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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1987)
■HOLIDAY ARTS Music, theatre, ballet, opera have holiday flavor Santa’s not the only bearer of gifts. Eugene’s major arts organizations have your name on their list,too. This time of year you can catch the holi day spirit and enjoy the fine arts at the same time. Eugene Symphony Lovers of fine music get their pre sents early. This weekend the Eugene Symphony Orchestra presents its Christmas Liszt concert Saturday night, and the Symphony Guild has an additional treat: the Christmas Walk Saturday and Sunday. The Walk is in its fifth year, and for the first time you can experience the ambience of four homes, rather than the three of previous years. This year four houses in the classy Fair Oaks area will open their doors to the public. Each home has a holiday theme, which has been carried out festively by local florists. Surprises planned on the self-guided walking tour include live music, home-baked delicacies for sale, and craft demonstrations in cer tain homes. All proceeds will benefit the Orchestra. In case you’re wondering, yes, the Eugene Symphony again will invite the audience to sing along with the or chestra on seasonal favorites at Satur day’s Silva Hall concert. So if you’ve caught yourself humming snippets of melodies now that the Christmas spirit is on the rise, you may want to catch ESO’s offering. Orchestra soloists Edward McMa nus and David Kruse will highlight Telemann’s Concerto For Two Horns, conducted by orchestra member Ed ward Kammerer. After the intermis sion, four community choral groups will join the orchestra. The Eugene Concert Choir, with Diane Retailack conducting, will stage a musical ex cerpt from the biblical story Amahl and the Night Visitors. The Univer sity of Oregon Children’s Choir, con ducted by Randall Moore; the Eugene Gleeman, conducted by Nelson Enns; and the Women’s Choral Society, con ducted by John Hakes, will appear in Silva Hall with the ESO. Oregon Repertory Theater ORT again brings A Christmas Carol to town for the holiday season, and true to the repertory group’s pro claimed avant-garde bent, the produc tion has an unusual twist: it's a play within a play set in the home of its author, Charles Dickens, on Christmas Eve. Joseph Gilg, ORT artistic director, said that Dickens actually did give theater performances as charity benefits, with groups of colleagues and friends, in Victorian London. “Several characters in the play are based on historical figures'” says Gilg, among them: Dickens' wife, his brother, the editor of Punch magazine at the time, and John Forester, Lon don publisher and friend. Christmas theater audiences de mand their Christmas Carol, and ORT has come through with it for many years. Gilg, in his first year in his position, says having veteran ORT players around who’ve done the play before has added an exciting dimen sion to this year’s experience. He laughs about working in a British-ac cented production, which sees occa sional lapses into Southern dialect during rehearsal, leftovers from last year’s Appalachian Ebeneezer. Johnny Schiller of Fiddlin’ Big Sue, Uncle T and Johnny fame, is one of the returnees from last year’s pro duction. At first, Gilg sought a vio linist/actor for the role of Clarkson Stanfield, a painter. When the right person did not appear for the dual role, Gilg chose Bill Reid (local favo rite, most recently in Mainstage’s Gold Dust) for the part. Schiller will play the music while Reid mimes the character, and both will be on stage at once. As Gilg pointed out, it's a PHOTO BY CLIFF COLES Eugene Ballet: The Nutcracker theatrical “convention:” a concept in the arts whereby those involved accept a certain change in reality for the par ticular art form. ORT's A Christmas Carol begins with Dickens talking to his Muse, or inspirational being. Dickens is suffer ing from a case of writer’s block. The Muse suggests the story of a child on crutches, the nascent Tiny Tim. It’s Christmas Eve. After soul-searching with the Muse, Dickens joins his family, which begs a story of him. Nope, he says, not working tonight. Dickens does finally agree to a group play, with family and friends taking part, and from this point on au dience members are left in on some of the magic of creating theater. The play opens December 11 in the Soreng Theater, Hult Center. Eugene Ballet The unforgettable music of Pyotr Il yich Tchaikovsky, joined to the moves of Eugene’s professional ballet com pany, graces the larger stage of the Hult Center later this month. The Nutcracker is a popular ballet based on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and the tale written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Like Amahl and The Night Visitors. an operetta. Nutcracker has proven of special appeal to little ones. It has become a Eugene tradition to educate children in the marvels of bal let by attending Nutcracker. Residents have come to expect the cartoon figures of the ballet festooning such places as the Eugene Public Library window this time of year. Adults, too, relive childhood eyes-wide-open days at Eugene Ballet holiday perform ances. Children are instrumental in the local Nutcracker production. In the past five years, over 200 children have danced in Eugene performances of the beloved ballet. Among many dancers’ roles in The Nutcracker, this year Baby Mice, Bon Bons and Party Children have been cast entirely of dance students of the Eugene Ballet Dance School. Forty four- to six-year olds of our com munity will perform as Baby Mice in the five different EBC performances, with eight at each performance. The figures which artistic directors Toni Pemble and Riley Grannan must jug gle are phenomenal. The ballet opens December 17. Eugene Opera This year you can cure post-Christ mas and Hanukah blues by experienc ing the thrill of the human voice in perfection. Eugene Opera presents two end-of year performances of The Daughter of the Regiment, in English, in matinee December 27 and on New Year’s Eve. The New Year’s Eve per formance will be followed by a Gala Benefit for the Opera, catered by the Charcuterie and set to the music of the Dana Lutes Ensemble. At the Gala, Horizon Satellite Sys tems will dazzle those in attendance with a TV broadcast of New Year’s festivities in New York, London and other major world capitals. A fine oepra, global link-up, gourmet cui sine and hot jazz can be had in one evening—Gala tickets are $20 at the Hult. In Daughter of the Regiment, a child is abandoned on a battlefield during French Napoleonic times. French soldiers raise her. She grows up and falls in love with a military man. Natch. Then circumstances sep arate the lovers, but not to worry, the opera is a romantic comedy. Uniquely University Theatre Presents Noises Off by Michael Frayn Everyone needs a little comic relief. "A farce that makes you think as well as laugh." NY Dally News Dec. 3,4,5.10,11.12 at 8:00 pm Saturday matinee Dec. 12 at 2:30 Robinson Theatre UO Campus University Box Office For Reservations 686-4191 Brother Jonathans Cae Lots of.^^ V Patagonia Synchilla from $68.00! 13th * Oak, Eugene * 343-6088 Open Mon. Sat. 9:30-6, Sun. 12-4 Zouch of Class Clothing Quality Resale in Natural Fibers for women & children Ito 6x1 New jewelry. Great gift ideas. Gift certifi cates available We pay more for your used clothing1. 2650 Willamette • 343-0095 Mon.-Fri. 10-5:30/Saturday 10-5 Give the Coast for Christmas “THE OREGON COAST: 6 ASventure Awaits A A Home Video of First whns“Yo?eocvmer Eugene “eie video Contest Come explore the beauty of the Oregon Coast on this delightful, narrated video journey. Tour the many scenic, historic, and entertaining sites, from Astoria to Brookings. This unique video can be a memento to be enjoyed time and time again, or a source of information for those planning to enjoy the adventures of the Oregon coast. Just send $29.95 check or money order and indicate format type (VHS or Beta). MEDIA CRAFT ASSOCIATES - VIDEO PRODUCTION SERVICES 180 Waite Street Eugene, OR 97402 Ph. (503) 461*0423 WS wD nes"? you o% Dinner * Lunch ★ Cocktails Weekend Piano Bar Catering * Meetings Private Holiday Parties Recommended by “NW Best Places” Corner 7th & Willamette ★ 484-4041 ★ Tuesday-Sunday OREGON REPERTORY THEATRE PRESENTS Uenir % wi Cda I weel”Ow •ONty A wCrerooker— A Christmas Carol 1020) 01 1 A family classic At the Soreng Theatre in the Hull Center Time: 7:30 pm Dec. 18, 19, 22, 23 Sunday Matinee Dec. 20 Time: 2:00 pm Thursday, Dec. 24 Time: 6:30 pm Meet the cast after the Dec. 20th show! ouppainttt in ruan by (hi Itazki An htunAuttui For special group rates. call 484-PLAY Call the Hull Box Office-68 7-5000 Tickets: $9.50 and $12.50 $320 OFF For Children 19 & Under
