Arts & Entertainment

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Stand-up comedian Lewis Black will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 7 in Purdue University’s Elliott Hall of Music as part of his Comedy Central Live “Let Them Eat Cake” tour.

Comedian Lewis Black

Purdue’s Student Concert Committee is presenting the performance, which is produced by Live Nation.

“Lewis Black is one of the most prolific and popular performers working today,” said Laura Clavio, Purdue Convocations assistant director and Student Concert Committee adviser. “He executes a brilliant trifecta as stand-up comedian, actor and author. Black’s live performances provide a cathartic release of anger and disillusionment for his audience. A passionate performer who is more an angry optimist than mean-spirited curmudgeon, he’s perfected expressing what the rest of us cannot say in polite company.”

Receiving critical acclaim, Black performs more than 200 nights a year to sell-out audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Clavio said he is one of the few performers to sell out multiple renowned theaters including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City Center and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In 2007, Black received a Grammy award for Best Comedy Album for “The Carnegie Hall Performance” stand-up CD released by Comedy Central Records.

In 2006, Black had a breakout year as an actor, Clavio said. He co-starred with Robin Williams in Barry Levinson’s “Man of the Year,” released by Universal Pictures, appeared as the fake dean of a fake college in Steve Pink’s “Accepted,” by Universal Pictures, and as the harried airport manager in Paul Feig’s “Unaccompanied Minors,” which was released by Warner Brothers. In addition, Black lent his voice to the role of Jimmy in Bob Saget’s parody, “Farce of the Penguins,” released by Thinkfilm.

In August 2007, he was the first stand-up comedian to perform in concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. In December 2007, Black was part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Christmas Show - along with Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Lance Armstrong, Ronan Tynan and Miss USA Rachel Smith - that entertained U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain and Italy.

In the midst of a rigorous touring schedule and several TV appearances, Black’s first book, “Nothing’s Sacred” (Simon and Schuster 2005) debuted on “The New York Times” Best Seller List. He’s currently working on a second book (Penguin June 2008) titled “Me of Little Faith.” It is a humorous exploration of religion and faith in which he examines how the rules and constraints of religion have affected his life and the lives of everyone. Clavio said Black’s hilarious experiences with rabbis, Mormons, gurus, psychics and even the joy of a perfect round of golf give him the chance to expound upon what people believe and why - in the language of a shock jock and with the heart of an iconoclast.

Tickets for Lewis Black are $42.50 for the general public and $30 for Purdue and Ivy Tech students and children under age 19; prices include a facilities fee. There is a language advisory.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. June 6 at the Elliott Hall of Music and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Five students received the top prizes at the Purdue University Digital Learning Collaboratory’s sixth annual Digital Cinema Contest Premiere Night and Awards Ceremony on Thursday (April 17) at Wabash Landing 9 theater.

Awards were given for best documentary, alternative, animated, and narrative film, along with a viewer’s choice. Those chosen for best actor, actress, cinematography, sound design, special features and director also were recognized.

“The Shelter,” submitted by Mathhew Byori Mann, a senior in film and video studies from Champaign, Ill., won three awards - Best Narrative, Best Cinematography (by Dan Skubal), and Best Director.

Another film earned two awards. “Story Never Written” by Alex Donkle, a junior in acoustical engineering from Valparaiso, Ind., was recognized for Best Alternative Film and received the award for Best Special Features.

Other winners in the film category were “Bug Bowl” by Aaron Black, a senior majoring in psychology from Aurora, Ind., for Best Documentary; “Ara” by Tyler Kupferer, a senior in computer graphics technology from Columbus, Ind., for Best Animation; and “Unnoticeable Flying Object (UFO)” by Don Han, a senior in computer graphics technology from Seoul, South Korea, for Viewer’s Choice.

Individual awards included John Cessna, a 2007 alumnus of the film and video studies program at Purdue and a current MFA student in studio arts, who was recognized for Best Actor in the film, “We’ll Miss You.” Andrea Morales, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts, from West Lafayette, Ind. received Best Actress for her role in “A Dreamer’s Rendezvous” (trailer). Paul Laux, a senior in film and video studies from South Bend, Ind., won Best Sound Design.

Prizes for the top winners included software packages, a digital camera, and cash. Local restaurants and retailers supplied other prizes.

The filmmakers and their crews arrived at the theater in limousines.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Eight new dance works created by Purdue University student and faculty choreographers will be presented April 25 and 26 by the Purdue Repertory Dance Company during Spring Works 2008.

The Spring Works 2008 will feature eight new dance works created by Purdue faculty and student choreographers, including Carol Cunningham, who choreographed this piece for Winter Works 2007. (Photo courtesy of Megan Pettry)

The modern dance company will offer performances at 7:30 p.m. April 25 and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 26 in the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre in Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts.

“Company dancers have been working since January, developing the ideas and visions of the choreographers,” said Carol Cunningham-Sigman, chair of the dance division in the Patti and Rusty Rueff Department of Visual and Performing Arts. “This concert includes works that range from a playful ballet work to an intense exploration of sin using a cast with six men and two women.”

Tickets to the performances are $12 for the general public, $10 for students and $6 for children ages 12 and under. Reserved tickets can be purchased in the Loeb, Elliott Hall of Music and Pao Hall box offices or by calling (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets at (765) 743-5151.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Five Lafayette-West Lafayette area bands will face off Friday (April 18) in the Battle of the Bands sponsored by the Purdue Student Union Board.

The competition, which has been held since 1999, will take place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Recreational Sports Center on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. Battle of the Bands is free and open to the public.

The event will feature The Fastest Kid Alive, Project Hero, The Educated Guess, GWAP Team and Debris. All of the bands have at least one Purdue student member.

Special guest performers Oh Discretion! will kick off the show. Tara Madison and Jake from the Z96.5 Morning Zoo will serve as the emcees for the evening.

During the Battle of the Bands, a panel of judges will judge the bands on overall impression, cohesiveness, originality, stage presence and quality of sound. First prize is $250, second prize is $150 and third prize is $100.

The battle is part of this year’s Grand Alternative, a week of substance-free activities leading up to the annual Grand Prix celebration.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Dozens of substance-free activities will be offered through April 20 for Purdue students as part of the annual Grand Prix celebration.

Many campus organizations, offices and departments will be taking part in this year’s Grand Alternative, which will feature a wide range of events, including games, concerts, movies, sports events, fund raisers, parties and dances.

The 2008 Grand Alternative is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students, the Wesley Foundation, the Student Wellness Office and the Division of Recreational Sports, along with a grant from the Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Tippecanoe County.

The Grand Alternative was conceived in 1998 when Steve Cain, a campus minister at the Wesley Foundation, initiated a community wide coalition of student groups with the goal of celebrating the Grand Prix safely and without alcohol. Grand Alternative got its official start in 1999 with a grant from the Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Tippecanoe County.

All Grand Alternative events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. The following is a complete list of activities and sponsors:

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Forty years after it debuted on Broadway, the Purdue University Division of Theatre will present “Hair” in the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre in the Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts.

Purdue Theatre will present “Hair” April 10-19 in the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre in the Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts. Tickets are available at the Stewart Center, Elliott Hall of Music and Yue-Kong Pao Hall box offices or by calling (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. (Photo courtesy of Purdue Theatre)

A special preview show of “Hair” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (April 10), which will feature interpreters for the deaf. Regular performances will be at 7:30 p.m. April 11; 7:30 p.m. and midnight April 12; 3 p.m. April 13; 7:30 p.m. April 17; 7:30 p.m. and midnight April 18; and 7:30 p.m. April 19.

“‘Hair’ is a celebration of life, and this production of ‘Hair’ has energized our program in many ways,” said Russ Jones, Division of Theatre chair. “It is a fitting end to a most memorable season. We’re excited to have recent alumna Amanda Folena back on campus to direct and choreograph the show, as well as our talented music director, Alex Lawrence from New York City. Also, we are pleased that Abe Jacob, the godfather of Broadway sound design, has been working with our students during the past year. Mr. Jacob’s many credits include the original Broadway production of ‘Hair.’” Read the rest of this entry »

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Black Cultural Center’s Jahari Dance Troupe will pay tribute to Stax Records, a popular black-owned record company in Memphis, Tenn., in their spring revue on April 19.

Admission for the 7 p.m. performance in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse is $5 for Purdue students and $7 for the general public.

“What we do is always aligned with the Resources Tour, and last fall the tour went to Memphis to study the blues,” said Kevin Iega Jeff, artist in residence for the troupe.

The Jahari Dance Troupe was joined on the field research tour to Memphis by the other three BCC performing arts ensembles, Black Voices of Inspiration, Haraka Writers and the New Directional Players. BCC’s theme last semester was “The myths and mores that make up the blues tradition.”

Started in 1959 by a banker, Jim Stewart, and his sister, Estelle Axton, Stax eventually became one of the largest and most successful black-owned companies in the nation before it went into bankruptcy in 1975. Stax was one of the dominant soul music labels and was closely identified with the civil rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s.

Between 1959 and 1975 Stax released hits such as “Soul Man,” “Dock of the Bay,” Green Onions,” Midnight Hour,” “Respect Yourself,” and the theme from SHAFT. Artists on the label included Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T. & the MG’s, Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Staple Singers and Isaac Hayes. Comedian Richard Pryor and civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson also were under contract. In December 2006 Concord Records revived the Stax label. Read the rest of this entry »

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Performances by the New Directional Players, Haraka Writers, the Jahari Dance Troupe and the Black Voices of Inspiration will highlight the Purdue University Black Cultural Center’s Coffee House on March 5-6.

The performances, at 7 p.m. each evening at the BCC, are free and open to the public.

The New Directional Players is a theater group with a focus on presenting drama about the African-American experience. The group’s performance will be based on 180 years of African-American theater and covers black theatrical material from the beginning of slavery to now.

It includes work by authors such as William A. Brown, who is credited with writing the first known play to be written and performed by an African-American; Ira Aldridge, the first African-American to be internationally recognized for his acting talents; female activist and poet Georgia Douglas Johnson; Willis Richardson, the first black author to enjoy a nonmusical Broadway run; Ntozake Shange, inventor of the Choreopoem; Tony award winning George C. Wolfe; August Wilson; and black revolutionary playwrights Amiri Baraka and Kalamu Ya Salaam.

The Haraka Writers, a group of student poets, essayists and short-story writers, will explore the theme “A Celebration of U,” during its portion of Coffee House. It will focus on things that everybody celebrates, from first birthday parties to personal traditions.

The Jahari Dance Troupe, established in 1971, is a student company trained in a variety of techniques that range from traditional styles to contemporary trends in black dance. Named for the Swahili word meaning jewels, the group’s repertoire includes African, ballet, Caribbean, folk, jazz, modern dance and music video dance styles.

The dancers will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stax Records and soul music during their performance.

The Black Voices of Inspiration will sing an excerpt from its spring production (which will be March 30), “Solid Rock-Sinking Sand.” It tells the story of a church that becomes the subject of a reality TV show.

Established in 1975, the Black Voices of Inspiration is committed to the performance of the music of African-Americans. Its repertoire consists of traditional Negro spirituals, contemporary gospel music and popular songs of inspiration.

Artist in residence Twana A. Harris directs the group.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette is hosting a free public lecture entitled, “The Life and Work of Robert Reed”
presented by artist and Purdue professor emeritus Al Pounders. The lecture begins at 7:00p on Tuesday, February 19th.

Professor emeritus Robert Reed (1922-2007) taught printmaking and drawing at Purdue from 1958 until 1987. Reed’s life works include drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, and printmaking. He also created silver jewelry, masks, mobiles, and birdhouses.

The Robert Reed: A Retrospective exhibition at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette spans fifty years of Reed’s life. It is clear that he enjoyed experimenting and creating artwork in various media. He had many visions, both somber and humorous, which he interpreted through his art. This exhibition is sponsored by Westminster Village.

The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette is located at 102 South Tenth Street, Lafayette, Indiana. For more information, visit www.artlafayette.org or call 765-742-1128.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — K. Dees Coffee and Roasting Company is hosting its first Scrabble Tournament this Sunday, February 24. The coffee shop is located at 1016 Main Street in Downtown Lafayette, Indiana and the tournament is scheduled to begin at 12:00p (noon). Participation is free and open to the public. Anyone wishing to play must register by February 22, 2008.

Contestants will spell out victory or defeat in four 25-minute rounds of play, with prizes awarded along the way for each round won until the champion is crowned for the grand prize. Spectators are welcome to watch and cheer.

“Our first Battleship Tournament at K. Dees was a big hit and the success of it has generated a great deal of excitement for the Scrabble Tournament,” said Jerry Kalal, owner of K. Dees Coffee and Roasting Company.