The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, January 12, 2007 - 5
Seriously, would you surrender your soul to work at Rolling Stone and be on a reality series? Be honest.
Dead weight
VAPID PEOPLE VYING FOR AN EQUALLY VAPID INTERNSHIP
Sweet Charity is now playing at the Ann Arbor Civic Theater
By BEN MEGARGEL
DailyArts Writer
From the opening shots of MTV's new real-
ity show "I'm From Rolling Stone," it's woe-
fully clear the show's
producers sought person- **
ality over manners. When
the renowned godfather I'm From
of rock journalism Jann Rolling
Wenner gives congratu- Stone
latory calls to the seven
aspiring writers suddenly MTV
competing for a year-long Sundays at 10 p.m.
contributing editor posi-
tion at Rolling Stone magazine, one misses his
call twice, one asks him to spell his name and
another declares he'll bring condoms with him
to New York City.
For this set of "interns," decorum is out of
the picture.
The group is comprised of MTV's list of
usual eccentrics: wonderfully scruffy Univer-
sity of Southern California student Colin; San
Francisco hip-hop fanatic and complete hood
connoisseur Krishtine (yes that's spelled cor-
rectly); Kate Hudson-in-"Almost Famous"-
style hottie Krystal (yes, a blonde with the
name Krystal); UC-Berkeley graduate and
Aussie party animal Peter; former juvenile hall
resident and current head-case Russel; and
gender-bending, workaholic Tika.
But despite its eclectic cast, the show fea-
tures none of the rampant bed-hopping and
steamy hot tub menage-a-trios of "The Real
World." Instead, contestants compete for sto-
ries, write on deadlines and interview famous
musicians. While this may sound more thrill-
ing than the typical coffee runs of most low-
level summer jobs, these tasks sadly remain
within the dull framework of a normal journal-
ism internship.
Whereas other shows like "The Apprentice"
and "Top Chef" throw contestants into large-
scale, high-pressure productions, "I'm From
Rolling Stone" leaves its cast with the far less
engaging task of staring blankly at computer
screens. In the debut episode, the writers are
individually evaluated on a 1000-word piece
they wrote in the two days prior to coming to
New York.
Because of the intangible nature of such
work, the outcome is less like stirring com-
petition than watching a disgruntled English
teacher grade.
To complement the (relatively) serious
nature of the series, the production is far grit-
tier than most, featuring the dull lighting and
SO, YOU WANT TO WORK FOR
ROLLING STONE?
Well, we can't stop you, but in case you do, here's
what you need to know/have:
" At least three to four writing samples (no, that does
not include diary and/or blog entries).
* Journalistic integrity (don't laugh).
blunt editing more commonly seen on docu-
mentary-style MTV shows like "True Life."
Rather than adding a feeling of truth, however,
the technique only serves to further emphasize
the dryness of the subject matter.
But even more jarring than the show's com-
plete lack of excitement is the fact that its char-
acters, while genuinely spunky and vivacious,
are blatantly under-qualified for any sort of
internship, let alone a full-time position as an
editor.
This assortment of aspiring journalists was
ultimately tossed together with the patented
strategy of "The Real World," picked for the
dramatic effect of their diverse personalities
rather than abilities.
"I'm From Star Magazine" would probably
be a more fitting title for these neophytes.
A healthy, bipartisan
Sdose of 'Charity'
By CATHERINE SMYKA
Daily Arts Writer
When student groups like MUS-
KET or Basement Arts introduce
a new show,
studentsfrom
all majors
and back-
grounds are
encouraged
to audition.
But usually
local actors
and theater
enthusiasts
can only find
Sweet
Charity
Today and
tomorrow at 8
p.m., Sunday
at 2 p.m.
At the Ann Arbor
Civic Theater
$21-$24
Heaven and Earth's silver lining
By PRIYA BALI in five years.
Daily Arts Writer The play begins with the Jade
Emperor, lord of Heaven, discov-
If you believe that Heaven and ering his immortal daughter's
Earth coexist, imagine them con- shameful romance with a name-
nected by less cowlierd. He transforms the
* something The Silver Silver River into an impenetrable
that's not River barrier between the two worlds,
only visible creating a complete darkness over
but readily Today and both lands.
explored 'by Saturday at. In a Brown Bag Lecture at the
simply trav- 8p.m. Institute for Humanities, David H.
eling down At the Power Hwang explored the striking con-
a river. As a trast of what the Silver River once
4,000-year- $18-$40 was and how it has transformed, a
old Chinese problem he called "the challenge to
legend would have it, the existence create something on two levels."
of the Silver River allows both Although the play is based on an
realms to unite. ancient legend, its theme of forbid-
What happens when Heaven and den love is timeless - and, of course,
Earth collide? "The Silver River," always relevant. A love's survival in
named after the Chinese word for a violent and chaotic world tran-
"Milky Way," attempts to answer scends both time and cultures
this question through a musi- alike, and "The Silver River" hopes
cal folktale about forbidden love to achieve these qualities.
between a mortal and an immortal Hwang, internationally recog-
- a theme that spans both Easter nized for both his Tony Award-
and Western literature. winning play "M. Butterfly" and
The Power Center is set to open his work on Disney's "Aida," brings
its doors to this singularly resplen- a uniquely Asian American per-
dent production for the first time spective to contemporary play-
writing,4
concernec
culture, r
society.
The p.
the exper
Sheng.
Afters
Leonard l
as an ar
Yo-Yo M
and extei
Symphon
monic an
Orchestra
Lov
fin
spi
"The m
felt was
with a diverse repertoire "There was no need for it to be
d with issues involving complicated."
ace and gender in modern One featured instrument is the
Chinese lute, called a "pipa." The
roduction's composer is Jade Emperor's role is exclusively
ienced music Prof. Bright sung in Chinese, whereas the rest
of the cast sings in English. All of
studying with composer these elements contribute to the
Bernstein, Sheng worked imaginative beauty and dreamlike
tistic advisor to cellist quality of the mythical love story.
a's "Silk Road Project" Hwang intended for the legend-
nsively with the Seattle ary characters to feel real.
y, the New York Philhar- "Any time you look at gods and
d the Boston Symphony goddesses in myths they are exten-
a. sions of human behavior. My ten-
dency is to humanize them more
and bring out those qualities in a
once again way that allows the audience to be
brought into the mythical world,"
ids awa to Hwang said.
ds a way to Although this world is under-
an the ages. standably exaggerated, the overall
a th a es piece doesn't become a fantasy -
nor does it forget about the impor-
tance of creating a tangible (and
tost important thing, we believable) reality.
that the music should Whether this world refers to
a comfy seat in the audience.
At the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre
Company, all community mem-
bers, from single parents to math
professors to Engineering under-
grads, are invited to join a cast.
"The theater groups on campus
are really focused on the students,
as they should be;'"director Ed
Reynolds said. "But if the School of
Music is putting on a production,
adults can't audition."
To fill that void, Reynolds makes
sure to allow faculty, alumni and
Ann Arbor residents to join the
many students in his casts.
The AACT's latest, Broadway
classic "Sweet Charity," maintains
an excellent tradition. Dance hall
hostess Charity Hope Valentine
(Ann Arbor residentKathy Waugh)
maintains an unwavering faith
in true love despite the continu-
ous stream of misfortune blocking
her way. Somewhat seductive but
thoroughly charming, Charity is
determined to prove to her fellow
dancers Nickie (January Proven-
zola) and Helene (Katie Hoeg) and
the entire Fandango dance club
that a girl like her can find a man.
"She has a heart of gold, but
she's a little misguided," Reynolds
said of the character. "Our Charity
is phenomenal; she can make you
laugh and break your heart at the
same time."
But no Charity can win an
audience by herself. That's where
choreographer Jeff DiFranco's
dancers come in.
Reynolds's passion for his tal-
ented dancers is not misplaced.
The real clincher, however, lies in
the distinctness of the seamless
A LITTLE 'CHARITY'
HISTORY:
" Opened on Broadway on Jan. 29,1966.
" In 2005, Christina Applegate ("Anchorman")
played the role of Charity.
. The show was nominated for12 Tony
Awards and won only onefor Bob Fosse's
choreography.
steps themselves. While incorpo-
rating a few well-known kicks and
spins, DiFranco exercises entire
sequences of nontraditional move-
ment, such as the catlike "Rich
Man's Frug" and zombie-ish "The
Rhythm of Life." Each actors' step,
breath and action (both during
musical numbers and monologues)
synchronize crisply with theback-
ground music of the orchestra. The
band not only guides dance num-
bers but enhances the life onstage.
Cast aside, Reynoldsspecifically
marked the production staff as a
key component of the show's evo-
lution. "We all have our eyes on the
same prize," Reynolds said.
Consistent infatuation with the
play itself, which has been popular
since early 1966, can certainly jus-
tify Reynolds's enthusiasm. After
four decades of performing in cit-
ies all over the United States and
London both on and off Broadway,
"Sweet Charity" has yet to disap-
The '60s -
but with students
and locals.
point audiences. "This show is 41
years old but still fresh," Reynolds
said.
The diverse University and
regional cast of the production has
allowed Reynolds to offer audi-
ences a play he has always loved.
"Artistically, I have high stan-
dards, and my actors deliver," he
said.
Merging students and locals
might not be the norm around
these parts, but in this case, it sure
paid off.
sound incidental," Sheng said,
referring to "Silver River's" blend
of contemporary Western opera
and Chinese folk music.
Heaven or Earth, the audience can
safely assume they will be invited
by the sights and sounds of "The
Silver River" into both.