I was reading where 2006 is Tulsa Ballet's golden anniversary (50 years). In recent years the Tulsa Philharmonic has given way to the rise of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. Are they are any other cultural opportunities that have been around as long as the Tulsa Ballet? And I am curious as to anyone's perception of these opportunties. Are they important to you?
I tried to get into the ballet, but when I asked for a tutu, they gave more a four four.
I believe the Tulsa Ballet was recently named one of the top 10 ballet companies in the US or it may have been a world wide list. Either way, Tulsans should be very proud of the ballet. It attracts talented dancers from around the world and the attention of the elite dance world.
According to its website, the Tulsa Opera has existed even longer than the ballet--starting in 1948. This season's productions are incredible, starting with the Little Prince next week. In May, the opera will be doing a production of the Trail of Tears in Cherokee.
TWO OF OUR BEST ASSETS....
I am very proud of the Ballet we have in our city. They have a goal of being in the top 5 nationally and are already recognized globally as being a top company. Think about it, NY, Boston, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Tulsa... You can really tell the difference in quality if you see a production of our ballet company versus say Dallas Fort Worths, they look absolutely amateurish in comparison. We are veeery fortunate to have this high a quality of art in our city. I think they aren't as appreciated as they should be by the Tulsa general public.
Of all the performing arts, I like ballet the best. The combination of artistry and athleticism is captivating. Tulsa Ballet is a great company that never disappoints.
Long-legged Russian women in tights doesn't hurt, either. [:D]
I just got home from the Signature Symphony's opening classical concert featuring Jonathan Pegis performing the Dvorak Cello Concerto. It was a great evening--both the guest artist and the orchestra were outstanding.
It's not as old as the Ballet, but the SS (which was previously the Oklahoma Sinfonia orchestra until about ten years ago) has been around since 1978, so it's no youngster. And it is definitely an unsung treasure in this city. This ensemble accompanied the Ballet since the early 90s, and has had their own pops and classics series for years, and yet the media still acts as if there has been no orchestra in town since the demise of the Tulsa Philharmonic.
The next classics concert in November should be spectacular--the guest artist is Evelyn Glennie, who is an international percussion phenomenon. I've never seen her perform live, but I understand her symphony appearances really rock. . . so to speak. :)
Oh, and I agree--the Tulsa Ballet is definitely an organization to be proud of. Congratulations to them on their 50th!
A long time ago I had an internship w/ Theatre Tulsa. I remember that they always said it was one of the longest running community theatres in the country. It's been around since the 20's.
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Originally posted by PonderInc
A long time ago I had an internship w/ Theatre Tulsa. I remember that they always said it was one of the longest running community theatres in the country. It's been around since the 20's.
Hey, that's right. Theatre Tulsa is 86 years old. Now that's some longevity.
My favorite fact about Theatre Tulsa is that they staged a production of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" in 1939, making them the very first community theatre to present the play. That has to be one of the most popular plays in the world, performed by thousands of community and school groups over the years, and our own TT has a big part in its history. Tulsa has a lot of artistic treasures of which we can be proud.