KU News Release

KU musical theater students to perform in AIDS benefit

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Department of Theatre and Film and Headmasters salon will present “Colors,” a benefit for the Douglas County AIDS Project, on Sunday, May 6. Performances are at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.

Featured in the benefit are the 17 students enrolled in the Musical Performance for the Actor class taught by John Staniunas, associate professor and chair of the Department of Theatre and Film.

The idea for “Colors” started with Jim Grimes, owner of Headmasters salon in Lawrence. His salon uses products from Aveda, a company known for being environmentally conscious.

“The flora Aveda uses in its products are all based on natural beauty and pure colors,” he said. “John and I researched the whole color theory and talked about how music has colors in the different sounds. The way music is made parallels different colors.”

Staniunas said just as people see colors differently, people look at the world in different ways.

“People see issues in black and white. They have an opinion about these issues, a preference, and they fight for it,” he said. “Another person with a different opinion feels just as strongly. Just as we have to acknowledge this difference, we have to acknowledge all the colors in the world and be accepting of all colors.”

The idea of colors and rainbows led Staniunas to a search for music for his students to perform.

“I sat in my office with all the musical scores and musical theater books I have and tried to come up with a list of every song ever written about a rainbow ... or a color ... or something with color in the title or lyrics. Then I went to the KU music library and did the same thing. It is amazing how many songs there are dealing with color.”

Song that will be featured include “Color of My Life,” “Look to the Rainbow,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Over the Rainbow,” That Terrific Rainbow” and “Rainbow Connection.”

Admission to the benefit is a $50 donation to the Douglas County AIDS Project. With the donation comes two tickets to “Colors” and a gift certificate for a haircut at Headmasters. For information and tickets, call Headmasters at (785) 843-8808. On the day of the show, tickets will be available at the University Theatre box office. The cost is $25 for two tickets. Orders can also be placed by phone, (785) 864-3982.

A similar benefit, “Features,” raised more than $3,000 for the Douglas County AIDS Project last spring.

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