Posts Tagged ‘theater’
All this weekend’s on-campus happenings
Get ready, everybody, because this weekend is the weekend for campus events.
Columbia Ballet Collaborative Spring Performances
Featuring professional and student choreography and dancers (including students who are former professional dancers), CBC’s spring performances will bring ballet to Miller Theatre on May 4 at 8 p.m. and May 5 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $10 with a CUID and can be bought online or at the box office.
The 119th Annual Varsity Show
One of Columbia’s oldest traditions, this year’s student-directed, acted, scored, written, and choreographed Varsity Show will make you feel part of a tradition—and probably make you laugh. (In case you missed it, meet the cast and Creative Team behind V119.) More »
A Q&A with the man behind the curtain, V119 Director Chris Silverberg
In anticipation of this weekend’s premiere of the 119th Annual Varsity Show, Spec sat down with V-Show Director Chris Silverberg, CC ’13, to hear about the show, his past experience, and why you should come see it.
Zoë Miller: What has it been like directing the Varsity Show?
Chris Silverberg: It’s been very hectic and not a lot of sleep, but incredibly rewarding. We have a really great cast and a great group of people to work with—people who have graciously let me poke and prod at their work. I’ve discovered a lot of great things in the process of creating a musical.
ZM: You’ve been part of the Varsity Show before. What was your role then?
CS: Two years ago I was in the Varsity Show, but I really only got into directing last year. I directed my first show last semester, which was another original musical [CUPAL's "Lydia & Tom"]—it was good preparation.
ZM: Would you say that being in the Varsity Show has affected the way you direct, your directing style? You have an insider’s perspective.
CS: Absolutely. I don’t think that I could have done the show if I hadn’t done a Varsity Show before. More »
Weekend Nugget: Make the most of one of the last weekends in NYC
As the year winds down, A&E would like to introduce a weekly Spectrum series. We’ve compiled our Weekend Nugget, where you can get our recommendations and reviews for how to make the most of a weekend in the city—in a quick, digestible form.
Art editor Sarah Roth lets ’90s kids relive (arguably) some of the best years–the late ’80s and early ’90s—through the “I You We” exhibit at the Whitney Art Museum.
In the spirit of “I You We,” Brendan Donley tells us the best ways to unwind before finals, whether you want to be alone, to people-watch, or to spend time with a friend.
It’s also an exciting weekend for live performances. “Pippin” returns to Broadway, and Rebecca Pottash says it’s worth the trip. If you’re more of an opera lover, check out Spectator opera critic Chris Browner’s review of “Giulio Cesare in Egitto.” Plus, film fans can now see the adaptation of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” at Lincoln Plaza Cinema.
If you’re looking for an excuse to go to Williamsburg, try the indie clothing store “Swords-Smith”, and explore the best DIY spots in the neighborhood, where you can hear great live music.
Lastly, two of our columns are wrapping up for the semester. David Ecker tells us why Twitter’s new #Music project is a bad idea, and Stefan and Chris are back for the very last installment of “Drunken Spectator.”
V-Show cast principals gear up for opening weekend
With a little more than a week left until the 119th Annual Varsity Show’s opening night, the cast and crew are preparing round the clock, rehearsing songs, running lines, and making adjustments. Five of the V119 principals generously took a pause from their hectic lives to sit down with Spec and tell us a bit about their experience in the show and their favorite memories. Watch the video above to hear what they had to say.
The 119th Annual Varsity Show will be held in Roone Arledge Auditorium on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. as well as Sunday, May 5 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here or at the TIC.
Red Bull and relaxation
It’s one of the last few weekends of the semester before rampant paranoia about finals and last-minute summer plans and grad school and getting a job and NEVER MAKING PARTNER AT A LAW FIRM kick in. We at The Eye, then, think you should just take this weekend to relax a little bit. You know, do something for yourself (a foreign concept to you at this point in the semester, perhaps).
If you like theater, you could rush a show downtown, and, who knows—maybe you’ll see some celebs.
You could write a letter finally admitting your love to someone you’ve been admiring from afar.
If you like computer science, you could spend your weekend chugging Red Bull at a hackathon (doesn’t sound like our idea of relaxing, but, well, whatever).
You could try to compose a photo essay as lovely as this one by Braudie Blais-Billie.
Or you could just read this week’s issue of The Eye! Enjoy!
Behind the curtain with the costume designer of ‘Cymbeline’
Emily Putscher, BC ’15 and costume designer for KCST’s spring show “Cymbeline,” has managed to squeeze an entire workshop into her half of a double in 600. Her set-up is entirely functional, complete with a dressmaker’s dummy and a sewing machine.
That being said, the room looks like a costuming tornado hit it, with a broadsword here, a wig there, some corset making wiring just arrived, and a desk covered in fabric. For this reason, Putscher does most of her costuming work on the floor, which vanishes quite rapidly as more and more stuff begins to pile up.
But for all the costuming work she does for on-campus organizations, Putscher also moonlights as a costume maker for the niche market of cosplay. More »
In ‘Cymbeline’ rehearsals, KCST tradition is key
Tradition is one of the core elements of KCST. Their commitment to their own history is so great that they have even designated a member of the board with the title “Historian,” the preserver of traditions that have been passed down from troupe to troupe.
After interviewing him and gaining an understanding of how KCST was established and how it functions throughout the year, I attended a rehearsal of the upcoming show that preserved another facet of KCST tradition–the theater games. More »
Theater, all grown up
In this week’s issue of The Eye, Lauren Brown discusses After Work, a program in New York through which adults can pay a fee (equivalent to a gym membership) to be part of full-scale musicals. While we think this is a great way to keep the arts in your life after graduation, there are some musicals this group of people should not produce.
Annie
This wouldn’t work on many levels. Firstly, the orphanage full of women just wouldn’t be as depressingly cute. It would read as a brothel, and “Hard-Knock Life” would just be horrifying. Furthermore, an old, bald man taking in an older woman and giving her the life she always wanted is so cute when Annie is a kid, but if she’s an adult, it gives off “Pretty Woman” vibes. Also, she calls him Daddy Warbucks. Need I say more?
Meet Gina Borden, V119′s choreographer
When the 119th Varsity Show’s choreographer, Gina Borden, BC ’14, saw V-Show her freshman year, it was love at first sight.
Borden has been doing choreography since she was 13 years old and dancing even longer. The fact that her friends were involved with the creative team and production team made V-Show an even more compelling prospect for her.
She said, “I’ve been dancing since I was practically a baby. By the time I was in middle school, there was a real emphasis on choreography and generating your own work. That’s when I really started to get into it.”
At Columbia, she has continued to pursue her passions for dance and choreography alike. Not only is she an acting board member of Orchesis, but she has also served as head choreographer for several productions, such as “Zombie Prom” in fall 2011 and XMAS!7 this past December.
Winners of Edward M. Kennedy Prize announced
Dan O’Brien’s “The Body of an American” and Robert Schenkkan’s “All the Way” are the winners of the first annual Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, Columbia announced on Friday.
The Feb. 22 announcement coincides with the late senator’s birthday.
Established last fall by Ted Kennedy’s sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, and playwright Tony Kushner, CC ’78, the prize honors a new play or musical that explores America’s past. More »