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Evening of enter
taid Afrca' s

By Beth Fertig
THE NECTARINE Ballroom will
host a two-part benefit tonight to
raise money for African famine vic-
tims. The proceeds of this benefit, en-
titled "Evening for Africa," will be
sent to the USA for Africa committee.
The first half of the benefit will con-
sist of a buffet dinner from 7-10 p.m.
Some of the area's finest restaurants
and caterers have contributed to the
meal including the Gandy Dancer,
Moveable Feast, Zingerman's, Trat-
toria Bella Ciao, Escoffier, and the
Whiffletree. Music will be provided be
Ars Musica, an Ann Arbor classical
musical ensemble, and Paul Vor-
nhagen's All Star Jazz Ensemble. The
Master of Ceremonies is Peter
Greenquist of campus station WUOM.
"Evening for Africa" is the joint ef-
fort of local businessmen, many
of whom are in the restaurant in-
dustry. The organization's driving
force has been the combined efforts of
Peter di Lorenzi, Philip Cushway, and
Roger Pothus; all of whom. began
masterminding this event justbover
two months ago. Explains Lee Berry
of Prism Productions, the event's
promoter, ."These were three guys
who knew each other and decided to
mobilize all of the elements with
which they were familiar."
John Carver, owner of the Nec-
tarine Ballroom, has scheduled

benefit dances for various causes
each week this summer at the
Ballroom. Philip Cushway, who works
with Carver at the Ballroom, and
Peter di Lorenzi, a promoter friend of
Cushway's and owner of Ann Arbor
restaurants The Moveable Feast and
Trattoria Bella Ciao, hit upon the idea
of a dance benefit for African famine
'Most people who
started this event are
in the food business
and are contributing
the resources they
have - just like
musicians on 'USA
for Africa.' '
-Lee Barry
promoter for
'Evening for Africa'
victims.
Di Lorenzi states that he was pulled
into the idea because of his business
and political connections. "I
suggested it should be bigger in scale

Thursday, May 23, 1985 The Michigan Daily
ainment
tarvin
than just a dance thing," he says con-
cerning the pre-dance buffet. "From
there we got other people involved
right off-the-bat.
Roger Pothus, owner of Renaissan-
ce clothing, was another key element y
in the planning. Through the connec-
tions of these three men, other local
business people were brought
together in a short period of time. A
planning group of thirteen people held
weekly meetings, and the restaurant
community was drawn into the event
soon, the organization had the help of
about a hundred local people. Says di
Lorenzi, "We decided to go for
legitimate, full community sponsors
to make the whole thing pretty accep-
table to everyone." Wagner's 'Lohengrin' opened Metropolitan Opera Week at Detroit's
Tickets for the buffet are available Masonic Temple Monday evening. Pictured are the opera's villians, Or-
to those who donate at least $25, and trud, played by Mignon Dunn, and Teiramund, played by Donald McIn-
may be purchased at the Michigan tyre. Both actors are members of the New York Metropolitan Opera
Theatre Box Office. According to di Company.
Lorenzi, Ann Arbor for Africa M t' w n o g
solicited over "000 local residents forU
support. In addition, the organization
has been looking for corporate spon- .
sors. 1 smashing Lohengfln'
arry says that many people have g'rt~ F i t ' 4 F ~ t J I
raised the question, "Why holdsa food
and wine buffet to counter hunger?" -----_ -------
He explains, "Most people who star- By Susanne Baum mystical-sounding, chilling half-
Hed exlisventeoplteobustar-ness Susasteps, every so often the listener
ted this event are in the food business -- hears the leit motif and instantly
and arecontributing the resources I HE ETERNAL battle between feels recognition. Repeated in-
they have-just ike musicians on gca good and evil was brought to life strumental solos add to the sense of
After the dinner,ica." Monday night in the New York familiarity; the horn solos denoted
Aftrxert d ican Mutdevelopments Metropolitan Opera Company's per- upcoming main character vocal
and nutritional needs, will speak formance of Wagner's Lohengrin. solos, while the flute solos sym-
and nuttional ntive of Zaire, recentl As always, good triumphed as the bolized the love between Else and
left the University faculty in order to mysterious knight Lohengrin Lohengrin.
direct an African development conquered the evil pair, Telramund Typically, the operatic chorus ac-
drora at Notre Dame. Also and Ortrud. The Metropolitan Opera ted only as background and did very
program to rep e .AAo Company filled the Masonic Temple little singing. Lohengrin's large
scheduled to speak is Ann Arbor in Detroit with exquisite costumes choruses were used spacially and
mayor, Ed Pierce. and sets, nearly convincing the vocally: In Act I the chorus stood
Following the buffet, a dance party audience that they had somehow around the perimeter of the stage
will This half of the event will open stepped into 10th century Antwerp. while the leads were in the center,
with a troupe of African dancers. Ad- The opening prelude was demon- forming a human outline of the
mission tohe dAranaceorn A- strative of the grasp the company stage. The many-voiced chorus
"Eveing for Afr i nly $but isof has of Wagner's breathtaking projected a strikingly powerful
EncludegforbAffetatt'ndes.y$,Mutismusical style-eerie, wandering sound that seemed to radiate off the
included for buffet attendees. Music music with no sense of pull or home stage, greatly increasing the opera's
will be provided by three favorite base, making the audience feel they dramatic effect.
local disc jockeys: Galen Davis, Tom are being tossed about by ocean The traditional wedding march
Simonian, adwezeeheAdzr
Peter di Lorenzi predicts a turnout waves, not knowing where the next used in almost all Christian wed-
of about 600 people for the buffet din- wave will take them. Listeners of dings comes from Lohengrin's third
nr He also hopes the fill the Wagnerian music must open their act. Wagner's wedding march opens
Ballroom's capacity of00 people for ears, clear their minds, and let the the third act with the newlyweds,
Banrmcapatyolowi penpg. r music carry them. Else and Lohengrin, alone in the
the danceparty following.. Wagner's use of the chromatic bridal chamber. The familiar
f aid to the starving masses of the scale produces an alarming effect. modern wedding march contains
reliefaid onthest The ear is familiar and comfortable only a small portion of Wagner's
with the traditional whole note original. astonishingly sweet and
scale-then along comes Wagner lyrical march.
with juicy, spine-tingling half-steps Opera is one of life's most
that shock the ear and make the list- exuberant experiences. Live music,
(21.525 MHz) 1 ener squir in his seat. drama, and singing, can make the
Wagnr's -t' does elicit some audience feel that a real life
sense o fam" . Leit motifs, one situation is happening before their
or two line ' al phrases that eyes. Loengrin was no excep-
z-r J -a' repeat throu ut the opera, tion-the audience excitedly left the
may'"-J - " -' °- provide the li er with a home four-and-a-half-hour performance
base. In the midst of all these with smiling, rejuvenated faces.-

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