'Showboat' a fair cruise By JOSHUA PECK. J)uring the intermission of Showboat 0jiday night, I reflected that perhaps the textbooks are wrong in their claim that Oklahoma was the first American mpsical to deal seriously with serious issues. After all, miscegenation - in- teracial marriage - is a weighty topic. Many people still are not entirely at ease with the sight of a racially diverse couple holding hands in public. Sbow Boat Music: Jera Kern Book & Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein It Power Center an ...... ..... Forrest Tucker nie...... .... Butterfly McQueen EHie ..................... Dorothy Stanley Rgbberface.............. Michael Rhone Julie ......... .......... Adrienne Angel Gaylord Ravenal................ Tom McKinney Magnolia ... ..Pamela Kalt SDirector, Stone Widney When Oscar Hammerstein's book shows us a mulatto character tlteatened with arrest for being the, wife of a white man, it looks as if there may be more than the usual boy-gets- loses-gets girl story line in store. When the couple is forced to leave the showboat company because of racial laws, the seeds of potentially com- pelling racial conflict seem to have been sown. When the mulatto shows up in the second act, evidently on her own, one is led to believe that the racial sub- plot is about to rise to .some kind of in- teresting mini-climax. But when the curtain falls on the final curtain call, one realizes with a jolt that all hope for a statement of more than emotional substance has been for naught. Unless she is hiding under one of those bonnets bouncing around stage in the finale, the character in question has been swallowed by the justifiably famous Jerome Kern score and by the hodgepodge of deliberate overacting that marks this particular production. THERE'S NOTHING intrinsically wrong with ordinary musical theater; Sound of Music makes for a pleasant evening out, Kiss Me Kate is droll enough, and Candide contains some of the more euphonious melodies this side of Haydn. But to be baited with a hint of social relevance and then to have it un- ceremoniously dropped is more than merely frustrating; it is unfair. .Forrest Tucker and Butterfly McQueen, respectively F Troop's and Gone With The Wind's contributions to the current Showboat cast, are regret- fully unsurprising in their portrayals of Cap'n Andy and Queenie. Tucker knows that the very sound of his voice breeds images of mindlessly munching dessert in front of a television set, and he lets that not altogether unpleasant association carry his performance off. He has to, because his dancing abilities won't do the trick. Ms. McQueen's most famous work thus far has been behind a microphone in the famous Zanuck movie as Prissy, and on the Jack Benny Show on the radio. There is good reason for that too; her voice is simply too small to fill a theater. Perhaps it hasn't always been, but the woman was born 68 years ago, and age takes its toll on a voice. What's surprising is that McQueen is delight- fully spry and certainly outdances her younger co-star. SHOWBOAT HAS so many charac- ters prancing in and out of the spotlight that it is difficult to distinguish major pieces of plot from minor ones, but the main hero and heroine would seem to be Gaylord Ravenal (Tom McKinney), a dashing river gambler, and Magnolia (Pamela Kalt), lovely daughter to the Cap'n (oh, that apostrophe). The two meet one day, star together in the showboat entertainment shortly thereafter, marry three weeks after that, and some twenty years later (hold onto your hats) split up, the financial woes of the valiant Gaylord having him convinced that he can no longer serve as a worthy husband to the ever-true Magnolia or as a proper father to their daughter. VOCALLY, the cast is generally quite strong, with McKinney's operatic background making for the most pleasing sound of all., Outstanding for bringing her character most convin- cingly to light via unique vocal style is Adrienne Angel, as Julie, the actress of mixed-racial heritage. She has a char- ming sassiness that shines through "Bill," her second-act torch song. Would that the script had allowed her to make more of her acting talents as well., Robert Mosley plays Joe in as ham- my a fashion as one could imagine, but Stone Widney's staging of the various renditions of his big number, "Ol' Man River," virtually invite Mosley to show off. The low notes of the verse sound especially soothing and wistful as the actor mulls over Nature's melancholy ways. Many moments in the show are in- tended to be amusing, but most are drawn from mimicking the melodramatic style of the day. It's been done before, and better, so it's not sur- prising that the-mockery usually falls flat. Michael Rhone, though, in the role of "Rubberface," not only dances up a storm, but does a wonderfully lazy drawl as the lazy stagehand. His mugging and rambunctious slow- wittedness are comic highlights of the sort that could have served his fellow actors well. The Michigan Daily-Sunday, October 7, 1979-Page7 PEIIIELENIC PLA~NT S LEal Prices 20-30% below re OCT.9,01E11-1O m-pm M. Union Ballroom " A 11proceeds donated to Women's Crisis Center of Anin Arbor * Plants by Norton's of Ypsilanti ELIO PETRI'S 1971 INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN UNDER SUSPICION Sophisticated suspense and masterful direction combine to create this highly cinematic, captivating thriller. The chief of the government's political intel- ligence unit murders his girlfriend and plants evidence leading to himself. Believing he is immune to prosecution, he conducts the investigation with relish. Mon: THE MISTRESS (Free at 8:00 only) Tues: Bergman's THE SEVENTH SEAL. 4,. .. ;A CINEMA GUILD TONIGHT AT 7:00 & 9:15 OLD ARCH AUD $1.50 Dances 'fares By KATHE TELINGATOR His movements suggested neither a sense of urgency nor listlessness. Slow and controlled, he turned, he bent, he stretched. A stick held in his hands neither led nor followed his movemen- ts, but was merely an extension of them. Crack! The sound of the stick hit- ting the wooden floor-the silence was broken? the show had begun. The sound was startling and the opening had, effectively caught the audience's attention; however, the rest of Willie Feuer and Susan Matheke's "Dances for 2," their Dance School debut, had some difficultymaintaining it. Overall the pairs' duets were their more successful pieces. "Moonsuite," choreographed by Feuer, could easily be described as etheral. Danced to a medley of "Blue Moon," "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," and "Moonlight and Shadows," the audience could not help but get as swept up by the mood as the dancers were getting with one another. With a little blue lighting and some white transparent costumes ad- ded, the illusion was inescapable. The lighting movement-match and Feuer added s4 movement to make the pi serious. "THE CRANE'S WALT duet choreographed by more or less what the titl "Vocalise" the music so very ill-attempted aria. It taken seriously of course cers moved about stretcl tending like big birds. The last duet was a "Don't Rag Me," chore Matheke. Matheke is a ve beautiful dancer. Her mo graceful and clear and this to highlight her talents. He less justice for Feuer. Th piece, Matheke would look Feuer's direction: she sm involved in her movemer meaning. Feuer too was it movement, but to the poir very little attention to his r audience. There was nev that Feuer was actually e he was doing. THE WEAKEST SPOTt pretty, well ed the music, was the solos, and the basic problem of ome comic the solos was that the dancers chose to ece even less do them mostly in silence. "Breakpoint, " a solo by Matheke, Z," the other had a background of wind sounds. As Feuer, was they blew, she blew. The movement e implies. In was swaying and impulsive. Matheke unded like a incorporated gasps and sights of breath was not to be matching her movements. It began to as the dan- get very disturbing and really took hing and ex- away from her interpretation. One almost wanted to run out and stop her piece called from dancing in fear that she was pographed by hyperventilating. It was an interesting ry slim, very idea, but not particularly effective in ryemen, aey the way she meant it to be. vpiece served Feuer's solo, "Empty Hands" also piece sreally didn't work. Done in silence with owever, it did Feuer in a costume which made him iroughout the look like a gas station attendant, "Han- longingly in ds" failed to involve the audience and iled, she was hold their attention. His choreography nts and their was not particularly interesting and nvolved in his leaned more towards the movement of nt of showing a mime than that a dancer. His motions partner or the suggested that he was doing some par- er any sense ticular action, but he never successfully njoying what conveyed what it was he was doing. Although the show provided a pot- the concert pourri of notions, it was not a confused one. Rather, it was one that tried many things out, with the dancers knowing full well that not everything can con- I nect. Still, Matheke and Feuer offer many interesting ideas, and one can elta'numbers, only hope that their future concerts !n he accomn- become more interesting. (good only with hs coupon) Carry-Out and FR EE Delivery- F RE E-2 L A RwGE PE P CWitho ny medium or large pia GOOD MON THRU THURSs (DON'T FORGET to ask for your free Pepsis WHEN you place your orde " 12", 14-16" PIZZAS--14 items including Zucchini & E ggplont. " COTTAGE INN'S Very Own SICILIAN DEEP DISH PIZZA S 1NWICHES. SUBS, PIZZA SUB O T AG E INN DELUXE * Expertly prepared ITALIAN DINNERS: Spaghetti, Lasogna, Connelloni Monicotti. Combination 546 PACKARD at HILL-665-60051 MONDAY-SATUR DAY 4-2 am SUNDAY 4- Iam L = ma -e ma u - m inn m um m - - - - a === m m isn u as b" ... .. n Bryan Bowers By PATTI DIETZ was a good thing that Bow wor Aotiaharp player Bryan Bowers ranks right up there with David Bromberg in his ability to revive and enliven old "roots" tunes. Bowers' survival in the folk realm is particularly unique in a time when many performers (notably Bromberg) lean more and more on the electronic mode to tell their tales. That Bowers is able to headline three nights at the Ark (his final performance is tonight) performing unplugged is a tribute to both his abilities as a musician and a performer. Bowers' set Friday evening was his usual mixture of call-and-response sing-alongs, gospel renditions, and bluegrass tales. He admitted to the audience that he and his music were subject to emotional "peaks and valleys"; this proved to be a adept summation of his performance. Bowers' mood swings from light- heartedness on such tunes as "The Scotsman" and "Four Wet Pigs" to solemnity on "Prison Song" and "Hot Buttered Rum"-making for a tran- sition which is somewhat jarring, but nonetheless effective. That Bowers is a master of the autoharp was demonstrated in his up- tempo reworkings of old fiddle tunes and in variations he performed on the "Ode to Joy.". His playing is so proficient that one could almost swear one was listening to a carefully over- dubbed tape, there's that much to be heard. As he was taping Friday evening, it - Jerome K~ern &:Oscar Hammerstein Ii's ' n I an eager-to-sing audience. F outreach gave his listener choice but to enjoy him and Long introductions to somec made him alternately acce exposed. Although Bowers does not resonant voice necessar harps on rs had' such cessfully deliver hisa eap His friendly his voice does work whe 's no other panies himselft with his ac sing along. instrumentally and ev of his songs Bowers is a musician wh essible and audience an intricate par formance. He is a rarity t posess the pleasure to watch. y to suc- utoharp. Both en vocally, 1o makes his rt of the per- , and he is a (or capacity) Second Chance's ( Hospitality h 1 and f r tV Student Night 5th Avenue at LibertySt, 761.9700 for info co 994-535 FOrmerly Fifth Forum Theate Graduating Seniors and Grad Students JOB OPPORTUNITIES in THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMIN. 70 Special Agent Positions' (Criminal Investigator) Contact: Mrs. Virginia Stegath 3200 Student3Activities Bldg. 763-1484. for additional information and application DEADLINE: 10/17 F7 7~ a MANNTHEATRES NOW OPEN Fa UALIAG VILLAGE 4 MAPUf YItIAGE 5MOPPING ENTER . 7691300 4 BIG SCREENS BARGAIN MATINEES DAILY. ADULTS $1.50, 1:00 PM til 2:00 PM . . - 'T. 141 Wi r school e NEXT? MATINEES DAILY 1:15-3:00-4:40 6:20-8:15-10:05 SPECIAL MIDNIGHT FRI & SAT ONLY AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT (bdritS~n~g rhstra G trocolor A NEW WORLD PICTURE 9 ttnih. U1,12 The Society takes great pride in hosting one of America's on the eve of its history-making first tour of Europe. premier musical organizations, A temptingly tasteful comedy 6 for adults who can count. BLAKE EDWARQS' ! 0N7 Music Director Antal Dorati will conduct the orchestra in a program of works by Haydn, Barber, Ravel, and Dvorak. Dorati,; with the group since 1977, is an internationally recognized conductor and composer. He is principal guest conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as well as its Conductor Laureate. This special appearance replaces the Choral Union Series concert originally scheduled for Saturday. October 13. Tickets for that concert will be honored for the Detroit Svmohonv (;ir%7 ,..