Events

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University Theater opens its 2009-10 season of shows with Tom Stoppard’s brilliant comedy “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” on Thursday, November 5, in the Lucille C. Little Theater at Transylvania. The play puts Shakespeare’s two hapless losers from “Hamlet,” at the vortex of an unpredictable universe, in which reality becomes make-believe and theatrical death becomes reality. Adding to the uncertainty is a cast of men and women exchanging roles on alternating performances. One night, men will present Shakespeare’s lines while women read Stoppard’s. The following night, the two gendered casts will switch roles. “In rehearsal, it has really been revealing regarding way the two genders differentiate motivations, nuances in line readings and character qualities, each with equally stimulating results,” said director and drama professor Tim Soulis. “I find the whole process quite exciting and challenging for all of us.” The comedy runs Nov. 5, 6 and 11-14 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 7 and 8 at 2 p.m. in the Lucille C. Little Theater. A post-performance colloquia on the play, the production and Stoppard’s theatricality will begin immediately following the matinees on Nov. 7 and 8. Tickets are $10 and may be reserved by calling the box office at (859) 281-3621. For more information, contact the fine arts office at (859) 233-8141.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In 2006, Transylvania music professor Larry Barnes spent his summer composing a score for “Euphoria,” a full-length film that had already won the Gold Medal at the Houston Film Festival. In July of this year, the soundtrack for “Euphoria” was released, featuring Barnes’ score. On November 12, at 7:30 p.m., “Euphoria” will be shown at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington. Tickets are $6 for general admission, $5 for students and seniors. DVDs and CDs will be available for purchase following the film screening. Barnes will give an introduction before the screening. The feature-length documentary is an out-of-the-box art and science film that asks: In a country built for the pursuit of happiness, is it working? Is living a meaningful life the secret to a natural high? Boot starts by defining the real American Dream as emotional survival and travels across the country searching for clues and human stories to shed some light. “Filmmaker Lee Boot had heard me perform my music in Baltimore years back and he called me and asked if I would review his film with the possibility of my adding a complete musical score,” said Barnes in 2007. “I was elated. I had wanted to compose for film for years and here was a work that had already won a Gold Medal in its original form.” Barnes’ music has been featured at festivals and concert series on three continents. His music has been described by The

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Called “nothing short of high voltage,” “a distinctive voice of the Cuban diaspora” and “a hot, hot act,” two-time Grammy-nominated Latin band Tiempo Libre will perform a concert in Transylvania’s Haggin Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 9, as part of the Dorothy J. and Fred K. Smith Endowed Concert series.   Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs and dance venues, the members of the Miami-based band are true modern heirs to the rich tradition of the music of their native Cuba. Tiempo Libre’s members were all classically trained at La ENA, Cuba’s premiere conservatory during a time when it was illegal to listen to American songs on the radio. Now, the group is an international hit, celebrated for its performances of timba, a mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and the seductive rhythms of son, a style of popular Cuban dance music. Named “Best Latin Band 2008” by the Miami New Times, Tiempo Libre released Bach in Havana, a fusion of Bach with Afro-Cuban rhythms featuring guest tracks by Paquito d’Rivera and Yosvany Terry in May. Bach’s masterpieces make appearances on the album, including the C Major and C Minor Preludes & Fugues from the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier. In January 2005, Tiempo Libre released its debut album on the Shanachie label, Arroz con Mango, which was both a tribute to the Cuban roots of Tiempo Libre’s members and a celebration of their new

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