Saturday, April 10, 1975

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Page Five

Saturday, A~riI 19, 1975 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Pcge Five


'U,

Players'

Birds

Greek drama disaster

Browne promises a.
tender, moving show
By BARRY ALEXANDER ! In addition, his songs were re-!
Singer/guitarist J a c k s o n corded by such diverse people
Browne brings his national tour' as the Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, Ian
into town Saturday night for a Matthews, Gregg Allman, andi
concert at Hill Auditorium. If Kiki Dee, which also spread his
the show is of the caliber of sound. He's also done tours re-1
previous ones this year, the aud- cently with Raitt and Linda
ience is in for a treat. Ronstadt'

By DAVID WEINBERG
Maybe it was funnier in fifth
century Greece, but the 20th'
century version of Aristophanes'
The Birds is one of the most
gaudy, slapstick, mindless plays
I've ever seen.
One gets the feeling that adap-
ter Larry Raab, himself ar
accomplished poet, assumed
that the less solid text he could
write, the better the show would
be received. Couldn't be worse
than Neil Simon, eh?
Well, it was. Even Aristo-
phanes, a most flexible fellow,
would have gagged a bit at the
U' Players Thursday night per-
formance of his play.
The Birds itself is a ric
and lovely fantasy involving
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Pisetearus and Eulipides, two Joseph Nassif's direction made
young Athenians who leave their caricatures of the two young
city seeking to build a utopia men. Indeed, both Jeffries and
which they call Nephelococcy- Harbison indicated a lot, the
gia. The play is essentially former becoming more and
comedy and social satire, but more cynical and shouty as the
always it maintains a hint of } night went on, the latter more
seriousness, and it also con- of a chump.
tains some of Aristophanes' best The dialogue just bordered on
lyricism, becoming pinball alley material,
. The Players took ths good- frequented with lines like "I'm
natured play and turned it into sick of this bird s--t," and oc-
a noisy, one-dimensional and casioned by Brechtian(?) re-'
excuciatingly long musical com- minders that we in the audience
edy. The heroes, here played "can go home anytime you
by Lawrence Harbison (Eulipi- want." Several people did.
des) and Evan Jeffries (Pistea- What then, is the purpose? To
rus), were reduced to a Laurel entertain? To make people
and Hardyish duet, complete laugh, and appreciate Greek cul-
with eye-poking, head-banging ture? There is a certain deca-
et al. 'dence creeping into present day

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Browne, a former unknown
just coming into national prom-
inence, has drawn consistent
rave reviews so far, and in thej
process earned himself a wid-
er audience.
It's not that he hasn't been
around. His newest album, Late

i Browne can perform in sev-
eral styles. One of his best-
known numbers, "Red-Neck
Friend", is dedicated to Greg
Allman, and the emulation of
the Georgian is obvious. But he's
best known for more tender,!
sensitive tunes.

SUMMER SESSION
1975
Two sessions
June 23 - August 1
August 4 - August 29
Courses in the liberal arts
Registration fee:
$100 first course
$ 80 each additional course
Special programs in:
Foreign Language
Modern Dance
Marine Science
For free catalog,
please write:
Director
Summer Session
University of California
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Read and Use
Daily Classifieds

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for the Sky, is his third, and Also appearing with Browne is
his first, Saturate Before Using Phoebe Snow, a black singer
was released in October, 1971, new to the music scene. An
and was promptly ignored by emerging talent, she is report-
the public despite good reviews. edly not polished yet, but has
So he tried again last year, been steadily improving before
with For Everyman. Browne audiences. Molding jazz, blues,
got more good reviews, but stillan o ldin a t e
didn't sell many platters. Yet and gospel into asmoothly i-'
word was slowly traveling the grated style, she's won the
grapevine that his music was hearts of just about everybody
something to listen to. who's heard her.

American theatre, and if that's
true, then Birds becomes a good
candidate for Broadway.
Careless management The costumes were exquisite.
Mary Anne Smith deserves sin-
)f entries prevents cere recognition for her work.
 trump coup Jonathon Simon's music was
t interesting in places, but was
by FRANK BELL - mhampered by a poor sound sys-
tem which allowed for little
Xvujume onnUNd~u 1t6 o UHU.tt

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North opened the bidding with clubs and returned the ten ofv
one club, South responded one clubs. But perhaps the most thor-
heart, and North rebid one no Declarer sluffed a spade and oughly entertaining thing about
trump. South jumped to three played a heart to the ace and a the whole play was Sam Vivi-
hearts, and North with his good heart to the king. South realized ano's rendition of a Barbarian
minimum raised to four hearts. he had a problem on his hands God, who with the ring in his
NS Vul. when West failed to follow. De nose and pigmy pigtail had
EW NVul. clarer was now short of th4 en- many of us rolling in the aisles.
NORTH tries necessary to coup East out And it's that spectre-of this
of his trump trick. fat mumbling barbarian-which
A K 5 2 If declarer had anticipated the seems a suitable image by
V A 7 possible bad break, he could which to remember the play.
* 8 7 5 have protected himself against
4AQ842 a 4-1 break on his right by carsh-
WEST EAST ing the king of hearts and lead-
*J 9 7 6Q10 ing a heart to the ace. If the
M 6 V J 8 5 4 hearts break, he can return to Have a flair for
* A K 10 6 2 + Q J 9 his hand with the ace of spades artistic writinq?
4 7 6 5 4 K 10 9 3 and draw the outstandi'ng trump. If you are interest-
SOUTH If the hearts do not break, de- ed in reviewing
A A 8 4 3 clarer will find himself well poetr wia musre
V K Q 10 9 3 2 placed in the dummy. Cashing stories a b o u t the
S4 3 the ace of clubs, declarer can drama, dance, film
T druff a fourth round of clubs, play - Editorc oThe
The bidding the ace of spades and a spade Michigan Daily.
North East South West 'to the king. Now at trick twelve,
1 4 Pass 1 V Pass declarer is on the dummy with
T Pass 3as Pass the queen tenof hearts sitting
4 " Pas Pss Ps over East's jack and one.

- Come fly with us
Pistearus (played by Evan Jeffries, standing) and Eulipides
(Lawrence Harbison) ponder their situation in the midst of
Aristophanes's "The Birds." The University Players produc-
tion continues at Mendelssohn tonight.
f I s ', 1

ti
Whbat could be better than The Three Musketeers?
* Starts FR IDAY!
r\Ia w '' Omvw

">
./;

Opening lead: King of
Diamonds.
West cashed the king, ace of
diamonds and continued with a
third round ruffed by South. De-
carer now passed the Jack of:
clubs. East won the king of
I BAGEL S"mlW ! OX

MUSKETanoce
A FALL PRODUCTION OF
GODSPE LL
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
FOR CENTRAL COMMITTEE...
DIRECTOR MUSICAL DIRECTOR
CHOREOGRAPHER SET DESIGNER
COSTUME DESIGNER
And all other Desiqn and Business Positions
APPLICATIONS DUE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
AT UAC OFFICES, 2ND FLOOR, UNION
for more information, coil 763-1107 or 764-1630

O THE U

at HILLML
1429 HILL ST.
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
11:00 .m.
Combined Brunch

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ALEXANDER SALKIND Presents OLIVER REED - RAQUELWELCH
RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN and MICHAEL YORK as DArtagnan
FRANK FINLAY- CHRISTOPHER LEE'- GERALDINE CHAPLIN
JEAN PIERRE CASSEL IN A.RICHARD LESTER FILM
"THE FOUR MUSKETEERS"
with SIMON WARD and FAYE DUNAWAYas Milady
CHARLTUN HESFON as Cardinal Richelieu
hsic by L AL )SCHIFRIN - Screenplay by GEORGE MAC DONALD FRASER - Based on the novel byALEXANDRE DUMAS - Executive in Charge of
Production PIERRE SPENGLER - Executive ProJucer ILYA SALKIND-Directed by RICHARD LESTER -TECFINICOLOR® PRINTS BY DE LUXEe'
PPARENTAL. GUIDANCE SUGGESTED
Mon.-Thurs: 7-00 & 9:00
Sot r1-3-5 7-911761-3700
Sun.: 1 -3-5-7-9 

PROFESSIONAL THEATRE PROGRAM
APRIL 23-27 POWER CENTER
EVES. at 8 p.m.; SUN. MAT. at 3 p.m.
Tickets now on sale at PTP ticket office, Mendelssohn
lobby. 764-0450: Tickets also available at Hudson's at
Briarwood.

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Today at
1-3-5-7-9 p.m.
Open at 12:45 p.m.
-from the novel by
MICHAEL MOORCOCK

This weekend--
children's matinee
"RUMPLESTILTSKIN"
Shows at 1 & 3 p m. ---
Saot and Sun.
All seats $1.00
Sot-Sun. at 5-7-9 p.m.
Open at 12:45

TONIGHT, ONLY-

LAST DAYS OF
MAN ON EARTH

A SPECIAL MIDNITE PREVIEW

1

1 aySat., Sun., Wed. at 1-3-5-7-9
Open at 12:45
Mon. & Tues. Thurs. &
IEC uK r'a E Fri. at 7 & 9 p.m.
Open at 6:45
Theatre Phone 4, MONDAY is GUEST NIGHT
You and a quest-only $2.50
The Second GreatestFlver in theWorld
The war was over-and the world's greatest flyers had never
met in combat. But Waldo was going to change all that-
even if it killed him.

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WILL KEEP YOU IN
STITCHES FROM
BEGINNING TO END

Jim Buckley, Publisher
SCREW MAGAZINE

I FOUND MYSELF
LAUGHING MY
GUTS OUT...
IT IS UNDENIABLY
FUNNY
William D. Kerns
Fine Arts Editor
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY DAILY .

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