'I Happen to Like Cole Porter'
Center for Inquiry takes musical step forward
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28 at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst. Photos by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

For several years now, David Wagner has been working on the collection of songs that he performs.

"I have a working repertoire of probably 800 songs," the Amherst resident said.

Around a quarter of those are songs by Cole Porter.

Wagner, a Charlottesville, Va., native and "Porter aficionado" will be staging a review of Porter songs titled "I Happen to Like Cole Porter" at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28.

Performing with Wagner will be Tonawanda resident Kelly Ball, Snyder resident Michelle Holden, Williamsville resident Katy Miner and Clarence resident Corey Neil. On piano will be North Tonawanda resident Bill Group.

However, the review will be performed at a place perhaps unexpected by the general public - The Center for Inquiry, located at 3965 Rensch Road in Amherst.

"We offer a variety of programs," said Neil, who is also the event coordinator for the Center for Inquiry. "The entertainment aspect is new though. This review is actually the first part of that."

Snyder resident Michelle Holden and Clarence resident Corey Neil rehearse their duet "Let's Do It."

Neil noted that among the programs the CFIlists are movies, potluck dinners and discussions on wisdom and good living at the Eupraxsophy Cafe.

"We try to attract people interested in the scientific world view," Neil said.

CFICommunications Director Nathan Bupp added that a scientific world view is one aspect of humanism that the CFIlooks to explore. The other aspect is the arts.

"We're committed to critical thought and humanism, but we also want to demonstrate that we're committed to not only science but the arts as well," Bupp said.

According to Bupp, other artistic endeavors the CFIhopes to undertake are plays and staged shows, jazz nights and art exhibits, in addition to the already existing Literary Cafe, which stages poetry readings one night a month.

The review has been several years in the making since Wagner and Ball both performed in Porter's "High Society" at the Lancaster Opera House.

Cole Porter

"Ever since then we've been looking to do a review of this music," Wagner said.

Porter is best known for musicals such as "Anything Goes," "High Society," and "Kiss Me Kate." But Wagner and his troupe are out to perform some of the lesser known music.

Porter started composing music while attending Yale University in the early 1900s and continued to write until the mid-1950s.

In 1937, a riding accident left him crippled and in constant pain for the rest of his life.

Though he continued to compose, the difference in his music is noticeable, according to Wagner.

"The early half of his career has a good deal more whimsy; he was much more carefree about his songs," Wagner said. "The later music is much more studied. It illicits the same smile, but the spontaneity is missing."

The review will focus on the early half of Porter's career, prior to the accident.

"The first half of his career generated more hit songs," Wagner said.

The name of the show was conceived

by Ball, 15, a student at Kenmore West High School.

"David was thinking of naming it after one of the songs in the show, and I really wanted to have Cole Porter's name in the title," Ball said. "I opened up my script, and the first song I happened to see was 'I Happen to Like New York,' so I wrote it down and gave it to David as a joke and it ended up being the title."

The review will include songs such as "You Don't Know Paree, "I've Got You on My Mind," "Hey, Babe, Hey," and "When Your Troubles Have Started."

For more information, call Neil at the CFIat 636-4869, ext. 409 or visit the center's Web site at www.centerforinquiry. net/ amherst.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com