The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-Entertainment - Thursday, September 10, 1992- Page 5
All life's a stage, and so is nn Arbor
by Jason Carroll
If you're the type of person who
enjoys watching or participating in
the performing arts, you choose the
right university to attend. I like to
think of Ann Arbor as being a
creative, original, more intimate
version of Broadway
When you ask someone where
original theatrical work is produced
within the state of Michigan - most
likely the response will be Ann
Arbor. This town is filled with intel-
ligence and creativity just waiting to
be expressed. Fortunately, we also
have excellent theaters to allow this
talent to shine.
My favorite venue for theater in
Ann Arbor is the Power Center for
the Performing Arts. If a show is
scheduled there, I strongly suggest
..you see it. The performing space is
comparable to that of a Broadway
theater, so more of the large, elabo-
rate shows are often held here. The
theater, built only 20 years ago, has
a unique mirror-like exterior that
provides a wonderful contrast to the
antiquity of some shows that appear
there.
Theater life thrives here. Erik
Fredricksen, chair of the Department
of Theatre and Drama says, "I've
traveled from New York to Los
Angeles ... from what I can gather
Ann Arbor seems to be a hub of
amateur theater."
Where can one see this
marvelous talent come to life?
Everyone's first response happens to
be the most obvious - the
University.
Throughout the years the
University has created a plethora of
!quality productions and has released
an abundance of exceptional talent to
the theatrical and cinema industries.
To name a few: Christine Lahti,
James Earl Jones, and Gilda Radner
are all alumni of the University. In
addition, many graduates have gone
on to successful careers in pro-
duction aspects, such as directing.
The University will be cele-
=brating it's 76th year of student run
productions this year, and you can
abet that it will be one of the most
exciting years yet. Past years have
brought classics, such as As You Like
It and the Barber of Seville, and
Broadway hits, like Into the Woods
and Company.
This year's season proves to be
very diverse by bringing in three vis-
iting directors: director/choreogra-
pher Brian Macdonald; avant-garde
director Vladimir Mirzoev; and co-
operas. For example, last year they
modernized The Barber of Seville by
transforming the theater into a 1970s
television studio that was filming a
version of the opera for television.
Shows put on by the individual
departments are usually the most or-
nate and lavish productions. Of
course, the departments have larger
author/director o El Grande Je
Coca-Cola, John Neville-Andrews.
The Department of Theatre and
Drama will present five shows this
year including The Birthday Party,
The Resurrection of Lady Lester,
Andromache, the ever popular Our
Town, and Trelawny of the "Wells."
The latter should be an in-
teresting show to attend. Trelawny off
Even if you're not
interested in opera, I
still recommend that
you try one of the
University's operas
first.
the "Wells" is a Victorian comedy
that follows the life of a young
actress, Rose, who is about to flee a
promising stage career to get
married. She later discovers that she
has to give up her eccentric friends
and life-styles to please her fiancees'
family. It is a wonderful tale
relationships and priorities.
One of my favorite musicals will
be presented by the Musical Theatre
Department this year, the Scottish,
romance-fantasy, Brigadoon. I
strongly suggest this show - the
music is beautiful and the scenery
should be gorgeous. The Department
will also present a musical entitled A
Day in Hollywood/A Night in the
Unknown.
The University School of Music
Opera Theatre will also present two
shows this season, but only one has
been announced, a romantic, Vien-
nese operetta, Die Fledermaus.
Even if you're not interested in
opera, I still recommend that you try
one of the University's operas first.
They're really not like traditional
budgets tman do some of te smaler
theater organizations in Ann Arbor,
so the shows are also cheaper.
Student tickets will be around $6 and
they will go on sale in September.
Watch your mailbox, since a flyer is
distributed to students in the Fall.
The Department of Theatre and
Drama also has a Basement Arts
program which allows students who
have written new works to produce
them with other students in a smaller
theater environment.
Even though the shows lack the
glamour and glitz of the large Uni-
versity shows, these productions are
interesting because many risks are
taken and, most importantly, tickets
are free.
Those of you who are interested
in a concentration in theater, have a
lot of choices here at Michigan. The
University offers three undergradu-
ate degrees. The first is a BA in the-
ater, offered through the college of
LS&A, which allows students to
choose from a broad range of
classes.
The other two degrees, a BFA in
performance and a BFA in produc-
tion/design, are available through the
School of Music. The BFA's are de-
signed for students who are sure of
what theatrical aspects they want to
specialize in. After graduation, many
graduates of the BFA in perfor-
mance go on to professional acting
schools.
Fredrickson also noted, "if you're
interested in theater, you have a lot
of opportunities here ... even outside
of this department." One of these
outlets is the Ann Arbor Civic
Theatre.
The Civic Theatre will be
celebrating it's 63rd season this year.
The organization started in mem-
ber's garages and basements and has
worked it's way up to it's new home,
an old roller-skating rink, on Platt
Rd.
Civic Theatre holds extremely
close ties with the University in that
they use many student actors and
volunteers. Their auditions are open
to everyone and, of course, they are
always looking for more volunteers.
This year the Civic Theatre will
also host a few workshops and
seminars that people can attend, for
a small fee, to master their craft.
The Civic Theatre runs two
concurrent seasons. The first is the
MainStage Productions which con-
sists of six, rather large shows.
These shows are usually held in the
larger theaters located on campus. If
you enjoy the University produc-
tions, you should really enjoy these
shows because they are just as
elaborate but also bring in acting
talent from outside the University.
One disadvantage of the MainStage
Productions is the fact that their stu-
dent tickets are around $12, but that
still isn't a bad price for quality, live
entertainment.
Their second season, Second
Stage Productions, consists of five
director-initiated projects that are
performed in the intimate setting of
the Civic Theatre itself. These shows
are a cross between the University's
Basement Arts program and their
larger shows. The productions are
mentally stimulating and also enter-
taining. I would definitely make the
bus trip out to see these shows, since
... the University has
created a plethora of
quality productions
and has released an
abundance of
exceptional talent.
they are very cheap ($28 for all five
shows).
Artistic coordinator of the
theater, Wendy Wright, states that,
"the mission of the Second Stage
Productions is to challenge and ex-
pand the Civic Theatre audience
through the presentation of a wide
variety of theatrical style and genres
with a reduced emphasis of profit
potential."
I recommend the thriller Wait
Until Dark and the musical On the
Danny Gurwin in My Pal Joey, staged by the U's musical theatre program.
Twentieth Century, on their Main
Stage season, and Neil Simon's pop-
ular comedy Biloxi Blues and the
contemptuous Les Liasons Dan-
gereuses (Dangerous Liaisons), on
their Second Stage season.
Individual student ticket prices
range from $7-$15 based on which
season the show is in and what time
you see it. Second Stage shows have
a two-for-one deal on Thursday
nights which are, in my opinion, the
best deals in town. Rush tickets
usually go on sale one hour prior to
curtain, if available.
You say you want to see:
something out of the ordinary? Then
the University Musical Society is the
place for you. The society has.
brought diverse forms of the per-
forming arts to the Ann Arbor area
for 114 years.
A preview of this year's events
includes the Shanghai Acrobats and
Dance Theatre's production of The
Parade of Dynasties which is a
stunning visual trip through five of
the Chinese dynasties. Also, the
American Indian Dance Theatre will
provide a rarely seen glimpse at the
magnificence of that cultures' dance.
The society mostly brings profes-
sional touring companies to campus
which have big budgets due to high
ticket prices. You do get what you
pay for, though. The shows usually
contain a smorgasbord of visual and
musical talent.
One of the famous touring
companies coming this year is the
New York City Opera National
Company which will present the
extremely popular Carmen.
The Musical Society will have a
1/2 price ticket sale on September
26. Limited tickets will range from
$4-$25, and the Society also sells
See THEATER, Page 7
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