Welcome: Travel Adventure Film Series Open House

Allie Pesch

Marketing Intern


With all the confusion and chaos that the closure, renovations and move have caused, we here at the Wisconsin Union Theater thought it would be beneficial and fun to host an open house for our dedicated, as well as new, Travel Adventure Film Series audience members. This open house will offer a chance to preview the location where the films will take place and the opportunity to ask questions about the series as well as purchase tickets for the Travel Adventure Film Series if they have not done so already.



The open house will take place on Saturday, September 8, 2012 from 12-3 p.m. at The Marquee in Union South. There will be a short talk, Q & A, as well as refreshments and ticket sales downstairs in the box office at Union South.

An excited crowd at The Marquee theater in Union South.

As part of our Travel Adventure Film Series we will be showcasing four breathtaking sites this year. We start off with:

AutumnAcross America with Don and Fran Van Polen on Monday and Tuesday, October 1 and 2, 2012, 7:30 p.m.

We then travel to Korea – Land of theMorning Calm, with Buddy Hatton on Monday & Tuesday, November 12 & 13, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.

Then we will find ourselves in Italy: A Journey to the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Florence andVenice, with Marlin Darrah on Monday & Tuesday, March 11 & 12, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

Lastly we finish up in Hawaii & Beyond: PacificIsland Adventure, with Mary Lee and Sid Nolan on Monday & Tuesday, April 22 & 23, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

All films in the Travel Adventure Film Series events will be held at The Marquee at Union South.

So come one, come all! This event is open to the public and all are welcome. Come prepare with questions and prepared to have a great time with the theater staff. Make sure to check out our website for more information on our 2012-2013 season, parking and tickets. Also, make sure to stay connected with us through our Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages. See you all at the open house!

Imani Winds Blowing Into the Wisconsin Union Theater...and What a Wind it is!

by Joshua Brazee
Marketing Intern

I posted this video of Imani Winds playing Àstor Piazzolla's piece, Libertango, on my Facebook page the other day, and the response, unsurprisingly, was overwhelmingly positive.

This amazing wind quintet breathes a spirit and style into the piece that reinvigorates the original. And this is one of the awesome qualities of Imani Winds; no matter what they're playing, be it an updated classic, or an original composition, this ensemble can make any piece pop.

In this excerpt from Paquito D'Rivera's "Kites Over Havana," the wind ensemble invites the listener into the whimsical world of a kite, soaring dizzily, and sometimes wildly buffeted about by the strong, unpredictable gusts.  The piece's lively leitmotifs provide the listener with a character to follow throughout, whom we strain to hear through the occasional, lighthearted chaos. Their crisp, clean, playing is never just technically precise. They play with gusto; each instrument, each player rises to the fore, but always comes back to join the ensemble.  This composition nicely allows Imani Winds to enliven the tension between individual and quintet, the winds blowing the kite about, but always keeping it afloat.

But Imani Winds are known not just for their incredible music. The group was formed, in part, to provide role models for young musicians of color and to educate young musicians all over the country. As the group has grown more successful, they have started a yearly music festival, bringing together coaches, teachers and students to help young musicians hone their skills. The Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival takes place at the Lincoln Center Campus every summer. But the ensemble also regularly travels to schools to introduce young kids to classical and contemporary chamber music. Here is a clip of the group playing for an elementary school in Maryland:

Along with this, the group is dedicated to fostering new compositions. One of their projects is the Legacy Commissioning Project which they have used to debut new works from various genres and cultures. Jason Moran's "Cane" is one of the many works to arise out of this effort. Moran creates a portrait of his bayou ancestry, following his ancestors from Togo to New York:

If I hadn't started working for the Wisconsin Union Theater, I probably would have missed out on this incredible music. I am happy to be able to see them Friday, September 28th, in Mills Hall at 8PM. Come and join me for this awesome musical experience.

Josh Shares his favorites for the Upcoming Season

by Joshua Brazee
Marketing Intern
 

As we prepare this season's performances, I have been checking out as many of our performers as I can, and it's difficult for me to contain my excitement for Imani Winds and Zoë Keating.  Over the last few weeks, I have been absorbed in the work of these fantastic musicians, and I can’t wait for their performances.

There are a ton of reasons to love Imani Winds apart from their music.  This quintet is dedicated to raising the profile of people of color doing classical music, fostering new work and new talent through their Legacy Commissioning Project, crossing and blurring genre lines, collaborating with a wide range of musicians, but, most importantly, teaching.  The Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival brings together performers, coaches, and career builders to help budding musicians hone their craft.

But it is Imani Winds' unique musicianship that makes their performance worth seeing.  Their performance of Ástor Piazzolla’s Libertango, an oft-recorded piece, provides a unique crispness and classical style that preserves the richness of the original, while simultaneously discovering new flavors in the composition.  Compare an original performance with Imani Winds to hear how the wind ensemble is able to capture the “liberty” suggested by Piazzolla’s title.

Piazzolla's original:

Imani Winds: 

Zoë Keating’s original compositions and unique cello performances combine the classical with the avant-garde.  Keating is well-known for her solo performances and recordings that use a sampling technique to create live, multi-layered pieces without the assistance of a band. 

           

With a single cello and her sampling equipment, Keating composes rich musical worlds.  Her piece, “Hello Night,” begins by evoking the sounds of a clear, cool night, nocturnal animals whispering to one another in the dark, or perhaps the music of the stars.

“Optimist,” a piece she composed while pregnant with her son, starts small with a rhythmic heart beat, and begins to layer the cautious, tremulous, yet hopeful optimism of a new life.  The music builds to this optimism, weaving in notes of mournfulness, counterbalanced with renewed confidence; it opens up a lived, ecstatic tension, one that touches us all.

Madison World Music Festival: The Wait is Over!

by Catherine Harris, World Stage Coordinator
and Esty Dinur, Chair for Artistic Selection

Finally, after months of anticipation, the Madison World Music Festival official schedule has been announced. It runs from Friday, September 14th to September 15th.

Friday -- At the Memorial Union Terrace
5.00pm MOVITS
            As seen in the latest newsletter, this Swedish hip-hop and swing influenced group will come bouncing into Madison to start off the whole festival. They'll be playing early but try not to miss these fun guys!

 

7.00pm ZEB and HANIYA
(Also on Saturday  at 3:30 pm at Willy Street Fair)
Back in their youth, these cousins' grandmother’s living room, in their native Peshawar, would echo with laughter, snatches from cassettes, and rousing sing-a-longs as uncles, aunts, and cousins sat in post-pilaf bliss.

They heard music from all over--from Afghanistan to the United States and England--and they keep this hospitable, openhearted spirit alive as they open new avenues for Americans to savor and understand Pakistan’s Northwestern regions. The cousins—lifelong friends and longtime musical collaborators—bring a highly listenable, global sensibility to earthy originals and sounds from the Eastern edge of Central Asia, continuing an unsung tradition of strong female artists making an impact on Pakistani popular music.

8.30pm DELHI 2 DUBLIN
            Hopefully since peeking at the video posted earlier on the blog, you've become totally hyped up  for Delhi 2 Dublin to take the stage! This band, hailing from Vancouver, Canada, blends aspects (primarily) of Celtic music of Scotland and Ireland, and Bhangra music from India. The band has members representing instruments from around the world, both traditional and contemporary. While there is a rocking fiddler they also have an electrified sitar and a super charged dohl player.

10.30pm MC RAI
            Tunisia-born artist MC Rai will close out on Friday, September 14th. His authentic songs “Is’ha” and “Yamina” have been considered controversial and banned by the Tunisian media long before their revolution began in February of 2011. He continues to stand for equality and justice with his fusion of Chaabi, Rai, Rock, and rhythm locking hip-hop with his Raivolution CD; a melting pot from which ancient and modern instruments simmer into exotic, genuinely cross-cultural music. 

 
Saturday -- At Willy St. Fair
1.30pm MATUTO
Imagine the sound of a Brazilian Carnaval in the Appalachian Mountains. A sound where exotic percussion instruments rumble beneath blues drenched vocals, telecaster twangs, accordion acrobatics, and folksy fiddle tunes. Now, imagine these sounds in the hands of some of NYC’s finest young improvisers as they light up club and festival stages worldwide. Through the unorthodox blend of Afro-Brazilian Percussion and American Roots Music, Matuto has created an organic, animated new sound. Come dance to it!
 

3.30pm ZEB and HANIYA 

5.30pm TAJ WEEKES
Hailing from the island of St. Lucia, Taj Weekes and Adowa unite a true social consciousness with an unforgettable reggae groove. Blending in elements of acoustic roots rock and afro-folk simplicity, the band's vibrant sound has garnered critical acclaim and a wide audience across the globe. Weekes has a chameleon-like talent for blending into his surroundings as he keenly observes the world spinning around him, until the moment when he steps on stage, locks flowing, and the regal bearing of a mighty lion is revealed, his voice rising from a hoarse whisper to a throaty growl.

7.30pm CANTECA DE MACAO
           Canteca de Macao represents a blending of musical ideas (flamenco, ska, reggae) and artists who met up in Madrid only a few years ago. Even though they have only been around since about 2003, the band is well established in the Latin alternative scene, with one award as "best revelation artist," a film sound track, world tours, four albums, and numerous other festivals under their belts. Closing up the Union Theater's Musical Presence at the Willy St. Fair on Saturday, Canteca de Macao will deliver an electrically energetic performance.

Saturday -- At the Memorial Union Terrace
DJ WARP 
 The mighty DJ Warp  will end the festival back on the Terrace with his awesome mix of world grooves. Don't miss this final opportunity to dance!

Folks, if you thought that last year's World Music Festival couldn't be topped, be prepared to be stunned, because this year truly features an all-star line-up. Get your sunscreen, comfy shoes, and friends together for the festival, it is sure to be spectacular! Folks, be prepared to be out of your seats and partying.

A Fresh Look at Fall, the Spectacular Season

Autumn has always been my favorite season. It is a time for sweaters but not parkas, chilly but not freezing, perhaps the only season in Wisconsin where you can look up the temperature online and avoid suppressing a whimper.  But as much as I have fond memories of fall, both in Wisconsin and in my hometown, I have to admit my experience is fairly limited. I’ve often wondered what fall might be like elsewhere—like what about New England, or the west coast?

But whereas I’ve never been to these places, Don and Fran Van Polen have.  They’ve been all over the US seeking out America’s most majestic landscapes, and they’ve put together a visually stunning film to show us all of it. They start in New England, exploring historic landscapes, including those in Antietam, Maryland, where we learn the story of “Battle Hymn.” Then we move on to our own Wisconsin before South Dakota, Kansas, and Idaho.  The journey finishes at Mt. Rainier in Washington State, its fantastically colored foliage a fitting end to the cross country travel.

I’ll be leaving the US for a few years soon, and I regret never getting to see these places before I left.  The delicious dinner that accompanies this film sounds especially enticing, even more when I think of the food I’ll be facing in England next year. For those of you still here in Wisconsin, don’t miss this opportunity to explore fall at its finest, and don’t forget that this is also a new opportunity to explore Union South’s new Marquee. Come see Autumn across America on Monday, October 1, 2012 and Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 7:30pm.

 Alexis Brown

Marketing Intern

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The Wisconsin Union Theater: Past, Present, and Future

by Joshua Brazee

Marketing Intern

You have been reading all summer about the Wisconsin Union Theater move, how it has affected our staff, and how it will impact our programming.  But in this flurry of information about moves, new venues, new parking, and what to look forward to this year, I am sure some of our regular readers and patrons have read these updates with some anxiety.  Quietly, cautiously, you must be wondering, and perhaps you’ve even whispered it, “what is happening to our beloved theater?”  You won’t be surprised to know you’re not alone.  Everyone has been asking.  Like you, they are worried that our historic theater will be changed beyond recognition.

Fear not!  I am here to tell you that the Union Reinvestment Project will preserve the theater you know and love.  The renovations will provide an enhanced theater experience for all of our patrons.  To that end, we will be adding new, handicapped accessible seating and bathrooms, improving the theater's technology—new lighting and sound equipment—as well as a higher quality stage for our dance performances.  These renovations intend to preserve our historic theater for future generations of students and for our performance community.

But there will also be some changes.  Over the next several months, I will be blogging about the changes to our theater, and I hope to address your concerns.  If you find yourself wondering, “what’s happening with the original ‘art moderne’ furniture pieces,” or, “what color will the renovated theater be,” I am here to help. Send me your questions, comments, and concerns.

In this feature, I will try to bridge the gap between the old and the renovated spaces, to let you know what you can expect from the renovated theater, why we’ve made certain changes, and what we’re doing to preserve the character and feel of our historic theater.

One of our first, biggest, and yet least surprising changes has been to the theater seating.  Our modern audiences have different needs; humans are, for instance, almost four inches taller than we were a hundred years ago.  Newer, handicapped-accessible seating also allows all of our patrons to sit more comfortably.

Young Shakespeare Players volunteers storing the
Wisconsin Union Theater seats.

But our original seating, having been well-maintained over the years, was in too good a condition to just throw away, so our Union Reinvestment team set out to find a new home for the seating.  When Madison's excellent Young Shakespeare Players showed interest in the seats, the Union staff, along with  the Boldt Construction company, came together to help Young Shakespeare Players' volunteers gather the seating and put it in storage until they can install it in their space.

In a letter, the Young Shakespeare Players thanked the Union for its donation: “There is wide enthusiasm and appreciation among the families for this generous donation. As a small non-profit, YSP could have never afforded to buy new or used seating, and we are thrilled to have such historic seats, as well as sturdy ones. You can probably imagine that with 12 or more productions a year, mostly with actors 7-18, there's a lot of wear on the furniture! This summer, for instance, we have been in rehearsal for 4  uncut plays with over one hundred actors, from 9 am to 8 pm and later most days.”

We are excited that the seating has found a good home, and, more importantly, that our renovations can improve not only our theater, but also help the larger Madison performance community.

SAXOPHONIST TIA FULLER IS SO HOT

By Howard Landsman, 

Madison Music Collective

Alto saxophonist Tia Fuller and her all-Black-female quartet kick off the 2012-12 Isthmus Jazz Series with a free concert at The Sett in Union South on Friday evening, October 12^th. So, who is Tia Fuller? And what makes her so hot?     

A very attractive young woman, Tia Fuller certainly fit right into the glamorous image of superstar Beyoncé’s high-powered all-female band, where Fuller has held down the alto chair since 2006. But these days, Ms. Fuller’s hot-ness is about being one of the most active and in-demand players – male or female – on the jazz scene.

Last year, the music world shook when the dynamic young jazz bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding won the Best New Artist award over someone named Justin Bieber.  On the heels of that award, Ms. Spalding hired Tia Fuller as music director and saxophone soloist for her new band, Radio Music Society (RMS), and Fuller has been on a super-fast-paced global tour with RMS ever since.

In between her RMS gigs, Ms. Fuller toured Europe this summer with world-class jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves (a past headliner for the Isthmus Jazz Series) and the great drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.  And around all these gigs, Fuller has managed to maintain an active touring and recording schedule for her own quartet.  

Ms. Fuller’s terrific jazz chops have been on display in many high-profile settings, including the storied Monterey Jazz Festival in California, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in New York City, the Detroit and Kansas City jazz Festivals, and the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, to name just a few.  She has recorded with many of the brightest jazz stars like the Duke Ellington Orchestra, vocalist Nancy Wilson, reedmen Jimmy Heath and Don Byron, trombonists Wycliffe Gordon and Steve Turré, pianist Joanne Brackeen, and trumpeter Jon Faddis.

Fuller’s recordings as a leader include Pillar of Strength (2005), Healing Space (2007) and Decisive Steps (2010), which features her current quartet: Beyoncé band-mate and drummer Kim Thompson, bassist Miriam Sullivan, and her sister Shamie Royston on piano and Fender Rhodes, with special guests Sean Jones on trumpet, bassist Christian McBride, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut.  Her new CD, Angelic Warrior, is scheduled for release in September.

“Playing in jazz settings helps me appreciate and integrate what we're doing with Beyoncé … (and) helped me really appreciate the artistry and freedom we have in jazz,” Ms. Fuller told All About Jazz.  “There's a common thread between the two, and they enhance each other.  I think musicians are taking a step forward on both sides.  We're moving forward with combining all forms, and more people are accepting that concept, because it's all inter-connected."

Ms. Fuller’s Madison concert is part of a four-day residency co-produced by Madison Music Collective and the Wisconsin Union Theater.  Her residency includes a series of outreach programs at sites around the Greater Madison community.  For a complete program schedule, visit www.madisonmusiccollective.org.

Renovating the Theater, Outside and In

by Joshua Brazee

Marketing Intern

As most of you by now know, renovations to the Wisconsin Union Theater have just begun, closing our theater space, shuffling performances and staff all throughout campus.  Just a few months ago most of the theater staff resided in Memorial Union, just behind the theater; now, however, our staff lives on multiple floors in three different buildings, separated by almost a mile of campus.  As anyone could expect, the move has changed the way we do business; staff has been reorganized and reallocated, new challenges have emerged, and new opportunities envisioned.  To get a sense of how the move affects our day-to-day business, I spoke with three theater employees: Claire Weissenfluh, Program Assistant, Ted Harks, Box Office Manager, and Bruce Ehlinger, Operations Manager.

The theater's facade is carefully dismantled.

The greatest challenge for all three has been adjusting to the theater’s new disaporic existence.  “For the last 5 years, I’ve worked in such close proximity to the theater and other union staff.  It is quite an adjustment not having any of them in my office.  I really miss them,” says Claire.  Despite cell phones, email, teleconferencing, and other high-speed communication technologies, Claire still needs to perform many of her duties in person: “One of the challenges I’m going to face has to do with the process by which we pay our performers, because it involves collecting signatures from people outside of the building where I currently work.  Since we process a large volume of contracts, I predict I’ll be running to Memorial Union many times a week.”

Our Operations Manager, Bruce, who oversees the ticketing and our new venues, laconically agrees.  With Ted Harks having moved to the Vilas Hall box office, and Jeff Macheel, our Technical Director, now in Union South, Bruce acknowledges that there will be “more walking” and that meetings will be less convenient than in the past.

Ted's new offices are in the box office at Vilas Hall.

The spaces themselves pose new challenges as well.  Ted’s new office is on the front lines of ticket sales.  He reports, “One of the greatest challenges for me is the location and layout of my temporary office space.  I no longer have an office door of my own and am situated just behind the box office.  As such, I cannot help but hear all of the customer traffic and interactions during a business day.  And since I'm very accessible to staff, it's quite common to need to stop whatever I'm working on to field questions.  I guess you could say I don't just have an open door policy - I have a no door policy.”

Claire notes a similar spatial concern, “Another challenge I know I’m going to face will involve working with such a large number of people in an open work area – meaning, the noise level is something I’m going to have to adapt to.”  But the office’s other benefits override Claire’s noise concerns.  She writes, “It is SO nice to have windows and natural light in my working environment now. It really does wonders for my productivity and well-being! I am extremely fortunate to have three great office assistants and an excellent intern too!  All of the WUD advisors are a delight to work with.  They’ve really made me feel welcome here.”

But our move is not just about renovating spaces; our team dynamics and work portfolios have changed as well.  For Bruce this means becoming a part of Memorial Union’s building services team.  He notes that while this is certainly a change, as Operations Manager, he has always had a close working relationship with facilities management.  Claire, on the other hand, has expanded her work portfolio in the move.  She says, “For the next two years, I am now the Program Assistant for the entire Wisconsin Union Directorate programming area.  In addition to my job with the theater, I will be helping the Music Committee process a large volume of contracts, assist in web updates, enroll people in Mini Courses, etc.  I’m thrilled to be involved with the entire WUD programming.”

Yet despite the changes and challenges facing the theater's team over the next two years, we are positive that you will enjoy our 2012-2013 Season.  We hope to continue to bring you quality arts programming.

Madison World Music Festival: A Top Secret Leak

by Catherine Harris
Madison World Music Festival Coordinator

Greetings again World Music Lovers of Madison!

We are nearing the end of the Summer (although with these 100 degree temperatures you wouldn't think so), which means we are coming up on a very exciting event in the theater calendar-- the Madison World Music Festival! MWMF is an annual free music festival organized by the Wisconsin Union Theater at the Wisconsin Union Terrace for the Madison campus area and community. To those of you who are familiar with the area- don't be fooled by all of the construction around the Union. Despite it, the show will go on; the ninth annual Madison World Music Festival will still be taking place, this year with a unique twist in programing, featuring many cross-genre and cross-global fusions of music. If you aren't able to catch any of the fabulous artists in the all-star line up scheduled to be on the Terrace though, don't fret, because on September 15th, the Union Theater will be bringing the MWMF out to Willy St. Fair, where you can not only hear some great world music, but also take part in all of the festivities there. the festival ends with a DJ dance party back on the Terrace on the 15th.

While the official line up is yet to be announced, I am so excited about the incredible line up (where nearly every band we're presenting can be a self-standing headliner on their own), I can't wait to let you know about at least two of these amazing artists!

WARNING: What you're about to read is a Green Room blog exclusive--you're the first to find out...shhhh, please don't tell!

One of the bands scheduled to perform at the MWMF, and that embodies this year's fusion theme (even just in their name) is Delhi 2 Dublin. Delhi 2 Dublin can be described in one word: energy. This band, complete with a fiddler, a kilt wearing Korean performer, and bhangra dancing percussionists, delivers a super high energy performance that is sure to open your mind and to get you on your feet dancing!

Delhi 2 Dublin will be on the Terrace on FRIDAY, September 14! 

Another band to perform on Friday, Movits, will surely give even Delhi 2 Dublin a challenge for most energetic show! The Swedish Movits is an ensemble of multi instrumentalists and vocalists, fusing together different genres of music into an up-beat, swinging, overall party atmosphere. 

Keep checking the Green Room Blog for more updates on the Madison World Music Festival's official artist schedule announcements!