PTP's 'My Fair The Michigan Daily-Sunday, January 29, 1978-Pag 5. Lady' terrific The beautiful Embassy Waltz is captured here in Tom Mallow's National Tour of the musical "My Fair Lady.'" 'Running On Empty' needs some refueling By JEFFREY SELBST D ESPITE inclement weather condi- tions that forced the PTP to can- cel the opening night performance (which would have been Friday), My Fair Lady opened Saturday afternoon at Power. The company reportedly spent the day in Lansing, and let me be the first to say that the show bears no obvious sign of their ordeal, except perhaps one. Usually a company will truck a show into the theatre in time for a technical run-through, but obviously they didn't have time for that. They were still focussing lights and marking the stage floor up until the very moment of per- formance. So what? They did a lovely job. MY FAIR LADY is perhaps the best- crafted of all shows which fall under the rubric "American musical." It has all the elements-fine music, gaiety, dancing, and a heart-rending plot packed with Shawian wit. THAT IS also the difficulty inherent. You have to have performers with that sense of urbane humor, a Rex Harrison My Fair Lady Power Center Eliza Doolittle...............e.r.....Anne Rogers Henry Higgins ...................Edward Mulhare Col. Pickering........................Ronald Drake Mrs. Higgins .................Marie Paxton Alfred Doolittle ............... Thomas Bowman Mrs. Pearce.......................Joyce Worsley Freddy Eynsford Hill........ Kevin Lane Dearinger Costumes, Cecil Beaton; Chorography, Crandall Diehl; Directed by Jerry Adler; Production designed by Oliver Smith; Musi- cal Director, Albert L Fiorillo, Jr. to play Henry Higgins, an Audrey Hep- burn or Julie Andrews to play Eliza. The reason this version of the show was so very good is that Edward Mulhare projects precisely the same kind of charm as Harrison (though sings just as badly), and Anne Rogers, who played Eliza, has the same frail beauty and warmth as Hepburn. Rogers has quite a nice voice, though it tended to go rather thin at the high notes. Everyone sang well. The audio por- tion of the show was very annoying, but that was because the microphone volume was turned up far too loud-this can be atttributed to the technical problems of moving in a show without benefit of run-through, a problem likely to be corrected at all the other perfor- mances. AND THE actual, planned technical values of the show were just superb. The costumes, designed by Cecil Beaton, were lavish, particularly in the opening scene, where the well-dressed gentry are emerging from the opera, and in the "Ascot Gavotte" scene, where all were arrayed in black, white, and gray. The sets were all of the backdrop variety, and looked somewhat cheap. They were mostly illustrative panels-the only real "set" per se was in Higgins' house on Wimpole Street, and even that was disappointing. It would be impossible to lug around the kind of sets necessary for this show with a touring company however, so it was understandable Ronald Drake, as Col. Pickering (the other principal) was stuffy and British; very understated and amusing. The show was played in rather understated fashion throughout. In fact, where it tended to slow down was in the portions where the comedy was played rather too broadly. One example was the fashion in which Rogers played the "Just You Wait" number. It vacillated badly-went from rather dry 'and amusing to broad and unfunny. THE DANCING was simply out of this world. The chorus worked hard, and the staging of such numbers as "Get Me To The Church On Time" could not have been better. The dancing was choreographed by Crandall Diehl, and he based it on the original by Hanya Holm. - The show managed to convey the gaiety of the Broadway version, but in some of the scenes a certain vitality was lacking. I think the audience and the players alike tended to treat the thing as the revered museum piece it is. It looked and smelled like a terrific Walk. Just for the health of it, Get moving, America! Marche 1-7. 1977 is National Physical Education and Sport Week Physical Education Public Information American Alliance for Health Physical Fduc at2on andRecreation 1201 16th St N WN Wash nqton D C 20036 revival, instead of a new, exciting, original piece; while it is true that the show is some twenty-one years oli, even a revival company should try to inject the feeling that the piece has never been seen or heard before. This feeling was reinforced by the fact that the principles, (including Alfred Doolittle, played by Thomas Bowman) tried to emulate many of thb mannerisms of their predecessors. Yet in spite of all this, the show worked. Bowman was fine, Rogers and Mulhare were very good; Drake was terrific. My Fair Lady is a perennial, and an exam- ple of a show that could never really go wrong. Our PR EPA RE FOR:. Tr LIP~AT nT "1U By PAT GALLAGHER I F JACKSON BROWNE had written a book about his performing tours and road experiences, he might have better expressed the feelings he tries to con- vey on his newest album, Running On Empty. Instead, Browne limits a group of very fine musicians, himself in- cluded, with redundant stories and sen- timents about highways, stages and trucks. Running On Empty is the product of cross-country travels, with songs recorded in such unlikely places as Holiday Inn rooms and a Silver Eagle bus. The album is undeniably unique. Whoever heard of playing a cardboard super-highway. Along with Kunkel, Browne's backup-band (called The Sec- tion) includes Craig Doerge on keyboards, Leland Sklar on bass and Danny Kortchmar on numerous guitars. THESE ARE all seasoned touring musicians, having played with such popular heroes as James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg, and Doerge especially shines on his keyboard interludes heard throughout the record. An interesting highlight is the short ballad "Rosie," recorded backstage. Rosie is a lonely girl, "sniffing all around like a half-grown female pup." Jackson gives her a show pass, and eventually shares his heart with her. Side two opens with "Shaky Town," written by guitarist Danny Kortchmar, and the lyrics degenerate quickly from moanings about one-night stands to en- tire stanzas of CB lingo. One can hear a tight band in there somewhere, but this is overshadowed by the monotonous story-telling and Browne's vocals, his weakest to date. With "The Load-out" and "Stay," Browne gives his impressions of audience and music. Whereas most people don't have the experience- of touring with a rock bandl, one can easily relate to the atmosphere of a concert's end when, in "The Load-out," Browne says goodnight to his fans: Tonight the people were so fine When they got up on their feet they made the show and that was sweet - But I can hear the sound ofs/amning doors and folding chairs and that's a sound they'11/neverknow. Browne accompanies himself on piano, and the song's simple message is the album's most meaningful. "Stay" is an audience participation number with a sound reminiscent of old Motown. A true sense of spirit arises, as it should on a love album, when the band says goodbye. IVIUflI UAI I 1I DII.OR GMAT -"OCAT"VAT SAT NMB i11Iff, ECf MG-FLEX-VQE NAT'L DENTAL BOARDS NURSING BOARDS Flexible Programs & Hours here Is a dfferencedll SEDUCATIONAL CENTER Test Preparation Specialists since 1938 For Information Please Call: (313) 662- 3149 For Locations in Other Cities, Call: TOLL FREE: 800-223-1782 Centers in Major US Cities loronto_ Puerto Ricoand Lug~ano, 5vyIzerian'C VD epidemic stalled; complacent attitude' 110 could endanger gains Running On Empty Jackson Browne As run 61"I1I3 box on. a moving bus- "somewhere in New Jersey," or drawling through a ballad about cocaine-written by the Reverend Gary Davis-sounding like a half-stoned steer "somewhere in a boring field?" It's all here, along with several more standard creations. The title cut, "'Running on Empty," is an upbeat, driving tune recorded befoe a very live audience. With Russ Kunkel providing his customary rock-steady base tempo, the song succeeds at con- juring up the image of a fast-paced Carter, Sadat will meet at Camp David ATLANTA (AP)-Sexual sleuths, tracking gonorrhea and syphilis from partner to partner, helped make 1977 the first year in two decades in which the number of cases of both venereal diseases declined. But gains in the war on VD could be wiped out if fighters fall prey to the complacency that stifled past efforts, warns Dr. Paul Wiesner, director of venereal disease control at the national Center for Disease Control. The 1977 figures 'are 996,883 gonorrhea cases, down from 1,002,098 the year before, and 20,447 primary and secondary syphilis cases, down from 23,724. Wiesner said the drop had a lot to do with another figure-the $32 million Congree spent on VD control last year, the most ever. "THE FIGURES reflect the control effort," Wiesner said in an interview. Compare graphs of federal grants with those of incidence of sexually transmit- ted diseases "and you'll see that as one goes up, the other goes down," he said. Wiesner noted that President Carter has proposed continuing the $32 million appropriation. He said much of the grant money has gone to hire and train sexual sleuths "to work with people who might have been infectious and exposed other people. "They have to be sure those people get treated before they spread the disease through new sexual contacts. They have to assist them to get their sex problems treated." MOST IMPORTANT, he said, there's the tricky problem of getting them to identify sexual partners. "You have to be able to relate to people," Wiesner said. "And you need training that takes a lot of time and a lot of money." The federal money goes to states and big cities based on factors that include poverty levels and reports of VD in those areas, Wiesner said. State and local clinics often concentrate on diagnosis and treatment, and when they combine with federally supported prevention efforts "it does a lot to heighten the awareness by the general public," he said. GONORRHEA AND syphilis have declined at various times in past years, particularly in the 1960s, Wiesner said. "But they made the mistake of talking about a 10-year eradication program, and when the 10 years were up, they eased off. They hadn't eradicated it." Rapidly rising VD incidence followed in the 1970s, and even the least decreases have only chopped totals back to about 1970 levels. Growing population, apparently increasing sexual contact among young Americans and decreasing reluctance to report what were once haltingly referred to only as "social diseases" are all factors that logically would lead to rising reported incidence. Fall COURSE MART Winter 1978 1979 DEA DL INES For consideration as 1978-79 offerings, Course fiAart proposals for Fall 1978 AND Winter 1979 must be completed and submitted by the deadline: FEBRUARY 6, 1978. To; COURSE MART COMMITTEE 2501 LS&A Building 764-6465 (info and applications available now) this offer expres 2 8-78 this-ffe -- BuyanyPiza ad 2 1 uy any Sub and 2 drinks drinks andIreceive nd c ad reCeive an identica identical Pizza FREE! S1 FE 1 1ISb .REI R61Md Raul Cade 'Rund Hau Cafi I I PIZZA$ I SUB$e i uyay iza ans*d 2I 1Buy aySuand dink 1i PHONE 995-5095a PHONE 995-5095 i618 CHURCH ST. 618 CHURCH ST.1 L ...... .......... ... ... .... ...... ................................. ... (Continued from Page 1) Egypt's foreign minister said yester- day he doubts any Egyptian-Israeli agreement on peace principles will be agreed upon during President Anwar Sadat's upcoming visit to the United States. Foreign Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Lamel told reporters negotiations could continue for months because of "a big gap" between Egyptian and Israeli positions. The message introduced a note of pessimism to reports from Washington and Jerusalem that Israel and Egypt were near agreement. Kamel's Israeli counterpart, Mosha Dayan, told Israel radio yesterday that Israel and Egypt were more than half- way towards reaching accord on the declaration' of principles-the main stumbling block to re-opening Egyp- tian-Israeli political talks which broke off abruptly Jan. 18. "These are very important negotiations and they ought to take their time," Kamel told reporters at the Foreign Ministry. "It could be months. It could be more. It depends on the other party's readiness to reach a peaceful and comprehensive set- tlement." Asked if President Carter and Sadat would be producing any agreement at their summit, Kamel replied, "I don't think so." Powell and the State Department of- ficials said there are no plans for Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin to make a parallel Washington visit soon. He is already scheduled to visit the United States in late April during Israel's 30th anniversary. 11IVEZSITY &MfUSICAL SOCIETY presen ts French String Trio m' d G QI- v-~efi w t~4 & Michel Debostflute It's an hour away from campus, far enough to The theme of the retreat is "Traditional and I I I to hear works written for strings and tlute.