monday
m a rch
page 9
7, 2011
the daily orange
the sweet stuff in the middle
Setting the stage Broadway-themed ball raises funds for Syracuse Stage
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By Colleen Bidwill Asst. Feature Editor
ichael Rios, dressed in all black and a painted face resembling a cat, took the stage to perform “The Jellicle Ball,” a number from the musical “Cats.” Rios, a senior musical theater major at Syracuse University, recently finished performing with the international touring cast of the same show. This performance was for a different, more local venue: the Syracuse Stage Ball. The 26th annual Syracuse Stage Ball, put on by the Syracuse Stage Board of Trustees and Syracuse Stage Guild, occurred Saturday at the Oncenter Complex. The only major fundraiser for Syracuse Stage was a night
filled with a silent auction, dinner, live music, dancing and performances by current SU students. More than 300 members from SU and the Syracuse community attended the event. Lauren Kochian, assistant director of development for Syracuse Stage and event planner, said the fundraiser always occurs on the first Saturday in March. She said the ball, which is the only major fundraiser to support the artistic and educational programs from Syracuse Stage, had typical attendance. “With our programs, we serve about 24,000 students in all of Central New York, some free of charge,” she said. One of the programs the money supports are the “Pay What You Can” nights, when Syracuse Stage attendants determine their own price for show tickets.
She said Syracuse Stage has an obvious impact on the SU community — and in particular, the drama students. “They can say what a great experience it is,” she said. Down the escalator at the Oncenter was a room for the silent auction filled with tables that highlighted items such as signed basketballs, a Wegmans gift card or a gift certificate for Phoebe’s Restaurant and Coffee Lounge. In the room, small black tables with golden chairs were set up with a bar at the back. A few waiters and waitresses swerved through the crowd with trays of finger food for the attendees who mingled in groups, mainly clutching wine glasses. Many women wore black or dark-colored dresses. Many men dressed in black suits with matching bowties. see syracuse stage page 8
photo by brandon weight | photo editor kyle anderson , a sophomore musical theater major, performs in a rendition of “I Hope I Get It” from “A Chorus Line” for the Syracuse Stage Ball.
DanceWorks’ Cirque Du Cuse celebrates 25th anniversary By Ariana Romero Contributing Writer
Familiar circus melodies began, and spotlights started to swirl as the ringleader entered a dimly lit stage, reciting lines from “Circus” by Britney Spears. The sold-out crowd greeted him with cheers and applause, waiting for the opening of Cirque Du Cuse, DanceWorks’ circus-themed production. The ringleader welcomed them to “the greatest show on campus.” DanceWorks celebrated 25 years
on the Syracuse University campus Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in Goldstein Auditorium with Cirque Du Cuse. The show has been a full year in the making. The dancers wanted to create a show that would surprise the audience and evoke an electrifying reaction, said Annie Barch, co-director for the show. “We went all out,” said Barch, a senior advertising major. “It’s something we haven’t done before.” Alexis Chernoff, a senior public
relations major, said, “I’ve been to every show. I love this theme, it’s really good work.” Sami Kay, a freshman television, radio and film major, agreed: “I like it. It’s a lot of fun.” The first major dance was named after the show. It transported the audience straight to the circus. Dancers in red and gold costumes performed acrobatics to upbeat, boisterous music. But many noticed a definite lack of the circus theme throughout the show.
“I didn’t really see a circus theme,” said Flavia Colangelo, a junior broadcast journalism and international relations major. “They never really do it through. There are some dances in the beginning and middle, but it still looks really good.” Kay said she saw a circus theme in the first piece and in the dance called “Black and Gold.” It had another strong cabaret-circus theme, with dancers clad in short black and gold can-can dresses.
“The show seems like a professionally done dance recital,” Kay said. Every recital has its vocally supportive families, and this show was no different. Loud shouts of “Yeah, Marissa!” “Let’s go, Gerald!” and “You go, Nicole!” were heard throughout the show. The beginning of every dance was met with applause and familiar cheers from the audience. “A lot of our members are dually involved in many of the sororities and see danceworks page 8