The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 18, 1994--9 " BRACKET SURE CAN HACK IT 'Saigon's story, not helicopter, lingers v ,. : , . By MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - "Miss Saigon"? After over a year of anticipation, "Miss Saigon" has fi- nally landed in Detroit. Propelled by 1994 has already been hailed the year punk broke by Spin Magazine as The * Offspring and Green Day have rocketed up the charts. If there is any justice in the world Bracket, a foursome hailing from a small town in Northern California, will soon follow. Bracket play power-punk/pop complete with two minute songs, anthemic choruses, and distorted guitars. What differentiates Bracket from countless other purveyors of Husker Du and The Dickies is that Bracket does it well. Their songs are an infectious blend of power and melodic hooks that will have you humming along in no time. They have a great new album, "924 Forestville St.", out on Caroline Records which is definitely worth a listen and they will be appearing at the Old Miami with Very Pleasant Neighbor tonight. Show time is at 10 p.m. and tickets will be no more than five dollars at the door - so there are no excuses. Call 831- @3830 for more information. - Ariel Gandsman Miss Saigon Masonic Temple Theatre October 14, 1994 a working helicopter and driven by a Cadillac, the spectacle appears to be the thing. But the effects are merely illusionary. Peel away the pyrotechnics and you'll discover a heartful story, so- phisticated score and all-around vi- brant production. This touring company easily sur- passes its Canadian counterpart (at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre) with its energy, and gives the Broad- way production a run for its money. Measuring the strength of individu- als, group performance, visuals, ef- fects and music, this is undoubtedly the best touring production that De- troit has seen. Authors Alain Boublil and Claude- Michel Schonberg (of "Les Misdrables" fame) didn't take a risk with the storyline; it's "Madame But- terfly" transplanted to 1975 Saigon. East meets West, and East gets screwed. Slap that against the histori- cal backdrop of the fall of Saigon and the rise of Ho Chi Minh, and you have a hit. "Saigon" lacks the musical depth of the Boublil-Schonberg debut, "Les Mis6rables." It is not as well-rounded a score, and there are not as many meaty solos. Give the authors some credit, however, for attempting au- thenticity: the score is peppered with twangy plucks of strings, heavy gongs and airy Asian flutes, all evocative of traditional Asian music. However, there are some powerhouse numbers: "Why God Why?" (though its place- ment weakens it), "I Still Believe," "The Morning of the Dragon," "Bui Doi," "Now That I've Seen Her" and "The American Dream." Nicholas Hytner (now a Tony- winner for the "Carousel" revival) deserves much credit for his staging. Compared to "Les Miz," "Saigon" is much easier and much more exciting to watch. Numbers like "The Morn- ing of the Dragon" are veritable vi- sual explosions, with its ritualistic dancing, acrobatics and masks. And the slide presentation combined with choral singing in "Bui Doi" is enough to make anyone give that 30 cents a day to Sally Struthers and her philan- thropic causes. "Saigon"'s new sweetheart is Jen- nifer Paz, who endows Kim with a big heart and unwavering spirit. Paz makes more out of the role than the stereotypical subservient Asian girl, and she has the siren of a voice neces- sary for Kim. Her "I'd Give My Life For You" is positively heartbreaking. Eric Kunze gives a powerful yet sympathetic performance as Chris. His bright tenor soars through the love duets (with Jennifer Paz's Kim), and attacks Chris' angst-ridden "Why God Why?" with strength and vigor. Kunze plays Chris' emotional tur- moil to the heights. With boy-next- door looks and resilient spirit, Kunze's Chris is the embodiment of America, out of place and homesick in Viet- nam. All of this action is overseen by a seedy pimp called the Engineer, here played to perfection by Kevin Gray. Detroit audiences may remember Gray from the title role of "The Phan- tom of the Opera." Fresh from a stint as the Engineer in the Toronto pro- duction, and from recording the com- plete symphonic "Miss Saigon," Gray is the crowning glory of this produc- tion. Clad in a purple leisure suit and yellow Hawaiian shirt, he brings all the requisite sleaze, underhandedness and self-aggrandizement to the role, and adds a comic edge and deep- seated passion lacking of other Engi- neers (see "The American Dream"). And, oh yes, the effects are great. The helicopter - no doubt the most anticipated aspect of the show - ar- rives a good two hours into the evening. And yes, it is exciting. But let's save the tumultuous applause for Paz, Kunze, Gray (not to mention native Detroiter Charles E. Wallace as John) and the rest of the company. The performances, the songs and the story are the factors which will linger in our minds and hearts for years to come. MISS SAIGON plays through January 1, 1995 at the Masonic Temple Theatre (800 Temple Avenue, Detroit). Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $60 for Friday and Saturday evenings, and $16 to $55 for all other days! times. For information about group, senior or special student tickets, call (313) 832-2232. For more information, call (313) 832-5900. To charge tickets by phone, call (810) 645-6666. 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