Dark comedy makes light of afterlife

SEAN RUSSELL/ASSOC. PHOTO EDITOR

The work of English playwright Noel Coward arrived at the Geneseo stage on Nov. 22 and 23 with performances of “Blithe Spirit” in the Knight Spot. The dark comedy was staged as a collaborative effort between Cothurnus and VegSoup, who made the most of the venue despite its shortcomings as a proper theater.

The play tells the story of author and socialite Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium Madame Arcati to a dinner party at his home in search of material for his next novel. Arcati conducts a séance, which results in the materialization of Charles’s deceased wife, Elvira. The ghost of Elvira haunts Charles to the point of madness, prompting him to invite Arcati back to his home in hope of exorcising the spirit. But Arcati succeeds only in materializing Charles’ now-deceased second wife Ruth, who was killed as a result Elvira’s efforts to disrupt Charles’s second marriage.

The unfortunate Charles finds himself haunted by both of his deceased wives and desperately calls on Madame Arcati again to exorcize the spirits. After her first several attempts are foiled, Arcati finally succeeds when she determined that the housemaid Edith is a psychic conduit through whom the spirits had materialized. The play ends with Charles sneaking away after Arcati warns him that the spirits may still be about.

The joint performance by Cothurnus and VegSoup was a comedic success. The cast often brought the audience to giggles with its ghastly antics. Senior Christina O’Shea portrayed the ghost of Elvira as an entertainingly “blithe spirit,” mixing feigned disinterest with the true desperation for which the role calls.

Junior Grant Kusick’s performance interpreted Charles Condomine as a man near the end of his rope, introducing feelings of psychotic madness. This performance found success as well, as his often frantic movements drew plenty of laughs. Played by junior Jordan Keane, Arcati was satisfyingly eccentric, convincingly acting like someone truly in touch with the supernatural.

Despite having to perform in the Knight Spot, which lacks theater lighting, seating and a proper stage, the performers made the most of the space. The limited set worked well for Kusick’s self-contained Condomine, and the limited size made for an intimate feel overall.

The performance of “Blithe Spirit” was a big success. Hopefully, the ghostly show’s limited run will breathe new life into two valued student groups.

YouTube enters crowded music streaming market

Streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora and iTunes Radio have become a distinct part of the listening experience for many digital music fans. In the background, for years YouTube has been the destination for many music listeners looking for a quickie, predating many streaming services. The distinction between these listening experiences has become YouTube’s chronic inconsistency. But this appears to be set to change with YouTube’s recent announcement of its own paid streaming service, YouTube Music Key.

Users have come to appreciate the ability to open playlists on music services like Spotify and have music saved from previous listening sessions. While YouTube has offered playlist services for years, they have never quite become a part of how most people listen to music. Where music-streaming services have become a reliable source of music entertainment (thanks to library consistency and tolerable ad frequency), YouTube has lagged in recent years as a result of the constant deletion of bootlegged content and ever-increasing ad times.

YouTube Music Key will utilize the existing platform of YouTube.com and its relevant mobile apps, which will cost a promotional $7.99 and was released in beta on Tuesday Nov. 18. It will offer ad-free listening, as well as the ability to save content for offline listening.

With the paid “premium” tier, YouTube will also launch a free, ad-supported service. The service differs from the existing YouTube listening experience in that there will be video-free songs in addition to YouTube’s extensive collection of songs with official music videos.

According to The Financial Times, the launch of YouTube’s streaming service comes right around the time of Google’s agreement with the rights agency Merlin that represents a number of indie labels. These agreements will allow Google-owned YouTube to stream content, as opposed to its previous restricted ability to publish music videos. This also solves one of the major problems YouTube has had over the years: deleted content.

Now, rather than relying on frequently deleted unofficial content uploaded by regular users, listeners can rely on official uploads by record labels. According to YouTube’s blog, “Until today you couldn’t easily find and play full albums. In the coming days, you’ll be able to see an artist’s discography on YouTube, and play a full album with both their official music videos and high-quality songs our music partners added to YouTube.”

Yet, the question of how to generate paid users remains. With services like Spotify having already established themselves with dedicated user bases, YouTube’s shift to audio-only streaming is certain to have serious competition right from its launch.

This isn’t Google’s first venture into the music streaming market. Its first attempt, Google Play Music, hasn’t seen the same success in attracting listeners as Spotify or iTunes Radio. In an already crowded digital music market—given Google’s previous missteps—it will be interesting to see how successful this service will be.

Square dance emphasizes New York's folk roots

Students and visitors filled the MacVittie College Union Ballroom on Nov. 8 in a celebration of a form of dance that has deep roots in western New York’s history. Led by Geneseo lecturer of music James Kimball, the Geneseo String Band played through classic square dance songs for the eager crowd. A folk dance that reached its peak popularity in the early part of the 20th century, the square dance got its name from the arrangement of the dancers in squares of four couples. Square dancing was embraced widely across the United States––particularly in western New York where many of the songs performed had been written in the past decade.

Some dancers were clearly more experienced than others, as many had come from surrounding counties to take part in the evening’s festivities. Kimball addressed this early on, beginning the night with basic instructional dances to help the beginners along. After starting out with a large circle dance intended to familiarize the dancers with square dance style, Kimball helped to guide the crowd through early missteps and confusion. The dances grew significantly more complex by the evening’s end, but even the inexperienced dancers were able to hold their own.

The bandleader at a square dance is traditionally known as the “caller.” Many of the lyrics to square dance songs come in the form of instructions, similar in that way to modern dances like the “Cha Cha Slide.” As the caller for the evening, Kimball made sure to break down the square dance jargon, taking time to explain terms such as “do-si-do,” “allemande left” and “promenade.”

Still, each new call from Kimball was met with plenty of confused glances as the dancers hurried to keep the traditional square dance shape or remember how to “pass through.” In the flurry of movements, some dancers understandably made a misstep or two and occasionally the square form broke down. Despite beginner mistakes, the dancers still made the most of the learning experience.

Thanks to the good-naturedness of the assembled dancers, Kimball and GSB were able to strip away the initial awkwardness of dancing in a large crowd. While certain dancers began to distinguish themselves as square dance veterans, both rookies and professionals alike were able to enjoy the evening’s events.

Amongst all the dancing and learning, GSB performed a series of traditional songs mostly with ease—they struggled initially in determining what songs Kimball was playing, as many of the songs have very similar sounds and titles. Overall, the band’s performance was strong; they captured the spirit of western New York’s celebrated folk dance tradition.

“Once Upon an MTC” upholds storied traditions

With the final curtain of every show comes the genesis of another––or at least that’s how the Musical Theatre Club has come to operate. In order to assemble its wide-ranging program of club-written songs, skits and dances, the club members gather together to brainstorm and vote at the end of every semester. With that, the grand cycle begins again. Club president senior Valerie Marchesi discussed the process of developing a new show in anticipation of the opening of the club’s fall revue “Once Upon an MTC” which opens Friday Nov. 14. “We put up themes at the end of the semester [before the show],” Marchesi said. “We do it as a group. We just ask ‘Did anyone think of something?’ and we throw out ideas.”

For a club that has established such a significant presence on campus and has become known for its rigorous rehearsal hours, the process of developing the next show is relatively laidback. The club executives, however, have continued to push for a more professional show, moving away from simply stringing together songs and dances and shooting for more complete thematic consistency.

“It’s a revue, so it’s all a bunch of different numbers from a bunch of different shows,” Marchesi said. “But in recent years, we have tried to make some sort of cohesive storyline that runs throughout the show.” Still, the members are encouraged to include their crazy ideas. Marchesi noted that if it all stayed with the theme “that would be really boring.”

MTC really does encourage participation from across its membership. “It’s all club generated,” Marchesi said. “The whole club is student-run, which is what I like about it.” In a club centered on creative expression and member input, the executives try their best to remain open when it comes to developing the show. “We are definitely not totalitarian,” Marchesi added.

“Once Upon an MTC” explored fairytale-inspired numbers that recall childhood memories of “Winnie the Pooh” and other classic Disney tales. But in keeping with the club’s creative roots, the stories are not exactly as you might remember. Many of the numbers took on a tongue-in-cheek feeling, as they poked fun at classic happily-ever-afters. Tinged with some good-spirited cynicism, a few of the numbers challenged the fairytales with common college struggles like registration and academic toil.

Alongside some good-natured ribbing at the expense of the Disney classics comes a number featuring a heart-warming affirmation of the spirit of friendship. The “Winnie the Pooh”-based scene set to The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” was a definite highlight, featuring strong vocal performance in addition to captivating choreography.

In keeping with its commitment to membership input, the revue also featured a number that challenged the role of female characters in many fairytales. “I was worried about this theme, because I don’t think these fairytale stories teach good things sometimes, so we have something that addresses that,” Marchesi explained.

“Once Upon An MTC” opens Friday Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium, with a second show on Saturday Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.

Civil War love letters come to life in dramatic reading

  A piece of local history came to life on Sunday Nov. 2 at the Livingston County Historical Society and Museum on Center Street. Titled “Civil War Letters: Love and War,” the piece featured a dramatic reading of letters exchanged between two Geneseo residents in 1862.

Musical theatre major senior Megan McCaffrey took on the role of Elizabeth Vance Rorbach, while English literature major junior Dennis Caughlin read the words of Colonel John Rorbach. Professor of English and music Melanie Blood directed the performance.

The letters had been compiled and transcribed by members of the Livingston County Historical Society over the last year and serve to directly connect Geneseo with Civil War history. The couple married in 1853 and moved into the Vance House at 57 Second Street, a house that is still owned by descendants of the family.

The dramatic reading included some 40 pages of letters exchanged between Elizabeth and John between February and August 1862 while the Colonel was commanding the 104th New York Volunteer Infantry.

Complete with Civil War-era costume, McCaffrey and Caughlin brought a compelling look at the importance of letters as a primary form of communication in a time when the telegraph system was only beginning to make its mark. Both actors conveyed the intimacy of the letters to great effect, demonstrating the importance of the letters to the lives of their authors.

One particularly memorable moment was McCaffrey’s reading of the message Elizabeth gave her children on their father’s behalf. McCaffrey captured the emotive response of the children in her delivery of Elizabeth’s sweet words. The performances of both McCaffrey and Caughlin helped to bring new understanding to letters as an authentic way to have a conversation, rather than the modern sentimental or business applications that letters have today.

The reading felt like a natural conversation between the two, with the obvious understanding between the actors creating a convincing representation of the dialogue. Neither actor looked at the other when delivering lines to emphasize the physical separation between the two. This was a valuable directional move, allowing for a higher level of appreciation to be granted to the letter as a medium of conversation. All this was necessary to help the audience understand a form of communication that truly was, in the words of Elizabeth, “the next best thing to talking” for people removed from each other in 1862.

Aided by the directorial input of Blood, McCaffrey and Caughlin’s performances allowed for an intriguing reading of what today would amount to a transcription of a phone call. The actors poignantly captured the words of the Rorbachs, their long-distance relationships and the sensation of love during wartime.

With Muddy Waters closed, performers find new home

Once upon a time, there was a Main Street coffee shop called Muddy Waters where student artists such as poets and musicians would gather to perform every Wednesday night. When Muddy’s closed abruptly, it created a void in the performing space for those poets and musicians. This void has recently been filled, however, thanks to a group of off-campus students who have opened up their house for bi-weekly open-mic nights. Junior Ian Duffee, who hosts the open-mics along with his housemates, has found himself unintentionally moving closer and closer to the center of the arts community on campus.

“A friend of mine actually messaged me on Facebook and was like, ‘Hey I heard you’re doing open-mic night at your house,’” Duffee said. “I was like, ‘Oh are we? I didn’t know that.’ I asked around my house and they were all like, ‘Okay I guess.’” With that, Geneseo found a new space for artists to share as a community.

For Duffee, opening up his home to performers did not come without apprehensions. “I was worried when we did the first one,” he said. “I thought either no one would show up or maybe a bunch of people would show up and view it like a party, and no one would really be paying attention to the music.” Thankfully, Duffee didn’t have much to be worried about. “When it actually started, people came and pretty immediately were very respectful,” he said. “Everyone was quiet––it was clearly not like a party setting.”

When the first open-mic night went off without a problem, Duffee and his housemates pressed on with their plan to hold the event every other week. The next date, however, gave Duffee renewed cause for concern. For personal reasons, Duffee and his roommates had to schedule the second open-mic for a Friday night rather than Thursday.

“We’d been intentionally avoiding holding it on Friday, because it makes it more of a party-type event,” he said. Again, the guests proved better-behaved than Duffee had imagined. “There were a lot more people and it was a little bit louder, but it was still 99 percent quiet,” he said.

With each new week, Duffee found more and more people showing up at his house. But given the great experience he’s had thus far with the open-mics, the presence of unfamiliar faces has become more of a positive than a cause for concern. “It’s not just people I know performing, there’re a ton of new faces every time,” he said.

One of Duffee’s favorite things about the bi-weekly performances is that they are open to anyone who wants to perform. “I like the idea of an open-mic more than just having my friends play because you meet new people,” he said. “Everyone gets to meet new people. It just makes it a more open, community-like setting.”

Duffee plans to continue hosting the open-mics, so long as the current respectful atmosphere continues. “Everyone has really consistently been respectful,” he said. “I’ve been worried about it every time, and it warms my heart that everyone’s been so cool about it.”

Led Zeppelin tribute band drums new life into classic songs

Led Zeppelin tribute band Out on the Tiles rocked the Wadsworth Auditorium on Wednesday Oct. 22 with covers of many of Zeppelin’s classic rock hits. Made up of University of Rochester professors Jimmy Warlick, John Covach and Jason Titus as well as drummer Rob Thurman, the band opened with a roaring version of “Immigrant Song” to set the tone for the remainder of the set. Led Zeppelin is viewed as the originator of modern heavy metal, drawing on guitar-heavy blues influences to create its iconic sound. Out on the Tiles remained faithful to that sound during its performance; capturing the heavy, power riff-laden sound of Zeppelin’s influential guitarist Jimmy Page.

Out on the Tiles guitarist and Chair of the University of Rochester’s music department at the Eastman School of Music John Covach faithfully rendered the now-famous licks of Page on songs like “Black Dog,” “Whole Lotta Love” and “What is and What Should Never Be.”

In addition to being loyal to the original, Covach also played each song on the same type of guitar Page used––bringing out the iconic double-necked Gibson EDS-1275, Gibson Les Paul and Danelectro 59-DC. In addition to these classic guitars, Covach played the mandolin on “Going to California” and “Hey Hey What Can I Do.”

The rest of the band also covered the Zeppelin songs with integrity, with Titus giving a sound performance on bass and keyboard and Thurman tearing through his own version of the famous drum solo in “Moby Dick.” Vocalist and second guitarist Warlick nailed many of Robert Plant’s infamously high-pitched vocals, especially on “Whole Lotta Love.”

In its nearly two-hour long set, Out on the Tiles performed tracks from across Zeppelin’s ultra-successful first six albums, from 1969’s Led Zeppelin to 1975’s Physical Graffiti.

Despite the challenges of playing such heavy music for a seated auditorium audience, Out on the Tiles still managed to rock; with the audience clapping along to “Heartbreaker” and bobbing their heads to the riff of “Moby Dick.” It is a credit to the musicians that their sound was perhaps too loud for the venue, as they were able to capture much of the weight and power of Zeppelin in its prime.

There are two ways to cover songs by Led Zeppelin, whose live music was known to be slightly sloppier and more aggressive than the recorded, studio versions. Out on the Tiles found itself somewhere in the middle.

Covach’s guitar was generally far cleaner and more faithful to the studio recordings than Page usually was when playing live. Meanwhile, the drums and vocals still surged with the ferocity that was created in “Wall of Sound.” The result was a fantastic tribute to the music of one of rock and roll’s biggest names.