William Bolcom: Creative Trickster

by Elana Siegel
Marketing and Communications Intern

I am excited! The Pro Arte Quartet, with Christopher Taylor, will be playing a quintet by William Bolcom in the theater!

My first encounter with Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award Winning American composer William Bolcom was last spring when the University of Wisconsin Wind Ensemble played his First Symphony for Band. Bolcom traveled to Madison to work with us on the piece in person throughout the week, leading up to our concert. In addition to guiding us musically, during this week, Bolcom regaled us with stories of his musical influences, which range from Bach to cabaret (which, by the way, he performs regularly with his wife, Joan Morris).

A fiercely cheerful man, Bolcom is also a jokester: he named one of his trios HAYDN GO SEEK, and he created three devilishly hard piano pieces named the Ghost Rag in honor of his dead father. He mixes that jokester spirit with a unique creativity in the piece we played, the First Symphony for Band, which ranges from twisted and lyrical (not unlike Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas) to pointed and feverish. The fourth movement, and my favorite on account of the rocking saxophone part, is a very successful creative mash-up of a mournful, wailing funeral dirge, and a typical jazzy New Orleans Funeral Procession.

After having the opportunity to work with this musically and intellectually creative and intelligent composer, I was delighted to hear that on March 24th the Pro Arte Quartet will be premiering his Piano Quintet No. 2 with Christopher Taylor  on piano. I can't tell what the piano quintet will be like - Bolcom's range is so wide, his creativity so deep, and his trickster spirit so ready to throw in the unexpected that I can't predict what this new piece will sound like. But I have no doubts that the fantastic Pro Arte Quartet with pianist Christopher Taylor can handle whatever Bolcom's newest composition brings.

I ♥ the Archives: David Finckel and our Trash Can

by Claire Weissenfluh

One of my favorite unexpected backstage memories occurred with cellist David Finckel in 2007. He was here with pianist (and wife!) Wu Han, and they had just finished warming up on stage. I had just bought a fancy new camera and asked them if I could take their picture. Before I could suggest a background, David immediately ducked down behind this trash can, and said "take it here!" What a goofy pose! Not only was he this incredible musician, but he was witty and personable too. I can't wait to hear them again on Friday, February 24th with violinist, Philip Setzer. Maybe they'll all do this pose!

“The Pro Arte Quartet at the Union Theater, May 10, 1940”

by Brian Hinrichs

On Saturday, March 24th, the Pro Arte Quartet will take the stage of the Union Theater for a free concert as part of the ensemble’s historic centennial season.  While many concertgoers know that the Pro Arte Quartet has been in residence in the School of Music for over 70 years, the story of their arrival in Wisconsin is less well-known.

Original Pro-Arte Quatuor

The Pro Arte Quartet—originally known as the Quatuor Pro Arte—was founded in 1912 by students at the Brussels Conservatory in Belgium. The ensemble continued to develop in Brussels and survived the upheaval of World War I to go on to thrive in the 1920s and 30s. Known as passionate advocates of the music of their time (Bartok dedicated his 4th quartet to them), the Quatuor Pro Arte toured widely and made significant early recordings at Abbey Road Studios in London. Having won the favor of famed American patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, their first US visit was in 1926 for the inauguration of the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress. From then on they returned to the States regularly, with Mills College in Oakland as a summer outpost throughout the 1930s.

In April 1939, the Pro Arte gave their first pair of concerts in Madison, after Mrs. Coolidge had arranged for them with the new chairman of the University of Wisconsin Music School, Carl Bricken. With their visit a  success, Bricken began discussions with UW President Clarence Dykstra to establish a residency for the Pro Arte along the lines of those already established for painter John Steuart Curry at the College of Agriculture. Still, the Pro Arte continued their 1939 stateside visit with performances at the Belgian Pavilion for the World’s Fair in New York, before returning to Belgium.

In early 1940, as the Quatuor Pro Arte again prepared to sail for the US, war clouds were gathering across Europe. Longtime cellist Robert Maas had fallen ill, and Mrs. Coolidge scrambled to find a replacement in the British cellist C. Warwick Evans. It was shaping up to be an eventful journey.

Formation that played the Wisconsin Union Theater

The new Union Theater had opened in October 1939, and the Pro Arte’s May 1940 performances were part of the spring festival celebrating the new hall. The ensemble was set to perform the complete quartets of Beethoven over multiple concerts. On the night of May 10th, in the middle of the series, word of the Nazi invasion of Belgium began to spread, and an announcement was made from the stage. Stunned, and fearing for their colleague Maas back home, the Quatuor Pro Arte finished the concert. The next day, the Wisconsin State Journal reported on the incident and the “heavy hearts” of the Pro Arte members.

The dramatic events of May 10th, 1940 triggered Bricken and Dykstra to finalize their arrangements for a Pro Arte residency, and by the end of the month the Quatuor Pro Arte, the Court Quartet of Belgium, had become the Pro Arte Quartet of the University of Wisconsin, and Bricken’s idea for a one-year program began to look much longer.  That the Pro Arte would arrive in Madison and thrive here for over 70 years no one could have predicted, but it is certainly worth celebrating.

For more information on the Pro Arte Quartet Centennial, visit www.proartequartet.org.

Sara Bareilles: Sassy Singer/Songwriter Continues to Find Success

Alexis Brown
Marketing Intern

Sarah Bareilles is the kind of singer/song-writer that someone remembers. Where most music put out in the genre is terribly clichéd, her songs are catchy without ever being obnoxious, her lyrics heartfelt while never feeling maudlin. I remember first hearing her back in 2007, when her hit single “Love Song” was at the top of the charts, and everywhere to be found on MTV. I'm not gonna write you a love song, she sang, Cause you asked for it, Cause you need one, you see. There was a kind of stubborn defiance in the way she sang that said Sara wasn’t going to conform for anyone. She wasn’t going to do what she was told, and fit herself into a mold—whether that mold was made by a boyfriend or a record company. Sara was her own person, and she was going to make music as she saw fit.

Sara never lost her special brand of self-possession either, even as her career exploded into the mainstream and her song hit #1 on the pop chart. And I think that’s part of why she’s been so successful these past few years, when many other singer song-writers who came to fame when she did have faded into obscurity. After an extended period of writer's block, Sara began work on the follow-up to her major label debut in the summer of 2009, collaborating with the likes of Amir "Questlove" Thompson, members of Weezer, and Pharrel Williams. The album, eventually titled Kaleidoscope Heart, was released on September 7, 2010 and, to no surprise, debuted at number 1 in the United States, selling 90,000 copies.

Billboard has described Sara’s latest single, "King of Anything," as "an anthem to sassy assertiveness dressed in a lilting singer/songwriter sheen.” Clearly, Sara’s sassy and assertive attitude has paid off, and continues to—she’s been nominated for a Grammy three times, and her singles are still climbing the charts. Now, on April 21^st, she’s coming to the Wisconsin Union Theater. Don’t miss this chance to see the rising star for yourself.

Sierra Maestra: Come Dance to a New Style of Son

Alexis Brown

Marketing intern

I’m not a dancer—I never have been, as anyone who’s seen me try knows. About a year ago, though, I stumbled into the tail end of a salsa party in the Great Hall of Memorial Union. The guy I was with (long story) was much more of a dancer than I, and proceeded to the front of the hall where he broke out some dance moves I knew I had no hope of matching. Another attendee, a veteran dancer clearly unfazed by the hours he had just spent on the floor, approached me and tried to teach me a thing or two. I was awkward (no surprise here), but after awhile, I began to feel the music’s rhythm, and began to catch on to the beat and my partner’s moves.

Little did I know that the music I was dancing to (or trying to dance to) had a rich history, a history bound up in the traditional musical form of Cuban son. The history of Cuban son is a complex one, and it could be said to have its own history woven into the history of Cuba itself.

Cuban son, a type of music redolent with African rhythms, is played on the bongos, marimbula, timbales criollos, and cowbell. It originated in Cuba after the Salve revolution and later emancipation of La Hispañola, when many rich French Caribbean families and their house slaves emigrated to the Oriente province in Cuba from what is now Haiti. Many of the slaves that came with them had been educated in both European music and African secular music, and they brought this particular blend of sensibilities to their new home.

By the 1920s, what had begun as slave songs had morphed into traditional son, and it was the most popular kind of music in Cuba. Popularized by radio, son formed the soundtrack to the lives of many Americans who escaped to Havana in the 20s in an attempt to avoid prohibition. Yet in the 30s and 40s, as son began to gain acceptance even among the most conservative Cubans, its popularity began to fade. With the Cuban Revolution’s triumph in 1959, many son artists and recorders also fled to the United States, and son suffered a further decline.  In the 1970s, Cuban youth were also finding new ways to listen to American rock and jazz, technically outlawed but available on the radio from Miami.

But in 1976, Sierra Maestra, under the direction of JuanMarcos Gonzalez, attempted to reestablish son’s popularity in the Cuban mainstream.  Sierra Maestra first performed in 1976 at the University of Havana where the group members were students. Their goal from the beginning has been to revive and reexamine this popular Cuban music style from the 1920s.

And in this respect, the band has been succesful. They’ve garnered national and even world-wide acclaim, and in 1978, they were asked to represent Cuba at the "Festival Mundial de la Juventud y los Estudiantes" in Havana. Their reinvigorated style of son has been a sensation among the new generation of Cubans, and now they’re bringing the rhythm abroad. On Friday, March 23 at 8 pm, they’re coming to the Wisconsin Union Theater—and, better yet, they’re playing in the Memorial Union's Great Hall. This means (you guessed it) dancing—after all, what son-flavored salsa beat would complete without some serious moves to go along? This also means I’ll get a second chance to improve my salsa moves—I don’t know about you, but I plan on taking it.

Theater Gala -- Save the Date!

It is fitting to celebrate the Wisconsin Union Theater before we begin the major project that will renovate and restore our spaces. There are two major celebrations planned. Please mark your calendars...we hope to see you there!

 “Curtain Down” Open House: Saturday, May 12, 2012, Time TBD. FREE & open to all. Get a theater tour, dance on the stage, peruse our historic archives, see plans for our future, add to our time capsule, and maybe even catch a glimpse of the theater ghost.

Theater Gala: Save the date for Thursday, May 31, 2012, 6:30 pm. Join this black tie soiree, drink a toast to the theater’s first seven decades, and show your support for the theater’s bright future. Hosted by Mark Guthier, Director of the Wisconsin Union, and Ralph Russo, Theater Director. To receive an invitation to this special event, please click here.

What's in a Pirate Hat?

by Elana Diegel
Marketing Intern

We all have a thing. For me, it's wearing mis-matching socks every day. For one of my friends, it's the phrase "totes mcgee." And for Roy "Futureman" Wooten of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, it's a pirate hat.

It's here in a photo from 1991:

And here in two from 2011:

It's on-stage:

And in solo shots with his invented instrument, the drumitar.

But the triangle shaped black fabric is more than just a pirate hat. It's Roy Wooten's thing. It's there, always, representing his fun, creativity, and sense of not taking yourself too seriously.

The rest of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones seem to have taken up the spirit of the pirate hat. Their newest album, Rocket Science, is fun and creative, especially "Life in Eleven," a piece inspired by Eastern European folk music and in an 11/4 time signature. The album cover is whimsical and free. And their laughs (see below) are contagious.

I'll be in the theater on Thursday, March 1 at 8pm at the theater to hear Béla Fleck and the Flecktones play. I don't know if I'll figure out their thing at the concert, but I do know I'm in for a fun, creative, pirate-hat filled show.

Fluffy Comes to Madison

Erin Bannen
Marketing Intern

Madison has a fantastic comedy scene. There are open mics almost every night of the week (Mondays at the Argus, Tuesday's at Amy's, Wednesdays at Comedy Club on State, first Thursday of every month at Inferno) and my comedian friends tell me that Comedy Club on State is considered one of the best clubs in the Midwest.

I like going to open mics because they're a place where it's safe for new comedians to take risks. They're not there as paid performers, they've only got three minutes, and it's the best place to try out new material with a live audience. I love more formal performances because more established comedians take risks for the hell of it.

I come from an acting background, which means I evaluate comedians not only based on whether or not they can make me laugh, but also on how well they can command a stage, flip in and out of character, and keep me interested when they aren't delivering a punchline. Some comedians write fantastic material but they just don't know how to deliver it. This makes sense; they're two totally different skills, writing and performing, and Gabriel (Fluffy) Iglesias is one of those comedians that kicks butt at both.

Check out this video.

Iglesias switches from two hoochie mammas to a redneck cop to his pot-carrying friend Felipe (talk about risks?) in the the span of two minutes. He's got a distinct voice, stance, and facial expression for each character, and he transitions so flawlessly that I can't keep my eyes off him.

So take it from a Madison comedy lover, an actor, and writer herself. Come see Iglesias on March 3rd at 8 pm at the Wisconsin Union Theater, because this is the kind of comedian that you don't wanna miss.

Preparing for a Play Festival

by Hope Evans
Play Festival Coordinator

With just a month left until the Marcia Legere Play Festival begins, I spoke with the student directors about their plays as well as how they are enjoying their experience with the festival so far.

Live Long and Let the Force Be with You

Written: Emily London, Directed: Elizabeth Foster-Shaner

This play is a comedy about a son trying to break with family tradition when he discovers new worlds with his new girlfriend.

One Highly Staged Act

Written: Anonymous, Directed: Eric Lynne

Lynne, a junior double-majoring in English and History, has this to say.

Our play is one part Shakespeare, one part college-drama, one part reality-show, and one part meta-absurd. Intriguing, right? The main plot-line follows the simple story of a young playwright who has to handle a crush on his friend's sister at the same time that he is trying to write a play for a student play festival.

Though it has hardly just begun, I have enjoyed my experience with the Marcia Legere Play Festival. I was a late-comer to the Festival, so I've been scrambling to catch up with casting and scheduling rehearsals. Also, because of scheduling, casting, and other issues, we've had to revamp the script to combine and mishmash the original twelve parts into seven. Nevertheless, rehearsals start very soon, the cast is going to be excellent, and I couldn't be more pumped.

The Deadly Ostrich

Written: Henry Mackaman, Directed: Jacob Turner

This play is an absurdist comedy involving a mystery and a case of mistaken identity. Jacob Turner, the director, is a freshman considering a communication arts major:

My play is written to be an absurd comedy, so I can go crazy with it. I'm really excited. Rehearsals started Monday!

It looks to be an interesting line-up for the play festival this year and it is with great excitement that I invite you all to come see some UW-Madison students in action.

The Marcia Legere Play Festival will take place March 10th-11th, 2012, with all three student written plays presented both March 10th at 7pm and March 11th at 3pm. All performances are absolutely free to UW students, faculty, staff, and the general public.

All About Philip Setzer (and a little bit about Finckel & Han)

by Lindsay Hanson
Concert Series Coordinator

I'm so excited about the upcoming concert by David Finckel, Wu Han and Philip Setzerhttp://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/Season11_12/HanFinckelSetzerTrio.html. What a treat it will be to hear their all-Mendelssohn program in just a few weeks!

A lot of people that I talk to have heard of David Finckel, due to his Cello Talks, mini cello lessons that you can watch online, like the one posted below!



And others I talk to have heard of Wu Han, and they say, "Oh, not only is she a great pianist, she wears such awesome clothes!"

But WHO IS PHILIP SETZER? Well, as a matter of fact, he has graced the Union Theater stage five times by my count! Setzer is a founding member of the Emerson String Quartet, appearing in the Union Theater as part of the Concert Series in 1971,1975,1977,1982, and 1990. So while you may not immediately recognize his name, his playing is certainly not unfamiliar to our audiences. Setzer is also Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at SUNY Stony Brook. His collaborations with husband-wife duo Finckel and Han include touring and recording the Schubert piano trios as well as the recent recording of the Mendelssohn piano trios, both on ArtistLed Records. He also appears at The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where Finckel and Han serve as artistic directors. Setzer has been playing alongside Finckel in the Emerson String Quartet since 1979. In 2009, Setzer was interviewed on Violinist.com by Laurie Niles, where he spoke about playing chamber music, among other things, and specifically about playing music with the same people for 30+ years. There is no doubt that Finckel, Han and Setzer must have mastered the art of musical collaboration by now, having worked together for so long! I am looking forward to hearing it for myself on Friday, February 24 at 7:30pm in the Wisconsin Union Theater. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to witness such seasoned collaborators!