2012-2013 McCain Conversations
“The Gleeful Science of Comics”
6:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21, McCain Room 204
Dr. Joe Sutliff Sanders, Assistant Professor, Department of English - Kansas State University
In the late 1950s, comics readers wanted--and were--something new. Whether they were converted science fiction fans, playground kids, or GIs back from the war, comics readers were a devoted and savvy consumer base with a love of gaudy costumes and big-idea science. The result was the birth of the Silver Age of comics, when superheroes took over the industry, wielding powers that looked magical but were explained as though they were scientific.
Coffee and light desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of Intergalactic Nemesis
“Nexus to the Soul: Blues, Gospel, and Jazz”
6:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19, McCain Room 204
Dr. Alfred Cochran, Professor of Music and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Music – Kansas State University
In this pre-event dialogue, we will explore the aspects of blues, gospel, and jazz music that, collectively, form a pathway that links the outside world with the most intimate and compelling aspects of our inner nature as humans. The lives and careers of Dr. John and the Blind Boys of Alabama provide an ideal springboard for our discussion of this very engaging topic.
Coffee and light desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of Dr. John & The Blind Boys of Alabama
“Did Shakespeare Know The Merchant of Venice would be his most controversial comedy?”
6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25 (lecture will not be repeated on Friday or Saturday)
Dr. Don Hedrick, Professor, Department of English - Kansas State University
What was he thinking in composing a mashup of traditional comic villain and Jew? fantasy and realism? biblical injunction against charging interest and Elizabethan controversy over it? cross-dressing women and legal proceedings? A study of Jewish-Gentile relations and of romantic love? Could he foresee how his “Shylock” and the infamous “pound of flesh” bargain would be performed and read? Become stereotype and cliché?
Coffee and light desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of The Merchant of Venice (any show date)
“Revisiting jazz standards: Old Wine in New Bottles”
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 13, McCain Room 204
Dr. Paul Hunt, Professor, Trombone - School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State University
The opening sentence to a review of Tierney Sutton's 2011 recording, “American Band,” states, "Tierney Sutton has long been a wide-ranging explorer as a vocalist, not satisfied with the standard jazz canon or typical approaches to songs." This McCain Conversation will focus on the ways jazz musicians can create fresh, sometimes quite challenging to the listener, interpretations of very familiar music.
Coffee and light desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of Turtle Island Quartet.
"What's the Difference Between a Violin and a Fiddle?"
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 5, McCain Room 204
Dr. Cora Cooper, Professor, School of Music, Dance, and Theatre - Kansas State University
This is one of the most frequent questions Dr. Cora Cooper, K-State Professor of Violin, is asked. Find out the definitive answer in this conversation with Cooper and her fiddler guests, K-State students Jake Pritchard and Joseph Fedrizzi.
Coffee and light desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of A Leahy Family Christmas.
“Mummenschanz, Artisans of Transformation”
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 12, McCain 204
David Ollington, Instructor of Dance, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance — Kansas State University
Now celebrating 40 years of creative performance, Mummenschanz offers a unique blend of mime, illusion, and dance. Evoking a variety of imagery, their inimitable work ignites the viewers' imagination. We'll discuss the riveting significance of this work and how lucky we are to have them on the McCain stage.
Coffee and desserts provided.
Free to all ticketholders of Mummenschanz
“Alison Balsom: Talent, Dedication, and Beauty on Stage”
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, McCain 204
Dr. Gary Mortenson, Director, School of Music, Dance, and Theatre - Kansas State University
Alison Balsom is one of the most important and vibrant young soloists on the music scene today. Gary Mortenson will talk about what it takes to come up through the competition circuit and be successful on the world stage as a soloist on an instrument other than the piano, violin, or cello. He'll talk about how Ms. Balsom brings fresh interpretations to the music of the Baroque era (historically considered the "golden age" for the trumpet) exemplified in the music of Albinoni, Bach, Biber, Handel, Purcell, and Vivaldi while also growing the solo repertoire with new works as seen in Balsom's commissioning and premiere of Seraph by MacMillan.
Coffee and light desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of Alison Balsom and the Scottish Orchestra.
"In music you never stay in the same place": The Career of Itzhak Perlman
3 p.m., Sunday, April 21, McCain 204
Dr. Cora Cooper, Professor, School of Music, Dance, and Theatre - Kansas State University
Itzhak Perlman has been one of the world's foremost and beloved musicians for over 50 years. Come hear about his career and influence, told largely through his own words and in his own inimitable style.
Coffee and desserts provided.
Free to all ticket holders of Itzhak Perlman