The Michigan Daily-Thursday, November 12, 1987-Page 9
Group will
win laughs
By Cathy Shap
Hungry for a hearty laugh? The
Comedy Company is serving up an
entirely new show; a full menu of
pure entertainment and fun. The
company will present 19 sketches,
each observing a hilarious slice of
life. Among other things you'll see
the Greek God Zeus living it up in a
20th century single's bar, a school
class which teaches its students how
to write heavy metal music, and a
mime who robs a bank.
The Comedy Company follows
the style of Second City and Satur-
day Night Live, performing sketch
comedy rather than improvisation.
"We're a lot funnier though!" says
Steve Doppelt, the company's pro-
ducer and a performer who views the
production as "the writer's show."
The Comedy Company was
started seven years ago as "The Sun-
day Funny's" by a small group of
writers who wanted to see their ma-
terial performed. Today, after seven
years on campus and after three and a
half years of straight sell-out per-
formances, the company remains the
only entirely student run theatre
troupe in Ann Arbor.
The writers are presenting new
material - no recycled sketches.
Although they are a student group,
they purposely stay away from cam-
pus humor. "There are residents who
don't know about campus jokes;
they wouldn't know what CRISP
was," co-producer Tim Snyder says.
The group also is straying from po-
litical humor. "We want to have a
good time," says Snyder. "We're not
trying to drive any points home, it's
just great entertainment."
The nine actors and actresses in
the show, six of whom are making
their debut performances, come from
diverse educational backgrounds
which adds variety and ingenuity to
the show. According to Eric
Champnella, co-director and former
actor with the company, "Our show
is the Great Escape. The actors are a
great bunch of people and when we
get that first laugh on Thursday
night, it's such a high!"
The troupe is also planning to
take its talents on the road, January
22 and 23, when they will travel to
Northwestern University in Chicago.
It will be the first time the company
has performed in a different city.
Snyder adds, "No one is as funny
as we are. We've never sent an audi-
ence away wanting, their bellies are
always aching."
THE COMEDY COMPANY
will be performing at Mendelssohn
Theatre, tonight through Saturday at
8 p.m. The company has enjoyed
seven straight sell-outs so far, so get
your tickets early. Tickets are $3.50
in advance, $4.00 at the door and are
available at Michigan Ticket Office
as wellray the fish bowl today
through Fday. For information,
call UAC at 763-1107.
Daily Photo by DAVID LUBLINER
Rob Marks (left) and Jeff Peters rehearse a scene for the Comedy Company's performance
tonight.
Pianist Tommy
Flanagan is Detroit's
own jazz legend
Replacements:
They're still
crazy after all thes
By Marc S. Taras
He is one of a handful of players
to whom the well worn term "living
legend" could be ascribed without
argument. Starting tonight, jazz pi-
anist, Tommy Flanagan will be in
town for a rare three night stopover
at Ron Brooks' Bird of Paradise
club. Accompanying Flanagan will
be Ron Brooks on Bass and Randy
Gelcspie-
Flanagan was born in Detroit in
1930. He took up clarinet at the age
of six and was at the piano by age
11. Early jazz influences included
Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. He
was playing professionally with fel-
low Detroiters "Lucky" Thompson
and Milt Jackson before he was out
of high school. he was part of the
famous house band for the Blue Bird
Club with Billy Mitchell and broth-
ers Thad and Elvin Jones.
Flanagan was part of the Detroit
wave of gifted young players that
descended like jazz angels on the Big
Apple in the middle fifties. Flanagan
went to New York in 1956, and
honed his chops with giants such as
Miles Davis, Kenny Burrell, and
Coleman Hawkins. He recorded as a
leader as well as appearing as a
isideman on some of the most
important record dates in history.
Flanagan was at the piano for Sonny
Rollins' Saxophone Cloossus ses-
sions and with John Coltrane's
group for Giant Step.
It may be ironic that in view of
the great recording sessions and
groups that Flanagan has led that his
reputation is founded largely on his
abilities as an accompanist. Then
again it may be that nobody does it
better. Beginning in 1968 Tommy
Flanagan's Trio was the kick and
groove for the First Lady of jazz,
Ella Fitzgerald. He has worked and
recorded with aspiring newcomers
such as Kim Parker, and established
good-life old-timers like Tony Ben-
nett. His backdrops are always
swinging and full of ideas, never
sleepy or complacent.
. A little while back Flanagan ap-
peared in Ann Arbor at the Ark in
what was one of the most inspiring
and delightful evenings of music that
I have ever enjoyed. He is back in
town for three nights... eight shows!
Now just let me check my wallet...
oughta make three or four I hope! I
want to encourage everyone to take
time out for some genuine
entertainment from one of the
grandmasters of the piano. Tommy
Flanagan at the Bird!
TOMMY FLANAGAN will be
performing at the Bird of Paradise,
207 S. Ashley. Performance times
are scheduled for Thursday at 7:30
and 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Satur-
day at 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 p.m.
All 7:30 shows are open to all ages.
Tickets are $8 at the door.
Michigan Daily
A-TS
763-0379
By Chuck Skarsaune
The Replacements are a band that
seem to be constantly running away
from mega-stardom. Their refusal to
participate in the usual rock 'n' roll
starmaking machinery is well
known. For example, the band has
yet to do a standard video, which
seems to be the first thing bands do
today. The Replacements' only video
release, "Bastards of Young," shows
only a shot of a speaker and none of
the band's members. Add to this the
'Mats' (as they like to be called)
battles with current and former record
labels, managers, and hapless writ-
ers, and it adds up to a band that just
doesn't want to be the next Bon
Jovi.
That's not to say they don't have
what it takes. Their music ranges
from rock-pop to metallic to jazzy
all in the course of a single album
side, with Paul Westerberg's raspy
vocals and intelligent, self-deprecat-
ing lyrics riding along on this di-
verse musical wave. The band covers
this expanse of musical ground
adeptly, with Tommy Stinson's bass
and Chris Mars' drumming provid-
ing a solid rhythm section for
Westerberg and new guitarist Robert
"Slim" Dunlop. On their latest al-
bum, Pleased to Meet Me, the band
worked with a producer for the first
time, which resulted in a tighter,
more focused sound than their earlier
albums.
The Replacements have a reputa-
tion for chaotic, drunken, unpre-
dictable live shows, with members
of the audience or opening band
e years
coming on-stage to play or sing,
'Mats members coming out in
bizarre attire (or none at all), and
other strange occurrences. The live
shows may be calming down some-
what since Bob Stinson has been re-
placed by Slim Dunlop on guitar,
but one can never tell. Bob Stin-
son's over-enthusiasm for on-stage
chaos was one of the reasons for his
leaving the Replacements, but the
other members are sure to carry on
in fine 'Mat fashion..
Tonight's show follows last
month's secretive engagement at the
Blind Pig,
THE REPLACEMENTS will be
performing at St. Andrew's Hall in
Detroit. Tickets are $13 at the
door,$11.50 in advance at Ticket-
master outlets. Ann Arbor natives
Map of the World will open.
Replacement Tommy Stinson
You are cordialy invited
to attend a reading from her work
by Mfichigan Alumna and: !Hopwood Award 'Winner
Marge Percy
-.,
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BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
MONDAY, NOV.16,8:00 pm
Tthursday, November 12, 1987
4:00 p.m.
Rackham Amphitheater
(9&sception willffollow)
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