Demirjian Chamber Concert full of surprises

The Dayton Philharmonic’s Demirjian Chamber Concerts are not a hidden treasure; they are rather well attended.  There is, however, always more “room at the inn” to enjoy these musical jewels. The concerts are a “double header” on Fridays at the Victoria.  At 10:30 a.m. you are treated to coffee and donuts (as a dentist, I consider those fat and sugar filled confections to be sinful poison).  At the evening performance, there is some form of goodies, I believe pizza.

What you receive, far better than these tempting morsels, is musical fare that is so special, so appealing, that it becomes a highlight of the season.  Last week’s concert at the Victoria was titled “Winds and Jazz.”  I was looking forward to hearing Acting Concertmaster Aurelian Oprea play as soloist.  I was totally unprepared for what followed.

The concert opened with Dvorák’s Wind Serenade.  The musicians, woodwinds and a few French horns, were arrayed in two straight lines on the stage. A cello and double bass joined them looking somewhat like illegal aliens.  

This work has a strong nostalgic bond for me. Over 50 years ago, I went to Turkey for a year’s duty as a dentist with the US Air Force.  I brought a record player and a few LP disks, the Wind Serenade among them.  Whenever I hear that beautiful music, I am wafted back to those halcyon days.

The power of a live performance, in such an intimate setting, brought this beloved piece to a new level of enjoyment.  Hearing the music was enhanced by watching the vivacity of the players as they wove Dvorák’s lively melodies into a rich fabric.  Clarinetist John Kurokawa and Oboist Eileen Whalen were having lots of fun passing the mellifluous tunes forth and back.  

Just when the audience thought they had had enough fun, Maestro Neal announced the final work, Freidrich Gulda’s Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra.   With a wry smile, Neal said that we shouldn’t expect any cellos.  It seems that Concertmaster Aurelian Oprea had transcribed Gulda’s concerto for electric violin and winds.  In addition, there was a full jazz drum set and two electric jazz guitars on the stage.  

Now, we were prepared for everything and anything and were not disappointed.  The first shock came when Oprea entered bearing a bright red stick with strings.  With an equally wry smile, he plugged an electric cord into the stick and we were off on a musical ride equal to the best an amusement park can offer.

The work had every musical form from a fiddler’s hoedown to an oom-pah marching band.  Everyone, soloist, musicians and conductor, could not wipe the smiles off their faces.  The audience responded with a standing ovation, shouts and cheers, demanding the repeat of the final movement as an encore!

Dayton Playhouse Arsenic and Old Lace

Theater was next on the weekend schedule at Wright State and Dayton Playhouse. The playhouse revived Joseph Kesselring’s 1941 Arsenic and Old Lace.  I attended to see two of Dayton’s theater icons, Dutch Waterman and Joan Harrah, perform but expected little excitement.

I should never underestimate the power of community theater, particularly The Dayton Playhouse.  Director Adam Leigh chose a cast with centuries of experience and lifetimes of good humor.  The result was a sparkle from start to finish.  

The two old biddy sisters, played by Dutch and Joan, set the tone.  Even the humor of Don Campbell as nephew Teddy, who believes that he is President Theodore Roosevelt, never became broad slapstick but remained fresh.  

Excellent performances by John Bukowski, Shawn Hooks, Devan Thompson, and Bill Stewart helped the audience enjoy every playful murder and hidden corpse. We soon forgot that this was a very old, dated play.  

WSU’s Grease

We then moved to the era of pop/rock. The 1978 musical Grease lives in the world of “high school America,” the 1950s.  That was the time of poodle skirts, bobby sox and teenage insurrection.  Sexual liberation had not arrived but was peeking around the corner.

Jim Jacoby and Warren Case encapsulated that era in Grease.  Many lackluster productions and a mediocre movie could discourage anyone from going to the theater to see the real musical.

You have to trust the exuberant talents of the Wright State student players to rectify all that baggage.  A most kinetic and colorful set by Pam Lavarnway put the orchestra on a platform above the action.  The cast, selected by director and choreographer Greg Hellems, cavorted with freshness and élan, wiping away any hint of staleness and our concept of the era it represented.

The actors, an exciting mix of veterans and rookies, were completely engaging. Remarkable performers, darlings Kelly Pekar and Shelby Garrett, were joined by a bevy of equally handsome ladies and men singing and dancing their way into the hearts of millions.

Energy and talent!  Daytonians JJ Tiemeyer, Matt Kopec and Anne Staler had leading roles.   The teen-age crazies included Richard Jarrett, Kevin Day, Tyler Parsons, Eric Byrd, Sarah Weinhardt, Heather Schmidt Jolin Polasek Julie Langan and Jason Brown.  Each deserves a paragraph and will, undoubtedly, receive one in future reviews.

“Arsenic” runs through Nov. 19, Grease only until Nov. 12.  Don’t miss them.

Dayton Ballet Nutcracker Ball Nov. 11

Dayton Ballet will host the 14th Annual Nutcracker Ball on Nov. 11 at the Kettering Tower in downtown Dayton.  Gold Sponsors are $250 per person and include champagne, recognition in the evening’s program and fine chocolates.  Emerald Sponsors are $175 per person and receive recognition in the evening’s program.

This black-tie event, co-chaired by Susan Kettering and Tracy Payne, is the largest Dayton Ballet Board of Trustees fundraiser each season.  For more information or an invitation to this season’s event, contact the Dayton Ballet office at 937/449-5060.
Dayton Ballet’s Nutcracker Ball is the Miami Valley’s premier affair, kicking off the holiday season each year.

This fundraising event is a wonderful way to spend an evening with friends while enjoying fine food, dancing, live music, a live and silent auction, and live performances by the Dayton Ballet Company.  Funds raised through the Nutcracker Ball benefit Dayton Ballet directly by partially covering production costs, Dayton Ballet School expenses, and supporting a variety of educational outreach activities.  

Local youngsters take stage at Funnybone

By Jennifer Cantrell

In a world where parents struggle to find “family friendly” activities for their children, one would be surprised that at the new comedic establishment, FunnyBone at the Greene Shopping Mall, scheduled an individual that was not only family friendly but down right hilarious.

Heywood Banks, Mason (age 5) from Oakwood, Kyle (age 8) from Fairborn, Ohio at the "Funny Bone" performing the famous song "Toast".

Heywood Bank’s act is not a typical comedic routine and one can tell that from the moment he steps on stage. When Heywood walks on stage the laughter begins simply due to his appearance.  He wears a bright purple suit coat with his name brightly embroidered on it.  Heywood wears dark-rimmed frames without lens, and he has a gray mop like hair style that correlates with his beard.

However one of his best features are his facial expression, and his body language. He doesn’t need off-color jokes to make people laugh. His appearance is enough. Heywood’s routine relates to his observations of daily life with these he gets audiences simply thinking about the craziness of the world. Also, he interjects his humorous observations of life with madcap songs containing hilarious lyrics. He encourages the audience to participate with sing along, also. But even with all of his “fame” he still values his fans.

At the end of a recent show, he brought up on stage what he referred to as “Heywood’s Army”. He performed his famous song “Toast” with his two biggest, diminuitive fans, Mason Lindsey of Oakwood and Kyle Cantrell of Fairborn.  As a mother, I simply hope that our children are able to find more positive role models in the lime light, such as Heywood.

top of page

November 7, 2006
Volume 15, No. 45

front page
arts
schools
sports
editorial
'round town
people
events
obituaries