What a 'Glee'-ful weekend
The Men's Glee Club will perform their annual spring concert this
weekend at Hill Auditorium. It's the vocally inclined University
students as they sing their way out of winter semester and into
finals. The Annual Spring Concert begins at 8 p.m. at Hill
Auditorium. Call 764-1448 for ticket information.
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Monday in Daily Arts:
The Daily film staffers bring reviews of the films released
this weekend, such as "Major League 3" and "The Player's
Club."
00
Friday
April 17, 1998
8
Net grabs the best of 'U' Improv
By Maicie Jones
Daily Aits Writer
Do you know what you're doing
tonight? Without a Net, a campus
improv comedy group, performing
at the U-Club in the Michigan Union
is an option for the evening's activi-
ties. And its members are not exact-
ly sure what they're going to be
doing tonight either.
This is Without a Net's sixth year
at the University. The independent
organization is composed entirely of
students and presently has six mem-
bers, who are chosen from tryouts
from the beginning of the semester.
It is a smaller, more specialized
group that emphasizes improvisa-
tional skills, meaning the perform-
ers' work is almost completely unre-
hearsed.
Without a Net presented "improv
Comedy Rampage" in February and
"improv Comedy Crunch" in March.
Tonight, members will present
"Comedy Apocalypse," which is
directed by LSA senior Gordon
lick, a member of the group for five
semesters. The show wili be Without
a Net's final performance of the
year.
"Comedy Apocalypse" w ill begin
with a short skit that the performers
in Without a Net wrote together. The
skit parodies films and TV shows
about the destruction of the Earth by
asteroids.
For the remainder of the evening,
the group will play improvisational
games with the audience such as
Superhero, Song,
Without a
Net
U-Club
Tonight at 8:30
Dub-lines, Party
Quirks, Lecture,
Time Traveler
and World's
Worst.
In these
games, the audi-
ence helps set
up the scenes,
characters and
lines. The cast
has no idea
what kind of sit-
uation the audi-
ence will
choose for the
performers. As
friendly."
Many of the performers enjoy
being a part of the organization
because it's a chance for them to
show off their colorful and comedic
sides, while bringing enjoyment and
laughter to the audience and each
other.
"Without a Net is the only place
where my incoherent nature is
accepted and appreciated," said
Robbie Simon, the group's producer
and an LSA senior.
"The challenge is always to make
coherence out of the audience's sug-
gestions, and Robbie is really good
at that on stage," LSA junior Mike
Stern said.
"The great part is when you make
a connection with the audience, and
I love to work with these five talent-
ed and very enjoyable people to try
to do so," Stern said.
Many of the performers in
Without a Net say they enjoy being a
part of the group because they feel
they excel at bringing the audience's
ideas together. They compare their
type of improv to one great, big puz-
zle that everyone in the group has to
work together to successfully solve.
"The beautiful thing about improv
is that there is no wrong. That way
I'm always brilliant, even if no one
else notices," said P.J. Jacokes, an
LSA junior.
Because this is their last show of
the year and a number of the mem-
bers are graduating, some perform-
ers from Without a Net are feeling a
little nostalgic about leaving
group.
All of the performers have been
with the organization during previ-
ous semesters, and they have grown
close to each other.
"We work well together because
we're such an eclectic group, just a
bunch of weird people basically,"
said third-year Art student Kathy
Silverstein, who has been with the
group for three semesters. She a@
calls Without a Net a "dynamic coaii-
edy troupe."
Without a Net cast members
promise that the group's perfor-
mance will be original and "incredi-
bly hilarious."
The members invite everyone to
come and see their final perfor-
mance.
Tickets for the perfOrmance are $3.
and are available at the dowr: T
show will begin promptly at 8:30 p.m.
a result, anything can happen.
"The shows are really a thrill,"
said Without a Net performer and
LSA senior Erin Galligan. "It can be
frightening to get up on stage with
no script, but the spontaneity is what
makes the shows exciting and
DANA IINNANE/Datly
P.J. Jacokes and Erin Galligan do their interpretation of fish for the comedy troupe
Without a Net. The Improv group hosts a performance tonight at the U-Club.
Musical 'Mina' bows at Media Union
Pure talent rocks free concert
By Valerie Lapinski
Daily tis Write
It may not be opening on Broadway. It may not featuie the
songs of Leonard Bernstein or George and Ira Gershwin. But
the premiere of "Mine & Colossus" guarantees to hold its
own in the world of musical theater. With a workshop pro-
duction opening Sunday, this new musical promises to gain
from imagination what it may lack in experience.
Based on the biography of obscure poet/artist Mina Loy,
the musical recounts her love affair with Arthur C'ravan, a
poet and boxing champion in France near the turn oflthe cen-
tury.
The collision of the modern art world in New York with the
old worlds the two lovers have behind provides an intricate
storyline and intriguing characters.
With the score and lyrics both composed by University stu-
dents, "Mina" began as a happenstance collaboration
between composer Sam Davis and lyricist Ron Nyren.
Nyren, enrolled in a course called "Words and Music,"" was
performing an original song, and Davis heard it while visit-
ing the class.
"It is a class where composers and poets and writers are
thrown together to see what happens? said "Mina" director
and theater and drama Prof. John Neville-Andrews.
That day, something wonderful happened. One of Da is'
and Nyren's songs, which focuses on the life of artist Mina
Loy, was picked up by Music professor Joan Morris.
Enthralled by the idea of turning the story into a musical,
Morris helped Davis and Nyren along and became the
show's producer.
Nyren, a second-year graduate student in creative writing,
makes his debut as a lyricist with "Mina." Hlaving read the
biography of Mina Loy, he was delighted with the story,
describing it as, "an unlikely romance between an elegant
painter/poet and an outrageous poet/boxei."
As for the musical, "I wanted the story to be interesting;'
Nyren said. "We had a lot of creative leeway. It's an unusual
story and a good opportunity to try it. Broadway shows have
to worry about making money - we don't."
"It's been really exciting to collaborate with another art
field," Nyren added. A Hopwood Award winner for fiction,
Nyren found that writing a libretto as a collaborative effort
enriched his individual work.
"This is a wonderfill sort of venture for him to be teamed
up with Sam." director Neville-Andrews said. "It's a rare
occasion when this happens. Sometimes in the professional
world people come together to write something, but this hap-
pened by happy accident."
"I've always wanted to write a show but couldn't find a
lyricist to work with," Davis said. "It was incredible to find
R on:"
Writing, producing and directing a brand new show has its
advantages, mainly that the audience comes without conflict-
ing expectations. It also allows the director and writers lots of
room for change.
Since the performances are still in the workshop stage, all
the people involved have had plenty of input in the creation
of the show.
"We've been rewriting stuff almost down to the last
minute," Davis said.
The cast, featurinig 12 students, is composed of theater and
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily Arts Wnter
In an attempt to purge the music industry of its gluttony
and greed, Canada's Pure plays a special free show with
openers The Gandharvas and Getaway Cruiser tonight at
The Shelter.
With their latest record, "Feverish," released on Tuesday,
Pure is in the mood to show off its new tunes. In a recent
interview, Pure's vocalist Jordy Birch discussed recording
"Feverish" and the band's attitude towards its fans.
Recorded on an island off the coast of Vancouver,
"Feverish" gave Pure a chance to let go of industry pre;.sures
and just be a band. "We became friends again?' Birch said.
"We've been doing so much business and so much traveling
that we've forgotten about our friendships."
Building on their personal friendships, the members of
Pure have also managed to build on their collective sound.
Mixing rock, techno, pop and even some country influences,
Pure released a diverse collection of tracks. "We were pretty
satisfied with the whole experience. Each song has its own
integrity," he said.
tonight's show at The Shelter is Pure's first chance to
show off that integrity. Kicking off its tour in Detroit, the,
band looks forward to reach as many people as possible.4
"Anybody can come to our show," Birch said. "I don't want
Pure
The Shelter
Tonight at 6 p.m.
to play to just one clique."
With a free show, Pure's goal might
be a little easier to achieve. Selling
out its last show at The Shelter, the
band not only attracts fans through its
music, but also through its down-to
earth attitude. "When you watch a
video, you get the idea that a band is
cooler than they actually are" said
Birch. "We really aren't that cool
we're just regular guys."
Even though the members of Pure
are just regular guys, together they
are an extraordinary band that cares
about its fans. Hoping to reach out
and touch its audience, Pure displays
Mina &
Colossus
Video Studio,
Media Union
Surnwiy1uesday a 8
musical theater concentrators. The
nine-piece orchestra is headed by
Music senior Steve Bizub.
Davis and Nyren strove for a mix of
new and old styles in the story and the
music.
"It was hard to write music about
such an avant-garde poet," Davis
explained. "I didn't think the audience
would flock to a completely 12-tone
musical, but I wanted to avoid Andrew
l.loyd-Wcbber type ballads. So I tried
to keep the sophistication while having
it be melodically appealing."
The result is a tragic yet comedic
musical filled with ballads, traditional
its talent and revitalized group dynamic tonight.
'One' portrays recycled material
.
'. e
>s .
show tunes and dance numbers. The ambition to combine the
tunes of a traditional musical with the world of modern art
has been realized by Nyren and Davis through their collabo-
ration on "Mina."
"This is quite a joyous occasion," Neville-Andrews said of
the premiere. "It's a mixture of faculty and students all get-
ting together to create something new, which is wonderful.
It's what we should be doing at the University."
- Tic/etsfir " a btt dCOlossui "iafi-e but reser-vations
urc required bthrough the Michigan League Ticket f/fice.
(Call 764-0450for more information.
By JBe Lin
Daily Arts Writer
Dolly the sheep isn't the only thing
getting cloned these days. To prove it,
WB has just cloned Paul and Jamie
Buchman in the new show "You're the
One." But their cloning technology
needs some fine-tuning. On the surface,
the stars of the show may resemble Paul
and Jamie but this doppleganger is lack-
ing something - humor.
"You're the
* One" is about a
southern belle who
You're the falls in love with a
One Jewish guy from
Long Island. Now,
*r the two lovebirds
The WB want to tie the
Sundays at 9:30 p.m. knot. Standing in
the way of their
marital happiness
are their neurotic
families, and it's up
to the lovebirds to
find peaceful
ground. Is this starting to sound familiar?
Elon Gold and Cynthia Geary play
Mark and Lindsay Weitz, the Paul and
Jamie Buchman look-alikes.
Elon Gold is a former stand-up come-
dian and has appeared on short-lived
series such as "She-TV" and "The Dana
Carvey Show." It is evident that Mark in
"You're the One" is his first starring role.
Elon tries too hard to come across as
funny and makes most of the jokes as
forced as the laugh track playing in the
background.
Instead of laughing, you want to gri-
mace. The only funny line to come out of
his mouth is when he's all dressed to go
hunting with Lindsay's dad, Bo (Leo
Burmester). He looks in the mirror and
says, "I look like Elmer Fud."
Cynthia is best known for her role of
Shelly Tambo on the long-running
series, "Northern Exposure." This for-
mer Emmy nominee's talent is wasted
here. She does little more than act as an
ornament - someone had to wear the
wedding dress. She's either flashing her
pearly whites or throwing a fit because
the two families can't get along.
Most of the premiere episode focuses
on the debate over Mark and Lindsay's
upcoming wedding. The two families
fight over everything from the food to
the location. Lindsay's family is tradi-
tionally southern - complete with a
.
U I
,t, ?tea..
uv
Courtesy of the WB
Cynthia Geary and Elon Gold aren't the
ones to replace Paul and Jamie.
famous legacy of war generals. Mark's
family, on the other hand, originates
from Long Island. Needless to say, nei-
ther family understands the other.
"You're the One" is full of all toc
familiar storylines and stereotypes ab
conflicting religious views, bickerng
families and hardships of marriage. But,
of course, somehow love always saves
the day.
One can't really blame the producers
for wanting to cash in on the suecesso
a "couple" show like "Mad about You'
and "Dharma and Greg" But, as "Yau're
the One" demonstrates, recycled matrri-
al does not make for good comedy.
1,
..
.
"' ' '
Il
"If you've got a look...
' we reAlooking for YOU!." b
ADRIAN COLLEGE - STUDENT ACTIVITIES COUNCIL
Presents
Dwight Agnor
President & Founder of the
Manhattan Model Search
has started the careers of far
FREE OPEN CALL MODEL SEARCH
I
.