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  • Western Carolina University
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  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2016-10-27_Vol84_No02_11

The Western Carolinian ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT October 27, 2016 AS Shangela visits WCU for drag show Jordan Freeman Junior Editor For most of my time here at Western Carolina University, I have been very impressed with the kinds of celebrities and _ talent the Department of Campus Activities has been able to bring to campus, such as Waka Flocka Flame last year and Mayday Parade this year. However, it was on Thurs- day, October 6 that I was the most impressed, At 8 p.m. that evening in the UC Grand room, RuPauls Drag Race contestant and professional drag queen Shangela performed for the students and faculty of Western Carolina. The show, presented by Intercultural Affairs and Last Minute Productions, did not actually start at eight. The staff opened the doors at about 7:45 p.m. They did not anticipate the turn out Shangela would create. The room quickly filled up. The staff had to not only find empty seats for people who had come alone, but also had to bring out more seats. ence entertained until the show started and he did his job well. The audience was engaged and the staff helped keep them engaged. At one point, one of the staff members got caught in the moment and took off his shirt. Eventually, the two co-hosts came onto the stage to get the crowd to settle down and get them ready for the show. Before they brought Shangela on, they first spoke about the LGBTAQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) community and brought awareness to the commu- nity and gender norms that should be known. They also covered the differ- ent types of drag, such as drag queens, drag kings and transgender perform- ers. The room became somber as they discussed and showed a news clip about the Pulse Night Club shooting. Though this was a night of acceptance and celebration of not only be- ing a part of the LGBTQIA community, but a sup- porter, it was also a time to reflect that the world is still cruel and there are still rights to be fought for. Soon after the clip, the two co-hosts brought Shangela to the stage. Now, the professional reporter in me would like to say that she was a wonderful host, both engaging and funny, as well as put together well and a wonderful perform- . er. However, as a gay man, I was in heaven! Seeing Shangela on TV is one thing. Seeing her perform live is another. She was, to put it mildly, fabulous! However, Shangela was not the only performer of the night. While she may have been the head- liner, there were other people who did just as good of a job performing and keeping the audience entertained. There were two drag king performers, which is when a woman presents the illusion of portraying a man, who were both Western Caro- lina students. Their drag king names were Rider Valentine and Liam Scott. Both of them were amaz- ing. They were engaging with the audience and you could tell they were giving it their all. Not only did students perform but professional performers from North Carolina participated in the show, as well. One of them was the North Caro- * lina Mister Entertainer of the Year, who is a Western Carolina alumnus and transgender performer, Leo Scott. It was easy to see why he was given the title. He was a crowd favor- ite, making girls and guys alike swoon. The other performer was Josie Glam- oure, a drag queen who gave Shangela a run for her money when it came to dancing and acrobatics. By the end of the show, the audience still wanted more. They did not want to leave, as they had been having such a good time. However, if this is the level of drag entertainment that Western Carolina can not only offer, but can afford, then I am excited to see what other performers they can bring to the stage in the future. For more information about the Department of Campus Activities and upcoming events, contact Director Jeff Hughes at 828-227-7206 or hughes@ wceu.edu. Photo by Katie Greene/STAFF Shangela Laquifa sings during a drag performance Photo by Katie Greene/STAFF Hypnotist Chris Jones performed hypnosis on Western Carolina students. Madeline Smith Staff Writer On Thursday, October 14 in the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center, 26 individuals sat on stage and allowed a hypnotist to manipulate their minds. These-individuals became dogs, dancers, zombies and attended prom. From the be- ginning until the end, Chris Jones evoked laughter in the crowd with his awkwardness and incredible talents. Jones began practicing hypnotism in his free time during graduate school. I was a magician first. I wasnt really good at it, but I kept at it. At grad school, Alicja Lipsky Staff Writer On Sunday, October 2, Western Carolina Univer- sitys Friends of the Arts hosted a special performance of the Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest artist Kurt Elling. Held in the Bardo Arts Center, this unforgettable concert was open to the public and hon- ored both the headline artists and the efforts the Friends of the Arts have put forward in supporting this campus com- munity. The Branford Marsalis Quartet, led by its namesake, was formed in 1986. Under Marsalis leadership, the group has remained success- ful (and its personnel fairly constant) since its inception. The quartet regularly tours nationally and international- ly. In 2012, iTunes recognized the quartets album Four I started liking magic more than hypnosis. I just switched gears, and that was fun for me, he stated. Now he performs in Chicago, Illinois and across the country at many high schools and universities. He even performed once on the Americas Got Talent stage and convinced Howie Mandel to shake his hand along with the other casted judges. In front of Western Carolina University students, Jones seemed completely comfort- able on stage. He said, You have to be able to talk in front of a lot of people... lcan talk to like 500. When he began selecting individuals to be a part of the show, volunteers practically threw themselves at him. Several individuals had high expectations for the night, including freshman Chris Strain. Strain was excited to see the hypnotist after witnessing his performance on Americas Got Talent. He graciously volunteered when Jones asked. Jones began the night hypnotizing the whole crowd after giving a fair amount of warnings, instructions and disclaimers. He managed to thoroughly hypnotize five individuals within the crowd that he put on stage. Every- one else found themselves on stage by volunteering. After the basics, the act intensified as Jones induced the volunteers into a deeper sleep. Before waking them up, he suggested that they not remember their names but instead their names would be their spirit animals. The audience met a cat, gi- raffe, dolphin, lion and puppy during the night. Hypnotism and magic are closely related, but are not quite the same thing. Jones seems to cast a spell upon the individuals and put them ina comatose state. He views it as giving them suggestions that they follow naturally. Magic involves a secret, and even if theres a re- ally good trick there is still always a secret. Like there is a way they do itbut with hypnosis, there is absolutely no secret. Its just the power of your mind, said Jones. Throughout the night, Jones had a series of skits prepared for his hypnotized volunteers to participate in. For instance, after the spirit animals revealed themselves, Jones took the remaining 13 people on stage and sent them on a rollercoaster ride. The ride was titled Trump of Terror and people had previ- ously lost their lives riding it. The expressions on every- ones faces resembled such horror that the fear could be felt in the crowd. Each indi- vidual began screaming as if their life depended on it. The most exciting moment of the night was when Jones convinced the volunteers that they were zombies and had them dancing to Michael Jacksons Thriller. An- other highlight was when the volunteers danced as if they were at a party and the males twerked on the females. Jones agreed that it was his favorite part of the night. Being hypnotized affects everyone differently. Taylor Gray, junior at Western Caro- lina, was among the students that was hypnotized during the night. Unfortunately, she was unable to remember how she felt on stage. Unlike her experience, one individual retained some of his experi- ence. Sophomore Joshua Alva- renga stated, I remember being really tired, 1 remem- ber twerking on a girl thats really cute... remember a Lion. The night ended with Chris Jones pretending to be Drake and the hypnotized volun-. teers swooning over him. Jones stated, I sometimes have performances that are not good, and that was a good one. This night was a regular day at work for Jones, but its not the only job he holds. At home in Chicago, he works at a Lou Malnatis Pizza. He believes that if you keep working you'll always have a career. Its when you stop working that you wont get paid. Throughout the year, he visits over 150 colleges and delivers a similar show for them. He has performed in Las Vegas and other large cities. He has visited every state and has met celebrities such as Steve Harvey, Howie Mandel and even President Barack Obama. For him, being a hypnotist is wonderful and he likes to travel, but sometimes the job can be difficult: Sometimes skepticism makes it really hard, but its always fun for him to prove the skeptical individuals in his audiences wrong. Junior Rachel Whittle was one of those individuals. Tm still skeptical, but I like the mystery of it, she said. Even though she was unsure, she thoroughly enjoyed the night and would like to see the show again. : Many other students enjoyed themselves at the show. For instance, students Gabby Edmondson (junior), Abigail Veit freshman), Meagan Sanchez (freshman) and Aleah Keaton (freshman) arrived late to the show and still managed to engage and _have a good time. All of them agreed that if Jones returned, they would see the show again. ie Chris Jones enjoyed perform- ing at Western Carolina and meeting some of the students. To all students, he stated, If you're freaking out because youre about to graduate, its fine. Even if you change your major, its fine. Theres no right or wrong answer. As long as youre happy and not hurting anyone, you'll be fine. Also, know that you are a gift to everyone. Thats important to know. Overall, the night was a success and you can look forward to Last Minute Pro- ductions hosting more fun events in the future. Upcom- ing events during the month of November can be found on http://www.wcu.edu/ex- perience/connect-and-join/ whats-going-on.aspx. If you want to get involved or know more about Last Minute Pro- ductions and their programs, you can email them at Imp@ email. weu.edu or give them a call at 828-227-7479. MFss Playin Tunes as that years best instrumental jazz album. Currently, the group is manned by Joey Calder- azzo as pianist, Eric Revis on upright bass and Justin Faulkner on drums. Bran- ford Marsalis leads the group on tenor and alto saxophone. Each member hails from a unique musical background, bringing a distinct tone to the music created. When the quartet appeared onstage, they were cool but intense. The group moved tightly, like a well-oiled ma- chine, as they launched into a long piece full of improvisa- tion. At its core, jazz is based on individual musicians embellishing melodies that have already been written or making up new ones on the spot. The bass player lays out a common line for the group to follow, and a piece is formed from there. These skills take a life- time and lots of practice to develop. It is rare to find a group of musicians that can work intensely close to each other, yet the Branford Marsalis Quartet manages to achieve that at the very highest level of performance. Passing around a shared melody and alternating solos, the audience could get lost in the complexities of its many variations. Often, the group appeared to have an almost telepathic connection to each other. The quartet has devel- oped a reputation of being a tightly-knit group and rarely features guest artists. On see- ing them perform for the first - time, it was clear that the task of keeping pace with this intense unit would require an exceptional artist. Kurt El- ling certainly filled that role and exceeded expectations. The Grammy award- winning artist has achieved international acclaim for his work both as a jazz vocalist and composer. According to Ellings official biography, he has been top listed in the Downbeat Critics Poll for a total of 14 consecutive years. Eight of those years, the Jazz Journalists As- sociation named him Male Singer of the Year. Elling has also been nominated for a Grammy award 12 times. The second section of the concert opened with a col- lection of old classics. Elling demonstrated a remarkable ability to capture the style of former greats, notably Nat King Coles Blue Garde- nia. The audience was instantly transported from the confines of the concert hall to another space entirely. Technical skill and stylistic flexibility made for a master- ful performance. The program extended far beyond Nat King Cole, however. There were fluid shifts across time and moods. From upbeat swing reminis- cent of the big city, through laid back Portuguese verses evoking Brazilian beaches, to the show-stopping setting of Stings Practical Arrange- ment, Marsaliss saxophone and Ellings voice created an experience unlike any other. The audience remained enthusiastic throughout the performance and even beyond. After the last encore piece and the final standing ovation, the hall reluctantly emptied out into the foyer.. . People swarmed toward tables where the quartets latest album, a collabora- tion with Elling, could be purchased. Students were both amazed and inspired by the concert. Many of those in attendance were music students or involved with the arts. The opportunity to see perform-. ers of this caliber proved very exciting. As one student, Holly: ; Barnes, stated, [the perfor-' mance] was mind-blowing. Even students not involved in jazz were pleasantly sur-: prised by the accessibility of the performance and skill of each performer. : Ben Grochowsky, a saxo- | phone student in the School! of Music, noted, It was way cooler than I expected. More information about the Friends of the Arts advocacy initiative and the College of Fine and Perform- ing Arts can be found on the university website www.wcu. edu. Concerts and theatrical performances are hosted in the Bardo Arts Center year- round. For more information about upcoming performanc- es or ticket prices, contact the Bardo Box Office at 828-227- 2479.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
  • Text
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2016-10-27
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.5" x 11.25"
  • Pages: 12
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
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  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
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  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2016-10-27_Vol84_No02
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library