SUMMARY OF PRESS COVERAGE Fall Semester, 2012
Each season, the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Center pursues several goals in media coverage: to continually increase coverage of performances and other activities by our academic units and visiting artists that will serve as a magnet to attract exceptional students and faculty, and to embody the University’s key strategic goals of being an international center that uses innovation, technology and around-the-world partnership to achieve its vision. Because the Center is committed to transforming lives through sustained engagement with the arts, we have expanded our reach into new audiences and ideas by broadening the types of media outlets with which we work, creating an ongoing presence that tells our extraordinary story to a wider public. Increasingly, new bloggers, online media and diversity publications are responding to our outreach, bringing the Center’s message to new readers, potential patrons and students. e following pages demonstrate the Center’s success in obtaining a wide range of favorable notice, including more coverage than ever for our academic units, the School of Music and School of eatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.
Cover photo of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a production of the School of eatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Photo by Stan Barouh.
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Hello – I am pleased to share with you selected highlights of media coverage about the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, the School of Music (SOM) and the School of eatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) from Fall Semester, 2012. Coverage like this, which is broad and insightful, spreads the word about the role we play in expanding global partnerships, exploring new paths in commissioning and performing arts research, using technology to develop projects, and engaging with members of the campus and community. It is important creative work that helps move the University of Maryland toward its strategic goals. Our 2012 - 2013 season debuted with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, followed closely by TDPS’s remarkable bi-lingual co-production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in partnership with the National Academy of Chinese eatre Arts. e School of Music’s Music in Mind concerts showcased outstanding faculty and student musicians while raising important funds for student scholarships. All of these performances attract important arts reporters like the Washington Post’s Anne Midgette and American eatre Magazine’s Eliza Bent, respected voices in the performing arts community, and result in coverage of the people, performances and events at SOM, TDPS and the Center. is coverage increases awareness, supports recruitment of students and helps transforms lives through sustained engagement with the arts. I invite you to browse through this summary and enjoy the stories. We hope to welcome you to one of our performances at the Center soon, and we thank you again for your continued support of the performing arts here at University of Maryland. Sincerely,
Susan S. Farr
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DANCE 7-8
Paul Taylor Dance Company – e Washington Post – Sarah Kaufman
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Lucky Plush Productions – e Washington Post Express – Amanda Abrams
10 - 12
Lucky Plush Productions – e Gazette – Cara Hedgepeth
13 - 14
Maryland Dance Ensemble – e Gazette – Cara Hedgepeth
15 - 16
Dance Exchange – DC Metro eatre Arts – Breena Siegel
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Shared MFA esis Dance Concert – Public Asian – Angela Wong
MUSIC 19
John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes – e Washington Post – Joan Reinthaler
20 - 21
Festive Baroque – e Gazette – Cara Hedgepeth
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Mayron Tsong and UMD Symphony Orchestra Explore a Brahms Masterwork – e Examiner – Marie Gullard
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Shanghai Quartet – e Examiner – Marie Gullard
24 - 26
Classical Music’s Top Ten Highs and Lows – e Washington Post – Anne Midgette
27 - 28
Soldier’s Tale – e Diamondback – Beena Raghavendran
THEATRE 30 - 31
And God Created Great Whales – e Washington Post – Charles Downey
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Brian MacDevitt Henry Hewes Design Award – Stage Directions Magazine – Jacob Coakley
33 - 34
Café Variations – e Gazette – Will C. Franklin
35 - 36
Café Variations – MoCoVox.com – David Cannon
37 - 39
In the Red and Brown Water – e Gazette – Cara Hedgepeth
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
41 – 43
American eatre Magazine – Eliza Bent
44 - 45
WBAL-TV – Kim Dacey
46 - 47
Broadway World Q&A with Mitchell Hebert – Mary Best
48 - 50
Broadway World With Helen Huang – Mary Best
51 - 53
China Daily – Kelly Chung Dawson
54 -58
e Gazette – Will C. Franklin
59 - 60
WTOP-FM Radio – Madeline Tallman
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TerpVision – TV
CHRISTMAS GIFT! 63
Fox 5 – TV
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e Steve Harvey Morning Show – Syndicated Radio
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e Washington Post’s e Root – Photo Gallery
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e Washington Informer – Elton Hayes
67 - 69
Pink Line Project – Ally Behnke
70 - 71
DC Metro eatre Arts – Audrey ornton
DANCE COVERAGE UMD SCHOOL OF THEATRE, DANCE, AND PERFORMANCE STUDIES AND VISITING ARTISTS
Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Brandenburgs piece. Photo by Lois Greenfield.
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e Washington Post e Post’s Sarah Kaufman reviews the Paul Taylor Dance Company in their season opening performance.
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e Washington Post Express e Post Express talks to the creative forces behind e Better Half.
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e Gazette Lucky Plush Productions blends theatre and dance in e Better Half.
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e Gazette TDPS’s Alvin Mayes discusses Maryland Dance Ensemble’s Breath, Rhythm, Flight.
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DC Metro eatre Arts Dance-making with Dance Exchange.
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Public Asian TDPS’s MFA candidate Xuejuan Feng discusses her dance thesis, A World Apart, A Heatbeat Away.
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MUSIC COVERAGE UMD SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND VISITING ARTISTS
Members of the School of Music Chamber Choir in rehearsal. Photo by Alison Harbaugh.
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e Washington Post Pianist Eliza Garth bridges East and West in John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano.
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e Gazette SOM Director Robert Gibson discusses the significance of the Music in Mind concert series.
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e Examiner SOM’s Mayron Tsong partners with UMD Symphony Orchestra on a Brahms masterpiece.
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e Examiner Visiting artist Shanghai Quartet blends Chinese folk music with European masterworks.
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e Washington Post Anne Midgette mentions Maryland Opera Studio’s Leon Major, e Art of Argento Festival, and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun as memorable highlights of 2012.
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e Diamondback SOM’s Chamber Singers collaborate with the U.S. Army Field Band.
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THEATRE COVERAGE UMD SCHOOL OF THEATRE, DANCE, AND PERFORMANCE STUDIES AND VISITING ARTISTS
In the Red and Brown Water, a production of the School of eatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Photo by Bill Dolan.
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e Washington Post Visiting artist Rinde Eckert explores the singular world of a memory-challenged composer.
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Stage Directions Magazine TDPS professor wins prestigious Henry Hewes Design Award.
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e Gazette Anne Bogart, SITI Company’s founder and artistic director, talks inspiration and innovation.
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MoCoVox.com In its world premiere, Café Variations is a “genre-bending work.”
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e Gazette TDPS’s In the Red and Brown Water presents a story of poets, mythology and folk tales.
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM A SCHOOL OF THEATRE, DANCE, AND PERFORMANCE STUDIES PRODUCTION
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a production of the School of eatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Photo by Stan Barouh.
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American eatre Magazine TDPS faculty and students are highlighted in this feature about the “bi-lingual super-production.”
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WBAL-TV TDPS student and Midsummer actor Olivia Brann is profiled.
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Broadway World TDPS professor and co-director Mitchell Hébert holds a lively Q&A.
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Broadway World TDPS professor Helen Huang describes the origin of a creative idea.
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China Daily Global press coverage applauds the unique Midsummer production.
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e Gazette e Gazette notes the true meaning of “all the world’s a stage.”
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WTOP-FM Radio East and West are intertwined in this WTOP radio segment.
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TerpVision A backstage look at bringing Midsummer to life.
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NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR & VOICES OF INSPIRATION: CHRISTMAS GIFT! A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HOLIDAY TRADITIONS THROUGH MUSIC AND SPOKEN WORD
Nolan Williams, Jr. and Voices of Inspiration perform. Photo by B. K. DuBose/NEWorks Productions.
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FOX 5 News Nolan Williams, Jr. and Voices of Inspiration appear live on Fox 5.
Fox 5 featured Christmas Gift! in two segments on 12/14/12. In addition to the above video, R&B legend Shirley Murdock assisted anchor Allison Seymour with her Ask Allison segment, and Tony Perkins interviewed Nolan Williams, Jr. before Nolan led the Voices of Inspiration in a performance of Go Tell It On the Mountain. Performances of Have You Heard About the Baby? and O Holy Night appeared on the Fox 5 Christmas special on Christmas Day.
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e Steve Harvey Morning Show Nolan Williams, Jr. appears on the syndicated radio show.
An interview with Nolan Williams, Jr. aired in two segments on the Steve Harvey Morning Radio Show at 96.3 WHUR. He was interviewed by Tony Richards for his Takin’ It to the Streets program. (A link is not available.)
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e Washington Post’s e Root is online photo gallery showcases the Christmas Gift! performance process.
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e Washington Informer is review shares comments from patrons about the power of the performance.
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Pink Line Project In this preview, Nolan Williams, Jr. discusses the unique qualities of the production.
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DC Metro eatre Arts Christmas Gift! is applauded for its ability to celebrate and inspire.
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