Author: mcconrad

Michigan’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association held their annual Lunar New Year Gala this past Saturday at the Michigan Theatre. It was an over three hour event, complete with skits, acapella, dances, and other arts performances, reminiscent of the television show that is aired in China the eve of the Lunar New Year. Although most of it took place in Chinese, there were subtitles up above the stage for those who were only familiar with English. With the break in the cold weather we had last week, it wasn’t long after the doors open just before 7 pm that theatre was close to being filled.

One of the best aspects of the entire night was the variety of performances which occurred. We were not limited to just college groups on campus, although of course groups like Revolution and Photonix were huge favorites. The audience was treated also to the Michigan Senior Chinese Choir and the Ann-Hua Chinese Music Ensemble and Taichi Club, groups which were made up of individuals older than college age. To me, these more traditional performances, of dance and music respectively, were a great contrast to some of the more modern acts which took up the majority of the show. My favorite was the Music Ensemble as it is rare that I get to see instruments like the Chinese zither—a plucked string instrument— or a Chinese lute— similar to a guitar— live. Other performances included a traditional lion dance and dances performed by a younger teenage aged group from the Yixuan Dance and Performance Center. The traditional dance groups were also very interesting to me due to my own background as a dancer and because of the garments they were wearing, brightly colored red and blue dresses and other costumes, with props like fans. Interspersed between the performances, videos, and dialogues were two lotteries featuring items donated by the nights sponsors.

The effect of this was not only a diverse group of performances and performers but of audience members as well. It was great to see almost the entirety of the big screening room in Michigan Theatre full of cheering and supportive people. I noticed not only college students, but families who had brought their younger children as well. CSSA made a communal WeChat account that people could scan into, and my phone was full of notifications by the end of the night.

For me, this experience was unlike anything I had ever been to before. I was really appreciative of the opportunity to see such a breadth of arts performances showcasing and celebrating Chinese culture. I am looking forward to next year!

This Saturday, February 2nd at 7 PM, in the Michigan Theatre, University of Michigan’s CSSA will be putting on their annual Chinese New Year Celebration Gala. There will be various acts and performances throughout the night, including well known groups Revolution and Photonix.

From the event page:

“Chinese New Year, known as the “Spring Festival”, is the most important festival celebrated by the Chinese at the turn of the traditional Chinese calendar, when families gather together and embrace the upcoming year. UM CSSA Chinese New Year Celebration Gala is the only formal Spring Festival celebration event at Ann Arbor, and is usually held at local theater during weekends. Since its first appearance in Ann Arbor, the Celebration Gala has turned into an extremely influential event within local Chinese communities due to its exceptional programs presented. The performances include solos, chorus, various different dances, crosstalk, witty skit, Acappella and etc by various student groups and local Chinese American communities.”

VIP Tickets are $15, General Tickets are $12, and Group Tickets (5 or more people) are $10 each. Come by because it promises to be an amazing night!

To celebrate what would have been Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, the University Opera Theatre and University Symphony Orchestra put on a production of his famous Candide this weekend. Through Bernstein’s catchy songs performed by talented singers and orchestra members, the audience was lead on the wild ride Voltaire’s naive young man, Candide.

The wonder of Voltaire’s story is that despite the superficial optimism and lightheartedness which buoys the entire narrative, there are very serious themes at work which take on much more serious tones. The musical opera translation of this, and the performance I saw, balanced these very well. Alternating between small chalkboards with the word “GUN” and funny love songs on mismatched ideals were darker issues concerning intolerance, including sexism and classism. Of course, this satire is part of what made this production so great to experience. The audience laughed at the perpetual optimism of Pangloss, the tutor, even when he revealed his syphilis contraction which would have ended in his death at the time. Candide’s equally naive love interest, Cunegonde, has an eye rolling and amusing vapidity and superficiality until one actually considers the pain of rape and prostitution that she goes through. The main characters’ seemingly silly plights were made funny, then quickly made somber and serious only to switch back to a lighthearted mood once again.

This complexity was all accomplished through masterful singing and what can only be described as truly creative and skillful sets. An entire map of the world was drawn on a large backdrop, and with each “situation” Candide and his associates found themselves in people would climb up on ladders with their own pieces of chalk and fill in where and what happened in the story, until at the very end where audience members could see the entire expanse of what had happened. Ensemble members were dressed in grey school uniforms, which to me not only added to the “school setting” but also provided a great juxtaposition between the more brightly, some might say garishly, costumed main characters. It seemed to make an additional point: while Candide and his friends were living wild adventures and discovering so much of life, the majority of the world stayed the same and people just had to survive. Then of course there was the singing and acting themselves, which were performed wonderfully and had the audience laughing and more seriously quiet.

It was such a fantastic opportunity to be able to come see this production, and I look forward to being able to see the creativity with which the next piece is directed. Congratulations to all of the performers!

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra gave an astounding performance on Thursday at Hill Auditorium. Lead by Semyon Bychkov, the group played three beautiful pieces, each which lead to standing ovations. The audience appreciation at the end was large enough that two encore pieces were played as well, Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances 1 and 2.

Starting off the concert was Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in b minor. Soloist Alisa Weilerstein played absolutely exquisitely for the duration of the 40 minute composition. There was such a fantastic balance between the full orchestra and the melody of the cello. My favorite part of this section was definitely the second movement, which was slower and a lot more lyrical than its preceding or following sections which were marked by faster and brighter sounds. To me, this second part did the best job of showcasing Weilerstein’s skills as well. 

Following intermission, the orchestra next played Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. This is one of my favorite classical pieces, as renowned choreographer George Balanchine choreographed his famous Serenade to this piece. Even as the Czech Philharmonic played the very notes I could already picture the starting formation of the dancers. The string instruments are showcased in this piece and they did not disappoint. For me, it was noticeable that I was not the only one who felt this way when at one point when I looked around me  and everyone was raptly concentrated on Bychkov and the music that was being performed.

The third piece of the program was another by Tchaikovsky, this one titled Francesca da Ramini. Probably the easiest to follow out of the three pieces, it is a musical translation of Canto V  from Dante’s Inferno. It was such an experience to hear this piece played and to know what parts of the story were being referenced. In the beginning, the music was explosive and descending chords signaled Dante’s further descent into hell. This was followed by a transition into haunting and lyrical melodies as Francesca da Ramini explains her tragic story. The last part of the piece is marked by more fiery and ominous music to signal Dante’s horror at the pain surrounding him until he finally faints and descends into another layer of hell. 

It was hard to know what could follow the phenomenal ending of that piece, but the encores were so much different in their intensity levels and actually provided a very fun ending to the program. Each of the pieces was very short, only around 5 minutes, but it was a pleasure to listen to these as the rhythms were very much reminiscent of dances, albeit with an entire orchestra. The first one characterized by really triumphant chords. The second one was just as vibrant, just slightly slower and softer in sound. 

Overall, it was such a privilege to be able to come and see this renowned orchestra perform in Ann Arbor. I look forward to the next time we are graced with their presence and what new pieces they will bring.

Tomorrow, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra will be playing at Hill Auditorium lead by Semyon Bychkov. Beginning the performance will be Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in b minor, the composer who actually lead this Orchestra’s inaugural concert in 1894. This will be followed by Serenade for Strings and Francesca da Rimini, both by Tchaikovsky.

The Cello Concerto was written at the end of Dvorak’s career as part of his reflection on his time in America and to memorialize his sister in law who died while he was composing the piece. To solve the problem of the cello’s lower register against the orchestra he plays it against different combinations of wood soloists while also lowering the volume of the accompaniment.

The one piece by Tchaikovsky, Francesca da Ramini, is a piece meant to embody the character of the same name in Dante’s Divine Comedy. Called a “symphonic poem”, it is a musical telling of her and her married lover who were killed and condemned to hell because of their adultery.

As a dancer, I am very excited to listen to Serenade for Strings, the other piece by Tchaikovsky. It is very familiar to me as a renowned ballet, called Serenade, is choreographed to it. I look forward to being able to really sit back and just immerse myself in the music without having to dance to it, though no doubt I will be picturing the steps in my head.

The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m, and any tickets may be bought at ums.org