather who was a Presbyterian minister in Cedar Falls.

Coe College alumnus Jeffrey Dowd, a tenor who now sings mainly in German opera houses, will portray Herod; Sigourney native Katharine Goeldner, a mezzo-soprano who studied at the University of Iowa and now lives in Salzburg, will sing the role of Herod’s scheming wife, Herodias; and Sioux City native Mark Schnaible, a bass-baritone now living in New York, will lose his head as Jochanaan, better known as John the Baptist.

This is Schnaible’s first foray into the pivotal role. He sees the character as “a man of strength and faith — which plays counter to Salome, who is not a person of strength and faith.”

The challenges are many for Johnson, who has sung the title role several times.

“Whenever you play somebody less than desirable, you have to find something likable,” she says.

“It’s a workout in every sense of the word — emotionally, psychologically, physically, musically. How naive she is, how petulant and conniving, changes from production to production.”

She welcomes the chance to work with new directors and their interpretations of the opera.

“It’s enjoyable and stimulating,” she says. “We’re never exhausted for new ideas. It’s what makes live performance so special, otherwise you could just stay home and watch it on DVD.

“It’s not just different directors, but different casts. A different stage partner can completely change how I react. That’s why I can go to different shows and see very different things. The nuances are different from time to time.”

FAST TAKE

What: Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre presents “Salome” by Richard Strauss

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17

Where: Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, 8392 University Ave., Cedar Falls

Tickets: $34 to $12 adults, $34 to $10 ages 18 and under, through UNItix, (319) 273-4849 or www.unitix.uni.edu

Transportation: Bus from Cedar Rapids or Iowa City, $15 round-trip; details and reservations at (319) 365-7401

Discussion: Free talks with director Gregory Keller one hour before performances in Gallagher-Bluedorn’s Jebe Hall

Extra:  Iowa Public Television will be taping “Salome” for broadcast on later in January

Information: www.cr-opera.org

(Joan Marcus photo) Andre Jackson stars as “Simba” in Disney's "The Lion King," on stage at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines in January. In this scene near the end of the show, the ensemble joins him in singing “He Lives In You.”

By Diana Nollen

DES MOINES — Every aspect of Disney’s “The Lion King” is touched by genius.

 The costumes, the masks, the puppets, the choreography, the scenery, the special effects, the music, the characterizations. All transcend any piece of theater I’ve ever seen.

 The magic is happening through Jan. 24 at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. Tickets are scarce, so go to www.civiccenter.org to see if any seats are left, then pounce on them.

The grand hall was full Friday night and as a testament to the power of this production, not a peep was heard from the many children in attendance, except for their gleeful laughter at the antics of Timon and Pumbaa. The hilarious meerkat and warthog — instantly recognizable from Disney’s 1994 animated movie — provide much-needed comic relief after the intensity of the hyena hunt and wildebeest stampede.

All the elements of the popular movie have been translated to live action and improved upon in ways you can’t even imagine. Tears sprang to my eyes about two minutes into the show, when all the animals started streaming from the aisles to the stage to welcome lion cub Simba, the newborn heir to the throne of Pride Rock.

The animals are a feat of engineering and technical wizardry unlike any seen before on stage. All were born in the visionary mind of Julie Taymor, who not only directed the Tony Award-winning show but also designed the costumes and collaborated on the masks, puppets and additional music.

Especially amazing are the giraffes, gazelles, zebras, rhino and elephant that capture the very essence of the animals. Equally amazing is the way the actors embody the graceful gaits while manipulating the stilts, headdresses and body shells, making you soon forget you’re seeing masks and puppet pieces.

Garth Fagan’s genre-blurring choreography combines the abstract shapes of modern dance with the rhythms of tribal dance and the agility of ballet to create a dazzling, primal power that propels the show.

The story is as old as time, with the weak and evil lion Scar plotting a way to gain the animal kingdom’s throne from his brother, the majestic and mighty Mufasa, and nephew Simba, who vexes him with his youthful exuberance. The conflict takes us to the African savanna, where singers and dancers move with utter grace clad in grasses; the dark and ominous elephant graveyard, populated by conniving, carnivorous hyenas and buzzards; the wildly colorful jungle; and the endless night sky.

The action is never sugar-coated. The sexy, strong lionesses stalk their prey for nourishment, Scar enacts his wicked plan, animals we come to love die, but none of it is macabre. And of course, good triumphs in the end, but not without sacrifice.

All this is fueled by the music of Elton John and Tim Rice, who gave us the soaring “Circle of Life,” the bouncy “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and “Hakuna Matata,” the romantic “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and the menacing “Be Prepared.” Other music has been added, most notably in the African choir tradition of jubilant celebration.

All the actors are outstanding, but a special nod must go to Brent Harris as Scar, the embodiment of evil; Dionne Randolph as Mufasa, striking just the right balance between powerful ruler and compassionate parent; Tony Freeman as the hilarious bird Zazu, charged with keeping the inquisitive Simba out of harm’s way; Phindile Mkhize as the all-knowing shaman Rafiki; Andre Jackson as the adult Simba and Marja Harmon as his lifelong friend and partner Nala.

 ”The Lion King” is that most rare kind of event that enthralls adults and builds lifelong memories for children.

FAST TAKE

What: Disney’s “The Lion King”

Where: Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines

When: Through Jan. 24; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $22.50 to $130 through the Civic Center Ticket Office, Ticketmaster outlets, 1-(800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com/venue/49258

Information: www.civiccenter.org

(AP photo) Elvis Presley, who had parallel careers in music and movies, would have turned 75 on Friday, Jan. 8. This classic stance is from his third film, 1957’s “Jailhouse Rock.”

Long live the King!

Before King of Pop Michael Jackson even had 10 toes, Elvis was dancing on his, swiveling his hips and making millions swoon.

The King of Rock ’n’ Roll would have turned 75 on Friday. Even though he died 32 years ago at age 42, our fascination with him has barely waned.

With his slick moves, pompadour do, movie star looks and come-hither vocals, he raised a ruckus wherever he went.

He kicked down the doors for all the musical mavericks that have followed, right up to Adam Lambert.

And so in honor of our favorite mover and shaker, The Mill Restaurant in Iowa City presents its 12th annual Elvis Tribute and Benefit on Friday night, Jan. 8. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the music starts at 9 p.m. at the venue, 120 E. Burlington St. Admission is one canned food item or $3, to benefit the Johnson County Crisis Center. Local musicians will be covering the King’s music, in a trip down Memory Lane.

Here’s a little trivia from Elvis.com to help jog your memories:

Elvis Aaron (yes, Aaron, not Aron) and his twin brother, Jessie Garon, were born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Miss., on Jan. 8, 1935. Jessie was stillborn. Elvis grew up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis in 1948, where the mix of pop, country, gospel and R&B fueled his musical tastes.

His career began with Sun Records in 1954 and by 1956, he was an international star.

During the next 20 years, he made 33 movies, served in the Army, married Priscilla, fathered Lisa Marie, sold more than a billion records and had 14 Grammy nominations and three wins.

Elvis, who really doesn’t need a last name, died at his beloved Graceland mansion on Aug. 16, 1977.

And for all that he’s given us, we say, “Thank you, thank you very much.”

— Diana Nollen, The Gazette

Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8, 9, 15 and 16 at the Ambroz Recreation Center, 2000 Mount Vernon Rd. SE.

Included are “Overtones” by Alice Gurstenburg, “Aria da Capo” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Trifles” by Iowa writer Susan Glaspell. All three plays were groundbreaking works when they opened at the turn of the 20th century.

Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 14 and under.

Advance registration is advised; any remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Register in person at the Ambroz Center, call (319) 286-5731 or go to www.crrec.org

The Parlour Theatre Company at Ushers Ferry Historic Village, 5925 Seminole Valley Trl. NE, is celebrating its 10th anniversary of bringing historical theater to the Cedar Rapids area with a major expansion and name change.

Now known as the Ushers Ferry Theatre Company, the program’s mission is to explore and build community by bringing to the stage family friendly theater both from and about the past.

“We made a new friend who really loves to do theater and wants to take the project on,” says Darrin Crow of Cedar Rapids, education coordinator at the historic village.

Jim Stewart, director

Jim Stewart of Cedar Rapids, who formerly worked with the Houston Shakespeare Festival, is the new artistic director for the series. “He’s a terrific volunteer and a great person,” Crow says.

The company will specialize in presenting American works from the “pre-television” era, from 1850-1950; European plays popular in America during that time; and modern plays that comment on or are about that era. 

Mainstage

In addition to “Dangerous Women,” the Mainstage Series features an old-fashioned melodrama from March 18 to 20 and 25 to 27 at Ambroz; “Why Marry,” the first play to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize, from May 13 to 15 and 20 to 22 at Ambroz; Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors” from Sept. 9 to 11 and 16 to 18 at the Ushers Ferry gazebo; and “A Change in the Wind” from Dec. 2 to 4 and 9 to 11, tentatively scheduled in the newly restored church at Ushers Ferry.

Parlour Theatre

This series, performed at Ushers Ferry, begins with a Valentine’s piece, “Love Ballads: Tragic Songs, Poems, and Stories,” on Feb. 5 6, 12, and 13; “Jack Tales — Beyond the Beanstalk,” a children’s theater original presentation June 3 to 5 and 10 to 12; old-fashioned radio theater Aug. 12 to 14 and 19 to 21; and “Morbid Curiosities: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” on Oct. 14 to 16 and 21 to 23.

Tickets

Mainstage admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 14 and under. Parlour Theatre shows are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 14 and under. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.

Season tickets are $54 for the Mainstage Series, $29 for the Parlour Theatre Series or $78 for both. 

To order season tickets or group tickets, call Ushers Ferry at (319) 286-5763.

For individual tickets, call the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department at (319) 286-5731.

For more information, go to www.ufhv.com

(AP photo) Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, June 25, 2009. He's shown here performing during the halftime show at the Super Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 31, 1993.

By Polly Anderson

Associated Press

It was only a rehearsal, and he was twice the age of the dancers accompanying him. But the video doesn’t lie: Michael Jackson was looking ahead to a smash opening in London — and giving it his all.

And then he was gone.

With his thrilling music and dance, enigmatic personality and worldwide reach, Jackson led the list of notables in the worlds of art, entertainment and popular culture who died in 2009.

Some, like Jackson and actress Brittany Murphy, departed without warning. Some, like actor Patrick Swayze, waged a public struggle with illness.

Others were still active in their 80s and 90s. The great choreographer Merce Cunningham spent his last months on a work about his own aging, “Nearly Ninety.” Andrew Wyeth called his last work “Goodbye.”

Television journalism lost two founding fathers who remained at the top decades later: Walter Cronkite and Don Hewitt. Musician-inventor Les Paul and radio broadcaster Paul Harvey both continued on the job past their 90th birthday.

We also said goodbye to writers John Updike, Horton Foote, Larry Gelbart, Dominick Dunne and former La Porte City farm wife Peg Mullen, whose fight to learn the truth about her son’s death in Vietnam inspired the book and movie “Friendly Fire.” C.D.B. Bryan, who wrote the book “Friendly Fire” in 1976, died Dec. 15.

TV fans mourned Ed McMahon, the ultimate talk show sidekick; Bea Arthur, who created delightful sharp-tongued characters; “Kung Fu” star David Carradine; Billy Mays, known for his boisterous TV commercials; and the decorative Farrah Fawcett, who, when given the chance, showed she could act, too.

Here are more of the notable people in art, entertainment and popular culture who died in 2009. (Cause of death is cited for younger people if available.)

JANUARY

Jett Travolta, 16. John Travolta’s son. Jan. 2. Seizure.

Pat Hingle, 84. Tony-nominated stage actor; Commissioner Gordon in “Batman” movies. Jan. 3.

Ron Asheton, 60. Guitarist for the Stooges, whose raw sound helped inspire punk rock. Jan. 6.

Cheryl Holdridge, 64. Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Jan. 6.

Jon Hager, 67. Half of Hager Twins on TV’s “Hee-Haw.” Jan. 9.

Ricardo Montalban, 88. Actor in splashy MGM musicals; Mr. Roarke on “Fantasy Island.” Jan. 14.

Andrew Wyeth, 91. Acclaimed artist whose portraits and landscapes combined traditional realism, modern melancholy. Jan. 16.

James Brady, 80. Author, Parade magazine celebrity columnist. Jan. 26.

John Updike, 76. Pulitzer-winning novelist, essayist. Jan. 27.

Billy Powell, 56. Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player (“Sweet Home Alabama,” “Free Bird”). Jan. 28.

FEBRUARY

James Whitmore, 87. Many-faceted actor; did one-man shows on Harry Truman, Will Rogers. Feb. 6.

Philip Carey, 83. Played tycoon Asa Buchanan in “One Life to Live.” Feb. 6.

Estelle Bennett, 67. One of Ronnettes, ’60s girl group (“Be My Baby”). Feb. 11.

Gerry Niewood, 64, and Coleman Mellett, 34. Members of Chuck Mangione’s band. Feb. 12. Buffalo, N.Y., plane crash.

Alfred A. Knopf Jr., 90. Influential publisher; son of publishing legends. Feb. 14.

Philip Jose Farmer, 91. Celebrated science fiction and fantasy writer. Feb. 25.

Paul Harvey, 90. Radio news and talk pioneer; one of nation’s most familiar voices. Feb. 28.

MARCH

Horton Foote, 92. Playwright (“The Trip to Bountiful”) and screenwriter (“To Kill a Mockingbird”). March 4.

Jimmy Boyd, 70. Child actor, singer (“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”). March 7.

Anne Wiggins Brown, 96. Soprano; the original Bess in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” March 13.

Ron Silver, 62. Won Tony as tough Hollywood producer in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.” March 15. Esophageal cancer.

Natasha Richardson, 45. Gifted heiress to British acting royalty (“Patty Hearst”). March 18. Skiing accident.

Dan Seals, 61. Half of duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, later top country singer (“You Still Move Me”). March 25.

Maurice Jarre, 84. Oscar-winning film composer (“Lawrence of Arabia,” “Doctor Zhivago”). March 28.

Andy Hallett, 33. Good-guy demon Lorne in TV series “Angel.” March 29. Heart disease.

APRIL

Tom Braden, 92. Helped launch CNN’s “Crossfire”; his memoir “Eight is Enough” inspired a TV show. April 3.

Dave Arneson, 61. Co-creator of groundbreaking Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game. April 7.

David “Pop” Winans Sr., 76. Grammy-nominated patriarch of gospel music family. April 8.

Marilyn Chambers, 56. She helped bring adult films into mainstream with “Behind the Green Door.” April 12. Heart disease.

Tharon Musser, 84. Tony-winning lighting designer (“A Chorus Line,” “Follies”). April 19.

Bea Arthur, 86. Her sharp delivery propelled “Maude,” “The Golden Girls”; won Tony for “Mame.” April 25.

MAY

Dom DeLuise, 75. Portly actor with offbeat style (“The Cannonball Run”). May 4.

Sam Cohn, 79. Powerful agent for top actors (Paul Newman, Meryl Streep), directors and writers. May 6.

Mickey Carroll, 89. One of last surviving Munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz.” May 7.

Jay Bennett, 45. Ex-member of rock band Wilco (“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”). May 24. Painkiller overdose.

JUNE

Koko Taylor, 80. Regal, powerful singer known as “Queen of the Blues.” June 3.

David Carradine, 72. Actor (“Kung Fu,” “Kill Bill”). June 4.

Fleur Cowles, 101. Author, founded legendary magazine “Flair.” June 5.

Kenny Rankin, 69. Pop vocalist, musician, songwriter. June 7

Ed McMahon, 86. Ebullient “Tonight” show sidekick who bolstered Johnny Carson. June 23.

Farrah Fawcett, 62. 1970s sex symbol, star of “Charlie’s Angels.” June 25.

Michael Jackson, 50. The “King of Pop.” June 25.

Gale Storm, 87. Perky actress; one of early television’s biggest stars (“My Little Margie”). June 27.

Billy Mays, 50. Burly, bearded television pitchman. June 28. Heart disease.

JULY

Karl Malden, 97. Oscar-winning actor; a star despite his plain looks (“A Streetcar Named Desire”). July 1.

Walter Cronkite, 92. Premier TV anchorman of the networks’ golden age. July 17.

Gordon Waller, 64. Half of the British Invasion pop duo Peter and Gordon (“A World Without Love”). July 17.

Frank McCourt, 78. Former schoolteacher who enjoyed post-retirement fame, and a Pulitzer, for memoir “Angela’s Ashes.” July 19.

John “Marmaduke” Dawson, 64. Co-founded psychedelic country band New Riders of the Purple Sage. July 21.

E. Lynn Harris, 54. Best-selling author who pioneered gay black fiction (“Love of My Own”). July 23. Heart disease.

Merce Cunningham, 90. The avant-garde dancer and choreographer who revolutionized modern dance. July 26.

George Russell, 86. Jazz composer; theories influenced greats like Miles Davis. July 27.

AUGUST

Naomi Sims, 61. Pioneering black model of the 1960s. Aug. 1.

John Hughes, 59. Writer-director of smash youth-oriented comedies (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Home Alone”). Aug. 6. Heart attack.

Willy DeVille, 58. Singer, songwriter; founded punk group Mink DeVille. Aug. 6. Pancreatic cancer.

Les Paul, 94. Guitar virtuoso; invented solid-body electric guitar, multitrack recording. Aug. 13.

Don Hewitt, 86. TV news pioneer who created “60 Minutes,” produced it for 36 years. Aug. 19.

Dominick Dunne, 83. Best-selling author who told stories of shocking crimes among the rich and famous. Aug. 26.

Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, 36. Celebrity disc jockey; also a reality TV figure who attempted to help fellow drug addicts. Aug. 28. Overdose.

SEPTEMBER

Wycliffe Johnson, 47. Keyboardist and producer; major figure in Jamaica music. Sept. 1. Heart attack.

Jim Carroll, 60. Poet, punk rocker; wrote “The Basketball Diaries.” Sept. 11. Heart attack.

Larry Gelbart, 81. Slyly witty writer for stage and screen (“Tootsie,” “M*A*S*H”). Sept. 11.

Crystal Lee Sutton, 68. Her fight to unionize Southern textile plants became the film “Norma Rae.” Sept. 11.

Patrick Swayze, 57. Dancer turned movie superstar for “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost.” Sept. 14. Pancreatic cancer.

Henry Gibson, 73. Comic character actor; recited offbeat poetry on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” Sept. 14.

Mary Travers, 72. One-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary (“If I Had a Hammer”). Sept. 16.

Art Ferrante, 88. Half of the piano duo Ferrante and Teicher (“Exodus”). Sept. 19.

OCTOBER

Peg Mullen, 92, of La Porte City. Her fight to learn the truth about her son’s death in Vietnam inspired book, movie “Friendly Fire,” starring Carol Burnett. Oct. 2.

Irving Penn, 92. Photographer famed for stark simplicity in portraits, fashion shots. Oct. 7.

Stephen Gately, 33. Singer with Irish boy band Boyzone (“All That I Need”). Oct. 10. Fluid in the lungs.

Lou Albano, 76. Pro wrestler; appeared in Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” video. Oct. 14.

Soupy Sales, 83. Rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on thousands of pies to the face. Oct. 22.

Ray Browne, 87. Bowling Green State professor credited with coining the phrase “popular culture.” Oct. 22.

Lou Jacobi, 95. Actor who excelled in comic, dramatic roles (“Arthur”). Oct. 23.

Michelle Triola Marvin, 76. She fought a landmark “palimony” case in the 1970s against former lover Lee Marvin. Oct. 30.

NOVEMBER

Francisco Ayala, 103. Spanish novelist, sociologist; went into exile during the country’s Franco dictatorship. Nov. 3.

Jeanne-Claude, 74. With her husband, Christo, she created large-scale, highly publicized art projects. Nov. 18.

Al Alberts, 87. Member of singing Four Aces (“Love is a Many Splendored Thing”). Nov. 27.

DECEMBER

Richard Todd, 90. Acclaimed British actor (“The Longest Day”). Dec. 3.

Liam Clancy, 74. Last of Clancy Brothers Irish folk song troupe. Dec. 4.

Gene Barry, 90. Dapper actor, star of TV’s “Bat Masterson,” “Burke’s Law.” Dec. 9.

Thomas Hoving, 78. Controversial former director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dec. 10.

Yvonne King Burch, 89. One of the singing King Sisters and matriarch of the King Family show business dynasty. Dec. 13.

C.D.B. Bryan, 73. Author of the 1976 book “Friendly Fire,” about the accidental death of Iowa soldier Michael Eugene Mullen in Vietnam. Dec. 15

Jennifer Jones, 90. Academy Award-winning actress, 1943 for “The Song of Bernadette.” Dec. 17.

Dan O’Bannon, 63. Science fiction/horror film screenwriter best known for “Alien” and “The Return of the Living Dead.” Dec. 17.

Alaina Reed-Amini, 63. Played Olivia on “Sesame Street,” also starred in “227.” Dec. 17. Breast cancer.

Connie Hines, 72. Played Wilbur’s wife on the 1960s television show “Mister Ed.” Dec. 17.

Brittany Murphy, 32. Actress, “Clueless,” “Just Married,” co-starring with Eastern Iowa native Ashton Kutcher, and “8 Mile.” Dec. 20.

Arnold Stang, 91. Radio, television actor alongside Milton Berle, starred as Frank Sinatra’s sidekick in “The Man with the Golden Arm.” Dec. 20.

"The Elements," 2007, intaglio print by Charles Barth, shows earth, wind, water and fire personified, with a Mother Earth Mexican goddess mediating the elements. They are dressed in costumes from pre-Columbian Oaxaca.

By Diana Nollen

For nearly 30 years, Charles Barth has heeded the siren song of Mexico’s vibrant culture and color to feed his art and soul.

His new book, “Kaleidoscope of Culture,” captures his vision of the history and mystery of the land, through 50 intaglio prints that leap off the page in a kaleidoscope of color. Based on 25 years of traveling through Mexico with his wife and students, the prints incorporate images of ancestors, goddesses, cultural icons, famous artists, including Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo and lots of skeletons, influenced by the Day of the Dead festival.

“When I travel I start collecting ideas and link things together,” he says by phone from his home in Oaxaca, Mexico. “I try to bring in culture from the past and reflect that in contemporary culture.”

Barth, 67, taught art at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids for 30 years, retiring in 2003. His wife, Ellen, also taught art at St. Pius X Elementary School in Cedar Rapids and art education for elementary school teachers at Mount Mercy.

Printmaking was Barth’s academic focus, but he also enjoyed teaching art appreciation, art history and design. He now works in his home studio in Oaxaca, equipped with a printing press. The prints in his 9-inch-by-12-inch book are actually about 18 inches wide by 24 inches long, printed on a museum-quality paper that he says is heavy, but very soft, so it will take the ink and pressure when he runs the plates through the press.

Charles Barth, artist

In layman’s terms, he says the intaglio process begins with an initial drawing then transferred onto metal plates.

“The image is etched onto the plate,” he says. “Intaglio means that the ink is pulled from below the surface of the plate.”

He uses three zinc plates — one for each of the primary colors of red, blue and yellow.

“The way I do it is complicated,” he says. Each print would take two weeks “if I worked at it five days a week, eight hours a day.”

Some of his work is part of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s permanent collection and other prints are available at the Campbell Steele Gallery in downtown Marion. His book is available in the Mount Mercy College bookstore and at Antique Avenue, 888 Eighth Ave., Marion, run by his daughter, Courtney, and her husband, Steve Takes.

Barth and his wife still spend springs and autumns in Cedar Rapids, but in 1997, they bought a house in Oaxaca, where they live the rest of the year.

Oaxaca — pronounced “wa-hock-a” — is in the southern part of Mexico and has more than 250,000 inhabitants.

“It’s in the second most southern state before Guatemala,” Barth says. “The city is in the valley, so the temperatures are mild all year-round. There’s no humidity — that’s why we like to be here winters and summers.”

"Behind Every Strong Man There is a Stronger Woman," 2004, intaglio print by Charles Barth, shows three iconic Mexican male figures, backed by even stronger female figures. At left are the famous artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo; at right are wrestler El Santo, supported by one of the beautiful women who accompany wrestlers to the ring to distract the audience. In the center is a strong man with a tattoo on his back depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the country's most famous female figure.

Other factors drew the couple to Oaxaca, including the artistic climate.

“There’s a large Mexican art community here, with about a dozen museums that are mainly art and many galleries. Besides the fine arts, there’s an abundance of artisans and crafts made in nearby villages,” he says. “There’s a wealth of artistic talent in this area.”

The city also has a small American community, although the Barths are the only Americans in their area. Communication isn’t a problem, however.

“I speak enough Spanish to get by,” he says, “and some of my closest Mexican friends speak English.”

They all speak the universal language of art.

 “Another reason that drew us to Mexico in general is that the color here relates well to my artwork,” he says.

Especially in the colonial cities, bright colors adorn the architecture and textiles, as well as the trappings of the many festivals and feast days.

The Day of the Dead festival is a major influence in his prints. He was initially intrigued by the unique feeling of the Nov. 1 festival.

“It’s one of the most different kinds of holidays of feast days, compared to how we celebrate in the United States,” he says. “I didn’t know much about it when I first came here in 1980. On the Day of the Dead, the people make altars in their homes to honors deceased relatives and friends, then go to the cemetery to decorate the graves. Some even hire sand artists. It gets to be very fantastic, very decorative. They use images around the time that have very jovial types of skeletons.”

He says most believers visit the graves at night, when their ancestors’ souls are said to come back to be with them.

“They think of death as an extension of life rather than the end. They have this kind of spirit that life’s going to go on.”

He strives to capture the country’s spirit and color in his work.

“When people look at my book, I want them to become aware of the beauty and creativity of the Mexican people,” he says. “I try to bring that out in the images I create, alluding to the wealth and abundance of their culture, in the past and present.”

ARTS EXTRA

What: “Kaleidoscope of Culture” by Charles Barth

Publisher: James Snidle Fine Art Publishing, San Francisco, 2009

Details: 9 inches by 12 inches, 116 pages with 50 color plates

Cost: $18.95 softcover; $26.95 hardcover from jimsnidle@gmail.com

Available locally: Mount Mercy College bookstore, Cedar Rapids; Antique Avenue, 888 Eighth Ave., Marion

Information: www.jamessnidlefinearts.com

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs tonight (Dec. 10) at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City.

By Diana Nollen

Trends come and go, but the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies plan to keep doing that voodoo that they do so well, regardless of society’s musical mood swings.

The band helped blaze the trail for the swing music revival in the ’90s, but trumpet player Glen Marhevka, 38, says the band wasn’t fazed by that passing craze.

“I don’t think there’s much of a trend of (swing music),” he says by phone from his home in Los Angeles. “We were playing it and there was no trend for quite a few years. Then it became popular and all these bands popped up and kind of went away. We’ve just been doing our original swing music since the early ’90s and kept doing our thing.

“For us, it’s a matter of doing something we’ve always been doing. Trends come and go. … We’re on the road nonstop. We’ve built up a really great fan base from playing on the road for so many years.”

That road will lead them to the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City today, Dec. 10, for a holiday concert at 8 p.m. Reserved seat tickets are $34 and $41, through the Englert Box Office, (319) 688-2653, or www.iowatix.com

Marhevka has fond memories of playing the Englert in years past and is looking forward to the return trip.

“I remember there being a lot of people really into swing music there — it should be a lot of fun.”

The concert will be a mix of music from the 2004 “Everything You Want For Christmas” CD, as well the band’s other albums. While Big Bad Voodoo Daddy generally plays original music, Marhevka is especially fond of the band’s cover of the R&B “Merry Christmas Baby,” recorded by Bruce Springsteen, Otis Redding, B.B. King and Chuck Berry, among others.

The band also breaks out of its original-song mode with its latest album, “How Big Can You Get: The Music of Cab Calloway.”

Next up, their music will be featured Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. on the Disney channel’s “ Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation.”

“My little kids love that show,” says Marhevka, who has a son, 2, and a daughter, 5. They don’t follow their Voodoo Daddy on the road, but they did get to hang out with him at Walt Disney World this fall. No doubt that made him one cool cat in their eyes.

FAST TAKE

What: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10

Where: Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City 

Tickets: Reserved seats: $34 and $41, through the Englert Box Office, (319) 688-2653, or www.iowatix.com

Information: www.englert.org

(Andrew Zaeh photo) The voices of Straight No Chaser are (clockwise from left) Charlie Mechling, Tyler Trepp, Seggie Isho, Randy Stine, Walter Chase, David Roberts, Dan Ponce, Mike Luginbill, Ryan Ahlwardt and Jerome Collins.

By Diana Nollen

When a YouTube video went viral, a record company came calling and Straight No Chaser began chasing a dream.

The 10-man a cappella singing group was formed in 1996 at Indiana University in Bloomington, where a campus version continues today. But those original members graduated and scattered to various individual pursuits.

When the university decided to hold a reunion 10 years later, videos from early performances were posted on YouTube, including the group’s rockin’ take on “The 12 Days of Christmas,” laced with Toto’s “Africa.” More than 7 million tuned in and turned on to that particular video in December 2007, including Craig Kallman, chairman/CEO of Atlantic Records. An e-mail led to a phone call, some meetings, a reunion and a record deal.

The original Straight No Chaser graduated to the professional realm.

The group burst onto the mainstream scene with a 2008 Christmas album, followed by another one this year. The guys are now on a 56-city cross-country tour, wrapping their holiday harmonies around songs of good cheer. They’ll swing through Iowa City on Tuesday night, Dec. 8, for a sold out Hancher concert in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Main Lounge.

A couple of the original members didn’t jump on the professional bandwagon. One of the newest and youngest members is tenor Tyler Trepp, 25, of Urbandale, a 2007 Indiana University grad. Like all the others — who range in age from 25 to 33 — Trepp sang in the group’s college version.

“It’s kind of like a fraternity,” he says from a recent tour stop in Atlanta, Ga. “Every year they audition new members.”

Time commitments are demanding for the college singers, but even more so for the alums.

“We’ve quit our day jobs to make this our full-time job,” Trepp says. “One guy was a news reporter in Chicago, another was in finance in New York and I was on a cruise ship singing. This year, we fully committed to this, so we’ll see where it goes.”

Life definitely has changed for the performers, three of whom are married.

“We have a different lifestyle,” Trepp says, “with management, agents, (record) label people. Everyone has been very nice. We’re getting along pretty well. It’s just really kinda weird waking up every day in a different city. Getting audience reaction every night is such an honor.”

Straight No Chaser is one of the larger a cappella groups sharing the genre’s spotlight with such others as Rockapella and m-pact, who also have performed in the Corridor.

Having 10 members gives Straight No Chaser more latitude in sound and onstage.

“We have a bigger sound and play off each other,” Trepp says. “Our onstage banter is something people like. We have a lot of comedians in the group. None of it’s scripted. We just go up there and have fun. It seems to be working. People in the audience have a good time and we have a good time. It just works out.”

They also can sing in 10-part harmony or double up for four- or five-part harmony.

Performing a cappella does present challenges, he says.

“The biggest is having no instruments. You’re relying all on your voice. Blend is really important and pitch, obviously, is really important. With 10 guys you’re constantly thinking about blending with everyone else and singing your pitch correctly. Using a monitor helps out a ton.”

If you think you’re hearing instruments, it’s mostly likely a little vocal percussion, which Trepp says “adds a different element.”

The group’s second album, “Christmas Cheer,” also offers a different element than its debut album, “Holiday Spirits.” Last year’s arrangements were a little more traditional, he says, while this year’s album injects more humor into the mix.

“We wanted to make it more fun,” he says.

 Like using the “Mission: Impossible” theme as the intro for “We Three Kings” or rolling a mixed bag of familiar melodies and lyrics into “The Christmas Can-Can” for a non-traditional kick.

The group’s next album will spring into a different direction, with a collection of pop cover tunes due around Mother’s Day.

In the meantime, Trepp is excited to bring the group to his home turf this week. 

“I’m happy to be performing in Iowa,” he says. “I have a lot of family and friends there. I’m happy for them to get to see the group.”

ARTS EXTRA

What: Hancher presents Straight No Chaser

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8  

Where: Main Lounge, Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City

Tickets: SOLD OUT: Hancher Box Office, (319) 335-1160, 1-(800) HANCHER or www.hancher.uiowa.edu/tickets.html

Information: www.hancher.uiowa.edu/events/straight.html and www.sncmusic.com

 

Jim McDonough: "Holiday Grande 2009," Dec. 5 to 13, various locations.

Eastern Iowa’s 2009 holiday concerts

If your group is presenting a holiday concert, please send details to features@gazcomm.com

SOLD OUT: “Christmas at Luther College,” Dec. 3 to 6, Center for Faith and Life Main Hall, Luther College, Decorah. PBS will rebroadcast Luther’s 2008 concert: 9 p.m. Dec. 18, 4 p.m. Dec. 19 and 3 p.m. Dec. 25.

Lee Greenwood: “A Tennessee Christmas,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, Five Flags Arena, 405 Main St., Dubuque, $24 to $59, 1-(800) 745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com or Five Flags Box Office.

“The Nutcracker” ballet, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 2 p.m. Dec. 6, Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $16 to $22, Englert Box Office, (319) 688-2653 or www.iowatix.com Local performers from Nolte Academy of Dance and other studios, with orchestra conducted by Carey Bostian.

TobyMac’s Winter Wonder Slam, 7 p.m. Dec. 4, McLeod Center, University of Northern Iowa, 1227 W. 27th St., Cedar Falls, with Kutless, B. Reith and Stephanie Smith, $22 to $40, (319) 273-4TIX. www.winterwonderslam.com

White Lights Series: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Handbell Choir, 2 p.m. Dec. 5; Tubas, 2 p.m. Dec. 12; Young at Harp, 2 p.m. Dec. 19; free programs in the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s Bridge Facility, Westdale Mall, Cedar Rapids.

Eastern Iowa Barbershop Chorus: “Harmony Holiday: 2009,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, Jefferson High School, 1243 20th St. SW, Cedar Rapids. Benefit for Cedar Rapids area Toys for Tots. Free admission; freewill offering and new, unwrapped toys accepted. www.musicmen.org or www.crtoyshop.org

Cornell College Holiday Choral Concert, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, King Chapel, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, free.

Orchestra Iowa: “Celebration of Carols,” 8 p.m. Dec. 5, Sinclair Auditorium, Cedar Rapids, 2 p.m. Dec. 6, City High School, Iowa City, $10 adults, $5 ages 12 and under, www.orchestraiowa.org, (319) 366-8203, 1-(800) 369-8863 or Orchestra Iowa Ticket Office, 119 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. With Chamber Singers of Iowa City, Preucil School’s Espressivo Strings, Discovery Chorus, speakers Joan Kjaer and John Ryal.

 Jim McDonough: “Holiday Grande 2009,” $28 to $33; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 5, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, 1-(800) 745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com or Hoyt Sherman Box Office; 2:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 6, Linn-Mar High School Auditorium, Marion, 1-(800) 375-7095 or e-mail tickets@pianofavorites.com; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12, Five Flags Theater, Dubuque, 1-(800) 745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com or Five Flags Box Office; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 13, Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Cedar Falls, 1-(877) 549-7469, www.unitix.uni.edu or Gallagher-Bluedorn Box Office. www.pianofavorites.com

Bobby Vee Holiday Show, 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 6, Mississippi Moon Bar, Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque, $25 to $40, Diamond Club and www.diamondjo.com

SOLD OUT: Hancher presents Straight No Chaser, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge, University of Iowa, Iowa City, $10 to $28, Hancher Box Office, (319) 335-1160, 1-(800) HANCHER or www.hancher.uiowa.edu/tickets.html Men’s a cappella harmonies.

SOLD OUT: Tribute, 8 p.m. Dec. 9 to 12, CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Carol Montag, Nina Swanson and Kathy Donnelly and instrumentalists. www.legionarts.org/music/Tribute.htm

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Holiday Show, 8 p.m. Dec. 10, Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $34 to $41, Englert Box Office, (319) 688-2653 or www.iowatix.com

Lynne Rothrock: "Cool Yule," Dec. 11 and 12, Cedar Rapids

Lynne Rothrock: “Cool Yule,”

8 p.m. Dec. 11 and 12, 7 p.m. Dec. 13, ARA Gallery and Interiors, 4850 Armar Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, $25, ARA Gallery or (319) 366-2520. With special guests actress Cory Johnson and vocalist Janelle Lauer. http://lynnerothrock.com

Chorale Midwest: “Seasons of Song: A Lesson in Carols,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 3 p.m. Dec. 13, First Presbyterian Church, 310 Fifth St. SE, Cedar Rapids, $8 and $12 at the door, $8 and $10 in advance from chorale members or www.choralemidwest.org/cm/season.html

Greater Cedar Rapids Area Merry TubaChristmas, Dec. 12

Greater Cedar Rapids Area Merry TubaChristmas,

2 p.m. Dec. 12, Westdale Mall, Cedar Rapids. Free. http://tubafun.home.mchsi.com/2009poster.pdf

The Quire Winter Concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 12, Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson St., Iowa City. www.thequire.org

 Sawyer Brown Christmas Show, 8 p.m. Dec. 12, Riverside Casino Event Center, 3184 Highway 22, Riverside, $35 and $45, Casino Gift Shop and 1-(877) 677-3456. www.riversidecasinoandresort.com

Blind Boys Of Alabama: “Go Tell It On The Mountain — The Christmas Show,” 7 p.m. Dec. 13, Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $10 to $38, Englert Box Office, (319) 688-2653 or www.iowatix.com

 Mistletones: “Snowbiz — An Even More Cool Yule,” 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 13, 7 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15, Mississippi Moon Bar, Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque, $15 to $25, Diamond Club and www.diamondjo.com

SOLD OUT: Cruz Steele Presents Christmas in the MUD: Erin Bode & Her Band, 8 p.m. Dec. 19, Campbell Steele Gallery, 1064 Seventh Ave., Marion. www.campbellsteele.com

 Lynne Rothrock: “Christmas — An Evening of Song, Story & Christmas Cheer,” 8 p.m. Dec. 19, Steyer Opera House, Hotel Winneshiek, Decorah, $20, hotel or (563) 382-4164. With actress Cory Johnson. http://lynnerothrock.com

Follidays: Hooray for Holidays! Dec. 18 to 20

Follidays: Hooray for Holidays! 8 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19, 2 p.m. Dec. 20, Sinclair Auditorium, Coe College, Cedar Rapids. Orchestra Iowa and guest soloists from the Follies family, $14 to $39, www.orchestraiowa.org, (319) 366-8203 or 1-(800) 369-TUNE.

SOLD OUT: Mannheim Steamroller, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18, Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Cedar Falls. www.gbpac.com/season/artist/mannheim.shtml

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22, Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, $27 to $57.50, Wells Fargo Arena Box Office, www.iowaeventscenter.com or 1-(866) 55-DAHLS. 

 Mannheim Steamroller, 7 p.m. Dec. 30, I Wireless Center, Moline, Ill., $35.50 to $55.50, I Wireless Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-(800) 745-3000.

(Asia Kepka photo) Indie folk singer-songwriters (from left) Natalia Zuckerman, Antje Duvekot, Meg Hutchinson and Anne Heaton have teamed up to tour and record as Winterbloom. They launched their holiday tour Friday night at CSPS in Cedar Rapids.

By Diana Nollen

CEDAR RAPIDS — Winterbloom hauled out the hippest holly and put up the brightest string of highlights to launch their Christmas tour at CSPS on Friday night.

Every song this indie folk female foursome sang was packed with emotion and memories, perfect for an intimate gathering of family and friends.

Each young singer-songwriter has pursued her own successful musical path, but after joining forces last year for a couple of gigs, they decided to team up and record some traditional tunes with non-traditional twists.

The result is even more fun to see than to merely hear, although the new CD would give a nice snow-globe shake to tired holiday music collections in any household.

Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson and Natalia Zukerman bring a variety of musical backgrounds and traditions to the fold.

Duvekot, who was born in Germany and moved to Delaware at age 13, brought us a touch of lovely old-world elegance with “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”). The others joined her in angelic four-part harmony in her native tongue, but someone must not have counted the verses. Suddenly, Duvekot started another round and no one joined in, which cracked her up. Soon they all were giggling. The mood was shattered, but the moment was utterly human and utterly charming.

That’s part of what made the concert so fun for the 80 people in attendance. Each singer brought an easy conversational style, with a gentle, laid-back delivery that was so enticing.

Zukerman, daughter of acclaimed violinist Pinchas Zukerman and flutist Eugenia Zukerman, grew up in Manhattan amid a swirl of classical music. Despite that immersion, her heart beats with a bluesy country ardor. She lays down a smoking dobro guitar slide under several songs, a few swampy licks here and there and passionate fingerpicking and fiery strums under the others.

With a self-conscious laugh about being “Jew-ish” and singing Christmas carols, she gave the evening a Yiddish flavor with “The Riddle,” putting a new spin on her grandmother’s favorite folk song, “Tumbalalaika.”

Heaton, who grew up in the Chicago area, created many lovely moments with her lilting soprano and twinkling piano lines. Her prayer of St. Francis was breathtakingly beautiful. Her most personal offering, however, was the toast she wrote for her best friend’s wedding, using sing-speak to recount the teenage crush and awkward angst that eventually led the couple to the altar.

The cynical side of life came with a smile from Massachusetts native Hutchinson, who told the audience, “I like to write cheerful songs about depressing topics. So here’s a cheerful song about manic depression for the holidays.”

Don’t let her fool you, though. Her smoky alto and superb songwriting skills can wrap the most unsettling topics in a beautiful bow, like the poignant “True North” about her parents’ divorce and the wistful “Of the Magi,” based on the O. Henry short story of sacrifices made in the name of love.

How lucky we were to receive Winterbloom’s magical gifts of song.

(Lorie Line Music photo) Minneapolis pianist Lorie Line brings her 20th anniversary concert to the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City on Monday, Nov. 23.

By Diana Nollen

A key element in pianist Lorie Line’s concerts is something she learned in kindergarten.

Audiences love to hear her play by ear the song titles they shout out. Just like in grade school in Reno, Nev.

She started playing piano at age 5 and began formal lessons at age 6.

“I liked that I could play anything I could remember off the top of my head and hum,” she says by phone from her home in suburban Minneapolis. “If I could hum it, I could figure it out on piano.”

And from that ability, she became popular, first with her classmates, then on through her 20-year career.

“There’s something fun about being popular for doing something well,” she says. “‘That’s Lorie — she plays piano’ became my tagline; it became part of my name.”

Of course, she knows a few more songs at age 51 than she knew at age 5. That serves her well in concerts, when she creates a medley from about 35 song titles audience members shout out.

“I have to know thousands and thousands of songs off the top of my head,” she says “I have to be very hip; I have to know everything. I take around an iPod of music and a briefcase of music.”

She reviews the tunes every day, and if someone calls out a title she doesn’t know well enough to play that night, she’ll study the song the next day, just in case it gets called out again.

Line is celebrating her career’s 20th anniversary by playing “the best of the best” during her annual holiday tour, which stops Monday at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City.

Line, her “Fab Five” musicians and her husband and business partner, Tim, will perform 44 shows in 41 days, hitting 39 cities in nine states.

“It’s probably our most aggressive tour ever,” she says. “We took on 16 brand new cities, for a couple of reasons: It’s a really beautiful show and it’s special because it’s our 20th anniversary. Usually we’ll have three, four or five days off, but this year, we just have Thanksgiving Day off. We’re moving every day.

“I like it that way. I get in a groove. The show is in my hands — like clockwork. I’m very disciplined. I don’t like to take a day off. Before you know it, (the tour) is over and done with, way, way too fast. It keeps me in great shape mentally and physically at the piano. That’s important when you’re out there in front of people.”

The tour began Nov. 12 in Bemidji, Minn., and concludes Dec. 23 in Bismarck, N.D. Along the way, she’ll do her Christmas shopping, wrap most of the gifts on her tour bus and maybe even find a prized antique at the little shops she like to browse.

“I know every city fairly well,” she says. “It’s really fun to go back to the same shops. My favorite (shopping) place is Denver and my second is Fargo’s downtown. I’m a professional thrifter and antiquer. I go into non-traditional shops. I have found some of the best, most unique and beautiful gifts in smaller towns, where no one would pick that up but me. I love shopping in every single city.

“People ask how I do my Christmas shopping on the road. I’ve got a bus, I have a semi with a piano. If I’ve found a piece of furniture, no problem! It’s the hunt and adventure of getting out in every single town.”

And when Christmas Day rolls around, she’ll be doing her second favorite thing, cooking for her family, which includes a 20-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son.

“We do the traditional Christmas. When I get home, I’ll cook all day long. If I wasn’t a pianist, I’d be a chef. I’ll be ready to cook the traditional turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing or filet. I’ll go to church that night, be wrapping a few last-minute things, put some more presents under the tree. It looks really beautiful at my house. Christmas Day we’ll open gifts. We take pretty much all day to open gifts, so it’s not so rushed. I’ve been moving so quickly, I like sitting down with my immediate family.”

Tradition will be the hallmark of her holiday tour, showcasing her favorites and fan favorites, including her rock ’n’ roll arrangement of “Frosty the Snowman” that she hasn’t played in 10 years, and her improv-style arrangement of “The Holly and the Ivy,” which goes all the way back to her early days playing piano at Dayton’s department store in Minneapolis.

She also has some new treats up her designer sleeves, with new arrangements of “Silent Night,” “The Birthday of a King,” “Silver and Gold” and a boogie woogie “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

Billed as “An Intimate Christmas with Lorie Line,” she’s bringing her favorite grand piano and recreating elements of her living room in Orono, Minn., where it sits. Her flamboyant costumes, for which she’s known, will include some favorites from years past and “red carpet couture” by top designers — “high-styled off the runway that I bought off the rack,” she says.

To wear such dresses, she maintains her model-slim figure through daily workouts with a treadmill, weights, yoga and stretching.

“I’m very dedicated to working out,” she says. “It’s very important. I used to look at it as an inconvenience, but not anymore. Working out is part of my job. If I’m in good shape I can perform better. … I have to have really good arms to wear these clothes.

“Being in show business makes you try to be an excellent person. You’re always in the limelight, always being watched. Expectations are high. I’m used to it. I’m an old dog who’s been doing it for 20 years. Performing has been good for me. I get to enjoy the fringe benefit of looking good and being in good shape because of my occupation. It’s a fringe benefit of totally being ready to go.”

ARTS EXTRA

What: An Intimate Christmas with Lorie Line

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23

Where: Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City

Tickets: $44, reserved seating, at the Englert box office, (319) 688-2653 and www.iowatix.com

Extras: Bring a bell. Also bring a camera; children ages 4 and up will be invited onstage to meet Santa

Information: www.englert.org and http://lorieline.com/

(Disney photo) Handy Manny, Mr. Lopart and the citizens of Sheetrock Hills work together to make music for Michey's party in "Playhouse Disney Live!"

By Rob Cline

Correspondent

CEDAR RAPIDS — Disney’s decision to give Mickey Mouse a personality makeover has generated quite a bit of buzz lately. The company thinks today’s youth might relate to the iconic character better if he were more mischievous.

That’s certainly an excellent jumping off point for a philosophical conversation about whether the media we consume reflects society or shapes it. But let me offer up a bit of empirical data: The kids who attended “Playhouse Disney Live!” at the U.S. Cellular Center on Friday night seemed to relate to ol’ Mickey just fine.

My two daughters happily joined the rest of a sizable crowd as they enthusiastically welcomed the world’s most famous mouse to the stage.

The performance, which brings together the characters from the shows that make up the daily preschool lineup on the Disney Channel, seemed to please most of the little ones in the audience. They shouted out familiar lines, performed familiar actions and danced familiar dances. In that important sense, the show was certainly a success.

The performance also was impressive from a production values standpoint. The costumes for characters like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pooh and Tigger were a cut above what is often seen in shows of this type and featured remarkably expressive faces. The set pieces, like Pooh’s collection of honey pots, were worthy of a Disney park (though an inflatable portion of the set collapsed late in the show).

Still, “Playhouse Disney Live!” was disappointing in two ways. First, the segments based on “Little Einsteins” — an animated television show featuring four characters, their rocket ship and their love of music — starred human actors who vastly overplayed their parts. The exaggerated motions played false even to those of us sitting in the second level of the balcony.

Second, the choreography was quite weak. While the “Handy Manny” segment offered one of the highlights —a black light dream sequence featuring Manny’s tools — it also included a production number that was strangely devoid of actual dancing.

The set features a huge screen that is incorporated into many of the segments. I was of two minds about the screen. On the one hand, it brought the look of the television shows to the stage and allowed for some features that would have been difficult to deliver any other way.

However, this live show was an opportunity to leave television behind for a bit better than an hour. That felt like a missed opportunity and contributed to the uneven feel of the performance.

(Old Creamery Theatre photo) - "The Honky Tonk Angels Holiday Spectacular," playing through Dec. 20 at the Old Creamery Theatre in Amana, stars (from left) Sara Michelle Bickweat of Chicago and New York, Emily Bodkin of Massachusetts, Faith Boles of Savannah, Ga., and Deborah Kennedy of East Amana.

AMANA — The Old Creamery Theatre is staging a spectacular holiday show, starring four Honky Tonk Angels and five top-flight instrumentalists.

This show, created by the writer of the perennially popular “Always … Patsy Cline,” has all the elements of a winning revue, with just enough story to get you cozy with the characters.

The Angels are playing their favorite venue, The Honky Tonk Heaven in Nashville, Tenn. They begin as a trio and soon swell to a quartet as Santa arrives with a brand-new bag.

All four angels are stellar on their own and heavenly when they harmonize. Each brings a different flavor to the mix.

Sara Michelle Bickweat plays country girl Darlene with a megawatt smile, killer high kicks and vocals to match. She’s a hoot on “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” and brought tears to my eyes on “What a Wonderful World.”

While those might not be on your traditional Christmas carol list, they fit perfectly with the tone of a show that’s fun, funny and sentimental.

Emily Bodkin is the visual punch as Angela, the fourth angel who arrives a bit late from her double-wide trailer in Texas, due to extenuating circumstances revealed in the show. She also has a big voice and a real flair for physical comedy. She’s especially hilarious on “Burnin’ Love,” with a little help from the three kings.

Faith Boles as Charilee brings the Motown sound to the angels, tearing through several gospel numbers. Another versatile performer, she can bring a laugh with some snappin’ attitude, but just as quickly melt the audience with her soulful “Silent Night” and “Merry Christmas Baby.”

Old Creamery veteran Deborah Kennedy adds her spice as Sue Ellen, the “Texas Chainsaw Manicurist” transplanted to sunny California. Her rich voice is wonderful when she’s singing in a serious mode, but she brought down the house at Friday’s matinee with her “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” shtick.

The costumes are colorful, the set is nostalgic and the choreography adds some boot-scootin’ boogie to a show that begins with a glorious “Angels We Have Heard on High” and ends with a honky-tonk take on “Joy to the World.”

“The Honky Tonk Angels Holiday Spectacular” continues through Dec. 20 and tickets are flying faster than Rudolph. For details, call 1-(800) 35-AMANA or go to www. oldcreamery.com

FAST TAKE

What: “The Honky Tonk Angels Holiday Spectacular”

Where:  The Old Creamery Theatre, 39 38th Ave., Amana

When: Through Dec. 20; 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; special 3 p.m. matinee Dec. 11

Tickets: $26.50 adults; $17.50 under age 30, through 1-(800) 35-AMANA, (319) 622-6194 or www.oldcreamery.com

(Iowa Theatre Artists Company photo) The cast of “All Wrapped Up For Christmas!” at the Iowa Theatre Artists Company in Amana includes (front row, from left) Stephani Daft of Iowa City and Alexander Ockenfels of Wellman; (middle row, from left) Meg Merckens of South Amana, Aaron Ockenfels of Wellman, Marshall Nielsen of Cedar Falls and Allison Ockenfels of Wellman; (top row, from left) Ryan Westwood of Davenport, Paul Roberts of Sharon Center and Mark Wilson of Hills.

AMANA — Iowa Theatre Artists Company is wrapping up its first season in its new home with a big bright bow. And some laughter, stories, music and a singalong.

 “All Wrapped Up For Christmas!” has all the trappings for a delightful romp through traditions with a bluegrass twist. It opened Thursday afternoon at the performing arts center in the former Barn restaurant in Amana and continues through Dec. 13.

Thomas P. Johnson, the company’s co-founder and co-producer, has written and directed a colorful family feud that weaves in and out of secular and sacred seasonal songs. He’s assembled a talented cast ranging in age from 11 to 75, equally adept at singing, acting, strumming strings or plunking percussion and piano.

Siblings Aunt Tilly (Meg Merckens of South Amana) and Uncle Earl (Mark Wilson of Hills) and their kin live on opposite sides of the same mountain, separated by a chasm as deep as their feud.

Grandpappy (a hilarious Marshall Nielsen of Cedar Falls) decides to bridge the gap by staging the first Boomchuck Family Christmas Reunion. He books a splendid mansion on neutral turf, hands over the family’s gifts and decorations to the proprietor, then gathers everyone into a sleigh for the trip up the mountain.

But when the grand plans go horribly awry in a snowstorm, the feuding sides decide to make the best of their bad situation and strike up some music to pass the time in a make-do shelter.

Everybody gets their turn in the spotlight, showing off what they do best. Narrator Ryan Westwood of Davenport is wonderful at every turn and every character he plays, engaging the audience with his animated antics throughout the dialogue and his rich, full voice on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” He even channels a little Elvis, thank you very much.

Stephani Daft of Iowa City makes a lovely debut on the troupe’s stage, especially with her poignant solo on “O Holy Night.” At the other end of the holiday spectrum, Nielsen brings down the house with two favorite Christmas novelty songs, which you will have to see for yourself.

Especially delightful are the show’s real siblings, Aaron, Alexander and Allison Ockenfels of Wellman. Not only are they adorable and sing very nicely, they play a mean fiddle, guitar, banjo and harmonica.

The music is led by the ever-effervescent pianist Karl Bodenbender of East Amana, who tears up the keyboards on “Jingle Bell Rock” and adds his flourishes wherever appropriate. A surprising bluegrass arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” showcases the considerable instrumental talents of the entire cast, while “Angels We Have Heard on High” lets the vocal harmonies shine in a cappella passages.

Then be ready to clear your throat. “All Wrapped Up” wraps up with an audience singalong and more bows, which sent the opening matinee audience out with smiles all around.

FAST TAKE

What: “All Wrapped Up For Christmas!”

Where: Iowa Theatre Artists Company’s Performing Arts Center, 4709 220th Trl., Amana

When: Nov. 19 to 22 and Dec. 3 to 13; 1:30 p.m. Thursday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday; special Saturday matinee, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 5  

Tickets: $20 adults, $10 students; pre-Thanksgiving special of $5 ages 6 to 15 through Nov. 22; through the box office, (319) 622-3222

Information: www.iowatheatreartists.org

“Dream pop,” “experimental noise-pop.”

Whatever you call the sound, A Sunny Day in Glasgow plays a deliciously warm tone bath just meant for soaking in.

The Philadelphia band of siblings and friends slips deliciously into its new CD, “Ashes Grammar,” on the wings of celestial voices and swirling synthesizers. A steady brush of percussion layered with ethereal instrumentals shatters the serenity on track 6, “Close chorus,” sending the vocals to the background before mixing the elements in equal strengths.

Track 7, “Shy,” is anything but. It’s the boldest song, with crashing cymbals and snares and words that can almost be understood. That’s not a slam — it’s part of the band’s hypnotic charm.

“Lights” invites you to the dance floor with pulsating rhythms and vocals before breaking into “Passionate introverts (Dinosaurs),” where you actually hear lyrics about lumbering behemoths. Wind chimes usher in a new, orbital mood for “West Philly vocoder,” which grows stronger and more relentless for “Evil, with evil, against evil.”

“The white witch” casts yet another spell, turning the spotlight on synthesizer before fading into light vocals.

It’s all so poppy, in the best sense, with glorious moments of strings, organ, bass, floating vocals and noise harnessed into a new energy form — all painting a lovely dreamscape.

Immerse yourself in the intoxicating elixir Sunday night in Public Space One in the basement of the Jefferson Building in downtown Iowa City.

FAST TAKE

Title: “Ashes Grammar”

Artist: A Sunny Day in Glasgow

Label: Mis Ojos Discos

Performance: 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 

Where: Public Space One, 129 E. Washington St,. Iowa City

 Admission: $5

Information: www.sunnydayinglasgow.com

(Michael Schwartz photo) Paula Poundstone is bringing her standup routine to the Englert Theatre in Iowa City on Saturday night.

Paula Poundstone has built her career around just talking to her audiences, storing a wealth of material in “the Rolodex” inside her head.

 “My act is like a really good cocktail party,” she says, “where you talk about how rough the drive was, then current events, then you tell that story you told years ago, then someone on the other side of the room spills a drink and you have to mock them.”

She’ll be bringing her conversational style to the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City at 8 p.m. Saturday.

She finds humor in everyday surroundings.

“Nothing has ever made me laugh harder than toilet paper stuck on the bottom of somebody’s shoe, so it’s not intellectual humor” that makes her laugh, she says in a recent phone interview from her kitchen in Santa Monica, Calif. “I enjoy the silly as well as clever. I always enjoyed Woody Allen films growing up.”

She’s admired many comedians over the years, too.

“My parents had Bill Cosby albums. I stole all 11 when I left,” she says. “I loved ‘Laugh-In’ and Lily Tomlin. She’s still just great. She’s really funny and makes me feel better about anything. She’s a few years older than me and hasn’t lost any of her spark.”

Age is on Poundstone’s mind just a bit, as she inches toward 50 on Dec. 29.

“The other day I was making a sandwich, using this off-brand mayo that said ‘best before Dec. 28.’ Oh man, I hope that’s not true for me,” she says.

She’s survived the worst of times in her 40s, placed on probation for five years and ordered into rehab for driving drunk with her children in the car. “In 2001 it all fell apart,” she says. “It’s been five years since it’s been off the paperwork.”

In the beginning, she spoke candidly about her problems on talk shows, in her act and in her book, “There Is Nothing in this Book That I Meant to Say.”

“Every day that passes works to my advantage,” she says. “I do reference (the legal woes) occasionally, but not too much anymore. It’s not in my head anymore.”

These days, her life is filled with raising the three children she adopted — daughters ages 18 and 15 and a son, age 11 — and a veritable menagerie of 13 cats, a German shepherd mix dog, a bearded dragon lizard named Daisy and a new bunny that recently “mounted an escape” by hopping out of its pen.

She’s in a good place now, with a good gig on NPR’s weekly news quiz show, “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” a new CD, “I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them in Maine,” plans for another CD, just enough standup gigs to make a living, and another book in the works, loosely titled “The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness.”

That search is ongoing.

“My daughter asked the other day what I want. I said I want for my children to grow to be adults that have lots of opportunities and are happy. A couple days later, I said I’d also really like Ted Kennedy’s autobiography, if we’re getting into more of an item kind of thing.”

FAST TAKE

What: Paula Poundstone

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14

Where: Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City

Tickets: $30 to $40 reserved seating, through the Englert box office, (319) 688-2653, or www.iowatix.com

Information: www.englert.com or http://paulapoundstone.com/

The season’s new, the artistic director is new, but the face is familiar to Old Creamery Theatre patrons in Amana and beyond.

(Old Creamery Theatre photo) Tom Milligan of East Amana (left) and Sean McCall of Marengo played "The Odd Couple" onstage at the Old Creamery Theatre in Amana in late May and early June, shortly before teaming up to to split producing artistic director duties there. McCall has now been named artistic director for the troupe, and expects the former position to remain split, giving him more time to focus on the Creamery's various artistic products.

Resident funnyman Sean McCall, 43, of Marengo, is taking on a new role at the professional theater, where he’s been employed for 17 years.

Audiences have laughed at his rubber-faced antics in such recent shows as “Nuncrackers,” “The Odd Couple” and the current “Shady Business,” but he’s been working behind the scenes for most of the past decade as associate artistic director. He’s also served since June as the troupe’s interim artistic director.

He will continue to serve as the Creamery’s Equity union liaison; and will oversee all artistic products, including hiring actors, stage managers, directors and designers; helping to establish the company’s operating budget, which is about $850,000 to $900,000; and presenting new seasons to the board of directors.

The former position of producing artistic director was split in June, with Tom Milligan of East Amana assuming the producing director duties. McCall expects that trend to continue, which will allow them to focus on different areas. Milligan and McCall also will direct some of next season’s shows, which range from broad comedies and musicals to classics of the American stage.

McCall isn’t turning away from the roar of the greasepaint. He’ll make sure to carve out some time onstage, as well.

“I will never be satisfied to not perform,” he says. “It’s my passion first and foremost.” With “a lot of organizing and preplanning,” he hopes to be able to perform in three or four shows next season.

Of course, since he’s doing the casting and hiring, he can cast himself. He admits that prospect makes him a little nervous.

“I can’t run the risk of having people say, ‘I can’t believe he cast himself there.’ I’ll try to be mindful to cast myself where I belong,” he says.

McCall came to the Creamery from his native Kansas City in 1992.

“Originally, I was just hired as an actor for a 14-week gig, beginning with ‘Lend Me a Tenor,’ a show I’ve always wanted to do,” he says. “They offered me that gig and kept me on for ‘A Christmas Carol,’ then brought me back for the kids’ tour in the spring. By then, they were offering me stuff for all of 1993, and from that, I turned into a resident company member.”

His goals in his new position include building on the Creamery’s history and helping to strengthen it financially for future generations.

The troupe, founded in Garrison, will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2011. That’s a significant milestone for a regional theater, McCall says.

“When you see (similar theaters) dropping like flies across the country, it’s a tough time for theaters,” he says. “The fact that this one has been here for 40 years is a testament to all of the folks who have worked so hard to keep it here.”

One way to help ensure its future is to nurture the next generations of theatergoers, which the Creamery has been doing with school outreach since the beginning. Theater offerings for young people also have been expanded to include four Saturday main stage shows.

“I grew up going to children’s theater and my parents took me to the theater in Kansas City,” McCall says. “I really believe we need to introduce young people to theater to get it in the collective conscious for entertainment and career choices.”

The troupe’s outreach extends to young adults, as well.

“We’re still trying to get the word out — we have a Facebook page — trying to find ways to remind people under the age of 40 that we exist and to try to introduce them to how much fun and interesting a night at the theater can be.”

With all of those considerations comes crafting a season that will appeal to the Creamery’s established patrons, as well as bring in new audience members.

“I have to be responsible in the financial world,” he says. “We need to pick shows with small enough casts that we can afford to pay them, and have enough commercial appeal through the season to provide the income we need to be here year after year.”

That is made even more important since the Creamery relies on ticket sales for about 80 percent of its income. The other 20 percent comes from donations and sponsorships.

The 2010 season blends the best of what McCall loves so much — musical theater and comedy, with several American classics.

“We’re very excited to do ‘Blithe Spirit’ and put some funny ghosts on stage in one of our favorite plays,” he says. “For the studio plays, we’re very close to inking a deal. We’ll probably announce in the next couple of weeks a new location for our studio space, where we get to go back to the classics like ‘Glass Menagerie’ or the new quirky plays like ‘Red, White & Tuna.’

“We get to do all of those things within the season at the Old Creamery, including children’s theater, so that’s exciting.” And all six of the main stage shows are new to the Creamery stage, and he vows to keep his eyes open for such shows in the coming season.

Speaking of vows, another fringe benefit from his years with the Creamery was meeting his wife, Jackie, there and marrying her in a ceremony on stage July 5, 2008, followed by fireworks outdoors and dancing until 3 a.m.

“We chose that date because the theater was dark, which meant we didn’t have to get married in front of a living room set, and we could get married in a place that meant a lot to us.”

Like Sean, Jackie works onstage as an actress, and behind the scenes as the Creamery’s director of development and education.

He says they do find things to talk about besides work, but also is glad they work in the same place.

“If we didn’t, we wouldn’t see each other much. Working in a not-for-profit demands a lot. We might get to work at 10 a.m., have rehearsal in the afternoon and shows at night. We’re glad the cats (Bianca and Bernard) have an auto-feeder and auto-litterbox.”

2010 season

Main Stage

* “Everybody Loves Opal,” by John Patrick, April 29 to May 23. Comedy, with Marquetta Senters as Opal Kronkie. When three “friends” decide Opal needs plenty of life insurance and a rapid demise, she still radiates kindness, affection and gratitude.

* “Rumors,” by Neil Simon, June 3 to July 3. Comedy. An anniversary party for New York’s deputy mayor turns into a wild night of adventures for four couples.

* “A Don’t Hug Me County Fair,” by Phil Olson, July 15 to Aug. 15. Musical comedy. The folks from Bunyan Bay are back in a new show. It’s county fair time and the Miss Walleye competition is in full swing. Things get tense as Bernice and Clara vie for the crown.

* Title to be announced, Sept. 9 to Oct. 17. The Old Creamery has been trying to get the rights to this musical comedy for more than four years, and has finally succeeded. But it’s a secret until January.

* “Blithe Spirit,” by Noel Coward, Oct. 21 to Nov. 14, 2010. Comedy. What if the ghost of your first wife moves in with you and your new wife, but only you can see her? An eccentric psychic accidentally brings back the spirit of Charles’ late wife, setting off a battle between the women for rightful possession of their husband.

* “Plaid Tidings,” by Stuart Ross, Nov. 18 to Dec. 19, 2010. Musical. The boys from “Forever Plaid” are back to complete a special mission: They must use their heavenly harmonies and humor to help folks celebrate the Christmas season to its fullest, with 1950s music and holiday favorites.

Studio Series: Made in America

* “The Glass Menagerie,” by Tennessee Williams, April 8 to 25. Classic drama.

 * “Red, White & Tuna,” by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, Aug. 19 to Sept. 5. Comedy sequel to “Greater Tuna” and “A Tuna Christmas.”

* Title to be announced, Sept. 30 to Oct. 17. Negotiating rights for another American classic.

Tickets

* Season packages: Main Stage, $114; 6-Pack, $125; Complete Season, $140. Order forms and information at www.oldcreamery.com/2010Season.php

CD REVIEW

Its title is “Alligator Purse,” but “Jambalaya” seems more apropos for this spicy blend of French, Western and Caribbean traditions, with a hint of country, swing and New Orleans jazz.

The first cut even sounds a little Celtic, even though it’s “Reel Cajun.” Fiery fiddles dance over a steady beat that just naturally transfers to your feet.

Michael Doucet, the voice of the group and keeper of his ancestral flame, brings his clear, pure tone to lyrics French and English. Singing without vibrato puts a terrific, sharpened edge to his upper range.

Every song seems to embrace a different style, and several inject a wink of humor. A low bass growl sneaks up on the syncopated “Carriere Zydeco,” like a gator crawling onto shore to add his bite to the relentless rhythms. An a cappella novelty intro leads into some zippy accordion on the title track, “Alligator Purse,” and “Theogene Creole” jumps feet-first into the Caribbean to unleash some island fever.

Muted trombone drops “Les Orignons” smack-dab into the Latin Quarter for some excellent New Orleans jazz, while guest vocalist Natalie Merchant stops by for a country-fried Cajun duet on “Little Darlin’.”

The disc wraps up with the most traditional of French chanson sounds with “Valse a Thomas Ardoin.”

The best part is that Eastern Iowans can get their Cajun fix in person, when BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet makes its CSPS debut Friday night at 8. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

FAST TAKE

Title: “Alligator Purse”

Artist: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Label: Yep Roc Records

Performance: 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, with Tim Eriksen opening

Where: CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

Tickets: $25 in advance at www.iowatix.com or $31 at the door

Information: www.legionarts.org or www.rosebudus.com/beausoleil