The Oscar-nominated comedy, "As Good As It Gets" plays at Angell Hall Aud. A. The three main stars of the film, Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear have also garnered nomi- nations from the Academy in this comedy about a cynic, a wait- ress and a homosexual. The screening is tomorrow at 8 p.m., and .,admission is $2. AwftanBaitq Lll;trIFS nday in Daily Arts: U Daily Arts brings you their picks on who will win and who should win the much-anticipated Oscar for film excellence, as well as an interview with Entertainment Weekly critic and 'U' alumnus Owen Gleiberman. r Ainzr' hrmnyhits a ihnote By Valerie Lapinski Daily Arts Wdter This weekend, two groups will perform concerts featuring tunes by Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan and Phil Collins - all without any musical instruments. A far cry from the average person sipging in the shower, the a capella groups Amazin' Blue and Amazin' Blue and Harmonettes Rackham Auditorium Saturday at 8 p m.and Sunday at 4 p.m. respectively . Courtesy of Hiilel Comedian Norm MacDonald brings his "funny" talent to Hill Auditorium tomorrow. u y i ,_U'Fny 1"4V1" t" Harmonettes use their voices to create melody, harmony, bass and percussion. The groups will bring their unique vocal arrangements of popular songs to Rackham auditorium tomor- row and Sunday. Amazin' Blue, the oldest co- ed a capella group at the University, boasts 14 members of all ages and schools. Their program selections were simply chosen by listening to the radio, and then were rearranged to be performed a capella style. The group does all their own Each arrangement is easily recognizable from the original, but the group is given a lot of creative free- dom in adapting the original for their voices. Amazin' Blue has taken advantage of that leeway to become recognized as one of the best college a capel- la groups in the nation. At the end of January, they par- ticipated in the National Championship of College A Capella (NCCA) semi-finals at Smith College, Mass. The group won first place for Best Overall, Best Solo (performed by tenor Jim Daly, a Music senior), and was a runner-up for graduate student Jeremy Fisher's arrangement of "Time after Time." This excitement has been the high point of the year for Amazin' Blue, who will travel to New York City in May to compete in the NCCA Finals at Carnegie Hall. Adding to their achievements, the group also has been featured on every "Best of College A Capella" CD, which selects groups from all over the country in annual compilation of the nation's best. In describing the group, Radcliffe emphasized the value of its teamwork. "The group becomes your family, your best friends," she said. "It's so intensive - we tour, per- form, put out CDs, and rehearse together. My best friends from college are from this group.' Another University a capella group to exhibit both unity and achievement is the Harmonettes, a sub- group of the Women's Glee Club. Like Amazin' Blue, the group is completely student-run and prides itself in many of its own arrangements. Today, the Harmonettes are traveling to St. Louis to participate in another installment of the NCCA semi-finals. LSA junior and Harmonette Emily Costello said, By Matthew Barrett Daily Arts Writer Comic Norm MacDonald will bring his wry sense of humor to Hill Auditorium tomorrow for a live perfor- mance. Known mainly for his role behind the Weekend Update desk on "Saturday Night Live," MacDonald says that fans can expect a "funny" performance that draws on whatever is going on in his life. a As he is currently under the weather, the show's topics likely will touch on the flu and his recovery. Norm MacDonald Hill Auditorium Tomorrow at 8 MacDonald has made a name for himself in the movie industry with roles in movies ranging from "Billy Madison" to "The People Vs. Larry Flynt." He said that director Milos Foreman "phoned me and said he wanted me to be in his movie. He didn't There are several movies on the hori- zon for MacDonald, including already completed projects alongside stars such as Eddie Murphy and the late Chris Farley. In "Dr. Doolittle," MacDonald provided the voice for Eddie Murphy's dog. For the role he provided the dia- logue after which the live action shots with the dog were done. MacDonald can also be seen with Farley in the upcoming "Dirty Work," where he plays someone who gets revenge on others. He said that the death of his former "SNL" colleague was "really sad," and that it came as a sur- prise to him. "Farley used to be able to do whatever he wanted and he always had more energy than anyone else, he was a very strong guy." Regarding the highly publicized part- ing between MacDonald and "Saturday Night Live" he said, "The president (Don Ohlmeyer) fired me from Update." The cause for the fii ing was the fact that Ohlmeyer "didn't like me, and he didn't think it was funny." MacDonald said he plans to return to television and is set to go before the camera this May for the big screen com- edy, "Ball Busted," in which he plays a chauffeur who drives around an old lady and then kidnaps her dog. He also plans to use his writing skills that he honed while writing parts of the "SNL" script to write for himself in the future. With all the comedic talent and experi- ence that Norm MacDonald brings to the table, fans should expect a hilarious per- formance tomorrow at Hill Auditorium. have a part so he made up one." MacDonald ended up playing "one of the people" in the biopic of Hustler mag- 'azine founder Larry Flynt. He said that "Billy Madison" was a lot of fun to make especially because it paired him with his "best buddy" Adam Sandler, adding that he hoped to work with Sandler again in the future. arrangements, and any member is welcome to propose a new idea to the group. "What's really cool is that it's all student-run," said Shana Radcliffe, a third-year law student and a busi- ness manager for Amazin' Blue. "There are 14 people, which means 14 different views and perspectives. When we use all those ideas, we come up with amaz- ing stuff." Some of their "amazing" creations will debut at their show tomorrow, including renditions of "Cosmic Girl" by Jamiroquai and "Criminal" by Fiona Apple. Durang s fun 'Baby' delivers By Christopher Tkaczyk Daily Fine Arts Editor Christopher Durang has gotten a lot of exposure these past few months. University Productions presented "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" in the fall. This weekend, Basement Arts is pre- senting Durang's popular comedy, "The Baby with the Bathwater." The student-run production compa- ny is finally getting the acts together. Last semester's line-up was disappoint- ing, as less than a handful of student productions were assembled for pre- sentation. Although Basement Arts achieved success with its first-ever 24 Hour Theater, there weren't as many plays presented as had been in previous years. One reason that Basement Arts has- n't offered that many productions this year is the possibility of silent opposi- tion by a hidden crowd. As soon as casting calls and announcements about upcoming shows were posted on the call board inside the Frieze Building, they were ripped down. In retaliation to the vandalism, mem- The University of Michigan School of Music Friday, March 20 Symphony Band Kevin Sedatole, conductor " music by Bach, Schuller, Syler and more Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21 Harp Recital Students of Lynne Aspnes perform harp repertory McIntosh Theatre, E.V. Moore Bldg., 5:30 p.m. Horn Studio Class Students of Bryan Kennedy perform horn repertory Britton Recital Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 22 Stearns Lecture Bell Young will present the lecture Celestial Airs of Antiquity: A Veneral Instrumental Tradition from China Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 2 p.m. Faculty Recital Stephen Shipps, violin; Edward Parmentier, harpsichord * music by Handel, Tartini's "Devil's Trill" sonata and The Four Seasons by Vivaldi Britton Recital Hall, E.V. Moore Bldg., 4p.m-ta. Monday, March 23 Guest Master Class Linda Chesis, flute; from Manhattan School of Music Britton Recital Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 4:30 p.m. University Philharmonia Orchestra Pier Calabria, conductor Andrea Schneider, piano, Concerto Competition Winner " Borodin: selections from Prince Igor " Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. Thursday, March 26 Guest Lecture/Demonstration Ursula Oppens, pianist, discusses Milton Babbitt and piano music from 1945 to the present. Britton Recital Hall, E.V. Moore Bldg., 3 p.m. Tuba/Euphonium Recital Fritz Kaenzig, music director * music by Verdi, Shostakovich, Barber, Joplin and more McIntosh Theatre, E. V. Moore Bldg., 8 p.m. Creative Arts Orchestra Frd Carath miuic diretor Baby with the Bathwater Arena Theater Tonight at 7 and 11; Saturday at 7 p.m. bers of the Basement Arts community and their fellow the- ater students left notes to the o f f e n d ers, expressing their disgust. The play's director, Music sophomore Matt Patrick, said the vandalism pro- vided directly "affectbd the of "Baby with the DANA LINNANE/Daily "Baby with the Bathwater" premiered last night and runs through tomorrow. and his cast were on their way into rehearsing for the comedy. "Baby with the Bathwater" involves the story of a young couple who have a child. They are entirely satisfied with their baby except for one small detail - its sex. They had been hoping for a girl, and instead of just dealing with what nature gave them, they treat the boy as if he were a girl. Its no wonder parents are the cause of years of thera- py. This presentation of "Baby with the Bathwater" marks Patrick's first-ever directing attempt, so he is nervous and excited all at once. "I've assembled a young cast - possibly the youngest ever for the Basement," Patrick said. "I've got three freshmen, two sopho- mores, and one junior performing together," he said. The hardest part about presenting a play through Basement Arts is the time constraint set upon its rehearsal sched- ule. "We only had three and half weeks to rehearse, and I'm really proud of the cast for how far they've come," he added. "This is going to be a hilarious show with all of Durang's dark humor. He often presents a twisted view of modernist America set in New York City. He's really a humorist," Patrick said. Admission is free, but space is limited. Expect lines to get in. rehearsal schedule Bathwater." "We had to postpone auditions as a result of the vandalism. I posted the announcement for the auditions, but within the next hour it was ripped down," Patrick explained. After the vandalism stopped, Patrick A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO INVESTIGATE MEDICAL SCHOOLS... What are the admissions requirements? Who are the successful applicants? Where should you apply? -The Medical School INFORMATION FAIR a t " TODAY ( ' :010:AM-2OPMa MichisLan Union#