ARTS
The Michigan Daily
Monday, September 29, 1986
Page 7
'Duck's Breath Mystery
Theatre'
Is something to 'quack' about
By Seth Flicker
It was a rowdy romp, a merry-
go-round gone berserk. Duck's
Breath Mystery Theatre, which
performed at the Power Center
Friday night, was a two-hour
runaway-train ride with five
mental cases...and enjoyable
every step of the way.
They seem harmless enough:
like five middle-aged, middle-
class businessmen. Beware,
though--they sting. Take, for
instance, this scenario: a man
dressed in a rabbit suit comes out,
hopping around the stage,
wigggling his cotton tail. We
laugh, but we know something is
hidden beneath all this cuteness.
Then POW! it hits us like a ton
of bricks. As it so happens, this
rabbit is none other than Bunny
Rabbit from The Captain
Kangaroo Show, complaining
and kvetching to the audience on
how tough it is being a rabbit in
show business.
This is the usual pace of the
show. It's a rollercoaster ride
with a fine balance of stupid and
intellectual humor. It's not
"easy" humor such as slapstick.
Watching Duck's Breath perform
is hard work, but just like hard
work, it is truly satisfying in the
end.
At some points of the show, the
audience has to listen carefully or
risk missing quick punchlines
in fastpaced skits such as Ian
Shoales (a.k.a. Merle Kessler),
the cynical social critic; Dr.
Science (Dan Coffey), the doctor
with all the answers and their
quick-witted comparison of
American and British theatre.
Forunately, the troupe relizes
that one can only listen carefully
so long. They give the audience
little breaks of relaxing,
nonsensical humor. For ex-
ample: two men enter on stage
and introduce themselves a
bowling ball and a ten-pin. The
former, then, proceeds to do a
tumble knocking down the ten-
pin. They exit the stage.
Duck's Breath is made up of
five men, equally excellent, each
with his own niche of characters.
Leon Martell is Rowdy Raines, a
wealthy cowboy with a radio show,
and Congo Bob, who wants to turn
Texas into an African hunting
playland. Merle Kessler is Ian
Shoales and the ten-pin. Dan
Coffey is Dr. Science and a
Missourian accountant from
Harvard working for Rowdy
Raines. Jim Turner is Clorox,
the child medium who can read
your past or furure by smelling
you. Bill Allard is Bunny Rabbit
and Sister Mundi, a parochial
school bitch. These are only a few
of their zany, wacked-out
characters.
If you missed Duck's Breath
Mystery Theatre this time, then
you better catch them the next time
around. After being together for
11 years, a possible movie in the
works (Zarda! Cow from Hell!),
books, records and radio shows to
produce, how much longer can
they find time to perform live?
We'll just have to crass our
fingers and wait.
UM News in
The Daily
764-0552
Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre wowed 'em Friday night at Power Cen-
ter.
THE OFFICE OF MAJOR EVENTS AND WIQB
WELCOME
O wn the sky
To fly is one thing. To fly with the Marine Corps is something
else. They'll show you the meaning of wings. From the wings of
the F-18 Hornet to the wings you wear as a Marine aviator,
this is flying at its best. And your ticket to fly is
your college diploma. If you'd like to be up
there, contact your local Marine Officer Selec-
ion Officer.
Records
Everything
But the Girl
BABY THE STARS SHINE
BRIGHT
fSire
Everything But the Girl's first
two singles, "Each and Every
One" and "When All's Well"
heralded what could have been a
fresh sound in the pop world.
Working with a host of session
musicians, including the Smith's
Johnny Marr, guitarist Ben
Watt's textured orchestration
created a lush background for
Tracey Thorn's rich vocals.
With their bright and* witty
ditties, owing as much to jazz as to
rock, they provided a welcome
relief to the synth-pop dominated
charts.
Unfortunately, Everything
But the Girl's latest serving, Baby
,-the Stars Shine Bright, is a slice of
moldy cheesecake. Drenched in
orchestration, the album faith-
lgssly crosses over from dynamic
pop to conventional Easy List -
ening The result is like adding
five tablespoons of sugar to a
teaspoon of coffee: sweet sludge.
The first side starts with the
single "Come on Home." A slow,
sappy ballad, it sounds like the
stuff you hear when you're on hold
for a real long time. "Don't Leave
Me Behind," a disco-esque tune
with an obnoxious horn section
follows, quickly replaced with "A
Country Mile," which is as long
and boring as its title suggests.
Two notable songs follow: "Cross
My Heart," the chorus of which is
a carbon copy of that of "When
All's Well," and "Don't Let the
Teardrops Rust Your Shining
Heart." The latter song is the
album's strongest; it is sparse
and somber, featuring Thorn's
haunting vocals with piano and
acoustic guitar accompaniment.
"Careless" kicks off the second
side, appropriately titled because
it carelessly sounds like half of
the songs on the first side. A
heavy, string-encumbered bal -
lad, it leads into "Sugar Finny," a
disco song dedicated to Marilyn
Monroe. Three interchangeable
tracks follow this, and the album
reaches its conclusion with two
slow, boring, and meaningless
numbers, finishing off what ends
up as a slow, boring, meaningless
record.
-EricWeitman
IAMR
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
HILL AUDITORIUM, 7:30 P.M.
Tickets Available at Michigan Union Ticket Office
and all Ticket World Outlets
CHARGE-BY-PHONE 763-TKTS
Call Capt. Power or Capt. Bembenek at 668-2211
INTERRELIGIOUS ACTION FOR WORLD PEACE
U U __________
Ms. Brenda Svenson
Pilot Program.
Philippines
LPHIIPPINES
Wolverine Rm.
Michigan Union
Rock Poster Sale
Today through Friday!
10am-5pm
Michigan Union
Ground
Floor
WED., 10/1
7-9 p.m.
FINDING UNITY IN DIVERSITY -
EXPLORING WORLD RELIGIONS
Wednesdays -8 - 9:30 P.M. at the
ECUMENICAL CAMPUS CENTER, 921 CHURCH STREET
Recent world events, political and social, have called to public attention the role
which religion is perceived to play in the international arena. Yet, there is little
understanding of the complex content, long histories, and cultural significance of
the major world religions. Each contains elements pertaining to caring human re-
lationships, world peace, care of the earth,. justice, reconciliation, and could pro-
vide a basis for common approach to world problems. How can people of faith
learn from and share with one another?,
OCTOBER 1-- BUDDHISM
Speaker: VERA SOMBOON, Doctoral student in
philosophy, U-M
OCTOBER 8 - CHRISTIANITY
Speaker: DR. NILE HARPER, Ecumenical
Center Director
OCTOBER 15 - HINDUISM
Sne ltar1 MAD. M AV DESHPANDE. Profes-
SleCrotci-Ne chorder-doy unnysin lashre Sraits Sri ougs ie s aen
Mary Ch..Cult-Smiths-Rush-Mad Max-Manhatten-Taxi Driver-Apocalypse NowBowie s
Stye Huner)-Jae Odean-Seyx isos-rhe stik lditsin&Pog easeande
;race Jones-Peter Gabriel-Bob Dylan-Lloyd Cole -Stranglers-Girl -Bob Marley"Sade
Tears for Fears -Z Top-Depeche Mode-Damned-The Alarm*Howard Jones-CenesiaPhl
.ollins -Madonna-Doors-Iron Maiden -Eurythmics -New Model Army -Dead or Alive -Joni
Mitchll -Srian Ferry-Marlon Brando-Paul Newman-Burt Lancaster-Stones-DeepEcho
Purpl-PrncQueen-Japan-George Michael-Errol Flynn-Chariton Heston-Clint.Joy
Eastwood-Matt Dillon.Montgomery Clift-Blues Brothers-Echo and the Bunnymen*New
Cash-Cramps-Sade-Kate Bush-Springsteen-Style Council-New OrderJoy DivisionB
'Dire Straits-Sting-Pouges-Jesu and Mary Ch. Cult-Smiths-RusliMad MaxTaxi D
Driver-Manhatten-Apocalypse Now-Bowie (The Hunger)VJames Dean-Sex Pistols-Sade
Banshees-Pink Floyd-Talking Heads-REM-Yes-Grace Jones-Peter Gabriel-Bob Dylan
Lloyd Cole-Stranglers-Girl-Bob Harley-Tears for Fears-ZZ Top-Depeche Mode-Door
9amned -the Alarm-Howard Jones -Genesis -Phil Collins -Madonna-Doors -Iron Maiden+U
11
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