Page 8 -The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, February 17, 1993 'Untamed' Tomei sparkles by Aaron Hamburger Marisa Tomei is proof that Melanie Griffith can't act. While moviegoers and critics alike laugh Griffith off the screen forherhigh-pitched, nasal voice, Tomei manages to transform this poten- tial liability into a crucial asset. After Untamed Heart Directed by Tony Bill; written by Tom Sierchio; starring Christian Slater, Mans Tomei and Rosie Perez. only two major film appearances (the first one being Tomei's high-powered screwball turn opposite Joe Pesci in "My Cousin Vinny"), it is clear that Marisa Tomei is fast becoming a talent to reckon with. Her furiously winning performance in "Untamed Heart" lifts what might have been an otherwise contrived, by-the-numbers attempt at romance into a serious study of a love relationship between two specific, sharply-drawn characters. But"UntamedHeart"isreallyChris- tian Slater's story. Slater plays Adam, a reclusive busboy with a heart condition and more than a few problems relating to other human beings. Adam has fai, hopelessly in love (hopeless because he barely knows how to put a sentence together) with Caroline (Tomei), aheart- broken, lonely waitress. The ungainly scriptby Tom Sierchio, in typically unimaginative p.c. fashion, manages to unite the unlikely lovers by having Adam beat up a pair of thugs who sexually assault Caroline (which seems hardly plausible, considering Adam's heartcondition). Still, oncepast the hokum heroics at the beginning, the story of these two characters getting to know each other and falling in love becomes involving and moving. Adam can't express himself in words, but The immensely enjoyable sequel to "5Nunsense", "Nunsense 11, The Second Coming," has arrived. Whydon' nuns do drugs? by Melissa Rose Bernardo Why don't nuns do drugs? Because they already have a habit! This is just one example of the cheesy jokes and knee- slapping humor that made up "Nunsense II, The Second Coming ..." Oddly enough, it was the most enjoyable night I've had at the theater in a long time. P Is RMANC E E Nunsense II, The Second Coming ... Birmingham Theatre February 12, 1993 Fresh from the original "Nunsense," the Little Sisters of Hoboken have returned to put on another variety show for those who supported their firstbenefit. Butnow thesistersare rich, since Sister Mary Amnesia turned out tobe the nun who won the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. And they have also been bitten by the show-biz bug (or, the "theater flea,"-as the Mother Superior calls it). The variety show is interrupted when the Franciscans call andclaimAmnesia as one of theirmembers, and demand her and her prize money. But the show must go on, despite the impending danger of Amnesia's departure. (I won't give away the ending, but remember, they are nuns, so God is on their side.) The castresponded well to the challengesof the script and the score. Kathy Robinson was the hilarious Mother Supe- rior, holding the convent together with her innocent mala- propisms, sassy mannerisms and hackneyed one-liners. Robinson portrayedher effectively with appropriate amounts of wisdom and compassion, and a slight Irish lilt. She was touching and commanding in "Look Ma, I Made It." Nancy E. Carroll was entertaining as the idealistic Sister Amnesia, who is "a sandwich shy of a picnic." In "The Country Nun," she displayed Amnesia's consummate inno- cence, singing aboutherdream to be a country singer. Carroll had the ethereal aura of Mary Martin, but with a much more refined, controlled voice. Carroll also acted the part with airy innocence and charm. By far the nun who stole the show was Robert Anne, played by Christine Anderson with an effective Brooklyn accent. Robert Anne is street-wise, smart-aleck on the out- side-"Yo, Rev!" is her greeting to the Reverend Mother- but soft-hearted underneath. In "I've Got Pizazz," Robert Anne butters up the "Rev" and sells herself so she can get her turn in the spotlight; Anderson hammed it up appropriately. She also made Robert Anne's transition to low-key and pious in "Angeline," a touching tribute to the memory of her friend. Themusic reflects the variety-show structure of"Nunsense II." Author/director Dan Goggin'sscore is a conglomeration of virtually every musical style imaginable-from'50s doo- wop ("What Would Elvis Do?") and polka ("The Padre Polka") to brassy cabaret ("I've Got Pizazz") and hand- clapping, hip-swaying, raise-your-hands-and-praise-the-Lord spirituals ("There's Only One Way To End Your Prayers"). Goggin made use of simple yet effective harmonies orchestrations to bridge the musical styles. With the obvious exception of the original "Nunsense," no musical in exist- ence has such an eclectic yet musically colorful score. Religious humor was at its best in "Nunsense II." The sisters plugged their catalogue, "The Catholic Guide to Gift Giving." Fun items included the Ascension Thursday levita- tion kit and the Mr. Pope-tato Head. There is also the chocolate replica of the Last S upper; it comes in two sizes - white chocolate, six inches and dark chocolate, nine inches. I have never laughed so hard in my life. "Nunsense II, The Second Coming" is the most ridiculous show you will ever see (next to the original "Nunsense")-and that is what makes it so appealing. And for you Bingo lovers, you might just win a trip to heaven! I did. shows a deep sensitivity in his actions (buying Caroline a present on his birth- day). At the same time, Adam is so afraid of people that when Caroline invites him to a New Year's party, he waits outside on the porch in the Minnc-. apolis winter night for two hours until Caroline discovers him. Slater, much maligned for his over- reliance on Jack Nicholson impressions, delivers a full-bodied, charmingly ill- at-ease performanceasAdam. Sierchio's script forces Slater to explain how he believes his weak heart was actually inherited from the king of the baboons in the African jungle, yet Slaternotonly makes such ludicrous lines believable, but also touching. As good as Slater is, Tomei domi- nates the proceedings. Her Caroline wants nothing more than a position in _ life better than the one she has and a sincere relationship with a genuine hu- man being. Utterly lacking in self-con- fidence at the beginning of the film, her blossoming into a self-actualized woman is the heart of the movie. We begin "Untamed Heart"watching Tomei . whining pitifully to a callous man, beg- ging him not to leave her. As the film progresses, Tomei learns to get by giv- ing, rather than clinging to her partners. At the same time, Tomei makes her initial helplessness understandable, so that the audience roots for her to change, and is immensely gratified to see the truly beautiful relationship between her and Slater evolve. Suddenly, at the end of "Untamed Heart," the screenplay reverts to Holly- wood cliche in order to give signifi- cance to what was actually the very meaty part of the film. The filmmakers, so lacking in perception, rather than choosing to stay the course and explore the full possibilities of the romance between Adam and Caroline, decide to quit on the movie by sticking on a gratuitously tragic ending that relates to nothing else in the movie that went on before it. Such a cop-out is not only an insult to the audience, but an insult to the finely-executedperformances in the film. UNTAMED HEART is playing at Showcase. Marisa Tomei is clearly on her way to becoming a major star. 'U' concert sounds like talent by Keren Schweitzer If you have ever wondered what a talented music school student sounds like, you're in luck. Tonight, the win- ners of the University Concerto compe- tition will perform at Hill Auditorium accompanied by the University Sym- phony Orchestra. In addition, the suite no. 2 from "Daphnis and Chloe" by Maurice Ravel, and a new composition by Evan Hause, a masters student in composition, will be performed. Lembi Veskimets, ajunior violaper- formancemajor, willperform the Rhap- sody Concerto by Bouhslav Martinu. Veskimets said of the work, "It is in free form, it is an original work, and is also very beautiful." The piece is written in several different meters, yet it flows along with a very lyrical quality. The concerto is unique in that the orchestra is not simply an accompaniment for the soloist. "The orchestra and the soloist don't always share the same material, and some of the climaxes of the piece occur without the viola," she said. The Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor by Johannes Brahms is an im- pressive work. Dale Backus, a second- year masters student in piano perfor- mance, will play the first movement of this grand composition. "The concerto is very emotional, to play it well, you must sink your fingers into the keys, to get the most sound out of the piano," he said. Similar to the Martinu, Backus stressed the importance of the orches- tral part. He said, "The piece is naked without the orchestra." "The Depth" is the premier perfor- mance of Evan Hause's masters thesis in composition. Hause said of the work, "it borrows fragments from the 'The Wall' by Pink Floyd, andfromMahler's Symphony no.9." Contemporary mu- sic can be hard to understand upon first@ listening, but Hause stressed the acces- sibility of his piece because of the famil- iarity of these musical references. "The title has to do with the many layers of influences that I make use of in the piece," Hause said. The concert will finish on an excit- ing note with the performance of the. Ravel suite. The suite no.2 is an excerpt from the ballet, traditionally performed'* by itself because of the overwhelming popularity of the orchestral part. This, French piece from the periodofimpres-, sionistic, programmatic music will thrill. any hopelessly romantic music lover. THE UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and concerto winners will perform tonight at Hill Auditorium at 8 p.m. Admission is free. THE AMERICAN UNIVEISITY WASHINGNON DC Graduate Programs in Public Affairs You can have an impact on public policy and gain a sense of accomplishment through graduate studies at The American University in Washington, D.C. Graduate programs in the School of Public Affairs offer you the opportunity to learn new management and research skills and to prepare for careers in a wide variety of government agencies and in private research, public advocacy, and professional organizations. For more information, return the coupon or call (202) 885-2940 or 885-6201. 1 1 Please send information on the following School of Public Affairs programs: o Political Science M.A. Q Ph.D. programs: Public Administra- O Public Administration M.P.A. tion, Political Science, and Justice Q Justice M.S. Q J.D./M.S. injustice o Human Resource Development M.S.H.R. 0 Undergraduate Degree Programs am Name1 a1