Volume 25, No. 05, DECEMBER 14, 2005
Stage review: Day parades its talent in annual CABARET
Restaurant review: Francesca Pizzeria is a hidden jewel
Artists of the month
Literary Interview: Author for teens Cathy Hopkins shares writing strategies
Movie review: Former Newtonian Julie Taymor screens new movie at New Arts Center
BSO’s Schluter, Wright, and Platt have mastered a difficult instrument, the trumpet
by R. O.
On Thursday, the 17th of November and Friday, the 18th of November, CABARET was performed in the Day Auditorium. There was also a matinee performance for the 5th graders from Franklin, Horace Mann, and Peirce, on Wednesday, the 16th of November. The show was directed by Andy Comings and Jamie Demarest.
Humming filled the room as the whole cast filed onto the stage talking on their cell phones. This was followed by a fabulous show for the following three hours consisting of 32 individual acts. Their first song, which started off the show on an energetic note, was “Learning To Fly.” S. M. and T. M. shared the solos in the song and the rest of the cast sang in the background. The soloists hit the notes perfectly, creating harmony. Unfortunately, the movement was not synchtonized, creating an uneven, choppy look.
The performance continued with “Dirty Water,” a rendition which included a well-choreographed dance by M. B. and M. C. Singers K. L. and L. W. heightened the performance with their great enthusiasm.
The next piece was called “Very Good Acquaintances,” performed by J. B., M. B., L. D., and R. V. This recurring piece was an amusing transition to other acts.
The strong voices of C. A.-L. and B. M. carried the former’s song, “The Path of Time,” to great heights. An intense instrumental accompaniment also helped this song reach the audience.
A.-L. also acted with fellow comedians A. S. and S. S. in a Monty Python skit called “Cheese Shop.” This was a scene about a cheese shop that has no cheese, though the owner (Simons) acts as if it does. A.-L. played the customer who grew increasingly angry throughout the scene. All three performers kept the audience in constant laughter.
Following “Cheese Shop” 8th grader R. M. performed the song “I Feel The Earth” with 7th grader E. G. Enthusiastic singing helped this song soar, as well as with “Bad Moon Rising”; R. V. and a group of backup singers performed this soon after “I Feel The Earth.”
The musical highlight of the first act was undoubtedly “Unwritten”; a large group of singers were led by 7th grader Kelly McIntyre in this song. She was joined by G. B., M. B., M. D-P., H. E., K. G., E. G., R. M., S. M., M. N., R. V., and L. W. for the song’s chorus.
Act Two was led with the performance of “Don’t Bring Me Down,” a loud, fiery piece with even more amazing harmonies. The next number, Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)” brought the rest of the cast onto the stage, and introduced the next act: two closely woven, comical monologues by J. B. and S. S., mocking a typical school classroom followed.
Following this was “Imagination”, a skit about what life would be like if kids played the role of parents. It revolved around a debate between a mother (M. C.) and her son (Z. R.), and the son’s imagination (M. G.). The imagination proposed various situations which were then performed: Parents (C. S. and A. P.) telling their children (E. B. and E. M.) to stop doing their homework and play video games; and then whiny parents (A. F. and G. Z.) asking their children (A. P.) for permission to watch television and being told to go do their own homework.
One of the second act’s more interesting scenes was “Blind Date”, performed by G. B., D. G., J. M., Z. W. and A. W. The scene was, evidently, about a person (D. G.) going out on blind dates. Her (his, in the scene) dates were always quirky characters, making this skit very amusing.
One of Act Two’s musical highlights was “Bread and Roses,” an all-girl number about how women were harshly treated in Massachusetts mills. However, the song’s optimistic (“Yes it is bread we fight for/but we fight for roses too”) was powerfully driven home by the beautiful harmonies sung by the performers.
Sisters J. and M. N. delivered a powerful performance of the song “For Good,” from the musical “Wicked.” The two sang beautifully and created an enamored mood throughout the auditorium.
A.-L., A. S. and S. S. returned to the stage once again for the skit “When We Were Poor,” a conversation between 3 wealthy men about their poverty-ridden youths. The audience laughed harder and harder as the tales of their youth grew more and more absurd; they ranged from drinking tea in “a filthy, cracked cup” to getting up in the morning “at 10:30 at night … half an hour before I went to bed.”
Following “When We Were Poor” was the Indigo Girls’ song “Closer To Fine,” performed by M. B. and N. O’D. These two girls sung the song beautifully, with tight harmonies that could bring a tear to one’s eyes.
Act Two closed with two songs “ Louisiana” (brilliantly performed by soloist M.-D. P.) and “Let The Children Play”. Near the end of the former, the full cast came onstage for the chorus, ready for the finale. “Let The Children Play” was jam-packed with harmonies and beautiful singing, providing a splendid conclusion to the show.
Overall, all the audiences seemed to enjoy the performances greatly and all the cast’s hard work certainly paid off for a fabulous performance.
by T. W.
Light crew did a fabulous job in Cabaret. They brought out the greatness of Cabaret with their talents on lighting.
On spotlight, there was A. G., C. McD., A. N., G. T., and F. Z.
On solos, they used, the spotlight to point out the soloists. For example, in “Bye Bye Love” the soloists were very clearly spotted.
In the light house, there were A. B., J. R., and M. S. They made the performance even better. For example, in “The Path Of Time,” the lights were the color of the feeling of the song. In that particular song, the color of the light was red.
The lights had only two colors, blue and red. The lighthouse sometimes mixed the colors to form the color that was needed for the song. Overall, the light crew did an excellent job in CABARET.
by A. H.
During F. A. Day’s production of CABARET, which took place last month, the actors used their voices, motions, and expressions to portray what they were doing. Because of this, props weren’t that important.
In some scenes, though, props were without a doubt needed. For example, in the introductory scene, where the whole cast came on stage with their cell phones, cellphones were needed. They could have pantomimed the phones, but various audience members say that using the real phones enhanced the scene.
Props in CABARET were used, because the actors simply wanted to, but for the chance to make their show even more memorable. The colorful scenery on the stage’s back wall was covered with the words “CABARET ’05 WAZ HERE.” Underneath all of the actors and supervisors signed it in colorful paints. This scenery gave the audience the feeling that all of the actors in CABARET wanted to be there, and this was their way of letting everyone know.
Large wooden boxes were used throughout the show to let actors sit, stand, and create formations that they would not have been able to pull off relying on feet. Also, microphones did their duty in this production. The sound crew worked hard to make sure that when microphones were needed, the cast had them. This held for the lighting crew, too.
By using props and not pantomiming every move and object, CABARET’s performance was enhanced, and brought to its full potential.
by T. W.
The sounds in CABARET made the performance more professional than school-like.
The band, too, added a professional touch. On guitar was Bob MacWilliams and on bass was Dave Ingram. On drums, there was Larry Bethune and on piano, there was Lindsay O’Donovan and Jamie Demarest.
When the band played, the audience listened. One could feel one’s feet tapping along, and one’s heart racing. For example, in the opening song, Learning To Fly,” one could tell that this was going to be a fabulous show just by listening to the music.
On sound board were A. C. , J. D. , J. M. and E. W. . They were always on cue and ready for any task.
Overall, the sound was wonderful that it made the casting of Cabaret perfect.
by B. R.
Francesca’s is an Italian restaurant located at 203 Adams Street, Newton, MA.
Francesca Pizzeria is a quaint, family-run pizzeria that serves up the finest Northern Italian fare. This family of cooks and servers has been in business for over twenty years and will deliver a feast of your greatest dreams. Your only mission is to find this hidden jewel.
After driving through blocks and blocks of an Italian neighborhood, we finally discovered the discreet Francesca’s restaurant. This pizzeria is tucked between rows of double-decker houses that line the streets of this charming area.
We entered a quiet and cozy restaurant with about ten tables. Old-fashioned lace curtains hang from the windows and simple, white linens dress the small tables. Classic Italian music played in the distance. Pictures of famous customers hang on the walls, such as former Vice President Al Gore, who had Chicken Parmesan with a side of ziti when he visited in 1999.
We were seated and eager to order an appetizer off the extensive menu. Our waitress introduced herself as “Francesca”–yes, as in the name of the restaurant! Francesca recommended the shrimp scampi and she couldn’t have been more right! Four jumbo, steaming shrimp arrived on a bed of garlic and herbs. I bit into a crisp, succulent shrimp, the best shrimp scampi I have ever experienced. One piece was about the equivalent of three ordinary-sized shrimp.
Next, the main courses arrived. My dish, the Antipasto Di Mara Alla Fradiabla, was a mixture of shrimp, squid, octopus, scallops, muscles, and baby clams in a spicy tomato and garlic sauce. It was a masterpiece of all the sea’s critters together in one dish. The seafood was amazingly fresh, like it had been caught seconds before it appeared in front of me!
The chicken Parmesan was also a hit. The outside was light and crispy and the chicken was plump and moist. The sauce was a tangy blend of tomatoes and spices. The side of ziti was homemade pasta at its best! It was cooked “al dente”–just right–and it was smothered in the same special tomato sauce–perfection!
The last entrée we got was a special, low-fat dish not featured on the menu: tender pieces of white meat chicken pan fried in a light garlic and olive oil sauce tossed with crisp broccoli. Francesca was not sure of this request but the outcome was the best! The calories were spared but certainly not the taste!
While we were feasting, Francesca’s dad was playing the guitar and singing Italian songs at the next table. It added a special touch to the evening, and it made us feel like we were in Italy. Francesca mentioned that he plays every evening.
For the grand finale, Francesca insisted that we try her specialty dessert, the homemade tiramisú. Wow, it was decadent–a huge, chocolate mound of airy sweetness on a plate of drizzled cinnamon delight. It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal. Francesca’s gets 4 stars out of 4, the best Italian meal I have ever had in my almost-teenage life!
by P. N.
(Z. R., 6th)
For Z. R., acting is like a math problem; there's always a finished product at the end of all the hard work. Z. R. has been acting and singing for 7 years and has been in several musicals. Some of these include “My Fair Lady” at Burr School and “Snow White” at the Wheelock Family Theater. Z. R. will also be singing and acting in Day’s Cabaret. His favorite part about acting is performing, especially the final product.
(J. K., 7th)
Playing 2 instruments isn’t easy, but for J. K. , it’s a daily routine. J. K. has been playing violin since 2nd grade and in 4th grade picked up clarinet. Presently he is in Day’s band and orchestra. J. K. practices 10-15 minutes on each instrument every day and takes lessons outside school. His reason for playing: he likes playing and all his siblings play interments, too.
(H. S., 8th)
Mystical characters have inspired H. S. to create her magical art. Since 1st grade H. S. has been sketching abstract art. Her preferred medium is plain pencil and imagination and she sketches at home as well as at school. H. S.’s inspiration for her art is from an artist who has dreams of characters that could never be in this world. H. S.’s favorite part of sketching and art is drawing whatever she wants and putting her feelings on the paper.
by M. R.
Cathy Hopkins, a prolific author of popular middle-school level books and series, lives in Northern London , England . The books and series she’s written include the MATES DATES series, the TRUTH, DARE, KISS, PROMISE series, and HOLY MOLEY, I’M A DEAD DUDE.
The big message Hopkins wants to get across to her readers is the importance of friendship, a theme in all of her books, even the ones about ghosts! The number of books planned for each series has gone up over time. “The MATES DATES series was originally going to be 3 books, and then it became 4 and now has gone to 12. The TRUTH, DARE, KISS, PROMISE series was 4 books but has now gone to 8,” says Cathy Hopkins.
Books were important in the Hopkins household as Cathy was growing up. “Both of my parents taught English at one stage so they always encouraged us to read,” says Hopkins. Some of the characters Cathy writes about are based on her friends’ and family’s personalities, but she mixes them up a bit so they wouldn’t recognize themselves. Living in Kenya had been a great experience Cathy had during her childhood. Hopkins says, “My family went to Kenya because my dad got a job out there. It affects me now in that growing up in a hot climate, I really feel the cold! It was a fabulous place to grow up, very beautiful and it has left me with a love of Africa.”
But Cathy Hopkins didn’t used to think she had a place as a writer. “To be honest, I was feeling like giving up on writing because it all felt so competitive and I wasn’t sure where I fitted as a writer. I am so glad I didn’t give up though because the very next person my work was sent to changed my life and the last few years writing for the teen market have been the best ever.”
At the moment, Hopkins has just finished MATES DATES AND SUMMER SIZZLERS, which is book #12 in the MATES DATES series, and is from TJ’s point of view. It will be out next March and will be the last in that series. However, the MATES DATES girls from London do meet up with the characters from the other teen series, TRUTH, DARE, KISS, PROMISE and set in Cornwall. “They go on holiday down there and so my two series merge! Mates Dates meets TRUTH, DARE, KISS, PROMISE,” exclaims Hopkins.
So who is Hopkins’s favorite character from the MATES DATES series? “I like all my characters for different reasons. I couldn’t spend so much time with them if I didn’t like them. I'd like Nesta’s looks, TJ’s brain, Lucy’s sense of humor and talent for fashion and Izzie’s song writing ability plus her loyalty as a friend.”
Also, which is Cathy’s favorite series? “HOLY MOLEY, I’M A DEAD DUDE. It’s about happy, cool ghosts and was great fun to write and different than what I usually write, as it is pure fantasy. It’s already out here [ England], and should be out in the [United] States next summer.”
The first step in Cathy’s road to creating a story, she shares, is that often an idea for a story will “cook” in her head for months before she begins to write it up. “Sometimes I start with the character, sometimes with a plot idea, and then I develop it into a couple of pages, then into a 10-12 [page] outline whilst at the same time doing character profiles for all the characters,” Hopkins explains.
When asked whether she thought her books would make good TV shows or movies, Hopkins replied. “I get so many e-mails every week now asking when the books are going to be made into a TV series. I would love to see it happen, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to a TV producer picking the books up. That said, HOLY MOLEY, I’M A DEAD DUDE has been optioned by Nickelodeon so hopefully that will be made into a movie in the next couple of years.”
When asked what advice she would give to a Day Middle School student who wanted to be an author like herself writing for teens, Hopkins had many ideas. “Read a lot. Never throw away anything you write, keep it, and in a few months or years, you may rework it. Create sympathetic characters, think about what they want more than anything in the world then think about what can get in their way ... that will give you the beginnings of a plot. Never give up.”
by E. E. and J. T.
On Thursday evening, November the 17th at 7:00 at the New Arts Center, the movie “Frida,” about the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, was shown.
Julie Taymor, a former Newton resident is the producer of the movie “Frida.” This movie portrays the life experiences of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Kahlo was a renowned Mexican artist. She was the wife of Diego Rivera, and famous painter and muralist. The movie follows Kahlo from her childhood until her death.
When she was a teenager, Kahlo was in a serious bus accident that crippled her. She was stuck in bed for many months, recovering. It was during this tough time that she began drawing. By the time she was walking again, Kahlo had started painting.
So, determined to support her family, Kahlo bravely demanded that Rivera judge and criticize her artwork. Rivera was surprised to find that such a young woman could be capable of such meaningful paintings. He brought her to different exhibits and introduced her to famous artists.
Although there was a large age difference between them, Kahlo and Rivera got married. They traveled together to the United States, where Rivera had been hired to paint a mural. Kahlo had been pregnant during this time, and watched helplessly as Rivera’s painting was torn down for Communist references. Directly after this, Kahlo had another disaster, in the form of a miscarriage. While in the hospital, she produced several more paintings. One of them was called “ Henry Ford Hospital,” which showed her devastation at her miscarriage.
On receiving news of her mother’s sickness, Kahlo persuaded Rivera to return to Mexico. After struggle and pain, Kahlo’s mother eventually died.
To add further trauma and sadness to her life, Kahlo discovered Rivera’s affair with her sister. They immediately separated, because this was not the first time Rivera’s loyalty had been questioned.
Kahlo went through a very confusing period, in which she hosted a member of the revolution and his wife, divorced Rivera, watched her condition worsen, and eventually remarried Rivera. By this time she was increasingly sick, and constantly in bed.
Kahlo had a stressful life full of pain, but one that also had much excitement. Audience members who watched this movie at the New Arts Center all agree that Taymor did an excellent job in portraying her life experiences.
by D. R.
What would a movie be like with a hero but no trumpet? First invented in ancient Egypt, trumpets were made of reed pipes with flared bells. They have been used throughout history in wars: to announce royalty’s presence and much more. Modern trumpets consist of a complicated piping and valve system mainly made of brass. Trumpets are very versatile and can play in many groups, both jazz and classical.
Jazz and classical trumpets are different in many ways. Jazz requires imagination and not as much sound quality. In classical one is focused on playing the right tone and correct tempo and intonation.
The most important component that separates jazz from classical music is improvising. Improvising, also called soloing, is when the music has a chord or several bars of chords written down and a musician has to play the notes that are in the chord but can make up the rhythms and the order that the notes are played. One has to know how to play the notes, and most importantly when to play them.
Trumpet playing of any sort requires a high amount of physical strain on your face and stomach muscles to reach the higher notes. On the trumpet one has to buzz one’s lips to make a sound. To reach the higher notes, one has to apply a lot of pressure in the abdominal areas of one’s stomach to make the air flow at a faster speed, and also to vibrate one’s lips faster. Applying too much pressure, will cause the lips to vibrate too fast, resulting in a higher note then expected.
This is one of the harder aspects of playing for a screech trumpet player. A screech trumpet player is usually a jazz trumpet player who plays notes in a much higher register than usual in the classical or jazz genre.
Jazz and classical trumpet players have similar experiences with training, but getting a professional job is hard. Even if one practices four hours a day, one may still not get a job. This is how rare trumpet positions are.
Charlie Schluter, Ben Wright, and Walter Platt are three Boston trumpet players who have, after long hard hours of work, obtained professional positions.
Charlie Schluter is the principal trumpet player for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). He grew up in a small town and started to play trumpet when he was 10. “It was my thing,” said Schluter. “I was too runty to play any kind of sports, but playing trumpet was fun ... including practicing.” Schluter started playing in dance bands when he was in high school, and played in concert bands in the summer. He went on his first tour with the American Ballet Theatre orchestra on a 20-week tour of the U. S. He came to Boston in 1981, and is retiring at the end of this summer. “After I retire from the BSO at the end of this summer, I plan to continue teaching at the New England Conservatory (NEC), and also traveling to other countries to teach and play, and to visit my daughter and grandsons in Italy.” If one wants to be a professional trumpet player like Schluter, one should go to as many concerts as possible and listen to the trumpet as often as possible.
Ben Wright is a colleague of Schluter and is the second chair of the BSO. He comes from five generations of trumpet players, dating back to his great, great, great-grandfather, who played first cornet in Buffalo Bill’s moving band. He grew up in Evansville, Indiana, and received his first trumpet from his uncle in third grade. His first orchestral job was at the Kennedy Opera Center playing second trumpet. He came to the BSO in 2002, playing second trumpet, and teaches 9 students a week at NEC. Trumpet is a hard instrument to play, even for pros. One time Wright played a solo trumpet piece in the wrong key because of an identical fingering, which proves that hitting the right note in the upper register is hard, even for the pros.
Jazz is an entirely different field of music, but the preparation and training is pretty much the same. Walter Platt is an experienced jazz trumpet player who plays in many ensembles and bands. He grew up in the South End of Boston and started playing mainly because of his dad’s musical experience. He listened to many jazz players as he grew up and decided to play jazz trumpet. Now he teaches many ensembles and students.
