The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-Arts-Thursday, September 9,1993 - Page 7
Ann Arbor dazzles as the Broadway of university theater
by Melissa Rose Bernardo
f, as WlimSaespeare said, "All
the world's a stage," then Ann Arbor is
the Broadway of college theater dis-
tricts.
Whether you're an avid theatergoer
like myself, or a newcomer to the the-
ater, you'll find that a plethora of pro-
ductions await you in A2, and for a few
measly bucks, you too can easily expe-
rience the magic of the theater.
University Productions is the big-
gest sponsor of theater on campus. The
Department of Theater and Drama pro-
duces five shows per year, ranging from
the traditional (last year's "Our Town")
to the avant-garde (the 16th-century
French war story "Andromache") and
often employ the talents of guest direc-
tors.
This season, we eagerly await the
production of George Bernard Shaw's
"Major Barbara."
The Musical Theater Department
produces one show per ten a smaller
production in the fall, and a larger one in
the winter.
Past productions include Stephen
Sondheim's "Into the Woods," "Pal
Joey" and last year's smash hit
Bigadoon "Thisyeartheywipresent
"Quilt," a new musical which brings to
life, in song, selected portions of the
AIDS quilt which has made its way
around the country.
During "Quilt"s run, University
Productions will display actual pieces
of the AIDS quilt. Their second show
will be the recently-revived, multiple
Tony-winning Frank Loesser classic
'The Most Happy Fella."
All aforementioned University pro-
ductions offer Student tickets for $6.
(Compare that to the 60 big ones you'd
10 pay to see "Phantom of the Opera" or
"~Les Miserables" on Broadway.) How-
ever, University Productions comprise
only a small fraction of productions on
campus.
MUSKET is a student-run and stu-
dent-organized group which produces
one musical per term. They receive
constant praise for their professional-
ism and the high quality of their shows.
"Cabaret," "Evita," "Chess" and "Any-
thingGoes"arejustafewofMUSKET's
past shows. This year they will present
"42nd Street."
Some other campus groups are the
University's Gilbert and Sullivan Soci-
ety, dedicated to the production of the
Victorian comic operettas oftheirname-
sakes; the Residence Hall Repertory
Theater, which often travels to dorms
across campus; the East Quadrangle
Residential College Players, who per-
form in their own auditorium in East
Quad.
For a more relaxed kind of theater,
Comedy Company performs one show
per term, each a showcase of student-
written and acted Saturday-Night-live-
style sketches.
A unique theatrical venue is Base-
ment Arts, a workshop-oriented venue
fortheaterandnon-theater students who
puton 15to20low-budgetshows (often
original scripts) per year.
Surprisingly, not many people have
yet discovered this buried treasure.
Bachelor of Fine Arts senior Anthony
Giangrande described Basement Arts
as "the exact antithesis of University
Productions."
BasementArts usually offers smaller
shows, and lack the polish and technical
advancementofUniversityproductions,
but you'll find some great talent and
great shows here. (And they're usually
free!)
If nothing on campus appeals to
you, then look beyond the hallowed
halls ofthe University. Ann Arbor Civic
Theater does 12 shows per year, musi-
cals and straight playssix of which are
right on campus.6.
They have an exciting season lined
up with such blockbusters as "Much
AdoaboutNothing,""WestSideStory,"
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Prelude to a " s
Kiss" and "Oklahoma!" Other acces-
sible companies include Performance
Network of Ann Arbor (often a show- N
case for new plays), the Purple Rose £
Theater of Chelsea and the highly-ac-g k, x
claimed Dexter Community Players
And let's not forget that Detroit is
just 40 minutes away. The Fisher The
aterandMasonic Templehaveanexcit-
ing season, including the Detroit pre-
mieres of "Miss Saigon" and "The
Who's Tommy," plus the national tours /
of "Evita" and "Crazy for You." Also, -
don' tforget the Hillberry and Attic The- ''. 'I,.
aters in Detroit, both of which offer LE P
quality Wayne State University produc-
tions.
For all you "Broadway babies" out .*
there, all aforementioned Ann Arbor 401
companies have open audition and cast-
ing policies. The only exception is the ..
Musical Theater Department, which FILE PesaTO
restricts its shows to students in their Tracy Plester and Jason Dilly star in the Musical Theater Department's production of "BrigadoonT" Hey, it ain't hockey, but we heard it was pretty good.,,
program.
Whether you're strutting your stuff campus, advertising auditions and pro-
in a great big Ann Arbor show, working ductions. Believe it or not, there are
behind the scenes, or enjoying the pro- times during the school year when you
ductions from a comfy seat in the mez- can spend your Friday evening, Satur-
zanine, you'll be a part of one of the day afternoon, Saturday night and Sun-
most exciting theatrical venues in the day afternoon in a theater. It's true -
country. With the variety ofproductions I've done it! Okay, so you may not want
out there, I guarantee you'll find some- to expose yourself to that intense of a
thing that pleases you. theater experience. But isn't it great
Keep an eye out for posters across knowing that you can?.,
Take 50% off the price of selected
tickets to all concerts presented
by the University Musical Society
including recitals by Jessye
Norman, James Galway, and
Murray Perahia, orchestral
concerts by the Chicago Sym-
phony Orchestra and the Leipzig
Gewandhaus Orchestra, the
Borodin and Kronos String
Quartets, the Stratford Festival
performances of A Midsummer
Nighiv Dream and The Impor-
tance of Being Earnest, Urban
Bush Women, Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, New York City Opera
National Company, the Canadian
Brass, and many, many more:
FOR HALF THE PRICE!
50% Off Student Ticket Sale
Saturday, September 18:0 - : 0 p m
Burton Memorial Tower
: Valid Student I.D. required
SLimit 2 ticketsper event --but choose as many
events as you wish!
O Avoid Rush Ticket Sellouts
O At least 50 tickets available for each event
O Visa, MasterCard, and checks accepted
O First come, first served
For a brochure listing the complete UMS season, please call or write:
University Musical Society, Burton Tower,
Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1270, 313.764.2538.
Peter John Fletcher as Orestes in the production of "Andromache."
a
.+ .
v
c .
, ,
Special Rates for
Group & Birthday
Parties
Open 7 Days All Year
Miniature Golf (best course around!)
Video Games * Pinball * Skeeball
Food & Snacks Galore From Ice
Cream To Nachos. No matter 1I It's
Golf or a Game, Fun Is The Name
2675 Washtenaw, Ypsilanti
(t-#/2 miles east of U.S. 23)
434-2838
Webster'sBooks
A Bookstore Built On Character And Content
Catering to both the casual and discerning reader with
an extensive selection of books and periodicals.
OB&W Photography, Art Reproductions, Contemporary European Images, Gallery Prints-
< y
x 0
4-.
CD
oytu
a) V Michigan Union -
o Ground Floor Mall
Mon.: 12:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Tues. - Fri.: 9:oo a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat.: 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 v.mn.
O O
00
<ID
3
0 0.
} Moday-.Sturay
U)s