Ukrainian Experience Brings Cossack Soul to Lied

An absorbing cultural experience is in store at the Lied Center with the upcoming performance of the Veriovka Ukrainian National Song and Dance Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29.

For more than 50 years, the Veriovka Ukrainian National Song and Dance Ensemble has been sharing the cultural traditions of the Ukraine with the world through song and dance. With more than 80 artists, the troupe consists of a dance company, a chorus and a folk instrument orchestra.

Artistic Director Anatoly Avdievsky aspires, "to reveal the great soul of the Ukrainian people through song and dance." The company's repertoire includes classic and contemporary composers of historical ballads, Cossack and chumak songs and dance, scenic compositions, and pieces performed for various rites and holidays. Rather than focusing on the traditions of one region, the troupe explores folk traditions from all over the Ukraine. Complementing the performance are the colorful traditional costumes won by the ensemble.

The Veriovka Ukrainian National Song and Dance Ensemble was formed in the turbulent years of World War II in September 1943, in the city of Kharkov just after it was liberated from the Nazis. Its members were demobilized soldiers, workers and farmers, all talented performers and enthusiasts of Ukrainian song and dance. The newly founded group was headed by well-known Ukrainian composer and conductor Hryhory Veriovka, whose goal was to combine the traditions of Ukrainian folk music and dance with a professional level of skill and discipline.

Since it was established, the ensemble has performed in the former Soviet Union, throughout Europe and in North and South America. The 2000 tour will be the second coast-to-coast tour of the United States and Canada after a highly successful campaign in 1996. For its efforts to promote cultural education and peace, the Veriovka Ukrainian National Song and Dance Ensemble has been awarded a Silver Medal by the World Peace Council.

A pre-performance talk by Kit Voorhees, director of the university's Arts Are Basic program, will occur in the Lied's Steinhart Room 30 minutes prior to curtain.

Tickets are $32, $28 and $24, half-price for students, and are available at the Lied Box Office.

Pots of Flowers, maker unknown, circa 1860­1880.

Final Selection of Quilts Exhibited in Fanciful Flowers Show

A stunning Baltimore album quilt will be featured in the fourth and final group of quilts exhibited in Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt showing now at the University of Nebraska State Museum's Cooper Gallery.

Beautifully crafted floral images in the quilt's design include black-eyed Susans, blue forget-me-nots, tulips, and a white flowering French lilac that may hold symbolic meaning for the maker of the quilt.

Floral patterns in quilts are an important aspect of the history of quilts and the history of women. For centuries, women used herbs and plants for their healing powers and as food. It was not until the late 18th and early 19th centuries that an appreciation of natural beauty, believed to demonstrate a cultivated taste, led to greater interest in flowers and gardening. Many books on the language of flowers were published.

At the same time, botany became the most popular science for women to study in the United States and the University of Nebraska developed a strong program. Women illustrated their botanical interests in the numerous floral patterns and designs that became quite common in American quilts during the period.

Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt is sponsored by the International Quilt Study Center and the University of Nebraska State Museum. The quilts being shown are part of the center's remarkable James Collection, donated to the University by Ardis and Robert James in June 1997.

The Cooper Gallery is located on the second floor of Morrill Hall. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays and holidays. The museum requests a $2 donation for adult visitors. The Center offers guided tours (please call two weeks in advance). Information also is posted on the IQSC web site, http://www.ianr.un l.edu/tcd/quilts/homepage.htm.

For exhibit information, contact Alta Ottoson, 472-6549.

Carson Theater Hosts Native American Ventriloquist

Ventriloquist, puppeteer and magician Buddy Big Mountain will bring an entertaining and educational show to the Johnny Carson Theater as part of the Lied Center for Performing Arts' Family Favorites series. Big Mountain and his many friends will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 2, 3 and 4.

Buddy Big Mountain is the first nationally recognized Native American ventriloquist. His unique blend of comedy, ventriloquism, singing, magic, and puppetry has delighted audiences. Big Mountain, who is part Mohawk, Comanche, Apache, Welsh and English, is a member of the Iroquois Nation and is a registered member of the Mohawk of Kahnawake Tribe of Canada.

In addition to his performances, Big Mountain is valued for his efforts to support, promote and educate others about his Native American heritage. With friends such as Wild Stumbling Horse and Awsome Fox, Buddy Big Mountain captures the spirit of traditional Native American dances and stories.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Buddy Big Mountain is a fourth-generation performer. He began his own career at the age of 2 performing Native American dances with the Iron Horse & Family Indian Dance Show at several well-known theme parks. In 1958 Buddy and the Big Mountain Family went to Europe to perform with the Circus Kine Swiss National Circus.

As a Native American dancer, Big Mountain began entering competitions at the age of 7. He won his first title at the West Milford Pow Wow in New Jersey when he was 13. Big Mountain continues to dance whenever he gets the chance and incorporates Native American dance into his performances.

In addition to dancing, Big Mountain broadened his talents by performing stunts in gunfights and did trick riding on horseback at theme parksm, where he met his mentor, ventriloquist Col. Bill Boley, who inspired him to enter the world of ventriloquism.

By 1976, Big Mountain had his own act, to which he added magic skills and puppetry. In the 1980s, he formed his own puppet and marionette act, first with Stumbling Bear, then Awsome Fox and now a full cast of Native American marionettes.

Buddy Big Mountain's special gift is to provide insight on the lives of Native Americans and bring their experiences to life in a humorous, thought-provoking way. He has also worked to teach the skills of marionette building, puppetry and ventriloquism to others through numerous residency activities.

Tickets are $10; half-price for students.

Call the Lied box office at 472-4747 or toll free, (800) 432-3231 for ticket availability.

Anoushka Shankar (left), Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose will share the stage on Sept. 27 at the LIed Center for Performing Arts.

Daughter Continues Family Lock on Sitar Mastery

Anoushka Shankar, the 20-year-old daughter of Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar, will headline a performance of traditional Indian music at the Lied Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27.

Anoushka Shankar is a unique artist with tremendous talent and understanding of the great musical tradition of India. She is the only artist in the world to be trained completely by her father and legendary sitar virtuoso and composer, Ravi Shankar. She has been playing and studying with him since she was 9, working first on a miniature sitar built especially for her. At age 13 she made her performing debut in New Delhi. That same year Anoushka played with her father his recording In Celebration.

Also a gifted classical pianist, she signed an exclusive recording contract with Angel/EMI Classics. In the fall of 1998 her first solo recording, Anoushka, was released to critical acclaim. Her second album, Anourag, was released in August.

As her solo career continues to blossom, Anoushka Shankar is poised to carry forward her father's legacy as one of the most creative and influential figures in the music world. In recognition of her artistry and musicianship, in July 1998 the British Parliament presented her with a House of Commons Shield. She is the youngest and only female recipient of this high honor.

Born in London, Anoushka Shankar grew up in California, where she graduated with honors from public school in Encinitas, and in India, where she spends part of every winter performing with her father and visiting her family. In addition to her own concerts, Anoushka continues touring the world with her father's ensemble with performances throughout the world. In March of 1997, she accompanied him in a performance of his Concerto No. 1 for Sitar and Orchestra with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the independence of India.

For the Lied Center performance, Anoushka will share the stage with famed tabla players, Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose. Ravi Shankar was originally scheduled to perform at this event also, but health problems forced him to cancel his performance.

A pre-performance talk will begin 30 minutes before curtain in the Lied's Steinhart Room.

This performance is a collaboration between RAAG and the Lied Center. RAAG is a University of Nebraska student organization committed to promoting Indian classical music, arts and culture in Lincoln. In the last five years RAAG has been instrumental in getting top Indian artists to perform at UNL, so that the classical Indian culture in its best and truest form can be enjoyed by the people of Nebraska.

Tickets are $28, $24 and $20, half-price for students, and are available at the Lied Center Box Office.

Lied Adds Blues Revue to Broadway Schedule

A roof-raising musical revue of the history of blues, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, has been added to the Broadway line-up of the Lied Center for Performing Arts' 2000-2001 schedule. The musical is scheduled for April 27; 28 (two performances) and April 29.

Featuring seven sizzling singers and one swinging band, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues is a foot-stomping musical journey of the rhythms that gave birth to the blues. From a cappella plantation chants and spirituals, through the twang of Appalachia, to the electricity and power of urban jazz and blues, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues features such hits as "Sweet Home Chicago," "Goodnight Irene" and "Let the Good Times Roll."

The New York Times said of this production: "Looking for a sure cure to the blues? Latch on to a ticket for It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues. More than a musical feast... it is a potent blend of visual eloquence and historical sweep that engages the eye and touches the heart, while its songs soothe the ear, occasionally work mischief on the funny bone and always raise the spirits."

Tickets are $38, $34 and $30, half-price for students, and are available at the Lied Box office.

Rep, Theatre Arts Co-Presenting The Last Train to Nibroc

For the second year, Theatre Arts and the Nebraska Repertory Theatre will co-produce a new work to kick off the Rep season. The Last Train To Nibroc by Arlene Hutton will be staged March 8-10 and 20-24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, third floor of the Temple Building.

Directed by new faculty member Stan Brown, The Last Train To Nibroc is a hilarious and poignant old-fashioned love story. Set in the early 1940s, the play captures the hopes and dreams of two unforgettable young people from neighboring small towns in eastern Kentucky. May, a deeply religious and somewhat bookish young woman whose goal in life is to be a missionary, and the charming ex-Army aviator Raleigh, who dreams of being a writer, share a seat on a crowded train bound east from Los Angeles.

May is on her way home to Corbin, Ky., after a disastrous trip to Los Angeles to visit her now ex-flyboy fiancé who, in her words, "has changed," while Raleigh, discharged from the Army Air Corps because of a recurrence of "the fits" is bound to New York City to become a writer. Raleigh's determination to be a writer is fueled by the coincidence that the two coffins in the baggage car carry the bodies of his literary idols Nathaniel West (The Day of the Locust) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby) who are being transported to the East Coast for burial.

The rocky romance that begins on the train endures over three scenes from December 1940 through Spring of 1943. The play encourages us to believe wholeheartedly in the power of love, even though it can be challenged by differences in social standing, misunderstandings and illnesses.

University Theatre 100th Anniversary season tickets, which include one admission to each of the five productions, are available at the Lied Center Box Office. Season ticket prices are $60 patrons, $50 faculty/staff/ senior citizens, and $30 student/youth. Individual tickets go on sale at the Lied Center Box Office Oct. 2. Individual prices, for shows other than A Christmas Carol, are $12 patrons, $10 faculty/staff/senior citizens, and $7 student/youth. A Christmas Carol tickets are: Section 1/$28 regular and $14 student/youth, Section 2/$24 regular and $12 student/youth, and Section 3/$20 regular and $10 student/youth. The Box Office phone number is 472-4747 or 800-432-3231 toll free.

Christmas Carol Auditions Begin Oct. 1

The Department of Theatre Arts will hold communitywide auditions for its December production of A Christmas Carol on Oct. 1. The production, written by Jeffery Scott Elwell adapted from a novel by Charles Dickens, is directed by guest artist Rob Urbanati of New York City and will be staged at the Lied Center.

According to Brad Buffum, production stage manager, community actors and actresses are invited to audition for leading and supporting roles where they will perform with theatre students. Members of Actors' Equity Association are also invited to audition. There are several roles available for male actors, ages 6 to 13, including the role of Tiny Tim.

No preparation is required for the young male actors. Cold readings from the script will be provided. Adult actors should prepare a contemporary dramatic 2-minute monologue. More information on roles available can be found at http://www.unl.edu/prodmgr.

Time slots for both adult and youth auditions can be secured by telephoning 472-2072 only between the hours of 2 and 4 p,m. beginning Sept. 25. Auditions will occur in the Temple Building.

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Celebration of Youth at Hillestad Gallery

Twenty clothing and home environment projects make up the seventh annual Celebration of Youth: Creativity in Textiles and Design exhibit on East Campus.

Four-H'ers arrive on campus Sept. 23 for an afternoon of workshops and experiments with the faculty in the Textiles, Clothing and Design Department in the College of Human Resources and Family Science. While 4-H'ers experience the college climate and work, parents will tour the International Quilt Study Center, join the faculty in use of the Internet, and learn more about international apparel and textile trade as well as research being conducted by faculty members.

The 4-H'ers' exhibits were selected by jurors from the more than 2000 State Fair 4-H exhibits resulting from 4-H clothing and home environment project exhibits. The youth will present their work at the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery opening from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Sept. 24. Visitors can also view the exhibit each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 25 through Oct. 6. For more information, call 472-2911.

Shirley Niemeyer, an exhibit coordinator, believes the weekend experience is one that recognizes the tremendous talent of Nebraska youth, increases their understanding of the University, and exposes them to college life and other students.

Diane Vigna, an exhibit coordinator, will share her technology and business experiences with parents in a web exploration and management session. Vigna is the newly hired extension specialist, textile and apparel specialist with a focus on working youth and with the over 1,006 textile and apparel businesses and 107 textile and apparel manufacturers and producers with a total retail trade of over $16 billion.

This year's exhibit is sponsored by the Friends of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, a nonprofit group.

Chamber Friends Present St. Petersburg Quartet Sept. 29

The Lincoln Friends of Chamber Music's season opener begins at 8 p.m. Sept. 29, when the St. Petersburg String Quartet will perform in the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. They will be joined by Bulgarian pianist Ludmil Angelov for the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34a, and the Shostakovitch Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57. The quartet will also perform Three Novelettes by Glazunov.

Formed in 1985 by graduates of the Leningrad Conservatory, the St. Petersburg is unquestionably one of the world's great young string quartets. Described by the New York Times as "one of Russia's cultural treasures," their "polish and passion" have impressed audiences throughout Europe, North America and Asia. The group consists of violinists Alla Aranovskaya and Ilya Teplyakov, violist Alexei Koptev and cellist Leonid Shukaev. Angelov recently was awarded First Prize at the World Piano Masters Competition of Monte-Carlo.

The Sept. 29 concert will be preceded by an informative lecture by UNL professor Clark Potter at 7:30 p.m. A reception for audience and artists will occur in the Sheldon Great Hall following the performance. Parking for persons with special needs is available in the lot north of the gallery. Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students, and may be purchased at the door. For more information, call 435-5454.