Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 29, 1993 TAG: 9301290162
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Donna Alvis-Banks
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
IT'S OPERA WITH A TWIST
Ken Ludwig is a writer who will do anything for a laugh.Ergo, "Lend Me a Tenor."
The farce that won two Tony Awards following its run on Broadway is coming to Virginia Tech's Burruss Auditorium Wednesday for one performance at 7:30 p.m. The touring production by Mainstage Management International is part of the Virginia Tech Union's Entertainment Series.
The play is about an international opera star who comes to Cleveland (as in Ohio) for his American debut in the Cleveland Opera's production of Verdi's "Otello." The local impresario sells thousands of tickets at a premium for what is billed as the greatest night in Cleveland's history.
The tenor turns out to be a wasted womanizer who becomes "indisposed" an hour before curtain time.
Slamming doors, swooning women, double entendres and comic chaos follow. In short, "Lend Me a Tenor" is one long belly laugh.
Ludwig's other plays include "Sullivan and Gilbert," "Postmortem" and "Divine Fire." When he's not writing comedy, he's practicing law as a counsel in the nation's capital. He holds degrees from the Harvard Law School and Cambridge University and is associated with the prestigious Washington firm of Steptoe & Johnson.
Tickets for "Lend Me a Tenor" are on sale at the box office in Squires Student Center. They are $14 for adults, $7 for children under 12, $11 for Virginia Tech faculty and staff and $4 for Tech students. Call 231-5615 for information or reservations.
\ THE WOMAN CAN SING: Blacksburg singer Catherine Breske has sung on national television and radio, at the Kennedy Center and in several one-woman shows, including "Great Ladies of Broadway," "Hooray for Hollywood" and "The Music of Judy Garland."
Tonight, she will be singing at home.
Breske will give a benefit concert for the Paul Breske Memorial Scholarship Fund at 8 in 100 McBryde Hall on the Virginia Tech campus. The scholarship fund honors Breske's husband, a founder and conductor of the New Virginians.
Breske's concert features jazz, pop music and Broadway show tunes. She will be accompanied by Robert Elkins on piano, Marvin McNeill on drums and George McNeill on bass. Dale Burnett, a former student of Paul Breske, also will perform on horns.
You may pick up tickets at the door tonight, beginning at 7. Admission is $10 for adults or $5 for students and senior citizens.
\ SLINKYS AND EGG MARACAS: Those are just some of the instruments No Strings Attached plays.
The ensemble also performs on hammer dulcimers, mandolin, guitar, bass, harmonica, flute, bouzouki, pennywhistle, bowed psaltery, synthesizers, bass clarinet, bass and tenor saxophones!
The group - whose members hail from the Blacksburg and Roanoke areas - will pull out all the strings at a benefit concert tonight for the Montgomery-Floyd Friends of the Library. It starts at 8 at the Wesley Foundation on Roanoke Street in Blacksburg.
The concert is for music lovers of all ages.
Tickets are on sale at the Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Floyd branches of the library or you may get them at the door tonight.
Admission is $5 for adults or $1 for children under 13.
\ LET'S HEAD FOR FLOYD: That's where the fun is this weekend.
Tonight and Saturday it's country and variety music by Broken Reins at Ray's Restaurant on U.S. 221 north of Floyd. The local group features vocalist Sheila Gallimore.
Gallimore, a Floyd County native, has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and has appeared on two popular TV shows, "Nashville Review" and "Starbound '92." Before joining Broken Reins, she performed with Starzz and The Search Band.
Bill Memitt of Riner is the lead guitarist and Raymond Howell of Radford plays bass guitar. These veterans have 41 years of playing experience between them.
Joey Journell of Ripplemeade sings lead vocals and also plays guitar for the band. His son, Travis, is the drummer. The younger Journell has been playing drums since he was 7 years old. He's now a student at Giles High School where he plays in the jazz and marching bands and sings with the symphonic chorale.
Entertainment at Ray's tonight runs 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Cover is $5.
\ PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES: Saturday night in Floyd features a country square dance with the Bow Shakers.
The fancy footwork starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Floyd Veterans of Foreign Wars building on Virginia 221 and 720. The site is less than a mile from the stoplight in downtown Floyd. You can't miss it!
You can expect old-time dance music with caller Bill Richardson. Bill Blevins, Tina Liza Jones and Becky Barlow are the Bow Shakers.
Rumor has it the Hoorah Cloggers will put in an appearance, too.
Admission is $4 with all proceeds benefiting the Old Church Gallery, an arts organization in Floyd.
Questions? Call 763-2338.
\ STEP INTO MY CHAMBER: Virginia Tech's music department will present its first University Chamber Music concerts for spring semester this weekend. The first is at 8 p.m. Saturday in Squires Recital Salon. There's a second concert at 3 p.m. Sunday.
A collection of 19th century Romantic works fills the program. Selections include Schubert's "Shepherd on the Rock" for soprano, clarinet and piano, as well as pieces for clarinet, viola and piano by Max Bruch.
Johannes Brahms' Sonata in F minor, opus 120, is the major work on the program. The sonata features clarinet and piano.
Mary Louise Hallauer is the pianist. She will be joined by soprano Nancy McDuffie, David Widder on clarinet and Doris Lederer on viola.
Admission to either concert is $5 for adults or $3 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available at the box office in Squires Student Center. Call 231-5615.