Mollie Eileen Buckley, Former Theater Membership Director, Passes Away

Mollie E. Buckley

PRAIRIE DU SAC--Mollie Eileen Buckley, 72, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, passed away on Sunday, November 13, 2011 at The Pines in Prairie du Sac. She was born November 30, 1938, in Kokomo, Indiana. Following her high school graduation in 1956, she worked at the Kokomo Tribune as editor of the TV-radio weekly section, which ultimately led to her move to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in journalism. At the UW, she served as the editor of the Badger yearbook. She graduated in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Mollie spent most of her adult life in Madison,  where she held various positions including Public Information and Membership Director, The Madison Arts Center; Director of Public Information, UW Center Systems; and Publicity Director, Wisconsin Union Theater and Wisconsin Union Membership Director. In 1984, she joined the UW Foundation staff as director of communications and in 2001 was named a vice president.
A stroke forced an early retirement in 2002, but it did not dampen her spirit or enthusiasm for the university and for the football and basketball teams. She was a loyal supporter of the university and was a member of the Foundation’s Bascom Hill Society. She also was active in Women in Communications for many years, serving as vice president for the national organization. In 2002, The Mollie E. Buckley Scholarship Fund in Journalism was established with gifts from co-workers, colleagues and friends to recognize and honor her 40-year career in communications.

Mollie is survived by three sisters, Nellie Rusk, Monica (Mike) Fewell and Patricia (Bob) English, five nephews; her close friend and caretaker for many years, Judy Ashford; and many friends and colleagues in the Madison area. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother-in-law.
A celebration of Mollie’s life will be held by friends, colleagues and family at a later date. Family graveside services will be held Friday, November 18 in Kokomo. Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Wisconsin Foundation, US Bank Lock Box, P.O. Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807, with a notation on the check stating in memory of Mollie Buckley.

Great History - The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

Ben Ferris
Isthmus Jazz Series Coordinator

With all of the great history being highlighted at the Union Theater this year, I thought it would be good to highlight the great history of the upcoming Union Theater Isthmus Jazz Series performers - the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

In 1965, Thad Jones (trumpeter and composer from the Count Basie Band) teamed up with drummer Mel Lewis (drummer for Stan Kenton) to form the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. This group recorded many influential big band albums, including my personal favorite, "Consummation". The group also recorded a fantastic album with vocalist Joe Williams called "Presenting Joe Williams" which I would recommend to anyone. The band was made up of some of the top musicians of the time, and at some point in time included trumpeters Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis and Snooky Young; trombonists Jimmy Knepper and Eddie Bert; Saxophonists Jerome Richardson, Eddie Daniels, and Joe Lovano; pianists Roland Hanna and Hank Jones; and bassist Richard Davis (who is currently a UW professor).

After the deaths of both of the band's formers and arrangers, the group took the new name "The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra" to honor the place where the group has gotten, and continues to get together on Monday nights since 1966. Keeping with the clubs name, the music is always leading the way in new developments and ideas of big band music. The group is still made up of some of the top musicians of the time, which I will highlight in a later blog entry.

I hope you can make it to this performance - don't forget: the UW Jazz Orchestra will be opening, featuring music from the original Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and student compositions.

Why Gaelic Storm is so Easy to Love

Erin Bannen
Marketing Intern

Gaelic Storm's Tree is one of those albums that has followed me for about 10 years. When I was 12 I stealthily stole the tape (TAPE!) from my older sister's music collection. I remember waiting until I was home alone and then trying to Irish dance to Beggar Man in my basement. Then I sprained my ankle; I can't Irish Dance.

It was the album I played in high school when I was restless and decided the only thing to do was to completely re-decorate my room. I'd get to the last song on the album, Walk Through My Door and try to convince myself that I was NOT plastering my walls with Slipknot posters because Zach Martin hadn't asked me out. Nope. Not at all.

When I turned 17 and realized that Catholicism and me could be friendly but not friends, Mary's Eyes became a song that made a kind of cold religious figure into a human being for me.

When I was 22 and studying abroad in London the album effectively saved me from killing my roommate. She snored. Like a tanker truck. And I listened to Before the Night is Over on repeat to keep from punching a hole through the wall.

So Tree came out in 2011, and I have fanatically bought every album Gaelic Storm produced since then. They're all fantastic. But I'm writing about one of their first albums to show that this is a band with the kind of versatility that can follow a person through 12 formative years of her life. So if you choose to see these guys at the Wisconsin Union Theater on February 17th, don't be surprised if you can't get the songs out of your head for 10 years.

Gabriel Iglesias: Hilariously Fluffy

Alexis Brown
Marketing Intern

I spent the summer after my senior year of high school watching a lot of tv. This was when I was still living at home, and the cost of cable was still a merciful mystery to me. It was summer, and I refused to relinquish my mind to the ravages of college until I had absorbed every bit of trashy sitcom and talk show possible. Every now and then, my remote would wander over to comedy central. Usually they would have some crude and unwatchable comic on, plugging away his half-hearted jokes to an inebriated audience.

But one night I came across Gabriel Iglesias—otherwise known as Mr. Fluffy. Now I’m no comedy aficionado—not by any means—but this guy was funny. He had these freakishly accurate impressions—I mean, when he was trying to sound like a car, or a drive through speaker—he sounded like it. There was no question.

I think what I liked most, though, was his self-deprecating sense of humor—Gabriel wasn’t afraid to admit that he had something of a rotund mid-section, and he went a step further to turn it into a laughing point for everyone.  Whether he was comparing his girlfriend’s whisper of “chocolate cake” to  phone sex, or joking about how little movement it took him to work up a sweat at a dance club, I found myself chuckling.

So it doesn’t surprise me that his show is selling more rapidly than most, even though we’ve barely done any advertising. A comic like Gabriel has a reputation that precedes him. You can find out for yourself March 3rd, but only if you move fast—Gabriel may not be much of a runner himself, but his tickets are flying.

'Color By Numbers' Spotlights Student Shows

by Ted Harks
Campus Arts Ticketing System Manager

Month after month we proudly speak of our student-produced Wisconsin Union Theater season of events. But another equally important piece of our history is the wealth and variety of events that registered student organizations stage in the Wisconsin Union Theater and Fredric March Play Circle.

In this edition of 'Color By Numbers', I wanted to highlight for you the amazing diversity of groups and abundant variety of events they create themselves and produce with us in these two special spaces. The graphic offers a snapshot which spans the past 15 months of groups we've hosted and the types of events they've brought to life on our stages. Some events are ticketed. Some are free to the public. All meet our ongoing mission to provide labs of artistic experimentation and learning for students during their times on campus.

I like the slogan that we use to describe the Wisconsin Union Theater: "where the greats come to play." We mean that in the literal sense; the world's greatest artists play for audiences in our theater each year. But we also mean it in a wondrous, adventurous sense. Our theaters are places to play, to have fun creating, performing and sharing, for professionals and students alike. Opportunities provided to students are at the very core of our mission and will continue to be in our renovated spaces. Consider with us all that students have produced and will yet produce before we begin renovations. And imagine with us what new events they will create when we return. Who of them will become great? Are you as excited as we are of the possibilities?

Looking Forward to Great Shows

Catherine Harris
World Stage Coordinator

Wow, it's hard to believe that the semester is almost over! It seems like just yesterday we were busy preparing for the first show on the World Stage Series--Yamato--on October 27. Now that we've been through the first couple of shows in this year's program, including the historic, very first ever show in The Sett put on by the Performing Arts Committee, it's time to start getting ready for the many events in the upcoming spring semester.

The Sett

Other than looking forward to winter being over (already, even though it hasn't really even yet begun), I'm excited for the first concert back from break, The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming blog entry by the Isthmus Jazz Series Associate Director, Ben Ferris, about the amazing history of this world renowned group.

Another concert I am definitely going to be sure not to miss is Bela Fleck and the Flecktones on March 1 in the Union Theater. This concert is also going to be historic in that it is the first time in 20 years that the original Flecktones, (including none other than Howard Levy, bass god Victor Wooten, the all around amazing Future Man, and the banjo man himself, Bela Fleck) will be touring! They just released a new album called Rock-Et Science, which blends the sounds of their old albums with the trademark boundary-pushing and craziness that everyone of the band members exhibits in their approach to their respective instruments. Do note: they reunited for this one tour and one album. This is a historic opportunity to see them. It's not likely to happen again.

Lastly, what I am totally most excited for, above all else for the spring, is the arrival of Seun Kuti with his father's legendary afro-beat band, Egypt 80. Since this concert is at the very end of the academic school year, I'm trying not to get too hyped up about it so that I can still enjoy all of the other concerts I go to, but it is, for sure, without a doubt, going to be something to look forward to, and a perfect wrap up for this academic school year--it will be an amazing treat to behold this stunning group.

Stay tuned for more exciting information about the Village Vanguard from Ben and for the appearance of a new blogger from the performing arts committee who has a love for Celtic music, and is even a fiddler herself!

Box Office Hours, FYI

As the holidays and Winter Break approach, the Campus Arts Ticketing Service hours will change. Below are the times of service for the near future. Of course, the virtual box office is open 24/7 so you can buy tickets online whenever you like.

Happy Holidays!

Union box office
16 December – 23 December:  11:30am-2:30pm, Monday – Friday
24 December – 3 January:  closed
4 January – 14 January:  11:30am-2:30pm, Monday – Friday
15 January – 15 May:  11:30am-5:30pm, Monday – Friday

Vilas box office
16 December – 22 January:  closed
23 January – 30 March:  11:30am-5:30pm, Monday – Friday
31 March – 8 April:  closed
9 April – 11 May:  11:30am-5:30pm, Monday – Friday