Behind the Scenes on the Urinetown Set!

The day has finally arrived!  This week, the cast of Urinetown moved out of their rehearsal space and into the Dorothy Marvin Betts Theatre!

The cast performs the "Mr. Cladwell" kick-line on the new set!

With less than one week until showtime, things are beginning to come together!  Check out the set:

The set ... with a few finishing touches still missing.

Designed by Kirk Kristlibas as part of his graduate studies, the set is inspired by imagery of old deserted warehouses he found on the internet.  Dilapidated tile, broken windows, and rusty steel piping (don't worry - the rust is really just paint, no tetanus shot required) add to the deserted, frightening feel.

As you probably noticed, there are many levels to the set.  Safety is a priority, so the cast started their first rehearsal in the theater by walking through the space.

Next, they started running the show, exploring whether any blocking or movement needs to be altered a little to meet the demands of the set.

In the pictures below, you can see some of the props!  At one point in the show, there is a battle, complete with toilet paper rolls as ammunition. (Yep, I said toilet paper!)

In the coming days, new elements will be added to the show! This weekend, the crew will begin incorporating lighting and sound.  After that, the cast will gear up and begin working in costumes.

Cast members on the set and playing with the new props!  (Yes, that is a toilet seat at center!)

With just a few days until opening night, let the countdown begin!  We hope you'll come see the cast in action!

Urinetown is a joint production of the GW Department of Music and the Department of Theater and Dance.  It is directed by Muriel von Villas with music direction by Patrick O'Donnell.  The show runs Oct. 30 through Nov. 2 in the Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre. More info about tickets can be found here.

Music Department at the Sulgrave Symposium

GW Music played a role in the Sulgrave Symposium last week!

The Sulgrave Symposium was held at GW and the Mount Vernon Estate to celebrate two hundred years of friendship and peace between the United States and Great Britain.  The conference came 200 years after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent.

GW Music Prof. Karen Ahlquist presented her research at the conference.  She spoke about how musical theater is representative of the close relationship between the two nations.

As part of her presentation, GW seniors Lindsay Martin and Kevin Frey performed traditional British tunes, accompanied by Prof. Francis Conlon on piano.

On one duet, Kevin and Lindsay sang traditional Gilbert and Sullivan song with new, Americanized lyrics.

The presentation was very well received and all of the performers got to enjoy a cup of tea after the presentation was over.

Check out some tweets from the day:

.@GWMusicDept student Lindsay Martin singing 18th century opera at #GWSulgrave Symposium. Huzzah! pic.twitter.com/KAxpdXMn6T
— University Events (@GWUevent) October 10, 2014

What a way to end the first panel! Bravo! Thank you @kevinjfrey and @GWMusicDept for joining #GWSulgrave Symposium pic.twitter.com/hLhNFUcAFx
— University Events (@GWUevent) October 10, 2014

#FirstFriday Recital

The #FirstFriday concert series continued this week (albeit one week late so as to not interfere with the holiday)!

The #FirstFriday performers!

A cellist and several singers had a chance to perform for their peers in a relaxed environment complete with a healthy supply of Whole Foods pizza.

Zach Stoloff, a freshman Presidential Scholar in the Arts (PSA) for voice performance, started off the night with a Baroque Italian aria.

Zach performs with Prof. Jeffery Watson on piano.

Upperclassmen PSAs Floyd Jones and Jonah Bannett also sang at the recital.

Floyd Jones takes the stage!

Jonah Bannett sings

Cellist Duncan Stewart performed Variations on a Theme from Judas Maccabeus.  While arranged by Ludwig van Beethoven, the theme was originally composed by George Frideric Handel.

Duncan Stewart on cello!

And of course, no first Friday can be complete without a selfie (or is it an "ussie") with pianist and GW professor, Jeffery Watson.

It was a great #FirstFriday!! #selfie #gwmusic #gwu pic.twitter.com/jN9EPeeUKr
— GW Dept. of Music (@GWMusicDept) October 10, 2014

The next #FirstFriday is on November 7!  Stop by for great music and some free pizza!

The USingers are Hard at Work!

The University Singers are hard at work on their fall performance repertoire.

Dr. Grace Cho works with the soprano section.

The choir is performing "Belshazzar's Feast," a large choral piece by British composer, William Walton.  (Here's a recent performance from the BBC Proms in England.)

The piece tells the Old Testament story of King Belshazzar of Babylon.  At the outset, the Jews are in exile in Babylon.  When Belshazzar commits sacrilege and uses the Jewish sacred vessels to praise the pagan gods, he is killed, Babylon falls, and the Jews are freed.

This past Saturday, the University Singers had what they call their "Daytreat" - an entire spent rehearsing music.  Pianist Grace Cho lead the choir in several rehearsals. They also split into sections and rehearsed independently.

The Alto II's work on their music.

Let's hear it for the Tenor I's!

Later in the afternoon on Saturday, the choir took a break to participate in a choir-bonding activity. Each choir remember had a list of silly questions to ask other members of choir (i.e. If you were a Crayola crayon, what color would you be?).  The goal of the exercise: help learn names and get to know each other.

Choir members get to know each other through an ice-breaker game.

Get-to-know-you games.

The University Singers are under the direction of Gisèle Becker, with Dr. Grace Cho on piano.  The performance of "Belshazzar's Feast" will be on November 22 at 3 p.m. in St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church.  All are welcome.  More info here.

#GWMusic on Tour!

It's the Baltics or bust!

Trakai Castle in Lithuania

The GW University Singers and the GW Troubadours (GW's oldest acapella group) announced that they are traveling to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia on this year's choir tour!

More than 30 choir members will set course for Eastern Europe the day after GW's May commencement. During the 10 day trip, they will perform a series of concerts across the region while also having a chance to sightsee.

Approximately every two years, the combined choir goes on tour.  In May 2013, the choir traveled to South Africa, exploring Cape Town, Soweto, and Johannesburg.  (Check out pictures from that tour here.) Two years before that, the choir adventured to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Baltic States
Photo courtesy: www.worldatlas.com

On this trip, the choir will begin in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, before traveling to Riga, Latvia and ending in Tallinn, Estonia.

Along the way, the group will visit many historic sites, including the Church and Monastery of Pazaislis, which is regarded as a Baroque architectural marvel.  They will see the Hill of Crosses in Latvia, which is a hill (yes, you guessed it!) covered with more than 100,000 crosses.  They'll visit the Trakai Castle.  And the list goes on ... including concert halls and more churches.

The Hill of Crosses

Church and Monastery of Pazaislis, overlooking the Nemunas River

The choir will also spend a day doing community service with an organization that helps foster children in Estonia.

It promises to be an incredible experience!