Beethoven Scholar to Present Lecture to Illuminate Purple Rose Theatre's "33 Variations"

The Purple Rose Theatre Company (PRTC) will present a public lecture called “Backstage with Beethoven: A closer look at the music of 33 Variations with Dr. William Kinderman” at the Chelsea District Library on April 13 at 10:30 a.m.

This presentation will be free and open to the public and will allow the community to gain deeper insight into the PRTC’s production of the play 33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman. 33 Variations will run at the Purple Rose from March 28 to June 1.

Kinderman, a professor of musicology and pianist from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana is one of the world's foremost authorities on Beethoven and his Diabelli Variations.

Kinderman will present a lecture, supplemented with demonstration on the piano, of the music that is central to the play 33 Variations. He will provide insight on and perform various sections of the Diabelli Variations — exploring Beethoven's response to the waltz. The presentation will shed light on how the play arose as an exploration of Beethoven's creative process, illustrating the connections between the play itself and Beethoven's world. A question and answer session with the audience will follow the presentation.

The lecture will take place in the McKune Room of the Chelsea District Library.

“Backstage with Beethoven” has been generously underwritten by Lake Trust Credit Union, with additional support from the Chelsea Comfort Inn & Village Conference Center, and the Chelsea District Library.

In addition, Dr. Kinderman will lead a short discussion with audience members following the 3 p.m. matinee of 33 Variations on April 13, at the Purple Rose Theatre. This discussion will be free and open to audience members who attend the matinee performance.

For more information, visit www.purplerosetheatre.org.