8D - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 3, 1997
ARTS
A2 comedy club
showcases humor
UMS draws high-.
quality performers
By Kristin Long
Weekend, Etc. Editor
The stress of college life requires a
sense of humor.
,At the Mainstreet Comedy
Showcase, humor comes naturally
thropgh professional and amateur
stand-up comedy and improvisational
skits. The tactics of the venue aim to
enerate laughter and light-hearted atti-
tue's in a relaxed environment.
For 12 years the Mainstreet
Comedy Showcase located at 314 E.
Iberty St. has been initiating good
tires through its comics, which range
from the famously talented to the not-
yet discovered. Renowned funny peo-
ple like Norm MacDonald and Wayne
Cotter have made appearances, as
well as University students and local
Ann Arbor residents.
Acts occur on Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, with Wednesday
focused on open-microphone and impro-
visational skits. The weekly improv spot-
lights comedians ,from the Totally
Unrehearsed Theater, a Detroit touring
group that received a special commenda-
tionf last spring as the Best Local
Comedians.
Aspiring comics find the atmosphere
a comforting setting for the beginnings
of a career. Rob English, an English
major and LSA senior, found a great
bs in the establishment. Not only did
h, work as an usher through the year,
but. also utilized the open mic at a
Wednesday performance.
"Not only is it a great place to see a
show, but also to work. The crowds are
a .great support, which makes a hu
difference," English said.
Sid amateurs take the stage 'on
Wednesdays, reserving their spot with a
phone call on the day of the show. While
some find some success in their brief
moment in the spotlight, others find that
their humor does not quite appeal to all.
The other evenings usually feature
comedians known throughout the comic
circuit. Aside from MacDonald, other
television stars have also made appear-
ances at the local theater. Mark Price,
more commonly know as "Skippy" from
"Family Ties" appeared last fall as well.
While the line-up for next fall has yet to
be confirmed, MacDonald is among
those expected to return.
Headliners are preceded by opening
acts, which mainly feature local come-
dians. Following their 30 minutes on
stage, spotlight performers charm the
audiences for an hour.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights
such as these often require advance reser-
vations for preferred seating and a defi-
nite place in the audience. Customers can
obtain a ticket at the door for general
admission, and a mere phone call will
reserve a some space in the theater.
While many ventures to the theater
are spontaneous, it is not necessary
safe to assume tickets will still be
available upon arrival. Greg Baker, an
LSA communications senior and
Mainstreet Comedy Showcase intern,
confirmed that walk-ins are more
likely on Wednesday amateur nights
than on big-performer nights.
Wednesdays also offer special bargain
nights as well. Coupons and discounts
are available to encourage people to sup-
port young hopefuls. Shows usually
begin at 8:30 p.m. Following the six ama-
teurs, the Improv group performs for an
hour.
Humor for the other nights does
have a price. General admission to
most shows falls in the $10-18 range,
and begin at 8:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday nights also include a 10:30
performance with the same comedi-
ans as the prior show. More renowned
comedians, like Norm MacDonald,
to U'
co mmunity
BOHDAN DAMIAN CAP/Daily
Members of Detroit's "Totally Unrehearsed Theatre" bring their comedy routine to
the Mainstreet Comedy Showcase every Wednesday night.
cost $17.50, and student discounts are
not usually applicable.
Extra cash is also necessary to cover
drinks during the show. The only edi-
bles include popcom and peanuts.
As with any bar, ordering a drink
requires one to be 21 years of age, and
entrance into the club also has its lim-
its. Mainstreet Comedy Showcase only
admits those that are 18 and over to
enjoy the humor of its performers.
,Laughing out loud
The light-hearted atmosphere allows
for an comfortable atmosphere from all
perspectives. On his first time on stage,
English noted, "Its close intimate set-
ting allowed for a great halance of
national talent as well as young comics
to make their mark." For the audience,
Mainstreet Comedy Showcase offers an
opportunity to escape from daily stress
and laugh with the current best and the
future best.
Ann Arbor
cinem as
feature
di verse films
CINEMA
Continued from Page 1D
"Showcase is a total rip-off because
it is so expensive," said LSA senior
David Ray. "Still, (Showcase's)
sound and picture quality are better
than most."
Once inside this huge cineplex,
viewers also enjoy a wide selection
of up to 14 movies, midnight shows
every weekend and some of the most
comfortable seats in town.
On the other side of Ann Arbor one
finds the Fox Village Theatre, which
offers the best movie deals in town.
Second-run films at the Fox Village
arrive about a month after leaving reg-
ular theaters, and they cost a mere
$1.50 at most times (shows are just $2
on weekend nights). All you need is a
car to get there.
But you don't have to trek far to
find some of Ann Arbor's most out-
standing cinematic treats.
Each week film clubs present
numerous classic movies right on
campus, usually in the same auditori-
um as your history or chemistry lec-
ture.
For a typically cheap fee (some-
times admission to these shows is
free), you can see some of the best
and wackiest films to come to town.
As you'll find, locating a theater in
Ann Arbor is easy. Deciding what
movie to see, on the other hand, is
more of a challenge.
-For theater locations and phone
numbers, see Arts Notes on Page 7D.
By Jack ScMillaci
Daily Arts Writer
Since 1879, the University Musical
Society has brought world-class fine
arts performances by renowned singers,
instrumentalists and dancers to the
University community.
Past seasons' schedules have con-
tributed to the University's artistic com-
munity - and this season's artists can
only enhance UMS's reputation for
excellent performers.
"We're performing arts presenters,"
said UMS director Kenneth Fischer.
"The musical society has been trying to
provide the opportunity to experience a
diversity of cultures."
Conductor Leonard Bernstein -
who Fischer referred to as "Lenny" -
is among the many famous musicians
who performed under UMS's banner.
After a perfor-
mance with the P'iined .e
V i e n n a
Philharmonic in
1988, 30 students Cica
met with 6 at 8 p.m.
Bernstein and for- Wynton larsaff
mer University 'l:riday, April 24, 1
President James :T#emHrl t
Duderstadt - an campus Dec A
evening that ended UMS Choral IJA
with coffee at 4:30 $ymphoy Orchesi
a.m. "That 0c
evening represent-
ed so many things
... (Bernstein)-
really loved Ann Arbor" Fischer said.
The 1997-98 season offers many
highlights for UMS. The season will
bring back popular artists from the past
while incorporating new music and
styles that expand UMS's breadth.
One of the season's highlights is the
return of the "Harlem Nutcracker,"
which last year sold out all of its shows.
A combination of modern dance and
jazz, the show returns this year with
four evening performances and two
matinees in December.
Pulitzer Prize-winning musician
Wynton Marsalis will perform in April.
The performance will be the world pre-
miere of one of his compositions that
utilizes the instrumentation of
Stravinsky's work "L'histoire du
Soldat."
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
will hold an extended residency under
UMS auspices in September to celebrate
the University's Campaign for Michigan
- a program that has raised more than
$1 billion for the University. The visit
includes the opportunity for students
study with the orchestra's players -
which more than 800 students took
advantage of last year. The residency will
culminate with a performance of several
Tchaikovsky and Dvorak works.
Another treat near the end of the sea-
son will be the MET Orchestra's perfor-
mance on May 1. Director Georg Solti
will deliver a performance of Mahler's
Symphony No. 5 that will only
repeated in Carnegie Hall.
UMS's Choral Union will also hold
many special performances this year. Its
annual performance of Handel's
"Messiah" with the Ann Arbor
Symphony Orchestra will take place with
the help of soloists Nicole Heaston,
David Daniels, John Aler and Nathan
Berg. The Choral Union will also perform
Mendelssohn's "Elijah" under Thomas
Sheets' direction
oirlmances> February.
As part of the
4UyOrchestra University 's
er fiaySapt. Martin Luther
King Day celebra-
l lay tions, the Harlem
9 t rBoys Choir will
racker comes to.perform a variety
of music. The per-
mi and Ann Arbor formance takes
rn perform The place the weekend
S1 at 8 01m- and before the holid
in Hi
Auditorium.
UMS's season is
divided into 13 series, each of which con-
sists of performances following a similar
vein. Among the series are "Beethoven
the Contemporary" consisting of the
composer's complete String Quartets and
Piano Sonatas, and "Chamber Art," a col-
lection of performances of chamber
music. Tickets can be purchased for
performances in a particular series, Or
concertgoers can create their own series.
UMS has programs designed to
increase students' access to its multitude
of performances. At the beginning of the
fall semester, UMS sells half-off tickets
for all shows to students. "That's become
a real cool thing," Fischer stated.
Students can pick up unsold tickets
for weekly performances on the Friday
beforehand for $10.
UMS also offers many group-sa
options. It plans to work with fraterni-
ties and other living units - offering
big discounts when large number of
tickets are purchased. In addition, pro-
fessors can cash in on group sales ben-
efits for classes.
MARGARETMYERS/Daily'
Stand-up comedian and former Saturday Night Live star Chris Rock cracks up his audience at an April show at Hill
Auditorium. Rock was one of several big-name performers who appeared in Ann Arbor during the previous school year.
WRITERS
Continued from Page 1D
Player magazine also features student
writing and artwork. Once a year, The
Michigan Daily publishes a literary
magazine that includes a variety of poet-
ry and fiction by students.
Pr6bably the best-known forum for
young writers is the Hopwood Awards, a
program that offers cash prizes and fel-
lowships (and, equally as important,
immense glory and prestige) for all types
of writing. With numerous entrants in a
variety of categories, the Hopwoods
strive to recognize the best of students'
work.
When it comes to writing-as-perfor-
mance, the University has its own
answer to the Poetry Slams. During the
past year students created an unusual
opportunity for young writers to be rec-
ognized: the State Street Poetry Project.
This group organizes poetry readings at
which both students and faculty mem-
bers perform. The English Department
also sponsors readings by creative writ-
ing subconcentrators. These events are
not given much publicity, but they pre-
sent a very high caliber of work, and as
they last longer than most literary
events, audiences are able to enjoy the
readings in more depth. In addition,
they offer another opportunity to hear
the students who just might be famous
someday. I
Once you've been introduced to
the Ann Arbor literary world, it's very
hard to stay away from it. Luckily, it's
very easy to get involved: Go to
Shaman Drum to hear local authors
discuss their work. Submit something
to a University literary journal.
Listen to some new perspectives on
writing at an English Department
reading.
The single drawback to Ann
Arbor's literary life is its multiplicity
of options - there's no way to attend
five events in one night, butt there'll
be nights when you wish you could.
Austin Powers (Mike Myers) and Agent Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley)
plan an escape in the summer comedy "Austin Powers: Intemational Man of
Mystery."
in funny spy spoof
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By Joshua Rich
Daily Arts Writer
Ever the master of the savvy spoof,
"Saturday Night Live" alumnus Mike
Myers has been reborn once again to
salvage his oft-moribund career in
"Austin Powers: International Man of
Mystery." Straying from his banal take
on heavy metal dufuses, Myers plays a
1960s hipster secret agent with terrible
teeth and a bush of chest hair that
would make Sean Connery proud.
Austin Powers is a jovial, testosterone-
charged Brit who, like Myers himself,
causes even the most prudish to swoon
despite his goofy, often unseemly
looks.
Powers is a character Myers was born
to play, and pop-cultural aping abounds
from the start. In the title sequence, an
homage to the Beatles' "A Hard Day's
Night:' Austin runs through the streets
into orbit from Piccadilly Circus.
Austin himself is turned into a popsicle
to combat the smarmy villain when
they both thaw 30 years later.
Fast forward to 1997, when our her.
is defrosted in a much-changed world.
Americans and Russians no longer
quarrel, and much to Austin's chagrin,
promiscuous sex is a thing of the past.
The film begs important questions of
just how the hyper-horny bloke is sup-
posed to survive, especially when test-
ed by partner Elizabeth Hurley.
Despite some juvenile ploys -substi-
tuting ripe melons for a woman's beh4
moth bosoms is straight out of Myers'
idiotic Wayne and Garth "Party on,
dude!" mode - "Austin Powers" suc-
ceeds as both a strict James bond satire
and lighthearted social commentary.
The fact is, Connery's James Bond
would not survive in the 1990s.
C'nm iunkm nna r name VtlQa threat to
U-M MUSEUM OF ART, 525 S. State St., 764-0395.1
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