Page 8-The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, September 11, 1991 You don't have to be a big spender to enjoy Sweet Chaity who what where when by Diane Frieden WVhat musical starred, at one time or another, Gwen Verdon, Shirley Maclaine and Debbie Allen, and had Frederico Fellini as a co-author of the screenplay? The Ann Arbor Civic Theater can tell you the answer in a heartbeat - it's Neil Simon's Sweet Charity. And starting Wednesday night, AACT's own Sue Booth will join the list of luminaries when she plays the winsome Charity Hope Valentine. , The story centers around Charity, a dime-a-dance girl who dreams of meeting a true love. The audience follows Charity as she searches for Mr. Right. "She's al- ways looking for the right person that will give to her as much as she gives out," says director Jim Posante. Along with the colorful characters she encounters on dates (including a silently sexy hood and a suave Italian film star), the audi- ence is introduced to Charity's girl- friends at the sleazy bar where she works. They're all tough cookies who've been through enough to re- gard love cynically. Charity, however, remains hopeful and continues her search for that elusive perfect man. Posante describes her determination as "the hope that you can control your own destiny... It's a subliminal theme. It's the hope of being brave in the surface of simplistic and innocent gestures, with a somewhat Damon Runyon feel to the entire perfor- mance. Posante says that the AACT's production upholds Charity's naivete while preserving a feel for the free-lovin' time in which it was written. Yet while Charity is representative of the "Leave it to Beaver" American mentality, the rest of her world is depicted as more free-spirited, with a much harder edge. "Nineteen-sixty-six was a time of major transition in the country... all of the freedom movements (and) 'Power to the People' going on help Charity to preserve her sense of hope," says Posante. Attempting to update the musical for the '90s viewer would be expecting a belief in an "attitude that couldn't pre- vail," he adds. AACT has put their faith in the enduring genre of the pe- riod piece, and hopes the mood will translate across to the audience. SWEET CHARITY will be performed at the Lydia Men- delssohn Theater tonight through Saturday at 8 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14- $18, but student discounts are available. For more information, call 763-1085. Yo, man, check out some zydeco born on the bayou. Mr. C. J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band pump it out for an evening of rockin' bon temps, dude, tonight at the Blind Pig. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 in advance from TicketMaster (plus evil service charge). Just added to the Concert Cal- endar: everyone's fave teen angst three-piece, the Violent Femmes, reflect loudly at the Michigan Theater on October 24. Tickets go on sale tomorrow. Also, Blues Tra- veler, October 18 at St. Andrew's in Detroit; Tower of Power, October 18 at Alvin's in Detroit; American Music Club, October 19, in Detroit; and Jonathan Richman, October 23, at the Ark. The Revolution is live and in person, not televised. Gil Scott- Heron, poetry, blues, jazz, rap, whatever-meister, brings his unique form of thought-provoking social commentary to the Ark on Saturday for two shows, at 7:30 & 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 at TicketMaster (p.e.s.c.). Booth face of disaster." As Charity's prat- falls grow in number, so does her perseverance. Originally written in 1966, the play describes Charity through a NORTHSIDE Continued from page 5 move, yet still more interesting than 90 percent of everything else flooding the pop market. Ratio- nalization - I know. But wait 'til you hear their story. "We started about two years ago," Walsh explains. "We started practicing in a local youth club sort of thing. About six months we were practicing. Then the buzz started go- ing. We had a gig, and the buzz started from there. Factory (the large Manchester independent label, home to the Happy Mondays, etc.) came to see us... And the second gig was with the Happy Mondays. It started from there. We got the deal from Factory... and it's gone on from there." Walsh was not an original mem- ber of the band. "You see, they had another guitarist at the time, before they got the record deal," he ex- plains. "They did the gigs with the Happy Mondays. Then they ap- proached me, said, 'Do you wanna play with the band?' I said yeah. We did a few London gigs. I was playing for a long time before that own... garage band sort of th So ever since, poor North been signed on Factory and the shadow of the rave ba Happy Mondays. Walsh a being influenced somew them; "A Change Is On Its their Happy Mondays son influenced by Mark (Day),1 tarist, yeah, I think he's ex Walsh says. "I think he'st guitarist out at the momen their songs are based on g aren't they? There's a groov one ("A Change Is On Its V can see the similarity. We a enced by that kind of music,3 Then there's "Weightc Northside's U2 song. "I li yeah, especially the early says Walsh. "But (we're) rectly influenced by them. VA influenced by differentl We've all got different opin music. "I like a lot of guita bands 'cause, obviously, I' tarist. I don't know, people1 Zeppelin, Zappa, things li Neil Young. Just really go 1 Ann Arbor Civic Theatre MainStage Productions P RE SE N TS. .. '_'. Book by ' kei Sion =. s, Music by Cy Coleman. Lyrics by Dorothy Fields Based on an original screenplay by Frederico Fellini, . Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Plaiano Directed and Choreographed by Jim Posante Musical Direction by Jim Nissen For ticket information For ticket information iA( With the Support of The Michigan Council for the Arts for UAC / MUSKET's Production of i . i September 11-14, 1991 at 8 p.m. Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Presented at The Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre until September 8, call 662-7282 after September 8, call 662-7282 Monday, September 16 @ 7:00pm In the Anderson Room of the Union ADVENTURE. DON'T MISS THE BOA History is happening in the USSR and Eastern Europe Learn one of the key languages of that region; go there experience the difference for yourself. The Slavic Dep ment offers courses at various levels in the followingl guages and literatures: Russian, Polish, Czech, Se Croatian, Ukrainian, and Armenian. Also a new cou The Culture of Central Europe, Slavic 225. CALL 764-5 Chenier on my tar-based stuff. Like Dermo (Wa- hing." ren Dermody, vocalist) was int side has punk stuff and things like that lives in Drummer's (Paul Walsh, no r614 and, the tion) into dance stuff. The bash dmits to player's (Cliff Ogier) into the Whp 'hat by and bands like that. We all like di Way" is ferent things." g. "I'm Since chickens obviously have n the gui- rhythm, the band's album title ha cellent," an odd ring to it; if you wanted to the best insult Northside, you could say tht nt... All their songs are copies of other per- grooves, ple's styles and therefore chicken. e in that But Walsh says that this isn't whre Way"). I they got the title. "There's an re influ- illustration on the cover done 4by yeah." Dermo's brother," he explaias. of Air," "It's just an illustration, so we ike U2, called it that. We had lots of other stuff," titles but we just chose the faist not di- thing that popped into our heads. We're all Factory weren't happy with it at4ihe people. start, but they don't mind it now nions on Their songs are intended to-be "social commentary," Walsh says. ir-based "I wouldn't say it was politidil. m a gui- It's just where he (Dermody, tie like Led singer, who also writes the lyrics ke that. was at the time. These songs are lite )od gui- two years old." The most notorious piece on tle album is "Shall We Take a Trip?"A memorable song about drugs whdh spells out LSD, the guys were not referring to a family vacation. "It's and tongue in cheek, about the scenat the time. People were saying toe ?art- this, take that... People took it fdo lan- seriously, I think," Walsh says. rbo- But people in the British mltiic irse: scene don't take Northside si- i355 ously. Walsh seems to realize tt: "There's a healthy (music) scene over here. I don't know if we ar a part of it, though. We fit in soqi - where, but I don't think we artr a part of it.". Tomorrow, read about the Dylans. O(lJ Tim Walsh says, "I've not heard' lot from the Dylans. I've seen 'e once. They were... in Manchester. I didn't think much of them, but they were just developing then, jult coming out. It was one of the fir# gigs they got, but I don't know what they're like now." o ple who nyone w TH AVE. AT UBERY 761470 $3 lf DIL SOWS BEFORE 6P 03.00 DAJLYA.DAY TUESDAY STUDENT WITH I.D.. sfirst. - - - -- . . mnt - .,-...*- ....-.-..-..I tain NOW SHOING LOVE WITHOUT PITY I ing THE DOCTOR Pa.1f swear, - BUY A 22oz. DRINK AND GET ONE PRESENT THIS COUPON WITH PURCHASED " J TICKET THRU 9/12/91 BeS evcinTw!BsSevcinTw!BsSevcinTw! e S eriei.on 0 MICHIGAN ( RLcORDS WE ARE A TICKET CENTER 1140 South University (Above Good-Time Charley's) Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Ph: 663-5800 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m.- 8 p.m .$g099 9on loud CD! This sale price 6 n cassette! Start your collection of CDs and cassettel singles from our jammed-full department! . Guara . Bast ricI n lTomws Put in your This will be our ad o1 the year! . . i flJ ". . I' "* " %ge ~ .U Custom-er That's you. And I's easy to see wh whether you're buying custom ier more services sportswear for yourself or your else got th( whole family, you-ll get the University kind of service you deserve at here the custom( University Spirit. And to emphasize We provide the highest quality we're giving away , custom and imprinted bike. So while yoi garments anywhere. for the best Michig enter to win yours " mountain bi J0 iy the Pei a than ar tat way. Spirit. ier come s this po a moun ur shopp an sport elf a fre bike. S I II M, I * * * SAVINGS ON BIG JOBS Enter between Sept. 7 -Sept. 14.1991. FOR ALL CLUBS, Drawing will be held on Sept. 16, 1991 BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS. JNIVERSLT Y S*P*I*RITRCU" PRINTING CENTER The Largest Selection of Michigan Sportswear Anywhere. No Books. 401 E. HURON ST. 1203 S. University Ann Arbor + 313-761-2100 769-0560 THE ATTICA REBELLION AND U.S. PRISONS I, 20 YEARS AFTER ATTICA a night of relevant speakers, including ... . FRANK "BIG BLACK" SMITH Elected to re present the prisoners of his cell block during the 1971 Attica rebellion, he was singled out for brutal reprisals. Having survived torture, false criminal charges and imprisonment, after 20 years he will soon get his day in court in a civil suit. AHMAD ABDUR-RAHMAN The imam of Muslim prisoners at Lakeland Men's Facility in Coldwater, he is a former Black Panther who has served over 20 years of a life sentence imposed under a law that has since been repealed for a murder that he did not commit. He will speak from prison via a special telephone hookup. ALEJANDRINA TORRES A Puerto Rican independence fighter held at Pleasanton Federal Women's Prison irn California, she claims the right to prisoner of war status under international law. She will speak by special telephone link. ZOLTON FERENCY * .... m I 11 'I * S Please Recycle i w - - - C Check out our HUGE . .::m I E A