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Jan. 19, 1979 page 7
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UNIVENTS
SPONSORS
ENTERTAINMENT
The University of North Caro
lina at Asheville is kicking off
its second semester with a variety
of entertainment for the students
and community to enjoy. The
Student Government Association
and the University Committee for
Cultural and Special Events have
joined forces to plan a semester
of diverse activities in an attempt
to broaden the scope of enter
tainment provided by both of the
organizations.
On Thursday, January 25 and
Friday, January 26, Chris Bliss,
nationally acclaimed juggler and
the Chuckey-Doak Joke and
Juggling Company will present
two evenings of exciting Cabaret
entertainment. When is a juggler
not a juggler? Whenever Chris
Bliss perfonns “Music for your
Eyes.”
More than a variety or novelty
act, Bliss is an artist in Space.
Combining selected pieces of
contemporary music, special
lighting effects, and his phenom
enal juggling ability, Chris Bliss
creates a human light show-
improvisational, dynamic and vis
ually stunning. He has revolution
ized an ancient craft, refining
it into kaleidoscopes of lights.
When is a iuggler not just another
juggler? When he is also a teacher
and an innovator.
Ever since Chris Bliss has
been oerforming he has been a
dedicated teacher of his craft.
He has taught thousands how to
juggle, from deaf high school
students to disadvantaged
youngsters to college residents
(and more than a vew musicians
and tennis palyers). Each finds
his/her own value: concentra
tion, coordination, relaxation, ac
his/her own value: concentra
tion, coordination, relaxation,
accomplishment, ei^tertainment.
And many find ' a > new aware
ness of juggling as a valid modem
discipline-which is enjoyable to
leam.
But it is Bliss's innovations
in performance that have made
him a major force juggling’s
growing respect and popularity.
His use of music and liglits to
Itransfor juggling into a magical
lart of expressive motion is the
Imost significant innovation in
juggling’s recent history. It was
tliis new concept which led to
Bliss's warm reception on the
music club and concert circuit-
winnine a new audience for
juggling which had previously
'thought it to be a traditional
rather than a current art form.
I When Chris and the Mildnight
I iSpecial production staff ^ col-
I laborated on a three-segment
mini-series for that show (aired
in April and May of 1,978),
Juggling became a successful
vehicle for the presentatio|n of
video art, resultuig in a unique,
impressionistic video-music exper
ience. This was the first time any
Kind of juggling had been ex
plored and offered to a national
television audience in serial form.
Three months later Qiris was to
Toronto, this time to tape two
classical music interpretations for
the top-rated Canadian variety
show-“Stars on Ice” ( to be
aired during the 1978-79 season).
More ground-breaking innova
tions, Chris Bliss is working to
expand the horizons of his art.
When is a juggler more than a
juggler? When he’ll set one of
UNIV€NTS
RESENTr
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FRIDAY
JANUARY 19,1979
2:00 to 5:00
Carol Belk Theatre
Workshop
SATURDAY
JANUARY 20,1979
8:00 p.m.
COFFEEHOUSE
miss
JANUARY 25,1979
8:00 p.m.
lipinski
Student
Center
Ghuckev Dok^
Juggling |
JANUARY 26, 1979
8:00 p.m.
Lipinski
STUDENT
Center
ISSien FREE
his balls on fire for a laugh?
Chris Bliss does not have a
standard juggling pattern. He
does have a flair for imaginative
stand-up comedy. He constantly
plays off the audience's expec
tations of a “juggler”, using them
as a springboard into observations
about our expectations in other
areas. With routines ranging from
superstar parody (selling his album
and reflecting on encores and
juggling groupies) to deft satire
on the latest in liberation and
human potential movements,
Chris is rapidly gaining respect
as a comedian m addition to his
other talents. But you’re still
wondering “Does he really set
one of his balls on fire?” WTiat
else could a routine title “Great
Ball of Fire” be? Road Company
to perform at UNC-A’s Lipinsky
Center. The Road Company,
an improvisational theatrical
troupe from Johnson City, Tenn.,
will visit the campus of the Uni
versity of North Carolina at
Asheville on Friday, January 26,
to perform a program of satire,
improvisation, and mountain
music entitled The Chuckey-Doak
Joke and Juggling Company Pre
sents and Evening of Cabaret.
The six-member company,
which has been working in South
ern Appalachia for nearly five
years, presents a series of satir
ical skits on such subjects as
feminism, nuclear pollution,
sports, and television. Music
is provided by Road Company
music director Sonny Morris, a
Bristol, Tennessee guitarist/vocal
ist who has performed with re
cording artist Dave Loggins and
has performed in such notable
New York clubs as the Village
Vangard and Fold City.
The Road Company performs
their cabaret material regularly
at Johnson City’s famed Down
Home Pickin’ Parlor. Johnson
City Press Chronicle reviewer
Robert Wilson wrote after a Down
Home performance the “...saying
the Road> Company is Upper
East Tenne^ee’s foremost theatri
cal group is an understatement.
No other really comes close.”
BY DALE SAUNDERS
II I""" I"""""*""
9mm
CALL: BESS BAIRD
645-4944
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