,:
e Naked Mile commences tonight at midnight. If you like
classmates a nude, you're in for a treat. No photographs,
se.
UfbeSicriwgn 1t
Coming in May in Daily Arts:
® Today marks the last paper for the semester. If you're
sticking around for the summer, be sure to pick up a copy of
the Summer Daily on May 4 for a review of "Jekyll and Hyde."
.ZTAL
WARES! Countdown: 29 Days
EPISODE 1
12
Tuesday
April 20, 1999
movie m
Matthew Barrett
y Arts Writer
Throughout a career that includes four
|=car nominations and collaborations with
,Yveryone from Steven Spielberg to George
:jcas, University alum Lawrence Kasdan has
=tablished himself as a prominent player in
' ffllywood. Today and tomorrow, Kasdan
"returns to Ann Arbor to speak at the Hopwood
Awards, show his movie "Grand Canyon" and
',ive a few presentations on the film industry.
During his days at the University, Kasdan
won four Hopwood Awards (one in fiction
and three in drama, two of which were for
screenplays), and they hold a special place in
his heart. "The Hopwood Awards were really
important to me when I was (at the
University) to help pay my way through
school," Kasdan said. This afternoon, he will
-be the keynote speaker at the Hopwood
Awards ceremony.
Kasdan and his wife Meg, who also attend-
ed' the University, have started the Kasdan
Stholarship in Creative Writing. He feels that
the Hppwoods "were so important to me I
thought it would be nice to give one back."
-The scholarship, which is administered by the
"Hopwood Awards, is "for dramatic writing,
preferably screenwriting, but if there's no
appropriate winner it could go to a play,"
"Kasdan added. -
After honing his writing skills at Michigan,
Kasdan went on to make his mark in
Hollywood. He has written screenplays for
numerous hits, including "The Empire Strikes
- k,""Return of the Jedi," "Raiders of the
Cst Ark" and "The Bodyguard." In addition,
"'he co-wrote and directed "The Big Chill," a
look at several baby boomers coming to terms
dM
WyntonM
By Jeff Druchniak The
Daily Arts Writer specia
It has been a busy year on the arts of the
calendar for Ann Arbor and the haps
University campus, but the journey is comp
I by no means over. At the very end of LCJO
winter term comes possibly the most York's
im ortant local Linco
an Kasdan to deliver Hopwood lecture*
with a friend's death and the idea of getting
old. Most of the main characters attended the
University of Michigan and spend a good part
of the movie reminiscing about their days in
Ann Arbor.
Kasdan also directed and co-wrote "Grand
Canyon" with his wife. Later tonight, they,
along with the film's producer Charles Okun,
will hold a screening of the movie followed
by a question and answer session. The movie,
which was released in 1991, takes a probing
look at several characters living under differ-
ent conditions in modern day Los Angeles.
Lawrence Kasdan's
Scheduled Appearances
Today
3:30 p.m. Keynote speaker at Hopwood
Awards at Rackham Auditorium
5p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. "Grand Canyon" screens at
Michigan Theater, Question & Answer ses-
sion afterwards with Lawrence & Meg
Kasdan and' Charles Okun (screening is
free and open to everyone)
Tomorrow
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Professional
Opportunities in Filmmaking: discus-
sioni/Q&A with him, Meg Kasdan and
Okun in 1400 Chem
2 to 4:30 p.m. The Art of Filmmaking:
from the writer/director/producer perspec-
tive - Kasdan, at Nat. Sci. Aud. (both of
these events are open to all)
According to Kasdan, "the story is very
personal, it's about our experiences in Los
Angeles and our feelings about the city and
the country and about having children and so
it couldn't have been more personal. It's
unusual in Hollywood in this day in age to
make personal movies. I've been lucky
enough to do that."
The story gets rolling when an accountant,
Mack (Kevin Kline), gets lost on his way
home from a Lakers game and has his car
breakdown in a rough L.A. neighborhood.
Mack befriends Simon (Danny Glover) a tow-
truck driver who saves his hide and from
there the story follows the two and their vari-
ous acquaintances.
Teaming up with Kline was nothing new
for Kasdan - the actor has appeared in sev-
eral of the director's movies. "It's great fun
working with him. He's an incredible actor,
he's very funny, he can do anything. He can
portray someone who thinks which not all
American stars can do. He's unpredictable,
he's unlimited in his range," Kasdan said.
Along with the activities planned for today,
Kasdan will be giving two presentations
tomorrow on filmmaking. He was drawn to
this opportunity because "When I was in
school, anyone who was actually working in
the business was very interesting to me. It's a
hard business to get into, so when people
come back and tell you their experiences to
me that's good." Kasdan added that "whenev-
er people can talk to someone who's actually
working in the industry, I think it's good."
This September, "Mumford," which
Kasdan describes as "an ensemble comedy
about a psychologist who comes to a small
; I
Courtesy of 20th Century Fix
Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline and Lawrence Kasdan sit on the set of the 1995 film "French Kiss."
patients," hits theaters. He wrote and directed
the picture which stars Jason Lee, Mary
McDonnell, Hope Davis and Loren Dean.
Kasdan also passed on the chance to work
on the first "Star Wars" prequel. "I had an
opportunity to be involved, and I didn't think
it was something for me to do." He was, how-
ever, lucky enough to see the movie and calls
it "terrific." He also said that he had no plans
to work on another installment of the
"Indiana Jones" series. "I want to direct my
own movies. I don't particularly want to do
sequels. I think there are too many stories to
tell that aren't being told," Kasdan said.
Kasdan's advice to aspiring filmmakers is
to stick with it. "You have to be absolutely
passionate about it and have no alternative
planned that suit you, because it's going to be
very difficult to get in. So you have to feel
that this is the only thing for you. If you can
quit it, quit it. If you can't quit it and if you
must do it, then you're going to have to dig in
for the long haul, stay on the road and maybe
you'll get lucky," Kasdan said. So stop by one
of his many presentations and find out some
hints on hitting it big in Hollywood.
town and becomes
involved with
'arsalis celebrates genius, music of Ellington
arts event of the
season, and stu-
dents who can
Lincoln tear themselves
Center JaZZ away from
Orchestra studying for
Hill Auditorium exams will have
a unique oppor-
Friday at 8 p.m. tunity Friday
night, although
they might have
to hustle to
secure tickets.
That is the
night that Hill
Auditorium, under the auspices of the
]Aiversity Musical Society, will host
Wnton Marsalis for the fourth time,
ash the trumpeter, bandleader and
e~nposer directs his Lincoln Center
:fe Orchestra.
100-ci
the
throug
facets
But as
plays
of Elli
Bor
Washi
renow
bandl
2,000
variet)
music
length
and m
half-c
tireles
death
His
in rec
concert is being given for a
al occasion: the 100th birthday
legendary Duke Ellington, per-
the greatest of all American
osers or recording artists. The
, the flagship ensemble of New
s world-renowned Jazz at
In Center, is in the midst of a
ity world tour, "Celebrating
Ellington Centennial,"
ghout which it will perform
of Ellington's vast catalogue.
s luck would have it, Ann Arbor
host to the tour the very week
ington's birthday.
rn on April 29, 1899 in
ngton, D.C., Ellington is most
ned as a jazz composer and
eader, but he wrote almost
compositions in a staggering
:y of forms, including Broadway
als, romantic ballads, full-
jazz, blues and sacred works,
notion picture soundtracks. His
entury artistic career extended
sly and seamlessly until his
in 1974.
reputation has been bolstered
ent years by Marsalis' yeoman
labor as Artistic Director of Jazz at
Lincoln Center: Ellington recently
received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize;
incredi-
bly, he was only the second jazz artist
ever to receive that honor. The first
was
none other than Marsalis, for his
1997 jazz oratorio "Blood on the
Fields."
Marsalis himself is the only jazz
composer in the world whose artistic
scope and achievement rivals that of
the Duke. The only artist to win
Grammy awards for both classical
and jazz music in one year, Marsalis
can lay claim to half a dozen more
Grammys in his locker to boot.
His accomplishments as per-
former and composer are challenged
only by his influence as an educator.
Among the new generation of music
fans, he has been the dominant single
figure in stimulating the continued
eminence of jazz as a leading aspect
of American culture.
Marsalis' tenure with the LCJO has
not been without controversy. With
longtime collaborators, such as
drummer Herlin Riley and trombon-
ist Wycliffe Gordon, he has received
his highest musical acclaim since
devoting himself to the cause of
rejuvenating the New Orleans-
based roots that are the legacy of
jazz. Meanwhile, he has introduced
a distinguished international bent to
the LCJO's personnel.
But in championing the glory of
jazz's history, Marsalis has come
under fire from some corners for h;s
disrespect for more recent jazz. A
relatively small fraction of artiste
from the past quarter century have
received Marsalis' stamp of approval
by earning a place in the LCJO's
repertoire. Electronic jazz has been
an innovation long in development in
the jazz world, and Marsalis has
reserved some of his harshest criti-
cism for the very existence of the
movement.
But his ability to create such an
ongoing debate is also a sign o0
Marsalis' stature as a vital force on
the American cultural landscape. A
chance to see him perform, especial-
ly on this historic tour, should be a
high priority for any music lover.
Tickets for the Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra are $16-$36 and ar4
available at the University Musical
Society Box Office, on the first floor
of the Burton Memorial Tower. Call
764-2538 for more information.
Courtesy of Carol Friedman
Wynton Marsalis (the one wearing the spiffy white tux) poses with the Uncoln Center
Jazz Orchestra, who will perform the music of Duke Ellington on Friday.
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Here's the
Rese s. 1 n ..
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