Page Two
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Thursday, March 26, 1970
Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, March 26, 1970
theatre
Fantasticks':
Not so- not so
By JOH14 ALLEN
When Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt wrote The Fantasticks.
a dozen years ago or so, they managed a small -miracle: the crea-
tion of Something out of Nothing. With the exception of its
immensely powerful and attractive score, the musical is an exercise
in minimal-art theatre. Virtually no set, a few props, no chorus,
the simplest of romantic notions for its thematic structure-an
unpretentious work of incredible fragility that can dissolve and dis-
appear.in the time it takes to blink.
Last night Ann Arbor Civic Theatre opened its production of
The Fantasticks in Trueblood Auditorium. Somebody 'blinked.
Not everything disappeared, fortunately, but a good deal more
did so than can easily be done without. Thanks for saving what
was saved go to Ginger Myers as Luisa, Michael Reinhart as Matt,
and Alice Borushko as The Mute. When Matt and/or Luisa are not
on stage it is The Mute who somehow holds things together with
her steady, expressionless gaze.
Zeke Jabbou r, unfortunately, was suffering from a severe
cold. jHis portrayal of Hucklebee, Matt's father, was nonetheless
adequate dramatically--but the loss of voice was a severe loss in a
show dependent on its music rather than on its drama-or comedy,
for that matter. David Harbison as Bellamy-Luisa's father-was
not particularly gifted 'vocally and was not at ease as a dancer.
Jack Harris, who ,plays El Gallo, has too small a singing voice
for the role; and he seemed to be ill at ease with his hands and
body throughout the show. Instead of the worldly swagger appro-
priate to this bandit we were given a good deal of crouching and
posturing and uncomfortable glances around the stage.
Bob Wilcox and Jim Kane a's Henry and Mortimer, the touring
Shakespearian company of two who do their best to die convinc-
ingly, do not do much except overplay parts that can succeed only
when rendered absurdly, which is not the same thing as broadly.
But back to the saving graces.
Miss Myers has more than enough voice to do justice to
her songs and a capacity to move on stage that combines
energy and fluidity. She projects the proper balance of innocence
and hopeful wickedness-well, mischievousness-to carry off the
character of Luisa.
Mr. Reinhart is equally well-cast, both musically and drama-
tically. He has a sureness in his carriage and in the use of his
hands that tends to keep all of his movements at the level of dance.
The show profits from this balletic quality: its romanticism is so
stylized that only, a low-keyed stylization of performance can keep
it from dangerous sentimentality. !
This, in large part, accounts for the substantiality of Miss
Borushko's contribution. The contrast between her immobile feat-
ures and her soft mobility as a dancer generated a kind of energy
of which the production needed a good deal more.
But the music ip there, impossible to argue with, and, some-
imes capable of bringing the entire production to life. Love songs
worth hearing and romantic leads worth believing in are more
than many musicals have to offer.
music
Folk fest to be held at The Ark,
~
~
=9
Remember the great old hoot-
enannies after folk fests when
every one would .gravitate to-
gether and sing old songs in
spontaneous and new variations?
There was never any plan a n d
always a limited amount of or-
der but for some reason each
had the best sing of his life.
The Ark is sponsoring a ceilidh
(pronounced caylee) this week-
end, for which they are flying in
a group of famous folklorists
and singers. But more important-
ly, the organizers hope to have
a few surprise guests who may
just stop by Ann Arbor to get
.together with a lot of others
from their brood.
Joe Hickerson, Michael Coon-
ey, Larry anks, Roger Renwick
and Barry O'Neill are the five
who are definitely scheduled to
appear over the fest starting
this evening.' Hickerson is pre-
sently the Assistant Head of the
Library of Congress in the folk
music division.
Hanks is a folklorist from
Northern California. He has
written several of Michael Coon-
ey's songs including "The Apple-
K. -__ -
picker's Reel." O'Neill is pur-
portedly the best of the folklore
singers and works with Renwick,
who is singing under Charles
Seeger (Pete Seeger's father).
And of course there's Michael
Cooney, well-known to Ann Ar-
bor audiences. Cooney has been
Resident in Folklore at Guelph
University in Canada and has
been doing nothing but studying
the field for the past year.
The songs, according to Ark,
manager Dave Siglin, will be
basically from the English lang-
uage including American, Cana-
dian, English and Scottish bal-
lad§.
Siglin says what happens in a
ceilidh is one person starts to
sing a song. Then this will be
followed by five or six tunique
variations by other singers.
Eventually they all get together
singing each variation alternate-
ly and at once, "like a huge
round robin."
"What amazes me," says Sig-
lin, "is that everyone is willing
to give up a full week's pay just
to see and sing with everyone
else." The five key entertainers
are receiving only flight fare
and no other fees. Singers who
are coming in just to join in the
group are having nothing paid
by The Ark. A 2 dollar admission
fee is being charged each night
to cover air fare.
Siglin says "This is the cul-
mination in everything The Ark
wants to do in music. This is
going to be the best intradi-
tional (ballad-type) that has
ever hit Ann Arbor."
CORRECTION
The role of Chanfalla in
Cervantes' "El Retablo de las
Maravillas" was not played by
Mike Jones. It was played by
John Allan. The Daily regrets
the error.,
ENDS TONIGHT
New York Timn
A FRANKOVJCH PRODUCTION
TECHNCOLOR
FRI.: "ANNE OF 1000. DAYS"
NGC THEATRE CORPORATION
A NATIONAL GENERAL COMPANY
FOX V ILL.U6E
375 No. MAPLE RD.*769*130
THURS.-FRI-2:15
4:30-6;55-9:30
SAT.-SUN.-1:45
4:15-6:50-9:25
DAZZLING!"
-t A.TIMES
A FRANK0VICH- .
STURGES
PRDU CN
O
PAVISIO
ipSFA1h .0
3020 Washtenaw, Ph. 434-1782
Between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor
HURRY, HURRY
ENDS TUESDAY
MARCH 31
20th CENTURyxy01PRESENTS
THE SUNDANCE KID
V.
i
K
Bring Results
Daily Class ifieds
r
11
GUILD HOUSE
802 MONROE
FRI DAY, MARCHK27
NOON LUNCHEON
25c
Representative f rom BAM:
"ON THE STR IK E"
'i
Chli UL
PETITIONING FOR MEMBERSHIP
CALL 761-1294 or 769-0437 before Mon.,
March 30, for Appointment
"If you don't work, you don't eat"
Program Info: NO 2-6264
HELD OVER!
3rd WEEK ... .
SHOWS AT:
1:00-.3:00-5:00
7:00-9:10 P.M.
NOMINATED FOR 9
ACADEMY AWARDS
PANAVISIONO COLOR BY DELUXE
I s tad Fr MATURE Audi~ ±fs
l' L_ s ka{4tlS~E.. .,w1. ^
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-
ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATRE
presents
THE
Daily Official Bulletin
HURSDAY, MARCH 26
Day Calendar
Piano Student Recital: School of
Music Recital Hall, 12:30 p.m.
Nuclear Colloq.: Nelson Stein, Yale
4'Pb 208 (d,p) Pb 209 -- Revisited,"
P&A Colloq. Rm., 4:00 p.m
Kelsey Museum Lect.: Wm. Peck, Det.
Inst. of Arts, "Herodotos's Travels in
Egypt." Aud. B, Angell Hall, 4:19 p.m.
Speech (Student Lab Theater): "Ana-
tole," Arena Theater, Friede Bldg., 4:10
p.m.
Botany Seminar: Dr. F. W. Went,
"Mycorrhiza," Botanical Gardens, 4:15
P.m."
University Symphony Band: Hill Aud.
8:00 p.m.
Degree Recital: Kay Kaufman, so-
prano, Sch of Music Recital Hall, 8:00
p.m.
General Notices
SPRING COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
May 2,1970,"10:30 a.m., Crisler Arena
TICKETS: Maximum of four to each
prospective graduate, to be distributed
Monday. April 13, to 5:00 p.m. Friday,
(Continued on Page6)
MARCH 25 thru 29
Trueblood Theatre
8100 p.m.
Box Office Open to Curtain Time
Phone 764-5387
4
I
Read and Use
Daily Classifieds
#,
TICKETS -- $2.00, $3.50
* Easter Sunday Performance ONLY AT 7 p.m.
MACE62
MARCH 26, 27
THURSDAY & FRIDAY
SULLIVAN'S
TRAVEL
dir. PRESTON STURGES, 1942
Because of the 'Mail
S t r i k e it is anybody's
guess whether the f i I m
will be here or not. If the,
film doesn't come, we
will show one of our own
films.
7 & 9 Architecture
662-8871 Auditorium
150 TEACHING FELLOWS
have shown their support for the strike and the BAM demands by
signing and acting upon the following statement:
"We the undersigned Teaching Fellows support the BAM
strike. Accordingly, we will not meet our classes until the strike
is settled to the satisfaction of the Black Action Movement."
Any Teaching Fellow who supports this statement is urged to
sign his or her name to it by coming to the Fishbowl between 9
A.M. and 4 P.M., or calling the New Mobe office (769-2570).
This should be done irregardless of any other statements which
have been signed,
For T.F.s who cannont sign the statement, but are sup-
porting the strike in some other way, call the New Mobe office
and tell us how you are showing support.
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IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL OPENING
a &
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THANK YOU FOR HELPING US
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Students International Store
IS OPEN AND DOING FINE
MONDAY-SATURDAY 10:30-6:30
we now have
FULL STOCK-ROCK, JAZZ, BLUES
and low cost music
I
THURSDAY, FRIDAY
& SATURDAY
A MUSICAL PARTY
with
MICHAEL COONEY
JOE HICKERSON
ROGER RENWICK
BARRY O'NEILL
0
PRICES
$3.29
$3.99
$4.99
(retail $4.98)
(retail $5.98)
(fetail $6.98)
and
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LC1/ llir c t'41nn
I r - . t A% t-- i % Pt
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