8 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 12, 1994
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Are you looking for some new and fun activities for next semester? On January 18th, 1995
the Office of Student Activities and Leadership (SAL) will sponsor the 2nd annual
Winterfest. You will have the opportunity to meet representatives from some of the
University's student organizations. Come join the fun at the Michigan Union Ballroom
and Pendleton Room from 11:00am to 4:00pm. If you have any questions please contact
the SAL Office at 2202 Michigan Union or call 763-5900. 9
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SENIOR DAYS...did you know about it last year?
Did you know U of M will have the 2nd Annual SENIOR DAYS this year?!?!
It's a week (really about 10 days) of events and activities at the end of the Winter semester
to say Good-bye to graduating seniors! If your group wants to get into SENIOR DAYS by
sponsoring an event for seniors...let us know!
The SENIOR DAYS PLANNING TEAM will be looking for people for the following
positions after the December/January break:
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
Eavesdropping was more entertaining than the Friday evening performance of the Comedy Company's "He Did It!"
No comedy in this company
Everyone deserves blame for the lame 'He Did It!'
By SCOTT PLAGENHOEF
The title of the first of this year's two Comedy Com-
pany events, "He Did It!" could refer to a number of
things. It could be Robert Shapiro, in a dramatic 11th-hour
courtroom scenario standing and pointing at "Kato" Kaelin,
Comedy Company unfortunately
seemed to regard screaming really
loud, swearing and mentioning sex
as a comedic safety net. They
incorporated any or all of these
three elements into their worst
Finance Officer
Booklet Editors (2)
Concert/Drawing Cordinator
Special Events Cordinator
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e Comedy
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Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
December 9, 1994
in a last-ditch de-
fense for the
Juice. It could be
the tagline for
"Disclosure."
Most likely, how-
ever, it is a built-
in excuse for the
Comedy Com-
(41
Interested in SENIOR DAYS....keep watching this column or contact the Office of
Student Activities and Leadership (2202 Michigan Union-763-5900)...MORE TO
COME IN JANUARY!!!!!
Major Events Office
THE SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS
Power Center, Ann Arbor, MI
January 16, 1995 7:00pm
F
pany again struggling to achieve mediocrity. As in, "Who's
responsible for the banality of this production?" "He did
it!"
The company did achieve some assemblage of humor
in its ability to parody established popular culture. Yet
even these name-dropping instances - which included
Snapple, Mr. Wizard, James Belushi - all relied too
heavily on recognition and authenticity rather anything
truly inspired. Two of the parodies even skirted danger-
ously close to ex-"Saturday Night Live" sketches. The
"Head, Shoulders, and Eye" commercial featuring the
removal of an extra eye was highly reminiscent of an
"SNL" commercial to remove extra fingers. A faux CBS
Sports production of a chess tournament was also reminis-
cent of the Jim Belushi-as-high school-chess-coach sketch.
Despite the sometimes clever and smile-inducing paro-
dies, the fully original material was less than amusing.
Some of the material was so forgettable that at the inter-
mission - after only an hour of the production - I
glanced the program unable to be jogged by the names of
some of the sketches as to what their content was.
Comedy Company unfortunately seemed to regard
screaming really loud, swearing and mentioning sex as a
comedic safety net. They incorporated any or all of these
three elements into their worst sketches.
Standing out amongst the cast was Chris Cielinski,
Sarah DeLassus and Steve Kime, whose fire-eating abil-
ity was impressive and incorporated into a sketch cleverly
rather than simply gimmicky.
sketches.
Intermission did, however, provide a welcome mo-
ment of inspired comedy. No, not the incessantly long Top
150 list the Comedy Company ran as a time-filler on a
screen for the audience, but the conversation between the
girls behind me.
Only one of the three attended the University and she
was trying to convince the other two to transfer and live
with her next year. Already on the topic of living together
and roommates, the subject soon turned to an anecdote
about the current U student's roommate. Seems the room-
mate had a pair of her underwear returned to her on Friday
by some proud male co-ed.
This really got her friend's attention and their reac-
tions ranged from "eww, disgusting" to "hilarious" (and
those were both said by the same girl). One kept insisting
that this display was completely rude. I frankly couldn'
understand how returning a lost belonging was rude. Yet
in this case, because of the nature of the item, a more
discreet method like phoning ahead would have been
preferred to this Neandratholic Butt-head approach. "Uh,
you're roommate, like, left her, huh huh, her, huh huh huh,
panties, huh huh huh, in my room. Huh, huh. I scored."
Nevertheless, the girls were still interested and a barrage
of relevant and well-thought out questions followed. "Were
they all rolled up?" "What did she wear home?" (The answer
being, "no underwear I guess." She guessed? Either that o
she was wearing two pairs to begin with.) Finally when one
of the girls wondered, "Did he wash them?" I laughed aloud
for the first and last time that evening.
Thanks, Comedy Company for another successful
production.
Sounds Of Blackness are often considered to be the biggest group to hit the music world in
recent years, boasting 30 vocalists and a 10-piece orchestra. Gary Hines, the group's director
and songwriter-producer, believes that their size is reflective of the magnitude and comprehen-
siveness of African-American music. "Journalists always seem to focus on this, " he laughs. "But
the numbers haven't been anything but a blessing We're a family. " Hines' concept of the group
as an extended family goes beyond rhetoric. Sounds of Blackness, a not-for-profit corporation,
encourage the pursuit of solo careers by its members. Its behavior is that of a proud parent who
encourages the mature child to venture beyond the fold. Two such examples are Ann Bennett-
Nesby and her daughter Jamecia Bennett, who will both have solo debut records on Perspective
Records and Mercury Records, respectively.
The group's cohesiveness facilitates its constant touring. The group's music has reached millions
through live performances in venues around the world, from New York's historic Apollo
Theater to traditionally black colleges in the U.S. Theyhave recorded with Quincy Jones, Sting,
Elton John, and have appeared with Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Patti
LaBelle, and Lou Rawls.
Sounds Of Blackness are the embodiment of the music and philosophy of their longtime
director, Gary Hines. He has been associated with the group since 1971 when it was known as
the Macalester College Black Choir. "Even back then they were an excellent ensemble, "Hines says,
"I had a vision ofthem becominga legitimate black music ensemble in the tradition ofDuke Ellington
and Quincy Jones, who would sing and portray the full spectrum of black music. We became The
Sounds OfBlackness because we wanted to have a name that would reflect that philosophy and that
repertoire."
ANGELS
Continued from page 5
ing) with his disease. Steortz did cre-
ate a strong dramatic flow to the re-
maining scenes, and perhaps had I not
known of the Cohn character, he
wouldn't have been missed. As it was,
the play seemed slightly less effec-
tive with the absence.
Realizing that this was a stu-
dent-run production with little to no
budget, Steortz and lighting designer
Peter Drost did a good job at creat-
ing most of the Angel effects. Lack-
ing, however, was the big entrance
of the angel into Prior's room at the
end of the second act. Even if they
had used more sound, and made it
much louder, it would have been far
more striking than it was. Seeing as
how the end of this first part of
"Angels" leaves the audience hang-
ing, that jarring last scene is a ne-
cessity that was missing from this
production.
Allowing for these shortcomings,
the production was very strong and
moving. The raw quality created in
the Basement worked very well for'
the intent of Kushner's play and all
involved should be commended for
taking on such a challenging pro-
duction. They gave credit to Kushner
and his play, and all who saw it
know that this work is something
special. If part two is mounted, be
sure not to miss it.
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Tickets are $10.0 I fkr students, $20.00 and $30
and a on sale now at th~e Michigan Unon Ticketr
00,
Offmc.
Purchase your cap and gown NOW at the
Michigan Union Bookstore.
0
Michigan Union
Shop early and avoid the rush!
Studywith your Buddy
at the
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U-CLUB
(in the Michigan Union)
December 14-21
5Dm-12am
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