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Thursday January 26, 2012
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thelantern www.thelantern.com online
Choir bringing sounds of Harlem to town Amber evans Lantern reporter evans.1268@osu.edu
Miraldi to bring own taste of rock ‘n’ roll to Scarlet and Grey Check thelantern.com for a profile of Dan Miraldi, scheduled to perform at Scarlet and Grey Café at 8 p.m. Jan. 27.
weekend Thursday
“lamerica” 7 p.m. @ Wexner Center Film/ Video Theater harlem Gospel Choir 8 p.m. @ Capitol Theatre Comedy revolver 8:30 p.m. @ Wild Goose Creative
In the musical age of GarageBand, electronica and dubstep, finding a group that can perform live on stage without a MacBook might be difficult. Unless that group is the Harlem Gospel Choir, that is. Harlem is the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, the art and culture movement that exploded out of New York in the 1920s and 1930s. Almost 90 years have passed, but the Harlem Gospel Choir continues to celebrate the black culture exhibited during that time while spreading joy to fans through songs of inspiration. The Harlem Gospel Choir is scheduled to perform at the Capitol Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursday. Allen Bailey founded the choir in 1986. The idea inspired Bailey back in the mid-1980s when black churches in Harlem would open their doors to foreign choirs from all over the world. His desire to create the choir was strengthened after observing the racial hardships in his native city of Harlem. Bailey turned to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help solidify the message he wanted for his future choir to express. “I want to think that Dr. King’s birthday was very significant for (the choir) because during that time, there were a lot of racial things going on in America,” Bailey said. “His theme was always bringing nations of people together and giving something back.” The choir is a compilation of 60 gospel singers and musicians from several churches in Harlem. Due to the size of the choir, members are often rotated when traveling. Breaking down communication barriers to unite all people of different nations is something that the Harlem Gospel Choir strives to accomplish through its music. Bailey said the choir has traveled about 2 million miles and has visited more than 100 countries since its formation in the 1980s. “Our concerts aren’t evangelistic at all,” said Anna Bailey, the Harlem Gospel Choir manager and wife of Allen Bailey. “Our concerts are just about
Courtesy of the Harlem Gospel Choir
The Harlem Gospel Choir is scheduled to perform at the Capitol Theatre at 8 p.m. Jan. 26. sharing joy, giving hope, inspiration. There is a lot of entertainment, because you can reach people through music even when they don’t speak your language. You have their attention, and they are enjoying it, and they can appreciate what you do. … To see the people leaving the venue with a light in their eyes and a smile is just a joy.” The choir has performed for leaders such as Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela. The group has also been featured on “The Colbert Report” and “Good Morning America.” Though the Harlem Gospel Choir’s concerts are not evangelistic, Allen Bailey makes it clear that he knows who to thank at the end of the day for the all the group’s success. “Well, you know, we work for the Lord,” Bailey said. “We only have one superstar in this group and
Concepts behind ‘The Artist’ wrongly prove too abstract for plebeian crowds
Friday
madeline roth For The Lantern roth.302@osu.edu
ohayocon 10 a.m. @ Columbus Convention Center taste of osu 2012 5 p.m. @ Ohio Union J. medicine hat 8 p.m. @ Funny Bone
Saturday
Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
‘The Artist,’ the black-and-white silent film starring Jean Dujardin (left) and Bérénice Bejo (right) is nominated for a total of 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, for the 84th Academy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 26.
ohayocon 10 a.m. @ Columbus Convention Center winter Quarter exhibitions reception 6 p.m. @ OSU Urban Arts Space magi-Fest magic show 7:30 p.m. @ Palace Theatre
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that’s Jesus Christ, superstar. We always say to our choir members when they get out of hand, ‘You know, it’s not about you, it’s about him.’” As for the Columbus show, Allen Bailey said there will be “90 minutes of non-stop foot-stomping, hand-clapping” entertainment that will be enjoyable for all ages. “I think that it would be a good event for students even if you don’t share the same faith or beliefs,” said Gracie Fueston, a second-year in communication and Spanish. “I believe it is always good to have a positive message when there is so much doubt and negativity in the world.” Tickets are $14.50 to $29 and can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office or through Ticketmaster.
This is what you should know about “The Artist:” it was made in black and white, it’s a love story set in 1920s and 1930s Hollywood, it runs for 100 minutes, has a cute dog in it and will probably win the Academy Award for Best Picture. And it’s a silent film. I had assumed this last fact was common knowledge by now, given the film’s stellar reviews. That’s why I was shocked to read that last week an audience of moviegoers in Liverpool, England, demanded a refund from the theater because they had not realized “The Artist” was silent. There are so many things wrong with this, not least of all being that before you shell out $10 for a movie, you should know the basic premise of it. Movie tickets have only gotten pricier, which means people ought to be thoughtful about what they invest their time and money in. This was obviously not the case in Liverpool last week, so I have to assume that the people in the audience either selected the movie thoughtlessly, or they picked it randomly and were just disgruntled with their decision. But when did moviegoers become so timid? Spontaneity assumes the risk of disappointment, and they should have been prepared for that. It’s not that the Liverpool audience thought “The Artist” was a bad film (they left after only 10 minutes, after all, which is hardly time to judge something reliably). Besides, at most places you can’t get a refund on a film just because you didn’t like it. God knows I would like to get my money back for
“Twilight,” but to see it was a choice I embarrassingly made. Rather, the audience protested the film because it posed too much of a challenge for them. I can’t help but be reminded of the similar backlash against Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” earlier this year, for which perplexed audiences demanded refunds from theaters because it was too confusing for them. Granted, I saw the movie months ago and I still don’t know if I could describe the premise of it, and I’m not even sure Malick could explain it. But one of the reasons I love film so much is that, for a couple hours, you get a glimpse inside someone else’s psyche — you are exposed to characters and stories of which you might never dream. That’s why films like “The Artist” and “The Tree of Life” are refreshing, and also why they are often misunderstood by modern audiences who can be too shallow to open their minds to something out of their comfort zone. There is a reason why “The Artist” has gotten so much acclaim: it is, quite simply, a great film, and its lack of dialogue is only one of the qualities that makes it so. Maybe if those Liverpool moviegoers had stayed in the theater for 90 more minutes, they would have realized it. Instead, they rejected the unfamiliar, thus proving their ignorance. I applaud “The Artist” for breathing new life into modern cinema and exposing a new generation of moviegoers to silent film, a genre most consider outdated. The way the film is presented is different, but it has all the qualities that are at the heart of any good movie. I would rather see a silent film with a compelling story and genuine characters than a sound film with neither.
CJO to unchain the heart of Ray Charles’ music for Columbus caitlyn wasmundT Lantern reporter wasmundt.1@osu.edu In a tribute to one of the pioneers of American soul, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra will leave Columbus with Ray Charles on its mind. The Columbus Jazz Arts Group presents “Hit the Road, Jack: The Music of Ray Charles,” scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Lincoln Theatre, featuring former musicians of the Ray Charles Orchestra. Sarah Morrow, a trombonist, is one of the guest musicians for the show. For Morrow, this show means more to her than just paying tribute to the man who discovered her, she said. Morrow said she is also excited to be able to pay tribute to the original members of the CJO, such as Ray Eubanks. Morrow has been playing trombone since she was 12 years old, but it was when she was a senior in high school that she first saw the CJO and fell in love with the style of music. She said she was too afraid to actually perform
until her junior year in college. Morrow said she had a fear of performing in front of people and a fear of failure, something she still struggles with from time to time. Morrow was later featured with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra as a trombonist and caught the attention of Charles. During the show, Morrow said, “Mr. Charles asked, ‘Who was that guy?’” The performance with the Dayton Philharmonic served as Morrow’s audition for the Ray Charles Orchestra, she said. For the next two years, Morrow played in the horn section of the Ray Charles Orchestra. Morrow said her time with him was a great learning experience. “Any time you are able to hear such a phenomenal artist night after night after night is such a positive and growing experience,” Morrow said. Morrow said Charles was like a grandfather to her. She most appreciated the time spent in the studio working with the legendary musician. “We know what an amazing singer he is … but I hadn’t realized what an amazing pianist he was,” Morrow said. Morrow left the Ray Charles Orchestra to pursue
a more free environment to improvise while she played. “That’s where my heart really was,” Morrow said. Morrow will not be the only Ray Charles Orchestra alumni paying tribute. Roger Hine, bass player, will also be featured with the CJO. Although Hine was in the Ray Charles Orchestra years before Morrow, she said he was very supportive of her when she began playing with Charles. “He was very helpful to me, and kind of giving me pointers of how to get through the experience,” Morrow said. Jon Lampley, vice president of the Ohio State Jazz Club and a fourth-year in jazz studies, said he is looking forward to seeing Hine and Morrow play, and seeing the orchestra as a whole. “They’ve got really mature sound based on the fact that they’ve been playing together for a number of years,” Lampley said. “Also, it’s also awesome to hear the members of that band improvise. There are some extremely talented individuals.” Tickets are available through Ticketmaster for $32-$37 and student tickets are available for $15 at the door only.
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