UO opera groups stage musical
‘A Little Night Music,' which
mixes operatic and musical
influences, will premiere
Feb. 18 at the Hult Center
Steven Neuman
Freelance Reporter
Throw together a mismatched
marriage, a two-timing actress, an
unfaithful husband, jealousy, lust
and an isolated estate. It almost
sounds more like a Joan Collins
novel than a musical.
The UO Opera Ensemble and Uni
versity Opera Orchestra are staging a
full production of Stephen Sond
heim's "A Little Night Music" this
month at the Soreng Theatre in the
Hult Center.
The musical is based on the 1955
film "Smiles of a Summer Night," in
which Ingmar Bergman both directed
and starred. It was first produced on
Broadway in 1973.
School of Music Assistant Adjunct
Professor and UO Opera Ensemble
Director Mark Kaczmarczyk is direct
ing "Night Music."
"Sondheim is, in a way, the quin
tessential American musical com
poser," Kaczmarczyk said. "Before
him, it was all musicals that you or I
might consider pretty cheesy. When
he appeared in the 1960s he just rev
olutionized theater. He writes the
music, the lyrics and he fills the play
with all this sexy innuendo."
Kaczmarczyk said the production,
a bedroom comedy that takes place in
the early 1990s, and its convoluted
plot are part of its appeal.
"Sondheim catches the idea of mis
matched couples," he said. "There are
love triangles flying around — it's
pretty crazy."
The musical stars University students
and will be backed by the University
Symphony's instrumental ensemble.
Professor Wayne Bennett, who
will conduct the orchestra for the
performances, said the production
was one of Sondheim's most
ambitious works, adding that it has
impressionistic flair. The score is ren
dered almost entirely in 3/4, or waltz
meter, which Bennett called "quite
sophisticated."
According to Kaczmarczyk,
"Night Music" is neither a musical
or an opera.
"It's a big question," he said. "It's
actually somewhere in between. Be
cause the songs are so dominant and
the music threads through it all. It has
been performed as an opera, but it ran
on Broadway."
"It straddles the fence between
Broadway musical and an opera, but
it was originally conceived as an
opera," Bennett said.
"A Little Night Music" will show
Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 2
p.m. Tickets for the reserved seating
are $ 10, $ 18, or $20 and are available
at the Fluff Center Box Office and the
EMU Ticket Office.
Steven Neuman is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
Convention reveals obsessions
The Record Convention,
held at the Eugene Hilton on
Sunday, showcased obscure
music and serious collectors
By Ryan Nyburg
Senior Pulse Reporter
The first thing I noticed about the
Eugene Record Convention Sunday
was the smell. It had only been open
for a couple of hours, but already the
large convention hall had taken on
the stench of an attic. The air was
filled with the smell of old, well-worn,
REPORTER'S
well-loved
collectors'
items.
§ ml I ¥ZMZmJ&U®\
The con
vention is
held annual
ly at the Eugene Milton the week after
the Super Bowl and always seems to
involve the same people; record col
lectors tend to look alike. It's a look
akin to that of antique dealers, film
buffs, bibliophiles and adult toy store
owners. It's the look of those who
spend their time dealing with the
fetishes of other people while at the
same time indulging in their own.
They look middle-aged even in youth,
usually wear glasses and have the odd
sense of humor of someone who
spends a lot of time alone.
Every year, people like this come to
gether at conventions around the
country for whatever their private ob
session happens to be. Horror films,
computer software, "Star Trek," and
what have you. It's all the same: Fetish
items for the obsessive.
Ryan Nyburg Senior Pulse reporter
Dealers from all over the state showed up at Sunday’s record convention at the Eugene Hifton.
This is not to put them down, of
course, but only to explain the atmos
phere of the place. Vinyl records are a
collectors' items for the most part,
and while all the old arguments are
brought forth about superior sound
quality, they'll certainly never again
have the mass popularity currently af
forded to compact discs. This is why
these conventions exist, anyway. They
provide a place for collectors and
lovers of recorded music — what
turn-of-the-century writer Ambrose
Bierce snidely referred to as "the res
urrection of dead noise."
Most of the dealers are private,
and many aren't doing this for the
profit. Often the reasons for show
ing up are to unload some of the
junk in their collection and talk
with other enthusiasts.
"I'm not here to make a whole
bunch of money," concert video
dealer Mark Strand said. "I'm here to
have some fun and talk to people
about music."
While there is money to be made
in record dealing, the convention
doesn't seem to be about that aspect.
There is chatter going on every
where, with people discussing mu
sic, bragging over their latest finds,
asking about obscure bootlegs, etc.
And while many collectors' items
Turn to RECORDS, page 11
F-Zero GX surpasses past versions
Courtesy
Nintendo’s latest entry to the F-Zero series
allows players to pilot vehicles at speeds of
more than 600 miles per hour.
Nintendo’s F-Zero GX
has improved graphics
and well-designed courses
By Travis Willse
Editorial Editor
"Everything comes to him who hustles
while he waits."
— Thomas Edison
In summer 1991, the world of rac
ing video games changed forever with
Super Nintendo's F-Zero. In an in
tense med
ley of break
neck speed,
triumphant
synth-elec
trie guitar
tracks, deviously challenging race
tracks, keen AI and faux 3-D graphics
(Mode 7 graphics to industry wonks),
GAME
REVIEW
the title put players in the driver's
seat of a super-fast hovercar and pit
ted them against an aggressive horde
of hovercar-driving opponents.
Three (American) sequels and 12
years later, Nintendo, along with de
veloper Sega, released F-Zero GX,
surely the finest addition to the se
ries to date. Players who pick up a
controller will immediately notice
that the game is simply hard. Or at
least it feels that way at first. In
Grand Prix mode, the game's crown
jewel, it will likely take the casual
player a few rounds to get used to
the remarkable control stick sensi
tivity and mind-boggling velocities.
Even on Novice and Standard diffi
culties the typical race speeds are
around 1000 kilometers per hour
(620 mph) and can reach up to
Turn to FROG, page 11
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