Vol. 20, #01 – 1/31/13


WINDOWS ON…

Inner Warmth

When the wind is whipping around on Ninth and Marquette and the TCF clock is reading –13, it’s very easy to forget why we live here. Some suggestions are in order, Dear Reader; maybe off the beaten path but worthy diversions nonetheless.

  • First on our list, for reasons you’ll soon discover, is the upcoming MacPhail Center Spotlight Series: Contemporary Compositions from 12th Street to the River. This showcase features the original works of six MacPhail composers, but we would like to call your attention to the collection of songs for which this showcase is made. Composer Greg Theisen will lead a piano and vocal ensemble performing “From 12th Street to the River,” a collection of pieces from the opera “The Ballad of the Nicollet Mall.” Mr. Theisen has been an important collaborator on a very special project being shepherded by our/your own Charles Neerland. There are several other recognizable theater powerhouses collaborating on the “Ballad,” notably human luminaire John Clark Donahue. Neerland is not one to brag, so the rest of us will on his behalf. In its entirety, the Ballad of the Nicollet Mall is a beautiful work as the pieces that will be performed at this […]