8 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, January 24, 1994 'Collage' condenses Music School's best By MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO For the sake of convenience and expediency, once a year the School of Music presents a com- pilation of its best ensembles. To go to all their concerts separately, or to have them all play full programs, would take days. Therefore, the Col- Collage XVII Hill Auditorium January 21, 1994 lage Concert was born. For 17 years the classic has delighted audiences with its diversity, and this year was no exception. The pieces are challenging, exciting, fun, bi- zarre - involving any kind of music you can imagine; baroque, digital, modern, romantic, Broadway -just like Prego, it's in there. Every- one is shoved onto the stage of Hill Auditorium, and alone spotlight indicates the beginning of one piece and the end of another. And it's 18 pieces totaling just over 60 minutes (minus the intermis- sion), so you don't have time to get bored. Baritone Jean-Ronald LaFond gave a lively rendition of Camille Saint-Satns' "Dance Maca- bre," engaging the audience with not only his rich vocals but with his emotional involvement in the piece. "Aeneas in Strophades" was a strange but exciting listening experience for many audience members, performed by the Harp and Digital Music ensembles. Stephen Thomas played a lovely solo piano interlude, an excerpt from Johannes Brahms' "Intermezzo (op. 118, no. 2)," giving into the lulling romantic quality of the piece, but not giving himself too passionately to its emotion- alism. There were some pieces that received mixed reactions. The Men's Glee Club, plus male mem- bers of the University Choir and Chamber Choir, gave the second public performance of "Sicilian Muses," a piece by University Director of Choirs Theodore Morrison. The piece combines the ca- cophony of brass and percussion with the three- part harmony of the male voices. Sometimes this juxtaposition worked, and the result was very exciting, but sometimes it didn't work, and the result was painful. The "Rhythmic Etude" performed by the Cre- ative Arts Orchestra and "Rain Spell" performed by the Contemporary Directions Ensemble were two others that didn't quite make it off the ground. Since these ensembles are so specialized, reper- toire is very limited, but for the second year in a row their piece selection brought down the perfor- mances. However, the biggest hits of the evening were saved until the end. The University Wind En- semble played music backing Roald Dahl's verse, narrated by the animated Erin Dilly. The music accentuated but never overshadowed Dilly's storytelling, and Dilly made great use of inflec- tion, facial expression and poses to bring the audience into the work. Twelve brightly-costumed members of the Musical Theatre program performed "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat." Led by the engaging Eric Millegan, the group really got into the mock- serious Salvation Army confession - swaying their arms, standing on chairs, and generally hav- ing a good time. The evening ended triumphantly with an ex- cerpt from William Walton's "Belshazzar's Feast." Accompanied by the University Philharmonia and members of the University Symphony, the Univeristy Choir and Chamber Choir sang with exuberance and devotion. (You can hear the full piece on February lat Hill.) Of course, when under the direction of the amazing Jerry Blackstone, how could one do otherwise? If you haven't learned by now, the Collage Concert is perhaps the best way to get to know the School of Music, at least that's known to the public. And here's a tip for next year: It starts at 8:15. Get there at 7:30. At least. Not only does the concert go fast, so do the seats. Hip Hop Bop Tomorrow evening Ann Arbor's own WCBN presents Tony Brown's "Live Hip Hop Jam." Lockdown Productions and Phase two will be jamming. We are also told that some surprise guest DJs and rappers from the area will be making appearances. Get your bootie to the Performance Network (408 West Washington) at 8 p.m. (show starts at 9) for this all ages show, but leave your booze at home. $5 at the door. Call 994-0525 for more info. Building Blocks of Life Through February, the School of Art and Architecture will be displaying selected projects from the fall term Architecture studios. You can see projects from the design studio, plus professional models and drawings from Architecture students. See it at the Jean Paul Slusser Gallery (Art & Architecture Bldg.) from I1 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ooh La La On exhibit now through March 6 at the Museum of Art is graphic work by Franco-Anglo painter and printmaker James Tissot (1836-1902). This isO a unique opportunity to view a new kind of art, and proof that the French artists are responsible for more than just impressionism. Tissot is renowned for not only his paintings but for his work in graphic media, which made use of images with unsettling experimentation in surface and space. The exhibit is from the private collection of Ann Arbor residents Robert and Katherine Aldrich. Darn Good Music We don't know how else to describe this School of Music faculty recital. The lovely soprano Martha Shiel will sing the music of Beethoven, Debussy 0. and Strauss, accompanied by the very talented Martin Katz. Even though Shiel will be shoved into the sound vacuum of Rackham Auditorium, it's definitely worth the trip. Be there Wednesday at 8 p.m. And it's free, though this duo is definitely worth paying for. Relive the '60s Wednesday in Leonardo's (North Campus Commons) Paula Denton will be making an appearance. Accompanying herself on the acoustic guitar, Paula will sing all of your favorite ditties fro the '60s and '70s. Wonder if she does the Cher and Butt-head-rendition of "I Got You Babe"? Heh heh. * Mel Torme Does the Classics No, we're not kidding. As part of the Pops Series, Mel Torme will vocalize with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Leslie Dunner and Robert Krogstad. The show is divided into two halves, entitled "Classics & the Movies" and "Mel & the Movies." Mel will announce what he will perform the second half, but the "Classics" will feature Rossini's Overture to "The Barber of Seville" (used in "Prizzi's Honor), Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" from "La Gioconda" ("Fantasia"), Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in c" ("Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and Wagner's "Ride ofO the Valkyries ("Apocalypse Now"). Shows are Thursday through Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30. Tickets are $15 to $50, and the show's at Detroit's Orchestra Hall (3711 Woodward). Call 833-3700. DEGREES Continued from page 5 nights of Flan's career. They are oh- so-casually attempting to ease the comfortable Geoffrey (Ian Mckellan) into forking over a paltry $2 million so that Flan can acquire the coveted Cezanne that he needs. Cocktails are soon interrupted by the arrival of Paul (Will Smith), a breathless, bleeding, yet very well-dressed young man, who tells them that he has just been mugged. Claiming to be both the Harvard classmate of their daughter and the son of Sidney Poitier, he is quickly welcomed into their home. Within the hour, he is cooking an elegant dinner, sweet-talking the parsimoni- ous Geoffrey and charming them all. With his pleasing manner, effortless anecdotes and generous offer to put them all in the film version of "Cats" that his father is directing, it is no wonder that they are all taken in. That is, until the next morning, when they find themselves forced to unceremo- niously throw him out, out of fear for their lives and riches, (which may be one and the same). They are further dismayed to learn that "Paul" has p(l)ayed a similar, bleeding visit to various other wealthy couples. Who is this man? Why has he visited these specific families? Now that he's made his introductions, what does he intend to do with these people, if anything? Why does he keep resur- facing and why does a certain boy whom all their children went to school with seem to know him so well? And lastly, what is to become of him? It is these questions and more that drive the film on and it is the answers, or lack of them, that make the film so singular and interesting. To simply describe the plot like this does not do the film justice. One must experience Stockard Channing staring in disbelief at everyone else who has been deceived, musing: "It seems the common thread linking us all together is an overwhelming need to be in the movie version of 'Cats."' She, and the production itself, are exquisite, both live and now. All the performances are good. Most surprising of all is Will Smith. This is not due to the fact that Courteney B. Vance, who originated the role on Broadway, was unbeliev- able - most people who see the film did not get a chance to see the play, anyhow. What's surprising is that some one with as few acting credits as Smith has, (he is best known both as a rapper and as his extension of that, the title role on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air") could be so good in such a challeng- ing and pivotal role; the film, in many ways, depends upon the impact of his performance. The only concern is that such a New York-centered story might have trouble connecting to an audience not affluent with the whims and ways of New York and the culture it breeds. However, any such fears were quickly alleviated opening night. Not only was the theater packed, but people were laughing at every punch. They even got the "Cats" references. Now that's a good sign. SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION is playing at Ann Arbor 1&2. RECORDS Continued from page 5 Bette Midler Gypsy Atlantic The Bette Midler made-for-TV movie, "Gypsy," had been in the works for years, and it finally aired in De- cember. The whole production - I I I especially Midler - received rave reviews, and thus the release of this recording. Midler's voice has the size of Ethel Merman's, the edge of Tyne Daly's, the warmth of Angela Lansbury's, plus something more. It's hard to ex- plain - it's just Bette. And it's just perfect for the role of Mama Rose. Midler is stellar as the over-bear- ing but well-meaning and warm but selfish stage mother, the role for which she was born. Her "Some People" is gripping, her "Funny" touching, her "Everything's Coming up Roses" mind-blowing, her "You'll Never Get Away From Me" humble. And you had better be sitting down for the finale, "Rose's Turn," because Bette will blow you away. The rest of the cast takes a bit of a back seat to Midler; her magnificent presence lights up the recording just as if she were in front of you. Cynthia Gibb (remember when she was Karen Carpenter in a TV movie) plays Louise quiet and refined ("Little Lamb") and makes a nice transition into the honky-tonk sequence ("Let Me Entertain You"). "If Momma Was Married" is a nice duet with Jennifer Beck as June, though Beck is border- ing on darned annoying. PeterRiegert is about as good of a Herbie as there could be; it's a woman's show, and consequently a woman's recording, but Riegert is okay. As soon as you hear the recording, you'll be dying to see the movie that accompanies it. Surely that will be put out on video. But until then, this recording is superb, and testament to Midler's title of the "Divine Miss M." - Melissa Rose Bernardo Various Artists Unsung Sondheim Varese Sarabande With the piles of Stephen Sondheim repertoire that's been dug up in the past five or so years, it's a wonder that there was enough to make this recording. But "Unsung Sondheim" is yet another compila- tion of cut songs and rare gems, and perhaps the best of them all. There are 16 songs on this record- ing, only four of which have been commercially released in the past. They encompass songs cut from Sondheim shows, songs from obscure productions, songs from films and music from plays. And they comprise 16 reasons to buy this recording. Particularly splendid tracks in- clude Judy Kuhn's crystalline "What Can You Lose?" from "Dick Tracy," Reg Reg Clas Atout Mini-Courses and UAC Mini Courses is a committee of te University Activities Center (UAC). UAC, (pronounced you-ack), is the largest student-run organization on campus, providing an opportunity for students to become involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. The UAC offices are at 2105 Michigan Union istration Dates January 24 - February 7 istration site Michigan Union Ticket Office @ 763-TKTS No mail-in registrationI Refunds will be given only if the course is canceled. sses Begin February 7 For more information Call UAC @ 763-1107 Aerobics Jen Davis Ballroom Dance Section I(J.J.Abbott) Section II(Hiltons) Bartending Section I Section It Shawna Red Cloud Massage Section I Section II Barry Ryder Meditation Kapela C. Castoldi Photography Ben Colman Pool Section I Section II Derek Pogirski 3 Sign Language I (Beginner) 1 II (Intermediate)I III(Beginner) Joan E. Smith I Tarot Cards Richard MaurerF Tues/Thur Anderson AB-Union 5:00-6:00 2/8-4/19 $45 if you want to stick to those New Year's Resolutions, if you're getting ready for Spring Break or if you just want to get in shape, this is the class for you! wear loose fitting clothes and gym shoes and bring a towel for floor exercise! Thursdays Michigan Union Ballroom 7:00-9:00 2/17-4/7 $40/couple Mondays Michigan Union Ballroom 7:00-9:00 3/14-4/18 $40/couple Put on your dancing shoes! In this course for beginners and intermediates, you'll learn various dances such as the Rumba, Fox Trot, and Cha-Cha. Mondays U-Club-Union 7:00-9:00 2/7-3/21 $40 Thursdays U-Club-Union 7:00-9:00 2/10-3/24 $40 Amaze your friends, annoy your parents! Learn how to mix over 10 drinks. A certificate of graduation will be awarded upon completion of the course. Color water is used, not liquor. Tuesdays Pond Room-Union 7:00-10:00 2/8-3/22 $35 Wednesdays Room 2209-Union 7:00-10:00 2/9-3/23 $35 Ahh... forget about the mid-week stress and take a study break that will really relax you. This class provides an introduction to an in-depth approach to massage. Each session, students will give and receive a massage. Bring a towel. Judy Kaye's "Truly Content" (which is parallel to "Movie Star," from the "Passionella" section of Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock's "The Apple Tree), Crista Moore's "The Two of You" (accessible in "Side by Side by Sondheim"). Michael Rupert does his standard amazing job with "Multi- tude of Amys," a song cut from "Com- pany," and Debbie Shapiro-Gravitte does a bang-up job with "Water Un- der the Bridge," a song from a soon- to-be-produced TV musical called "Singing Out Loud." (Sondheim en- thusiasts may remember Liza Minnelli's catastrophic introduction- of the song in the Sondheim Celebra-@ tion at Carnegie Hall.) Though we didn't need more proof that Stephen Sondheim is the greatest living composer for the theater, this recording is a gem, and a must for Sondheim collectors. - Melissa Rose Bernardo C.C. Lemonhead Bass to Another Level Attitude Records You've had to put up with five days of boring lectures and now it's the weekend. You're ready to go and dance away the weekdays' miseries. But, when you get to the party, it turns out to be wack as hell. But do you sweat? No, you simply reach into your pocket and pull out your copy of C.C. Lemonhead's "Bass to Another. Level" and let the magic work. This CD is live. Almost all of Lemonhead's mixes are fast paced and perfect for anyone who's ready for a little ass shaking. Mixes like "Take it Off," "Rock and Don't Stop" and "3 Piece Dinner" are all fast- paced cuts which will make everyone get off their seats and start dancing nonstop. Some of the DJ'sat the wack- ass parties I've been to at the Michi* gan Union should pick up this CD. There are, however, two major problems I have with this CD. The first is Lemonhead's attempts to in- sert a slow rap in some places. It just doesn't sound right. After getting you into the dancing mood for three or four songs straight, Lemonhead de- cides to add some slow shit. Another, more serious problem with this disc is the song "Hurt Me Hurt Me." Although it has a good rhythm,as the title implies, it refers to masochistic sex in which the man . says, "Tell me how you like it," and the woman replies, "I like it where it hurts." Talk like this really isn't nec- I I 4.._ Mondays Pond Room-Union 7:00-8:30 3/7-3/28 This is an introduction to meditation. Registration for this course will be in the UAC office 2105 Michigan Union. free Thursdays South Quad Darkroom 6:00-8:00 2/10-4/7 $40* Learn how to develop your own pictures. Students will learn hands on the skill of film developing. * A 525 lab ee will he collected by the instructor. Tuesdays Union Games Room 7:00-9:00 2/8-3/22 ' Tuesdays Union Games Room 9:00-11:00 2/8-3/22 ' Learn the fundamentals of billiards. Sessions include handouts, demos, and practice time. Mondays Wolverine Room-Union 6:00-7:00 2/7-3/14 ' Mondays Wolverine Room-Union 7:00-8:00 2/7-3/14 Tuesdays Wolverine Room-Union 6:00-7:00 2/8-3/15 Learn this valuable form of communication. Basic American Sign Language is taught. Tuesdays Wolverine Room-Union 7:00-8:00 2/8-3/22 Unwmp you intuitive expressionism and learn the new age sense of reading tarot cards. Emphasis placed on history and philosophy as well as learning to use and interpret them. *A lab fee of S2() will be collected by the instructor. $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $25* i _ _ _ _ . w