The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 53

THE HOME NEWS ARTSENTERTAINMENT ES SUNDAY, MAY 17. 1987 N.J. Youth Symphony plays benefit concert prior to east European tour NEW YORK (AP) Here are Broadway's new and current shows. Ticket supply as of May 15 is indicated as Difficult or Available. Credit card holders can order tickets by phone or by calling or Ticketron.

Telecharge's number is 212-239-6200 unless otherwise indicated. Teletron's numbers are 212-947-5850 or 212-947-0033, depending on the show. Ticketron is 212-977-9020. When calling theaters directly, use New York area code 212. Advance inquiries should be made, as ticket availability is subject to change.

A Chorus Line, now the longest-running musical in Broadway history, is about the hard life and struggles of chorus-line members. Shubert, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Available. All My Sons, a revival of the Arthur Miller drama starring Richard Kiley.

Golden, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Available. Asinamali, a play by Mbongeni Ngema about five black South Africans in prison. Jack Lawrence, 307-5452. Teletron, 947-5850.

Available. Big River, a musical version of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn." Eugene O'Neill, 246-0220. Teletron, 947-0033. Ticketron. Available.

Blithe Spirit," a revival of the Noel Coward comedy starring Blythe Danner, Richard Chamberlain, Judith Ivey and Geraldine Page. Neil Simon, 757-8646. Teletron, 947-5850. Limited engagement through July 19. Available.

Broadway Bound, Neil Simon's autobiographical comedy about two struggling young writers. Broadhurst, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Available. Cats, musical based on T.S.

Eliot's cat poems, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber of "Evita" fame. Winter Garden, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Difficult is rare for Laredo and Robinson, they do occasionally give master classes when performing at colleges. Laredo gives master classes 15 times a year at the Saint Louis Conservatory.

Both artists have observed a very high level of achievement among music students. "There are so many wonderful young musicians," Laredo said, "and so many going to music schools and conservatories." While he has found that orchestras around the country are "fantastic it wasn't so a few years ago," he is concerned about opportunities for performers. "If there's an opening for second clarinet," he said, "there are 300 applicants." One outlet foryoimg performers, Robinson said, is chamber music, "which is growing by leaps and bounds. 'Recital' series are now mostly chamber music." Audiences are enthusiastically attending orchestra and chamber music performances. But Laredo is concerned to see that "audiences are getting older and By RENA FRUCHTER Home News music critic MADISON Tonight at 8, two internationally-known artists will be guest soloists with the prize-winning New Jersey Youth Symphony at its annual gala benefit concert The peformance, at Madison Junior School, will feature violinist Jaime Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson in Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op.

102. The orchestra, conducted by its music director, George Mar-riner Maull, also will perform selections from Copland's "Billy the Kid," Enesco's "Romanian Rhapsody," No. 1 and Kodaly's "Hary Janos." 18-day tour The performance is the 80-member orchestra's final concert before departing June 25 for an 18-day tour of Eastern Europe, under the auspices of Friendship Ambassadors of Upper Montclair. Performing in Romania and Hun- siastic admiration" for Stillwell and Kim, who have learned a concerto known to be among the most difficult in the repertoire for string players. Unusual performance For Laredo and Robinson, performing as soloists with a youth symphony is very unusual.

Robinson recalls playing as soloist once with the Houston Youth Symphony, of which she was a member as a youngster. Laredo has performed as soloist with the orchestra at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he is on the faculty. Each member of the husband and wife team has a solo career, though they give many concerto and chamber music performances together. With pianist Joseph Kalich-stein, they form the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robin-son Trio. In a telephone interview, they expressed enthusiasm about the Brahms performance.

The seasoned professionals had no second thoughts about performing with an orchestra of 13 to 18 year olds. "I love it the enthusiasm, love and dedication kids have that many professionals don't," Laredo said. He added that the work is probably one of the most difficult concertos. "It's not merely an orchestral accompaniment" Robinson said. "It's like Brahms' Fifth Symphony.

The orchestra has as large a voice as we do." Speaking of the work's tremendous audience appeal, she said that the concerto has a fine interaction between the soloists, unusual variety in the dialogues between the soloists and the orchestra, and conversations, in different combinations. Visually, she added, audiences are intrigued by two solo performers. Besides the Brahms, Laredo and Robinson perform other double concertos, by Vivaldi and J.C. Bach, as well as a work by Saint-Saens entitled "The Muse and the Poet" Wonderful young musicians Although playing with a student ensemble I "-1 Tl fm nmnAPTvan till Birtnnn gram several times, as well as performing Orffs "Carmina Burana" with the University of Budapest Choir. On tour, several chamber ensembles of youth symphony musicians also will perform.

In 1983 and 1985, the orchestra was selected to participate in the annual European Music Festival for Youth in Neerpelt, Belgium, and won first prize on both occasions. Of particular interest is that on this summer's European tour the solo parts in the Brahms concerto will be played by the orchestra's concertmistress, Corinne Stillwell, 15, of Somerville and Sonna Kim, 17, of Bedminster, the orchestra's principal cellist Conductor Maull said performing the Brahms will be "a thrill for them (the Youth Symphony) on both counts. Performing with internationally renowned artists will be exciting and inspiring." older. What going to happen? It's very unusual to see a lot of young people, even at universities." Laredo and Robinson both feel that a large part of the problem is in the school systems, many of which have cut their budgets for music and arts education. Very often, when they are booked to play a concert, they are asked to do something special for children.

"We never say no," Laredo commented. Tonight's program is a fundraiser for the three ensembles (totaling 250 young musicians) which make up the New Jersey Youth Symphony the senior Youth Symphony, the Preparatory Orchestra and the Orchestral String Training Ensemble. Tickets for the concert are $8 general admission, $25 for Patrons and $50 for Benefactors. Benefactor and Patron admission includes a candlelight Viennese Dessert Buffet with chamber music following the concert Tickets will be available at the door. Madison Junior School is on Route 24 in Madison.

For information call (201) 297-0731. Rehearsing the Brahms during the past few weeks with their peers as soloists, he added, the orchestra members have shown "enthu Coastal Disturbances, a love story by Tina Howe set on a Cape Cod beach. Circle in the Square, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Available.

Drood, a musical version of Charles Dickens' "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," starring George Rose, Karen Morrow and Howard McGillin. Winner of the 1986 Tony award for best musical. Imperial, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Advertising "Last Weeks." Available.

Fences, James Earl Jones stars in new family drama by August Wilson. 46th Street, 221-1211. Teletron, 947-5850. Ticketron. Available.

42nd Street, hit remake of the 1930s movie-musical classic. St James, 398-0280. Teletron, 947-0033. Ticketron. Available.

I'm Not Rappaport, Hal Linden and Ossie Davis star in Herb Gardner's comedy about two elderly men who meet in Central Park. Winner of the 1986 Tony award for best play. Booth, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Available.

La Cage aux folios, Jerry Herman-Harvey Fierstein musical based on French comedy about two homosexual lovers and the marriage-minded son of one of them. Palace, 757-2626. Teletron, 947-5850. Available. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company of Christopher Hampton's play about the seduction of a young woman.

Music Box, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Available. Les Miserables, a lavish musical retelling of the epic Victor Hugo novel. Broadway, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge.

Ticketron. Difficult Me and My Girl, the 1930s English musical hit about a young man making it big in high society. Marquis, 947-0033. Teletron. Difficult Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, a comedy spoof of a 1940s murder mystery movie.

Longacre, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Available. OhI long-running nudie musical that spoofs sex and swinging and such. Edison, 302-2302. Available.

Pygmalion, Peter O'Toole is Henry Higgins and Amanda Plummer plays Eliza Doolittle in a revival of the George Bernard Shaw comedy that was the source of the musical "My Fair Lady." Plymouth, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron. Available. Stardust, a musical revue celebrating the lyrics of Mitchell Parish. Biltmore, 582-5340.

Teletron, 947-0033. Available. Starlight Express, an Andrew Lloyd Webber-Trevor Nunn roller-skating extravaganza about a train race across the United States. Gershwin, 586-6510. Teletron, 947-5850.

Available. Sweet Sue, Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave star in A.R. Gur-ney's comedy about a middle-aged woman who has an affair with her son's college roommate. Royale, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron.

Available. The Comedy of Errors, an adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy starring the Flying Karamazov Brothers. Now in previews, opens May 31. Vivian Beaumont, 239-6200, same number as Telecharge. Ticketron.

Available. The Nerd, Mark Hamill, Robert Joy and Peter Riegert star in Larry Shue's comedy about the limits of friendship. Helen Hayes, 944-9450. Teletron, 947-0033. Ticketron.

Available. The World According To Jackie Mason's one-man show. Brooks Atkinson, 245-3430. Teletron, 947-5850. Available.

Childhood talent clinches 'Barnum' role ERNEST ALBRECHT 1 Intermission lain over a year ago with her husband David Rosen who runs The Actors Information Project in New York. When they first began house hunting they stumbled upon Rahway through a real estate agent friend. Just a ten-minute walk from the train station, the home's location makes it a comfortable commute. Their New York friends tend to think of New Jersey as something of another world, but Sophie and David are enjoying the ritual of commuting and the chance to have some room to spread out is a real treat In addition to her stage chores Sophie also earns a portion of her income from doing "voice overs" for commercials, finally beginning to feel comfortable about her past as well as her present and future. "I've always felt like I was running to make up for lost time." she says of her life.

"Coming from a small town was something of a liability, and even in my twirling I had to fight to make up for limited instruction." As for the popular notion that majorettes and twirling are superficial, Sophie Hayden puts that to rest by doing it all while spouting Shakespeare. That ought to prove, once and for all, that she's found her sense of But the batons could not be put aside, even then. She auditioned for the musical "Barnum" with great reluctance. "I didn't want to be type cast into a circus category." She auditioned for one of the principal roles, and then was asked to demonstrate, like all those auditioning, some circus skill. Shyly the batons were brought out, and once out and spinning in the air, they knocked everyone out Sophie became the baton twirling singer of "Barnum." Next she auditioned for the Goodman Theater in Chicago which was about to mount an offbeat production of "The Comedy of Errors" starring the Flying Karamozov Brothers.

Guess what? They wanted her to bring her batons. Once cast and into rehearsals, Sophie insisted that she not twirl batons. Instead she does her bit with walking sticks and some tap dancing. That production enjoyed great success and will be opening later this month at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center. The role presents a great challenge to her because she must very often maintain a split focus, concentrating on both the juggling and the lines.

"I kept saying, 'why don't we just do the scene as but that wasn't what everyone was after in this production." The show is currently playing previews and Sophie commutes to the city from her new home in Rahway, which she moved into Sophie Hayden has been leading something of a double life ever since she was 16 years old. At that time she won the world championship of baton twirling, and resolved to put her batons away forever and pursue an acting career. That idea first occurred to her when she was 13 and had broken her leg while skiing. Unable to compete she began participating in her high school's drama productions in her little hometown in western New York state. (Her mother used to drive her 25 minutes to another town to find a baton instructor.) The only trouble is that world championships, no matter what the field of endeavor, are difficult to put aside.

Miss Hayden decided to accept a scholarship to study acting at Northwestern University. The scholarship stipulated, however, that she twirl her batons with the school's band at football games. "I found it difficult to become part of the theater cliques," she says of her college experience, so she kept her twirling somewhat under wraps, if such a thing is pos-. sible. "People go nuts" when they 1 see me twirl, she says, still rather shy about her acrobatic performance with four batons.

"But I grew up in college" and she learned to i deal with being "just a little off," a condition she thinks unavoidable i in competitive athletes who must have an intense single minded-ness. The thing that bothered Miss Hayden the most about her train- ing was that such a single minded-ness seemed to rob her of a sense of humor, an ingredient she felt vi- tal to an actor. "The discipline of my training could be incorporated into acting, but the rigidity didn't translate very well," she explains. Nonetheless she struggled through Northwestern and came to New York in 1976, already a member of Actors Equity, thanks to summer seasons at the St Louis Municipal Opera Company. (She can sing, too, and has had extensive ballet training.) Since her arrival in New York Miss Hayden has never had to take a single job outside the theater, but for giving some baton twirling lessons (always on the sly, more or less), making tier a unique case.

One of her earliest roles was the ingenue in Eric Krebs' New York production of "King of the Schnorrers." As a serious actress she began studying the Sanford Meisner technique, and she credits this with giving her the sort of "breakthrough" she needed to feel comfortable about herself as an actress. "It taught me that everything you are or have been is enough and special." Being on stage is another matter altogether, however. "I've never had any nervousness or stage fright It feels like home on stage. I guess it comes from the years of competing," she explains. LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN TO DO THIS WEEKEND? See the Princeton Ballet in performance at The George Street Playhouse 0 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick, NJ JUNE 4-7 a Stuart Featuring: Sebastian's "Mozart Dances" John Butler's "Romeo Juliet" and premiering "Tribute" by Dermot Burke Irving Berlin Each evening's program varies call the box office for details.

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