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Entertainment

2013-02-01 10:15:36

Exciting things to do this month

Q-What’s going on at the Orpheum Theatre this month?

A-There are 4 exciting events scheduled for this month that are sure to please every member of your family regardless of your interest and age. Donizetti's Don Pasquale: An Opera in Two Acts, Sung in English. ACT I. Don Pasquale is the proprietor of Pasquale’s Garden Restaurant, one of Wichita’s most popular night spots! Pasquale can always count on his nephew Ernesto to turn up for Karaoke Night at the restaurant. Annoyed that Ernesto has resisted all of his attempts to fix Ernesto up with a “nice girl,” Pasquale decides to marry and have children so he can cut Ernesto out of his will. Fortunately for Ernesto, Dr. Malatesta – Pasquale’s psychiatrist – has a foolproof plan to help out. Dr. Malatesta offers to set Pasquale up with his sister Sophronia, a sweet Catholic girl who just graduated from Newman University. What Pasquale doesn’t know is that “Sophronia” is Ernesto’s girlfriend Norina in disguise! Norina grasps Malatesta’s plan quickly: enchant old man Pasquale, pretend to marry him, and then make his life completely miserable. Norina takes to her new role with gusto, bossing the befuddled old man around and transforming his happy little restaurant into a gaudy nightclub. The plan works so well that Pasquale begs the Doctor to help him get rid of “Sophronia”. ACT II. Malatesta tells Pasquale that “Sophronia” and Ernesto will be having a secret rendezvous late that night. Since it’s Karaoke Night, it should be easy to follow Ernesto there. When they confront “Sophronia,” Malatesta – on Pasquale’s orders – tells “Sophronia” that Pasquale’s nephew Ernesto will be marrying a girl named Norina soon, and the new couple will be moving in with Pasquale. Outraged, “Sophronia” refuses to live in the same house with another woman, and threatens to move out. But first, she demands proof that the wedding isn’t just a trick to get rid of her. Pasquale happily consents to a wedding on the spot and asks Malatesta to go fetch Norina, only to learn that Norina has been there the whole time! Drumline Live: An energetic cast has honed its precision and energy with years of training in marching band programs across the southern United States. DRUMLINE LIVE is an international tour based on the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band tradition. With riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-throbbing energy, the staged show will be a synchronized musical showcase of the HBCU experience. Incorporating original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of top 40 hits, group performances will range from colorful, choreographed routines to heavy doses of drum riffs and cadences. Equally at home with the hottest contemporary hip hop, R&B, classic Motown tunes, and the rousing sounds of the great brass tradition, DRUMLINE LIVE is thrilled to share the marching band experience with a wider audience. Count Basie Orchestra with the New York Voices: is one of the most thriving big bands in history With 17 Grammy awards, the musicians have grown up with the Kansas City Swing style of Count Basie and add their own voice to the band. With 19 performers, 17 sidemen, 1 vocalist, and 1 bandleader, they’ve become the premier jazz band. Check out the Kansas City style swing for yourself. The Count Basie Orchestra celebrates the big band experience through the completely original and identifiable Count Basie repertoire. Come and experience our musical heritage. They will be releasing the latest recording in the next few months, be on the lookout for the new album wherever the Count Basie Orchestra performs. You can then say, ” I came back to Basie. The real Basie! Not a counterfeit…. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary in 2009, New York Voices is the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Like the great groups that have come before, such as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Singers Unlimited, and Manhattan Transfer, they have learned from the best and taken the art form to new levels. Their interests are rooted in jazz, but often Brazilian, R and B, classical, and pop influences are infused with equal creativity and authenticity. John Denver: A Rocky Mountain High Concert is a live touring experience honoring Denver’s memory and music. The concert features projected video of Denver performing, backed LIVE by members of his original touring band and an accompanying string section. For the first time in fifteen years, audiences will experience John Denver in concert, performing hit songs from throughout his career. Denver’s estate has recently announced that ATO Records will celebrate his life and music with The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver, slated for early 2013 release. The album features covers of Denver’s most popular songs by a diverse group of artists including Dave Matthews, My Morning Jacket, Train, Amos Lee, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Brandi Carlile, Lucinda Williams, Josh Ritter, Old Crow Medicine Show, Kathleen Edwards, Brett Dennen, Milow, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Blind Pilot, J Mascis, Sharon Von Etten and more to be announced. Today, Denver’s status as a cultural icon stands undiminished. His popularity and continuing influence on popular culture fifteen years after his untimely death in 1997 is remarkable. The fusion of classic Denver tunes combined with performances by musicians from his original band and archival video footage makes the Rocky Mountain High tour an uncommon musical treat, dishing up night after night of unforgettable music, all in tribute to the musical legacy of a national treasure: John Denver.