mw
* We aII\Iive in a
U "Yellow Submxrine" screens at the Michigan Theater. The classic
animated film tells the story of the Beatles' strange journey.
Michigan Theatei Screening Room, 9:30 p.m.
vbe M3ihingan Datig
Tomorrow in Daily Arts:
U Weekend, etc. Magazine features many aspects of Ann
Arbor, from community service opportunities to the
hassles of parking oncampus.
Wednesday
November 3, 1999
5
Mechanicals produce comedic 'Ado'
By Nick Falzone
Daily Arts Writer
Shakespeare's theatrical repertoire
is practically timeless. boasting a
wide range of human emotions and
experiences that we can still identify
with in the late 20th Gentury. It is sur-
n4 f
Much Ado
About Nothing
Mendelssohn
Theater
Nov.:5-7
pri sing to discov-
er, therefore, that
his classic come-
dy, "Much Ado
About Nothing,"
is oelebrating its
4001 h anniver-
sary this year.
Coincidentally,
the Rude
M e c h a n i c a Vs
have selected
Shakespeare's
comedic work for
their fall produc-
tion in what LSA
Heidi Pcwers, the
anniversary, Powers said. "I found out
there was a window, though; I believe
it was performed from June to
November of 1599 at the Rose
Theatre in London."
Yet Powers said the Rude
Mechanicals' show, the group's first
Shakespearian comedy since its
inception in 1996, will not strictly
adhere to Shakespeare's original set-
ting or character descriptions. She has
taken instead dramatic license to
modernize the comedy, placing it in
late 20th-Century Pensacola, Florida
rather than in late 16th-Century
Messina, Italy.
Powers also chose to alter
Shakespeare's character descriptions
slightly. In the original show, many of
the principal male characters are
members of a royal family. Now, how-
ever, the men are officers in the
American navy andare just returning
from a recent war as the show begins.
"At the beginning, they're coming
back from Kosovo," Powers explained.
"They come back to Pensacola," which
is a naval base, "to the Messina Inn
instead of Messina, Italy."
LSA senior Allyson Bakaitis, one of
the three producers for the show, said
that while the group has significantly
modernized the show's setting, the
contemporary beach location does not
detract from the beauty of the work.
"There are so many water references
throughout the work, anyway,"
Bakaitis said, adding that the compa-
ny's setting choices are actually sup-
ported by a line found in the play's
introduction -- "One foot in sea and
one on shore, to one thing constant
never."
Wandering about the beach will be
acoustic guitarist LSA and Music
first-year student Kristy Hanson,
another addition the Rude
Mechanicals have made to the origi-
nal comedy. According to Powers,
Hanson, whose style can be compared
to that of Sarah MacLachlan or the
Indigo Girls, has written original
music and interludes that she will per-
form throughout the show. In addi-
tion, Powers said that there will be
salsa music and dancing to give the
production an Hispanic flair appropri-
ate to the Floridian surroundings.
Surprisingly enough, with all the
changes the group's members have
made, they have not added any text to
the comedy, conveving the modern set-
ting and characters to the audience
through deletions only. Yet LSA first-
year student Russ Hedberg, who plays
Claudio, a young, high-ranking officer
in the show, said since Shakespeare
made few allusions to the setting in his
original text, this feat seems more dif-
ficult than it really is.
"Shakespeare wrote his roles to
look and act a certain way but he did-
n't include a lot of stage direction,"
Hedberg explained. "He would have
only written 'enter' or 'exit,' so this
leaves a lot of room for actors to take
liberty."
Powers, though, believes that the
liberties she and the other group
members have taken with the play
will only help the audience's compre-
hension of the show.
"The joy of Shakespeare is that you
can do with it what you will," Powers
said. "By bringing the play closer to
our time period, we bring a new light
to the text and to our audience.
and Music junior
show's director, calls "a happy acci-
dent.".
"I proposed this project ivy fresh-
man year," in 1997, without knowing
about the show's approaching
Courtesy of Sony
Ricky Martin dazzled metro Detroit fans with "La Vida Loca."
'West Wing' provides
real look at politics
Martin brings Latin
pop hits to Palace
By Corinne Schneider
Daily Arts Writer
"Booty call." One would not expect a
phrase so pertinent on college campuses
to be found in NBC's new presidential
drama "The West Wing." But one would
The West
Wing
NBC
Tonight at 9
be surprised.
While the show
gives a behind,-
t h e - s c e n e s
glimpse into the
inner working of
the Oval Office,
sexual innuendos
radiate thro ugh-
out. After all, the
show is about pol-
itics.
This week's
episode, "Mr.
Willis of Ohio,"
tackles such issues
ger when there is an intruder at the White
House. Meanwhile, the everyday occur-
rences of the character's lives and the
political life of the Oval Office continue
to boil.
The show appeals to the sex drive of
all ages. On one hand, it seems more
geared toward an older audience, partic-
ularly because of the cast of characters
including Martin Sheen, who plays
President Josiah Bartlet, and Rob Lowe,
who plays the Deputy Communications
Director Sam Seaborn.
On the other hand, going to bars such
as Georgetown Station and talking about
leering at college coeds and fiat guys,
brings it down to a college student's per-
spective. Because of the broad spectrum
of topics and characters, the show is suit-
able for a variety of audiences. Young
blood Moss who plays Zoey, the presi-
dent's daughter, adds some youth to the
ensemble. And the constant flirting and
sexual subtleties, from characters of all
ages, synthesizes the theme of sexuality.
This episode offers a personal look at
the president, in his decision making and
interacting with people, that is perhaps a
By Curtis Zimmermann
Daily Arts Writer
It was an awesome spectacle to see
20,000 Ricky Martin fans on their feet
dancing at his sold-out performance at
the Palace of Auburn Hills Monday
night. At one point he even became an
instructor, teaching the newly converted
the fine art of Latin Dance.
Courtesy of NBC
The cast of 'The West Wing' is designed to appeal to both young and old audiences.
clue into the real life of a president. The
show also conveys the importance of the
smaller players in politics. In so doing, it
paints what appears to be a fairly accu-
rate picture of the Oval Office.
The writing of the episode spans from
excellent to mediocre, yet it is consis-
tently witty and intelligent. The mood is
intense, yet quips such as "You're the
man, fix it," serve to break the intensity.
While the writing is infused with much
political jargon and cliches, there is
enough juvenility to add another dimen-
sion to the characters and make them
seem like real people.
In the real world, there is much dis-
junction in the White House and the
show certainly does justice by portraying
it throughout the episode. But, a bit more
cohesion and a bit less realism would
serve to produce a more enjoyable, and
less confusing, program. The show is
enlightening and amusing, and to one
who is the least bit interested in politics,
this week's episode is certainly not a
waste of a valuable college hour.
Ricky
Martin
The Palace
Nov. 1, 1999
The perfor-
mance began with
brief film mon-
tage of Martin try-
ing to escape his
fans in a silver
convertible, then
he emerged, danc-
ing on the hood of
the very same car.
Greeting him
were the screams
of a mostly female
audience that fell
into the 18-35 age
demographic. It
as underage drinking and racism. It
shows the real purpose of lawmakers,
* through the eyes of the husband (guest.
star Al Fann) of a Senator who recently
passed away. In addition, the president's
daughter (Elizabeth Moss) is put in dan-
Hollywood comes to Arena in 'Hurlyburly'
By Jenni Glenn
Daily Fne & Performing Arts Editor
Hollywood's scandalous side brings the issues of
* addiction, power and sex close to home in "Hurlybuzrly'
this weekend's Basement Arts production.
The directors chose the script partly because of the
Hollywood setting. "It's a look at
the underbelly of the Hollywood
life, more so than the glamorous
side we're accustomed to," said
Hurlyburly co-director Jonathon Gentry,
LSA and Music senior.
Arena Theater A movie version of the play
released last year inspired
directors Gentry and Arail
Gribble, Music senior, to pro.-
duce the show on campus.
Although the film starred tal-
ented actors Sean Penn and
Kevin Spacey, Gentry and
Gribble said they felt the
movie's negative reviews showed that the production
was meant to be on the stage.
In the process of bringing "Hurlyburly" to the the-
ater, the directors dealt with David Rabe's original
script containing three and a half hours of material. The
directors eventually cut this down to around two hours.
Rabe's language patterns that he used in the script
lend tension and pace to the action. This quality con-
tributed to Gentry and Gribble choosing "Hurlyburly"
for Basement Arts. "There's a certain musicality the
language had, a rapid-fire quality," Gentry said.
The script uses this language to examine the lives of
two casting directors, Eddie and Mickey, who head up
a substance-abusing household that also includes a
streetwalker, an older struggling actor and a stripper.
These challenging roles provide a great opportunity for
the actors to show their abilities. "It started out that I
wanted to pick something that had sizable roles for
actors," Gentry said.
Gentry himself fills two roles within the production,
since he plays Eddie in addition to serving as one of the
directors. He and Gribble planned out their combined
vision of the show in advance so that Gentry could
concentrate more on his acting during rehearsals. "I
couldn't really step outside myself and watch the
rehearsal process," Gentry said
During rehearsals, the directors concentrated on
showing addiction and its impact on the human psy-
che. "The underlying theme is addiction," Gribble said,
"and how it affects people. You can be addicted to
many things -- drugs, power, sex, a lifestyle even --
and all have the ability to ruin your life."
Eddie and Mickey in "Hurlyburly" allow their
addictions to interfere with their high-power careers.
"'Hurlyburly' shows that even admirable people who
live in the upper-most economic classes can really
dwell in the pits of society because of the choices they
make to satisfy their addictions and appease their
lifestyle," Gribble said.
In addition to these lessons, the directors hope the
comic aspects of the story as well as the tragic twist
will impact the audience's emotions.
appeared as though most of these
women had followed Ricky in his teen
idol days, considering many were still
wearing the risqu& clothing they proba-
bly wore to his Menudo shows as
teenagers. There was also a strong con-
tingent of those who came to represent
Puerto Rican pride.
Martin opened the show with his
radio mainstay "Livin' La Vida Loca,"
ensuring that the main focus of the per-
formance would draw from his solo
career and not just what he's done in the
last year. It is to be commended that he
didn't sell out the fans who have fol-
lowed him since his pre-chest hair days.
Following his opening number,
Martin performed many of his Latin
hits, ranging from ballads like "Vuelve"
to more upbeat dance numbers. The
music was a fusion of Spanish-
Caribbean styles and various types of
mainstream American dance tracks.
Beyond the music, the show was a
visual extravaganza. Martin sang and
danced on a gigantic stage that bore a
strong resemblance to an erector set.
Various moving platforms attached to
polls and cables kept shifting him
around while his back-up singers and
numerous scantily clad dancers moved
over the stage. Even the band was on a
set that kept revolving as three video
screens moved in and out. On the back-
drops was a collection of pictures and
special effects, and occasionally, the
actual performance itself. Towards the
end of the show, as Martin was being
lowered on a scaffold he held a video
camera that projected its images on the
large screen. Even those with hearing
difficulties weren't left out. In one cor-
ner of the area stood a women signing
the lyrics and the mood of the music.
One non-musical highlight of the per-
formance was Martin's butt. The area
was enhanced by his various Armani
threads which left little to the imagina-
tion. Every time he turned around and
shook his "Bon, Bon" there was a deaf-
ening roar. This trademark should solid-
ify its place in music history along with
Elvis' Pelvis and Dolly's chest.
The only real weakness of the show
was Martin's cross-over pop tunes songs
"I Am Made ofYou" and his current sin-
gle "She's All I Ever Had." These tracks,
which probably would have worked for
Michael Bolton couldn't hold up against
his sultry Latin love ballads and his wild
dance numbers.
Martin closed out his set with Spanish
dance song that kept counting off the
steps "Uno, dos, tres" as the entire audi-
ence danced and waved their hands high
in the air. It ended with an explosion of
streamers and confetti. This was only
topped by the final song of his encore,
"The Cup of Life" the theme from the
1998 World Cup which is one of his
biggest hits. As the Ricky led the multi-
tudes in the chorus "Here we go, OLE,
OLE, OLE" dancers literally climbed
the walls thanks to special harnesses and
acrobats tumbled through the air. It was
a fitting finale to the evening.
With this tour, Ricky Martin has suc-
cessfully brought the "Crazy Life" of
Latin Pop to the Rust Belt. But essential-
ly, he's just showing the midwest what
people in places like New York, Florida
and all of Latin America have known for
years. That the music is addictive.
Once again, Daily Arts is giving you
a chance to get free film passes and
movie merchandise.
To win a t-shirt or hat from "The
Bachelor," starring Chris O'Donnell,
come to the office (located on the
second floor of the Student
Publications Building) after 1 p.m.
today and tell us who starred as
the bachelor in the movie's original
version.
We're also giving away passes to
tonight's sc.reening of "Dogma" at 9
p.m. in Lorch auditorium and tomor-
IN THE SEASON
row's screenings 1"The Bachelor"
and "Being John O lkovich," show-
ing at various theatirs in the metro
Detroit area. Suppli6 are limited, so
get here early!
ATTENTION
UNDERGRADUATE
AND GRADUATE
STUDENTS
WORLDWIDE
ENERC.
Snecial Egi Donor Needed
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