ARTS he Michigan Diliy Saturday, November 22, 1980 Page 5 9pera anyone could love Performance Guide By ED PRINCE In these days when composers have rown the doors open to veritible usical anarchy with serialism, nality, aleatoric processes and other .ebral and incomprehensible echniques, it is good to know that there a Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti is a ontemporary composer who writes rimarily for the musical theater. He elieves in the power of music to arouse motions other than puzzlement and iscomfort as many modern composers eem to have forgotten. Mr. Menotti rites direct and accessible tonal usic, adapting modern idioms where ppropriate, but never sacrificing otional impact for novelty. The School of Music seems to regard enotti's work highly, because for the econd time in about a year one of his orks has been presented, this time 'The Consul", which opened Thursday t theMendelssohn Theatre. Last year he cantata "The Unicorn, the Gorgon nd the Manticore" and the opera 'Help, Help, the Globolinks!" were taged, but they are trifling works by mparison with the present work. FIRST PERFORMED in 1950, "The onsul" is a story of political epression and indifference set in post orld' War Two Europe. Magda Sorel, ife of the leader of the resistance ovement in an unspecified country, arassed by the secret police to tell how hey can find him. Magda tries esperately to obtain a visa at the con- ulate of a neighboring country so she ~an escape and join her husband. Her eas fall on deaf ears, for the consulate as- indifferent as the police are thless. The School of Music Opera Theater has done a fine job in presenting this powerful work, and as good a job was done in presenting the drama as the music. This is important with "The Consul", for it is more than an elaborate staged singing concert, as some operas seem to be. Menotti calls it a musical drama, as Richard Wagner had done a century before, to indicate the equal importance of both elements. But whereas Wagner failed to create the balance he intended, Menotti has succeeded. His music always un- derlines the emotional climate while the drama moves at a good pace, and his vocal lines vacillate freely between speech and song as the situation requires. The singing in the Thursday premiere was adequate, though in no way spec- tacular. Most of the voices tended towards smallness,' but because of the natural speech-like quality of most of the vocal music, this was not as big a drawback as it would be in many other operas. The most impressive voice of the performance belonged to Susan Matthews, who played the desperate and harried Magda Sorel. MAGDA IS the most demanding vocal part in the opera and Matthews fulfilled the demands, though at times a more powerful singer would have been better suited for the part. The other chief roles were played by Mary San- tori as the consulate secretary, Jeff Bradford as John Sorel and Mary Cresswell as the mother. Bradford and Cresswell suffered at times from overextended vocal ranges, and Santori from a rather small voice that could not always compete with Matthews in the more emotional duets between them. Despite these occasional shortcomings, their performances were for the most part adequate and effective. In keeping with the balance of music and drama, one of the finest elements of this production is the staging. Stage director Patrick Bakman has done a wonderful job of keeping the action in- teresting and convincing, and has taken some liberties which improve the drama. In the original directions of "The Consul", there is a crib in the Sorel apartment which holds a baby who dies during the course of the opera. Instead of an anonymous and unseen in- fant, a small child has been used, and because he is visible and takes part in the action, his death is much more moving than if they baby had been used. Another change is in Act Two, when a magician, in an attempt to impress the conlsulate secretary, hypnotizes the people in the waiting room and has them waltz together. In the current production, Magda is not hypnotized, but in a dream-like state, sees her dead child and her husband, and dances with them. This fits perfectly in the opera, since in the other acts there are similar nightmare sequences. One aspect of the dramatic side of the production is far from ideal, though: the makeup. In the nightmare sequen- ces, the characters' faces are covered with red and white makeup which is in- tended to make them look terrifying, but which actually makes them look ridiculous. In only one spot is such makeup called for by the composer, but it is used in the final dream sequence when the characters are specifically supposed to look natural. The reason for the poor quality of the makeup is obviously the short amount of time there is to apply it, and it would be much better just to avoid its use wherever possible. There were no such problems with the orchestral part of the production which was handled by Gustav Meier, music director and conductor. Meier led members of the University Sym- phony Orchestra in a performance notable for the warmth and fullness of sound for a group numbering only thir- ty players. The string section had none of thescratchinessusually associated with small opera orchestras and at See MENOTTI'S, Page 8 THEATRE The Imaginary Cuckold and The Proposal - The RC Players perform exuberantly in two one acts by Moliere and Chekhov. A guaranteed hour of non-stop laughter. At the East Quad Auditorium, November 22 at 8 p.m. and November 23 at 2 p.m. Matinee half-price for students. The Runner Stumbles - Playwright Milan Stitt crits organized religion and gives it only one star. The Ann Ar- bor Civic Theatre's produttion is somewhat bearable due to the talents of the two leads. At the AACT Main Stage, Main and William, November 21-23, and 28-30 at 8 p.m. No More Masks - An exploration of individuality through music,'dance, poetry and mime by the new Quiet Revolutions Theatre Co. At the Canterbury Loft, 332 S. State (over Bivouac), November 23-25 at 8 p.m. Eccentricities of a Nightengale - A rewrite of Ten- nessee Williams' Summer and Smoke about a fading Southern belle who yearns for love. The leads are weak but Kendra Chopician of the Department of Theatre and Drama has done an intelligent staging of this seldom produced work. At the Trueblood Theatre in the Frieze Building, November 22 at 8 p.m. MUSIC The Police/XTC - Both bands flavor their pop with disparate influences: The Police season theirs lightly with reggae and other third world rhythms while XTC add a substantial dose of arty experimentalism. Both bands are touring to support new albums that have received decidedly mixed reactions and both bands are rumored to benefit greatly from the studio-to-stage transition. In other words, a solid-double bill. Sunday, November 23, Masonic Auditorium, Detroit 8:00 p.m. Devil Dogs/RUR/Retro - the Dogs are chanteuse Lydia Lunch's new vehicle, and judging from the strength of the last band she brought to Ann Arbor (Eight Eyed Spy), they'll be well worth a listen - the bands consist of two former Spies and former Ann Arborite Stanley Adler on bass. Opening are RUR, a constantly changing Detroit band that centers around two very good guitarists and the tight, but marginally talented Retro. Monday, November 24 Second Chance 516 E. Liberty Music supposedly will start at 9:00 p.m. FILMS Aguirre, the Wrath of God - Werner Herzog's crazily beautiful film has the surreal, hypnotic internal logic of a visionary fever dream. Klaus Kinski is frozen into various fearsome images as a mad Spanish conquistador whose insanity gains grandeur as his party's journey into the South American jungle becomes increasingly chaotic and desperate. Saturday, November 22, MBL 3,7:00 and 10:20. Picnic at Hanging Rock - Someday someone will realize what an ideal double feature this and Aguirre would make - until then, you'll have to take a walk from one side of MLB to the other in order to get thoroughly doped-out on the slowed-down aesthetic fix of each. Based on an historical incident in which several turn-of-the-century Australian schoolgirls mysteriously disappeared during an outing, the film is best described as an existential puz- zle; there's no overt violence or sex, but the atmosphere is thick with sensuality, repression and hidden evil. Filmed in dazzling pastels by Peter Wier, Picnic is a dark, fascinating, elusive dose of mysticism - it may well be about nothing at all, but the mystery at its core keeps you riveted, at least three-fourths of the way. Saturday, MLB 4,7:30 and 9:45. Cruising and Love Camp 7 - These two merit inclusion because of their historical significance: the Ann Arbor midnight-movie circuit has finally discovered sado- masochism! Cruising is, alas, rather sour seaminess, William Friedkin's once-notorious, too-easily-forgettable crime thriller about a killer cruising gay leather bars. Knives plunge graphically into torsos, and it's hard to care - the movie is that dead. Love Camp 7 is rated X ("Untold violence! Inhuman cruelty!") and for all we know may turn out to be a classic on a par with Ilsa, She- Dog of the SS. What do you want from the Arts Page, good taste? Saturday, midnight, Ann Arbor Theatre. Foolish Wives - More immorality, this time for cultured cineastes. Erich Von Stroheim directed this drama in 1922, and its lip-smacking embracement of "continental" decadence over all-American monogamy and fair play now seems fascinatingly mature for the era, at times even perversely sarcastic in its put-down of conventional Goodness. Sunday, November 23, MLB 3, 7:00. Variety-Another surprisingly sensual silent film, visually adventurous in its attempt to convey the physicality of the passions between three European trapeze artists. Emil Jannings is brutishly powerful as a simple man whose discovery of his careless' wife's in- fidelity triggers a violently moralistic revenge. Monday, November 24, Lorch Hall, 7:00 and 9:00. It's a Wonderful Life - Frank Capra's masterpiece of maudlin Americana, in which all the hokey stops are pulled out and the result is, somehow, true and moving. James Stewart is Mr. Joe Average (again), questioning the worth of a seemingly failed life until a twist of fantasy shows him the error of his nihilism. Tuesday, November 25, Lorch Hall, 7:00 and 9:05. Camille - All that M-G-M stuffed-furniture opulence has lent this adaptation of Dumas a certain heavy, dated, kitschy bogus-culture flavor. But it's all much more than worthwhile for the opportunity to stare at Garbo - still more a magical presence than a performance, but who cares? Wednesday, November 26, MLB at 7:00. l A positive review! 2 INDIVIDUAL THEATHES 5th Ave. at Liberty 761-9700 TH E NIGHT . H E R R CA ME HOME TH E ONE, i TH E ONLY, THE CLASSIC 4 FRI, MON- 7:10, 9:00 'SAT, SUN-1:30, 3:20 5:20, 7:10, 9:00 Sot,.Svn $1.50 ti! 2:00 By ANNE SHARP So ... what was I saying? Oh yeah. A few of you wiseacres caught the comedy revue at the Union ballroom last Thursday and Friday, and wanted to find out what us arrogant Daily critics had to say about it. All right, say you. It was corny at times; a few of the bits didn't quite come off; sophomoric, silly. A few abrupt lighting changes, some awkwardly long pauses while crew scurried around changing the sets But in the midst of the flurry of the Sun- day Funnies' second production ever-they are, after all, a relatively G7ie ยง49tf Sganarelle The Proposal or by Chakhov The Imaginsm Cuckold by Moliere November 20-22-8.pm November 23-2 pm Matinee % price for students Admission $2.00 R.C. Auditorium new group-there were flashes of fun- ny, moments of hilarity and true wit. Polished professionals they ain't, but you must admit: The kids in the Funnies have talent. First, an aside to the uninitiated. The Sunday Funies are a student theatrical comedy troupe modeled after Second City and the Not Ready for Prime Time Players. In its most recent incar- nation-the cast and production team go through frequent personnel changes, as people graduate or drop out because of other commitments-The Funnies show was written and directed by An- thony Lembke (who also produced) and Steve Kurtz, with a cast of ten, mostly enthusiastic non-theatre students. IN ITSELF, this is a novelty-a university stage production without a prof or grad Student lurking in the wings. Not that Kurtz and Lembke needed any guidance as to theatre technique. The show ran smoothly, evenly, from the opening (in which Kurtz himself came on to go over the typos in the printed programs with the audience) to the curtain calls, in which the cast waltzed with each other, to the tune of scattered applause. Although the atmosphere was that of a dormitory talent show, with friends of the cast yelling "Hey, Kurtz!" and "She doesn't really smoke!" from their seats-the Funnies seemed determined to put on a real, professional show, and so they did. The format of the show, like that of Second City or SNL, is sketches, with a couple of musical routines thrown in. What Kurtz and Lembke's scripts lack in sophistication (actual Funnies joke: "Did you ever have your appendix out?" "Yes, but I got lonely and had it put back in again") and "New Com- medy" shock tactics-they tend toward the warm, gentle, and slap-happy, unlike most modern youth comics-they make up for in choice wording and wit. One sketch of theirs featured in the Funnies' Public Access TV production and also performed at the Union show, is, for sheer bombast and snappiness, almost on a par with "Who's On First?" or Monty Python's Dead Parrot routine. In it an innocent passive soul applying for a driver's license becomes the victim of a sadistic Secretary of State employee who bom- bards him with a non-stop stream of strange commands and non-sequiters: EMPLOYEE: (Out of the blue) You want a date with my sister? VICTIM: No. EMPLOYEE: You want your driver's license renewed? VICTIM: Yes. EMPLOYEE: You want a date with my sister? VICTIM (Reluctantly): Yes. ONE SKETCH is a gem of mood, lighting, and other theatre gimmicks. A woman (Linda Gross),and her husband (Mike Mueller) get into a fight over his turning on to the TV set instead of her; she retaliates by switching on the vacuum cleaner (sound effect supplied by an offscreen Funny). He retaliates in kind, and so does she, until the din of household appliances is deafening. Then a fuse is blown; he lights a can- dle; they make up, get into a romantic mood; then, the power, and the noise, comes on again. Even when the material was a little weak, the actors bluffed it out. One rather trite, obvious bit-about a group therapy session for junk food addic- ts-real original, there-was rescued by Gross' agonized, abandoned por- trayal of an obsessed junkie who star- ted on Doritos and who goes into with- drawal pangs while the others chant at her, "Crunchy, crunchy, crunchy, Nestles crunch is so crunchy.. ." Other performances worthy of note: Audrey Levin as a tweedy, prissy Boston prin- cess who is leered at, verbally harrassed, and finally bound and gagged during a debate between Har- vard and two boorish students from Ferris State, and Mark Renner, in a parody of Star Wars, in which he plays the scruffy, pinball-playing robot sidekick of a juvenile delinquent named Duke Shoplifter (Dale Matcheck). So there you wiseacres! I didn't rip it apart, much to your disappointment! I'll go further: the Funnies are, in my book, one of the most exciting things going on the Washtenaw county theatre scene. m AUME ILU VO