Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff & r & Rach Star & r & During "Classical Chat" at City Hall last Thursday afternoon, Jean-Philippe Collard -- who would thunder some jaw-dropping passages on Rach 3 (Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto) the next night -- recounted his efforts to do classical outreach in small French towns. Sometimes he plays several nights in the same village church, with just 200 in the audience.


Which suggests that Interplayers' recent outreach effort -- performing a play about prisoners for local inmates -- follows the efforts of world-class artists to bring art to the people. The days of formal, look-at-my-impressive-bow-tie concerts are dying, says Collard.





Sing, Sang, Sung & r & It's not too late to catch the second of two tributes to the USO shows of the '40s, Sing, Sing, Sing. It's at CenterStage this Sunday, Sept. 25, with appetizers at 5:30 pm, dinner at 6 pm and show at 7:30 pm. Abbey Crawford, Melody Deatherage, local drag favorite Auntie Bijou and two members of the cast of Mrs. Warren's Profession at ARt -- Jon Lutyens and Reed McColm -- will perform songs like "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." Tickets are $39, or $19 for the show only. Call 747-8243.





Fair Is Fowl & r & Last weekend at the Spokane Interstate Fair, we found ourselves snout-to-snout with some llamas. Which got us to thinking: If we were the ones in the pens and the llamas were the ones strolling around, do you think they'd caress our foreheads with their hooves and murmur endearments in our ears?


No, like sensible llamas, they'd spit in our eyes and move on to where the hot dogs and the cotton candy are.


Next we strapped ourselves into the Evolution, a ride that involves being suspended 50 feet in the air -- upside down and twirled around. And again. And again!


Right about then was when all the cotton candy we had eaten, um, refabricated itself. But we still had a great time. The piglets and the roosters and the zucchini sculptures were our favorites. Unlike llamas, zucchinis don't glare at you.





Korrection Korner & r & If there is such a thing as a living institution, you'd think The Inlander could at least spell his name correctly. In the Visual Arts section of our Fall Arts Preview, alas, we repeatedly misspelled the last name of local icon Harold Balazs.


We also mischaracterized the improv comedy shows at the Blue Door Theater on Garland Avenue. Their Friday night shows are suitable for all ages; in contrast, they advertise their once-a-month Saturday night "Cage Matches" as not suitable for all ages.


Finally, we should have implied that the artists from the Walla Walla Foundry (whose work is on display at SFCC) work in the medium of bronze.