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Cris Williamson
The Ark
The Michigan Theater
Friday, November 18, 8 p.m.
By Elliot Jackson
TO0NIGHT, dyed-in-the-wool folkies,
feminists, and jes' plain fans will
join hands in the Michigan Theater
when Cris Williamson, that darling of
the women's music movement, per-
forms her brand of rock-influenced folk
(or folk-influenced rock, depending on
how you look at it).
Sponsored by The Ark, this concert
marks Cris Williamson's triumphant
re-entry into the city of Ann Arbor. Re-
entry? Indeed yes.
"Yeah, I played there once,"
Williamson recalled, long distance
from Philadelphia. "I don't even
remember where, now. Somewhere on
campus.
"But I liked it. The audience was
really nice. And I'm glad to hear that
people are excited, now. It helps us to
get fired up if the audience is really en-
thusiastic."
What gives her music its appeal?
What does she - and others - find in
it?
"Basically, in my music, I'm looking
for hope and positivies," she said. In
this respect, she prefers not to think of
her work as "women's music," but as
to a broader audience."
As for encouraging signs on the state
of women in the music business, she
has this to say:
"I wouldn't say that it's necessarily
easier for women to 'break into music.'
Perhaps they are being taken more
seriously now. But there are still so
many men at the top, determining what
will get heard. Most of the decision-
making positions in the music industry
are filled by men - the heads of recor-
ding studios, magazines, booking agen-
cies.
"I think that women will have a lot
more freedom to express themselves -
and will be heard - when there are
more women making the decisions.''
Right now, there are some women at
the top, making decisions, Olivia
Records, the independent label which
Cris Williamson helped to found in 1973,
is alive and well today, thriving against
all possible odds, and the gloomy head-
shakings of doom-sayers in the in-
dustry. Williamson's first Olivia album,
The Changer and the Changed, has sold
over 150,000 copies. To those used to
hearing about rock bands who routinely
go gold or platinum with one record,
such statistics are hardly impressive at
first glance. The Changer and the
Changed however, counts as one of the
most successful LPs ever produced by
an independent label.
About the success of Olivia, and what
success symbolizes, Williamson says:
"I hope it will encourage women to
dream large, and realize that their
most ambitious, crazy dreams can be
achieved."
Cris Williamson, singer, songwriter,
guitarist, pianist, storyteller, and
beacon, will perform tonight with Tre
Fure, singer and guitarist. Should be
quite an evening.
Williamson and Fure: Changing
music "which applies to everyone's life."
And appeal to everyone's life it has -
or at least, to the lives of that substan-
tial grassroots following which has
spread the fame and good reports of
Cris Williamson largely through word-
of-mouth. As of this moment, Cris
Williamson's music could not be called
"commercial" in terms of intense
radio-play and monumental record
sales. Williamson is wary, she says, of
terms like "commercial."
''All 'commercial' means is that
music can be bought and sold - it
doesn't say anything about good or bad.
S rtun
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES
Another steel-town flick (a la Flashdance about an
underdog who fights to escape the grimy environ-
ment. This time the game is football instead of dan-
ce. (Movies at Briarwood, Briarwood Mall; 769-8783)
AMITYVILLE 3-D
Spooksville revisited, only they're a little late-this
is time to capitalize on Christmas, remember?
(Movies at Briarwood, Briarwood Mall; 769-8783)
THE BIG CHILL '
Seven University alumni gather together at the
funeral of a friend, the results being humorous and
touching. Are these the best years of our lives?
(Movies at Briarwood, Briarwood Mall; 769-8780) .
THE CHRISTMAS STORY
Santa isn't even here yet and already we're being
innundated with the commerciality of Christmas. Oh
well . . . (Movies at Briarwood, Briarwood Mall;
769-8780)
THE DEAD ZONE
AIRPLANE (D. Zucker and Jerry Abrahams, 1980)
The weekend gets started with a hilarious look at
every cliche of every disaster movie andthen some
Anyone who can stop laughing during this is in
trouble. (Mediatrics; MLB 3,6:45,8:20, 10:00)
THE 39 STEPS (Alfred Hitchcock, 1935)
Hitchcock is up to his usual tricks in an enter-
taining story of an innocent man accused of murder
who has to find out just what the 39 steps are. It's the
kind of story Hitchcock does best. (Alternative Ac-
tion; Nat. Sci. Aud., 7:30)
NOTORIOUS (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946)
Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Raines
adorn the cast of this Hitchcock film. The lady in the
middle marries the latter to help the former, a U.S.
agent, on a case. (Alternative Action; Nat. Sci. Aud.,
9:00)
CHAN IS MISSING (Wayne Wang, 1982)
Chan disappears with a cabdriver's savings, and
the driver and his nephew go looking. Parody mixes
with a serious look at the Chinese lot in America.
(Cinema 2; Aud. A, 7:00, 8:40, 10:20)
EAST OF EDEN (Elia Kazan, 1955)
California, World War I, John Steinbeck, and
James Dean are the items mixed together. The
result is a more modern version of the story of Cain
and Abel. (Cinema Guild; Lorch Hall, 7:00,9:05)
VERONIKA VOSS (Rainer Werner Fassbinder,1982)
Morphine and movies don't mix. That's what
Veronika Voss finds out. A film star of the Nazi era,
she starts resorting to morphine to make her way
through life. (Ann Arbor Film Coop; MLB 4, 7:00,
9:00)
Stephen King's newest story deals with the psychic
powers of a man who awakens from a coma after five
long years. (State Theater, 231 S. State; 662-6264)
DEAL OF THE CENTURY
Chevy Chase is the big loser in this deal that never
succeeds. (Fox-Village Theater, Maple Village; 769-
1300)
EDUCATING RITA
Michael Caine is an alcoholic professor who
becomes the mentor of an aspiring young student in
this comedy. (Movies at Briarwood, Brairwood Mall,
769-8780)
FANNY AND ALEXANDER
Ingmar Bergman's latest film explores family
relationships through the eyes of a young boy,
Alexander. Perhaps one of Bergman's finest works.
(Campus Theater, 1214 S. University; 668-6416)
GREY FOX
Old-timer Richard Farnsworth gave birth to a new
career after co-starring in Comes a Horseman with
Jane Fonda. Now he gives another moving perfor-
mance in this Western. (Movies at Briarwood,
Briarwood Mall; 769-8780)
MR. MOM
A tired attempt at a tired theme. Mr. Mom looks at
role reversal with all the charm of a wet liver. (The
Fox Village Theater, Maple Village; 769-1300).
there" look at the life of the sailors on the
claustrophobic vessel. German with subtitles.
(Cinema Guild; Lorch Hall, 7:00,9:40)
CABARETtBob Fosse, 1972)
Good music, a good cast of Joel Grey, Liza Min-
nelli, and Michael York, and a good director make
this adaptation of the Broadway musical a good
movie to see. Multiple Academy Award winner.
(Classic Film Theater; Michigan Theater, 7:35)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Martin Scorsese, 1977)
Liza again, this time with Robert DeNiro. Minnelli
finds herself having to choose between love and
career when DeNiro falls for her. From the director
of Raging Bull. (Classic Film Theater; Michigan
Theater, 9:45)
STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (Nicholas
Meyer, 1982)
One of the most purely entertaining films ever
made as Ricardo Montalban joins the usual Enter-
prise crew and makes them listen to hilarious
speeches aboutdvengeance while he tries to carry
some out. It has to be seen. (Alternative Action;
MLB 3,7:00,9:15)
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
What an apt title for Sean (I'll never do another
Bond movie") Connery. To some he is the only 007,
to others he's just an old man out to make a buck.
Either way, he's back and he's Bond. (Ann Arbor
Theater, 210 St. Fifth; 7619701).
A NIGHT IN HEAVEN
Christopher Atkins flaunts his toned flesh in this
story about the male strip scene. (State Theater; 231
S. State; 662-6264)
RUNNING BRAVE
Robby Benson stars as a young runner who must
triumph over hatred and prejudice in order to be a
winner. (State Theater, 231 S. State; 662-6264)
REAR WINDOW
The, re-release of Hitchcock's suspense thriller
about a man (Jimmy Stewart) who witnesses a mur-
der nobody else believes has been committed. Also
starring a superbly icy performance by the late
Grace Kelly. (Ann Arbor Theater, 210 S. Fifth; 761-
9700)
RICHARD PRYOR-HERE AND NOW
Here we go again with yet another "movie" by
Richard Pryor. Like his last few efforts, this is just a
filmed montage of Pryor in concert. Assuming you
want to see more Pryor monologues, this movie is for
you. (Fox-Village Theater, Maple Village; 769-1300)
SOME WOMEN OF MARRAKECH (Elizabeth Fer-
nea, 1976)
Islam. Regardless of their walk of life, every
woman in Marrakech adheres to it rather strictly as
this film shows. (Cinema Guild; Lorch Hall, 7:00
FREE)
MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
A comedy that well-describes the role of a typical
Korean "daughter-in-law" in their male-dominated
society. Korean with subtitles. (Korean Student
Association; Nat. Sci., 7:00, 9:30)
THE TOUCH (Ingmar Bergman, 1971)
Bergman's first English language film. He was so
busy translating that he forgot to put something
besides cliches into the story. Elliott Gould stars as
the man having an affair with the very much-
married Bibi Anderssen. )cinema Guild; Lorch Hall,
7:00 9:00)
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Frank Capra, 1944
A highly unusual bunch of people who like to see
who can murder more. One puts arsenic in tea, the
other does it for a living and the whole thing is played
out with a noteworthy cast. (Cinema Guild; Lorch
Hall, 7:00)
GUNGA DIN (George Stevens, 1939)
Cary Grant in an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's
story. The plot is a bit suspect, however. An Indian
water boy gives of his life to save a British Army unit
from a nasty cult. Forgivable, though, for the sun
shouldn't set on the British. (Cinema Guild; Lorch
Hall, 9:00)
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In that sense, my music is commercial.
"But it's people who have been
spreading the word. If the Beatles were
starting now, even they couldn't get air
play, with the rigidly-structured format
of most radio stations. But if we're (ar-
tists produced on independent labels)
successful, it's because our music says
something too." And she and other
dependent women performers become
more successful, what impact might
this have on their music?
"You can't lose your ethical stand,''
says Williamson. "You can't give up on
what made you important to people in
the first place, in the hope of appealing
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YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE (Fritz Lang, 1937)
The late Henry Fonda stars in the story of an
outlaw who escapes from prison, shooting the
Chaplain in the process, and then heads to safety in
Canada with his wife. Loosely inspired by the story of
Bonnie and Clyde. (Cinema Guild; Lorch Hall, 7:00)
THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING (John Ford, 1932)
It appears to be a case of mistaken identity as Ed-
ward G. Robinson plays a dual role as murderer and
a meek-mannered clerk. It makes a good case for
people who look alike wearing monogrammed shirts.
(Cinema Guild; Lorch Hall, 8:30)
HILL 24 DOESN'T ANSWER (Thorold Dickinson,
1955)
Last week we saw Nicaragua's first feature film.
This week we see Israel's first. Four young men have
to hold the crucial hill outside Jerusalem until mor-
ning so it can be claimed for Israel during the 1948
war. (Hill Street Cinema; 1429 Hill, 7:00, 9:00)
SWING TIME (George Stevens; 1936)
Swing Time in this case means that it's time for
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to get together and
swing each other around the dance floor with their
usual grace and style. The plot involves a gambler
falling for an already engaged girl. (Cinema 2; Aud.
A, 7:00)
YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (William A.
Seiter,1942)
Fred Astaire is at it again. Rita Hayworth is his
partner this time, and they're in Argentina where an
imagined suitor turns out to be real. (Cinema 2; Aud.
A, 9:00)
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Sunday, November 20,
9 p.m.
By Bill Orlove
T HE ACAPELLA rhythm and blues
or doo-wop groups of the '60s are
nearly gone from sight and sound. Only
rarely do not hear them on the radio,
and their tours have almost become
non-existent, with the exception of the
Temptations and the Four Tops'
current tour. But there's also a lesser-
known group who has been touring (and
recording) for the last 20 years. that
group is the Persuasions.
With the release of their tenth album,
Good New's, the Persuasions will em-
bark on a toup that will take them to the
U-Club on Sunday, November 20. With
their flawless harmonies and top tap-
ping rhythms, the group has continued
to succeed in communicating with their
audiences by merely using their voices.
The Persuasions: Boppin' at the U-Club
The combination of the rich bass
voice of Jimmy Hayes, the powerful yet
smooth lead of Jerry Lawson, Jayotis
Washington's tenor, and the baritone of
Toubo Thoad, the Persuasions possess
an irrepressibly flamboyant sound.
They may well be the finest acapella
vocal group around.
The history of this foursome goes
back to many singing groups spanning
20 years. These groups include
everything from school choruses and
church choirs of the South to the street
corners of New York City. Before the
nucleus of the group met, Lawson and
in school and church choirs and Hayes
sang with such troupes as the Hopewell
Jubilee and Irving and the Kats. The
two met in a group known as the Shuf-
flers. While with the Shufflers, Lawson
perfected his voice with the assistance
of such musical greats as David Ruffin,
Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding.
Rhoad started his singing career in
school shows with the Friendship
Christian Choir, from which he formed
the Friendship Gospel singers. He then
moved into a group called the El-Tones,
joined the Parisians after the break-up
of the El-Tones, and then finally came
to the Persuasions. Washington, who
hails from Detroit but grew up on 134th
Street in Harlem, was the final member
to round out this ensemble.
The Persuasions made their debut as
a group at an acapella contest in Jersey
City, New Jersey, where they out sang
all of the competitors. Not only have
they established themselves as masters
of doo-wop singing on their own recor-
ds, they have performed with other
musical talents. Such diverse artists as
Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler, Don
McLean, and Paul Simon have used this
group's outstanding talent. They have
also appeared on a variety of talk shows
and accompanied Joni Mitchell on her
first national tour in years.
The Persuasions are probably the
undisputed kings of acapella. Thougir
they may be the last exponents of this
lost musical art form, they make it
alive with tremendous force and
energy.
COUP DE TORCHON (B. Tavernier, 1982)
"Coup de Torchon" means clean slate, but there is
nothing holy about this amusing. exhilerating and
fascinating film. See it.
(Cineina2:Aud. A,7:00. 9:15)
HIGH SOCIETY (Vharles Walters, 1957)
The Philadelphia Story is remade, and the love
triangle is still a classic one. Grace Kelly, Bing
Crosby and Frank Sinatra star, along with a Cole
Porter score. (Hill Street Cinema; 1429 Hill, 7:30,
9:30)
ATLANTIC CITY (Louise Malle, 1981)
hurtLancaster is an aging, two-bit gangster who
tries one last fling at the big time. Susan Sarandon is
his romantic interest. Nominated for Best Picture an
an assortment of other Academy Awards.
(Mediatrics; Nat. Sci. Aud., 7:00,9:00)
APOCALYPSE NOW (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
Martin Sheen heads up a river to terminate an of-
ficer without prejudice in the middle of the Vietnam
War. Coppola's look at the situation is OK until it
joins up with Mumblin' Marlon Brando when it starts
to get dull - very, very dull. (Ann Arbor Film Coop;
MLB 4,6:30,9:15)
DAS BOOT (Wolfgang Peterson, 1982)
The evening's second look at war is set on a Ger-
man U-Boat in World War H. It's a very "you are
ANARCHISM IN AMERICA (Steven Fischler and
Joel Sucher)
A documentary dip into the rare archival footage
for a look at one of J. Edgar Hoover's favorite
movements. (Alternative Action; Room 126 - East
Quad, 8: 00 FREE)
SAINTS AND SPIRITS (Elizabeth Fernea, 1979)
one woman's view of religious expression in
Morocco. Part of the Middle Eastern Film Series.
(Cinema Guild; Lorch Hall,7:00, FREE)
I
Fred & Ginger: Have a swingin' time
8 Weekend/November 18, 1983
5
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