Interlude - December 3
December 3, 2020
Jenn Cristy livestream, backstage Broadway Q&A, jazz pioneers and more
Welcome back to Interlude, a fresh dose of arts, entertainment and enrichment opportunities to take your mind off those Thanksgiving leftovers.
We take care of our friends
The Center’s financial donors make it possible for us to bring the arts to the community, so we treat them like family. One staffer focused on those relationships is Tara Eubanks, Individual Giving Associate. Her friendly vibe and Butler University education in theater and arts management make her an ideal person to keep our donors posted on the Center’s latest news and make sure they enjoy all the benefits that come with their support.
Learn more about Tara in the latest installment of Serving You, the Center’s staff profile video series sponsored by The National Bank of Indianapolis.
Friday: Livestream with Bloomington pop diva
The Live at the Center series continues at 8 p.m. tomorrow with a livestream of singer-songwriter Jenn Cristy and her band. The multi-instrumentalist was famously discovered by John Mellencamp while a student at Indiana University and performed with him for a couple years before launching a solo career.
Sponsored by Allied Solutions, Live at the Center brings Indiana’s best original music to you, in rich stereo sound and HD video, and it’s free! Learn how to watch Jenn Cristy and other upcoming artists here.
Q&A with Broadway stage manager
David Lober has built a successful career as a production stage manager for Broadway shows, West Coast stage productions and national tours – big ones with titles like Wicked and The Lion King. He even has a stage manager website. But what does it take to make it in that particular corner of the musical theater industry?
For answers to this and other questions, tune in Monday evening as Lober shares his wisdom with interested students through the Center’s KAR Front Seat Q&A program, sponsored by KAR Global. Find out how you can listen online.
Celebrating the pioneers of jazz
Hosts Todd Williams and Doug Tatum are gearing up for another JazzTalk, the online discussion series that demystifies the music some call “America’s one true original art form.”
Trailblazers is the theme of next Tuesday’s Zoom session, which explores the contributions of four giants of the genre: clarinetist-saxophonist Sidney Bechet, trumpeter-bandleader Miles Davis, pianist-composer Dave Brubeck and drummer Elvin Jones, revered especially for his work with John Coltrane.
You can watch for free, and even ask questions. Register for JazzTalk here.
Bite-size delights from the Songbook Archives
Last week, the Great American Songbook Foundation unveiled the Collections Highlight series, online mini-exhibits highlighting collections from the Songbook Archives that are modest in size but significant in scope. The first exhibit showcases materials donated by the daughter of Steve Madrick (pictured left), a leading saxophonist of the swing era.
Though not a household name these days, Madrick was a featured player under bandleaders Les Brown and Glenn Miller, worked and corresponded with folks like Doris Day, and later served as chief audio engineer for NBC’s Today show. The collection tells his story through photos, correspondence and other artifacts, including several of his instruments.
Explore Steve Madrick’s Collection Highlight on the Foundation's site, and get a view of Songbook history from the edge of the spotlight.
This week in performing arts history
December 1: On this date in 1997, Kenny G set a world record by holding a note on a saxophone for 45 minutes and 47 seconds, using the technique known as circular breathing. Mr. G played the Palladium in April 2017.
December 2: On this date in 1983, MTV aired the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson's Thriller video for the first time. Now regarded as the most influential pop music video of all time, in 2009, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, the first music video to ever receive this honor, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. In April 2016, the San Francisco Jazz Collective performed The Music of Michael Jackson at the Palladium.
December 2: On this date in 1985, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, adapted by Rupert Holmes from the unfinished Charles Dickens novel, opened at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. The unusual production requires the audience to choose the ending for each performance. The Center’s resident Actors Theatre of Indiana produced the show (pictured above) in the Studio Theater in 2018.
December 4: On this date in 1991, country duo the Judds performed their final concert (aside from a few reunions) in Nashville. Coincidentally, on this date in 2015, Wynonna (Judd) & The Big Noise performed at the Palladium.
