[Newspoetry] A Night on Bald Mountain frenzy

[Charles Smith]

Recently, in October, the Illini Symphony played Mussorgsky's "Night On
Bald Mountain" at the Foellinger Great Hall.

It was a hell of a show.

As soon as the 'whriling tornado' theme came in, the audience members
got out of their
seats and started to do some disco dancing not only in the seats, but
also in the
aisles. At that point, the conductor stopped the
music and ordered the crowd back to the seats. 8 people still refused
his orders, and
continued dancing in the aislesl

Police had to escort the 8 members out of the auditorium, and they were
ordered to leave
the Krannert Center and not return until the next day, upon threat of
arrest for
trespass. Then the conductor restarted the Mussorgsky piece and the rest
of the
audience obeyed and were much more quiet.

The sudden fracas might be blamed on Karen Lynn Gorney, the actress who
played
the dance partner of Tony Manero (John Travolta)--Stephanie, in the
movie "Saturday
Night Fever", which had its 20th anniversary this year. The soundtrack
can be blamed
too, because there is a disco arrangement of "Night On Bald
Mountain"--called
"Night On Disco Mountain."