Irvine Barclay Theatre 25th Anniversary Exhibition catalog

25

th Anniversary Exhibition

March 15, 2015 – January 15, 2016

Irvine Barclay Theatre connects artists with audiences, presenting culturally diverse performances accompanied by education programs.

ORANGE COUNTY: Destination Art & Culture

25

th Anniversary Exhibition

Published by the Irvine Barclay Theatre for the exhibition WIT STYLE POWER GRACE at the Destination Art & Culture Gallery at John Wayne Airport. Š Irvine Barclay Theatre 4242 Campus Drive PO Box 5646 Irvine, California 92616-5646 949.854.4646 www.thebarclay.org

140 feet of photographs, words and objects in the John Wayne Airport’s gallery welcome the world to Southern California.

Wit, Style, Power, Grace Foreword

by Douglas C. Rankin

The exhibition, Wit Style Power Grace, graciously hosted by John Wayne Airport for much of 2015, celebrates Irvine Barclay Theatre’s 25-year legacy of creative programming. Indeed, the Barclay has brought to Orange County artists and performing arts and entertainment events of extraordinary range and talent, many for the first time locally or regionally.

Some even for their U.S. premieres.

Comprised of eleven large display cases, the exhibition totals over 140 feet in length. Nine of the glass-enclosed cases focus on program areas or themes where the Barclay has made a significant contribution to the opportunities and experiences available to Orange County and beyond.

With striking graphic design, incisive images and economical organization and narrative, exhibition curator, Henry Korn, and designer, Tricia Hayden, have succeeded at a daunting task. They have turned decades of activity into moments of reflection. As founding president of the Barclay, I could not have done the same for having been so close to it all for so long.

The same team is responsible for the on-line exhibition catalog that you are about to read. Since 1990, when

The theatre’s adventurous and supportive audiences have been an essential part of the magic-making. the theatre first opened, literally hundreds and hundreds of performers — soloists, small ensembles, large companies, some of them obscure, some famous, some now very famous — have stepped on to its stage and created magic assisted by the special environmental experience that the intimacy, sightlines and acoustics of the Barclay and its centerpiece performance space, Cheng Hall, provide.

The theatre’s adventurous and supportive audiences have been an essential part of the magic-making.

I can vividly remember the rapturous response to an eight-performance engagement in the early 90’s of the National Ballet of Senegal featuring several dozen dancers, drummers and musicians from the West African country. Encouragingly, the performances

…people of many cultures have enjoyed their own and other cultures...

At the end of each high-voltage performance of the National Ballet of Senegal, the audience exploded. Over eight nights of performances in the 1990’s the excitement escalated into a joyous frenzy.

sold out. At the end of each high-voltage performance, the audience exploded. But, that was not the end of it. The engagement had caught the attention of the Senegalese community throughout Southern California and each audience contained a noticeable contingent, many of the men and women attired in elegant native dress. It became custom that week for a portion of the audience to rush to the front of the stage at the beginning of the company’s encore and dance to the driving rhythms. Nightly, the excitement escalated into joyous frenzy.

Audiences have continued to seek out the magic since then. They have been enchanted by the simple but extraordinary pleasures of Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach’s cello suites and the late Spalding Gray delivering his

unsettling monologues seated at a plain desk. They have been astonished by the technological cunning of dancer David Parsons’ Caught, in which he manipulates the flashes of a strobe light to appear that he is suspended in space. Similarly, actor/writer/director Robert Lepage used video in his play, Far Side of the Moon, to transform live action into the illusion of floating in space. Other audiences have been caught up in the music-making of artists ranging from ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro, to the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band who have led a celebratory crowd in a parade through the aisles at the end of each show on nearly two dozen occasions throughout the years.

And people of many cultures have enjoyed their own and other cultures at programs including Chinese opera and acrobatics, throat singing from Tuva, ritual ceremonies of the monks of Tibet, traditional and contemporary flamenco, and the old and new of Hawaiian music.

The legacy is not confined within the Barclay’s own four walls. The Barclay once brought out from New York Eliot Feld’s entire inner-city Ballet Tech for a residency with the students of The Wooden Floor, then called St. Joseph Ballet. The results of that interchange still resonate today. Most recently, the Metta Quintet, the keystone of the New York-based JazzReach program, connected with over 1,300 Irvine schoolchildren, a few dozen at a time, in close-up conversations and demonstrations of the basics of jazz. (continued next page)

During a five-year period from 2008–2012, the Barclay extended its public service and programming brand to tens and tens of thousands of people in a series of remarkable summer festivals at the invitation of the Orange County Great Park. The staff volunteered its expertise and access to professional resources to help organize and equip the festival site, and to program over 70 events. Main stage concerts featured artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Branford Marsalis, Beausoleil, Blind Boys of Alabama, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Edgar Meyer, Eileen Ivers and Mariachi Reyna.

Unique Friday night dance parties encouraged active participation, from learning the basics of the particular dance style, whether salsa or swing, at pre-event group lessons, to getting out on the giant black-and-white checkerboard dance floor laid out on a reclaimed El Toro runway. Who can forget the 2,000 dancers who showed up for Bollywood night!

From top: Orange County Great Park Friday night dance parties were all about audience participation including learning the basics of a particular dance style at pre-event group lessons. 2,000 dancers appeared for Bollywood night and D.J. Hapa Live.

Orange County Great Park main stage concerts featured artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Beausoleil, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Edgar Meyer, Eileen Ivers, Mariachi Reyna, Branford Marsalis and Blind Boys of Alabama (pictured left).

The Irvine Barclay legacy belongs to everyone who helped make the performing arts flourish in Orange County.

The remarkable presenting legacy of the Barclay’s first 25 years belongs to those who made it flourish: to the singers, dancers, musicians, actors, acrobats, speakers and authors who have shared their genius and talent; and to the supporters, audience, staff and workers, friends and volunteers.

The Barclay has become more than a building; it has become a place. Some believe that certain places, certain spaces, take on an essence of each and every person who occupy the space, who use it and work in it, even of those who pass through it. The place becomes imbued with a vitality and spiritual life.

I believe that about Irvine Barclay Theatre and Cheng Hall.

— Douglas C. Rankin Founding President Irvine Barclay Theatre Operating Company

Mr. Rankin joined the staff of Irvine Barclay Theatre Operating Company in 1986, four years before opening. He became part of a team including City of Irvine and University of California representatives from various departments; architect Larry Cannon of the architectural firm of Wurster, Bernardi and Emmons; the fundraising consulting firm of Robert B. Sharp & Associates, and the volunteer leaders and contributors of the theatre’s own Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. He assisted in guiding the theatre’s design, construction, funding, organization, staffing, opening and subsequent programming. Thanks to all involved, Irvine Barclay Theatre opened to the public on September 30, 1990, “on-time and on-budget.”

Schoolchildren arrive at the Theatre

Irvine Barclay Today Irvine Barclay Theatre presents culturally diverse performers accompanied by education programs that connect artists with audiences.

Irvine Barclay Yesterday In 1974, Irvine voters approved the first of two bond issues supporting the construction of a community performing arts facility. In the 1980’s, a public and private partnership comprising the City of Irvine, the University of California, Irvine and the nonprofit Irvine Barclay Theatre Operating Company came together to refine the vision and build a technically advanced, accessible and audience-friendly facility that opened in 1990. The City led construction; the University provided land; and Irvine Barclay Theatre Operating Company raised millions in private-sector matching contributions including leadership gifts from the Barclay family, the Cheng family and The Irvine Company.

Enriching a Changed Community Among the many changes in Orange County over the past three decades is an ever-increasing cosmopolitanism and participation in the arts. This compelling community development is exemplified by several major Orange County cultural institutions but, as this exhibition documents, no single example is more striking than Irvine Barclay Theatre, now celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary.

A Masterclass with cellist Yo-Yo Ma

YAELISA Emmy Award-winning dancer and choreographer Yaelisa, is Artistic Director of the Barclay’s annual New World Flamenco Festival, first produced in 2001.

Every year the Festival introduces internationally acclaimed artists to Orange County that mirror the changing face, plaintive voice and quicksilver rhythms of flamenco in the 21st century. Worldpremiere flamenco performances at the Barclay include Abrazo by La Tania Flamenco Ensemble on March 25, 1998, Sin Fronteras, a collaboration between Yaelisa and tap legend Savion Glover, on August 8, 2006, and Yaelisa’s Somos Flamencos on August 8, 2008.

Other notable Flamenco companies appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include those of Maria Benitez, Antonio Canales and Juana Amaya.

Clockwise from top left: Savion Glover, Antonio Canales, Juana Amaya, Maria Benitez

CHARLES KA’UPU The late Charles Ka’upu’s mission was preserving Native Hawaiian cultural traditions. This revered master of the oli (chant) and hula brought his special Aloha spirit to Orange County for the first time on February 28, 1998. Other notable Hawaiian musical masters appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include Barry Flanagan and HAPA, George Kahumoku and Eddie Kamae.

Clockwise from far left: Barry Flanagan of HAPA, Eddie Kamae, an Ipu Heke drum (figure 2), George Kahumoku

DAVID SEDARIS Arguably America’s most beloved contemporary author of prize-winning essays and stories, David Sedaris performed his work in Orange County for the ďŹ rst time when he stepped to the Barclay podium on November 27, 2001 to tell sardonic tales about eccentric adventures with family and friends that satirize everyday life in the 21st century. Other notable authors, comedians and performance artists appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include Eric Bogosian, Michael Chabon and Spalding Gray.

Clockwise from top: Michael Chabon, Eric Bogosian, Spalding Gray

HUBBARD STREET Now under the leadership of Glenn Edgerton, Hubbard Street encourages innovation by supporting internationally recognized dancers and choreographers who share the goal of bringing artists and audiences together. Based in Chicago, Lou Conte’s Hubbard Street Dance Chicago was introduced to Southern California audiences on January 24, 1991 as a feature of Irvine Barclay Theatre’s inaugural season. The Barclay hosted the West Coast premiere of Diphthong, choreographed by Brian Enos on October 15, 2002.

Other notable Contemporary Dance companies appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include Mark Morris Dance Company, La La La Human Steps and Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Clockwise from top: Paul Taylor Dance Company, La La La Human Steps, Mark Morris Dance Company, street sign (figure 4)

CHANTICLEER Called the world’s reigning male chorus by The New Yorker magazine, Chanticleer is an orchestra of voices that performs a diverse vocal music repertoire that ranges from Renaissance to rock and roll. This San Francisco-based ensemble first performed in the southland at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on April 16, 1994. The Barclay hosted the Southern California debut of Chanticleer’s Anna Madrigal Remembers with soloist Frederica von Stade on October 2, 1999.

Other notable Chamber Music ensembles and solo performers appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include Kronos Quartet, Turtle Island String Quartet and Yo-Yo Ma.

Clockwise from top: Yo-Yo Ma, Kronos Quartet, Turtle Island String Quartet, Chanticleer sheet music (figure 5)

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND Preservation Hall Jazz Band tore up Orange County for the ďŹ rst time on July 10, 1993. The ensemble derives its name from historic Preservation Hall, a jazz venue located in the French Quarter. Known around the world for performing classic New Orleans jazz, the band was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence.

Other popular musicians who have performed at the Barclay since 1990 include Judy Collins, Audra McDonald and Elvis Costello.

Clockwise from top: Judy Collins, trumpet (figure 6), Audra McDonald, Elvis Costello

CIRQUE ÉLOIZE Positioned at the heart of the contemporary revival of circus arts, Cirque Éloize, founded in Montreal in 1993, combines theater, music, dance and acrobatics.

The Barclay introduced Cirque Éloize to Southern California on April 8, 1998. The Cirque’s production of Rain was developed on the Barclay stage, had its world premiere in Irvine on July 11, 2003 and toured the world for six years. Other notable New Circus companies and solo performers appearing on the Barclay stage since 1990 include Jamie Adkins (Circus Incognitus), Les 7 doigts de la main, Michael Moschen, Phillip Petit, and Jérôme Thomas (Cirque Lili).

Clockwise from top left: Les 7 doigts de la main, Jamie Adkins, Jérôme Thomas, Phillip Petit

ARLO GUTHRIE

Clockwise from top: Randy Newman, Richard Thompson, Storm Large Facing page: Album cover (figure 8)

Arlo Guthrie, Woody’s son and a cultural icon in his own right, said ‘how-de-do’ to Orange County when he first celebrated the power of song at the Barclay on November 12, 1994. Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant, arguably the anthem of the 1960’s, exemplifies his sense of humor, social conscience and irrepressible gift for storytelling. Other distinctive singers and songwriters appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include Storm Large, Randy Newman and Richard Thompson.

AMERICAN INDIAN DANCE THEATRE American Indian Dance Theatre, comprising dancers, singers and drummers, pays homage to authentic Native American dances, music, costumes and cultural traditions in staged presentations. Acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times for pushing theatrical folkloric performance to new heights, the American Indian Dance Theatre performed in Orange County for the ďŹ rst time on November 23, 2001. Other World Music and Dance companies and solo performers appearing at the Barclay since 1990 include Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, the classic opera Peony Pavilion by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu and Ravi Shankar.

Clockwise from top left: Ravi Shankar, Owl (Salap Mongwu) Katsina (figure 9), Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater

Checklist of the Exhibition

1. Silk shawl and red leather dance shoes Elegant embroidered shawls and hand-crafted red leather dance shoes contribute significantly to the intense theatricality of flamenco dancing.

Flamenco divas like Yaelisa use exquisite wardrobe strategies like this dark coral and cream-colored macramé shawl with gold fringe to further dramatize staccato steps and passionate gestures.

Shawl courtesy Yaelisa, Caminos Flamencos, and shoes courtesy Claudia de la Cruz, Claudia de La Cruz Flamenco Institute.

2. Ipu Heke drum Hawai’i Gourd, bark cloth, fiber Ipu Heke drums are unique to Hawai’i where they are made from two gourds cultivated and combined to produce their appealingly rotund profile. The Ipu provides fundamental rhythms for Hawaiian Oli (chants). When Charles Ka’upu, revered Oli master, struck the Ipu at Irvine Barclay Theatre, he sat on a folded cloth to cushion the impact.

In marking each measure, he drummed with extraordinary sensitivity, producing deeply resonant tones.

Some art works and artifacts included in the exhibition are not illustrated in this catalog.

“Charles Ka’upu was a 21st century Hawaiian messenger for whom the ancient plea of “let my people go” was his life-giving oxygen. When he chanted, he broke the yoke not just for all Hawaiians but for all who longed in their hearts for a world free of prejudice, a world that showed respect for all cultures, a world overflowing with aloha, self-determination and emancipation.

When Charles spoke and chanted, one was immediately silenced and overcome with reverence for something going on that was other-worldly, like the sudden wailing of a siren, the deep rumble of thunder in the valley, or the horn of Gabriel resounding.”

— Barry Flanagan, HAPA Drum courtesy of ipu farms

3. Puppets Judy Folkmanis Plush and velour fabric These owl, squirrel & chipmunk puppets might be contemplating their title roles in two of seven wry and zany books by David Sedaris: Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, published in 2013 and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: a Modest Bestiary published in 2010. The autographed copy of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls is from the collection of Douglas C. Rankin, Irvine Barclay Theatre’s impresario since the theatre’s inception.

Puppets courtesy Folkmanis Company

4. Dance shoes and street signage Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is among the most influential forces in contemporary dance and education.

This tireless company and the strong-shouldered city of Chicago are inseparable. Well-worn dance shoes heaped around a stylized Chicago street sign, being the inspiration of the company’s name, symbolize the relentless creative energy required to bring a new dance work from studio to stage.

Dance shoes courtesy of Molly Lynch

5. Chris Holmes Chanticleer Rooster Wake-up Call, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 30 × 40 inches The name of the Chanticleer a capella ensemble was inspired by the singing rooster in the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer published in 1475.

In his 2015 painting entitled Chanticleer Rooster Wake-up Call, Chris Holmes adapted images and text from cover art that appeared on sheet music for a tune entitled Chanticleer Rag by composer Albert Gumble published in London in 1910. (continued next page)

6. Brass instruments Band instruments like the trumpet and trombone were essential elements in the invention of New Orleans jazz at the turn of the 20th century. When they perform as a traditional New Orleans jazz ensemble, Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s front line features a coronet and/or trumpet to promote the melody and a slide trombone to add rhythmic comments in the form of pops, growls and slurs.

Trombone courtesy of Alan Underwood

7. Excentricus Cirque Èloize Tour T-shirt Èloize means heat lightening in Arcadian French. Cirque Èloize, based in Montreal, presented this T-shirt, autographed by the entire cast, to the Barclay following the introduction of Excentricus to Southern California. Cirque Èloize also created and performed Rain at the Barclay for the first time anywhere to thunderous applause. This innovative company’s prolific production of circus surprises continues to delight audiences around the world.

8. The Best of Arlo Guthrie album, 1977 and Alice’s Restaurant Cookbook, 1969 Arlo Guthrie’s song about Alice, her restaurant and so much more was featured in The Best of Arlo Guthrie

record album. This song inspired a 1969 movie directed by Arthur Penn that exemplified the worldview of America’s hippies. Alice’s Restaurant Cookbook by Alice May Brock, also released in 1969, contains a small vinyl detachable record featuring songs by Guthrie and Brock such as Italian-Type Meatballs and My Granma’s (sic) Best Jam. Together, the singer-songwriter and his kitchen-savvy muse nourished a generation hungry for peace, love and laughter.

Alice’s Restaurant Cookbook courtesy of Donna Stein and Henry James Korn

9. Ned Zeena (Hopi, 1920–1980) Owl (Salap Mongwu) Katsina, late 20th Century Wood, feather, fur, leather, shell, felt, and yarn 11 × 5-1/8 × 6-1/2 inches Carved by Hopi artist Ned Zeena this hybrid man and owl katsina is known as Salap Mongwu or the timber or Spruce Owl. During performances Mongwu watches with displeasure the misbehavior of the clowns on the dance ground; he gestures warnings at them until he finally enters the scene and whips them with yucca fronds leaving them conscience-stricken and remorseful.

Collection of the Bowers Museum.

Gift of Mrs. Joan Krotenberg

Acknowledgements Curator: Henry James Korn Graphics: Hayden Design Artifact Preparation: Chris Burrill Research: Karen Drews Hanlon Registration: Ginny Hayward Irvine Barclay Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of John Wayne Airport and generous exhibition lenders.

25

th Anniversary Exhibition