June 7,8, & 9
GM Productions To
Stage Hack
^By Loretta Manago
The presentation of the
black opera, “Treerooni
sha” by GM Productions,
the Afro-American Cultu
ral Center and Spirit
Square Arts Center on
June 7,8 and 9, will bring to
fruition the dream the com
poser, Scott Joplin had for
this opera.
Although Scott Joplin to
most notably recognized as
the “father of ragtime,"
there are many dimensions
to this artist and com
poser. One of those many
. sides to reveal itself was
through the opera, “Tree
monisha.”
During the time that
JopUn lived it was unthink
able that a blade man could
tread in the restricted
territory of opera. Joplin
spent many years writing
an perfecting this mas
terpiece and Just as many
years were devoted to see
ing “Treemonisha'' pre
sented. “To his death Scott
Joplin, who with each re
fusal became more com
pulsively determined to see
the work published anH
staged, committed himself
to the tragic and futile
quest that was to obesas
and possess him for the
remaining decade of his
life.”
? In 1*15, “Treemonisha”
was first presented when
Joplin made ah attempt to
share an informal adution
; in a small rehearsal hall in
Harlem for an invited au
dience. The effort was not a
success, but it was the
closest Joplin ever came to
hear his work performed.
—-.;
Charles Darden
Mxty years later, the
Houston Grand Opera
staged the first presenta
tion of the opera after
Joplin’s collected works
were published in 1971. The
upcoming presentation of
"Treemonisha” is the se
cond time the opera will be
Predated in its entirety.
This long overdue recogni#*
don of Joplin’s work will
bring in some of the most
talented individuals in the
country.
Conductor for the Char
lotte performance will be
Charles Darden. Currently
the principal conductor of
Dance Theatre of Harlem,
Darden has served as guest
conductor for numerous or
chestras.
Members of the cast will
include Elizabeth Graham,
Lori Brown and Ramn^
Stevenson. A North Caro
lina native Ms. Graham
will sing the title role in the
upcoming production. A
graduate of the North
Carolina School of the Arts
and Florida State Universi
ty, Ms. Graham made her
professional debut in the
Tony Award winning re
vival of Gershwin’s
‘ Porgy And Bess.”
' A featured performer
with Opera Memphis, Sou
thern Opera Touring Com
pany, Charlotte Opera As
sociation and North Caro
lina Opera Company, Ms.
Brown recently toured Au
stria and Italy as Serena in
the American Institute of
Musical Studies’ version of
“Porgy And Bess.”
.
Samuel Stevenson, a
bass-baritone favorite with
Charlotte audiences, has
performed with the Char
lottetown Flayers as well
as the North Carolina
Opera Association. This
season Stevenson will play
Saras tro in “The Magic
Flute” and the toy
maker in “Bahaa In Toy
land"
Choral director is
Donald Chisholm and the
director is Defoy Glenn.
The Friday, June 7th,
and Saturday, June 8th,
performances are sched
uled for 8:15 p.m. The
June 9th performance is at
3 p.m. (matinee). For
ticket information, contact
Spirit Square at 3784883.
Friday evening's perfor
mance is sold out.
stevie Wonder Plays
His Own Keys Of life
By Tony Brown
Special To The Poet
During Ms cable tele
vision concert, musical le
gend Stevie Wander a
musical tribute to Marvin
Gaye. He reveals the un
usual origin of that song.
“Lighting Up The
Candles,” on public tele
vision’s “Tony Brown’s
Journal.”
On this edition, “Stevie
Wonder Plays His Own
Keys Of life,” be talks
about his premonition a
few hours beforTSyei
death when he wrote his
new hit-to-be tribute to
Marvin Gaye. He calls the
song an omen: “There
have been a few times that
I’ve written songs prior to
something happening.
‘Lighting Up The Can
dles’ was a song that I
wrote - no mere than is
hours before Marvin died ”
He adds: “The song, I
really think, puts in one
lyric form the essence of
‘TmT itllt ' i 1 . t- U-mr
how I saw what we have to
do in life. Being in life
within itself is a gift, is a
treasure.”
“Tony Brown’s Journal”
is America’s longest-run
ning and top-ranked black
affairs television series. It.
has been sponsored by Pep
si-Cola Company for nine
consecutive years. Tele
vised nationally on public
television, the program
will be seen in this area on
WTVI, Channel 42, at 5
p m. on Sunday, June 9...
In this provocative and
revealing interview, the
viewer will gHmp— a Ste
vie Wonder rarely seen by
the public. Direct in his
! approach to life, Stevie*
Wonder speaks out openly
about his blindness, his
spirituality, his close
brush with death and how
he uses music to express
himself and his love for
humanity.
One area that he dfe
_cusses in his role in get
ting Martin Luther King’,
birthday declared a nation
al holiday. The program
features video clips from
hit tribute to Dr. King,
“Happy Birthday.”
Class Meeting
The 1965 Class of Second
Ward High School will be
having a class meetisg
Saturday, June 8, at 8717
Oaken Gate Lane, at 5 p.m.
The topic of discussion win
be the upcoming class re
union. All members are
encouraged and urged to
attend. For further details?* -
contact Shirley Cornelius
at 554-8905. '-**: £»«**.