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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Viennese Ball lands in Spokane

Travis Rivers Correspondent

Every year around Valentine’s Day, Vienna comes to Spokane and the waltz reigns.

The Viennese Ball, one of the city’s oldest black-tie galas, was begun in 1980 at the Davenport Hotel by Allegro: Baroque and Beyond co-founders Beverly Biggs and David Dutton and championed by Katherine Gellhorn, the Swiss-born doyenne of Spokane’s cultural and charitable life.

The ball went on hiatus shortly after the Davenport closed in 1985, but was revived by Allegro beginning in 2003, after the historic hotel reopened.

Biggs had promised Gellhorn before her death in 1997 that the tradition would be revived once the hotel was.

“This year we have added several additional segments, which make it more like a concert event than in past seasons,” says Dutton, who will share conducting duties of the 24-piece orchestra with Verne Windham at this year’s ball on Saturday.

As in past years, Dutton says, there will be music for listening and dancing along with a champagne reception, complimentary waltz lessons for those who need them and, of course, a Viennese dessert.

Musical performances will include coloratura soprano Julie Ann Wieck, a Washington State University faculty member, singing the “Voices of the Spring” waltz sequence as well as “Adele’s Laughing Song” and the “Czardas” from Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.”

The music-for-listening segment of the ball will also include dance-inspired harp solos by Carlos Salzedo and other composers, performed by Melissa Achten.

“The big highlight of our new additions to this year’s ball will be a performance of excerpts from the ballet ‘Graduation Ball’ by 13 dancers from Theatre Ballet of Spokane choreographed by Dodie Askegard,” Dutton said.

The ballet was compiled for the Ballet Russe by the conductor Antal Dorati using dance music by Strauss with a choreography and libretto by David Lachine. The story involves the girls of a Viennese board school putting on a ball for the graduates of a military academy, complete with a secret romance and a nasty headmistress.

Another addition to the evening’s festive mood will be readings of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays and recitations of some of Shakespeare’s sonnets by Maureen Whitman and Craig Rickett of the SFCC drama faculty.

“During the first orchestral break, the two of them with perform ‘Taming of the Shrew’ in ‘commedia dell-arte’ style,” Dutton says.

Melville Holmes, the Davenport’s artist-in-residence, has created a print titled “The Blue Gown” which will be raffled off during the evening.

For more information about Saturday’s Viennese Ball, including the availability of patron’s tables and an optional dinner catered by the Davenport, call the Allegro office at 455-6865.