Buster Keaton’s THE GENERAL
A SILENT FILM WITH LIVE MUSIC
Ranked among the greatest films of all time,
silent film screened with live modern underscoring
(Covington, KY) A train engineer, a stolen locomotive (“The General”) and the woman he loves – put these three characters together and you have what has been hailed as one of the greatest films ever made – Buster Keaton’s THE GENERAL.
Coming to The Carnegie’s Otto M. Budig Theatre on Thursday, May 2 at 7:30pm, renowned New England silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis provides a live modern underscoring to Buster Keaton’s 1926 classic “The General.” Showcasing the storytelling and comic mastery of the man whom Roger Ebert called “arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies,” “The General” features Keaton as a lovelorn train engineer trying to foil a devious hijacking plot during the Civil War. The evening includes a post-show meet-n-greet with the accompanist in the Ohio National Financial Services Gallery.
Jeff Rapsis’ Original Score
In accompanying silent films, Jeff Rapsis’ technique is to make use of the full range of film scoring vocabulary to help bring the silent movie to life for contemporary audiences. Rapsis improvises his scores in real time, often drawing from original ideas or material he’s created earlier in previewing a film.
“It’s kind of a high-wire act, but a score that’s at least partly improvised lends a freshness and spontaneity to a screening that’s not present when everything’s prepared in advance,” Rapsis says. “If I’m buried in sheet music, it’s hard to respond to the emotional line of a film in real time as it unfolds on the screen. I think it is all part of what makes silent film a unique art unto itself.”
One of the Greatest American Movies Of All Time
Directed by, and starring, Buster Keaton, “The General” follows Western & Atlantic train engineer, Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) at the start of the Civil War. When plans to hijack his train by Union soldiers are revealed, Keaton embarks on a journey to not only save “The General,” but to save and win back his true love, Annabelle Lee. While “The General” was not initially well received by critics when it premiered in 1926, the American Film Institute places “The General“ 18th on its list of the 100 greatest movies of all time.
About Jeff Rapsis
Accompanist Jeff Rapsis developed a fascination with silent film during his teenage years. But it took until middle age for the New Hampshire newspaper publisher to combine his interest in vintage cinema with a lifelong passion for music and begin accompanying silent films in live performance.
Today, Rapsis accompanies about 70 silent film screenings a year in venues ranging from small theaters in his home base of northern New England to prestigious events such as the Kansas Silent Film Festival, where he contributes live music each year. Rapsis, who often speaks and writes about silent film and accompaniment, maintains a Web site about his work at www.jeffrapsis.com.
Ticketing
Tickets for Buster Keaton’s “The General” – A Silent Film with Live Music are $19; $16 for Carnegie Members, WVXU Perks and Enjoy the Arts Members and students. Tickets can be purchased through The Carnegie Box Office, open Tuesday through Friday noon – 5pm, in person or by phone at (859) 957-1940. Tickets are also available online at www.thecarnegie.com.
The 2012-2013 Carnegie in Concert Series is sponsored by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.
Carnegie In Concert Series
Carnegie in Concert strives to break the mold of chamber music offerings from yesteryear. The series challenges established programming norms by blending traditional string quartets, wind ensembles, and solo piano performances with gospel, jazz, musical theatre, boogie woogie, and a cadre of other musical styles. The relationship between performer and audience is also re-imagined through an open dialogue revealing the essence of the selections and their meaning to the performers. The comfortable and intimate Otto M. Budig Theatre provides a unique environment for a unique concert experience, complete with a cash bar in the beautiful Carnegie Galleries.
About The Carnegie
The Carnegie is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. The Carnegie is home to the Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space where emerging and established artists exhibit in multiple shows throughout the year; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children, many of whom are at or below the poverty level; and the newly renovated 465-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which offers an affordable theatre space for local, up-and-coming and established production companies and is home to The Carnegie’s Theatre and Concert Series.
The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation. For more information, visit www.thecarnegie.com or call (859) 491-2030.
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