Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 'Love will have the final word' Tuesday is Kiwanis International Day 10 things to know for Monday Getting a lift from climbing a tree Striking a balance Education Ashland schools expand chicken pox exclusion rules Students go behind the scenes at hospital Ashland robotics team aims to build a winner AHS ranked No. 7 by Niche College debt load balloons: What could, should be done? Environment The top five conservation success of 2014 Protestors want Keystone pipeline plans stopped New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Turning fire fuel threat into wood stove heat Ashland watershed trails would change under proposal Business Silvio Calabi: Ford Escape Still a Solid Player Ride & Drive: 2015 Cadillac Escalade Brammo bought by Polaris They have a plan Ashland coffee roasters win nationwide honors Politics and elections Chief Holderness retiring, wants to help find successor State News New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Police officer shoots armed driver near Reedsport Nation - World Obituaries Susan Lynne Schaffer Dolores M. Edwards Betty Jean Gee Death Notices Elizabeth Hope Garrett Shareable Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Sports Latest Stories Seahawks see need for improvement Springfield takes advantage of Ashland letdown Leonard's strong return powers Spurs past Blazers Mariota wins Manning award Respect: sock it to him High school Springfield takes advantage of Ashland letdown A Grizz sweep Comets press past Grizzlies Raiders put on a show Graham sparks Grizzly rout Southern Oregon University Springfield takes advantage of Ashland letdown Mariota wins Manning award Heisman winner Mariota says he's going to the NFL Buckeyes won title behind line play, Elliott and Jones Sayre says character key to SOU's success Opinion Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Jan. 19 Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy Our View: King's other message Herb Rothschild Jr.: King's provocation Kent Bush: Capital punishment raises questions Editorial Our View: King's other message Our View: A matter of survival Other Views: Get GMO rules right Our View: No benefit from LNG pipeline Our View: Putting slash to work Letters Letters to the Editor, Jan. 19 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 16 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 14 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 5 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Guest opinions Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy Herb Rothschild Jr.: King's provocation Guest Opinion: Bikes, hikers/equestrians need separate watershed trails Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Guest Opinion: City hiring policy is fair, unbiased Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Community gathers for William Stafford celebration Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Best Bets: Jan. 15-22 A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. 'Spotlight' highlights Orbison's life, music Theater Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Insights into the gifts theater offers off the stage Theater is an act of co-creation Music Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Jeff Kloetzel at Belle Fiore The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Visual Art Schneider winter exhibits on tap: 'Baker's Dozen' and 'New Works' First Friday kicks off a new year Movies Interview: Jennifer Aniston works through her character’s pain in ‘Cake’ Movie review: ‘Blackhat’ is a frustrating 404 error Movie review: ‘A Most Violent Year’ is a gritty look at oily dealings in ’80s New York Movie review: Clint Eastwood shines as director in ‘American Sniper’ 'Selma' struggle remains relevant today Food and Drink Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Episode 18: Boomers' anti-establishment meetings now at senior center It Is What It Is: How to tell the difference between tattling and telling Kitchen Call: Try roasting these veggies Silvio Calabi: Ford Escape Still a Solid Player Get A Life: Make your universe a happy place Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy ... Our View: King's other message ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: King's provocation ... Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy ... Our View: King's other message ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: King's provocation ... REVIEW Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Comment By Roberta Kent For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Roberta Kent For the Tidings Posted Jan. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Roberta Kent For the Tidings Posted Jan. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News A musical tribute to Roy Orbison sets a high bar. The sound of this iconic American singer/songwriter’s four-octave vocal range can mesmerize pop music listeners and vocal experts alike. Luckily, Camelot Theatre has Erik Connolly starring in its “Spotlight on Roy Orbison.” Connolly has the range to sing Orbison — as well as the classical training that Orbison never received — and Connolly’s voice can both croon and boom in the surprising way that Orbison’s did. It was apparent from the evening’s first song, “Only the Lonely.” Directed by Presila Quinby with musical direction and arrangements by Karl Iverson, Camelot’s “Spotlight” presents 21 of Orbison’s hits. They range from his earliest, a typical 1950’s-style rock song called “Ooby Dooby,” through “End of the Line/Handle With Care,” a song he wrote and recorded with the Traveling Wilburys, the unlikely pickup band formed in 1987 on a whim by Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Orbison. The evening’s musical styles range from classic rock’n’roll through rhythm-and-blues, jazz, Caribbean and into the complicated and surreal tonalities introduced by the Beatles or Bob Dylan but it is Orbison’s haunting and distinctive tremulous voice that is in the spotlight here. Orbison wrote most of his hit songs, many with collaborators Joe Melson or Bill Dees. This “Spotlight” has his standards like “Pretty Woman,” “Blue Bayou,” “That Lovin’ You Feeling Again” and “Crying,” as well as some of the successful songs written by others, such as “Mean Woman Blues,” “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream?)” or “The Great Pretender.” Connolly accompanies the songs on rhythm guitar. He is backed onstage by a skilled group of local musicians with Brent Norton on lead guitar, Steve Fain on bass, Steve Sutfin on percussion and Iverson on keyboard. The band and backup singers Marlena Gray and Kathleen Marrs provide unobtrusive but effective vocals for Orbison’s often complex harmonies. Gray and Marrs also serve as the evening’s narrators. Like the vocal trajectory in most of his songs, Orbison’s life started out remarkably nondescript, built to a startling crescendo and then ended unexpectedly. Scriptwriter Catherine Noah (city editor of the Mail Tribune) has a good tale to tell and she deftly incorporates Orbison’s own words from interviews and observations by friends and colleagues into the story. Orbison’s natural shyness and awkwardness on stage were responsible for his “look.” He dyed his pale blond hair black and wore all-black clothes to stand out. His trademark thick dark sunglasses — many people thought Orbison was blind — were initially the result of losing his prescription glasses on an airplane before a performance. Hiding behind the dark glasses on stage gave him confidence so he kept them. Orbison’s first wife — whom he met when she was 14 — died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 25. Two of his sons died in a fire at his parents’ home while Orbison was on tour. He met his second wife, a German, while touring Europe. When they married in 1969, she was 17 and he was 33. He underwent triple bypass coronary surgery in 1978 at the age of 42. Orbison continued to tour through the 1970s, finding that while his career faltered in the United States, he was an icon in Europe. He was “rediscovered” in the 1980s, winning a Grammy award for a duet with Linda Ronstadt and seeing his song “In Dreams” — used without his permission — become the surrealistic theme for David Lynch’s cult film “Blue Velvet.” Orbison died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 52. “Spotlight on Roy Orbison” plays at Camelot through Sunday, Jan. 25, with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 541-535-5250 or go to www.camelottheatre.org. Roberta Kent is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach her at [email protected]. By Roberta Kent For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Roberta Kent For the Tidings Posted Jan. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501