PICKET TICKETS: THE RITE OF SPRING PROJECT

Because of the Broadway strike, you can't see Spring Awakening, the coming-of-age musical based on a controversial 1891 play by German playwright Frank Wedekind.

But this afternoon, at 3 pm, you can see The Rite of Spring Project, a remarkable and sorta similar-themed music and dance extravaganza featuring dozens of New York City schoolchildren as well as the Berlin Philharmonic; it's based on the controversial 1913 ballet score by Igor Stravinsky and presented by Carnegie Hall at the United Palace Theater at 175th Street and Broadway.

A vast movie palace that opened in 1930, the venue is an attraction in itself, in very good condition with very comfortable seats and much ornamental detail (see right). For this unusual event, it provides plentiful space for the masses of onstage performers and the massive Berlin Philharmonic, which on this occasion serves as the world's greatest pit band, as one speaker jokingly suggested at last night's premiere.

The first part of the program, Songs: Ritual Rhythms, is the product of a collaboration between the Berlin Philharmonic education team and the schoolchildren, who created texts and songs in response to the "theme of rites and sacrifice" as conveyed in The Rite of Spring. Accompanied by a small group of the Berlin musicians, the young performers were good and gutsy as they performed in a variety of styles. One of the selections reminded me of music on Conjure: Music for the Texts of Ishmael Reed; the overall impact reminded me, in a very good way, of Chuck Mangione's Land of Make Believe. I only wish the texts had been available.

After the intermission and many "thank yous" came the performance of The Rite of Spring, with squadrons of child dancers going through Royston Maldoom's often affecting choreography while the whole orchestra performed seamlessly under Simon Rattle's baton.

The performers received an extended ovation, followed by very loud cheering from the students after the curtain had dropped for the last time. Judging from my recent excursion to a school performance in Hartford, I could imagine how exciting it must have been for the students to prepare and perform the program.

The United Palace Theater is at 175th Street and Broadway, a short block away from the A train stop at 175th Street. The acoustics in the front loge section were excellent.