S ARTS he Michigan Daily Wednesday, November 4, 1992 Page 5 Une Magnapop come loudly The latest in tasty proto-punkfrom Athens, Georgia piece parfaite de liasons " by Darcy Lockman Seduction, passion, drama, de- ceit. No, this is not a recap of the '92 presidential race. It's cheaper, shorter, and its cast is at least as eloquent as James Stockdale. Granted, you will have to travel somewhat farther to see it than you did to see Clinton, but hey, this performance should last a bit longer than five minutes. It's the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's pro- duction of "Les Liasons Dan- gereuses." The play, based on Choderlos de Laclos's novel of the same title, depicts the moral decrepitude and the sexual promiscuity of the French aristocracy in the late 18th century (obviously a time of de- caying family values). This story of the Vicomte de Valmont and his ex-lover, the Marquise de Merteuil, surrounds the Vicomte's attempts to seduce both a 15 year- old and a strictly religious married woman, all under the guide of the manipulative Merteuil. Laclos was an army officer for the French at the time he wrote the book. The characters are based not on the aristocracy, but the upper middle class people of rural France. It caused a great deal of controversy in pre-Revolutionary France, and ultimately led to La- clos's demotion in the ranks of the army. Christopher Hampton later took the novel and adapted it for the stage. If the plot of "Les Liasons Dangereuses" sounds fniliar, it might be because you saw the movies. The Hollywood produc- tions "Dangerous Liasons" and "Valmont" were also based on Laclos's novel. The Ann Arbor Civic's produc- by Scott Sterling I don't know what they feed these kids down South, but if Athens, Ga.'s power pop sensations Magnapop's diet has anything to do with the tasty proto-punk sing- along guitar buzz they produce, more bands should head south of the Mason-Dixon line for some good o1' fashioned home cooking. Magnapop churn out feel- good sweet 'n' sour pop rock that sounds like Belinda Carlisle with a serious attitude doing Blondie tunes from "Eat To The Beat." The Magnapoppers (Linda Hopper sings, Ruth Mor- ris on guitar, Shannon Mulvaney plays bass, and David McNair keeps the beat) first started playing together two years ago, gigging anywhere and everywhere in the Southeast. Before long, their yin-yang balance of estro- gen and testosterone-fueled noisepop earned them fans that ranged from Michael Stipe to a handful of Euro- pean record execs. "It has happened pretty quickly," recounted Shannon Mulvaney. "I talk to some bands, who are great bands, but for some reason they haven't been noticed yet. It's sort of weird how that stuff works. I guess it's just be- ing in the right place at the right time." They were soon booked to play some dates in Hol- land, which had the British press rushing to their the- sauruses for new adjectives to describe the band. "It's kinda strange, kinda scary," Mulvaney said. "We're a real good band, we put on good shows and write good songs, but sometimes the British press goes a bit overboard and sounds like 16 magazine or some- thing. We just take it all with a grain of salt." While the band was in Europe, they also had the chance to play some mega-festivals, much to their de- light. "It went real well. We got to play with people like Nick Cave and the Beastie Boys, these people that are huge. We got to hang around backstage and see how the rock stars act. It was pretty cool. I saw Mike D from the Beastie Boys popping zits in the bathroom," Mulvaney, recalled with a chuckle. Back here in the good o1' U.S. of A., Magnapop has just released their debut album, which is a self-titled compilation of two earlier E.P.s teamed with two new tracks. Three of those songs were produced by none other than merry Mr. Mumbles himself, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. "It was intimidating at first, because I'd never really met him before. But he was so relaxed, and made really good suggestions, and was always so positive. It was really cool working with him. It has helped us, of. Christine Marshall and Bill Cross in "Les Liasons Dangereuses." Magnapop tion and the movie version, how- ever, are not exactly the same. "The direction that we're taking is closer to the Broadway version than the movie," said Wendy Wright, the play's director and U- M theater alum. "You can't expect the amount of money put into a movie to be put into a play. But other than that, there are a lot of similarities in the text and the story," Wright explained. The element of "Les Liasons Dangereuses" that Wright finds most fascinating is its feminism, which is very unique to its time. "The reason the Marquise de Mer- teuil manipulates as she does is because she has no choice. As'a woman in the 18th century, she has to manipulate in order to get what she wants. People were liv- ing a double standard, so she learned to play the game," Wright said. Seduction, passion, drama, and deceit - why wait for the next presidentialrace to get your fill? The twisted "Les Liasons Dan- gereuses" should hold you over for awhile, at least until the '94 gubernatorial election. LES LIA SONS DANGEREUSES will be per formed at the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre November 5th through the 21st, Thursdays through Saturdays. Tickets are $8, and are two for the price of one on Thursdays. Call 971-0605. course. A lot of people have listened to us because he worked with us," Mulvaney said. Magnapop is currently on their virgin American tour looking to convert some Yankees with their legendary live show. "When we play live, it's a lot rougher and a lot noisier than our records, and it throws people some- times. Especially Ruthie. She punks out all over the place. It has to be seen to be believed," Mulvaney en- thused. We'll have to wait and see, but Superchunk and Ju- liana Hatfield might be well advised to start watching their backs; Magnapop is shaping up to be the sassiest band in America. MAGNAPOP plays St. Andrews Hall tonight with WAX. Doors open at 9p.m., and cover is only $3 (p.e.s.c). IS and over welcome. r- *1 Write it. Read it. Recycle itl The Michigan Daily RECORDS Red Hot Chili Peppers What Hits!? EMI "What Hits!?" from the Chili Peppers achieves two things as a greatest hits recording. First, it signifies a marking point for the L.A. funk-rock group. With the success of the band's headlining spot on Lollapalooza this past summer, and their number one hit, "Under the Bridge," the Peppers have decidedly thrown themselves into the mainstream radio market, and there's no turning back now. What better time then to release a compilation of most of their previous "hits," as a salute to longtime followers of the group. Secondly, and more along monetary lines, this greatest hits album is a tribute to the masterminds at EMI. Going off the recent success of the group, the record company is cashing in on the band's popularity, especially since the Peppers jumped ship for Warner Bros. This album is definitely geared towards all the Lollapaloozers out there who have just discovered the Peppers, and get a real sense of achievement from singing the lyrics of See RECORDS, Page 8 ( The University of Michigan Pre-Dental Association Open Meeting of the University of Michigan Pre-Dental Association topic: "Dentistry and Strategies to Gain Admission to Dental School" panel: Moderator Dr. Jed J. Jacobson, Director of Admission, University of Michigan School of Dentistry Panel Members - Dental Admissions Officers from: Northwestern Pennsylvania - University of Detroit/Mercy Case Western Reserve when: Wednesday, November 4,1992 time: 5:15 - 7:00 pm where: who: School of Dentistry - Kellogg Audit. 1033 (2nd floor of Kellogg Bldg.) All students interested in exploring dentistry as a career and/or joining the Pre-Dental Association. Questions? call Matt Fulton (President) at 996-5552 U 6TH AVE. AT LIBERTY 761.9700 DAILY SHOWS BEFORE 6 PM AU. DAY TUESDAY' excptIons TODAY ONLY! Wednesday, November 4 1:00 - 5:00 pm Michigan Union Graduate and Professional School Day * Recruiters from degree programs in business, liberal arts, science, social service, communication, public & international affairs will be available to answer your questions STUDENT WITH ID. $3.50 CONSENTING ADULTS (R A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT(PG) " Present This Coupon When Purchasing A Large Popcorn A Receive One EXPIRES IISU AIR FORCE ROTC UNITS Don't believe everything you hear. The Air Force continues to seek outstanding students to fill future officer requirements. See yourself becoming a leader, graduating from college as an Air Force officer with fully developed qualities of character and managerial ability. Notice, too, * Compare costs & content of programs across the country of Preconference Highlights: ', x;a Conference Briefing Book " Research participating institutions & their admission requirements * October 1 - November 4 Career Planning & Placement MBA Programs: Preparation & Application * Demystify the process of preparing for " October 22, 4:10 - 5:00 pm & applying to MBA programs Career Planning & Placement It Pays to Go to Graduate School * Uncover the many options & types of aid " October 27, 4:10 - 5:00 pm Graduate School or Work Experience: Which Comes First? L Iearn from panelists' experience as they * September 28, 4:10 - 5:00 pm