Brooklyn Academy of Music Annual Report 1986-1987
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I ( A ' I BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC ANNUAL REPORT 1986-1987 1 / ~ ~ I Editor in Chiif: Douglas W. Allan Manaoino Editor: Christopher Broadwell Contributino Editor: Lynn Moffat Director <if Desion and Production: Michele Ann Travis Assistant Desioners: Jenny Phillips and Jeff O'Donnell Typesettino: Advance Graphic, Brooklyn, NY Printino: Faculty Press, Brooklyn, NY © 1987 Brooklyn Academy of Music Brooklyn Academy of Music 30 Lafayette Avenue 1 Brooklyn, New York 112 I 7 (718) 636·4100 Harvey Lichtenstein President and Executive Producer \ OFFIC~RS PresiBen~ &..Executive Producer \larvey lichtenstein Vice Pres~dent &.Manoging DirectDr Judith E. Daykin President for Marketing &.Promotion Douglas w. Allan Vice President &..Treasurer Richard Pt?$identjor Pl<tnning Karen Hw\011::• .• CALENDAR OF' EVil~ NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL ROARATORIO TWYLA THARP DANCE Merce Cunningham/John Cage October 7-12 In the Upper Room KIDS KABARET Ball are Lydia Adams Davis SOCIAL AMNESIA The Catherine Wheel Jazzy Jumpers THE ENCHANTED TOY SHOP Impossible Theater Nine Sinatra Songs Albee Tappers Ballet America Concert Dancers October 14-19 Baker's Dozen George Schindler & Nina january 5-9 As Time Goes By Tom Chapin SPANISH FOLKTALES AND SONGS JON HASSELL Fugue DANCEAMERICAS THE GREAT VAUDEVILLE Puerto Rico-Felix Pitre October 17 &._ 18 February 3-March 1 Shango Haitian Folklore Group SPOLETO COMES TO BAM Garifuna Ibayani MAGIC SHOW February 23-27 MICHAEL CLARK & COMPANY Roots of Brasil Landis & Co. GIAN CARLO MEN01TI, THE GERSHWIN CELEBRATION October 21-26 RAY BARRETTO ORCHESTRA january 12-16 OSCAR BRAND- composer NOEL POINTER with the FROM THE REVOLUTION TO MARVIS MARTIN, soprano The Gershwin Gala FAIR MEANS OR FOUL THE ANGELS OF SWEDENBORG INSTITUTIONAL RADIO CHOIR THE ROLLING STONES KATHERINE CIESINSKI, March II After Dinner Opera Co. Ping Chong's Fiji Company April 26 VNI mezzo-soprano january 13 &._14 October 22-26 March 17-20 DAVID GORDON, tenor Of Thee I Sing DANCEAFRICA RAIMON BOLIPATA, cello Let 'em Eat Cake DINOSAURS FOREVER THE PafATO PEOPLE CARTER BREY, cello ANNE TERESA DE KEERSMAEKER March 18-29 Michele Valeri NANCY ALLEN, harp Rosas Company UNDER THE BAOBAB TREE Theatre Beyond Words january 12-23 JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET, piano October 28-November 2 Calabash Dance Theater Company O ntario, Canada CHARLES WADSWORTH, piano Dinizulu and his African March 23-April 3 BROOKLYN BRIDGES CALABASH AFRICAN RIDGE STRING QUARTET ONCE UPON A TIME Dancers Drummers & Singers THE WORLD DANCE COMPANY December 13 IN THE EAST VILLAGE T he African-American Dance T HE FROG BRIDE & january 20- 23 Ennio Morricone/]ohn Zorn Ensemble aTHER TALES BEN VEREEN T he Shoestring Players JAIME LAREDO, violin October 31 &._November I Women of the Calabash April 23 W HEN THE COOKIE JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET piano Sabar Ak Ru Afriq April 22-24 CRUMBLES, YOU CAN STILL RIDGE QUARTET MOUSSA FENLEY & DANCERS May2 November 5-8 LESTER BOWIE'S FANTASIA PICK UP THE PIECES THE LITTLE PRINCE january 17 Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy Theatreworks U.S.A. Centro Teatro Ragazzi, Verona, THE HONORING OF O liver Lake Quartet january 20- 23 Italy YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano SONGS OF INNOCENCE THE ELDERS Randy Weston April 27-May 1 MELIORA STRING QUARTET AND OF EXPERIENCE Charles Moore Dance Company Dianne Mcintyre's Sounds MUSIC AND THE February 7 Bolcom/Brooklyn Philharmonic Calabash Dance Theater in Motion UNDERGROUND RAI LROAD LA TROUPE CIRCUS November 7-9 Company The Fantasia Ensemble VNI Montreal Canada EMERSON STRING QUARTET Steel Wool Singers Women of the Calabash MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP january 28-30 May 11-May 15 SC01T NICKRENZ, viola BLACK ROCK COALITION Kan Koran West African Dance November 12-15 COLIN CARR, cello Subculture 9 Company THE SILLY JELLYFISH PETER & THE WOLF/ February 28 Living Colour May3 KRONOS QUARTET &ONIROKU BREMENTOWN MUSICIANS Eye & I November 14-16 Hudson Vagabond Puppets Hudson Vagabond Puppets PAULA ROBISON,flute Jerome Harris Group MASTER CLASSES February 9- 12 May 18-22 FRANK MORELLI, bassoon April 24 April 27-30 EIKO & KOMA (1 1 winds, cello, and double bass) JUXTA-POSITIONS- JUST SO STORI ES March 21 November 18-23 DOO WOPP-A-DO! MOVEMENT TH EATRE Mermaid Theatre, Nova Scotia, The Capris PAPYP Kuperberg Morris DAVID GORDON/PICK UP CO. Canada PAULA ROBISON,flute The Harptones February 17-20 November 19-22 May 18-22 DOUGLAS BOYD, oboe The Jive Five SLIM GOODBODY FRANK MORELLI, bassoon The Persuasions John Burstein THE EMPEROR'S YANKEE DOODLE DANDY KENNETH COOPER, harpsichord THE SOLDIER'S TALE LUNATUNE October 27-30 NEW CLafHES United States WENDY YOUNG, harpsichord The Flying Karamazov Brothers DANITRA VANCE Theatreworks U.S.A. April 18 December 2-7 & THE MELL-O WHITE BOYS May 26-29 BABES IN TOYLAND February 23- 27 RICHIE HAVENS BILL T.JONES/ARNIE ZANE & CO. Theatreworks U.S.A. JOSEPH SWENSEN, violin April 25 SNOW WHITE AND THE December 3-6 November 12-21 SHERLOCK HOLMES AND SEVEN DWARVES SC01T NICKRENZ, viola THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE Gingerbread Players & Jack CARTER BREY, cello the CIVIL warS the Rome Section MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Theatreworks U.S.A. june 1-12 KATHRYN SELBY, piano Robert Wilson/Philip Glass Theatreworks U.S.A. March 3-6 May2 December 14-30 December 15-19 4 5 ,a .,.... ~ 6. r: ~ ... jot ..~ ...... r ~ 'It - - ~ ~ - / - I / •. -f ..... ~ ri"' .... -. ' ~ I . lr I f J' ;II I ~ J~ 1! '\. ~· ~ ~ ~ ~ • ... .-r ') .. (\ '1>: • ~ rf • I ..J~ ~ ~L ;L 2~ .n. •• Jt ll 1l li The Brooklyn Academy of Music's rich 12 5-year history BAM chose to open the landmark 12 5th anniversary and presenting dance, drama, opera and music is unequaled in the NEXT WAVE Festival on October 7 with the American this country. However, it is the NEXT WAVE Festival that premiere of a large-scale work by two men who have been has propelled BAM into the international spotlight in just at the forefront of the contemporary dance and music scene four short, but intense, seasons. Established in 1983, it is now for more than three decades. Merce Cunningham and John one of the largest contemporary performing arts festivals in Cage's Roaratorio: An Irish Circus on Finneaans Wake, demon the world. strated, yet again, that these two giants of their genres con Running for three months each fall season and utilizing tinue to forge innovative and thrilling new works, both all three of BAM's theaters (the 2,000 seat Opera House, the individually and collectively. 1,000 seat Helen Carey Playhouse, and the 250-550 seat Roaratorio was inspired by the James Joyce novel, itself Lepercq Space), the NEXT WAVE Festival constitutes a major a masterpiece of twentieth century literature. Mr. Cage's commitment by BAM to today's visionary artists. score utilized five Irish musicians improvising on fiddles, The 1986 Festival incorporated sixteen dance, theater pipes, conch shells and drums; a taped score of sounds and music events in a total of 78 performances. Over 300 gathered from around the world; and a recitation by Mr. Cage artists participated and the enthusiastic audiences numbered of excerpts from the Joyce novel. The resulting mischievous more than 70,000, filling 84% of all available seats. cacophony was matched by sprightly and inventive choreog· Record attendance was accompanied by an important raphy: non-stop, colorful movement that prompted critic milestone in corporate support. The 1986 Festival marked Dale Harris to write, "As is nearly always the case, what Mr. the beginning of an unprecedented two-year grant totalling Cunningham gave. his dancers to perform looked both beauti· $500,000 from Philip Morris Companies Inc. ful and surprising, offering unexpected insights about human The continuing financial commitment from the National grace, dignity and resourcefulness:' But what is truly amazing Endowment for the Arts, The Rockefeller Foundation, The about the work (and Messrs. Cage and Cunningham's process Ford Foundation and Robert W Wilson, combined with that of collaboration in general) is that although the choreo of Mary Boone Gallery, The Pew Memorial Trust, The grapher and composer conceived and created the two ele William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, AT&T Foundation, ments of the work separately and at different times (Cage WilliWear Ltd., The Educational Foundation of America, the in 1979 and Cunningham in 1983), Roaratorio, circus-like Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, The Howard Gilman though it may be, is a complete and unified piece. New York Foundation, Manufacturers Hanover, the Emma A. Scheafer Maaazine critic Toby Tobias remarked, "The whole piece has Charitable Trust, Meet the Composer, Inc., the BEST an irrepressible rhythm that the dance seconds joyously:' Products Foundation, Abraham & Straus/Federated Depart· ment Stores Foundation, Inc., the CIGNA Corporation, The William and Mary Greve Foundation, Inc., the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Schlumberger Foundation, Inc., the BAM NEXT WAVE Producers Council, the New York State Opposite pone: Merce Cunningham and Catherine Kerr dancing in Roararorio: An Irish Circus on Finnenans Wake. Abo•-e: (Top) Merce Council on the Arts, and the City of New York Department Cunningham Dance Company in Roararorio. (ujr) Mark Morris Dance of Cultural Affairs, set an unprecedented high in private and Group performing Pieces en Concen. (Riohr) Molissa Fenley and Dancers corporate donations to the Academy. performing Geolonic Moments. Photos © 1986 by Tom Brazil. 7 6 As Roaratorio closed in the Opera House, Impossible the accompanying Kamikaze Ground Crew Band were Not only were all three performances of the Kronos Morris became a "rising star" after his 1984 Festival Theater's Social Amnesia opened in the Lepercq Space, directed by Robert Woodruff in this world premiere. Of the Quartet sold out, but an additional performance of john appearance in the Lepercq Space. This year, Morris sold out running October 14-19. In direct contrast to the Cage/ evening, New York Times critic John Rockwell wrote, "The Zorn's concert, Once Upon a Time in the East Vi/Jane, had to the Opera House for four performances, November 12- 15, Cunningham model of artistic creation, this young theater whole affair takes on the character of a popular Chinese be added in November.