6B -1 Michigan Daily Weekei Magazine - Thursday, uary 16, 1997 5, S " ""The M ichig n ivW eek en Box office breaks record .~ THEATER-TURNED-FILM Stage begins to enjoy mass popularity of Hollywood By Tyler Patterson For the Daily If one could classify the year of 1996 in theater (although it is doubtful), one might say that it was the "Comeback Year of Broadway." Or maybe the "Year of the New Broadway." Or the "Year of the Next Generation of Broadway.' One could point to the fact that, for the first time in more than 10 years, a major motion picture was adapted from a popu- lar musical (Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita"), and that another theater classic, "The Crucible," by University graduate Arthur Miller, has become a big hit for film audiences. So maybe one could say it was the "Year of the Movie.:" Whatever one wants to call it, it is clear that theater is affecting the main- stream more now than it has in years past. One telling sign is in the case of Nathan Lane. After starring opposite Robin Williams in the hit film, "The Birdcage," Lane went back to Broadway to star in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," for which he won a Tony Award. Other Hollywood stars who are mak- ing it back to New York are Sarah Jessica Parker ("Once Upon a Los Angeles Times Another year, another record, with the 1996 domestic box office totaling $5:8 billion, almost 9 percent over 1995. Two special-effects-driven vehicles -"Independence Day" and "Twister" - dominated the year, heading a Top 10 list that, in contrast to 1995's family-oriented mix, contained five big-budget action films. The last 12 months have been a bit blockbuster- heavy, with 12 pictures passing the $100-million mark domestically, observed Tom Borys, senior vice president of development at the box-office tracking company Entertainment Data Inc. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Jerry Maguire" look certain to go over in '97, he said, and r. "Michael" is a contender as well. a "We've already tied the record of 12 $100-mil- ti lion pictures established in 1994," Borys said. S. "Last year at this time we had only seven, though there were more doubles and triples, pictures grossing in the $50 (million) to $99 million range. The international market was also flush. Three films - "Independence Day," "Twister" and "Mission: Impossible" - grossed more than $200 million abroad compared with only one ("Die Hard With a Vengeance") last year. Bolstered by a host of new theaters, business was up 15 percent to 20 percent in Germany and the United Kingdom. "The foreign market seems to be accepting a more varied menu of our films," said Jeff Blake, president of Sony Pictures Releasing. "Not only action movies are doing well. From a creative point of view, we can turn out a broader slate of pictures if we're convinced they'll travel ... that hits over here will be hits over there." Foreign revenues will be particularly significant Madonna made the musical, "Evita," come to life on the big screen this year. Mattress"), Al Pacino ("Hughie"), Ed Harris ("Taking Sides"), Lou Diamond Phillips ("The King and I"), Liza Minelli (replacing Julie Andrews in "Victor / Victoria"), Whoopi Goldberg (who will soon replace Lane in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum") and Julia Sweeny ("Julia Sweeny's God Said 'HA!'"), - I RtVe4" D. kMz:,. 14a , K«.y J,. DAy Eve44 Program on Inter8roup Relations Conflict and Community among others. Actors have been run- ning back to theater for years, though, as they are forever looking to connect with an audi- ence. Even without such (shudder) cooperation with Hollywood, it still . gether on Broadway this year, either Terrence McNally's. "Master Class,"a tribute to Maria Callas, featured Patti LuPone and won them both Tony's Another standout original on Broadway was August Wilson's "Seven Guitars, providing yet another impressive piece to his already successful career Despite these fresh faces. though, the Broadway sea- son was filled mostly wit revivals. Two "original works were actuallV extensively rewritten Sam Shepard plays "Buried Child" and "The Tooth of Crime." Perhaps the standou for films such as Sylvester Stallone's "Daylight,; the star-laden "Mars Attacks!" and for Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Jingle All the Way," which had - I1 COME TO THE DAILY'S MASS MEETINGS TONIGHT, JAN. 21 AND JAN. 27, 420 MAYNARD ST., AT 7 P.M. fonday, January 20, 1997 Michigan League :00-7:OOPM Registration begins at 3:30 3 hour intergroup/intragroup dialogues are an opportunity for people o Come together to talk about commonalities and differences, address Issues of conflict and explore common ground. You can choose one of the following dialogues': would have been a banner THE year for theater, especially for Broadway. Who could have foretold the two biggest stories of 1996? In the midst of relatively little hype during the production process of an original musical, its creator died on the very night he gave his first interview to The New York Times. What has hap- pened since is little short of musical theater history. Jonathan Larson's musi- cal, "Rent," about East Villagers deal- ing with AIDS, poverty and their art, has won a Pulitzer Prize, four Tony Awards and a New York Drama Critics' award. Last fall, the cast released a soundtrack that finished in Rolling Stone's Ten Best of the Year. The other top story of Broadway is the unexpected return of tap. Considered all but dead, tap has returned with a vengeance in "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk." George C. Wolfe co-creat- ed this masterpiece of tap, rhythm and jazz with Savion Glover, the show's (and Broadway's) premiere tap star, and Reg E. Gaines. Winners of numerous Tonys, this production also sports its own sound- track, which is electrifying. Straight theater was not missing alto- A TER Broadway revival this year, most likely up for a Tony next year, is "Chicago." Featuring Bebe Neuwirth, who played Lilith on "Cheers," this dark comedy has been wowing audi- ences since it opened on Nov. 14. As far as what's in theater's future, expect to see even more movie adaptation hits. "Rent" and "Master Class" are rumored to make it to the big screen, and as "theater movies" continue to make money, you can bet more movies will fol- low. Also expect to see greater success among musical soundtracks. Since musi- cals are drawing more upon rock themes, they will continue to grow more "main- stream friendly,' attracting more lucrative advertising campaigns. At the very least, 1996 has inspired a lot of investment interest in a business that is notorious for losing money. In many senses, it has been a banner year. Many might call it a changing of the guard, as a new generation of theater- goers and actors alike begin vying for control of an old and storied industry. No matter what the case, there is defi- nitely a new energy flowing through New York as more and more people are trying to revitalize one of humanity's old- est arts. Participants must be a member of one of the social identitU groups attencing the dialogue. The meeting wil be co-facilitated by two IGRCC peer facilitators from the participating 8roups. Free and Open to the public Refreshments will be served For more information call the Program on Intergroup Relations Conflict and Community at 1113.936.1875 The success of the musical; "Rent " carried over to Its soundtrack.