'Romy and Michele's
High School Reunion'

Rated PG-13

change their lives so they can go blonde stereotype — not far be-
to the reunion with pride. When yond, but just enough to make
as anyone ever truly en- that doesn't work, they try the her more human than cartoon.
joyed her high school re- next best thing: lying.
Slightly disappointing, con-
union? Probably not
As someone who plans on sidering her brilliance in Woody
unless there was an ele- telling my classmates that I won Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, is
ment of revenge involved, a a Pulitzer Prize but just kept it Mira Sorvino, who has some
certain satisfaction at seeing quiet, I could sympathize deeply good moments but seems out of
that the class bully's life with poor Homy and Michele as, step at times with the rest of the
peaked at 18.
inevitably, their misguided plans movie.
This philosophy is the guiding fail miserably.
And as the successful alumna
force behind Romy and Michele's
Fast-paced with "slapstick" Heather, the girl who always
High School Reunion, a movie written all over it, Romy and wore black and hated everyone
which will bring back memories Michele is not a brilliant movie, and everything in high school,
of every adolescent insecurity but it has a lot of
Janeane Garafalo does
imaginable and make you laugh clever and genuinely
a lot with a character
in the process.
funny moments. The Lisa Kudrow and Mira that's barely there. Very
Best friends Romy (Academy film's underlying Sorvino are party girls few actresses do cruelty
Award-winner Mira Sorvino) darkness gives it a in Romy and
and fall-down funny
and Michele (Lisa Kudrow of backbone as does the Michele's Hi gh
angst better than
"Friends") are leading carefree portrayal of Romy School Reun ion.
Garafalo.
lives in Southern California, and Michele's friend-
Finally, Romy and
worried more about their hair ship. An early scene in which Michele's High School Reunion
and night-club dance partners Michele comforts Romy by danc- should be attended as you would
than their social status.
ing with her at the prom after a real reunion — if you avoid ex-
When they decide to
the boy Romy adores hu- travagant expectations, you'll
attend their 10-year
miliates her is really come away feeling it was all
MOVIES
high school reunion,
quite touching, lending worth it.
panic sets in as to
emotional credibility to a
whether or not they really have very silly movie.
accomplished anything in the
Although both actresses share
decade that's passed. With top billing, it's Lisa Kudrow who
— Liz Lent
Michele unemployed and neither steals the show. Her Michele has
of them married, they decide to a goofy charm and innocent
tenacity which catapults the
Liz Lent is an avid moviegoer.
character beyond the usual ditzy

H

'Appalachian Strings'

M

eadow Brook's last pro- about a woman with three chil-
duction of the season, Ap- dren, there is more truth than
palachian Strings, is in a deathbed confession. The
about coal miners, farm- other is Tony Marcus, a trouba-
ers, hillbillies — descendants of dour of the Blue Mountains if
the Scots and Irish settlers who ever there was one. And Adale
brought their folk culture in O'Brien plays harried, happy,
their feet and voices to Ameri- soulful, sorrowing women with
ca.
just the edge which catches a
So Appalachian Strings is a star. Sandy Silva, who performs
musical — a narrated history re- and doubles as choreographer,
ally, punctuated with vignettes, is a fine clogger with abundant,
but mostly about dancing and focused energy.
music.
Energy, too, is the
Oh, the music: old- Meadow Brook's
word for this produc-
time music played on Appalachian
tion. Randal Myler and
fiddles, guitars, banjos, Strings runs
Dan Wheetman have
whistles, harmonicas, through May 18.
written a narrative that
even a musical saw.
demands vivid theatri-
And all aided and abetted with cality in a natural style that
the sounds of hands clapping must be on the mark: in the
and feet stomping.
singing, the acting and the danc-
The narration is a composite ing. Myler's direction main-
of lives of ordinary folks, follow- tains that buoyant energy,
ing a family leaving Ireland and everyone in this ensemble
in the 1840s and settling
effort gives it unstint-
in our eastern moun-
ingly. Meadow Brook's
THEATER
tains. The songs and
production is a fine,
the stories are about
strong one. It is filled
farming, moonshining, mar- with hope and despair and the
riage, courting and working in joyous sound of voices lifted in
the mines.
song from long, deep roots.
Act I works through the
1920s; Act II up to the present,
® V Ct
with a fair amount of time in the
' 1/2
'40s and in the coal mines.
The songs, some familiar such
— Michael Margolin
as "Hush, Little Baby" and oth-
ers so steeped in regional tradi-
tion you maybe hearing them
for the first time, are played by
three musicians. They and the
actors all sing, and there is an
(, .-)Q)•- ...Outstanding
earnest, natural quality to the
voices.
But two stand out: one is Mol-
........Very Good
ly Andrews — Appalachian by
birth — who sings numerous so-
Good
los, several of those a cappella.
Her voice is lithe, sweet and very
down-home. And in her song
Fair

Michael Margolin writes about

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the arts.

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