Page 6-Friday, July 7, 1978-The Michigan Daily
A touch
By STEPHEN PICKOVER when au
Few musicals have as much melody sometime
as the note-strewn show which began sipid, esp
Michigan Repertory '78's season in Shakespea
Power Center, Two Gentlemen of I want to
Verona. Based on Shakespeare's want to ti
comedy, the original blank verse is want to te
pieced together, enough to get a rough to tell her.
gist of the plot, and is frequently so ter- Of cour
se that it acts as a break from the script cu
singing rather vice versa. Add to this dangling.
the text's inherent fast-paced ring, belie
her to tak
Two Gentlemen of Verona the play,i
Lyrics by John Guare ween the t
Music by Galt MacDermot tually sin
Michigan Repertory Theatre brings the
Power Cener and follom
Speed .... ................Scott Hammonds plot to bar
Valentine ....................David Alan Grier Milan, the
Protean .........John V. McCarthy
Juliebastian). Ellen Sandweisn gain acce
Lucetta ..........................Janice Reid But, unlik
Launce ..... ........ David Manis time to we
Antonio, Innkeeper ............. Lou Brockway almost im
Dakenof Milan............ RE. Cathy, Jr
Thcui . . . Richard S Pichren getting Sil
Silvia ...... . ..... ...Kayjona Jackson pigeon. Al
Eglamour.. .......... .. Ted Badgerow
Steven Reynolds, director; Richard Berent, WHILE
musical director; TeDee A. Theofil, choreographer; music is
Anthony C. Eldis, set designer; Sherai Daun and
Collins Cannon, csie designers; Edward R. genre tuni
Thonaslighting desgner; Richard Bugwin, ar bump and
tisticdirector. be impro'
organ,
movement, rapidly changing from memorab
scene to scene, and the total result is a mediocre
musical revue with the threads of-a tattered ti
plot. The reason for the success of this quite well
production is the nightclub style at- talented a
mosphere, with soloists, duets, trios some cut
and ensembles appearing as successive pigeon, roc
acts. hand-powe
The microphones, which are strewn the produc
throughout the elaborate jungle gym
stage, a skeleton relic from this year's
earlier production of Hamlet, are freely
available for wandering singers. While
these aided the projection problems
which frequently plague Power Center, ByC
their usage was not consistent. After Stepping
becoming familiar with the loud, well dignity, El
articulated voices, the initial words of a an appree
performer not using a microphone were ptuous fea
inaudible, until the audience was able nesday nil
to reacclimate the sound. Although
busy week
THIS FLAW, however, proved to be over a h
of little consequence, since the lyrics, classes, ti
of
dible, were alw
s inane and fre
ecially when cont
are's verse. "I lov
tell him. I love m
ell her. I love my
11 him. I love my s
" Yeah, yeah, yea
se, with more th
it, many strand
Proteus gives Jul
'ving her a boy, a
e it to Silvia, his n
a touching scene
two women. Here
gs a song, butr
ring to Silvia. Pr
ws through with1
nish his friend Val
sole purpose of w
ss to the fair Sil
e the original, Pr
oo her, for Eglams
mediately to tak
via's plea for help
bit wacky, to say t
THE lyrics are
stock schlock co
es- samba, calyp
grind, etc. Nothin
vised on a Wurb
and certainly
tle. Why th
melodies, lousy
ext, did the shoe
to amuse and e
nd energetic cast
e gimmicks lik
cocco bicycle, pup
ered cardboardw
tion moving.
Vegas in
mays inept, John McCarthy (Proteus) at
tquently in- Sandweiss (Julia) were nice
trasted with ched, Sandweiss' Julia staun
e my father. and proudly pregnant and Mc
iy mother. I Proteus a callow cad, rational
y brother. I friend and lover away in a sen
ister. I want two. He could have done with al
ah. dastardliness as he webbed Va
ian half the banishment, though his!
Is are left weakness for a-pretty girl an
Zia back her tant guilt at the end were w
nd instructs trayed. Sandweiss' not-so-subt
new love. In me, I'm yours" gesture was we
occurs bet-
Julia even.
never quite
roteus plans 2-m ichigan DA I L
his devilish
entine from
ehich was to
via himself.
oteus has no [
our arrives
e her away,
via carrier and the ensuing action accoml
the least. the song "Pearls"' was humorou
dumb, the
dmb, e of CONTRASTED TO McCarI
imprised of Sandweiss' all-Am
gso, foxtrot, lasciviousness, David Alan
ig that can't (aetine) and Kayjon
,itzer chord (Valentie ndKyone
nothing (Silvia) displayed scintillating
en, with prowess. Jackson's sensuous sl
lyrics and ala sultry feline and her gracef
ws manage movement filled the stage. Th
ntertain? A "Night Letter" and "Love Me
along with particularly commendable. Gr
alng th fine expression, especially
.e a flying soliloquy during the second ac
pet dog and are fine dancers.
vaves, kept The two man-servants of Prot
chwarzkopf char
Verona'
nd Ellen Valentine, Launce (David Manis) and
ly mat- Speed (Scott Hammonds), respec-
ch, true tively, were the wags of the evening.
Carthy's Hammonds' cheerfulness and quick
izing his punning quips complimented Manis'
tence or more mature look on life. The latter's
bit more dog dialogue was reminiscent of Shari
lentine's Lewis and Lamb Chops. A charming
genuine performance.
d repen- Julia's maid, Lucetta (Janice Reid),
ell por- was engaging, particularly during the
le "take letter scene in Act I. Also, her heavy
ll-timed heavy moral laden song "I Come from
the Land of Betrayal" was sung with
subtle harshness. Richard Pickren's
Thurio, a silly, foolish and cowardly
Y character, was not as fluid as the rest of
the cast, but managed to hold his own
during the samba in the second act.
REGINALD CATHEY Jr.'s Duke of
I Mian - a combination of dirty old
man, hip dude and distinguished gen-
tlemen, while perhaps not as paternal
as possible, delivered well. Eglamour
panying (Ted Badgerow) and Silvia's reunion
is, harkened back to Nelson Eddie and
Jeanette McDonald. Nicely done.
hy and While the chorus sounded muddled at
e r i c a n times, the leads all sang extremely
Grier well; even though the orchestra seemed
(ackson to change tempo at times, there was
sexual enough ad lib in the songs to allow the
inkiness singers to compensate superbly. The
ul, fluid ensemble choreography was a bit too
e songs calesthenic, especially the jumping
" were jacks during the finale, but most of the
ier had footwork, particularly the hesitation
in his steps, was lively. During "Love's
ct. Both Revenge," the sequence performed on
the upper platform was delicately
eus and exquisite.
ms Rackham
ibiting The opening piece, Hugo Wolf's Five
Mignon Songs from Wilhelm Meister,
pus send presented Schwarzkopf's virtuostic
proved range in miniature. Although this work
initial lapses into heavy sections of minimal
uite in- interest, Schwarzkopf brought it an as-
ne, in- sured tone that delicately probed the
se, nsmore intricate passages. In contrast to
songs, "So lasst mich scheinen," in which the
if' Sch- velvety piano texturea and sonorous
if Sch- vocal quality combined for a darkly
never mysterious mood, "Philine," the last of
the Mignin Songs, was wonderfully
playful and featured several moments
when Schwarzkopf's voice would trail
off into a note of laughter. She used this
Wolf marvelous technique throughout the
chubert evening, capturing the essence of the
humano livelier songs' more spirited character.
humane THE HIGH point came in the second
.Grieg
Brahmns half, with a haunting rendition of
Strauss' lovely "Freundliche Vision."
Strauss Schwarzkopf almost seemed to have
wolf been saving her voice for this number's
Wolf most soaring heights, building intensity
from the quieter passages with great
fluidity and reaching a breathtaking
ichness climax.
dued a Following Wolf's "Ich hab' in Pen-
guc the na," which closed the program on a
g from note of joyous exuberance, Schwar-
igs to zkopf responded to the enthusiastic
rdinary crowd by delivering three encores in
fine style.
beyond
nuance.
Summer Arts
ifficult
h free-
is wereaff
y were OWENGLEIBERMAN
eautiful Ac GsEdirA
S "Der STAFF WRITERS: Michael Baadke, Karen
:o notes Bornstein, Peter Mani, Stephen Picover,-
f to -d19- Christopher Potter, Eric Smith, R. J. Smith,
PIS> . , KerryThmpson,Tim,Yagie _
OWEN GLEIBERMAN
onto the stage with radiant
lizabeth Schwarzkopf treated
ciative audience to a sum-
ast of German lieder Wed-
ght at Rackham Auditorium.
the performance capped a
during which she presided
eavy schedule of master
he legendary soprano was
REC ORDS
ballads ("Runaway," "Count On Me")
and ornate, impassioned rockers
("Fire, " "Show Yourself").
The band's melodic ideas have been
freshened up by the addition of the
younger band members - drummer
John Barbata, guitarist Craig
Chaquico, bassist Pete Sears -
although a number of the cuts disin-
tegrate into tedious repetitions of
earlier successes. On the other hand,
Chaquico's "Skateboard" has genuine
rushes of rock energy, a quality the
Starship has achieved less and less
frequently since Volunteers.
UNABASHED Rock and Roll iscer-'
tainly not the Jefferson Starship's,
overriding interest anymore, especially!
with the overwhelming success of'
"Miracles" and "For Your Love." "All'
Nite Long," Earth's weakest tune, is a"
rock blow-out of less purpose and
melody than usual. Yet if the Starship
has fallen into a mold,-they've far to go
before that sound is worn out. Earth af-
firms that the musical powers of Slick,
Balin, Kantner and company are still to,
-Tim Yagle
alive to her audience. Exh
awesome control and an infectio
se of spontaneity, Schwarzkopf
that even many years after het
fame, her voice and spirit were q
tact.
A performance like this o
cluding well over twenty
provides a showcase for a sing
pressive possibilities. Indeed,
warzkopf's soaring passages
ElizabethSchwarzkopf,soprano
John Wustman,pianist
Rackham Auditorium
Five MignonSongs from
Wilhelm Meister . .... ....... .
Das Lied im Grunen ... ......... S
An Silvia .....S......
DecNushbaum .... ........ Sri
DiveKartenlegerin ..........Sc]
Miteiner Wasserlilie...
Vergebliches Standchen. .
ThreeopheliaSongsfrom
Shakespeare's Hamlet, Op.67........
From the Spanisches Liederbuch .......
From the Italienisches Liederbuch .....
MusicalSociesy
quite attained the full-bodied r
possible in her prime, she proe
stunning range of emotion dur
ninety-minute concert, slippin
smooth, passionate melodic I
roguish clowning with extrao
deftness.
THE SINGER'S artistry went
a simple technical mastery ofr
Even during the most di
passages, she sang with suc
floating ease that the inflection
not so much well-polished as the
supremely heartfelt. In the be
melodic sections of Schumann'
N .sbaum," she would ease int
caress them lovingly, as ii
tentions.
Earth
Jefferson Starship
Grunt SX -15
The core members of the Jefferson
Starship have progressed from the tur-
bulent days of the '60s to the less
militant, mellowed feelings that un-
derlie the music of the '70s. Their new
album Earth, is cast firmly, in the
smoot estlispedby, d Oc-
topus g iilerf iig' dreamy