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 f yr-d ..