Convos Stories

April 23, 2014

The Making of a Classic

It was September 26, 1957, and something great was coming that evening: a Broadway musical unlike any that had come before. “I thought West Side Story was going to be a flop,” says Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book of...

April 17, 2014

LIFE IN COLOR: IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Life In Color outdoor concertThe LIFE IN COLOR tour UNLEASH featuring Adventure Club, David Solano, Machine Gun Kelly, Cash Cash, Spyder Logic and White Vinyl Sky The concert, sponsored by the Purdue Student Concert Committee to celebrate Grand Prix week, will take place Friday, April...

March 11, 2014

SXSW Review: BORN TO FLY features STREB

By John Gholson Late in the documentary Born to Fly, "pop action" choreographer Elizabeth Streb mentions wanting to expand the brand name recognition of her dance company. This film should certainly help. I'd never heard of Streb before this (not that...

March 7, 2014

Shakespeare’s Tragedies: Everybody Dies.

Want more Shakespeare? See HAMLET on March 29 at Loeb Playhouse!

March 3, 2014

The Acting Company: Where Are They Now?

By Nick Rogers Founded in 1972 as a troupe for Juilliard-trained actors, the Acting Company has since become a fertile proving ground for household names and familiar faces. Among its Oscar®, Tony® and Golden Globe® award-winning alums are Kevin Kline,...

February 24, 2014

PROGRAM NOTES: Simone Dinnerstein, piano

This is a program that explores time and counterpoint. Bach’s 15 Two Part Inventions are pieces that he wrote in 1723 as a guide for keyboard players.  It shows how to play counterpoint, beginning with two voices, one in each...

February 20, 2014

PROGRAM NOTES: St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

PROGRAM NOTES As young men, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Piotr Tchaikovsky (born four years apart) represented opposite tendencies in Russian music.  The former started his professional life as a naval officer, largely self-taught in music who, together with his colleagues in...

February 6, 2014

The legacy of world-renowned orchestras at Purdue

Several weeks ago, the Journal and Courier wrote a feature article about Purdue Convocations and its history. Going through the performance archives was definitely a trip down memory lane! Since 1902, Purdue Convocations has presented some of the world’s top...

February 6, 2014

Lucky Plush faces reality in “Cinderbox 2.0”

Reality shows are ubiquitous on television and in pop culture these days. But though we view them with a more knowing and wary gaze than we did when The Real World and Survivor took over the airwaves, our attention hasn’t...

January 9, 2014

A small dinner with a big impact

If you’re reading this in an email or blog post from Convocations, chances are you’re the sort of person who needs your art fix. Convocations delivers it, with over 30 shows each year in multiple genres—and the Friends of Convocations...

December 13, 2013

Sun Studio: The Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll

It was on a tiny corner in Memphis, Tennessee, that Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis came together for a legendary impromptu jam on December 4, 1956, at Sun Studio. When owner Sam Phillips called the...

December 11, 2013

PURDUE CONVOCATIONS ANNOUNCES RESCHEDULED DATE FOR YO-YO MA

Purdue Convocations is pleased to announce the new date for the previously cancelled performance with Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott. The concert will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse in Purdue's Stewart Center....