Page Two
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Wednesday, March 11, 1970
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Page T w oT H E IC H G A N AIL W e nesd y, arch 11, 197
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theatreg-
A swinging 'George Mi '
By LAURIE HARRIS
You've all heard of George M.
Cohan. He has almost become a
mythological character to our
younger 'generation. But Dale
Gonyea has recreated this musi-
cal giant as he sings, hoofs, and
swings his way through
M U S K E T ' s presentation of
George M!, now playing at the
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.
Gonyea's indomitable bouy-
ancy is perfect as the arrogant,
but joyful man who put Broad-
way before everything else in his
life--glossing over the sad mo-
ments with a new song to thrill,
and, at the same time, exem-
plify the feelings of the rest of
America.
George M! is a tableaux of
beautifully and intricately di-
Aant;
An -ere r-beering
nArbor film fest
By BRUCE HENSTELL
It's beginning to look like the Eighth is the one. And the
Ann Arbor Film Festival has had its ups and downs, and never-
theless emerged as one of the more important festivals in the
country. This year, the Eighth Ann Arbor Festival, looks like it
will prove just how important it is.
The quality of each festival depends, of couse, upon the qual-
ity of the films submitted by the various film makers. If the first
night's showing, Thesday, is any indication-and it is-this will
be a festival to remhember. The quality of the films is uniformly
higher than in previous years. Outstanding films are in evidence.
This despite the major disappointment of the absence of the newest
film by George Manupelli-both the moving force and creative
eminence behind the festival.
A word for the beautiful Pat Oleszko, last year's festival girl
and thiis year a judge. She is presenting a series of "strips",
plays upon, of course, herself as "Pat-the Hippie-St ippie" of
Toledo fame. Pat's first piece, "Heir Strip," featured her in elderly
White, and exposing nothing more-nor less-than her- bloomers.
The outstanding film, of the first night is Spider God. Al-
though it had its lax moments, it beautifully plays upon the theme
,.of. the new-found messiah, the "hip" teacher. In this case it is one
Jim Webb apparently from Reed College (the film's point of
origin) and wheth1er Webb exists or not is beside the point. The
film captures the world-weary know-it-all feeling of the hip ("I
mean if he weren't around, things would be a lot duller") and
the academic chant of his fellows. Particularly memorable is a
conversation with a philosophy professor who in a few thousand
words or less manages to describe his own' failure to comprehend
"edfucation." The film is a delight down to the final brief bit, a long
shot of Webb entering a house and a rock falling out of a stone
wall on the slam of the door.
Intriguing, too, was Extreme Unction in which a young lady
masturbates to the sounds of "Do You Remember?" and shots
of running mobs. The film could, be titled Extreme Suction and
none of the flavor would be lost.
He by. Tom Palazzolo is another in the urban landscapes of a
talented Chicago artist. Palazzolo explores through brief sequences
See BETTER, Page 10
rected ensemble numbers, Dif
rector John Reid Klein knew-
and wanted to present-his own
talent when he chose George M!.
The continuous barrage of
Cohan songs and music allow
Klein to develop choreography
that is at least exhausting to
the performers, but smooth and
professional to those who are
watching it. Audiences tradi-
tionally walk out appreciative
but not fully comprehending the
efforts made.
But Klein leaves no doubt.
Joan Susswein as George's
sister Josie has a stylization that
belongs solely to her. She walks
on stage immediately encasing
the audience in her broad smile
(etc.) and gleaming teeth. She
bounces and struts, belts and
sings; maybe a little weightily,
but oh - so happily !
Barbara Haas and James Hos-
bein, as the parental completion
of the four Cohans, were only
more of the same. Hosbein's ren-
dition of 'Harrigan,' done with
Gonyea, succeeds as a period
piece through their slapstick
precision and facial expressions.
Colorful scenes change, incred-
ible costumes change even faster
(about 15 times) and the char-
acters and people eclipse time
with the speed indicative of
America at the turn of the cen-
tury.
Each minor character is a
cameo role and the cast is cap-
able of portraying each one well
-and some with real excellence.
The only weakness in George
M! is its lack of story. The
audience becomes involved, not
through emotion, but through
familiarity with'the songs -
"Yankee Doodle Dandy" for in-
stance, which has Gonyea
breathlessly singing and running
the length of the stage. Or "It's
a Grand Old Flag" which, in
this student community, receiv-
ed a well deserved ovation for
MUSKET's creativity and force
of presentation.
And that is George M! No
complicated plot line; but music
that made our parents and
grandparents happy brought to
the stage again for the enjoy-
ment of their children. And it is
difficult not to find yourself
really wanted to "Give My Re-
gards to Broadway."
NOTICE
NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH
All Speakers of English as a Second Language' Are
Invited to Take Part in an Experimental Test of Eng-
lish Language Proficiency to be Given in AUDI-
TORIUM A, ANGELL HALL AT 7:15 P.M. ON THE
19th OF MARCH. You Will Receive $5.001 for Ap-
proximately 1-1 7/2 to 2 Hours of Your Time, If in-
terested You Must Call and Register at the Follow-
ing Number 764-2416, on or Before March 18th.
*NO ELI STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE INTEN-
SIVE ENGLISH COURSES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE TEST AT
THIS TIME.
l
I.
-Daily-Richard Lee
The Four Cohans and George's first wife on the vaudeville circuit
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The Michigan Daily, edited and man-
aged by students at the University of
Michigan. News phone: 764-0552. Second
Class postage paid at Ann Arbor, Mich-
igan. 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor,
Michigan 48104. Published daily Tues-
day through Sunday morning Univer-
sity year. Subscription rates: $10 by
carrier, $10 by niall.
Summer Session published Tuesday
through Saturday morning. Subscrip-
tion rates: $3.00 by carrier. $3.00 by
mail.
'II
..*.......'~....-
3020 Washtenaw, Ph. 434-1782
Between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor
NOW SHOWING
Nominated for Seven
ACADEMY AWARDS
including
0 Best Picture 0 Best Sonq
2M~l CENTURY-FOX PRESENTS
THESCK
DY AND
THE SUNDANCE KID
"U.
IZ/
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AIRPORT
LIMOUSINES
for information call
971-3700
Tickets are available
at Travel Bureaus or
the Michigan Union
32 Trips/Doy
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BACH CLUB
presents
THE GOClARD
BRASS ENSEMBLE
" Bach Contrapunctus 3
* Gabrieli, "Canzone"
" Vivaldi, Concerto for 2
Trumpets
0 Gibbons, "The Silver Swan"
" Morlev, "Fire; Fire, My
Heart" FrM
" Bach, Organ Prelude and
Fugue and other pieces
Thursday, Mar. 12-8 p.m.
1236 Washtenaw
(at S. Forest, near S. Univ.)
Refreshment and FUN afterwards
EVERYONE WELCOME
(No musical knowledge needed)
663-2827, 761-7356, 764-9887;
Subscribe to
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PANAVISION* COLOR BY DELUXE
P aS tsdfoMATURE Audia :
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A PRANKOV" P oDUCTION "M
M8IIH8u BQr8Oman
rtosw~
as TOM
Academy Award
Nominee
(Best Supporting
Actress)
A
***********************************************i CURTAIN 8:30 P.M. MENDEISSOHN THEATRE
1
Extra: Academy Nominee
Best Short:
.People Soup~
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1
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RADICAL FILM SERIES
presents
THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
directed by LUIS BUNUEL
In this film Bunuel strips his characters down to their murderous core. Held
by an inexplicable jinx in a sumptuous drawing room where they have
gathered for a dinner party, the whole glittering facade of their social exist-
ence shatters. r
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
7,9,11 P.MI Admission 75c
CANTERBURY HOUSE 330 Maynard
ARMedia
folk legacy
rec. artist
ROSALIE
SORRELS
is here at
last!!!
"better than the Mexi-
can Road Races"
-U. UTAH PHILLIPS
i
Thurs.-8:30 PM.
T-LAB
six week
INTERMIEDIATE
LAB
MICHIGRAS DOES VAUDEVILLE
and we need:
to meef every
Thursday
FREE
ComeeEarly
TONIGHT
HOOT 50c
NEXT WEEK
Pam Ostergren
DIRECTED and CHOREOGRAPHED by JOHN RID KLEIN
MUSICAL. DIRECTION by GLENN B. L|ITO
A
SETS
Alice Crawford
COSTUMES
Gwendolyn Nagle
LIGHTING
R. S. Winkler
specialty acts
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