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HomeNewsArchivesSCENE & HERD - FEB. 20, 2000

SCENE & HERD – FEB. 20, 2000

RED VIOLIN, TAKE 3: If you believe "the third time's the charm" and you really did want to see The Red Violin on the Reichhold Center's "Cinema Sunday" schedule, then head on out to the theater Sunday night, Feb. 20, with your fingers crossed. The picture was initially booked for the Thanksgiving weekend but didn't arrive on time; it was rescheduled for the New Year's weekend but there were technical problems. This Sunday doesn't tail onto any holiday — although Monday is Presidents Day — and with any luck all will be well.
The 1998 Canadian production (Le Violon Rouge) encompasses three centuries of international history and politics, war, romance, sex, silliness, mysticism, intrigue, deceit and the requisite marvelous musical score. In fact, the music, by John Corigliano, featuring Joshua Bell on violin with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen, is up for for an Academy Award.
Critic Roger Ebert describes the film as "the story of a violin (‘the single most perfect acoustical machine I've even seen,' says a restorer) from its maker in 17th Century Italy to an auction room in modern Montreal. The violin passes from the rich to the poor, from Italy to Poland to England to China to Canada. It is shot, buried, almost burned and stolen more than once."
The saga unfolds in flashbacks from the auction, where the "red violin," received by the auction house in a shipment of goods from China, is about to go on the block. The violin itself is the star here, in its passionate performances of music ranging from Baroque to modern. But Samuel L. Jackson's character, an unscrupulous New York expert hired by the auction house to restore the instrument, is the ultimate pivotal figure.
The film tracks the 300-year life of the priceless hand-crafted instrument from its maker (with a tarot card reader predicting its course) to an order of monks to an orphan child prodigy to a band of gypsies to a famous virtuoso violinist to a Chinese pawnshop at the time of the Cultural Revolution to the auction house in Montreal.
The Red Violin won the 1999 Genie and Jutra Awards for best motion picture and the 1998 Tokyo International Film Festival Award for best artistic contribution. Directed by François Gerard, it was filmed largely in English, with some subtitles. Running time is 130 minutes. It's unrated. Movie time at the Reichhold is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 general admission and $2.50 for children.
PAUL KEENS AND COMPANY: Every couple of years, it seems, one organization or another brings consummate Trinidadian storyteller Paul Keens Douglas to the territory, and the crowds turn out for an unparalelled evening of fun. The next opportunity on St. Thomas to enjoy the experience is Friday, Feb. 25, when he'll be doing a benefit for the Frederick Lutheran Church Youth Organization.
"Paul Keens," as everybody call him, travels with a marvelous entourage of Caribbean characters on the tip of his tongue. They're all connected in one way or another with the pivotal personage, the irrepressible Tante Merle, a senior citizen stuck in her ways and plenty proud of it. They all come to life as he regales his audiences with rollicking tales of their foibles, misadventures and hilarious happenings in a low-key manner that soon has even continentals rolling in the aisles.
The program will take place at the V.I. Taxi Association Clubhouse, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, and they're available by calling 776-1315.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MAHALIA: The Reichhold's last off-island presentation of the subscription season will be "Mahalia — A Gospel Musical," on Saturday, Feb. 26. Based on the life of the late gospel great Mahalia Jackson, the production features 22 songs and focuses on the legendary artist's "larger than life intensity, pointed humor and infectious charisma," according to promotional material.
The grandchild of slaves who grew up in a three-room shanty, Jackson was born in New Orleans in 1912 and moved to Chicago in 1927. She made her first recordings in the mid-1930s and went on to reach the pinnacle of success, performing for royalty and Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy and fighting alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement. Her personal life was "plagued with the prejudices of the time and included idiosyncracies such as distrust of banks so deep rooted that she concealed her fortune on her body — tens of thousands of dollars at a time — rather than entrust her money to a financial institution," the material states.
The new musical, written by Tom Stolz and directed by Joy Vandervort-Cobb, is making a two-month tour of the East Coast and Midwest with this sashay to St. Thomas and St. Croix. The production coming to the Reichhold Center Saturday, and to Island Center the next night, stars Tasha Wilson in the title role. Reichhold tickets are $25 in the covered section, $15 and $10 in the open air. For outlets or charge-card purchases, call the box office at 693-1559.
GOING TO THE DOGS: Last year's first-ever "pet health fair and dog show" presented by the local chapter of the American Red Cross attracted an incredible crowd of nearly a hundred amazingly well-behaved canines and their owners to the Crown Bay landfill. So, of course, there's going to be a "second annual." It's set for Sunday, Feb. 27, again in Crown Bay.
The reason the event is being brought to us by the Red Cross and not the Humane Society is that the Red Cross has an interest in — and funding for — educating the public about being prepared to care for pets in times of crisis such as, shall we say, the aftermath of a hurricane. To that end, the fair will have informational materials available, along with food and drink for humans, drinking water for the dogs, and games and a clown for kids.
Last year's show featured a parade of pets, with judges awarding prizes for just about every imaginable attractive aspect, including "prettiest eyes" (the winner was an amiable but otherwise undistinguished island dog). To sign up to participate, call 774-0375.
IF IT'S A TAIL, IT'S A WHALE: The Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John is sponsoring four whale watch outings this winter, all aboard the catamaran Jolly Mon. They're set for two Saturdays and Sundays, Feb. 26/27 and March 11/12. The vessel will typically cruise north of St. Thomas, following any leads reported by marine radio or a spotter plane flying overhead, with an expert or two aboard to provide color commentary, whether whales are sighted or not. There's no guarantee even one will be on any given day, but expectations are perennially so high that seats sell out well in advance of the departure dates. The Jolly Mon can accommodate 40 passengers max, so if you want to give it a go, make reservations.
For the full-day excursions departing from the National Park Service dock in Vessup Bay, tickets are $45 for EAST members and $55 for non-members, which does not include food or drinks. They're being sold at Nisky Mail Boxes and East End Secretarial Services on St. Thomas and at Connections on St. John. To learn more, call the EAST office at 776-1976.
GARDEN PARTY: The artists and artisans who do business in the Tillett Gardens complex have gotten together to host a "Tillett Garden Party" once a month on a Saturday, at least through season. A kind of in-house mini-Arts Alive fair, it's essentially an open house, with visitors invited into the studios and shops to meet the owners, watch them at work and check out their wares — which include paintings, scented candles, hand-made jewelry, hand- painted clothing, silkscreened fabric, woodcraft, soft sculpture and much more. The first event is Saturday, Feb. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's a drop in/drop out kind of affair, with refreshments available for
purchase at Polli's Mexican Restaurant in the complex.
LET'S GET VOCAL: What does "the voice of the Virgin Islands" sound like? Well, according to the territory's new mainland advertising agency, which is looking for just that to voice-over its upcoming broadcast campaign, it has to emanate from a "native U.S. Virgin Islander, preferably with a Crucian accent," who has "previous broadcasting or performance experience," and will preferably be male.
Maybe the just-come Ogilvy & Mather people didn't know what they were getting into here.
Whose definition of "native"? You may recall — or may have wilfully repressed — the fact that long ago and far away, when the politicos were first debating the concept of a casino industry on St. Croix and providing a requirement that locals own a piece of the pie, Sen. Adelbert Bryan succeeded in getting the legislature to adopt a definition that actually excludes some categories of people born here.
What's a "Crucian accent"? No way consensus is going to come through on this one, especially with the significant Hispanic element, and here's betting Ogilvy & Mather won't be able to distinguish between Jamaican and Trini, anyhow. Should Geoffery Holder, whose sonorous and lilting tones have graced "local" radio spots before, choose to apply, Scene somehow sees him as a front-runner.
"Must have previous broadcast or performance experience" is vague enough to embrace all eventualities — for the right candidate, it could mean reciting a poem in third grade — while leaving a loophole for justifying rejection. Well, that's showbiz.
The preference for a male voice is puzzling. Until equal opportunity became the law of the land, telephone companies for decades employed only women as operators because research showed that the public was more likely to have confidence in a female source of information. Well, again, maybe what they're really looking — listening — for is Geoffrey Holder.
Auditions took place (on St. Croix, of course) last week. However, the agency didn't find the ideal spokesman. So a second casting call has been scheduled for Tuesday (again on St. Croix, of course). It's from 8 a.m. to noon at the WJKC/Isle 95 Radio offices above Gallows Bay Hardware. Should you happen to be a Nevisian-born female with a Kittitian accent who has never spoken in public before, lives on St. Thomas and can afford the airfare, hey, go for it. Call the Tourism Department at 774-8784 (note that this is a St. Thomas number) to learn more.
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT? Thirty-two works by professional artists and 12 by students are on display at the "Hearts and Flowers Valentine Exhibition" at Bajo el Sol Gallery in Mongoose Junction. In promoting the show, open to all Virgin Islands artists, the organizers announced that cash prizes would go to the judges' choice of winning works — with the public serving as jury. The exhibition hangs through March 4, and the public is invited not only to view the two- and three-dimensional works but also to cast their "people's choice" ballots, with winners to be announced on the final day.
Here's who's got what on display among the grown-ups: Patricia Abraham (color pencil/ink), Les Anderson (mixed media), Anetha Barton (acrylic), Mercedes Berruz (oil), Kimberly Boulon (pastel/watercolor), Sharon Butler (gold casting), Janet Cook-Rutnik (acrylic), Bob Davis (wire/glass work), Michael Del Visco (wood works), Lisa Etre (mixed media), Rebecca Everett (watercolor), Lina Guild (monotype), Mark Hansen (Raku pottery), Enjil Harrah-Inui (acrylic), Bente Hirsch (watercolor), Kim Holland (pearl/silver/gemstone necklace), George Hollander (enameled wood light sculpture), Sandra Kelly (oil), Moe Kunsch (acrylic), Christopher Levin (color pencil, coral/laramar work), Erik Pedersen (assemblage on paper), Robin Clair Pitts (acrylic), Victoria Rogers (watercolor), Debra St. Clair (paper), Kat Sowa (mixed media), Amy Thurmond (oil), Amy Trayser (collage), Corinne Van Rensselaer (watercolor), Gail Van de Bogurt (Raku ceramic), Constance Wallace (photography) and Doreen E. Walsh (batik).
A dozen of Etre's students at Eudora Kean High School are also represented: Malene Allen (mixed media), William Caban Jr. (tempera), Marvat Chambers (mixed media), Chasda Clendinen (mixed media), Arthur Herbert (color pencil), Loufil Joseph (acrylic), Sheridon Alexis Lee (mixed media), Derick Leon (watercolor/pencil), Monica Nesbitt (acrylic), Tracey Roberts (color pencil), Samuel Stevens Jr. (color pencil) and Camita Warner (goauche).
Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more, call 693-7070.
IT'S A NEW YEAR'S JAMBOREE: The first Dockside Jamboree of the year 2000 at Havensight Mall takes place Friday, Feb. 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. Picking up where it left off on Christmas Eve, the event is again a joint presentation of the Havensight Mall Association and the Committee to Revive Our Culture, with sponsorship by the West Indian Company Ltd. and local beverage distributors.
Imagination Brass, Sea Breeze, Hardcore and the V.I. Housing Authority Steelpan Orchestra will provide live music at various places within the mall, and the St. Thomas Mystical Mocko Jumbies and Quadrille Dancers will show off their dancing moves. Local arts, crafts and foods will be available for purchase, and mall merchants will be providing door prizes. Several ships are in port until late on Fridays now, and the jamboree is meant to provide them, as well as residents, with an opportunity to enjoy an evening of cultural arts and entertainment. In between shopping stops in the mall, of course.
SOON TO BE SEEN: Next up in the Reichhold's "Cinema Sundays" line-up:
Feb. 27 — Mo' Better Blues, Spike Lee's 1990 movie about jazz that's a drama, not a musical — a backstage look at a self-centered trumpeter who manages to keep everyone in his life at arm's length, including the two ladies in his life. The music of the Branford Marsalis Quartet with Terrence Blanchard and a score by Spike's father, Bill Lee, are featured.
March 5 — The Buena Vista Social Club, a widely acclaimed documentary based on the Grammy Award-winning album of the same name, showcasing the music of many once- famous and then mostly forgotten Cuban musicians still living in Cuba who are now, as a result, hot stuff again. (The film has been nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary feature and is competing for the honor with "Speaking in Strings," the documentary about violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg that was produced by St. Thomian Lilibet Foster and featured a week ago at the Reichhold's premiere International Film and Video Festival.)
March 12 — Listen Up: The Life of Quincy Jones, a 1990 visual and musical collage documenting the life and times of the famed musician, composer, arranger and producer. There are cameos by a Who's Who of the music world — Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Barbra Steisand, Michael Jackson and more. This is the first of two films about musical greats on the "Cinema Sundays" schedule for March, which is music education month.
March 19 — no film, as the Reichhold has a preemptive booking.
March 26 — Thelonius Monk: Straight, No Chaser, a 1989 documentary on the life of the famed jazz pianist. It features performances by Monk and his band recorded live along with interviews with him, his friends and his family.
THE FESTIVAL PHILOSOPHICALLY: The Reichhold Center's first international film and video festival was an artistic success by most accounts, although the turnout was sparse between the Sunday opening on Feb. 6 and the final two nights, last Friday and Saturday. A big problem was that precious few people, even if they adore les fli
cs
, can commit to seven straight nights in front of the big screen from 7 to maybe 11 p.m. — especially if they have to go to work next morning. The scheduling virtually ruled out students, too, which is unfortunate, for many of the works addressed issues of interest to young people and showcased the talents of young directors and producers, many of whom were present to discuss their works.
Attendance was close to 300 on opening night, maybe 200 on Friday and 150 on Saturday. On the other nights, it plummeted to about 30 at best and as few as a half-dozen for the second showings some nights. "Maybe seven people made every night," said one of those who did — a retiree who didn't have to report to work or class each morning.
Scene suggested even before the fest got under way that two successive weekends with matinee and evening screenings would make for a much more user-friendly festival. The organizers seem to be leaning toward that for next year — and they profess to be totally committed to there being a next year. They may, in fact, find it easier to attract entries for the second annual fest, as the producers and directors who came here for this first one consistently praised not only the St. Thomas weather and people but also the Reichhold's new projection technology, which accommodates 35 and 16 mm film, videotape and digital video formats.
TO BE SEEN: Scene & Herd appears weekly in the Source, previewing arts and entertainment events open to the public on St. Thomas and St. John. To have information considered for inclusion, submit it in writing by the Monday before desired posting date. Fax to 776-4812 or e-mail to jetsinger@viaccess.net.

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