Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Western Carolinia Volume 46 Number 36

  • wcu_publications-9685.jpg
6 / 6
Item
  • Entertainment n i. A 6 July 15, 1982/Western Carolinian WCU Smokey Mountain Classic Delights Audience by: M.J. SCHFTZ Nearly 750 young men and women from six states paired into Cullowhee last Thursday to participate in the two-year-old Smoky Mountain Classic Deum and Bugle Corps contest. E. J. Whitmiere Stadium was vibrant with color and sound throughout the event, and the delighted audience rose to its feet several times to applaud. *-- The show is a new annual event in Cullowhee. It is jointly sponsored by Western Carolina University, WLOS-TV in Asheville, the Asheville Citizen-Times and Western's Dr. Joseph R. Scagnoli is the show's chairman. Drum Corps International, the leadership organization for youth drum and bugle corps in the US and Canada, sanctioned the competion. The Smoky Mountain Classic is just one stop on a performing tour that is several weeks long for each corps competing. The young people train throughout the year to do a competitive tour during the off-school months. Each member of each corps puts hundreds of hours a year into rehearsals, and one spectator at Thursdays event was heard to remark that every minute of the time showed in the performances. The Pride of Cincinatti, from Cincinatti, Ohio openedthe show with a march-and swing-oriented repertoire which concluded with a drum-corps arrangement of "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ, Superstar. New Orleans' Louisiana Southernaires followed with a marching jazz medley which included the Rebel favorite "Dixie" and concluded with an arrangement called "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" The third performance, by Memphis Blues Brass Band from Tennessee was a quick crowd favorite because of its blues-y sound and precise, origional color guard work. Tampa Bay's Suncoast Sound entered the field after a brief intermission. The flash of their blue, navy and gold uniforms contributed to their eye-pleasing marches, and the crowd responded again to a new favorite. However, the last two bands were the most seasoned professionals in an all-round wonderful show. The 27th Lancers of Revere, Massachusetts is a corps which was founded in 1967 and whose list of accomplishments inludes eight regional Championships. Their show was wonderfully origional and precise, and the music was clear and sweet. photo by: TIM SCHUTZ The Crossmen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were the last performers in an evening in which the entertainment seemed to improve steadily. The crowd rose to its feet at the conclusion of their presentation, which was snappy, if slightly more conservative. When the applause quieted, people told each other how sorry they felt for the judges and awaited the awards announcements. Fortunately for them the judges follow guidelines U An Almost Perfect Person 99 by: DARRELL BECK There's an old saying that "politics make strange bedfellows." Is it just a coincidence, or is it intentional that the saying is an underlying element of the recent STA production of "An Almost Perfect Person'? A political satire written by Judith Ross, the play details the experiences of Irene Porter, a woman campaigning for a congressional seat, and how she faces her subsequent defeat. Terribly upset by her loss, Irene engages in a verbal battle with one of her assistants, Dan Connally. After a rather lengthy talk, however, the two of them retire for the night for a more intimate encounter. The next morning, after Dan departs, Irene is confronted with another one of her assistants, Jerry Leeds, who subsequently confesses his affection for her; he even contemplates leaving his wife to marry Irene. That afternoon, Irene and Jerry have an intimate moment in Irene's apartment, jokingly dubbed "San Francisco" by the amorous Jerry. The triangle between Irene, Jerry, and Dan, once revealed to them all at once, provides a wildly and fantastically humorous situation. This is further aggravated by the fact that Irene is $75,000 in debt, thanks to Dan's spending the money on Irene's television campaign exposure. Under the direction of Kathleen Sandquist Wright, the play fares reasonably well. The story runs a little rough in a few spots, due to the lack of more extensively-used gesturing and more realistic voice traits on the part of the actors to round out their characters, and the first act moves a bit slowly. However, these problems are counterbalanced by Dr. Wright's choices for performers, her technique for punching up humorous lines, and the much faster, more interesting pace at which she moves the story during the second act. ' The performers, fortunately, are a talented group, and they provide an interesting diversity of characterizations for the production. Diana Carlson does more than just act; her facial expressions, voice tones, and body movement externalizes her character Irene's feelings and emotions, but accomplishes this on a subtle level. She is an interesting and attractive lady, who uses much of her actresss abilities in her role. Mark Hipps, as Dan Connally, plays his part somewhat self-assuredly in the first act and in the second act he relaxes a bit to give us an image of a slightly inebriated, extremely irritated, and a very funny fellow. Alex Norris, an excellent character actor who handles both comedy and drama with equal ease, puts that ability to good use in his role of Jerry Leeds, who at times seem;, to be two people in one. And Richard Gainey, as the disembodied voice of Ed Rios, served frequently to annoy Irene, puts a slightly humorous twist in his voice when he delivered his lines. He was very enjoyable, even if we didn't see him, and it's a shame he didn't have more to do. FOREST HILLS MOTOR LODGE Includes free tennis, swimming and golf Efficiency units available by day, week, or month Rooms from $25.00 Call 293-5442 Of course you can't unfry an «Rg. but there's no law against thinking about it. If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I would relax. I would be sillier than I have beeb this trip. I would be less hygienic. I would go more places. I would climb mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less spinach. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary troubles. You see, I have been one of those fellows who live prudently, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I have had my moments. But if I had it to do over again, I would have more of them-a lot more. I never go anywhere without a thermometer, a map, a raincoat, and a pair of shoes. If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter. If I had my life to live over, I would start going barefoot a little earlier in the spring and stay that way a little later in the fall. I would have more dogs. I would keep later hours. I would ha\e more sweethearts. I'd fish more, ride more merry- go-rounds. I would go to more circuses. „ In a world in which practically everybody else seems to be consecrated to the gravity of the situation, I would rise to glorify the levity of the situation. For I agree with Will Durant, who said, "Gaiety is wiser than wisdom." If I had my life to live over, I'd pick more dalsies.- Don Herold Good Cheap Mexican Food Tuesday & Thursday Nights at yst]one^ V\fedne9cby AU you can eat Spaghetti with tossed salad 8c bread $2.95 or Chinese Entree Friday-Fresh Seafood Sat-Barbeaued Ribs Plus Regular Menu Nightly Lunch Tuesday-Friday 11:30-2:00 Reservations 293-3621 Supper Tufe».-Sat. 5:00-8:30 Brown Bagging Buya Touch-Tone Phone. Save Money. Desk Model $50.95 Now Only $^T95 Wall Model $51.95 Now Only $ A 095 Come by or call your Continental Business office. Continental Telephone and judge the merit of each corps'performance according to specific criteria in nine distinct areas of the presentation. Ghe judges and their areas of expertise were: Individual Brass Performance - Dave Ferenze, Liverpool, N.Y.; Brass EnsemhV Execution - Tonv D'Napon, hayettevuic, :>.^., un:i. effect ofinc Brass - Dave Richards, Colgate, Wi.; Drum Executiion - Bill Decker, Shortsville, N.Y.; Percussion Analysis - Gary Hodges, Columbus, Oh., General Effect of Percussion - Jim Denkins, Montgomery, Al.; Marching and Maneuvering Execution - John Palm, Wlldbury, N.J.; Visual Analysis - Vince Coco, Liverpool, N.Y.; General Execution of Marching & Maneuvering - Paul Litto, Chicago, II,; and the vote tabulator was Gina Hodges of Bowie, Md. Even though the judging is guided, these ladies and gentlemen bad a hard time pickinga winner: the scores of the top two corps only differed by 2.15 points. The Crossmen of Philadelphia were the chosen Champions of the Smoky Mountain Classic, with a score of 76.95. The sixth-place Louisiana Southernaires left the field first followed by the Pride of Cincinatti. who placed fifth in the competition;. As they left, the Pride faced the bands remaining on. the field and, at the command of their Drum Major, saluted their peers. The gesture was returned wfthVa.;4>ow from the Suncoast Sound - a beautiful exchange that echoed the pride and discipline evident in all the .corps. The>f enqjfcfcifcfc* Brass Band, in fourth place, left the field hex*. Suncoast Sound, with a score of 66.35, placed thid and was.the next corps to retreat, followed by the second-place 27th Lancers, who were within 2.15 points of being pinners that night and whose placing surprised people in the crowd. The Champion Crossmen gave an encore performance before retreating, at which the crowd was quite pleased. Finally, the field was left empty, and the campus and its neighbors began waiting for next year's Smoky Mountain Classic and looking forward to still another evening of color and music. QUIN Theatres 586-5918 CLINT EASTWOOD
Object