Face it, everyone is a little dysfunctional...

Congratulations to our "Dysfunctional Holiday Story" contest winner Deborah Barrett! Our E-Update Subscribers were asked to submit their favorite dysfunctional holiday story in anticipation of our presentation of "Second City's Dysfunctional Holiday Revue" Dec. 14. Deborah won a $25 gift card to the Alys Stephens Center. Here's the winning story...

Once upon a time several years ago, my family insisted on a buying a lovely Fraser Fir tree which was just too large and majestic.

After dear husband sawed on its trunk he decided it would do. We drug it up the steps and through the door and jammed it in its stand in the place of honor. Then he carefully strung the lights but decided it just wasn't straight enough, was still too tall, and didn't look good. To make it sufficiently straight and a bit less statuesque, he decided it needed a different stand which he brought down from the attic.

Unfortunately we didn't think the tree would well survive being pulled back outside through the door, since now the limbs had dropped appropriately to accommodate the lights. So we gently put it down on its side in the family room, lights and all, and attempted to exchange the stand. Alas, the trunk would not fit in the new stand, and thus required more sawing. By now his saw had about given out and so had he, but he would not be denied. With difficulty and after much ado, he fired up the chain saw right in the family room. This finally did the trick; however not only did we have wood chips flying all over and engine exhaust in the air, but oil leaked out of the saw in the process as well.

The tree was finally raised again and the decorations were completed, but at the time he swore he would not be getting another live tree. Fortunately, that proved not to be the case in subsequent, less traumatic years.

Hope you got a chuckle out of this story that's too ridiculous not to be true...

Deborah Barrett

Turning the concert hall on its ear

There is just something about live music. There is a spiritual aspect that is inherent in really good music that connects to the careful listener on a deep, almost primal level. Musicians speak the language of the heart, and they can touch your soul- bringing you to tears, or filling you with pure bliss. Music can take you on journeys, showing you worlds you never knew existed, often without ever uttering a word. Witnessing this magic being created right before your ears is an experience that can leave you mesmerized and stirred to the depths of your being, and often has the potential of changing you forever, if only in some small, internal way. Okay, enough hyperbole…. 

 

Here at the Alys Stephens Center, we’re not only constantly trying to bring you the most powerful performances by the most unique and important artists alive today, but we strive to present the art in such a way that it has the most profound impact on you, our audience. We know what it’s like to sit in rapt wonderment at a show - our staff is comprised of people who live to see live shows.  Ask any of our friends and they’ll tell you that we’re out and about almost every night of the week. For our education director, it’s theatre.  For our executive director, it’s dance. For me, it’s singer/songwriters.  For our marketing and programming director, it’s pretty much anything else. And as “professional show-goers”, we all crave the unique concert experience that will present great art in a fresh dynamic light. And what better way to witness the creation of musical magic than to be sitting “On Stage with the Band”?

 

 

And while we’re re-inventing the wheel, we thought, why not reconfigure the same old grand concert hall that we all know and love so well? So, we’ve turned the Jemison Concert Hall onto its proverbial ear. The band will be onstage, facing the Choral Balcony (yes, backwards) with a curtain drawn behind them, closing off the larger part of the hall. A limited number of onstage seats will be available, along with incredible birds-eye seating in the Choral Balcony. Sounds cool, huh?

 

So now, without further adieu, we are thrilled to announce our first ‘On Stage with the Band” performance, featuring the legendary COWBOY JUNKIES!  We would have been hard-pressed to find a better band to kick off the “On Stage” series. Their music encompasses everything that inspires us – it is at once dynamic and mournful, haunting, heartfelt, and blisteringly poignant. You can’t help but be drawn into the webs they spin, both lyrically and musically.

 

The concert will be Tuesday, February 10^th at 7pm. Tickets go onsale to the general public Monday December 15, 2008. Because we are expecting such a high demand for this show, we are offering an internet presale to loyal friends of the ASC. The presale will be available via www.alysstephens.org only, and will begin Monday December 8, 2008.  Check today’s ASC E-Updates for details.

 

 

 

 

Mom Always Like Them Best

One of the things about my job I like best is working side-by-side with so many talented people. One of our greatest talents is actor, playwright, and resident oddball Jerry Sims. Jerry not only serves as our House Events Manager, he also writes and directs many of our ASC Kids’ Club productions. His shows have included “Alice’s Tea Party,” “Christmas Comes to Mugwumpville,” and this season’s upcoming masterpiece, “A Dickens Vest Pocket Christmas Carol.”

In this blog, Jerry weighs in on the legendary Smothers Brothers comedy duo and the influence they’ve had on generations…

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As a teenager I eagerly awaited The Smothers Brothers show each week. I come from a family of disparate political views and outlooks towards life. The Smothers Brothers provided common ground for all of us. They were funny. Yes, they taught me that it was all right to question the norm and look at politics and life in general from something more than a singular, polarized point of view. But in doing so, they were funny. Their rooted influence includes such great American humorists as Mark Twain and Will Rogers. Their legacy of influence may be found in contemporary entertainers such as John Stewart and Lewis Black. Everyone may not have agreed on every message their rants and rages contained, but if you had a sense of humor at all, you had to agree that they were funny.They gave us the likes of musicians such as Richie Havens, Buffalo Springfield and Mason Williams (who wrote CLASSICAL GAS as well as Tommy's signature song, THE YO-YO MAN).

Any contemporary comedian of note graced their show, and a few lesser known comedians provided a somewhat obscure format for laughter. Who can forget "Pat What's His Name" and his perennial candidacy for president, or the "Share a Little Tea with Goldie Lady?"

Comedy is complex. A simple breakdown is that one either laughs at or with performers.

With the Smothers Brothers, you did both.

Mom was right.

Jazz guitarist and vocalist John Pizzerelli performs first, then the Smothers Brothers take the stage on Sunday, November 23rd. 

You can experience the next original production written by Jerry Sims: “A Dickens Vest Pocket Christmas Carol” on December 7th. Kids will love this show! Tickets are just $7.

Guest blogger Brent Warren logs in on Claire Lynch

The reason that we got into blogging was to provide a forum for people who love music, dance, and theatre to communicate and get out and support the arts in Birmingham. We’re so happy to welcome Guest Bloggers and insights from everyone. If you would like to be a guest blogger, just let us know!

This week Brent Warren logs in on Claire Lynch…

Dolly Parton credits Claire with “one of the sweetest, purest, and best lead vocals in the music business today.” You can’t beat references like that, and I agree 100%! The first time I heard Claire Lynch and the Front Porch String Band, I was struck by her amazing voice and unpretentious stage presence. I have seen her perform on many stages and venues, but no matter how large or small the setting, I feel as if I am sitting on her front porch, hearing the purest, seasoned music coming from these amazing musicians.

If you have ever been to a bluegrass festival, you must have seen all the “shade tree pickers.” They are scattered around the fringes of the festivals, in a circle, playing music. I once heard The Claire Lynch Band warming up for a show under a shade tree at Foggy Hollow Bluegrass Festival. I leaned around the tree, to get as close as I could, and as they played and sang very softly, their harmonies and instruments blended into one richly textured voice that I will never forget…it was special!

Lots of others think Claire and her band are special too. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) voted her Female Vocalist of the Year, and this year she will be inducted into the Alabama Bluegrass Hall of Fame; guitarist Jim Hurst has received two IBMA Guitar Player of the Year awards, and bassist Mark Schatz has received two IMBA Bass Player of the Year awards. Jason Thomas brings remarkable chops on fiddle and mandolin, and he seems right at home with one of the greatest bluegrass bands currently on the scene.

If you are a musician, you will be amazed and inspired. If you just love great acoustic music…you don’t want to miss this show!

- Brent Warren, Editor, BamaGrass Magazine

Brent is Editor of BamaGrass magazine, published by the Alabama Bluegrass Music Association. His real job is Art Director, and Manager for Southern Living magazine. He is a member of a Birmingham bluegrass band, The Newgrass Troubadours.

He says, “bluegrass music really opened my ears to some of the finest musicians in the business, but it’s also a great form of music for beginning pickers – its up to you how far you want to take it. And, the people you meet along the way are great.” He is married to Lisa, and has two daughters, Kendall (5) and Holland (2).

ASC Mentor Shares Love of Music from her Homeland

Ana Lucia Oliveira is a mentor in the ASC's Martin Hames Arts Mentoring Program and a Research Associate at UAB.

 

If you think Brazilian Classical Music, you think Heitor Villa-Lobos. However, Villa-Lobos was not always known and appreciated like he is today, nor did he care about it! Not many people could see in his compositions (and there is a lot of them!) a very intelligent, talented, intense and unique musician. Villa-Lobos was a lovely rebel. He once said he made music simply because he could not live without music. Villa-Lobos was exposed throughout his life to both classical and popular styles of music. His music education started at home (he learned to play the cello with his dad) but he also attended traditional classical music school (which he quit without graduating). In addition, Villa-Lobos was also always involved with and fascinated by the music that came from the people, from the streets, from all corners of Brazil. He traveled extensively throughout Brazil and abroad. He deeply appreciated and tried to bring into his music all the diversity and musicality Brazil always had. One of Brazil’s hallmarks has always been how ethnically rich its music is. Villa-Lobos made a mark to himself from his ability to not just add popular themes to classical music (like others had already done before him) but how he was able to incorporate ethnic music (popular instruments, and popular music styles) into classical compositions by making something truly unique. The quest for finding what was the true identity of Brazilian classical music and rejecting the idea of just following the norm (what was thought and heard in Europe at the time, and what Villa-Lobos considered as lacking imagination and creativity) was actually a quest shared by many Brazilian artists at that time in many areas such as literature, poetry, visual arts and music. This rebellious quest to finding and expressing the true national identity in the arts became an official movement during the “Semana de Arte Moderna” (Week of Modern Art) meeting in Sao Paulo in 1922.

Probably the most famous of Villa-Lobos compositions are Bachianas Brasileiras. In this series, Villa-Lobos was inspired by the resemblance he found between the music of Bach and ethnic music from the Northeast of Brazil. In Bachianas # 2 Tocata (O Trenzinho Caipira), you can see Villa-Lobos true talent shine as he uses the orchestra instruments to mimic the sounds of a train. My favorite, however, is the Bachianas Brasileiras # 5 Aria (Cantinela). I am not sure how to explain it, since I do not know much about Bach, but this piece of music feels to me like a truly classical piece that is so familiar and appeals so much to me as a Brazilian (maybe it speaks straight to my Northeastern Brazilian DNA!). For more information on Villa-Lobos you can visit The Villa-Lobos Museum web page at www.museuvillalobos.org.br (versions in Portuguese, English and Spanish).

It is not a mere coincidence to have conductor Gil Jardim and Branford Marsalis in concert playing Villa-Lobos. Jardim is a Doctor conductor, a university professor, who is also in true contact with the classical and the popular aspects of music. He considers himself as very fond of “Third Stream” musicians (those that can translate and transpose both ethnic and classical music into a third music language: the “Third Stream”; more or less like Villa-Lobos himself, but pretty much without the nationalist approach to it). Marsalis is a musician also very much in tune with popular and classical styles of music, best known as an extremely talented jazz musician. Jazz the style of music that is truly American (nationalist) and also with some degree of improvisation (freedom) and that inspired Darius Milhaud (also in the program) to incorporate Jazz elements into classical compositions. I think Villa-Lobos would definitely say “Sim” (yes) and be very happy with this ensemble!

Birmingham is the last stop of 40 days (28 concerts) of the Brazilian Philarmonia and Marsalis playing Villa Lobos (a celebration of 50 years of Villa-Lobos death). So come with and open mind, a kind heart, true love of good music and talent, and be ready for an evening to be remembered for the years to come.

Interview with Jungua Creator Mark Edward McGuire

I'm fascinated by Martial Arts and Asian culture, so when I found out the Alys Stephens Center would present Jungua: Descendants of the Dragon this season, I knew I had to see it! The family-friendly show will feature some amazing sights - from Kung Fu moves and weaponry, to acrobatics and contortion. Jungua is similar in style to what you find in a Cirque du Soleil performance, but this show highlights thousands of years of Chinese tradition and culture.

Below is a promotional video for Jungua and below that is an interview with the show's creator, Mark Edwards McGuire.  You can catch Jungua: Descendants of the Dragon at the ASC on Saturday, November 1 @ 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 2 @ 3 p.m.



Q: How did JUNGUA come about?

MM: It began with (producer) Yan Yan Zhao’s idea to do a Shaolin kungfu show. I really like what the monks do, but it was too narrow of a focus for me. My inspiration was to combine the masculinity of kungfu with the feminine grace and beauty of female contortionists and acrobats. It opened up a world of possibilities.

Q: What is the concept behind the show?

MM: To create a microcosm of traditional Chinese culture and presents it to in a way that is exciting and accessible to western audiences. I wanted to create a great evening of entertainment based on authentic Chinese culture, but without cultural barriers.

Q: What do you mean by “cultural barriers?”

MM: Western audiences have no frame of reference for “Chinese style” acting, storytelling, music and dance. The style has been ingrained in Chinese audiences from birth, and they can appreciate it on a level which we never could. For us, it’s like watching a foreign film without subtitles. It quickly becomes tedious when you don’t understand the “language”.

Q: How do you get around that?

MM: You translate. It is kind of like the artists are “speaking” their native Chinese, but it is being translated for the audience. I see myself as the translator. I want the audience to feel disoriented at first, as if they are in a strange land. Then, as the evening progresses, my job is to help them to gain more and more understanding about that place and its inhabitants. So the cultural aspect is paramount, but at the same time the show has to be dynamic, interesting, and highly entertaining.

Q: Does the show have a storyline?

MM: There is no narrative. We want each member of the audience to think and feel for themselves, to take away their own personal impressions, emotions and discoveries. Our approach is to enlighten and entertain without explanations. Some scenes which are short vignettes, while some are more poetic and still others are like living paintings. I took a lot of inspiration from Chinese history, art, myths, religions, and philosophies, but everything is open to interpretation by the audience. From a creative perspective, the underlying inspiration was the Asian concept of “Yin and Yang” - the opposing forces which create balance in the universe. I wanted to take the audience into a world where beauty and danger live side by side, and you’re never sure which one you will get.

Q: How would you sum up JUNGUA?

MM: More than anything, JUNGUA is a celebration of life and human potential. We can live vicariously through these amazing artists whether they are creating great joy and beauty, or looking fear in the eye and redefining the boundaries of human limitations. Then we can each leave the theater with a smile on our face feeling enlightened, energized and somehow optimistic. For me, that’s what great entertainment is all about.”

Why I Love Live Music

Last month we ran an e-news contest asking readers to tell us about their “Most Memorable Live Concert Experience.” I’ve been at the ASC for almost 10 years now and have also worked for the ASO and City Stages. A good portion of my adult life has been spent seeing shows (or at least traveling to shows or working shows). I’ve even flown to NYC in a night just to see Neil Young, and then flown back – twice! So, as you can imagine, I’ve had some pretty memorable concert moments. Last month, I had my most memorable to date and wanted to share it with my fellow music lovers…



I have watched The Last Waltz two dozen times and have always been a huge fan of Levon Helm and the Band. It’s been my dream for a while to catch one of his famous Midnight Rambles in upstate New York, but have never been able to make it happen. So when I saw he was coming to the Ryman in Nashville, I was elated. Heading to the Ryman, my husband and I were griping about why the show was a 7 p.m. start time, when the standard is 8 p.m. We soon found out! After taking our seats, the crew came out and said that there was a documentary being produced on Levon’s life and that the concert footage from this night’s show would be used in the film. Soon the cameras started rolling out and the audience was asked to stand and applaud, to an empty stage, pretending as if we had just seen the most amazing live show ever. Silly, yet fun! Little did we know, the surprises were just beginning. Levon and his band, including his daughter Amy and legendary Dylan guitarist Larry Campbell, began the show with one of my all-time favorites, “Ophelia.” Helm glided into the next number saying he was bringing out an old friend and introduced old time blues man Little Sammy Davis. After their song, Helm pulled another stunner and introduced Alison Krauss and Robert Plant! We were seated so close to Plant, I could see ever line on his face! The crowd loved their version of Leadbelly’s “In the Pines.” Next, he brought out (my hero) Sam Bush and Buddy Miller who stayed on stage and played with the band for the rest of the show. The hits kept coming with Helm bringing Sheryl Crow up from the audience where she was seated and performing a chill bump-inducing version of “Evangeline.” After Crow, John Hiatt (who’s here at the ASC on Oct. 10 & 11) took the stage, along with Steve Earle, Delbert McClinton, and a bevy of other Nashville musicians. It was great to see these artists sharing the stage with one of their musical idols. It was obvious that everyone on the stage and in the audience owed a huge musical debt to Helm and were only to happy to show him how appreciative they were. The show closed with a group rendition of “The Weight” and “Forever Young.” Classic.

This is what live music is all about. It’s why I drive to Nashville on a “school” night to see a show. It’s why I work long hours for very little money. It’s why my well-loved iPod will never replace sitting in an audience waiting for a performer to walk on stage. It’s why I love music! And, it’s why if I get lucky enough to meet John Hiatt after the show this weekend, I’m going to tell him “thanks” for being part of such an amazing night of music.