Ule Ltchitija &Ig Last Laugh Before finals make you lose allof your human, take toe time out to catch the last performance of TWithout A Net" tomorrow night. Thm improvisational comedy troupe has been making audiences'augh since October with completely different shows each night. Tomorrow's show should be equallyentertaining. The whole shebang starts at 10 p.m. and. tickets are only $3 at the door. And ... Entr6e Plus is accepted! Aw, yeah! Page 8 Wednesday, April 5, 1995 Glass breathes new life into 'Beast' By Brian Wise Daily Arts Writer "La Belle et la Bete," the simple fairy tale of a beast transformed into man through the power of human love, is brimming, it would seem, with impli- cations for the contemporary artist. An allegory of the creative process, by which the world of the ordinary is trans- formed into a world of magic, it pro- vided the perfect subject matter for Jean Cocteau's classic 1946 film. Nearly 50 years later, minimalist-multimediacom- poser and impresario Philip Glass has taken this notion of transformation one step further. His operatic adaptation of the film V REaw Philip Glass La Belle et la Bete Michigan Theater April 3, 1995 was presented Monday night at the Michigan Theater, and much to his credit, Cocteau's magnificent "Beast" was not tamed in the least. Rather, the enchantingly told and visually stun- ning film gained a new focus - in short, film became a new form of musical theater. Not without some artistic license was this change accomplished. Glass removed the original soundtrack and replaced it with an entirely new score, which was performed live by his seven-piece keyboard'and woodwind ensemble along with four singers. The entire arrangement, conducted by Michael Riesman, was situated in front of the screen, and the resulting effect was not unlike the practice of joining silent film with an orchestral or organ accompaniment. Yet the addition of sung text to the original words added a whole new layer to the work's texture. The lip-synching never worked perfectly,nor was it sup- posed to. More importantly, the music was no longer merely subliminal. Rather, it was a constant stream of Glass's familiar style, with oscillat- ing scales and arpeggios enveloped in undulating harmonies all moving in a constantmodulation. Glass's perpetu- ally evolving soundscape served to drive the plot forward instead of sim- ply creating an underlying atmo- sphere. Naturally, the original film score, by George Auric, was more on par with Cocteau's visual imagery. The mystical photography and otherworldly special effects found a counterpart in Auric's ethereal yet restrained orchestration. With Glass's adaptation, both sound and sight com- peted for equal attention and in more ways than one: The elaborate, multi- level stage setup was abundant with synthesizers, amplifiers and podiums. This bombardment on the senses was not without variety, however. The Beast's magical kingdom of ani- mated candlesticks, supernatural din- ner tables, and ghostly statues were matched by Glass's dark rumblings and mystic hues. The mundane world of Beauty's household was portrayed with banal, incessant musical ges- tures. Occasionally real life effects such as the shattering of the mirror or roar of the beast were treated literally and quite vividly. Many of the dis- tinctively French sensibilities of this "Beast" were instilled with a genuine American brashness; at times greater nuance and dynamic contrast would have gone a long way. Nevertheless, "La Belle" was a fascinating foray into a new genre. The multiple roles were performed with authority and flexibility by Janice Felty, John Kuether, Ana Maria Martinez and Gregory Purnhagen, and the group's familiarity with the work was in evidence. In previous visits, Philip Glass has frequently amazed Michigan Theater audiences with his innovative musi- cal and theatrical works, from "Koyaanisqatsi" to "1000 Airplanes on the Roof." "La Belle et La Bete," despite its flaws, is an extension of these previous efforts, and yet highly original and enjoyable all the same. Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver take the time to dance and fall in love in 'Circle of Friends.' Friends is a refreshing love story w By Michael Zilberman Daily Arts Writer There was a time when repres- sion and guilt were necessary com- ponents of a true romance, and the phrase "I'm saving myself for mar- riage" could be uttered with a straight face. "Circle Of Friends," a coming-of-age melodrama from the director Pat O'Connor, surveys this time with misty-eyed reverence, and so do we - at least for the duration of the film. At one point, we start to wonder if the feeling of guilt, the concept of sin artificially planted in these people really added some zest to their romances. Then, the movie ends, and we go back to reality. Which bites. "Circle Of Friends" has a simple, breezy story at its heart. In 1956, small town Irish girl Benny (Minnie Driver) goes off to university. There, she falls in love with an amiable jock (Chris O'Donnell, looking as if he were auditioning forOliver's part in a "Love Story" remake). In the second half of the movie, heroes are sub- jected to various temptations: She has to fend off sleazy arranged suitors; he, heartless femme fatales. Do they overcome circumstances in the end? Is the Pope Catholic? The film clearly admires its set- ting and characters. Small town Ire- land is affectionately filmed, espe- Imw cially Knockglen, where every verti- cal surface has a name of a beer brand written on it. Benny is touchingly played by talented newcomer Minnie Driver, an English actress with an odd Cice o Friends Directed by Pat O'Connor with Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver At Showcase name, odd appearance and odd career choices (she'll be playing the female lead in the upcoming James Bond flick). Chris O'Donnell, who gets top billing, is passable. He's not as inter- esting an actor as, say, Leonardo DiCaprio, but he is able to convey simple emotions and effectively mimic Irish brogue without letting it interfere with his primary duty of, well, being a dreamboat. But the true highlight of the cast is Alan Cumming as Sean, Benny's arranged suitor - he takes this largely thankless role so over the top, his Sean is not exactly a human being; he's like Tolkien's Gollum before theexile in the swamps. All the yearning for the days past aside, "Circle Of Friends" has its touches of modern attitude: con- sider, for example, a nasty cut from a lecture on "savage mating rituals" directly to a violent rugby match. And, for a film that - let's be hon- est for a second here - is bound to serve as a make-out session back- drop for a couple of weeks and van- ish, "Circle Of Friends" is surpris- ingly articulate about restrictions o0 Catholic upbringing. In fact, more articulate that the flashy, trashy "Priest" with an invisible "Boycott Me" sign on its back. Without indulging in hysterical harangues, "Circle"'s characters subtly expose us to the abnormali- ties of time and place where getting a pack of condoms means a trip to another country, let alone a struggle with one's consciousness. Yet, the only truly wonderful thing about "Circle" is its complete lack of pre- tension. In the age of burgeoning artistic didacticism, "Circle" just refuses to make any statements about its heroine's choices. The creators of the film seem to be content with what they've done. If right now, a teenage couple somewhere is watch ing this film and the guy is ponder- ing the eternal problem of how to put his arm around his companion and make it look accidental - their mission is fulfilled. For his next project, Philip Glass will make an opera out of 'Taxi' reruns. Minor characters make Civic Theater's production of 'Cuckoo's Nest' fly i By Jenn McKee For the Daily It was the story that placed Jack Nicholson firmly on the map in the film industry. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," based on Ken Kesey's award-winning novel, tells the plight of one man who brings life into, but doesn't really belong in, a mental health facility. He doesn't re- ally appear to fit anywhere. Trans- posed into a play, spectators witness McMurphy's rise and fall. The novel unravels the plot from the perspective of the supposedly catatonic, Native American patient called Chief. The play tried to place more emphasis on him as a major character, with many instances of a single spotlight on him as a prere- corded soliloquy of his thoughts play. Unfortunately, this mechanism isn't entirely effective. At times, the re- cording seems garbled and unclear; other times, things that are compre- hensible are confusing unless you are already familiar with the character from the novel. It's a well-intentioned attempt to stay true to the original work, which I can appreciate, but it falls short. McMurphy is the character that is the true centerpiece - the one that comes into the ward and changes everyone's life forever. He shakes things up immediately by coming in and refusing to be "showered" yet again and coercing the other patients into gambling with him. None of the patients had even entertained thoughts of standing up to cool Nurse Ratched because of the threat of electroshock therapy, yet McMurphy stands up to her fearlessly. McMurphy seems like a typical man with common wants and needs - things that we would ask for our- selves - but Nurse Ratched feels that he threatens her ultimate control of the whole ward. This struggle for power leads to a physical confronta- tion between them. The role of McMurphy is a com- plex one, and Joseph Radding didn't quite make the mark. His forced exu- berance and raucous fake laughter ranged from discomfiting to annoy- ing in the first act. He appeared to become more comfortable in the role in the second act, but he still lacked a certain quality of verisimilitude. His portrayal just didn't feel genuine. McMurphy has one scene in which another patient says good things al- ways happen to McMurphy, and he reacts by both laughing and crying at this statement. This is a very complex scene, despite its brevity, but it seemed almost passed over. As a result of playing the character flatly, I saw an actor instead of seeing McMurphy. Radding was better than his wig, however, which was an awful and distracting long, braided number. No one for a moment thought it was his real hair, and I don't know that it served any kind of function. I know they were going for this rebel-biker look, but yikes. The two central characters were actually the weakness to the whole production. Tony Putman, who played Chief, is also unmemorable. Again, the role is a difficult one, especially since there are few lines when much needs to be expressed. Putman had the size to play the role, as he hulked over all the other actors, but his heart didn't seem to be in it. The character's lack of depth and richness was a prob- lem in this instance as much as with McMurphy's. The best performances were de- livered by the minor characters. Most notably, Troy D. Sill did a wonderful job as the rational Dale Harding, with hints of Frasier's prissy brother Niles slipping into the character here and there. James Jorah's "Billy" also gave an endearing performance as a stut- tering young virgin who's afraid of just about everything. McMurphy gives him a chance to feel like a man, but accordingly, Nurse Ratched comes in and puts a stop to it. Her mere presence acts to castrate the men in the ward. In general, the other patients in the ward seemed more interesting than the main characters. I found myself watching them instead of the center action at times. Even the night watch- p One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Ann Arbor Civic Theater March 31, 1995 "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is playing through April 8. Performances begin at 8 p.m. and tickets are $8. Call 971-AACT for more information. man, Danny Guberinich, was enjoy- able and inviting. Though a small part, he was a major source of comic relief. The play's climax is powerful, with excellent use of lighting and good performances by all, but the scene building up to it is undercut by the script. In the novel, McMurphy See CUCKOO, Page 9 greaomt scores.... - anovrvewofth -F * wht toexpct o theexa 4' JOSTENS .qtnn hi vtn a'1 nd cee I tiensrenresentive I/Yl rd. r Ah Ah f al ' /r. s ma ....dlr.