M ttin' Ziggy with it ax j fi i -m V tTomorrow In Daily Arts: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers play at the Michigan U You know you've been waiting for the season premiere of " tonight. The son of Bob Marley carries on the reggae tradition, Home Improvement," and to meet your demands, tomorrow and adds his own unique sounds this evening. The show begins at Daily Arts has a preview of it. 7:30 p.m., and tickets cost $22.50. Tickets can be obtained at the Michigan Union Ticket Office or other Ticketmaster outlets. September 22, 1998 Troupe reveals musical talent By Jennifer Curren For the Daily Trumpeter Humberto Ramirez and his band proved in their con- cert at Mendelssohn Theater this past Sunday night that the most talented musicians are often hid- den treasures. The energetic Puerto Rican ensemble eased the audience into the show with "Nilda" and "Portrait of a Stranger," two num- bers that got toes wiggling, thanks to extraordinary percussionist Paoli Mejillas and the strong bass of the slightly hyper Raman Vasquez. After a brief hiatus, saxophonist Ruben Rios returned to the stage to blow the roof off with "Pacifico." The cool professionalism of Rios and Ramirez as front men didn't detract from the sheer joyful energy that exuded from the stage. These guys live to play, a fact that was unmistak- ably reflected in the exuber- ant faces of Humberto Mejillas and Ramirez pianist Luis Mendelssohn Marin. Theater A f t e r "Pacifico," things cooled down with "Catalina," a soft, sensual jazz piece that showcased the exceptional talent of Ramirez. "Para Chiqui," followed, kicking the tempo up a notch with mambo rhythms. Humberto Ramirez and his band had toes-wiggling at the Mendelssohn Theater Sunday night. courtesy ofTouchstone toe4 The cast of "Sports Night," Joshua Malina, Sabrina Uoyd, Josh Charles, Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause and Robert Guillaum get pumped for their premiere tonight on ABC. 'Night' has great potential This piece featured the only solo by drummer Hdctor Matos. Although not featured often on his own throughout the set, Matos' tal- ent provided an important founda- tion for the set. in the next song, "Sofando con Puerto Rico" ("Dreaming of Puerto Rico"), Matos worked his drumsticks like paintbrushes on canvas, as a man absorbed in his craft. Ramirez dedicated "Sonando con Puerto Rico" to the many Puerto Ricans who attended the show. He told the audience he wanted to bring them a piece of the island with the song. Percussionist Mejillas kicked off the final song "Barandilla" with a phenomenal and inspired bongo solo, and Ramirez invited the audi- ence to indulge in what had tempt- ed them all night: to dance. Within minutes, a few brave souls were christening the pristine carpet in the aisles with exuberant footwork. By the end of the num- ber, over half the audience had joined in, continuing through the inevitable 10-minute encore that left everyone breathless. Sunday's show was Ramirez's first concert in Ann Arbor, but it won't be the last, according to Rios, who said they'd return if the University "brings us back." Katarina Berdy, organizer of the concert, remarked that she hoped they'd be back again next year, in an even bigger venue with a larger audience. Hopefully, with a man- ager as enthusiastic as Miguel Quinones, and the overwhelming support of the Multi-E thnic Student Affairs group, it will become a reality. Humberto Ramirez has five albums -"Treasures," "Canciones de Amor," "Portrait of a Stranger," "Aspects" and "Jazz Project" - available on the Tropijazz label. By Ed Sholinsky i)ly Arts Writer When is a sitcom not a sitcom? When said sitcom is "Sports Night." Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, "Sports Night" is at its best when it's not trying to be funny, giving it the feel of a half-hour drama. The idea for "Sports Night" is "SportsCenter" meets "The Larry Sanders Show." Series creator and writer Aaron Sorkin (screenwriter of "A Few Good Men" and "The American President") has a great idea, which isn't quite realized. While "Sports Night" has the intelligence of "SportsCenter" and "The Larry Sanders Show," ultimately it lacks their zing. The pilot episode focuses on the show's stars, Josh Charles and Peter Krause who play "Sports Night's" anchors Dan Rydell and Casey McCall, respectively. McCall is recently divorced and in a funk that is dragging down the show. This is bringing heat from the network onto the show's executive producer Isaac JatTee (Robert Guillaume) and the shows producer Dana Whitaker (Felicity Huffman). Though the pair has protected McCall until the point where the pilot picks up, they accept the fact they might have to replace him. Rydell's refusal to do the show without McCall is the only thing saving him. While the strength of the pilot episode is its characters and character interactions, the comedy falls short. The humor derived from Joshua Malina's Jeremy Goodwin, the show's Sp orts new assistant producer. He's a spat. The smallest pressure sets him off into a mad, Night sweaty rant, which is too cliched to be .* funny. In both the pilot and "The ABC Apology," Malina's brand of physical Tonight at 9 30 p.m. humor is embarrassing. What also falls short are the one-lin- ers characters blurt out every once in a while. The comments seem out of place with the show's more serious atmos- phere. The writers and producers of "Sports Night" either need to punch up the scripts a bit, or need to make the decision to become a half-hour drama. The show needs to commit itself one way or the other. "The Apology" works better than the pilot by shedding many of the attempts at humor. The episode revolves around Rydell publicizing his opinion that marijuana should be legal- ized. This sets off a controversy that leads to the network insist- ing he apologize on air. Though tie isn't sorry, Rydell reluc- tantly gives in. The show is at its best when it is focusing on Rydell's strug- gle. It relies on comic content to come from the interaet between Krause's McCall and Malina's Goodwin. As ih pilot, Malina's brand of humor doesn't fit the show. What d work is Natalie Rosen (Sabrina Lloyd), who plays the ot assistant producer. She tells everyone she can't evalu Goodwin's job performance objectively because she thinks might have feelings for him. But after Matina's terrible pee mance, it's hard to understand why she might have thif ings. Given that the show's writer Aaron Sorkin's ability forth ancing the serious and the humorous in "The Ameri. President," "Sports Night's" lack of comedy is a disappo ment. Perhaps the confines of series television - a hal fl to develop a story, censorship, etc. - don't suit Sorkin t ents. Or maybe the show just needs some time to find groove. Given time, "Sports Night" might end up being out the funniest serious comedies. For now, however, "Sports Night" has to rely on the ie istry between stars Charles and Krause, and the excelle'nts porting cast (with, of course, the exception of Malina)We attention must be paid to both Lloyd and Guillaume who scene-stealers, easily making the transition from reserved comedic. "Sports Night" might not be a great show, but it mi become one. The show has a lot of potential, even if it's using it to the fullest. E Coutesy o1Tochstone Peter Krause and Josh Charles pose for a sportscaster moment in "Sports Night." I REGISTRAR'S BULLETIN BOARD Each term the Registrar will publish important information and key dates affecting students DATES TO REMEMBER Last Day to: Mon., Sept. 28 WITHDRAW FROM FALL TERM-with payment of $50' disenrollment fee and $80 registration fee. Mon., Sept. 28 DROP ALL CLASSES-with a reduction in tuition. NOTE: Some units (Law, Medicine and Dentistry) begin classes on a different academic calendar and this date will vary for those" units. Mon., Oct. 19 WITHDRAW FROM FALL TERM-with payment of half, tuition and $80 registration fee. NOTE: This date will vary for" the units having a different academic calendar. Beginning: Tues., Sept. 29 WITHDRAW FROM FALL TERM-pay half tuition and $80: registration fee through Monday, Oct. 19. This fee adjustment' applies only to complete withdrawals from the term and not to a, reduction of credit hours. Tues., Oct. 20 Full payment of tuition and fees for students who withdraw for the Fall Term. Pick Up Free Passes at the Cinema Guild Office Wednesday September 23 8:00 PM Lorch Hall Presented By Cinema Guild End of Term Schedule: Classes End: Friday, December 11, 1998 Study Days: Saturday, Sunday, December 12-t3 Final Examinations: Monday - Friday, December 14-18 and Monday, December 21 Commencement: Sunday, December 20 i