Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
DocuSign Envelope ID:Al 391C8C-C731-4683-B498-D5B7783F86E4 ith music I Arts&Culture NewsObserver.com <br /> News®bserver.com <br /> Previous Story <br /> Next Story <br /> Theater Review <br /> A Christmas Eve truce, with music <br /> By Roy C.Dicks <br /> CorrespondentDecember 10,2012 <br /> Facebook Twitter Goo le Plus Reddit E-mail Print <br /> Carrboro ArtsCenter5ETM's theatrical production of a€ceAII Is Calma€will be performed by The <br /> Cantari Men's Ensemble. <br /> COURTESY OF THE ARTSCENTER <br /> • Details What:"All is Calm:The Christmas Truce of 1914"Where:ArtsCenter,300-G E.Main St.,Carrboro When:8 p.m.Thursday through Saturday;3 p.m.Dec. <br /> 16 Tickets:$10-$18 Info:919-929-2787 or artscenterlive.org <br /> Carrboro's ArtsCenter is offering a new holiday entertainment that deserves to be an annual classic."All Is Calm"conveys the story of World War I's Christmas Eve truce <br /> in 1914.Told through text and song,it proves a moving testament to"peace on Earth,good will toward men." <br /> Minneapolis-based choral arrangers Erick Lichte and Timothy C.Takach collaborated with director Peter Rothstein on this one-hour work that's a cross between a play <br /> and a concert.Excerpts from letters and diaries of British,French and German troops,along with official military communications and snippets of war poems,tell about <br /> the night when soldiers began singing carols in a meager holiday observance.Then a lone German stood up,singing"Stille Nacht,"the Allied doughboys joined in,and <br /> suddenly there was an unarmed gathering from both sides for food,drink and camaraderie.Unfortunately,commanding officers soon ordered all back to the trenches <br /> and the killing continued. <br /> The show has familiar holiday songs arranged for unaccompanied male voices in rich,multi-part harmonies,transforming such favorites as"O Tannenbaum,""Good <br /> King Wenceslas"and"O Holy Night,"into brand new pieces.The slightly dissonant arrangements sound wistful and chilly,perfectly limning the feeling of that particular <br /> evening.The show also has heartily sung ditties such as"Keep The Home Fires Burning"and"Pack Up Your Troubles." <br /> The ArtsCenter cast consists of 11 members of Chapel Hill-based Cantari Men's Ensemble.Five speak the texts,taking on different personas and accents.John Paul <br /> Middlesworth has the most experience and confidence,but Dale Bailey,Darin Knapp,Michael Shannon and David Sroka each find affecting moments.Joined by singers <br /> Eric Dashman,Adam Dangler,Ryan Frazer,Scott Goodwin,John Irwin and Graham White,they perform impressively precise,velvet-toned vocals.Sue Klausmeyer's <br /> superb musical direction makes for gripping,quietly emotional renditions. <br /> Director Jeri Lynn Schulke arrays the singers over Michael Brocki's wintery setting of sandbags and ammunition crates,giving them just enough movement to ward off <br /> concert formations.Chelsea Kurtzman's heavily layered uniforms,along with onstage fog and snow,add to the palpable cold and dreariness. <br /> The characterizations and accents could be stronger,but the sincerity and simplicity of the production is so satisfying that audiences can easily take away the message <br /> that good will is better than war. <br /> Dicks:music_theater @lycos.com <br /> Facebook Twitter Google Plus Reddit E-mail Print <br /> Join The Conversation <br /> News&Observer is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information,experiences and observations about what's in the news.Some of the comments may be <br /> reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper.We encourage lively,open debate on the issues of the day,and ask that you refrain from profanity,hate speech, <br /> personal comments and remarks that are off point.Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts. <br /> Commenting FAQs I Terms of Service <br /> http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/12/10/2536984/review-a-christmas-eve-truce-with.html 1/2 <br />