2B - Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com0
2B - Thursday, January 7, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com*
The best TV shows of 2009
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Five reasons our couches never felt
neglected this year.
"Glee"
First season
Can a story about high school misfits
singing and dancing their way through
conflict-- sprinkled with themes of togeth-
erness and friendship - ever be taken seri-
ously? "Glee" proves it can. The smash hit's
first season created a perfect blend of hap-
py-go-lucky song-and-dance numbers and
dark subject matter from teen pregnancy
to failed marriages, makingsure it does not
become your little sister's "High School
Musical." The result is a cult phenomenon,
a formidable army of fans ("gleeks") and
consistently high iTunes downloads. But
even without the hype, "Glee" shines as a
brilliant show with a bright future.
-CAROLYN KLARECKI
"Lost"
Fifth season
After four seasons as one of TV's most
popular, exciting dramas, the "Lost" cre-
ators took their desert-island saga in a
risky narrative direction: time travel. In
the process, "Lost" may have alienated
most casual viewers, but its millions of
obsessed fans were rewarded with a sea-
son that presented an in-depth look at the
history of the mysterious island's warring
inhabitants. By embracing its science fic-
tion side, "Lost" delivered the most sur-
prising and compelling season since its
early days and laid the ground for what
should be an epic end to the series when it
returns in February.
-ROBERTSOAVE
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Seventh season
In its seventh go-around, "Curb" almost
went over the edge with increasingly absurd
scenarios in which LarryDavid got entangled
and agimmicky story arch - a show-within-
a-show "Seinfeld" reunion - to boot. But thel
iconic "Seinfeld" four carried themselves
with the perfect flare of subtle self-parody,
while the regular characters, especially
the vicious Susie and conscientious Marty
Funkhouser, brought their shtick in spades.
Half sympathetic, half stubborn, only Larry
David could murder a black swan, juggle two
wheelchair-confined dates and sport wom-
en's underwear, only to emerge relatively
unscathed. He did it, and he kept "Curb" as
surprising and indispensable as ever.
-DAVID WATNICK
COURTESY OF AMC
"Mad Men"
Third season
The third season of this period drama is
defined by change. Set in 1963, the season
built up to JFK's assassination with blood-
tinged plot twists, unexpected character
developments and plenty of hard drinking
along the way. With philandering ad man
Don Draper's (unsuccessful) attempts to
be a better family man, his icy wife Betty's
own forays into extramarital affairs-of-
the-heart and up-and-coming copywriter
Peggy Olson's struggle to reconcile her
femininity with her career ambitions, the
insane third season offered view-
ers an engaging glimpse into the decade's
less glamorous realities.
-SASHA RESENDE
COURTESY OF FX
"It's Always Sunny
in Philadephia"
Third season
Finally, after years of flying under the
radar, the deranged lunacy of "Sunny" has
reached mainstream popularity - notice
all the Green Man costumes these days?
In their fifth season, the compatriots of
Paddy's Pub continued their repugnant
/ lifestyles of unadulterated egocentricity
and rampant substance abuse with shenan-
igans ranging from the practical (drinking
wine from a can) to the topical (flipping
foreclosed homes for profit) to the horrific
(poisoning their opponents to win a flip-
cup tournament). The Gang may shock you
with depravity, but you're guaranteed to
consistently laugh your ass off.
-KAVI SHEKHAR PANDEY
I
Managers' M
Tuesday, Janua
6:00 PM
IM Sports Build
Winter Semester
Wednesday, Jai
6:00 PM or 8:00
Cliff Keen Aren;
Basketball
Instant
Scheduling
Entries Due
Monday, January 11
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
IM Sports Building
Aeetings
Exquisite
performan
New York Philharmonic
March 7
Hill Auditorium
Something extraordinary happens when a col-
lection of woodwind, brass, string and percussion
instruments gather together, and it transcends
explanation. The New York Philharmonic is among
the best at putting together an ensemble of instru-
ments and leaving an audience overwhelmed and
breathless. Fortunately, after a flawless showcasing
of Mendelssohn's "Overture to A Midsummer Night's
Dream," Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1" and Mus-
sorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," the audience
at Hill Auditorium found a way to muster up a more
than sufficient reaction to merit a two-song encore
and gave America's oldest orchestra the appreciation
it truly deserved.
-DAVID RIVA
"Richard II"
Oct. 23-24
Duderstadt Video Center
In the Rude Mechanicals' polished adaptation of
Shakespeare's classic, director James Manganello, an
LSA senior, updated the history play to a period closer to
the industrial Revolution than the end of the 14th cen-
tury. Bowler hats and trench coats were combined with
video projections of Russian montage films to create a
new setting for the English political figures. Incredibly
well-acted, "Richard II" was an ensemble piece featur-
ing moving performances by even the actors with the
fewest lines. But of course the play ultimately belongs to
the title character, and LSA senior Alexandra Clement-
Jones tackled the meaty role to sympathetically portray
the king's transition from throne to prison cell.
-MOLLYMCGUIRE
"Me and My Dick"
Oct. 30-31
Walgreen Drama Center
The Old Snatch, Miss Cooter and Dick - these
were just a few of the characters in Basement Arts's
newest original musical comedy. No, "Me and My
Dick" was not your conventional stage performance,
but that's what made it stand out so much. The play
could have succeeded on its innovative concept and
side-splitting script alone..But its genuine treatment
of a delicate subject by a dynamic cast allowed for
a unique perspective on the emotional and physical
pains of growing up.
Ann Arbor
ces of 2009
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"Macbeth"
Dec. 10-13
Power Center
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"HAIR" 4
Nov. 20-22
Power Center
From the sultry "Aquarius" to the hopeful and
heartbreaking finale, the cast of MUSKET's "HAIR"
brought a controlled, sharp intensity and earnestness
to the psychedelic tale of sexual freedom, political
activism and drug experimentation. Everything about
this performance was in tune with the core themes of
"HAIR" - the costumes, the choreography and stag-
ing, the cast, the set and the music all demanded con-
stant attention. All these tech specs melded together
to say "We're here and we're going to talk to you about
life, so sit back and absorb the spectacle."
-LEAHBURGIN
Darkness and chaos reigned in the School of Music,
Theatre & Dance's production of "Macbeth" this
December. Standouts included charismatic Music,
Theatre & Dance junior Joey Richter as Banquo and
Music, Theatre & Dance junior Anna Robinson, whose
Lady Macbeth slipped gradually into insanity. But the
real star was the setting, with the characters' World
War I military costumes serving as the only sem-
blance of order in a world of crumbling walls, moaning
hospital patients and lots of machine-brewed fog. The'
witches' scenes were particularly effective thanks to
a Halloween Auto-Tune device that lent an inhuman
quality to the actors' voices.
-SHARON JACOBS
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-DAVID RIVA "Macbeth" was updated for a World War I setting