ART S
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 9A
TV DISH
THE HOTTEST NEWS
ON THE SMALL SCREEN
APPRENTICE' WORKS WELL FOR NBC
The finale of the hit reality TV series "The
Apprentice" was the top-rated show this week.
According to the Nielsen ratings, Donald Trump
and company kicked the CBS hit "C.S.I." out of
the top spot, winning by large margins in all
demographics. The dramatic conclusion, which
featured Bill Rancic defeating Kwame Jackson
and getting to hear Trump utter "You're hired,'
garnered a 17.1 rating, an impressive number
before May sweeps. Who would have thought that
the toupee-wearing Trump would have become so
popular?
BRAVO 'EYE'S WOMEN IN SPINOFF
Bravo is again reaching into its bag of tricks to
produce a spin-off of its popular program "Queer
Eye for the Straight Guy." Scheduled for 13
episodes starting next year, the network is hoping
to follow up on its recent success with the Fab
Five, only this time remaking women. According
to Bravo, a new team of gay stylists will attempt to
turn Los Angeles women from "drab to fab" in the
new show, titled "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl."
As if there was something wrong with flannel
shirts.
BACK IN THE KITCHEN WITH
'RESTAURANT'
"The Restaurant" - the NBC reality show fol-
lowing chef Rocco DiSpirito's New York restau-
'Blade Warriors' can't
capitalize on franchise
By Adam Rottenber
Daily Arts Editor
In the wake of the massive popular-
ity of its "Resident Evil" franchise,
Capcom has launched a new survival
horror series - "Onimusha." Where
"Resident Evil" took players into
haunted, modern-day environments,
"Onimusha" features a feudal Japan-
ese setting and a samurai as the main
character. Though it carries the
series's name and many of its charac-
ters, the latest installment, "Onimusha
Blade Warriors," is first and foremost
a fighting game.
The bizarre decision to bring the
Who is actually wearing the wig?
rant - came back on April 19 after a six-month
hiatus. According to NBC, DiSpirito will spend
most of this season in a battle for control of the
restaurant with his financier Jeffery Chodorow,
who thinks DiSpirito is incompetent. Legal battle
aside, the real entertainment will be head chef
Mama DiSpirito and the rest of the quirky employ-
ees. With Mama making the meatballs and fight-
ing amongst the chefs and waitstaff, "The
Restaurant" is sure to be cooking up something
good once again.
WB LOOKS FOR NEW 'SUPERSTAR'
Continuing the never-ending search for a
singing sensation, the WB will unveil its latest
reality show this May. "The WB's Superstar USA"
will look for a performer based on hard work and
dedication, not singing talent. According to thefu-
toncritic.com, the summer show will get progres-
sively more ridiculous until the finale, when the
winner will receive a recording contract and a star-
ring role in a TV series. As if one William Hung
wasn't enough ...
DIVAS UNITE
Jessica Simpson was excited to perform in
VH1's "Divas 2004" concert on Sunday, reported
Zap2it.com. Joining names like Patti Labelle,
Cindi Lauper and Gladys Knight, the reality TV
star can't believe she has come so far. After
months of witnessing her acting prowess, the new-
lywed is back on stage where she belongs, singing
rather than attempting to form sentences. "This is
amazing for me - I've always wanted to be a
diva," Simpson commented.
- Compiled by the Daily TV Staff
samurai fighters
of a serious action
game into an
extremely differ-
ent genre works
on some levels.
The character
models are well
developed and each
Onimusha
Blade
Warriors
PS2
Capcom
fighter possesses
'Chicago' explodes onto Detroit scene at Fisher Theatre
a back story readily known by fans of
the series. Gamers can pit the heroes
of the original against the warriors
from the sequel, but does anyone real-
ly care to? "Onimusha" is not a popu-
lar enough franchise to warrant such a
spin-off, but devout followers will
appreciate its faithfulness to the
series' storyline.
Even if the overall idea of the
game seems needless, the gameplay
is solid. Playing like a hybrid
between Nintendo's impeccable
"Super Smash Bros. Melee" and
Capcom's own "Powerstone 2,"
"Blade Warriors" features fast and
frenetic four-player battles. As is the
goal in almost every fighting game,
the first fighter to deplete the oppo-
nent's energy bar wins. Yet the inter-
active arenas and sound controls
create a solid fighting experience.
The one-player game, a story
mode, fails to deliver anything inno-
Do these pants make my ass look big?
vative to a played-out genre. "Blade
Warriors" is meant to be played with
three friends. However, its release as
a PS2 exclusive title hinders its
accessibility because few gainers
actually own a Multitap, the device
that lets four controllers connect to
the system. If Capcom wanted to tap
the market for multi-player games,
then they should have made it avail-
able on other consoles with four
player capabilities.
No online play and little advance-
ment to the genre hinder a potential-
ly solid fighting series. There is a
dearth of this style of games on the
PS2, but "Blade Warriors" barely
fills the void. Avid gainers may
enjoy some of the secrets found
within (i.e. the ability to unlock
Megaman as a playable character),
but compared with its closest com-
petition in the fighting realm,
"Blade Warriors" falls short. With
"Onimusha 3" on the horizon,
diehard fans can cling to this little
fighter to pass the time, but it's noth-
ing more than a diversion.
By Dawn L Low
Daily Arts Writer
By now, most people have seen
the Oscar-winning film "Chicago."
Yet too few have had the privilege
of watching Bob Fosse, John Kan-
der and Fred
Ebb's musical
live onstage, an
entirely different
experience. But
the opportunity
* is finally here.
The must-see
North American
Chicago
Runs until April 25
Call for times
Tickets
$22 - $67.50
At the Fisher Theatre
intruder and subsequently confessed to
the murder while drunk. The case gen-
erated a huge amount of press, and she
claimed to be pregnant while in jail to
avoid execution. The jury declared the
pretty prisoner not guilty.
The musical follows the exploits of
Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two
murderesses who become celebrities
with the help of their lawyer, Billy
Flynn. He treats their cases like the-
atre: "These trials, the whole world -
all show business ... They'll let you
get away with murder."
While the production is driven by
spectacle, the show does not rely on
extensive sets. Instead, the orchestra
sits in costume onstage and the songs
are propelled forward by an impres-
sive cast with an arsenal of Fosse-
inspired choreography.
While the music is wonderful, it is
the actors who made the Detroit open-
ing memorable. Bianca Marroquin is a
loveable, sultry Roxie Hart, far surpass-
ing Renee Zellweger's unimpressive
film performance. Reva Rice, fresh
from the Broadway production, lends
her remarkable voice and presence as
Velma Kelly. And Carol Woods infuses
"When You're Good to Mama" with a
unique gospel flavor that brought cheers
from the house. Even the ensemble cast
is strong.
The lone performer who seemed
less-than-stellar in the beginning was an
unexpected surprise in the end. Don't
become annoyed with R. Bean's exces-
sive vibrato as Mary Sunshine, for all is
not as it seems.
Small, memorable moments are
abundant, as are jokes. Marroquin
singing "Funny Honey" on a ladder,
the trio of smoking dancers during
"Tap Dance" and the lone juror dur-
ing the trial all add their own
comedic flair.
Although superficial at first glance,
"Chicago" nonetheless manages
social commentary on the amorality
of the court system: Guilty media dar-
lings go free while the innocent hang.
In the words of Billy Flynn, "We're a
living example of what a wonderful
country this is."
-M MMM%
tour runs for the rest of the week at
the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.
"Chicago" is based on the 1924 case
of a woman who shot her lover, told her
husband that the dead man was an
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