ARTS The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 26, 2004 - 9 Fairy tales retold in Oakland's 'Woods' By Dawn L Low Daily Arts Writer F INE kA TS VIEW *** Watching actors sing their hearts out only a few feet away from your seat can be a strange experience. But in a new production of Stephen Sond- heim and James Lapine's "Into the Woods" by the Oakland University Department of Music, Theater and Dance, director Karen Sheridan turned a potentially awkward experience into a delightful one. "Into the Woods" is a conglomera- tion of fairy tales tied by Lapine's invention of the Baker and his Wife. But these aren't tales for children Butterfly not a platinum Blonde By Alexandra Jone Daily Arts Writer There are two kinds of boring music: the kind you can for- get and the kind you can't ignore. The forgettable - and for- givable - makes an album sound stale after only a few listens. Hooks lose their sparkle, ballads become innocuous muzak and lyrics turn into mere background chatter. The other type, however, can be offensive, disappointing and just plain sad for audiences. When expectations are high for more of the same great music or when listeners crave further explo- ration of new directions previously hinted at, a band's stumble or slump can seem like more of a _____________ descent into mediocrity than it really is. Blonde Blonde Redhead's Misery Is a Butter- Bede fly falls into the second category. The Redhead ultra-intellectual content and scrap-metal Misery Is a instrumentals that made Melodies of Butterfly Certain Damaged Lemons a musical 4AD Easter egg hunt lose their cutting edges on the band's fifth full-length release as a trio. Twins Amadeo (guitar) and Simone Pace (percussion) and guitarist/vocalist Kazu Makino have always carried the stigma of indie corpo- ratization - their self-titled debut was produced by Steve Shelley, Sonic Youth's drummer, and they appeared in a Gap ad - but their albums were always interesting to hear. Their first release after switching labels from Touch & Go to 4AD, Misery Is a Butterfly provides the same uber-hip sound tem- plate, but none of the crunch and glitter that used to make Blonde Redhead interesting. On previous releases like Melodies of Certain Damaged Lemons, you had to strain your ears to pick up all the sonic filigree and detritus that Blonde Redhead hid in their songs - and you were rewarded. Tracks like Damaged Lemons' "This Is Not" explored a wide range of different sounds, from meditative guitar riffs to sing-songy delivery of lyrics to Kazu's bone-chilling vocal manipulations. Unfortunately, sound gems like these are hidden or omitted on Misery. Kazu's vocals are just as breathy and dreamlike though. Yes, there is a quest, and all of the well-loved characters make an appearance - Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella and Jack (of Beanstalk fame) - but the writers don't sanitize the cruelty and vio- Into the Woods Friday through Sunday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. $8 Students $15 Adults At the Vamer Studio Theatre Oakland University campus, Rochester Hills as before, and the Pace brothers provide a solid instrumen- tal base. But rather than creating layers with blankets of vastly different sounds, in songs like "Doll Is Mine," the trio has injected wide swaths of thick, plodding strings between their three core elements. It's not that the band isn't trying; the larger elements make for a backdrop against which limitless narrative and musical possibilities could unfold. Maybe that's the problem: Without the junky, jangling effects to jar us out of the standard indie rock for- mula, Blonde Redhead become quotidian and ineffectual. Misery Is a Butterfly isn't an unpleasant listen if you're looking for an album to put on the stereo while you're doing something else. But Blonde Redhead have always made a point to remind listeners that they're hearing something unique - and if their previous releases are any indication, the band is anything but forgettable. Skip Misery Is a Butterfly, but don't count them out yet. Hold out for something better from this motley New York trio. lence of the original stories. Rapun- zel is abandoned in the desert, her Prince is blinded and the eyes of Cinderella's stepsisters are plucked out. The world is seen through shades of gray: People aren't always good, witches can be right and "hap- pily ever after" doesn't last far beyond Act One. For better or worse, this is a thoroughly postmodern show, lighthearted though it can be. Adding to the production, Sond- heim's score is brilliant, both musi- cally and lyrically. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of Sheridan's production was the space: Rather than the usual prosceni- um that frames the action and allows for huge sets, the theater seats audi- ence members at opposite walls, fac- ing both each other and the action in the center. The orchestra - which left much to be desired - plays on the third side, with the entrance and Rapunzel's tower comprising the fourth. It's impossible to use much Who's afraid of the big, bad ... owl? scenery without obstructing sight lines in such close quarters, but designer Kerro Knox 3 created a few outstanding set pieces. Most notable were the abstract house that rises to surround the Baker and his Wife and the giant beanstalk that sprouts from the center of the stage. Also, Sheri- dan's skillful direction could be seen in the actors' use of space, especially during the scene where the Wolf devours Little Red. Few of the actors were singularly excellent, but they were strong as an ensemble. During the opening-night performance, there were a few places where the singers were not together with the orchestra, and there were also frequent sound prob- lems, the most irritating being mix- ing imbalances. However, Phill Harmer was outstanding as the Wolf, as theatrical and lecherous as one could want him to be, a capacity that resurfaces when he seduces the Baker's Wife as the Prince. P. J. Vasquez, Rapunzel's Prince, was likewise striking, with a resonant voice and a presence to match. Most of the costumes were disap- pointing, including the Witch's mask. The one piece that stood out was the Wolf's costume, later worn in a fashion by Little Red, with gray '80's rocker hair. Overall, the production was engaging, though not without flaws. It reminds us that although "happily ever after" doesn't exist, compan- ionship does. STUDENT RUSH TICKETS AVAILABLE! 50% OFF I HOUR PRIOR TO CURTAIN At The Detroit Opera House Ticket Office Only. 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