'Regina' a The Michigan Daily-Sunday, October 2, 1977-Page 5 triumph! By JEFFREY SELBST An evening of modern opera, defined as anything written in the last forty years, usually proves an edifying ex- perience. And as such, that is usually the attitude a reviewer takes when pre- paring to endure such an undertaking. It is, in fact, with just such a frame of mind that I contemplated viewing Re- gina, the Michigan Opera Theater's fir- st offering of the season. It had all the ingredients of disaster, too. Consider: it is based on a heavy tragedy by Lillian Hellman, frequently excuse enough for the modern com- poser to drag out all the twelve-tone'and largely horrifying machinery; it has been shelved for the last twenty-four years - and was not much of a success at its Broadway premiere in 1949. Ran 56 performances, to be exact. Revived unsuccessfully by the New York City Opera in 1953, and has lain dormant since. It is enough to bring shudders of distaste up one's spine already. So I am pleased to announce that the new production of this nearly-flawless piece is an unmitigated, unquestion- able, and unadulterated howling suc- cess. I cannot imagine a more perfect piece, not a more perfect welding of story to music. Not that the kudos go solely to the composer/lyricist - the ,MOT, which has come a long way since its inception a few years back as a tour- ing amateur group, put on a lavish and superb production. REGINA Music Hall Detroit, Mich. An opera in three acts, by Marc Blitzstein. Based on The Little Foxes, by Lillian Hellman. Addie....................... .....Doris J.:Berry Cal............................Conwell Carrington Alexandra Giddens.................Sarah Rice Regina Giddens .............Joan Diener-Marre Oscar Hubbard .......Wayne Turnage Leo Hubbard .................... Joseph Kolinski Wmn. Marshall...... ....Edward Kingins Benjamin Hubbard............Ronald Holgate Horace Giddens ..............George Gaynes ands.................. Bruce Feldstein John Bagtry ............. ....... Terry Shea Produced by Michigan Opera Theater. Where shall I start? The sets? Breathtaking; the entire production is one of the visually most stunning I have ever seen. The lighting was used to maximum effect in each scene, large splotches of color moving in areas of the stage to highlight the brisk move- ment of the action, or suggest the emo- tional tone of the moment, always com- plementing the color and (artistry in- volved in the set and costumes. A beau- tiful synthesis of production values all the way around. Regina is the story of Regina Gid- dens, a grasping, loveless woman of about forty, her mousy daughter Alex- andra, her revolting money-hungry brothers Ben and Oscar, Oscar's sleazy son Leo and weak-willed tippling wife Birdie, and Regina's husband Horace, a dying near-invalid. Regina and her brothers are back- biting creatures who are involved in fi- nancial scheming, each trying to cut the others out of most of the action. Regina- bargains with her husband's money, assuming that he would go along. When he discovers his impend- ing mortality, however, he refuses his cash and leaves her out on something of a limb. It's all too complex, really - the only salient aspect are the relationships be- tween Horace and his daughter Alexan- dra, with his wife Regina, and those of Regina with her brothers. In each case, Hellman/Blitzstein bring the audience to several abrupt turns of feeling about each character. Regina is first seen to be pitied, then as her chicanery is uncovered, to be des- pised; finally, as she loses all in the, end, including her daughter, she becomes once again pitiable. The same sorts of turns are wrought with the other characters. Birdie, for example, is cruelly abused by her husband Oscar - we are encouraged to sympathize with her at first; later, she reveals that she has allowed things to go out of con- trol in her own life, and is thus re- sponsible -she warns Alexandra not to love her lest she imitate her; her self- loathing is extraordinary and terribly sad. HOUSE OF IMPORTS TAPESTRIES 20% OFF WALL-HANGINGS BEDSPREADS 320 E. LIBERTY 769-8555 Joan Diener-Marre, who as simply Joan Diener scored a Broadway suc- cess in the original Man of La Mancha (as Dulcinea) scores an equal one in Regina. Her Regina is by turns sym- pathetic, human, witty, and the quintes- sence of evil; finally, an empty husk. Diener-Marre's performance is near- perfect - the only objection I had is in some of her odd enunciations. I suspect she is attempting to sing a Southern ac- cent (it all takes place in the South) but it comes out rather like Finnish. Nit- picking. Barbara Hocher gives a wilting, win- some, and lovely performance as the abused Birdie. It is with this character that the audience is most encouraged to empathize, and Hocher understands this without becoming outrageous about it. It is a tasteful, understated, and beautifully-sung enactment. Benjamin Hubbard (Ronald Holgate, whose credits include the Broadway See REGINA, Page 7 IMOGEN CUNNINGHA M 75 YEARS AS A PHOTOGRAPH ER October 4-28 Reception: October 13,4-6 Hours: Tues-Fri,10-6 Weekends, 12-5 764-3234 with the support of the Michigan Council for the Arts Fiddler, singer shine Rollins rolls 'em out By PAUL SHAPIRO Sonny Rollins is still a wonder on the tenor saxophone. Since his emergence onto the jazz scene in the late 1940's: there has been no one who has played with greater fluidity, texture and lyri- cal beauty. His recordings with Max Roach, Thelonious Monk, Clifford Brown, and John Coltrane in the 1950's are truly lengendary. Friday night at the Michigan Union Ballroom, Rollins demonstrated his masterful technique alongside a group of younger musicians who were not quite as supportive and communicative as players in Rollins il- lustrious past. Throughout the concert Rollins was commanding, barreling up and down the registers of his tenor saxophone. with speed and clarity that evoked the greatness of his 30 odd years in jazz. Although a few of his compositions were somewhat oriented toward to- day's more commercial jazz, his play- ing always retained a quality of inven- tiveness and a solid craftmanship. Un- fortunately his band (Aural Ray guitar, Eddie Moore drums, Don Patte bass, and Armen Donelian piano) did not. - Undoubtedly they are all competent, highly skilled musicians, and their solo work reflected their particular talents. At the same time their work was generally uninventive and their playing lacked interaction'with each other and with Rollins. For much of the concert I found myself waiting for Rollins' next solo. The compositions often strengthened towards their completion, as Rollins' driving, powerful solos returned to the quintet. As always Rollins' Latin-based pieces were energizing and enthralling. There were times however when the quintet was in full swing. The final se- lections were especially good, with Ed- die Moore and Don Patte providing strong rhythmic work. The focus of the show ultimately was Rollins playing; he left no doubt that he is a jazz master. Rollins has been se-. lected as best tenor saxophonist in the Down Beat critics poll eleven times. He has played his music around the world, won a Guggenheim fellowship for com- position, and is simply idolized by seri- ous jazz listeners. I talked to him be- tween shows Friday night, and started off ty asking him how he feels about music today as compared to the spirit1 of the fourties and fifties. "It was different before - everyone was really dedicated and serious about their music. That was the main thing. The business was not as prosperous at that time. Of course I grew up in the so- called bop era, right? So that has a cer- tain attachment because I was in a cer- tain period of my life, my twenties I guess, in fact I made my first record in 1948 when I was 18. I'd just gotten out of high school, well I grew up listening to that and as you look back on a period in your life you think 'oh this was beau- tiful,' but maybe it wasn't so beautiful at the time. Who knows?" Rollins made it very clear that the culture and time period he's living in affects his music, at the same time ex- pressing that a great deal must come from within. "I think the music I play is partly myself and partly myself as I rub up against other people. I'm not playing in a vacuum. But at the same time it's always been a struggle and a dedication See ROLLINS, Page 7 By WENDY GOODMAN and MIKE TAYLOR A wee bit of Ireland visited the Ark coffee house Friday night. In a superb performance, Eugene O'Donnell and Mick Moloney painted images on the minds of the audience. All of the singing was done by Molo- ney, who also plays guitar, mandolin, and tenor banjo. The words rang loud and clear as he sang, his voice strong and convincing. He used his voice, sometimes without instrumentation, to portray many parts of Ireland - Ire- land in rebellion, Ireland in love, Ire- land in disappointment, and Ireland in pride. O'Donnell played his fiddle with pre- ,ision, grace, and skill. If at first it seemed Moloney was the star and O'Donnell simply background, that idea was tossed aside by the third song, when the fiddle took the lead and the guitar merely filled the gaps. When Moloney was singing, O'Donnell would use his fiddle to enrich the vocals and help convey the essence of the song. On the instrumental arrangements, the fiddle would be used to its fullest, soun- ding varyingly like a troop of marchers, an unhappy maiden, or a lively dancer. The two musicians have so many dif- ferences it's remarkable that they can perform so well together. White-haired, clean-shaven O'Donnell dresses in business suits complete with pocket hanky, and comes from Derry in nor- thern Ireland. Blue-jean clad Moloney has a full beard and hails from the south of Ireland. In Ireland, musical styles, as well as dialects, greatly vary from north to south. They overcome these barriers to compliment each oth- er magnificently. The instrumental interplay between Moloney and O'Donnell is so good that you're tempted to sit back, close your eyes, and bask in the music, but then you miss watching their fast-moving fingers. Moloney's playing was by no means masterful, but the combination of his distinctive voice and O'Donnell's powerful fiddling made the show. Most of the numbers were either slow ballads or danceable jigs and reels. The ballads generally featured Moloney's guitar and voice in the lead, with O'Donnell's fiddle filling the background melodramatically. Every now and then, the pair would do "a couple of jigs" or. "a couple of reels." Tapping your feet just wasn't enough during these bouncy instrumentals; everybody seemed to be dancing in See FIDDLER; Page 7 - mmmmmmmmmmmm m m====== amm mm m UAC SOPH SHOW 1977 announces I AUDITIONS' FOR THE MUSICAL I ASAPPLAUSE MASSMEETING FOR ALL PERFORMERS I AND CREWS (technical, publicity, financial, i costume): I * SUNDAY, OCT. 9-7:00 p.m. ', The Kuenzel Room in the Michigan Union. AUDITIONS Oct. 10, 11 m (for further information call 763- 1101) 5=m mm mm m - mm m mm mmm mm SIMBG'S 114 E. Washington Downtown Ann Arbor w 0 A favorite Ann Arbor gathering place for people of all ages. Featuring one of the largest sMld bers in Ann Arbor. fall art fair the artisits and craftsmen guild of the university of michigan invites you to an exhibition of ceramics, fibers, graphics, jewelry, paintings, and sculpture by 75 guild members. grounds of community high school, across from the farmer's market saturday, oct. 1 sunday, oct. inrnnarbor 8 a.m. to 6p.m. 12 to 6bp.m. -- - ALL NEW FOR DINNER Pick your day and plan ahead. All you can eat! 2 Sunday - Italian Buffet .........$3.49 Monday - Spaghetti......... $2.49 Tuesday - Bar-B-Q Chicken . .. . $3.25 or Beef Ribs Wednesday - Seafood Buffet $3.95 Thursday - Smorgasbord .... $3.49 DINNER FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PRIME RIB AU JUS Includes: Unlimited trips to the Solod Bar; Potato, Brood u.99rd"K 1.99 1.99 1.99" 2.50 1.99 ANN ARBOR'S OLDEST& FINEST qq)J NATURAL FOODS 4.95 Or you may choose from an enlarged menu of Italian and American food... Large assortment of Pasta dishes (all our pasta is imported from Italy), N.Y. Strip Steaks, Broiled Red Snapper, Crab Legs and more.