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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 2004)
tile exchange between Beat and bop enriched both jazz and poetry. I’m especially looking forward to this show, which intersperses bop classics by Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk with readings of poems by Kerouac, Ginsberg, Rexroth, Burroughs, Langston Hughes, and the other usual suspects. It’s not too much of a stretch to trace the roots of rap and poetry slams to the ’50s jazz poetry scene. Bring your bongos and berets. Thursday, Aug. 12 Coming Up Roses: Broadway In The ‘50s Shedd Concert Hall, 7:30 pm To my ears, Fifties musical theater (with conspicuous exceptions like Carousel and West Side Story) generally does- n’t reach the heights of the preceding generation; I’ll always prefer Rodgers and Hart to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Still, the list of classic songs from Broadway musicals of the 1950s (some actually written earlier) is a long one, including “Till There was You,” “Mack the Knife,” and others to be per- formed by Hyman, his quartet and three singers. Friday, Aug. 13 I Remember It Well: Hollywood In The ‘50s Shedd Concert Hall, 2:30 pm The movie musical appears to be making a comeback thanks to the success of Chicago, Moulin Rouge and others. This con- cert will focus on the previous golden age, with Hyman & Co. tackling classics like Cole Porter’s “True Love” and Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen’s “The Man That Got Away.” Saturday, Aug. 14 The Legends of Doo Wop Cuthbert Amphitheater, 7:30 pm Growing out of gospel and the pop of groups like the Mills Brothers, doo wop was a highpoint of the 1950s, with African American groups and Italian-American and even Puerto Rican ensembles (with names like the Orioles, the Belmonts, the Moonglows, the Drifters, the Five Satins) unleashing a torrent of pristine vocal harmony on enduring beauties such as “In the Still of the Night,” “Come Go with Me” and others. Sometimes performing a capella, but usually with a rhythm section, guitar and the ubiquitous tenor solo in the middle, many of these groups (e.g. the Dell Vikings) were integrated long before interracial performance was accepted or even legal in some places. The singers here hail from relatively obscure groups like the Passions, the Fascinators, the Imaginations and the 5 Sharps, yet seemed to have their chops intact on a recent PBS doo wop special. Hyman’s octet will also perform, setting the mood with early rock hits by one of the all time great song- writing teams, Leiber and Stoller, responsible for so many classics by the Coasters, Elvis and the rest. AL CAIOLA SHIRLEY ANDRESS Aug. 6, 8, 11, 13 My Fair Lady Silva Concert Hall Inspired by an Irish playwright and a Hungarian director, with music by a Vienna-born composer and based on European classical models, set in London, featuring an English lead actor, and dealing with very British themes of class and language — what’s My Fair Lady doing in an American music festival? Well, it was only the most popular show ever on Broadway up to that time, and the lyrics and music team of Lerner & Loewe rank among New York’s finest musical theater craftsmen. Americans can also relate to the theme of self-improvement. Anyway, MFL is an American classic, and according to OFAM executive director James Ralph and director Richard Jessup, this elaborate, all new production featuring a full pit orchestra conducted by James Paul and a splendid cast headed by Bill Hulings and Shirley Andress, will hew more closely to the themes of George Bernard Shaw’s original 1913 Pygmalion play than did the Rex Harrison movie. ew "Equality in our lifetime" SUNDAY, AUGUST 1 ST ALTON BAKER PARK 11 AM TO 7 PM Entertainment, Food, Beer Garden, Craft Booths The ever popular Bachelor Auction COMPLICATED PRIDE ADMISSION BUTTONS: $7.50 AT GATE, $5.00 ADVANCE AT LUCKEY'S (933 OLIVE), MOTHER KALI'S BOOKS (720 E. 13TH) OR CALL 342-1490. VOLUNTEER & GET FREE ADMISSION! Limited reduced price and free buttons in advance for low income folks: call 342-1490 or email pride@rockergirl.net SPONSORED BY: LUCKEY'S, BARB RYAN, COUNSELOR, AMBROSIA RESTAURANT, LANE COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY BOARD. 14 JULY 29, 2004 NIMBUS ©2004 Pabst Brewing Company MUSIC BY Leah Redwine, Complicated, Amazon Creek, Pridal Rhythm Marimba, ISCEE Performers, Soromundi Workshop and many more. Nim·bus - aura or atmosphere of splendor surrounding some- body or something; a definition truly fitting for this local experi- mental rock trio. Since their inception in 2002, Mike, Scott, and Dan have been giving Eugene and Portland some outstanding live performances. You can catch Nimbus’ innovative new sound that fuses digital technology with organic music this Thursday and Friday night. Check out Eugene Weekly’s clubs page and www.nimbuslovesyourmama.com for details.
