We were lucky to get some tickets from a friend for this sell-out musical. The Dartmouth show was a very well done Broadway-caliber show.
As You Like It
National Theatre Live
HD from London
Yamato Drummers of Japan
Although we weren’t enthusiastic about going out, we did venture to Spaulding. When the show started, I remembered why I got these tickets – from the last time I saw them at the Hop. These Yamato guys and gals put on a great show.
They passed around earplugs to folks in the front – I’m not sure if they were necessary. The huge drums were loud, and you could feel their beat deep in your guts. The group showed amazing synchronization, even at extremely high speed. We learned that they live together in Nara, Japan. They start each morning with a 10 km run, and then do weights until lunch. After lunch, they practice drumming until 10 pm. No wonder they work well as a team.
The drums are made of keyaki wood, which is a type of Japanese elm. One of the large drums is from a 400-year old tree. The skin is cowhide, and a junior audience tester said not so bouncy. But it might depend on the size of the drumstick, which can be as big as a baseball bat.
The program was entitled Bakuon: Legend of the Heartbeat, where the drum pulse is meant to be like a heartbeat. The group is very energetic, including the director (and performer) Masa Ogawa. There were some zany hairstyles that contributed to the action of the show as they danced.
The Q&A after the show was fun, with a couple of kids who got to try the drums, including one who was given his very own drumsticks after he tapped out his own rhythm. We also learned about the logo on the big drum, a 3-part yin yang representing heaven, earth and people.
Sarah Chang and Julio Elizalde
SARAH CHANG violin. JULIO ELIZALDE piano.
Sarah Chang
Piano on steroids
Few recitals
Both went to julliard
Piano collaboration not accompaniment
She was going to watch TV
But went to rallies instead
Vegas next
Doesn’t listen to recordings
No music
Pianist plays with music
Used to be showing off
Handel’s Messiah
This was a classic performance that really filled the stage of Spaulding Auditorium. I loved the soprano Margot Rood, but I wasn’t sure contra-tenor Ryland Angel – definitely a weird sound.