Foxglove Co. presents 'Hazards of Love'

Posted by Max Siegelbaum

On May 5, the Fox Glove Company will begin its performances of the Decemberists's 2009 album, "The Hazards of Love."

Created and directed by Sara Jane Munford ‘11 and co-directed by Samuel Kahler ‘11, the performance will be a multi-media staging of the work.

"The Hazards of Love" is a rock opera that tells the story of a woman named Margaret (Angela Cascone '12), and the shape shifting William (Kelsey Hull '13).

The two fall in love, but come into conflict with William's mother, the Queen of the Forest (Grace Troxwell '13) and her henchman, the evil Rake (Adrienne Schaffler '13).

The performance will run straight through the album, using choreography to tell the fantastical story. The music itself portrays a dynamic range of style and sensation, which helps lend itself to a wide range of actions and emotions for the actors to display.

To stage the performance, the company built an elaborate set in a warehouse 20 minutes away from campus.

Under the guidance of Skip Suva '11 and Tom Meredith ‘11, the company transformed the space into a veritable set piece that could stand alone as an art exhibition.

Suva and Meredith divided the space into several different sets that center around a massive white tree.

In one area designated as the "Queen's Root Castle," white tendrils protrude from the ceiling to create the sinister and surreal home of the Queen. Dark and foreboding scenes painted by Abel Mills '11 and Hannah Mode '11 surround the main stage.

The space is designed to work as a "360 degree performance," Munford said. The actors will play their roles weaving in and out of the audience, using the entire space in the performance.

Several life-sized puppets created by a four person team of puppeteers led by Jeremy Ohinger '13 will be included in the performance. An animation by Galen Koch '11 will also be screened during the show.

"Hazards of Love" premieres on May 5 and performances will continue from May 7- 8 and 13- 15. Attendees should meet at Case at 7:30 p.m. before each show.

Audience members will receive a free CD of music to listen to on the way to the warehouse. The CD features a mix of relevant music selected by Munford and Kahler.

Audience members will also receive a program that will detail the history of the company and provide a synopsis of the story. All shows start at 8 p.m.

Tickets are free, but to attend the show, spots can be reserved by emailing foxglovecompany@gmail.com or calling (713) 816-5553. Transportation is limited, so it is encouraged to carpool to the performance space.

Iron in Alabama: Sculpture students travel to National Conference on Cast Iron Art

Posted by Gabe Weintraub

During the week of April 11, five sculpture students and foundry club members traveled to the Sloss Furnaces, a national historic landmark in Birmingham, Ala., to participate in the 2011 National Conference on Cast Iron Art.

The students participated in a number of iron pours, and also competed in a contest for student-made cupolas - specialized furnaces for melting iron. The Skidmore cupola won an award for production. The students were accompanied by Professor John Galt, of the studio art department.

Terezin legacy to be honored at Zankel

Posted by Rachel Kim

On May 7 and 8 Choral Director Janet McGhee will lead the Battenkill Chorale in presenting "Voices of Hope and Remembrance: Honoring the Legacy of Terezin."

Terezin is a town located north of Prague that was transformed by the Nazis into a Jewish ghetto and transport camp that held up to 60,000 prisoners at a time until the Nazis deported them to death camps.

"They had this spiritual transformation coupled with defiance. Defiance and determination that until the day they died, they were going to live," McGhee said.

The story of those who were imprisoned at Terezin is particularly unique because of all the intellectual and artistic pursuits that survived the horrors of the concentration camp.

Prisoners at Terezin bravely and defiantly created works of art, poetry, theater and music, despite the unspeakable horrors that they faced.

"I can't think of anywhere else, anytime else, anyplace else where that has happened to the extent that it happened at Terezin," McGhee said.

McGhee's personal history with Terezin goes back to the spring of April 2006 when the college's chorus joined the Battenkill Chorale in singing "The Flowers" as a part of the annual memorial that the choir holds for the victims of the Holocaust.

Composer Thomas Oboe Lee wrote "The Flowers" after being inspired by the story of Terezin.

It was at this performance that McGhee met Edgar Krasa, a 90-year-old survivor of both the Tenezin and Auschwitz concentration camps.

"I met him at that event and he was so inspiring. It was here at Skidmore that I was first introduced to Terezin, to Edgar, to what had happened," she said.

Krasa lived with his roommate, Rafael Schaechter, at Terezin and together they became the driving musical life force at the camp. They created and sang in their musical productions until Edgar was sent to Auschwitz.

After surviving the infamous death march from Auschwitz and successfully escaping from the Nazis, Krasa returned to the town of Terezin and was reunited with his family.

Today, Krasa devotes his life to educating people about the Holocaust. Due to his age, Krasa will not be able to travel to Saratoga Springs, but the performances will feature a filmed interview.

The program includes the Bennington Children's Chorus who will be delivering a musical performance of the poem "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," which was written by the children imprisoned at Terezin.

The event will also feature music written by Jewish composers Franz Schubert, Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill, Eric Whitacre, Max Janowski and Max Lewandowsky.

McGhee formed the Battenkill Chorale 16 years ago. The chorus collaborated with the college last spring for the choral debut of Zankel.

Battenkill Chorale will be touring in Prague and Vienne this summer. One of their stops include Terezin, where the chorus perform a memorial concert.

"Most people don't know about it. And as soon as I knew that I was going to be traveling to Prague with a bunch of singers I thought, ‘We've got to tell this story and help tell this story,'" McGhee said.

Tickets for the general audience are now on sale for $15. Call (518) 692-7458 or email jen.braucher@gmail.com to purchase. Admission for students is free and tickets are now available at Zankel.

Romeo and Juliet' opens with Latino flair

Posted by Michelle Minick

Two households, both alike in dignity and enmity, set the scene for the college's Theater Department's mainstage production of "Romeo and Juliet."

While set in the fair Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater, this uniquely stylized version of "Romeo and Juliet" takes place in the neighborhood of San Telmo in Buenos Aires, Argentina sometime during the mid-20th century.

Directed by Lary Opitz, this Shakespearean modern-day masterpiece also showcased the designs of Garret Wilson (Scenic Design), David Yergan (Lighting Design), Jenna Glendye '11 and Patty Pawliczak (Costume Design), David Wolf and Barbara Opitz (Dance Choreography), Douglas Seldin (Fight director) and Kate Kelly Bouchard (Voice and Acting coach).

From the opening tableaux featuring all of the actors, it was evident that Lary Opitz was putting his personal spin on a classic tale.

When William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" comes to mind, one may think of the rich text and language, the balcony, two families feuding and two star-crossed lovers with a tragic ending.

However, this version included the Argentinean Tango and some impressive fight choreography and knife fighting.

Ultimately, Opitz's vision for "Romeo and Juliet" was that the tango was the perfect expression for violence and passionate love and that Buenos Aires was a very appropriate setting because of its cultural synthesis of food, language, music and dance, demonstrated mainly through the dual-cultural blend of French and Italian cultures and influences.

As a trained dancer, I held my breath, hoping that the tango would go smoothly. And, in the end, I was so impressed by how the actors held their own for such a technical, passionate and fiery genre of dance.

For the fight scenes, I knew a great deal of the secrets of stage fighting, as I took stage combat lessons when I was younger. It was great to see how the actors kept presentation and safety in mind.

It was interesting to see how, instead of traditional sword fighting, Opitz utilized knife fighting with medieval knives for the family feuds. In the end, I thought the fights seemed too presentational and choreographed, although to the rest of the audience it looked awesome and translated well.

As for the aesthetics of the production, the set, lights and costumes helped to piece together the performance. While the set was simple, it captured and distinguished the time period and location well.

However, the set became complex as a result of the use of the "doughnut" circular rotating system. This rotating component did an excellent job of providing smooth transitions and adding drama during the discovery of Juliet's death in the Capulet household.

The lighting was exceptional in creating the perfect mood and the ambient light created a soft and romantic quality to the overall atmosphere of the play.

The costumes were colorful and sophisticated, which added a more vibrant dimension to such a melancholic play.

An additional aspect that brought together the play nicely was the music. Astor Piazzolla composed the music in this production and there were a blend of violent, romantic, passionate and fiery intonations.

The music also did an excellent job of setting the mood and provided good transitions from scene-to-scene.

While Shakespearean English is practically its own language, Shakespeare suggested judicious advice about love that everyone could understand.

Shakespeare warned viewers that, "the course of true love never did run smooth," this astute remark can definitely apply to Romeo and Juliet and their definitive tragic demise.

Thus, "Romeo and Juliet" remains a classic romantic comedy that reverberates through society and even throughout the world today.

What is so impressive to me, however, is that the college's Theater Company and Music Department collaborated so well together. Students, faculty and the actors in the play all helped to create and produce the production.

In essence, it takes the complete collaboration to make our theater productions happen.

"Romeo and Juliet," under Optiz's spectacular direction combined with a talented and multitudinous cast provided an entertaining and enticing production that was very enjoyable to watch.

And if you missed this astounding production, you might just have to curse, "a plague on both your households, for never was a story of more woe/ than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

Michelle is a sophomore Theater major and a Management & Business minor who loves to act, dance and play the bass guitar and the piano.

Zankel premieres 'Swan Lake'

Posted by Rachel Kim

The Music and Dance Departments and the Office of the dean of Special Programs presented "Swan Lake: Act II" at the Zankel Music Center on April 15 and 16.

Before the orchestra started playing, Jeffrey Segrave, dean of Special Programs, introduced the show. He noted the uniqueness of the performance. "It offers many firsts. It is the first time we have major use of the pit for a joint performance. This is truly an interdepartmental production," Segrave said.

After Segrave spoke, Associate Professor and Conductor of the college's orchestra Anthony Holland honored the senior musicians with an elaborate, heartfelt speech and thanked them for their dedication to the orchestra.

Next, Associate Professor of Dance Denise Limoli provided another introduction to the show, in which she provided a historical background of "Swan Lake: Act II."

"We are making art in our respective forms and bringing it all together for you," Limoli said.

"Swan Lake" tells the story of Princess Odette (Gaia Waisbrod '11) who is cursed by the sorcerer Baron von Rothbart (guest artist David Otto). Prince Siegfried (Jacob Goodhart '12) falls in love with Odette after he sees her by Swan Lake where he is hunting.

The lights in the theater dimmed as the orchestra members in the pit started to tune. They started to play the "Waltz of the Villagers," a lighthearted piece that showcased the abilities of the violinists and flutists as they played quick, flowing notes.

Although this part of the performance only featured the orchestra, without dancers on the stage, the waltz set the mood and prepared the audience for the next act.

The audience applauded at the end of the waltz as the second act began with the Overture. The familiar melody of the clarinet, most recently made famous by "Black Swan," captured the sadness of Odette's fate.

The Prince and his entourage enter the stage and start to hunt in the forest until Siegfried discovers Odette. The others leave as the Prince and Odette playfully chase one another around the stage.

Their dance is interrupted by the evil sorcerer who summons the flock of swans. His presence clearly indicates the powerful control he has over Odette. As the music grows dramatic, the entourage reappears, ready to hunt the swans, but the Prince thwarts their attempts.

The swans part, and the Prince joins Odette and they dance as the concertmistress (Hanna Tonegawa '11) and principal cellist (Meg Ashur '11) engage in a duo that is beautifully and profoundly sad.

The dance and musical duo reflect the conversation between Odette and the Prince, in which she tells him about her curse and the tragic end that their love must face.

The piece then continues to the "Dance of the Four Cygnets," (Julia Clancy '14, Hannah Foster '14, Kate Matthew '14 and Katrina Puffer '13) and the "Dance of the Swan Princesses," (Alison DeFranco '12, Emily Craver '11, Rebecca Greenbaum '11 and Hartley Parish '11).

The choreography and accompanying music of these two scenes captures the beauty of the swans. The cynets and swan princesses are stunning in their costumes, and their performance left everyone watching in awe.

Princess Odette then dances alone on stage with melancholic gracefulness to the music of the orchestra in the pit below. As her solo comes to an end, the entire flock of swans appears and treats viewers to an intricately choreographed and stunningly executed piece.

All of the swans, including Odette, dance in the Coda, "Dance of the Swans," and move together, along with the music with accurate timing. The swans then flutter aside as the Prince declares his love for Odette.

Just as he makes his declaration, however, the evil Sorcerer appears and calls upon his swans. Princess Odette struggles to remain with her Prince, but fails to break free from the sorcerer's grip. She leaves the Prince, heartbroken and alone.

The dancers and the orchestra joined in harmony to successfully retell the tragic love story of Princess Odette and her Prince. The production moved the audience, who applauded between movements and gave a standing ovation at the end of the show.

The performance was dedicated to the late Oleg Moston, who provided piano accompaniment for ballet classes and the Classical Ballet Workshop at the college.

The Dance Department has initiated the Oleg Moston Prize in his honor. Winners of the prize will receive an award that will support their transition into the professional dance world.

Dead Prez heats up campus conversations: Hip-Hop Weekly

Posted by Jenna Postler

Recent tension and discussions on campus surrounding race and class have caused some people in the college community to question the choice of rap group Dead Prez for the Student Entertainment Committee's Big Show on Friday, April 22.

A vocal questioning of the possible repercussions of having the group on campus has been raised on the Facebook wall of the event page for the concert.

Students have argued that the use of racist and homophobic lyrics by the group is negative, given the current campus climate.

What needs to be understood by the student community is that Dead Prez is a politically conscious rap group.

Since its founding in 1996, its members have maintained a socialist, politically active voice and hold a strong stance against corporate control of the media, and poverty within African American communities.

Although these issues are pervasive, the group often employs what some might call "reverse racism," or attacks and slanderous remarks against Caucasians, as demonstrated prominently in the song "Hell Yeah."

In the music video and the lyrics, Dead Prez advocates a "Robin Hood" figure stealing from the rich, contributing to the poor type of mentality that is filled with anti-white sentiments.

While the group is politically left and rebellious in nature, the controversy presented by some students is not its message, but rather how it presents its message.

Do racist, sexist and homophobic lyrics negate the group's message? Hip-hop as an art form has been filled with outlandish, racist and offensive lyrics since the genre's conception.

What needs to be asked though, is if offensive lyrics are an effective means to the end of raising political consciousness. Hip-hop's offensive lyrics have a lot to do with shock value, but also stem from the culture in which hip-hop originated from.

Condoning racism is wrong, and I am not one to do so. In listening to the music of Dead Prez, we must understand that the group aims to further a leftish, socialist agenda.

The lyrics are just a means to the end of raising popular consciousness. I know that as informed students we can all agree that racism is not okay, whether it be "reverse racism" or not.

Unfortunately racism and homophobia are often parts of the group's lyrics. To listen to the group is to accept it for the way that it is and the way that the genre currently functions.

As to whether or not bringing the group to campus is a good idea, I would answer that it could be positive, if used and understood in a productive manner.

Dead Prez's presence on campus can be used to continue the ongoing dialogue concerning class, race and sexuality that has been occurring on campus.

Essential to gaining something from the concert if you choose to attend is taking careful note of the lyrics and, instead of writing the group or its message off instantly, thinking critically about the role of the lyrics within the performance and greater political aims.

As listeners, we must be aware of generalizations concerning racial groups and hip-hop.

Jenna Postler is a sophomore from rural Vt. who knows what's hip (hop) and can be heard from 2- 4 a.m. every Friday morning on WSPN.

Andrea Gibson moves crowd with spoken word

Posted by Gia Vaccarezza

Spoken word artist Andrea Gibson visited the college on April 9 to perform as a part of the (Dis)orderly Voices Festival.

Professor Rebecca Krefting and her students of the American Studies course, "Disorderly Women," sponsored the festival, which lasted from April 8 to April 9.

Gibson's poetry performance, which was held in Gannett Auditorium, mesmerized the crowd and received a standing ovation.

Gibson first performed at an open mic in Denver, Colo. and since then has won the Denver Grand Slam four times. She also finished fourth in the 2004 National Poetry Slam and finished third in the 2006 and 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2008, Gibson became the first poet to win the Women of the World Poetry Slam.

Her poetry covers many topics that range from gender norms to political statements concerning war. Saturday night's performance featured works from three of her spoken word CDs: "Yellowbird" (2009), "When the Bough Breaks" (2006) and "Swarm" (2004). She also released an album in 2003 titled "Bullets and Windchimes."

Gibson's work is often accompanied by an instrumental track that she plays on her laptop. The tracks featured during her performance were soothing and added to the feeling of intimacy between speaker and audience.

Her poetry touched on various topics and resonated strongly with students, especially in light of the recent dialogues that the college has had concerning the issues of race, sexuality and overall equality.

There is a great range of emotions in Gibson's work. Poems like "Swing Set" explore her experience as a kindergarten teacher whose students were constantly asking if she was a boy of a girl. Yet Gibson makes light of this, since once the children's curiosities are answered, they always ask for a push on the swing set.

Then there are poems like "For Eli," which Gibson dedicates to her friend, Elijah, who served in the army. Her word choice in this poem is the most stunning, like in the line, "Michael, 19… Steven, 21… John, 33/how ironic that their deaths sound like bible verses."

Even for those who have not experienced the effects of war, the somber tone and the brutal honesty that "not all casualties come home in body bags" can make the listener's skin crawl.

It is not enough to say Gibson has great talent with words. She creates and develops a relationship with her audience—or at least, she did when she was here.

Another poem she read was only a few lines, written by her niece. She asked audience members to record her reading and post it to YouTube so that her niece's wish to be on television would come true.

Gibson's ability to take excerpts from her personal life and share them with the world is incredible. Her poetry grabs the audience, shakes them around, makes them cry, makes them laugh and finally sets them back down gently. Her works inspire honest and heartfelt discussion as well as hope for equalities across all planes.

OSDP show brings students together

Posted by Rachel Kim

On April 14, the Office of Student Diversity Program (OSDP) hosted their third annual One Night Stand Talent Show at the Spa.

The show is an end of the year entertaining event that is coordinated with the Discovery Tour, a program for under-represented accepted prospective students that showcases academic and student life, diversity and interculturalism on campus.

Both prospective and current students were encouraged to attend and signup for the show.

"The goal of the show is to join together students of all backgrounds, to invite any and all students to participate in OSDP and to showcase the talent within our community at Skidmore," said Mariel Martin, Diversity of Student Diversity Programs.

The show has previously allowed various groups to showcase their talents, "We've had the pleasure of debuting some especially talented groups on campus including the Life Every Voice Gospel Choir and the Ujima Step Team," Martin said.

Students and prospective students filled up the Spa as host Randy Abreu '11 opened the show.

There were 11 performers at this year's show. Various acts included acoustic guitar playing, stand-up comedy, poem recitals and step dancing.

Abe Lerman '11 opened the show with an acoustic performance of "Let You Go," a song he wrote and composed.

His act was followed by Harper Sibley '12 who sang and played two songs on the electric guitar. Lerman and Sibley's performances both included solos that were received with warm applause.

The two musical acts were followed by a poem recital by Kim Caceres ‘14, who read her piece, "Response to Love," out loud to the crowd that listened silently.

Pibo Shongwe '14 then took the stage and sang to an interactive crowd that joined him. The audience fell to a silence when Janet Vidal '14 sang "Adios," a slow, soft song by Mexican music duo, Jesse y Joy.

Next was Marvin Michel ‘14, who entertained and drew some laughs from the crowd with his stand-up routine.

The show opened itself to impromptu acts, which included Philip Ortiz ‘14, who, at the last-minute, decided to sing and play an acoustic version of the song made famous by Frank Sinatra, "Fly Me to the Moon." Evelyn Canela '13 also recited her own poem.

Members of the Ujima Step Group then crowded the stage and impressed the audience with their rhythmic routine. Emma Bridges ‘14 sang and played on her guitar and Hailee Minor ‘12 sang and closed the show.

The judges, Martin and program coordinator Nate Richardson, picked the winners after listening to the audience's applause.

Lerman won third place and took the $50 gift card. Bridges came in second and collected the $75 award and the Ujima Step Team came in first place and won the $100 gift card. They plan on donating the money to the Ujima club.

Host Abreu entertained the crowd in between acts with mini-interviews with random students and prospective candidates selected from the crowd. Abreu also took the time to remind the audience of other upcoming OSDP events.

The past two years were successful and like this year drew a large audience as well. "The Spa was packed each year with prospective students in addition to over 100 current Skidmore students," Martin said.

Seniors present Dance Capstones

Posted by Carly Stokes

The college's Dance Department showcased the Class of 2011 Senior Capstones at 8 p.m. on April 8, and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on April 9. All showings were held in the Dance Theater, where the capstones are usually held annually to display the works of the seniors' yearlong projects.

The seniors featured in this year's event included Anna Long, Daniel Chenoweth, Danny Weinstein, Emily Craver, Hartley Parish, Jazmyn Jaymi Young, Nicole Kadar, Rebecca Greenbaum and Zoe Prengaman.

The opening performance, "Fusion," included a tap and modern number choreographed by Weinstein. Tap dancer, Steven Anton ‘12, displayed impressive footwork, which was emphasized by an echo and the beautiful, dramatic lightning by Jaime Martinez-Rivera ‘11.

Sydney Magruder ‘14 and Courtenay Thorne ‘12 successfully portrayed a great partnership.

Greenbaum '11 who choreographed, "The Way That I Am," conveyed a personal piece that had a lot of movement and brought out fluidity from dancers Angela Cascone ‘12, Alison DeFranco ‘13, Molly Kimmel ‘11, Emily Pacilio ‘12 and Tory Stoker ‘14.

Greenbaum's choice of music by Max Richter added to the personality of the piece.

Acclaimed choreographer, Robert Battle, was chosen as Young's yearlong study. Young performed "Damn" (1996) in an exciting and passionate performance staged by Erika Pujic.

True to Battle form, Young's intense movements kept the audience captivated.

Senior Long performed "paisley Boteh Jegheh" by Kraig Patterson. The simplistically beautiful costume by Kraig Patterson and Parish incorporated a nude body suit with a knee length navy tulle skirt. The choreography captured the electronica-digitialized nature of the music by Paul Lansky.

Parish showcased her great talent with "Fledgling." Her piece featured Andrew Magazine ‘13 who led a pack of animalistic dancers that included Ivy Rose Cardillo ‘14, Corry Ethridge ‘14, Kelly Jackson ‘12, Sabrina Lumbert ‘12, Kelly Martinet ‘13, Lauren Parra ‘13 and Courtenay Thorne ‘12.

The movements, music and mentality enraptured the audience in a raw performance of tribe versus tribe.

After the intermission, Chenoweth used a plethora of mediums to present his piece, "Body of Work."

From the tangled pencils that hung from his coat to the books and paper that fell from the ceiling, Chenoweth's avant-garde choreography kept the audience constantly wondering about was going to happen next, and if it was going to inflict any pain.

The audience gasped as not-so-light books dropped onto Chenoweth. The choreography and videography by Melecio Estrella that played during the dance portrayed the life of a tortured student.

Senior choreographer Prengaman created an army-themed piece "Lock N' Load."

Dancers Julia Clancy ‘14, Sabrina Lumbert ‘12, Nicole Sartor ‘11, Tory Stroker and Tess Wendel ‘11 donned serious expressions, which added to the army-element, as did the great music compilation by Carl Landa featuring Phoenix.

Prengaman also integrated ballet, which provided subtle feminine aspects to this overall masculine piece.

Kadar gave an enchanting performance in "Across the Meadow," by Camille A. Brown. The music by George Gershwin and the backdrop of a night sky with a subtle moon shadow, gave Nadar's performance a dream-like essence.

The final performance choreographed by Craver, "immortal fishes," had fluid, fre-flowing qualities in the movements performed by Angela Canscone, Jacob Goodhart ‘12, Emily Pacilio ‘12, Martha Snow ‘14 and Sam Szabo ‘11. "immortal fishes" brought humor with the expressions of some of the dancers, and was the perfect closing act for this year's show.

The 2011 academic year produced awe-inspiring senior Capstones, which showcased all the hard work that was put in both on and off the stage.

The lighting crew and stage work impressively and effortlessly helped to effectively convey the creative products that the school's dance department had to offer.

Swan Lake' collaboration to take the stage at Zankel

Posted by Rachel Kim

On April 14 and 15, the college orchestra and the dance department's classical ballet workshop will be performing "Swan Lake" at the Zankel Music Center.

The dance performance, which was staged by associate professor Denise Warner Limoli, is based on Lev Ivanov's 1895 restaged choreography of the second act of the original ballet.

This particular performance is unlike others. For the first time, the orchestra and ballet can join one another in performance because of the amount of space that the Zankel Music Center has to offer.

"This is the first time we've been able to do something that really incorporates the orchestra and dancers," Julia Grigel '11, the percussionist said.

"Swan Lake," written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, is a ballet about Odette, a princess who, after being cursed by the evil sorcerer Rothbart, lives as a swan by day and a beautiful maiden by night. This curse can only be broken by the power of eternal love.

Prince Siegfried, the lead male dancer role, is gifted a new crossbow from his mother and goes hunting. He stumbles onto Swan Lake where meets Odette and falls in love with her.

Since the publication of the original ballet, many different revivals and productions have been made. The version of Tchaikovsky's ballet that will be performed focuses on this part of the ballet.

Before the ballet dancers come out, the orchestra will be performing its own piece in the pit below the stage.

"The orchestra is first doing the overture, which is in the first act. Then the ballet dancers come on stage," violinist Jane Esterquest '13 said.

The performance will then move onto the second act where Siegfried meets Odette.

"It's sort of a conversation between Siegfried and Odette. She explains to him about the spell she has," cellist Meg Ashur '11 said.

The middle of the piece will feature a solo shared between Ashur and violinist Hanna Tonegawa ‘11. This solo will be accompanying the dance between the main ballet dancers playing Siegfried and Odette.

"It's really a beautiful, romantic dance that's very graceful and even kind of sad. They fall in love, but she has to tell Siegfried about the spell," Tonegawa explained.

This new type of collaboration forced orchestra members to pay more attention to maintaining the tempo in accordance with the choreography.

"It's a unique experience for the orchestra because it's rare for the tempo to matter this much. It's kind of a nice challenge because the tempo is so important to the dancers," Grigel said.

Because of this new challenge, steps were made to ensure that the orchestra's music matches up with the ballet dancers.

"Everyone got a recording and listened to it and Dr. Holland kept the choreographer's directions in mind," Ashur said.

Limoli joined the orchestra's most recent rehearsal and provided directions to prepare the group for when it would rehearse with the dancers.

"She sat on the stage where the dancers would be and Dr. Holland watched as we watched him and played," Tonegawa said.

Performers would have to focus on conductor and music director Anthony Holland, just as in any situation, but with more attention.

Tickets for "Swan Lake" are now on sale and can be purchased online at skidmore.showclix.com.

Lee Shaw Trio and Medeski share confidence on stage

Posted by Dale Obbie

Last Friday, pianist John Medeski of the jazz-funk trio Medeski, Martin & Wood joined the Lee Shaw Trio (Lee Shaw on piano, Jeff Siegel on drums and the college's faculty member Rich Syracuse on bass) to play a highly anticipated jazz show at the Zankel Music Center.

Before the first tune, the group captivated the audience with its easygoing poise. To begin the show, Medeski took to the stage alone.

With no more than a wave to the crowd, he sat down at his Hammond B3 organ and filled the hall with the heavy sound of its warbling chords.

After a little bit of free improvisation, drummer Siegel joined him, and soon the groove was underway. Not long after, Shaw appeared, followed by Syracuse, who walked leisurely to his upright bass, all the while bobbing his head to the beat.

The reason for their shared confidence is no mystery: Syracuse and Shaw have been playing together for 20 years, and Shaw began teaching Medeski the art of jazz improvisation in his early teens.

What this sort of familiarity among such accomplished musicians entails in the music is a limitless creative potential – the ability to play whatever they want on the spot.

On Friday they did just that. According to Syracuse, they hadn't decided upon a set list when they began the performance, but instead only "talked about concepts."

He went on to explain that "what we strive for in a very nonchalant way is that we save it all for the music … you have to imagine that the whole thing, the concert, is like running water. Like a river. And you walk up to the river and you jump in, and it carries you."

They opened with Duke Ellington's songs "Mood Indigo" and "Love You Madly," giving each soloist a chance to strut their stuff over the tunes' bluesy chord progressions. Even Shaw, now 84, didn't hesitate to show off her chops, playing with just as much vigor as her younger counterparts.

But, as expected, Medeski eventually took the spotlight. About half way through the performance he played a solo improvisation on the grand piano that showcased not only his command of melody, but of rhythm as well.

The sight of his percussive playing was as enthralling as its sound; his hands seemed to vibrate effortlessly above the keyboard, resembling balls of grease skidding along a frying pan.

In a significant departure from the standards with which they began, Medeski's flurries of notes led into his song "Where's Sly?" during which Shaw left the stage.

Unsurprisingly, the remaining trio had no trouble recreating the avant-garde texture of sound characteristic of Medeski, Martin & Wood. Syracuse strummed harmonics on his upright bass, while Siegel dragged his drumstick across the cymbals, resulting in a gloriously dissonant screech.

The next song, Shaw's "Prairie Child," featured a heartwarming duet between teacher and pupil. Medeski picked up his melodica (an instrument that lies somewhere between a harmonica and an organ) and stood at Shaw's side throughout the song.

Appropriately, the quirky instrument gave a lighthearted feel to a song that, as Shaw explained, is about her childhood, despite the fact that it lacks lyrics.

They concluded with another of Medeski's songs, the funky foot-stomper "Wiggly's Way," which was undoubtedly the highlight of the show.

It featured an outstanding bass solo from Syracuse, and left the audience hungry for an encore. And they weren't disappointed: the group closed with Shaw's tune "Blues 11," and left the stage to a standing ovation.

Student artists make sales at Art Craft fair: Partial proceeds given to the Jeneba Project through the IAC

Posted by Sandy Zhang

On Friday, April 1st, the International Affairs Club hosted an Art Craft sale for the second time this year. The fair, which took place in Case Center, featured works by more than 12 students.

The fair was part of a larger effort by the IAC to raise awareness and funds for the Jeneba Project.

Founded by alums Joseph Kaifala and Peter Brock, the Jeneba Project focuses on reconstruction efforts in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea through educational projects such as school building and scholarship grants for girls.

The success of the first Art Craft fair had motivated the IAC and student artists to organize and participate in a second one. The first fair had raised more than $500 for the Jeneba Project.

Issac Chansky '13, a member of the IAC and an organizer of the event, expected this fair to raise even more money than the previous, because there were more students participating.

The club now plans to organize an Art Craft fair every semester. The Art Craft fair was originally created out of a want from student artists to sell their works.

"We started off wanting to sell rings, and another student from printmaking also wanted to sell their art. Then, eventually, we partnered up with the International Affairs Club," said Rebecca Donner '12, who was selling silver and copper rings.

The financial arrangement between the IAC and students selling their works was that 30 percent of all sales would go toward the Jeneba Project and the student keeps the remaining 70 percent.

Student sellers thought this policy was fair. Ripley Sager, a junior art major, sold lithographic prints. "I'm definitely comfortable with the 30/70 split," he said.

"I did pretty well. I was very happy with how the whole sale went. I was definitely impressed with how every one of my peers did, and I was impressed by the turnout of students to buy student art," Sager said regarding the first Art Craft fair.

For Sager, the Art Craft fair is the chief avenue he uses to sell his work.

For others, like Kelsey Cioffi, a sophomore majoring in art, the Art Craft fair is the only sales option. Cioffi sold hats and headbands that she made.

"I've given them out for free to a lot of friends before. I haven't thought about selling them until last year when somebody mentioned that they had craft fairs and I thought that'd be a good option," Cioffi said.

"I've been trying to keep them relatively cheap so people will buy them. The only thing that really matters to me is that I can make back the money I actually put into them," she explained about setting the prices.

A first time participant in the fair was the Photo Club, which sold photos that were taken by students. The Photo Club was happy to have an additional setting to sell student works, in addition to other opportunities that they have had such as Celebration Weekend, Accepted Students Day and Club Fairs.

Other items sold at the fair included drawings, handmade bowls, T-shirts, handmade iPod sleeves and bowls made out of vinyl records.

Christopher O'Riley challenges classical music, plays rock

Posted by Julia Grigel

It would be hard to categorize the kind of music heard at Christopher O'Riley's March 25 concert at Skidmore's Zankel Music Center — other than to say it was of the "good" category of music.

O'Riley came to the college as part of the Sterne Virtuoso Series, which has brought other prominent artists such as the Hawthorne String Quartet and The Bad Plus. As part of the Sterne residency, O'Riley gave a master class where he met and spoke with students.

O'Riley's many identities are equally intriguing: he is at once a classical piano virtuoso, admirer and arranger of popular contemporary artists and host of a leading National Public Radio music show.

The show, "From the Top," showcases outstanding young musicians from across the country, making classical music widely accessible and comprehensible.

He has successfully challenged traditional definitions of "classical music," arranging music by artists such as Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake and Pink Floyd for piano, and performing these arrangements alongside works by classical composers like Ravel, Beethoven and Schumann.

O'Riley started off the concert with two songs by Elliott Smith, which showcased his technical skill and which also reminded me of why I quit piano in middle school — there are just too many notes.

However, Christopher O'Riley somehow takes what, for me, had always seemed like "too many notes" and turns it into something like an image in sound: a full experience in rhythm, melody and harmony.

He engaged the audience between pieces, speaking powerfully of the tragic and emotionally torn life of Elliott Smith and then following with a dynamic description of his next piece, Schumann's "Kreisleriana" cycle.

This piece, said O'Riley, is Schumann's "most bipolar work." Some movements seemed to be ruled by a chilling dissonance and a desperate effort to resolve to the "right" note.

Others were simple and catchy, and some were as triumphant as a royal procession. The whole piece ended furiously and in a huff.

The second half of the concert included three songs by Radiohead, Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" and Maurice Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit," which, in Ravel's own words, is "a caricature of romanticism."

Before he played, O'Riley eloquently described the piece's complexities: its three movements express somewhat morose, surreal visions.

The first movement is about a somewhat malevolent water fairy seducing a naïve sailor and the second is about the harrowing tale of the gallows, through which one note eerily maintains a constant tolling sound.

The last movement, said O'Riley somewhat deviously, "gets quite a bit darker." It is marked, he said, by "a molecular, malevolent presence." His description was spot on, and helped to paint an image in the mind of the listener.

Ravel's strange tone poem was followed by the comforting sound of Radiohead's perennially beautiful "Let Down."

As O'Riley began playing familiar notes, I thought I might miss Thom Yorke's vocals and the reassuring sound of the electric bass.

But my initial fear was quelled by O'Riley's creative take on the song — he used an entirely different bass line, tempting listeners' ears with the interesting sound of the fourth up from the actual bass note.

He then ascended until he finally reached the bass note, but in an uncomfortably high octave, making listeners subconsciously yearn for the drop down an octave (which he finally does give us, to the extreme pleasure of our ears).

It was actually just extremely beautiful and you should listen to his version of the song online.

I went away from the concert with a renewed love for the piano (not to mention a renewed admiration for Ravel).

It's great to see somebody doing something other than "replicating" written music or, what's 1,000 times worse, creating mind-numbing music that satisfies the ear, without creating space for dissatisfaction.

O'Riley plays with the space between what makes listeners comfortable and what makes them uncomfortable, and his music is smarter and better because of it.

String Festival features collaborative effort: Student ensembles join with the Ying Quartet for a night of music

Posted by Rachel Kim

The college's seventh annual String Festival Finale was held on Sunday March 27 at the Zankel Music Center. Participants included four of the college's string ensembles, outside community members.

Members of the Ying Quartet, who had performed at Zankel the night before, worked with five of the seven ensembles.

The first ensemble performed Mozart's String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat Major, "The Hunt." In typical Mozart fashion, the music was light and flowed with ease.

Violinists Rebecca Schwartz ‘14 and Lyndsay Stone ‘14 nimbly played through the fast, intricate notes as the violist Gia Vaccarezza '13 and cellist Bridget Smith '14 played along with strong notes that supported the melody.

The second number featured the Vermont Youth Orchestra that also played a Mozart piece. The String Quartet No. 19 in C Major created an atmosphere that differed from the first performance.

The quartet started with the cellist, Will Kiendl, leading the group with the repetition of slow, ominous notes, creating a serious, somber tone that revealed a different, lesser-known side of Mozart.

Still, the common Mozart qualities showed through when the ensemble quickly jumped into faster, lighter notes. Despite the many tempo changes, all the members stayed together, entering and ending phrases in unison.

Next was The Felix Quartet who performed Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 3 in D Major. All the members were dressed in black and expressed a seriousness that immediately demanded the audience's attention.

The first violinist sped through the notes with a quick, dramatic pace and hit every high note with accurate pitch.

Violinists Noah Luft-Weisberg and Avery Normandin gracefully intertwined their melodies with that of the cellist Molly Goldstein and violist Paige Normandin, ultimately transitioning the piece into a slow, dramatic quiet. The players ended with a strong chord that resonated throughout the hall.

Another one of the college's string ensembles then performed Beethoven's String Quartet No. 7 in F Major. Each player was able to show individual talent with individual solos.

The piece had a give-and-take feel as the solos were passed along. Cellist James Merrick ‘11 and violist Grace Eire ‘12 produced rich sounds that reflected the Romantic characteristic that is so often found in Beethoven's works.

Another Beethoven piece, the String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, reflected similar rich tones. Another ensemble from the college opened the piece with dramatic loud notes that dropped to softer, quiet ones. The strength of all four players carried through every note until the very end.

The Spectrum Quartet then played String Quartet No. 2 in A minor by Shostakovich, a composer notorious for his difficult pieces.

From the start, the quartet's performance changed the tone of the overall concert. The piece had a more modern sound that contrasted greatly from the Classical Mozart and Romantic Beethoven that preceded it.

There was a dissonance in the notes that kept the audience intrigued and wanting for resolution. Despite the frantic rushes of notes and clashing minor scales between the instruments, the group impressively stayed united throughout the difficult piece.

The last ensemble composed of the college's own students, played Debussy's String Quartet in G Minor. All four players performed with an air of elegance as they gracefully moved their bows across the strings. The piece had a beautiful complexity that was marked by dramatic rises and falls.

Finally, after a 10-minute intermission, all participants and the members of the Ying Quartet crowded the stage and played Beethoven's famous String Quartet No. 9 in C Major.

The violas quickly raced through multiple complicated notes and were followed by the other instruments.

Eventually, all the players filled the entire hall with a loud, grand sound.

With such a large ensemble playing a piece originally intended for four players, the intricate sounds can easily be lost, but the mixture of all the smaller ensembles created a rich resonance.

The performance left the audience stunned in silence and applauding fervently immediately afterward. The final collaboration reflected all the great effort that every participant, with the help of the Ying Quartet, had put into the String Festival Finale.

Beebo Brinker Chronicles' explores gender and identity

Posted by Michelle Minick

Nestled in the intimate (even more intimate than the Blackbox) Studio A, in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhardt Theater, the college's Theater Department presented the student workshop, "The Beebo Brinker Chronicles" from March 23 to 25.

Zoe Johannes '11 directed this noteworthy and provocative play written by Kate Moria Ryan and Linda S. Chapman, which was adapted from Ann Bannon's series of pulp fiction novels.

Set mainly in Greenwich Village during the 1950s, the play deals with the dual reality of homosexual men and women living half of their lives in a closeted world and the other half searching for an honest open home.

As soon as the audience set a foot in the studio, the simple set and the early rockabilly sounds from the 1950s immediately set the tone for the evening. The play was set in the 1950s and the costumes looked as though they came directly off of the set of "Mad Men."

Since the play was located in both a California suburb and New York City, it made sense that the set was so minimal because the play was constantly switching back and forth between the two locations.

The majority of the scenes took place in either the barroom or the bedroom, and for the gay and lesbian characters of the play, these places represented a world where they can be who they want to be, rather than who they are expected to be in reality.

This concept is analogous to the author, Ann Bannon's experience, who wrote these stories as a California housewife, thinking longingly of the life she wanted to live.

The lights, designed by Marcus Goldbas '13, were very simple, and the limited use of lighting instruments provided a nominal, yet an old-time effect, which achieved visual precision that was synonymous with the time period.

"The Beebo Brinker Chronicles" explores a wide array of eclectic and subversive topics and the motley cast of six did an excellent job of conveying these challenging and mature themes.

The audience enters the world through the perspective of Laura Landon (Emery Matson '14), a recent college graduate whose first gay relationship was with a sorority sister, Beth Ayres (Nikki Siclare '13), which ended in heartbreak with Beth's marriage to Charlie Ayres (Lowell Glovsky '14).

Devastated and left to struggle with her identity, Laura moves to Greenwich Village, where she meets a colorful cast of characters, including her flirtatious roommate Marcie (Skye Van Rensselaer '13), Jack Mann (Connor Mullen '14), a witty and flamboyant gay man who lives a closeted life by day and Beebo Brinker (Emma Johnstone '14), a butch, magnetic bartender, who walked with a slight swagger with her hands thrust in her pockets.

Beebo is also smooth and handsome and has a complex relationship with Laura throughout the play. To further express the concept of the dual realities, Laura is ushered into a more open world in the gay community of New York City, while Beth struggles with her unhappy marriage in California.

As the play unfolds, the audience follows the two women on their separate, but parallel individual journeys.

Throughout this drama, Laura and Beth's stories are linked by the recurring motif of lesbian pulp novels, a source of strength and escape for both women.

"The Beebo Brinker Chronicles" aggressively pursues laughs, playing with the novels' more dated and histrionic elements, yet it doesn't settle for caricature of the characters.

The loneliness cavernous beneath Jack's worldly façade, Laura's desperation for fulfillment and Beebo's jealous rages are all complex emotions that darkly edge the play's absurdities, anchoring what could easily have been an exercise in faction.

Through the combination of the directing and acting and through the personal portrayals of Lowell's imploring character, Siclaire's vulnerability, Matson's ability to shift emotions quickly, Mullen's demonstration of a hilarious and precise gay best friend, Van Rensselaer's flirtatious and deceitful behavior and Johnstone's smooth and sharp innuendo all synthesized together and created a cauldron of a provocative and powerful performance.

"The Beebo Brinker Chronicles posed a serious question: is love worth pursuing if it comes at the cost of social scorn, inner pain and turmoil?

In the fraught, socially closed world inhabited by the characters, the pursuit of true love is something dangerous, not just on a personal level, but on a societal level as well. And for some of the characters, the cost is too much in the end.

Yet, there is also a hopeful note: even when there's no reason to hope for the best or for a brighter future, people always will continue to be optimistic. It is a message that reverberates still.

In a society that is far more open-minded than it was in the 1950s, there is still work in progress. It is a fitting message for a college theatrical workshop that stubbornly hopes to reflect its message to the world at large.

Malloy artist lecture features Torreano

Posted by Sandy Zhang

John Torreano, artist and professor of studio art at New York University, delivered the annual Malloy Visiting Artist lecture on Tuesday, March 22, in Gannett Auditorium.

Introduced by Kate Levitt, chair of the studio art department, Torreano started his lecture by acknowledging his role in the college's art community in the past few years.

Past exhibits featured at the Tang Teaching Museum, including the recent "Jewel Thief," and "A Very Liquid Heaven," that was shown in 2004, have featured Torreano's work.

His lecture, which lasted about an hour, was a showcase and commentary on his works from the past four decades and his more recent works.

Torreano works with a wide range of media including paint, photography, sculpture, installation, film and even theatrical performances.

Torreano showed works in groups which were organized by common subject matter. These topics included: diamonds, gems, cubes, spheres encased with small particles, paintings with dots and photographs of dying factories.

Torreano explained that although he primarily identifies himself as a painter, he is often known more for his sculptures and installations.

Despite this, his approach to his work is heavily grounded in a painter's perspective. "At the end of the day I always see myself as coming from a painterly vision," Torreano said.

At the same time, the other, differing forms he works with are inherently connected with each other. "I was making paintings that were simultaneously paintings and sculptures and installations," Torreano said.

One prominent feature of his paintings is his use of dots, which Torreano has been working with since 1968. He explained how he was intrigued by the ways dots alter spatial relationships, and the different ways viewers perceive relationships on a plane when dots are present.

Torreano also showcased a large body of sculptures of gems, which varied drastically in size and style. In one work, Torreano placed gems on a physical hill, which he saw as creating a larger painting in itself.

He explained that the reflections of the viewer in the gems would serve as a reminder that the particular moment in time that they would experience is unique to them. The moment cannot be reproduced, and no one will ever have the same experience.

Torreano explained that his work with gems questions value. He explained how he liked exploring the idea that diamonds and gems often carry a lot of meaning for viewers, and addressed whether dramatic changes in scale or color change these meanings.

"There is something about decay that is simultaneously attached to aesthetic value," Torreano said about a series of photographs that depict the fading factories of his hometown in Flint, Michigan.

"I like to mess with boundaries of ideas in the works, even though I don't necessarily do it on purpose," Torreano said.

Wye Oak's 'Civilian' delivers emotional honesty: Noteworthy Releases

Posted by Kara Clark

After their blowout performance at Fallstaffs, checking out Wye Oak's latest album seems to be a logical next step.

Released on March 8, Wye Oak's album "Civilian" is an earnest attempt at a record with dispersed moments of absolute clarity.

The Baltimore duo's fourth release brings them closer to a sharper band focus, a point of view that will undoubtedly garner respect from the musical community.

Each track on the album has the capability to stand on its own. However, a disparity halves the album into two different types of song, and this contrast detracts from the cohesiveness a great album should possess.

One half of "Civilian" is rooted in complexity, while the other half takes on a more simple approach. Overall, coherence is also made difficult by the odd track order; momentum rises and falls so extremely with each transition, making it hard to recover from one song before another begins.

With its best songs, "Civilian" boasts detailed construction, creative concepts and skilled musicianship.

Few female artists today can claim the intricate understanding Jenn Wasner has of the electric guitar.

Her detailed strumming, paired with keyboardist Andy Stack's simple rhythms and chords, make songs like "Two Small Deaths," "Hot as Day," and "Holy Holy" compelling to the ear.

"Civilian's" greatest asset, however, is its title track. Organ, tambourine and the lament of Wasner's guitar give the song an eerie poignancy unique in nature.

The song exudes a nostalgic hypnotism and cements its presence as if it were a memory one had owned all along.

At its end, "Civilian" rises to an emotional height that easily makes it the album's tour de force track.

"I wanted to give you everything," Wasner drawls, "but I still stand in awe of superficial things." Her guitar reverberates with a menacing regret in a concluding guitar solo, an erratic string of notes, with Stack's kick drum and tambourine anchoring it in the background.

The song also highlights an exclusive strength of Wye Oak's – the total symmetry of their vocal and instrumental elements.

It's easy to approach a song from either a vocal or instrumental standpoint, but with Wye Oak the two become one.

Wasner's somnolent vocals compliment the dreamlike quality of her guitar, and even at the album's most exhilarating moments, both the instruments and vocals equally rise to a subtle menace.

The weaker half of "Civilian" sticks out due to its minimalistic tendencies. Since a good portion of the album flaunts layered and detailed tracks, songs like "Plains," "We Were Wealth" and "Doubt" seem rough around the edges.

These songs are in want of an additional once over, and lack the finesse of Wye Oak's other songs. If all of "Civilian" were presented in a minimalistic manner, these tracks would seem stylistically bare instead of obtrusive.

That said, I would not call "Civilian" a failure. The highpoints of the album tower above the low, but the low points are not wanting in skill.

In the end, "Civilian's" success lies in its emotional honesty, a quality that can only be respected and admired.

Kara Clark is a sophomore English major who hopes to find a job after college.

Lasers' reaches half its potential: Hip-Hop Weekly

Posted by Jenna Postler

Anyone who knows me knows how big of a Lupe Fiasco fan that I am.

One of my first and favorite concerts that I've ever attended was when I saw Fiasco with my brother at a small Vermont college.

His first two albums, "Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor," and "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool," are two of my favorite hip-hop albums.

When I reported on the long overdue release date being set for his third album, "Lasers" this past fall, I was ecstatic.

A few days before the album's release on March 8, in an interview with Complex.com, Fiasco said, "But when I think about what it took to actually get the record together ... I hate this album."

As a fan, it's always disheartening to hear that the artist's work isn't what they had wanted it to be. Even after reading the interview, I was eager to hear just what "Lasers" was about.

Admittedly, some of the release sounds like a bad pop/techno record. For instance, the first 30 seconds of "Break The Chain" featuring Eric Turner and Sway sounds like a tasteless record one would hear at a cheap dance club.

Fiasco fans can easily spot the artists who Fiasco may have been pressured into featuring on some of the tracks.

Suspicion of label intervention is apparent with the inclusion of R&B singer Trey Songz's appearance on "Out of My Head."

"Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)" suffers from a painful auto tune chorus, but if you can get past that, Lupe's lyrics are fantastic.

"State Run Radio" featuring Matt leaves listeners scratching their heads, trying to understand the pairing of a Lil' Wayne "Rebirth"esque beat and pop chorus slipped in between Fiasco's comments on the popular music industry.

Perhaps Fiasco's comments on the current state of the media would be better stated on a song without an extremely obnoxious hook.

That being said, some of the tracks sport a glimmer of the talented, fast, intelligent rapping Fiasco of years past.

On "All Black Everything," Fiasco raps about racism, slavery and popular news with a hauntingly original beat.

A staple of Fiasco's original style is his ability to build rhymes with meaning, which is what we see on "All Black Everything," when the artist raps: "Martin Luther King read the eulogy for him/ Followed by Bill O'Reilly who read from the Quran/ President Bush sends condolences from Iran/ Where FOX News reports live/ That Ahmadinejad wins Mandela peace prize."

Fiasco raps about poverty and success on "Never Forget You": "The hookers on the corner and the kids sellin' crack/The needles in the yard where we used to play catch/Stories from the project we could never go at/Or to, these are shades of my youth/ Trials of a child, everything truth."

"Never Forget You," serves to remind us that when Fiasco is good, he's really good. He has the ability to stick to a subject and theme and a song without becoming stale.

Another memorable track is "Words I Never Said" featuring up-and-coming singer Skylar Grey, on which Fiasco raps not about drugs, girls or money, but instead, world affairs.

Fiasco's vocabulary is exemplary for any scholar, let alone a popular artist.

Although "Lasers" has a more commercial sound to it than Fiasco's previous albums, to simply say that Fiasco "sold out" is an ignorant and ill-informed comment.

In reviewing the artist's album, it's important to consider the context in which it was created, and to understand how creative control may have been taken from the artist.

While it is upsetting to listen to some of the album, some of the old Fiasco, the one I saw in concert as a teen, is still present.

As fans we can hope for future releases to sound like the alternative, real Fiasco that we love.

Jenna Postler is a sophomore from rural Vt. who knows what's hip (hop) and can be heard from 2 - 4 a.m. every Friday morning on WSPN.

The Allman Brothers take back the Beacon: Let's Talk about Rock

Posted by Eli Cohen

The Allman Brothers, the celebrated Georgian jam band, have played at the legendary, beautiful Beacon Theater in New York City every year for more than 20 years.

That is to say, they had played there every year until 2010, when the Upper West Side theater decided to rent the space out to Cirque Du Soleil's show "Banana Shpeel."

After several delayed openings, the circus act finally opened, only to close quickly after receiving overwhelmingly poor reviews.

MSG Entertainment, the company that owns Madison Square Garden, was not only willing, but eager to apologize for this clear mistake.

"Earlier this year we undertook a programming experiment with our friends from Cirque du Soleil," MSG president Jay Marciano said at a press conference. "We all know how that little experiment turned out," he continued.

On March 10, the Allman Brothers returned for a 13-show run that will last until Saturday, March 26.

I caught the Friday, March 18 show, which the Bros. opened their first set with the words, "It's good to be home," appearing on the giant monitor behind the stage.

The first thing I noticed about this show (alright, the second thing I noticed after the 80-year-old hippy stealthily smoking a bowl in the next row) was, simply put, that the Allman Brothers still rock.

They replaced their fallen great, Duane Allman with Warren Haynes from Gov't Mule and the Dead and Derek Trucks, the heart and soul of the aptly named Derek Trucks Band.

Trading solos back and forth all night, the two seemed in perfect sync with one another, and more so with the original and still present member Gregg Allman.

The real surprise, and one of the best aspects of an already great performance, was the appearance of Susan Tedeschi, Trucks' wife.

A Grammy-winning, well-respected presence herself, Tedeschi quickly stole the show with her powerful singing and facemelting solos, some of which put Haynes to shame (though she still was not quite able to top her husband).

Also making an appearance was John Scofield, a jazz guitarist by trade who is also known for his many performances with jazz trio Medeski, Martin, and Wood.

The setlist consisted mostly of originals, with classics such as "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Come in My Kitchen," but there were also several covers, mostly of Bob Dylan songs.

They played Dylan's classic "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, it Takes a Train to Cry," as well as his all-but-unknown "Blind Willie McTell," a story of the legendary bluesman who wrote such staples as "Statesboro Blues" and "Delia," songs most known for being played by Bob Dylan and David Bromberg.

The only real disappointment offered by the show was the self-righteous security guard who kept kicking people out for smoking weed.

The Allman Brothers proved that they are still worth the $75 they are asking for tickets with an amazing show, and a light display on the monitor behind them that looked like a mushroom-themed iTunes visualizer on acid and from Hell.

Literally, most of the pictures were of mushrooms. And that's how it's done, ‘70s style.

Kondabolu provokes audience: Comic uses humor to raise cultural, racial and environmental issues

Posted by Gia Vaccarezza

On March 4, stand-up comedian Hari Kondabolu entertained the crowd at the Spa in Case Center as a part of HAYAT's comedy fest.

Kondabolu is not just your average Indian comedian talking about rice and curry. He has been on Comedy Central and "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

His stand-up routine began with a short video about a fictionalized comic, "Manoj," whose jokes were self-deprecating.

One of the funny segments included a list of "Hin-dos and Hin-don'ts."

Manoj explained, "Sex after marriage is a Hin-do, eating a beef sandwich is a Hin-don't."

He made many references to Hindu culture including the goddess Durga. "I just flew in from India and boy are my 8 arms tired," the fictionalized Manoj said.

There were interviews with Manoj fans that were followed by a commentary given by Kondabolu himself. He criticized and reprimanded Manoj for making jokes at the expense of his culture.

When the film ended, Kondabolu stepped onto the stage and revealed to the audience that he played both Manoj and himself.

He then continued his routine by asking the large crowd in front of him, "So I'm guessing there wasn't anything else going on tonight?"

Kondabolu instantly brought up the controversial Racy Reader concerning masturbation and self-love.

He spoke of his confusion when hearing that the flyer made a college employee feel uncomfortable. Kondabolu asked, "What's a more suitable place to put a poster about masturbation than a bathroom?"

"I've read about the things that go on at Skidmore. Get the fuck out, masturbation only scratches the surface!" he said.

Kondabolu's focus shifted from light-hearted comedy to jokes that made political statements.

When he encountered negative feedback after making a joke about wealth and religion at college, he recovered by responding, "Sure you were fine when I made bad jokes about race, but insult my college? Oh hell no."

The topics in his material covered a wide range. "We're treating the planet like it's second semester senior year," he said raising the issue of environmental concern.

He included other matters like immigration. "I don't see anyone trying to deport Superman. He's an actual alien, And he's taking all of our jobs! For free," Kondalobu said.

Kondabolu identified contemporary culture's obsession with ethnicity and its ties to food. He reminded the audience that just because a person being Indian will not necessarily mean that they will know about the Indian restaurant down the street.

About halfway through the show, Kondabolu paused and directly addressed the audience, asking why they weren't laughing so hard. From the upper level of Case, a male voice yelled, "Tell a joke man, you fucking suck!"

A silence followed while Kondabolu gathered himself. He then responded with full force, calling out this anonymous voice, demanding that they should be more responsible and confront him directly.

Kondabolu was clearly disappointed and upset. He singled out the anonymous voice, condemning his refusal and fear to talk about topics that really mattered.

Despite the discouraging comments made by the anonymous audience member, the audience rallied Kondabolu on and the rest of the show ran smoothly.

After the conclusion of his routine, Kondabolu opened the floor for a question-and-answer session. Kondabolu talked about provocation in humor and the difficulty and differences between entertaining live and studio audiences.

The exchange between Kondabolu and the anonymous attendee remained a concern for students like Keisha George, '11 and Natalie Alvarez, '11 who assured Kondabolu that not every student was as ignorant. They promised him that his final impression of the college would not be a bad one.

In return, Kondabolu assured the crowd that he actually found the situation comical and would probably create new material from it.

He also emphasized the importance of creating characters that speak to the truth. His jokes aim to act as fodder for a bigger discussion.

Kondabolu's strategy includes pushing the audience to see how uncomfortable he can make them and then follows up by reeling them back in.

This tactic definitely helped his show succeed. His performance left students talking about it all over campus for the remainder of the weekend.

HAYAT mentioned the possibility of bringing Kondabolu back to campus so that students who missed the first performance could get another chance to experience his thought provoking stand-up.