A different dance production at Kalakshetra this Saturday

If you are a dance rasika we would encourage you to watch the production at Kalakshetra on Saturday evening , December 6, 6 p.m.

Fire and Ash is  JustUs Repertory production and features three people - writer-researcher Gowri Ramnarayan, dancer Anjana Anand and vocalist Savita Narasimhan.

The theme revolves around lord Shiva and of a few strands of philosophy that he embodies. Gowri uses little anecdotes and tales, texts and thoughts to weave the production while Savita sings live and Anjana performs a few pieces. A few props are used as well a few works of painting by Savita herself.

The show premiered at Bhavans in Chennai some 3 weeks ago and had a full house. Engaging. Quiet-paced.

Open to all.

Dancer Priyadarshini Govind not performing this season

If you are a dance rasika then you will not get to see senior dancer and Kalakshetra director Priyadarshini Govind perform this 'season'.

She is not on stage because she has injured her hand. This was disclosed by actor A R Srinivasan when he spoke after he was, along with Trichur V. Ramachandran, Priyadarshini and mridangist Thanjavur Ramamurthy, given awards by Brahma Gana Sabha.

Priyadarshini smiled at the remark and did not elaborate on it when it was her time to speak.

She has just returned from Delhi where the Kalakshetra repertory presented five dance dramas - staged after a long time there, they got a big audience.

Family Counts

Family counts. That was the message that two young artistes, Saketharaman and Anwesha Dass who were decorated with awards by Kartik Fine Arts at the sabha's opening evening on December 1 shared when it was their turn to speak.

Young Saketharaman said that his parents have sacrificed and supported the careers of his sister Vishaka Hari, well known for her musical discourses and himself. He said he also owed it to his wife and his in-laws. "There were times when I wondered if I could continue solely with music," shared the young vocalist.

He also acknowledged the presence of violinist GJR Krishnan in the audience - Saketharaman and his sister were students of late Lalgudi Jayaraman.

Dancer Anwesha Dass said that besides her guru and her parents, her husband also supported her. The couple have had a baby and Dass has taken a break from her passion. 

Jottings from Luz Church Road . . .

A good many people must be saying by now that all these awards functions seem to be a tad pedestrian. No wonder not many people care to attend them.

Smt. Sivagami Petachi Auditorium is a great space for a more intimate experience for a concert or a play. Located inside the campus of the M. Ct. M Muthiah Chettyar School on Luz Church Road, this was the venue for the launch of Brahma Gana Sabha's festival on Wednesday evening ( Dec.3).

Five minutes to opening time and there were more people chatting on the lawns than inside the hall. Workers were still hammering nails into display boards and the makeshift canteen staff had only hot cups of coffee to offer; tiffin would take time.

And when the awards were given by chief guest Justice Kaul of the Madras High Court, there was a big battery of media photographers, a rare sight at sabha events.

Seniors of the Tamil drama fraternity make it a point to be present when one of their own is decorated. So after actor ARS ( A R Srinivasan ) had received his award on stage, many theatre-people got up to felicitate him and were around him in the lobby after the formal event was done with. Even the 83-year-old Koothapiran was here as was Kathadi Ramamurthy and others.

We chanced on a small stall selling packed idli-s. The Idli Factory is a start-up venture of a young entrepreneur who has re-designed the idli and sells them in small, smart packs. Try them!

Notes at Bharat Kalachar's festival launch

Notes at the inauguration of the music fest at Bharat Kalachar. Nov.30, 2014 evening.

- Kalpathi Suresh, CEO of the Kalpathi which among investments and projects also produces films under the AGS banner was the chief guest. But it appeared him mind was elsewhere this evening! Ms YGP, the grand lady of this place said Suresh was a PSBB school alumni ( the school is Ms YGP's baby) and that she was happy Suresh was supporting education and the arts. Suresh though was not to be seen midway through the awards event; his chair remained unoccupied for some time before a volunteer took it away. We weren't told what happened to the guest!

- Bharat Kalachar's events are all family! Ms YGP's folks are involved and a lot of back-slapping and light talk and informality runs through events like Sunday evening's launch and awards. With actor Y G Mahendra around, his wisecracks and bagful of anecdotes keeps guests and audience rolling in some laughter. Guests are either amused, taken aback or laugh it off.

- Actors Radhika Sarat Kumar and Suhasini Mani Ratnam got all the attention film stars always hold.  Ms YGP recalled the occasion when she watched the media show of Radhika's ' Kizhakku Pogum Rail' film', wrote a review for The Hindu and mentioned that this was an actor to watch out for. Others hailed Radhika's current position as an entertainment entrepreneur ( her company now produces many TV serials ).

- Two people always get their due attention at Bharat Kalachar events. Mr YGP and Semmangudi Srinivasaiyer - for their role in founding the organization and the life in the early days. (This is the 28th edition of the margazhi fest by Kalachar). The duo's portraits are painted in the auditorium which is named after the late YGP.

Jaya TV charts its own music fest

The cosy cohabitation between Maximum Media and Jaya TV channel which presented a series of great concerts on TV at this time of the year has come to an end.

Producer Subashree Thanikachalam took the lead to curate the concerts which were shot, canned and then had Jaya TV telecast them, giving many seniors and rasikas outside Chennai a great window to watch a long series of concerts by top class artistes.

A few days ago, Maximum Media made public its new music concerts series but at a new venue - Youth Hostel campus in Adyar, away from the Chettinad Vidyashram auditorium in south Chennai. It is not yet clear if these will be telecast later.

This morning, Jaya TV said it was hosting a concert series at the Chettinad Vidyashram hall from Dec.1 and that the concerts would be telecast later.

TV channels now give time for concerts because there is a nice community that looks for them on the telly.

Going ga-ga over Amma

People like to listen to senior artistes when they talk. Talk extempore. For they may have stories to tell, anecdotes to share.

But when veena artiste E Gayathri spoke after she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan the other day, she sounded more like a AIADMK politician!

On more than four occasions she raised the name of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma and all that she has done for the arts.

Gayathri is currently vice chancellor of the TN Music University, appointed by Jayalalithaa, former chief minister who was disqualified as a legislator recently after a court found her guilty of corruption charges.

Many people felt that the Bhavan event was not the occasion to keep taking of the varsity and offering praises to Amma.

Kutcheri Schedules; this year they are out early

Chennai's sabhas are waking up slowly to the changing world of the performing arts and the people who indulge in it. Till about a year ago, most sabhas put out their December Season schedules in late November or as late as early December, just weeks before their music / dance tests would begin.

Times seem to have made some impact. This year, many sabhas issued their schedules as early as the first week of November. Those who are delaying it are the ones who still have trouble fixing the accompanists for some artistes or have some blanks in their dance concerts time table.

Sabhas need to realize that many rasikas from outside Chennai are keen to pick and choose the concerts they wish to attend, curate a schedule personally and book travel tickets and accommodation.

Little effort is made to attract tourists and others to the city and to its music/dance season. Sabhas seem to be still content with serving members and local rasikas.

Here are sabha schedules - http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/schedules-2014

Odd sight at music space . . .

The house was full, the event was businesslike and the music was good but at the inauguration of the music fest of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore there was one small sight that was odd.

A armed policeman who stood in the aisle and kept to himself.  One assumed that perhaps he was here as part of the team behind the chief justice of the Madras High Court who was the chief guest. Later we were told that the man was security provided to E Gayathri, who was decorated with an award that evening - Nov.21.

This senior artiste, best known for her veena playing artistry since her pre-teen years is now vice chancellor of the TN Music University.

Guns and music cannot be in the same place . . .

Umayalpuram Sivaraman teams up with dancers

This Season, you will get to experience mridangam maestro Umayalpuram R Sivaraman is a different avatar that is not wholly new to the artiste. Being at the core of a dance recital.

The vidwan has been in recent times experimenting in playing for classical dance. Recently, he performed as dancers Roja Kannan and Priya Murle performed. Priya recalls that he played the Tandava and Lasya.

The two senior Bharatanatyam dancers will be seen on stage alongside Sivaraman and other musicians. The group does not want to talk much on the recital.

Says Priya, "Once he has set his mind to it Sivaraman sir just works at it. He brings a lot to dance."

Bhavan's auditoria offer good experience

A good listening experience awaits rasikas at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's main auditorium in Mylapore this season.

The renovation which began late last year and ran into the 2013 season took time to complete and now, the auditorium is one of the best in the city.

Seating is comfortable and designed such that you get to see the artistes on stage from all corners. The audio system is fairly good and the lights, good enough for use by dancers.

The lobby space is also neat, well-lit and swank.

The smaller auditoria at the upper levels are also neat.

The Bhavans' Chennai kendra director K N Ramaswamy says he intends to raise the level of the stage for artistes at the mini hall so that eye contact with rasikas is better.

This is one campus which has events right through the day - discourses, music/dance concerts, talks . . .

Welcome to Season 2014; the nip is in the air

It feels good to be back here as we at KutcheriBuzz begin our coverage of December Season 2014.

Chennai had its spell of pre-monsoon showers - the potholes on the roads got wider, the dust was in the air and the nights got a wee bit chill. The weather map does show indications of the monsoon and if this is delayed then December may well be a wet month.

If there is one prediction that we can make then we always expect a spell of rain on the day the curtains go up on the festival of Kartik Fine Arts!

It will be a chill December, at least by Chennai standards and so seniors will want to pull out their monkey caps, mufflers and light sweaters.

The temperatures in the mid 20s after dusk make for a pleasant experience in a  city where the standard daytime temperature is in the mid-30s.