Arts: Page 281

Stories Without Words

Bill Bowers, a disciple of Marcel Marceau, comes to LCC

Theater
Bill Bowers

“I am a physical storyteller,” performer Bill Bowers says. “I am interested in the study of ‘How would you say something if you couldn’t use words?’” Bowers visits Lane Community College this week for a residency that includes a free workshop for the public May 27 and a performance of Bowers’ critically acclaimed Beyond Words May 30.  “Words immediately ask us to intellectualize, to interpret, to process information,” Bowers says. “Physical theater asks us to respond more from the heart than from the head.”  Continue reading →

The UO presents its Student Dance Concert

Dance
LCC dancer Jessica Ealy will perform a duet with her horse Faith

The UO presents its Student Dance Concert, featuring nine emerging artists, 8 pm, May 7-9, in the Dougherty Dance Theatre, Gerlinger Annex; $5-$10. “Audiences can expect to see a diverse set of dance works that range from the concept of energy flow to an exploration of group relationships,” a UO press release says.  Continue reading →

Glass Slipper Redux

Ballet Fantastique brings back Cinderella: A Rock Opera with the help of Shelley & Cal

Dance
Krislyn Willes. Photo by Greg Burns.

“There’s something that just feels right about the Cinderella story,” says Hannah Bontrager, choreographer and executive director of Ballet Fantastique. “This person has a gut feeling, against all odds, that she is meant for something greater,” Bontrager says. “Everyone can relate to that.”  Audiences will have an opportunity to see Ballet Fantastique’s new spin on the classic tale when BFan presents Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet May 8-10.  Set in the 1960s, this Cinderella is anything but stuffy.  Continue reading →

Is Bigger Better?

Film

Even if Joss Whedon hadn’t already been telling the press that he’s (probably) done directing Avengers films, it would’ve been clear to Whedon fans that Avengers: Age of Ultron is his finale. There’s the iconic tracking shot that opens the film, nodding to each of our superheroes as it checks in with them amid a snowy forest fight. And there’s the Hellmouth, a gaping hole in the earth where a small town once stood. Continue reading →

Soul for Nobody

Willis Earl Beal

Music
Willis Earl Beal

Willis Earl Beal sounds like your favorite vinyl: scratchy, with a cosmic understanding of the word “cool” and a distinct otherworldliness. The bluesy lo-fi singer pairs smokey vocals reminiscent of Nat King Cole with an avant-garde sensibility that recalls Tom Waits. Beal is a singer in his early 30s, but his soulful sound remains both timeless and lonely. He draws from life experience ranging from reading poetry at open mics on the south side of Chicago to a battle with homelessness in New Mexico. But Beal has minimal “classical” music training. Continue reading →

Bring in the Noise

Noise-A-Tron

Music
Noise-A-Tron. Photo by Invisible Hour

Seattle duo Noise-A-Tron possesses a keen understanding of the space needed for music to breathe. The band, consisting of Lea and Jason Bledsoe, creates a huge sound without falling prey to two-piece rock stereotypes. Where others fill empty space with crushing volume, Noise-A-Tron takes pause. The Bledsoes’ drone-heavy rock is devoid of vocals, relying instead on sparse samples and keyboards that add texture to their fuzzed-out, eight-string bass-and-drums format.  Continue reading →