George Harr News

Rundgren, IU's ninth Wells Professor, will teach the middle two weeks of a four-week, one-credit hour honors course designed for a maximum of 25 Wells Scholars and Hutton Honors Scholars. The class commences in late October and finishes in mid-November. Co-teaching the class will be IU Professor of Music Glenn Gass -- whose relationship with Rundgren helped make the professorship possible -- and IU Distinguished Professor of Sociology Bernice Pescosolido, who was instrumental in helping to plan the course. Gass, a professor at IU's world-class Jacobs School of Music, said he sees Rundgren's engagement at IU as the start of a trend in which legendary rock stars share their knowledge with a new generation. Rundgren, who performs frequently, gave a concert at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University in Indianapolis on Sept. 11. 'Todd is a treasure trove of memories, knowledge, stories . . .,' Gass said. 'This class is a way for him to celebrate what he's done and allows him to share his experiences with students who really want to hear what he has to say.' In addition to learning about the culture, politics and economics of the music business, from the 1970s through today, students will visit Professor of Anthropology Nicholas Toth at IU's Stone Age Institute to view some of the earliest tools used for making music. 'I think the students will love it. For us, the appeal of the class is really both Todd and Glenn,' said Professor of Physics Tim Londergan, director of the Wells Scholars Program. Londergan is a self-professed rock 'n' roll fan who has audited three of Gass' courses. The Rundgren course is currently full with a waiting list, and course auditors/visitors, including IU students not registered for the class, cannot be accommodated. During his stay in Bloomington, Rundgren will give a public lecture titled 'LONGHAIR: Todd Rundgren on the Beatles Effect' at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 in Ballantine Hall 013. He will also present a Halloween-night recital titled 'CLUSTER: The Birth of the T Chord' at 8 p.m. Oct. 31 in Auer Hall. Both are free and open to the public. Gass said he asked Rundgren to talk about the Beatles both because of Rundgren's collaborations with various members of the band and because of the window it will provide into his own music. 'If it was going to be 'Todd talks about Todd,' he may have felt awkward,' Gass said. 'By asking him to talk about the Beatles, we can get more insight into his music, too.' Rundgren's unique associations with the Beatles include a number of covers, participation in the Ringo All-Star Band and co-producing the power pop band Badfinger with George Harrison. When Harrison died, Rundgren did a highly acclaimed version of 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' for a tribute album. In 1980, Rundgren and his then-band Utopia, did a loving sendup of the Beatles (Deface the Music) that Gass calls 'just genius.' Rundgren is also a longtime Beatles fan who credits Harrison with inventing the 'lead guitar' player, Gass said. 'When Todd was in the band Nazz, he wasn't the lead singer -- he was the lead guitar player -- which in the 50s meant one of the backup musicians. Because of George, lead guitar now means you're one of the band's leaders.' Glenn Gass Print-Quality Photo Gass initially met Rundgren in Hawaii, when Gass and his wife were on sabbatical for a year (and where they spent the past two summers). 'The kids start taking the bus together and the next thing you know, you're going to cookouts at Todd's,' Gass said. 'I quickly learned that everything they said about him was true. He's brilliant, articulate, really interesting -- and interested in things far beyond his own work and even his music. He's just a really engaged human being.' Rundgren is also known for staying true to his artistic muse. 'He refused to take the easy way out,' Gass said. 'The easy way would have been to do five more songs like 'Hello, It's Me.' He paid a price for that, but in the long run, in 50 years, I think that's why he'll matter more than starts who may have had more hits.' Rundgren was the highest paid producer of the 1970s, producing bands that ranged from the New York Dolls, The Band and Patti Smith to Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates and Cheap Trick. On Aug. 1, 1981 -- the evening MTV debuted with 'Video Kills the Radio Star' by the Buggles -- Rundgren was ready with his music video for 'Time Heals,' which premiered on MTV the same evening. Always a fan of technology, Rundgren made his music available through online downloads about 10 years before iTunes ('Everyone had dial-up connections then,' Gass commented. 'His fate is always to be just a few years ahead of his time.'). Gass said after the Beatles broke up, he was personally attracted to singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Neil Young, Carole King, Joni Mitchell -- and Todd Rundgren. 'Todd was always one of the best and most interesting performers. Even in those early albums, it was clear he wasn't just a singer-songwriter,' Gass said. At turns, Rundgren played with electric guitar or classical riffs, producing his own double album in 1972, on which he also played all of the instruments. From the time he met Rundgren in Hawaii, Gass starting thinking of ways to bring the performer to IU. A confluence of events sparked by a Rundgren speaking engagement at DePauw University led to the IU professorship. DePauw's executive director of media relations, Ken Owen, is 'a huge Todd scholar -- Todd to him is like the Beatles to me,' Gass said. 'All of a sudden it went from being a day dream to being a real possibility, and now it's actually happening,' Gass said. 'He really can call himself Professor Rundgren. This is not a gimmick: He is the Wells Professor.' About the Wells Professorships The Wells professorships are made possible by gifts from the IU classes of 1941, 1942 and 1963. Previous Wells professors have included the Honorable Helen Suzman, a South African political leader (Class of 1941 Wells Professor in 1993), Sir Malcolm Bradbury, a novelist-screenwriter-critic (Class of 1942 Wells Professor in 1997), and Holocaust scholar Christopher Browning (Class of 1943 Wells Professor in 2003). The most recently appointed Wells Professors were Sir (now Lord) Timothy Garden (Class of 1941 Wells Professor) and artist Robert Colescott (Class of 1943 Wells Professor), both of whom taught at IU in 2004.

Jose Manuel Carreño, a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre since 1995, will retire from the Company in August 2011 following performances on the Company's tour to Asia. A New York farewell is scheduled for Thursday evening, June 30, 2011 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The evening will be highlighted by a special performance of Swan Lake featuring Carreño in the role of Prince Siegfried dancing opposite Julie Kent as Odette and Gillian Murphy as Odile.

On Monday, September 20th at 8:00pm, the Bleecker Street Theater Company will present a reading of Charles Messina's astoundingly hilarious new Broadway-bound comedy, 'A ROOM OF MY OWN' as part of that theater's Play Development Series.

When the opening chords of a familiar Beatles tune drifts out of the doors of the Fabulous Fox Theatre on September 17th, passers by might just think they stepped back in time 40+ years to Liverpool, England. And if they come see RAIN - A Tribute to the Beatles presented by Theater of the Stars September 17 - 19 they might just succeed in that time travel. RAIN - A Tribute to the Beatles, a show that has been called "the next best thing to seeing The Beatles," boasts a repertoire of Beatles favorites, ranging from such beloved songs as "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "Hey Jude" to classic hits including "Revolution" and "Come Together." Playing all those familiar songs, in the guise of George Harrison is Joe Bithorn who will be a part of the show when it returns to Atlanta. I caught up with Joe to learn a little more about his journey.

On Sunday, August 29, Michael Lanning performed his 'Other Folks Songs' concert with Jeremy Schonfeld, Jessica Grove and Dan Cooney in New York City. BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture the concert and brings you photo coverage below.

A classic, cheesy 'B' movie is shown on our full-sized, in-house movie screen without its original sound. The Flick team of professional improvisers sits in the front row and creates all new dialog, sound effects and music live - all based on suggestions from that night's audience.

A classic, cheesy 'B' movie is shown on our full-sized, in-house movie screen without its original sound. The Flick team of professional improvisers sits in the front row and creates all new dialog, sound effects and music live - all based on suggestions from that night's audience.

RAIN, the acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand! The award-winning Beatles concert, RAIN - A Tribute To The Beatles, returns to the Fox Theatre with one performance on Friday, Jan. 21 at 8:00 p.m.

On Monday, September 20th at 8:00pm, the Bleecker Street Theater Company will present a reading of Charles Messina's astoundingly hilarious new Broadway-bound comedy, 'A ROOM OF MY OWN' as part of that theater's Play Development Series.

The Protomen are messengers delivering the most vicious rock 'n' roll fable that the world has ever known. They continue to spread the gospel across the country with a new set of tour dates including two nights in Hollywood!

A classic, cheesy 'B' movie is shown on our full-sized, in-house movie screen without its original sound. The Flick team of professional improvisers sits in the front row and creates all new dialog, sound effects and music live - all based on suggestions from that night's audience.

On Friday, September 17, at 7:00pm, LEON RUSSELL plays the Boulder Theater.

Smokey Robinson makes his Hollywood Bowl debut on July 14th at 8pm. Celebrating his 50th anniversary in the music business, Robinson will perform songs from his latest CD Time Flies When You're Having Fun, to be released August 25th. As well, he'ss perform such signature hits such as 'Tears of a Clown,' 'Tracks of My Tears,' 'I Second That Emotion,' and more. Jazz singer/songwriter Lizz Wright sets the tone for the evening with songs from her soulful repertoire.

The Magic Castle is transformed into the hippest nightclub in town for ‘An Evening with His Royal Hipness, Lord Buckley.' The politically topical, Jake Broder, star and co-writer of the acclaimed 'Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara,' takes off on a sonic adventure of spoken word and music, celebrating the life of the iconic, subversive, ultra hipster.

The Magic Castle is transformed into the hippest nightclub in town for ‘An Evening with His Royal Hipness, Lord Buckley.' The politically topical, Jake Broder, star and co-writer of the acclaimed 'Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara,' takes off on a sonic adventure of spoken word and music, celebrating the life of the iconic, subversive, ultra hipster.

The Beatles are back in both look and sound when '1964'...The Tribute returns by popular demand to Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre for concerts on July 5 and 6.

Smokey Robinson makes his Hollywood Bowl debut on July 14th at 8pm. Celebrating his 50th anniversary in the music business, Robinson will perform songs from his latest CD Time Flies When You're Having Fun, to be released August 25th. As well, he'ss perform such signature hits such as 'Tears of a Clown,' 'Tracks of My Tears,' 'I Second That Emotion,' and more. Jazz singer/songwriter Lizz Wright sets the tone for the evening with songs from her soulful repertoire.

The Magic Castle is transformed into the hippest nightclub in town for ‘An Evening with His Royal Hipness, Lord Buckley.' The politically topical, Jake Broder, star and co-writer of the acclaimed 'Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara,' takes off on a sonic adventure of spoken word and music, celebrating the life of the iconic, subversive, ultra hipster.

Production has begun in London on Academy Award®-winner Martin Scorsese's adventure film Hugo Cabret. The live-action film, to be photographed in 3D, stars Academy Award®-winner Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), Sacha Baron Cohen (Bruno), Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass).

RAIN - A Tribute To The Beatles is back again to give Philadelphia fans an exclusive chance to experience the show before the Broadway premiere! The award-winning Beatles concert, RAIN - A Tribute To The Beatles, is returning for a 4-performance weekend engagement at the Merriam Theater on Friday, June 18 at 8:00 pm; Saturday, June 19 at 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm; and Sunday, June 20 at 2:00 pm before making its Broadway debut for an 11-week engagement at the Neil Simon Theatre on October 19.