The Michician Dniy-Thursdav. Der~mher 1. 1977-Paae 5
'ARTS A C D ..THE WEEK IN REVIE'W
Not just a chorus cutie
NEW YORK - Donna McKechnie is
alive and well and one with celebrity
shock. "I'm in the process now of find-
ing other fulfillment," says the lissome
dancer of her upcoming agenda of di-
verse, self-generated projects. Includ-
ed is a foray into modern dance, a solo
show in which she will also sing and act
and debut as a director.
"I know it's ambitious, but all my
fear has turned into excitement."
McKechnie, how could anyone forget,
rocketed into Broadway's spotlight
three seasons ago, after years of gypsy
striving, in the musical "A Chorus
Line."
Suddenly she was a cover girl, end-
lessly interviewed, the chic set's dar-
ling. Then media ardor shifted else-
where, though she was far from idle.
The public was left to'wonder what had
happened to her.
"I've always wanted to sing, dance
and act," says the 34-year-old perform-
er who arrived in New York 16 years
ago from her native Detroit.
McKechnie is structuring the show -
"calling myself its writer scares me
- of "certain impressions I've had. It
will be partly autobiographical, but I
don't want it to be my life."
"There's a lot more to me than a girl
begging for a job," she says of a num-
Fleischman said Sunday night. "In
fact, they're still screaming. The audi-
ence just-went out of their minds.
"They went wild, absolutely wild,"
Fleischmann said after the sell-out per-
formance of a laser and pyrotechnic
punctuated "Music From Outer Space
- A Star Wars Concert."
"I didn't think they were going to let
conductor Zubin Mehta and the orches-
tra off the stage," Fleischmann added.
The show, which caused traffic jams
along freeways and surface streets
around the Hollywood Bowl, opened
with William Shatner of television's
"Star Trek" reading selections from H.
G. Wells' science fiction classic, "War
of the Worlds."
The concert featured music from
John Williams' score for the 20th Cen-
tury Fox blockbuster film "Star Wars"
as well as other space-related works -
Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach
Zarathustra," used in the film "2001: A
Space Odyssey," and Gustav Holst's
suite from "The Planets."
Special effects more common to rock
concerts than to symphony perform-
ances marked the concert. "We used a
very sophisticated rock sound system
and had this incredibly spectacular
laser show," Fleischmann said. "The
laser and sound people have never
worked with a symphony orchestra be-
fore."
Chic Sheik
Actor Anthony Quinn is the embodi-
ment of the romantic sheik in his new
role as an Afghan nomad leader in a
production currently being filmed in
Iran entitled "Caravans."
work with a smaller budget you're for-
ced to use ingenuity and imagination to
come up with a better picture.
"I see that every penny counts," he
said proudly. "I was an art director and
a script writer before I began directing.
I'm completely familiar with produc-
tion mechanics so I know what I'm
doing. "Stars don't mean anything at
the box office anymore," he said.
"Neither do directors. Paying millions
is crazy."
Hitchcock has spent most of the past
year working on "The Short Night"
which will go into production next
spring. "I have no performers in mind
for the roles. The budget will be less
than three million dollars, which is a
far more important consideration."
Hitchcock doesn't fault young direc-
tors. But he thinks too many of them
rely on expensive gimmicks and trick-
ery. They've got to do costume pic-
tures, or enormous mechanical pic-
tures to show money on the screen."
"
They don't write
like I used to
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Poet Allen
Tate says at 77 he's bored by modern
poetry.
"A lot of the younger generation now
thinkthey know how to write poetry but
they don't learn how to write poems,"
Tate said in an interview. "There's no
structure - they just take off on their
feelings."
Tate, best known for his "Ode to the
Confederate Dead," is bedridden with
emphysema. But his creative,
inquisitive mind is razor-sharp. He
whittles away at his craft through dic-
tation.
Above his bed hang black-and-white
photographs of his mentor and Vander-
bilt professor John Crowe Ransom and
of Andrew Lytle, a Fugitive he always
addressed as "Brother." Novels,
history books and collections of poetry
litter his chairs, shelves and bedside
table.
The Kentuckian returned to Nashville
last year after spending eight years in
Sewanee, Tenn. He has written one
novel, "The Fathers," which is being
republished this fall, and biographies of
Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis.
"Poetry's an art, not self-expres-
sion," Tate said. "This poetry by the
younger generation bores me profound-
ly. The poet must create a verbal object
detached from himself. It must be
something that stands alone."
S
Safety pins and
pogo sticks
LONDON - Punk rock, the disgust-
filled craze attracting a new generation
of rock 'n' rollers, has produced its first
novel.
"The Punk," a sort of Romeo-and-
Juliet forpunk-rockers, was writtendby
a 14-year-old London schoolboy and
published by Polyantric Press in Lon-
don.
Author of the paperback is Gideon
Sams, product of a middle class up-
bringing in North Kensington, a periph-
eral punk-rocker who confesses a lin-
gering admiration for the Beatles, Roll-
ing Stones and Pink Floyd.
Dressed in a zip-up leather jacket and
grubby T-shirt, his hair spikily un-
kempt, the author talked about his book
in an interview.
"It all began as a school project to
write a short novel. I chose punk
because it is topical," he said.
Once the manuscript was discovered,
it was rushed to the printer and pro-
duced in three weeks. It would have
been sooner, but the right safety pin
had to be found to stick through the nose
on the cover photo of Johnny Rotten, a
leading British punk rock singer.
Pins through noses, head-butting,
spitting on other punks, and pogo-stick-
ing are all part of the punk rock craze.
The story of the first punk novel is
simple and violent. A young punk
rocker named Adolph Sphitz clashes
with a rival gang.
The short novel was in a school note-
book uncovered by Gideon's mother,
Ann Sams, while tidying up her son's
bedroom. Mrs. Sams has mixed feel-
ings about thenotoriety the book's pub-
'lication is bringing her son.
"I'm very pleased for him really, but
A Joyous Toast AP Photo
BOSTON, Mass. - Noted actress Helen Hayes leads a toast and tribute to
Arthur Fiedler as celebrities gathered to salute "Mr. Pops" at an extrava-
gant "Ziegfield Ball."
it has pushed him away from being a
schoolboy who should be doing his 0-r
levels - junior school examinations,"
she said. She discounted suggestions
that the violence and sex in the book
were shocking.
Mindless violence and hatred of the
establishment are basic, ingredients of
punk, as is speedy, loud music with
bizarre lyrics.
"Punks have a very negative atti-
tude, but the world is a pretty rotten
place, isn't it?" Gideon said. "They are
protesting against government that
gets worse and worse; the social cli-
mate, inflation, unemployment - they
all contribute."
r
The Arts Arcade was compiled by
Mark Beyer, Wendy Goodman,
Renee Shilcusky, Mike Taylor, and
Tim Yagle from the wires of A P and
UPI.
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Centers in Ma, or, , S Ciies
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Balancing Act
The Pilobolus Dance Theater troupe perform "Ocellus." The Group's four men
and two women balancing on each other's backs, necks and hips has become
their signature.
ber of invitations turned down since all
the initial hoopla of "A Chorus Line."
"Some of the offers appalled me."
McKechnie credits much of her current
equanimity to psychoanalytical thera-
py.
-Sonic symphony
LOS ANGELES - A capacity audi-
ence of 17,500 rock music fans, some
wearing space costumes, joined with
symphony regulars an l family groups
,in a 10-minute screaming ovation for
the Los Angeles Philharmonic's "Star
Wars Concert."
"I don't think an orchestra has ever
had such a shouting, screaming ova-
tion, not in the Hollywood Bowl," Phil-
harmonic executive director Ernest
Humble little filmmaker
HOLLYWOOD, Cal. - Alfred Hitch-
cock, 78, wheezily aghast at soaring
film budgets, says, "If a studio offered
me $20 million to make a movie I'd turn
them down."
The rotund director .still smokes
dollar cigars and devours gourmet din-
ners that would flatten most pocket-
books, but when it comes to making
movies he becomes penurious.
"I don't believe in throwing money
away," he said in his Universal Studios
office. "I wouldn't be able to sleep
nights if I thought I had to spend even 10
million on a picture.
"I'm still the humble little film-
maker. I'm of a lowly order. When you
PRODUCERS AND DIRECTORS
Neded
to work with new theatre company doing mime,
children's theatre, improvisations, etc.
Applications Accepted Until 5 pm Dec. 6
2nd Floor Michigan Union
763-1107
' C
1
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17d,
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Immomll-
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University of Michigan
Gilbert and Sullivan Society Presents
PIUEERCE
or bunthorne's sbride
0
.
;
POETRY READING
with
BART PLANTENGA and FRANK MURDOCK,
readings from their works
Thursday, Dec. 1- 7:30 p.m.
at GUILD HOUSE
Refreshments 502 MONROE (corner of oakland)
As Aw tr Civic &R
presents the annual
Snow White and
the Seven Woodsmen
Sunday, December 11 at 1:30 and 5:00 PM
at the
Power Center For The Performing Arts
Tickets: Adults $3.50 Children $1.00
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre December 1, 2,3,1977 8:00pm
Tickets $3.00/$3.50 available at UAC Ticket Central in the
Michigan Union. A UAC Sophshow Presentation
TICKETS NOW AT LYDIA MENDELSSOHN BOXOFFICE
LO O
'~D ecember 7-10, 1977
Lydia Mendelssohn Theater
TICKET ORDER FORM
Date
Phone
Name
Address
MAIL ORDER COUPON
ANN ARBOR CIVIC BALLET
Please indicate a first and second choice, if possible.
Tickets for Wednesday, December 7, 8 pm at $3.25
Address to:
$_____
I