B -Thursday, November 16,2006 the b-sideT

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

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6

What a glorious

-ro uct
By CATHERINE SMYKA
Daily Arts Writer
While Patrick Stewart and his
fellove Royal Shakespeare Company
('st imembers
seem to have Singin' in
completely the Rain
takefiover the
limelight for Friday and
this fall's cam- Saturdayat 8
pus ,j prduc- p.m., Sunday
pus produc- at 2 p.m.
tions students $7 for students with
need not wait ID, $1for public
for another At thePowertCenter
worldwide
acclaimed company to enter Ann
Arbor's town limits: one has been
here all along. MUSKET, a student
Cheater group founded in 1908, will
be performing the 1985 Broadway
classic "Singin' in the Rain." The
show opens tomorrow at the Power
Center and runs through Sunday.
In 1927 silent-film Hollywood, all
great joys come from just singin' in
the rain - not to mention a good tap
dance. Tinseltown stud Don Lock-
wood (Music School sophomore
Alex Puette) and diva Lina Lamont
(Music School junior Ruth Pferde-
hirt) act their carefully crafted on-
screen relationship to the delight
of film audiences. Things for Lina
get problematic when she begins to
believe what she's acting. But when
"talkies" (the first films with sound)
burst onto the scene, Lina's hideous
voice poses a problem for producers,
who realize the advent of cinematic
audio demands vocal quality along
with a pretty face. That pretty face
is hopeful actress Kathy Selden
(Music School junior Jessica Her-
shberg). And just like in the 1952
movie, Don falls for Kathy and the
couple attempt to expose Lina's
voice for what it is.
As for the show, audiences can't
expect more from the set, choreog-
raphy and voices that MUSKET's
production has to offer.
"It's so easy for actors to fall into
stereotypes in this show. We really
tried to make these characters. We
wanted to showcase our actors' tal-
ent, not just show them Gene Kelly
and Debbie Reynolds," said Natalie
Malotke, Music School senior and
co-director.
Puette builds up his macho
Lockwood-star persona while still

manag

Put your fancy clothes on, Detroit
By CAROLINE HARTMANN
Daily Arts Writer

ing to woo both Cathy and

the audience with his candy-sweet If you think Detroit lacks high-end fashion,
voice. Likewise, Hershberg per- you haven't been paying attention. The Motor
fectly displays hopeful-innocence City has more to offer these days than Ameri-
balanced by powerhouse vocals. can automobiles and Motown hits, and Anasta-
Once Lina unleashes the high- sia Chatzka is living proof.
pitched squeal she claims as a voice, Chatzha, a Chesterfield native, is one of
her fate is clear. Fantastically funny Detroit's up-and-coming designers. Having
Cosmo Brown (Music School senior landed the top honor at the Detroit Institute of
Andrew Keenan-Bolger) rounds out Art's Ruff and Ready competition and featured
the bunch with his onstage antics in Hour Magazine, Chatzka is just getting
and classic gimmicks, perfectly fill- started. More recently, her work was displayed
ing his role - "make 'em laugh." at the Pure Detroit Design Lab downtown.
"People should come to the show Chatzka's own style - feminine, fun and
and leave happier," Hershberg said. edgy - reflects the work of one of her favorite
The production's set keeps the designers, Betsy Johnson, whom she interned
audience captivated even with- for in New York. Chatzka was put to work mak-
out actors present. From the first ing flat sketches, dyeing and trimming fabrics,
onstage downpour (and this is real, and sewing sample garments. It was a chance
authentic pitter-patter rain) right for her to "really understand how the fashion
until the bubble-gum sweet finale, industry runs. It's not all glitz and glam - lots
"Singin' in the Rain" provides both of dirty work is involved," Chatzka said in a
entertainment and delight. phone interview.
Andthe dancing. Oh, the dancing. Aside from the first-hand experience in a
Jazz, tap and a little tango round out New York design house, Chatzka discovered
the production's point-perfect cho- that Johnson's bubbly stage personality is just
reography. that in person. "(She's) very poppy and happy
"The music, the dance, the show ... goinga million miles a minute." And yes, she
- that's what students will enjoy," does those catwalk cartwheels in real life, too.
But her proudest moment came when Johnson
turned the compliments around and said that
Forecast: Song, Chatzka was an inspiration to her. Not bad
coming from her fashion idol.
dance and Some of Chatzka's other favorites include
d i e i John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood and Alex-
ander McQueen, all known for their over-the-
top designs and high-volume fabrics.
As for her own cutting-edge designs, Chatz-
said Gina Rattan, Music School ka loves taking vintage pieces or period looks
junior and co-director. "We didn't and transforming them for modern day. She
just want to recreate the movie.
Things in our show are new and ----- the very ru
innovative. This is a musical made NINTENDO/SONY their previ
from a movie, which is very rare." From page 1B from the re
Though caught up in the non- The Wii
stop foot tapping and contagious have fun.
glee permeating from the stage, Act Level l: Beginner The PS3
Two may cause a trivial protestwith The Wii is for those who, as
original-film lovers. children, could not help but touch
"We have a 'dramaturgical con- every toy in the store.
cern' here - we rearranged the The PS3 is for those who could Read
scenes in the second act," Rattan not help but pay $500 for a Motor- $60C
said. Despite the minor glitch, the ola RAZR when it came out.
production is seamless. The Wii's controller senses neWx
Because most ofsall, theecast,crew every motion of your hand and
and directors just want the audience translates it onto the screen. No -
to enjoy themselves. more will there be cries of "Button
"We want you to go out and take masher!" when you are using the to be "ha
tap-dancing lessons afterwards," controller to chop, slice, flip, swing their grade
Malotke said. "We want you to be and shake your way to victory. on the alta
dancing in the aisles and tobe taken The PS3's controller tries to copy who kill tI
away from reality." the Wii, but it lacks precision and statisticali
(and subse
Cell Proces
The Wii
being outsi
ing real spc
cook.
The PS3
--.---be inside p

a
6
I

One of Chatzka's unique designs.
updates historical silhouettes to bring pieces
of the past back into a garment. Take a '50s
Look closer: Detroit
has found a gem in
Anastasia Chatzka.
housewife dress, for example: typically flatter-
ing, iconic in shape, but not exactly a contem-
.mble feature that made
ous controller stand out
est.
is for those who like to
is for those who strive
y to shell out
for a shiny
machine?

porary trend. Now imagine pulling the hem up
to mid-thigh, add a subtle fabric ruffle to the
bottom edge and swap boring solids for unique
and feminine prints. Now that's a dress.
Like any talented designer, Chatzka's work
covers a broad range of styles, from punk and
futuristic looks to the more flirty and deli-
cate. But either way, each piece carries its own
signature details that are almost guaranteed
not to show up at your local department store
- atypical hemlines, intricate lace-up ribbons
and sculptural spine pieces.
See CHATZKA, page 6B
Vs.

rdcore," who sacrifice
es and their social lives
ar of the 40-hour RPG,
heir eyesight looking at
menus and can explain
quently brag about) the
ssor and 1080p.
J is for those who like
ide, still dream of play-
orts and possibly like to
is for those who like to
laying video games.

Nintendo will surge back into the PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY FOREST CASEY /Daily
top rank for consoles sold, a title it Which is better? Choose for yourself. Choose wisely.
has not held since the Super Nin-
tendo more than ten years ago. I'm tired of playing the same introduced with the "Madden"
And I think that this is the kind game over and over again. All of franchise - crank a new one out
of comeback that only fate could Sony's "killer apps" remind me of every so often with some updated
guide. a joke I once heard in Chicago's stats and a fresh look and you're
Sony has a much different path Second City Theatre, one where a golden. "Madden" has no real
to take. I feel mixed about their beleaguered video-game designer competition; it doesn't have to
chances of success. I think that decided to combine the mostpopu- innovate.
Sony Chairman Ken Kataguri's lar trends, coming up with a game After playing the Wii, my heart
bold statements about the superi- that featured zombies and aliens in was pounding. I forgot about the
ority of the PS3 are the same kind a WWII first-person shooter. That hour-long line I stood in to play
of hubris that sunk John Romero sounds an awful lot like "Resis- 10 minutes of "Red Steel," about
after the release of "Dakitana." I tance: Fall of Man." the $10 I would have to fork over
think that the price is too high and After playing the brand-new for a hamburger, about the gazil-
the Sony brand too weak. I don't Gran Tourismo HD on the PS3 this lion pamphlets I was carrying on
like having to buy all of my favor- summer, I left with no proof that my shoulder - even the fact that
ite movies once again ina different I experienced the next generation. the E3 version of "Red Steel" was
format, and Sony's Blu-Ray will This is truly a console built around almost universally bashed - noth-
passively push me into doing so. the principle that Electronic Arts ing mattered, I was having fun.
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