The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 22, 1997 - 21 'Guff man' taps into quirky h umor Guest, cast poke fun at small-town hicks in hilarious mockumentary I By Geordy Gantsoudes Daily Arts Writer Before MTV stopped showing videos and became the ultimate teen- exploitation network, the only non- video entertainment it provided was what became known as a "rockumen- tary." These rocku- mentaries brought R1 Joe and Jane America into the "behind - the scenes" lives of the world's biggest rock stars. In the early '80s, Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest created the ultimate rockumen- tary, "This Is Spinal Tap.""Tap" took us through the twisted lives of a fictional heavy-metal band in what would become one of the most original movies the decade produced. When Guest took on a project sim- ilar to "Tap" (which he also wrote), it was exciting to see the Second s musical Coming of "Tap" in the form of "Waiting for Guffman," a documen- tary-style movie based on people's lives in a small, fictional Missouri town approaching its 150th anniver- sary. In order to celebrate this impor- tant day in Missouri's history, the EVIEW Waiting For Guffman At Ann Arbor 1 & 2 town hires Corky St. Claire (a hilar- ious Guest) to put on a depicting tory of Mo. musical the his- Blaine, The opening 30 minutes are a non- stop laugh riot, introducing us to the ensemble cast: Dr. Allen Pearl (Eugene Levy), travel agents Ron and Sheila Albertson (Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara), Dairy Queen matron Libby Mae (Parker Posey) and others. Through brief interviews, we find out interesting tidbits about the town and the characters. Ron and Sheila, though travel agents, have never left Blaine -- ever. Libby Mae wants to introduce a non- fat, low-calorie Blizzard to the DQ, and everyone wants to know the mys- terious whereabouts of the effeminate Corky's "wife." She is kind of like that friend of yours who insisted he had sex with some girl in Canada - who doesn't have a phone so, no, you can't call her. Guest is infallible as Corky. This is where the movie and direc- tor Guest start to get into some trou- ble: The movie forgets it is a docu- mentary and becomes a film. Things are said and done that would not ordi- narily be done before a camera. Without the funny and witty improv, the movie slows, almost to the point of no return. However, the incredibly cohesive cast springs back to finish the movie with a bang. The supporting cast is strong, and they complement each other so well that one almost feels like a part of Blaine's dull monotony. Those of you from small Midwest towns will be able to see the characters and say: "Oh that guy is exactly how (insert name here) was." Audiences must go into "Guffman" with an open mind. Laughs are plenti- ful, but they are not the gut-busters that composed "Tap." It is a different kind of movie altogether, and you will be disappointed if you think you are seeing the sequel to "Tap." So enjoy "Guffman" for what it is: a truly enjoyable movie. Amassing a cast Ron (Fred Willard, top) and Sheila (Catherine O'Hara, bottom) are travel agentswho have never left Blaine in "Waiting for Guffman." 'Man' keep of seven, composed of the vast array of town folk, Corky sees this as a vehicle for his triumphant return to off-off-off-Broadway. He writes let- ters to various production companies in New York to see if they will view his work. When a Mr. Guffman responds saying that he will decide if the play is New York-worthy, the plot's wheels are set in motion. Dr. Allen Pearl (Eugene Levy, top) takes a break from dentistry to star In Corky St. Claire's (Christopher Guest, bottom) production in "Guff nan." spirit alive in A2 Jen to read 'Mona' at Shaman on Friday By Christopher Tkaczyk Campi Arts Editor The American musical is alive and v and living in Ann Arbor. At least, this past weekend, audiences were treat- ed to an excellent production of a clas- sic American show, "The Music Man," direcad by Musical Theater Depatment Chair Brent Wagner. The perfoitnance, which showcased the tal- ents of students from the musical the- ater department, proved to be nothing less than stimulating. Attention was d ended of the audience members as t east recounted the story of Harold Hill, con artist and traveling salesman extraordinaire. in what was ar captivating open- r ing, the curtain Th rose' upon the inside of a passen- ger train car, in ie instruments and the uniforms, hoping that their children will shine. The trou- ble is that Hill knows not one thing about music. Hill, played wonderfully by Gavin Creel, sounded much better than the play's original Broadway Hill, Robert Preston. Creel sang his fast-paced songs with ease and confidence. His character's ability to sweet-talk the citizens of River City showed in Creel's acting, allowing for a highly believable portrayal. When Hill comes to town, he creates a disturbance by announcing that the new pool table at the town billiards hall will cause nothing but trouble for the youth of the city. During V I E W the song "Ya Got Trouble," a Music Man smooth-talking Hill wooed the audience Power Center as well as the citi- April 20,.1997 zens of River City. Another fine per- formance was given by Kelly Simpson, who portrayed the River City librarian, Marian Paroo. Marian is the woman who Hill tries to seduce when he comes to River City. Simpson provided just the right balance of class, grace, decency and beauty that defines the classic character of "Marian the Librarian." Her beautiful voice soared as she sang the tunes "Goodnight, My Someone,""My White Knight" and "Till There Was You." The production's choreography was another asset, proving to be highly "The Music Man" captured the spirit of the American musical this past weekend. By Elizabeth Lucas Daily l3ooks Editor Multiculturalism, ethnicity and diversity have been hot issues through- out the '90s, as every University stu- dent has probably discovered. These topics have been discussed everywhere, from lectures to letters to the editor, and these discus- P R sions all seem to have one thing in common: their- utter seriousness and lack of humor. Thanks to Gish which a group of - traveling salesmen performed "Rock lnd," an a capella song that sounded more like a rap that a traditional musi- cal theater song. "Rock Island" relies on the train's rhythms as the men bounce up and down in syncopation with the train deftly moving down the tracks. The salesmen begin to talk of a man named Harold Hill, who goes from town to town swindling the money from shall-town citizens by creating the n d for a Boy's Band, which he is to III. The townsfolk pay him for the m entertaining and expertly executed. The best dance number of the show hap- pened during "Shipoopi," a song about love between men and women. The number, sung by Marcellus (Andy McKim), a con-friend of Hill's, was a highlight of the second act. One of the play's comedic highlights came out of Laura Heisler, who por- trayed Elalie MacKecknie Shinn, the wife of River City's mayor. Shinn. ever the socialite, commanded the respect of her fellow citizens. Heisler's perfor- mance was hysterical at moments, as her throaty, husky voice boomed out the silly remarks Shinn often made. One of the funniest aspects of the show was the Barbershop Quartet that Hill magically formed out of the four mem- bers of River City's School Board. The four men, portrayed by Tony Greenlaw, Seth Hitsky, Brian Mulay, and Craig McElowney, would wander around the stage during certain scenes, singing com- mentary songs surrounding the plot con- cerning Hill.The quartet sang handsome- ly and their voices blended well. A disappointing performance came from Ernie Nolan, who played Mayor Shinn. H is southern drawl seemed out of place, and he failed to receive approval from the audience. He seemed to be delivering his lines with false emotion, rather than devoting his talent to the char- acter. His dramatization seemed more of a cartoon than acting, and didn't prove worthy of the rest of the cast. "The Music Man" proved to be an amazing finale for University Productions. It can only be guessed that next year's season will be just as amaz- ing, with such productions as "Sweeney Todd" and "West Side Story" in the works. Jen's novel "Mona in the Promised Land," this is no longer a problem. "Mona in the Promised Land" fol- lows the characters from Jen's earlier novel, "Typical American." That book focused on Chinese immigrants Ralph and Helen Chang, as they adapted to American life. This second novel, how- ever, is set a few years later, in 1968, and the main character is the Changs' daughter, 16-year-old Mona. "It was not a planned thing," said Jen, as she described how she came to write the book. "I just happened to write this story about Mona." In this book, Mona and her friends find a simple solution to their cultural dilemmas: ethnic "switching." Mona goes to temple with her best friend and eventually converts to Judaism, while her Jewish boyfriend Seth decides he may have been Indian in a past life. Meanwhile, Mona's older sister Callie is learning about Chinese culture from her African American roommate. While this may sound too unusual to be true, it's definitely an appealing solution to the problems of ethnic identifica- E V I E W tion. "Mona" differs Gish Jen from its predeces- Friday at 8 p.m. sor in its rapid pace shaman Drum and deadpan-hilari- Free ous prose. Jen said this change in totte was partly because, "I think I was happy to be writing. I was just grateful for every moment I was at my desk." Jen's 5-year-old son probably influ- enced this style, too; when raising a child, it becomes important to maximize your time. As Jen summed it up, "I had to go to my office, down a double cap- puccino, and start writing - the people at Starbucks got to know me pretty well. This is the book that caffeine wrote." However, Jen said that her early writ- ing career was not fueled by caffeine, but by a Harvard course with noted translator Robert Fitzgerald, in which she was assigned to write poetry. After graduation, Jen got a publish- ing job, and considered taking up sev- eral other jobs, before deciding to write full-time. "I really became a writer by process of elimination." As Jen', book suggest, the ethnic- switching solution seems like a neat way, to resolve such dilemmas: why be limited' to one identity? However, readers do have to wonder if this idea is even possible, in the ethnically compartmentalized '90s. "It was easier to switch (in the '60s)," Jen said. "Now, there's so much ethnic balkanization. A lot of the euphoria of the late '60s and early '70s is gone." But reading "Mona in the Promised Land" definitely gives a taste of this euphoria - it might even inspire a new era of tolerance and true multi. culturalism. After all, the real point the book makes is that ethnic fluidity and diversity are the essence of American culture. In one scene, Mona's Japanese friend Sherman suggests that she become Japanese. It's easy, he says. A person can become Japanese "like you become American. Switch:" 'Eight Heads' offers absurd black-comedy parody By Kristin Long Daily Arts Writer 'There is funny, and then there is absurd. And when there appears a film starring Joe Pesci and David Shade about eight heads shoved into an oversized -on, absurdity reigns supreme. he plot is a mix of slapstick parodies with interludes of a seri- R ou dilemma. Pesci is Tommy Spinelli, a mobster who has to Eil deliver proof to Big Sep that the n'irders he ordered were carried out completely, and correctly, hece the eight heads. Tommy has been through the old mob games before, and he just wants to retire. When he encoun- * the naive frat boy Charlie Pritchett (Andy Comeau) on an airplane en route to deliver the heads, he would just assume shoot the kid rather than make UE gI small talk with his little neighbor. As Pesci's character discovers that he retrieved some- one else's duffel bag, he has a new mission to find the other half of the mistake. Clues lead him to unknow- ingly calling Charlie's fraternity brothers in Baltimore, who could care less about their pal's whereabouts. - _Once Tommy arrives at the - V I E W house, the film gains momentum. The interactions between Tommy it Heads in a and the two medical school wise Duffel Bag guys, Ernie and Steve (David **I Spade and Todd Louiso), are the At showcase best dialogues of the film. While Tommy, Ernie and Steve bicker about revealing the truth, Charlie is off in Mexico trying to schmooze his girlfriend's parents. The film lacks substance in this location, and we would rather return to the camaraderie in Baltimore than be bored with Charlie and Laurie (Kristy Swanson) in Mexico. When Charlie and Tommy finally make contact, it is only a matter of time before the plot comes to a sin- gle conclusion. Afier a while, however, the story goes in so many different directions that the humor and comedy that made the beginning worthwhile disap- pear. Random moments of amusement hardly main- tain the momentum that began the film. The film lacks consistency in its antics. While the facet of the plot with Pesci and the medical students maintains witty and creative dialogue, it makes Charlie and Laurie only seem like flaky additives to fill space. While Pesci continues with his roles as the crabby over-worked mobster, he still can make us laugh with his attitude and irony. It is unfortunate, however, that the rest of the film does not move with the same personali- ty, thus making the light-hearted mockery too obscure to appreciate. "Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag" pushes the limit on the parodies of a black comedy, and just cross- es the line into the realm of the completely asinine. Jen will read at Shaman Drum Friday. 4k YOUR TEXTBOOKS -. F -f ,- /V ice. T -.r -Oro"% T""s qw- FREE MONEY=FREE STUFF.