ARTS

The Michigan Daily

Sunday, March 25, 1984

Page 7


The

Temps &

Tops prolong a tradition

By John Logie
HE AUDIENCE at Hill Auditorium would have forgiven
The Temptations and the Four Tops if the two groups
ad chosen to simply walk through a parade of their biggest
hits. After all, these guys are getting old, and doing two
shows in one night must take a lot out of them. They started
out in the '50s, and they've been singing these same songs for
so long that they've got to be tired of them.
Previous tours by bands of this vintage have led to greatly
reduced expectations from audiences. Such bands have ear-'
ned leeway, and do not need to be as good as they are
remembered as being back in 196--whatever. The Tem-
ptations and The Four Tops, however; have no need for
reduced expectations.
P Friday night's show made it clear that these two groups
are possessed of a standard of professionalism that would
prevent them from touring if they ever became a "nostalgia"
act. This was not a tired rehash, it was a contemporary, now
concert that kept people on their feet.
While Hill Auditorium is a beautiful, well-engineered
auditorium it became clear that the crowd was in dire need of
a dance floor.
Twenty years in the business has taught these groups
presentation. The 14-piece orchestra and rhythm section got
right down to business as soon as the audience was seated
vith a sizzling overture highlighted by brilliant trumpet solos
from the band-leader. Anticipation flooded the audience, so
that when the groups hit the stage they were greeted by an
overwhelming, extremely enthusiastic standing ovation.
While many groups would see this adoration as an oppor-
tunity to coast, the two groups took this as a challenge, a
standard. They set out to justify the reception they had
received, and did so at a breakneck pace. While the show
was only 90 minutes long, more was packed into that 90
minutes than most groups provide in a two-hour set.
The show begins with the group's dueling, stealing each
other's songs, turning each other's microphones to the
audience, and parodying each other's stage moves. Sure it's
a put-on, sure it's gimmicky, but that doesn't stop the game
from being a whole lot of fun for the audience and the per-

formers.
Then the Four Tops took sole possession of the stage. Levi
Stubbs is not only a consummate vocalist, he is a consum-
mate showman. He exhorted the "hometown" crowd to have
as much fun as the group was having, inviting them to join in
for a bit, and then with endearing hamminess saying, "O.K.,
it's my turn now!" He also quieted the audience from near-
hysteria with his rendition of the ballad, "I Believe in You
and Me."
The rest of the Tops were in perfect form in both voice and
movement. Their set would have ran a group of guys half
their ages ragged.
After a 40 minute set the Temptations rejoined the Tops
and Ron Ryson's falsetto rendition of "Try to Remember"
from the broadway musical The Fantasticks set the groups
off on a series of tributes to more unfortunate performing ar-
tists. When doing a tribute to performers like Sam Cooke,
Otis Redding, Teddy Pendergrass, and Jackie Wilson, all of
whom had brilliant careers eclipsed by tragedy, it is easy for
the tribute to become heavy-handed, and overbearingly tear-
jerking. The groups wisely chose to perform the songs as
they were meant to be performed, as celebrations of the
goodtimes in life and the selections, "You Send Me," "Dock
of the Bay," "Close the Door," and the show-ending "Your
Love Has Lifted Me Higher" fit perfectly into the style of the
show.
The Temptations' set followed Pendergrass' romantic
"Close the Door" and it too was characterized by romance.
While the Temptations are brilliant at gospel-influeticed
songs like "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," and "Ain't Too
Proud to Beg," they truly shine on ballads.
"Sail Away With Me" is a surprisingly fine addition to their
repertoire from their latest album, and, of course, there was
"My Girl" which was undoubtedly the highlight among
highlights in the evening.
The audience response generated by these groups is
devastating. A woman spontaneously walked from the rear
of the auditorium to mop Ron Tyson's brow during a ballad.
A tone-deaf young lady in the front row sang her heart out
when Melvin Franklin offered her the microphone for the
chorus of "My Girl," and I'll be if we didn't all applaud her.

Daily Photo by CAROL L. FRANCAVILLA
The Four Tops prove they haven't lost their style or stamina Friday night at Hill Auditorium.

4

The aforementioned finale, Jackie Wilson's "Your Love.
Has Lifted Me Higher," managed to showcase every mem-
ber of each group and culminated in Richard Street being
fanned and helped off stage ala James Brown.

Twenty years mustn't always mean a last hurrah, a last
stumble through songs the whole group is tired of. For these
two groups the party has been going on for the past 20 years,
and they're more than happy to share it with you.


VMS
present's
*Czech
phil-
harmnic
ByBob King
RAGUE isn't only at the geographic
Phe art of Europe, for centuries the
Czechoslovakian capital has also been
at the heart of European culture. Its
surname of "the conservatory of Euro-
pe" reflects the musical edge of this
heritage, and though today Prague
hosts several orchestras, none is more
celebrated than the Czech Philhar-
monic.
This musical treasure of central
1urope will perform this Sunday
vening at Hill Auditorium, bringing to
Ann Arbor a warmth and solidity
developed from the talent and toil of
generations of great musicians.
For centuries Prague has been
respected for its fine sense of music. In
1786, after a quick withdrawl from the
repetory in Vienna, Mozart's Marriage
of Figaro premiered at the Czech
capital. Prague quickly recognized the

'Children' looks at family lifestyles

The Czech Philharmonic brings their celebrated musical treasure to Hill

Auditorium Sunday night.
opera's brilliance and through its sup-
port helped to glorify a masterpiece
which might otherwise still muster in
oblivion. Mozart rewarded the city by
dedicating his next great opera, Don
Giovanni, to the people of Prague.
The Czech Philharmonic itself was
founded in 1896, its members seeking
autonomy from their National Theater
Orchestra. Though its political origins

14PPENINGS
continueI from Page 3)
& Arbitration," 7-9 p.m., UAW Local 735, 48055 Michigan Ave.
School of Music-piano master class, Ivan Morovec, 3:30-5:30 p.m.,
Rackham Assembly Hall.
Tau Beta Pi; Sigma Gamma Tau-tutoring in lower-level science, math,
engineering courses, room 307 UGLI, 7-11 p.m.; room 2332 Bursley, 8-10 p.m.
Society for Technical Comm.-tour of GM Research Lab in Warren, 7:30
p.m. Pre-dinner meeting,6 p.m. Call 575-7308.
CEW-"Re-entry Women's Network" lunch, nooIn-1:30 p.m., 350 S.
Thayer. Macromolecular Research Center-colloquium, Shilin Yang, 4
p.m., room 3005 Chemistry Bldg.
Eclipse-workshop in, jazz improvisation for intermediate level
musicians, David Swain, 7-8:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Union.
Tae Kwon Do Club-practive, 6-8 p.m., CCRB Martial Arts room.
WCBN-6 p.m., "Inside the Environment & Understanding Energy."
Indoor Light Gardening Society-slide show on growing begonias, Lou
Kilbert, 7:30 p.m., Matthae Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd.
To submit items for the Happenings Column, send them in care of
Happenings, The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

may have bene those of dischord, the
Philharmonic's music proved pure
harmony from the start. Its first con-
ductor was no less than Antonin
Dvorak..
Through the years the Czech
Philharmonic gained an impressive
reputation, and in 1945 came under
state subsidy. In memory of this event,
the Czechoslovakians stage the annual
Prague Spring Festival, an inter-
national celebration highlighting past
and current Czech traditions.
Among the orchestra's many
prominent conductors have been
Dvorak, Siegfried Wagner, Edvard
Grieg, and Richard Strauss. Guest con-
ductors have included Lorin Maazel,
Zubin Mehta, former DSO music direc-
tor Antal Dorati, and the maestro who
bedazzled Ann Arbor last month,
Leonard Bernstein. Gustav Mahler
conducted the premier of his 7th Sym-
phony in Prague~ and both Stravinsky
and Prokofiev have also conducted
their own works with the Czech
Philharmonic.
Leading the orchestra on only its
fourth tour 'of the United States will be
conductors Vaclav Neumann and Jiri
Belohlavek, both of whom raise the
baton with authority.
Sunday's program will be Ma Vlast, a
cycle of six symphonic songs composed
by the 18th century neo-
romanticist/Bedrich Smetana.

By Tracy Uselmann
NOTHING LESS than a perfect score
should go to Terence Lamude for
his excellent production of Children.
Lamude took a snobbish Wasp group
from the East and brought forth the
love and preservation of the family
which he feels is highly important.
The play has many significant
features, especially noted in its
satirical criticism. In this case, the
criticism seems to be of the trivia that
commands a person's life. This Wasp
family is so accustomed to the perfect
society that if anything goes wrong,
they fall apart.
Not only does the play present a
satire, but it also presents many dif-
ferent stereotypical Americans. Of
course, the first and most obvious
character is the "preppy" Wasp. These
people are very surface-oriented and
everything must always be happy.
True feelings are not revealed, while if
they are, it is hard for them to accept.
Other stereotypes can be seen also,
such as the redical American, and the
typical family stereotypes, such as the
big brother who always teases his
sister.
The actors, all professionals, do an
excellent job in portraying the unity of
the family. Even though they constan-
tly argue over trivial subjects, their
love for one an other comes across well.
Randy, played by John Abajian, is
ironically the biggest baby of them all.
Although he is married, he remains a
complete child at heart. Abajian really
plays to the audience and everyone
likes him because the adolescent reac-
tions on a grown man are rather
humorous.
Jane, played by Anne Swift, is the
most ironic character. She appears,
walks, and acts as a perfect Wasp, and
yet she is the one character who looks
on life as a challenge.
Mother, played by France Helm, does
an outstanding job. She fits the role
perfectly and really sets the mood with
her dramatics.
Barbara, played by Mary Kelly,

comes across as a very selfish person.
Later, however, it becomes evident that
she is trying to escape the world'and the
audience, as a result, is sympathetic.
The entire play comes across very
smooth. The first few lines are slightly
uncomfortable, but soon the audience

'Children' reveals the trivial idiosyncracies of family life, especially big
brother teasing little sister.
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itself begins to live the play.
Lamude does an excellent job in
displaying the facet of feelings that
families experience even though they }
get wrapped up in trivia. The actors do
a superb job of creating an atmosphere
of unity, and the entire play runs
smoothly and accurately.

I

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SERVICES

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HISPANIC SYMPOSIUM:

GRASS ROOTS MOVEMENTS: ORGANIZING FOR
SOCIAL CHANGE IN HISPANIC COMMUNITIES
" Thursday, March 29, 7 pm, SCHORLING AUD., School of Education
Dolores Huerta speaks for United Farm Workers

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