'The Michigan Daily Quincy is the world Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones dir. Ellen Weissbrod ARTS Thursday, November 8, 1990 Company makes even flies funny Page 5 by Mark Binelli ""M elody stays constant and rhythm always changes. The times are always contained in the rhythms." - "We Are the World" producer and arranger Quincy Jones, on life LISTEN UP: THE LIVES OF QUINCY JONES a new documentary film about the talented musician/producer/racial barrier breaker BEGINS with an annoying title sequence during which many many different WORDS are rapidly flashed up on the screen in colorful letters, words like RAP BEBOP * and ALEX HALEY creating a sensation similiar to " that which one experiences when . watching a video or a commercial _,(and these words are interchangable in this context) on the popular cable television channel MTV. "Outstanding. Why? Because what he did and what he does stands -out." - controversial rap group member Flavor Flav, on why he 1 likes Quincy Jones The concept should have worked. FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR Ellen Weissbrod interviewed a very wide range of INTERESTING PEOPLE against a black background (except for MICHAEL who preferred to make fascinating S' observations such as by Julie Komorn W hat ever happened to the The Old Lady who swallowed a fly? Well, we all know that after swallowing the fly she swallowed a spider to catch the fly and then swallowed a bird to catch the spider and then swallowed a cat to catch the bird (which all jiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her). But what was The Old Lady really like? What kind of family life did she have? And how did she get a hold of all those animals to eat? Fortunately, The Comedy Company has got the answers. This season's production by the company, The Sound of The Big Show, takes an inside look at The Old Lady's daily life, and also addresses a variety of other puzzling questions. How would the Soviet Union's new, kinder image affect Colonel Claw's treatment of a rude James Bond? What would a movie preview of People's Court's favorite character be like? How would one hire a monster to scare their son? And can the Comedy Company really pull off a musical number? The show's 22 sketches are a combination of student submitted material with work from the producers Mike Tower and Tom Cohen, director Jon Glaser and head- writer Dave Kosky. This year's talented nine-member cast was chosen from 70 hopefuls - with two returning actors. Glaser says, "The excellent cast is the strength of the show." As the Comedy Company embarks on its 11th year of fun and games ("second decade" they will proudly tell you) the show continues to "be funny for the sake of being funny," say the producers. There are a couple of family sketches, a satire on relationships (Q and U are breaking up - oh no!) integrated with the traditional sing-along piano tunes to which Comedy Company audiences have become accustomed. Glaser says, "Its the best laugh per dollar ratio anywhere." So no one is completely sure what prompted The Old Lady to swallow the fly. But it is clear that this year's Comedy Company will make the entire situation a laughing matter. THE SOUND OF BIG SHOW will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Mendelssohn Theatre. Tickets are $4.50 in advance ($5.00 at the door) available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office. MUSICAL LEGEND Quincy Jones (the one in the BATMAN t-shirt) seems to be cruelly mocking MUSICAL LEGEND Ray Charles (the one in the DARK SUNGLASSES), but they're actually old friends. "We just wanted to make magic" off-camera) and head-spinningly interspersed their comments with lots of neat film footage and music, taking the audience on a virtual ROLLER-COASTER RIDE through the ups and downs in the life of a legend, which included. THREE DIVORCES THREE DOZEN FILM SCORES A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN THE BEST-SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIME AN ANEURYSM A FEW CORNY PARTS WITH HIS FAMILY and, of course, Michael and Diana singing "Ease On Down the Road." "I hated doing The Wiz. I hated the music and!I hated the script." - Quincy Jones, on how he met Michael Jackson Admittedly, the film features an incredible cast of thousands. DIZZY GILLEPSIE puffs his cheeks out a lot and talks about Charlie Parker and is generally very cool, as is RAY CHARLES who complains about a young Quincy waking him up at NINE A.M. every morning because he wanted to learn about JAZZ MUSIC. But, so much editing in so little time and such loose order becomes extremely TIRESOME extremely quickly, no matter how much larger than life the people talk- ing are or the person they are talking about is. "AndI said, 'Quincy who?"' - classic crooner and militant national anthem defender Francis Al-. bert Sinatra, on the first time he ever heard of Quincy Jones (who later went on to arrange the timeless Si- natra at the Sands album) The constant MACHINE GUN-LIKE BAR- RAGE of music and images and people talking made for a very interesting film STYLISTICALLY I suppose, but the real PROBLEM was that there isn't nearly enough time for these numerous aforemen- tioned INTERESTING PEOPLE (such as the Reverend Jesse Jack- son, Ella Fitzgerald, Ice-T and the late Sarah Vaughan, making her last film appearance) to say anything of SUBSTANCE in a five-second sound bite. "When you say pop, that's white, right?" - raspy voiced jazz deity Miles Davis, on pop music Certain moments of the film do manage to use the rapid-fire cutting well. One especially powerful seg- ment features several different gener- ations of Black musicians comment- ing on their experiences with racism, from Ella Fitzgerald, who nearly breaks down while recalling the seg- regated South, to Big Daddy Kane, who more recently was waiting to buy tickets when a cashier leaned See QUINCY, Page 8 Anouilh'l S Miss of Arc: radical militant by Mike Kolody A s long as people have thought tales worth telling, they have found the story of the martyr to be endear- ing. The idea of a strong character that represents the very best in hu- manity, a strength to fight over- whelming odds and ultimately pay the highest price for his beliefs, is an appealing one Firmly rooted in this, The Lark by Jean Anouilh is a drama based on the 15th-century legend of Joan of Arc. Joan, a poor shepherdess, re- cieves a vision from St. Michael which urges her to lead French troops against the English in battle. She valiantly does this until caught in a web of ecclesiastical and secular intrigue that spells her doom. Even as she steps above her station, going as far as getting Charles VII, dauphin of France crowned king, and actually becoming his mentor in a charming role reversal, Joan is seen as a radical to be dispensed with. She is sold by the French to the English where she is eventually burned at the See MISS OF ARC, Page 7 COMEDY COMPANY PRESENTS Artistry &Community At Mannes they go together. The skills, understanding and originality of artistry are fostered by a superb faculty in a caring and supportive community. That's why Mannes graduates succeed. REGIONAL AUDITIONS " CHICAGO, ILLINOIS February 8, 1991 at Curtiss Hall, Fine Arts Building NEW YORK CITY AUDITIONS: January 7, 1991; March 5, 6, 7, 8, 1991; May 21, 22, 23, 24, 1991; August dates to be announced. LOS ANGELES AUDITIONS: February 4, 5,1991. DALLAS-FT. WORTH AUDITIONS: February 6, 1991. Call 800-292-3040 or 212-580-0210 for application, audition appointment and additional information about the College. November 8, 9, and 10 :0Opm Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre TICKETS $4.50 advance, $5.00 door at Michigan Union Ticket Office FOR MORE INFO. CALL 763-1 107 Every Thursday 6-9pm is, STUDENT HAPPY HOUR LIVE BAND! NO COVER!* The Galimir String Quartet Felix Galimir. Violin Hiroko Yaima. Violin Steven Tenenbom, Viola Timothy Eddy, Violoncello The Mannes Trio Hiroko Yajima. Violin Melissa Meell. Violoncello Diane Walsh. Piano The Newman-Oltman Guitar Duo Michael Newman L-jra Oltman PIANO Edward Aldwell Arkady Aronov David Bar-Illan Claude Frank Richard Goode Jeannette Haien Grant Johannesen Lilian Kallir Leon Pommers Marie Powers Josef Raieff Peter Serkin Nina Svedlanova Diane Walsh ORGAN and CHURCH MUSIC Ford Lallerstedt McNeil Robinson William Whitehead TIMPANI and PERCUSSION Norm Freeman Norman Grossman Howard Van Hyning Walter Rosenberger HARP Gloria Agostini STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Nina Beilina. Violin Isidore Cohen, Violin Alexander Cores. Violin Felix Galimir, Violin Shirley Givens, Violin Lewis Kaplan. Violin Ani Kavafian, Violin David Nadien. Violin Aaron Rosand, Violin Dora Schwartzberg, Wolin Sally Thomas. Violin Hiroko Yajima. Violin Lillian Fuchs. Viola Rosemary Glyde, Viola Karen Ritscher. Viola Steven Tenenbom. Viola Walter Trampler. Viola Timothy Eddy, Violoncello Melissa Meell. Violoncello Paul Tobias. Violoncello Peter Wiley, Violoncello Julius Levine. Double Bos Homer Mensch. Double Bass WOODWIND and BRASS Judith Mendenhall, Flute Thomas Nyfenger, Flute Laura Ahlbeck. Oboe Elaine Douvas. Oboe John Ferrillo. Oboe Mark Hill, Oboe William Blount, Clarinet Gervase de Peyer, Clor et Peter Simenasier. Clarinet David Carroll. Bassoon Harold Goltzer. Bassoon Leonard Hindell. Bassoon Judith LeClair. Bassoon Allen Won, Saxophone Ranier Delntinis, French Horn David Jolley. French Horn Philip Myers. French Horn Mel Broilesr Trumpet Vincent Penzarella. Trumpet CLASSICAL GUITAR Eliot Fisk Frederic Hand Herbert Levine Michael Newman David Starobin VOICE Richard Barrett Charles Bressler Thomas Cultice Peter Elkus Bonnie Hamilton Antonia Lavanne Dan Marek Marian Thompson Theodor Uppman SONG INTERPRETATION Antonia Lavanne DICTION Nico Castel, French German and Italian Kathryn LaBouff. English OPERA Paul Echols. Chairman Christopher Alden Renato Capecchi Will Crutchfield Joan Dornemann Benton Hess Valery Ryvkin MOVEMENT CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE Madeleine Shapiro. Director COMPOSITION Charles Jones David Loeb David Tcimpidis Frederick Werle CONDUCTING Michael Charry, Orchestral Amy Kaiser, Choral TECHNIQUES OF MUSIC Elizabeth Aaron Edward Adwel Poundie Burstein Terry Champlin Robert Cuckson Leo Edwards Steven Freides David Gagne Charles Jones Ford Lallerstedt Larry Laskowski David Loeb Mei-Mei Meng William Needelman Frank Nemhauser Marie Powers Carl Schachter David Stern Frederick Werle HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLES The Manines Baroque Chamber Players. Nancy Wilson, Director The Mannes Camerata, Paul Echols, Director The Manines'- Renaissance Band. Benjamin Peck. Director HISTORY and LITERATURE OF MUSIC Frederic Fehleisen, M.A., History of Music Deborah Davis,.MMA.,M.S.. Graduate Studies L. Michael Griffel, Ph.D. Graduate Studies, Literature of Music Charles Kaufman. PhD. History of Music Kenneth Stern, Ph.D.. t9 AT THE i& -! t- !. _..