The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 6, 1984-- Page 7
Alberstein charms her audience

By Julie Edelson
IT IS THE unique performer who has
command of her audience in a
foreign vernacular. Although some of
the sold-out house at Lydia Men-
dolssohn Theater had sufficient
knowledge of Chava Alberstein's
Hebrew and Yiddish songs, the
majority of the crowd was unfamiliar
with the language. But in Alberstein's
case, it didn't matter. She was able to
transcend linguistic barriers and
provide us with an especially enjoyable
performance.
Alberstein, who is considered the
"leading lady of Israeli song," received
the "Kinor David" prize-the Israeli
"Grammy" for the singer ofythe year,
six times. She has recorded 30 albums,
and has given concerts worldwide.
Indeed, the huge crowd that gathered
for her definitely seemed to be familiar
with her reputation. They cheered as
she first walked onto the stage, dressed
in dark pants and a white blazer, guitar'

in hand. And she did not disappoint
them.
Alberstein's powerful, controlled alto
voice was delightful. She sang a
variety of folk songs: Love songs,
which told tales of a restful sabbath
evening, or a war that was very, very
far away. She also sung songs which
had universal themes: A father who is
anxious to marry off his daughters, and
an overly inquisitive child nagging her
mother. Her love songs were so restful
that they had the ability to lull one into
a peaceful trance. This was due, in
large part, to her mastery of classical
guitar, which blended beautifully with
her voice.
Fortunately, Alberstein prefaced
each song with an explanation, in
English, of the song's main idea. She
was particularly animated throughout
her performance, taking on the per-
sonalities of the various speakers in her
songs. When she sang sad love songs,
she became especially emotional,
closing her eyes, and appearing melan-
choly. When she sang two Hebrew

children's songs, she dramatized the
child's voice. The effect was par-
ticularly comical, and kept the concert
interesting.
Alberstein, did not limit herself
merely to Hebrew and Yiddish songs.
She attempted an adaptation to an
American song, by the rock group Styx,
which sounded better than the group's
original version.
The concert was exciting throughout,
mainly because Alberstein included a
mixture of quick, fast-paced songs, as
well as slow, melodic tunes. The
lighting changed to suit the changing
moods.
Alberstein also involved the audience
in her songs. She had them sing the
choruses of some songs, and in one
case, she divided the audience in two
and attempted a round. Some were
familiar with the traditional folk songs,
and most everyone derived great
pleasure from participating-it gave
one the feeling of sitting around a cam-
pfire on a restful summer evening.
In fact, the evening was especially

Chava Alborstein
... cultural charisma
restful and relaxing. The momentary
transportation into Israeli culture was
a welcome escape, and we have Chava
Alberstein to thank for it.


Records-
The Invisible Men - 'The Invisible
Men' (Passport Records)
Anthony Phillips and Richard Scott have inadver-
tently chosen the perfect name for their new band
and album. The Invisible Men' shows no visible
talent whatever with tepid songs set against music so

vapid it sounds more like filtered static. comes through the rain . . " One can imagine the
With titles like "Live In A Hot Air Balloon," "I depth of a songwriter who sees song material in an
Want Your Heart," and "Falling For Love" is there inanimate object.
even any need to look at the lyrics? Phillips, formerly a guitarist for Genesis, is no
If sophomoric romance weren't enough, the guys stranger to mediocrity. He's released a numbe- of
stoop to concocting a ditty about, of all things, an vacuous instrumental records in the past.
Exocet. "Invisible steel kissed the waves/Here it - Byron L. Bull

AP Photo

Actor William Powell, famous for such roles as Clarence Day in 'Life With
Father,' dies at 92.
'1l Actor Powell dies

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - (UPI) -
Actor William Powell the breezy
sophisticate of more thai one hundred
motion pictures who was best known for
his portrayal of Nick Charles in the
Thin Man detective film series, died
yesterday. He was 92.
Powell died at Desert Hospital early
yesterday morning, a hospital
spokeswoman said. The actor entered
the facility Sunday with pneumonia.
"He passed away of natural causes
about 5:45 this morning," Powell's wife

of 44 years, Diane, said in a telephone
interview from their Palm Springs
home. "He was in no pain. I was with
him all night long and at his bed side
when he died."
Powell, one of the few actors to sur-
vive the transition from silent films to
talkies, was nominated for an academy
award three times but never won. He
was nomiriated in 1934 for the original
Thin Man, in 1936 for My Man Godfrey,
and in 1947 for playing Clarence Day in
the movie version of the Broadway hit
Life With Father.

0e
Miss Julie
(continued from Page 6)
Markel believes that the role of Miss
Julie is one of the most difficult parts an
actress can play. He said that Marie
Chambers, who plays Miss Julie, is a
good actress, and, "just to undertake it
(this role) is a major step forward for
any actress."
Markel explained that the major ob-
stacle of the show was the difficulty in
creating the intensity of the night in
which the play takes place. He said
that it is a major task to create a "plat-
form for the possibility of the encounter
(and that) this is a whole social class
milieu that American's don't underst-
and."
But he did believe that this play had
relevance for the Ann Arbor audience.
Strindberg's theme-that we think we
are more sexually aware than our
parents were-is one in which many
Ann Arbor students can derive relevan-
ce. Call 763- 5213 for more information.


To Subscribe: 764-0558

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