Tuesday
April 1, 2005
arts.rmichigandaily. corn
artseditor@michigandaily. corn
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Construction crews renovate Hill Auditorium, which reopened in January, 2004.
Revamped Hill
finally complete
By Alexandra Jones
Daily Arts Writer
For a year and a half, Hill Auditorium
was an eyesore and a headache for Uni-
versity students, faculty and administra-
tion. The beautiful red and tan mosaic
that lies between the building and North
University Avenue had been covered
with tarps, bricks, chunks of insulation,
dust and debris. A tall chain-link fence
and contractors' trailers surrounded the
site. To make matters worse, the Univer-
sity Musical Society had difficulty finding
large venues for world-famous musicians.
But the scheduling problems and ugly
construction are finally gone. At 1:00
this afternoon, Hill Auditorium's status
as a historic site will be reaffirmed by an
unveiling ceremony. Speakers at the cer-
emony will include representatives from
Quinn Evans Architects, the firm that
oversaw the renovation, School of Music
Dean Karen Wolff and UMS president
Ken Fischer.
"You've got a great hall that's large. It's
half the size of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln
Center and Avery Fisher Hall (the former
home of the New York Philharmonic),"
said Fischer.
There's no question that Hill is a hal-
lowed site for the performing arts. Musi-
cians, like vocalists Jessey Norman,
Cecilia Bartolli and Enrico Caruso, cellist
Yo-Yo Ma and bandleader and jazz clari-
netist Benny Goodman have performed
there. Leonard Bernstein conducted the
Vienna Philharmonic on Hill's stage
during his 70th birthday tour. He chose
to play only three American cities: New
York, Washington D.C. and Ann Arbor.
There's definitely something special about
Hill Auditorium.
First phase of the Hill renovations began
on May 13, 2002. It was estimated that
the renovation would take 18 months to
complete and cost $38.6 million. To begin
the process, the University secured the
expertise of Quinn Evans, an Ann Arbor
firm that specializes in restoring historic
buildings. Some of the renovation's more
practical changes include an increased
number of restrooms, from 14 to 22 for
men and from 10 to 30 for women, as well
as one unisex restroom. Sound and light
locks have been added at the entrance
of the auditorium from the lobby. Sound
locks will keep noise from the lobby and
the sound of traffic out of the performance
space, and light locks will prevent light
from opened doors during daytime shows
from seeping into the auditorium.
One of the most pragmatic - and most
anticipated - additions to the historic
performance venue is the installation of
an air conditioning system. Electrical
and ventilation systems have also been
replaced.
The most important renovation, howev-
er, is the addition of ramps and elevators.
Until now, the stage had been only acces-
sible via stairs; artists, audience members
and students receiving degrees if they
needed wheelchairs or other assistive
equipment could not easily get onstage.
The auditorium's new design includes
ramps on either side of the stage so that
anyone can easily enter the stage area.
Additionally, the mezzanine area was
only accessible by stairs. For the first time
in Hill's existence, attendees who experi-
ence difficulty climbing stairs can access
the balcony area via elevator. Seating for
audience members with wheelchairs had
also been problematic in the past, but seats
have been created on both the main floor
and the mezzanine to accommodate those
with assistive equipment. Though the
changes in seating have reduced the num-
ber of seats to 3,710 from 4,169, Fischer
thinks that the loss in revenue is worth it.
"I applaud the University for their overall
policy of inclusion and diversity," he said.
Another practical feature Hill lacked
was a concession area. The University
worked with Quinn & Evans to cre-
ate a snack bar in the lobby in hopes
that concessions will create a more fun
experience. "More and more people are
looking at concertgoing as a social expe-
rience. They want to meet with their
friends, talk about performances - and
now they have a place to do that right
in Hill Auditorium," Fischer explained.
Concessions will be served at both the
Elizabeth E. Kennedy Lower Lobby and
on the mezzanine level.
Director of Bands Michael Haith-
cock, who conducts the Symphony Band,
summed up his feelings about the new
Hill: "I hope it sounds exactly the same.
It's glorious. The resonance in the hall is
almost perfect."
-Jan. 8, 2004
CHICAGO'S WILCO TEAR DOWN HILL AUDITORIUM
FREST CASEY/D~aily
ABOVE: Wilco frontman Jeff
Tweedy sings during "I'm a
Wheel;" LEFT: From left, Nels
Cline, Jeff Tweedy and John
Stirrat; BELOW: John Stirrat.
By Andrew M. Gaerig
Daily Music Editor
CONCEPT REVIEW
Wilco's meteoric rise from alt-country also-rans to noise-
mongering poster child of underground rock has been well-doc-
umented on record: Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and this
year's A Ghost Is Born all mixed fruitful
Americana with malignant electronics Wilco
and eerie white noise. Live, however, the S
band has failed to make such large strides: Sunday, Oct. 10
The ham-fisted, "rock'n'roll" attitude that Hill Auditorium
pervaded the their early material often
rears its head in front of a crowd. The band always performs
marvelously, but the audience is left with an awkward mix of
art-school histrionics and rock-show bombast.
For the recording A Ghost is Born and the accompanying
tour, Wilco fleshed out its lineup, adding guitarist Nels Cline
and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, which effectively
allows the band to employ at least one electric guitarist the
entire show. It seems like a marginal difference on paper, but
its impact on the show is tremendous, fleshing out the band's
sound and taking the burden of filling space off frontman Jeff
Tweedy's voice.
These factors - as well as Tweedy's newfound sobriety
- contributed to a rejuvenated band Sunday night at Hill Audi-
torium. The change was notable in longtime bassist John Stir-
rat, who hopped around the stage and attacked the microphone
with a unique charm and energy. For his part, Tweedy brought
his warm, tobacco-stained voice and several distortion-fueled
guitar solos. Cline, however, proved the catalyst. His furious
leads and knob-twiddling improvisations bridged the gap
between Wilco's underground ambition and their classic-rock
mentality.
The setlist choices were typically excellent, with the Ghost
material taking on a life that it mostly lacks on record. "Spiders
(Kidsmoke)" was transformed into the classic-rock centerpiece
it was meant to be, while the guitar solos on "At Least That's
What You Said" burned and twisted around the room. "Hell
Is Chrome" benefited greatly from Stirrat's excellent harmony
vocals, which are far more noticeable in the live setting.
The band also dipped into its back catalog. "A Shot in the
Arm" was far more aggressive, and "Via Chicago," long absent
from the band's live repetoire, was rejuvenated by Cline's
piercing guitar and drummer Glenn Kotche's simple, inventive
rhythms. The band did fall into the "classic rock" mode during
the first encore with the laughable "Kingpin," but mostly just
turned up and rocked out. Closing with a cover of little-known
folk artist Bill Fay's "Be Not So Fearful" was a savvy move
coming from a band that heretofore had trouble identifying its
own best material.
Wilco's transition as a studio band has outpaced their live
show - until now. The audience Sunday night was treated to
a feverish show put on by a veteran band finding its second
wind. Wilco's new lineup isn't a dramatic transformation so
much as an essential tune-up. Watching them pull from their
increasingly impressive catalog and translate it into a gorgeous,
invigorating whole is nothing less than thrilling.
-Oct. 12, 2004
'Rings' tr i ology ends.
in grand, epic fashion e
By Ryan Lewis
Daily Film Editor
The end has come. Peter Jackson's
unenviable task of adapting J.R.R. Tolk-
ien's "The Lord of the Rings" that began
just two years ago
concluded with
the release of "The
Return of the
King." As sad as it
is to know that no
more are coming,
this final chapter
of the greatest fan-
tasy epic in history
has now officially
The Lord of
the Rings:
The Return
of the King
New Line
New York's finest rock Detroit
now provides the single most gratify-
ing movie-going experience of our gen-
eration and makes Jackson's creation the
finest trilogy in film history.
From the largest landscape to the most
minute detail, the end of Middle Earth's
Third Age is crafted with perfect execu-
tion. "Return of the King" embodies the
emotion of "The Fellowship of the Ring"
with flawless performances and dwarfs
the battle at Helm's Deep in "The Two
Towers" with a massive attack on Minas
Tirith, the last stronghold of men in the
realm of Gondor. Even the lengthy, sen-
timental denouement is heartfelt, not to
mention well deserved, considering it put
more than 100 pages of Tolkien's writing
into a mere 25 minutes of film.
While it in many ways has the most
significant departures from Tolkien's
novels, each transformation or omission
(even Christopher Lee's as Saruman) is
ultimately forgivable, even laudable, in
light of the fantastic result. Still, Jack-
son's faithfulness to the novel is on par
with the likes of "The Godfather," and
his visual poetry rivals even the most
emotive scenes in any tear-jerker in sheer
poignancy.
"Return" opens in a past when Gol-
lum (Andy Serkis) was still Smeagol at
the moment he comes upon the Ring, or
more exactly, when his brother, Deagol,
finds the Ring. After a startling montage
of Smeagol's deterioration into the crea-
ture Gollum, the story continues where
"The Two Towers" concluded. Smeagol
has officially been taken over by his evil
self-doppelganger and leads Sam (Sean
Astin) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) into the
depths of Mordor. Though Sam suspects
Gollum's disposition as a villain, Frodo
refuses to go on without him.
Outside the walls of Mordor, the rest
of the Fellowship braces the good men
of Middle Earth for war. Gandalf (Ian
McKellen) rides to Gondor and pre-
pares Denethor, the cynical steward of
Gondor, for the ultimate battle; King
Theoden musters all his forces, and Ara-
gorn (Viggo Mortensen) ventures under
the mountains to stir an army held to an
unfulfilled oath from another age. Mean-
while, the dark lord Sauron sends out his
evil underlings to besiege the last bastion
of hope for men.
Maintaining the intensity of Helm's
Deep, the engagement on the Pelennor
Fields and the images of marching orcs is
the ultimate expression of special effects
integration. Breathtaking and awe-inspir-
ing seem hardly enough to characterize
Weta Workshop's incredible creation.
Even more notable is the white city/for-
tress of Minas Tirith, which in both size
and intricacy is truly a sight to behold.
Still more impressive, the acting in
"Return of the King" is by far the finest.
Sam's anguish over protecting himself
and Frodo from Gollum and his despair
at losing the faith of his master - not to
mention his fight with Weta's nasty giant
spider Shelob - showcases Sean Astin's
talent in a manner unseen in his early-
'90s heyday. In fact, each of the hobbits
has his moment, especially Pippin (Billy
Boyd) as he sings in the great hall of
kings. Viggo Mortensen displays his fin-
est acting as he transforms himself from
Aragorn, the ranger from the north, into
Elessar, King of men, and Ian McKellen,
as Gandalf, is infallible as always.
However, the true power of the film
results from Andrew Lesnie's cinematog-
raphy and the work of the sound editing
crew. Following the lighting of beacons
from Gondor to Rohan and the arrival
of the Rohirrim at the foothills of Pelen-
nor superbly visualizes Tolkien's words.
Orlando Bloom epic film number 4,226.
Seeing thousands of horses lined up and
striding into battle, even as some ultra-
realistically fall to their deaths, is a sight
to behold for the sake of seeing beauty
through a projector. And when Gandalf
rides to the aid of retreating soldiers from
Osgiliath, never have light, color and
sound mixed so perfectly.
Somehow Jackson undertook the most
daunting task a director could and gave
the frothing masses eye candy of the
highest quality. "Return of the King" is
not only the cinematic achievement of
the year but also the crowning directorial
achievement of the decade thus far. Man-
aging an ensemble cast and a pseudo-
period-piece to such indelibility cannot
be overlooked.
Alone, "Return of the King" stands as
one of cinema's instant classics. As a sin-
gle film upwards of 12 hours combined
with "Fellowship" and "Two Towers,"
"The Lord of the Rings" encapsulates
the expression of film as art and mass
consumer culture.
Frontman Julian Casablancas salutes the crowd as the Strokes
perform at the State Theater in Detroit on Oct. 16, 2003.
DAILY ARTS.
Self for of' Studens
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