8 - Friday, March 12, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Impactful Dance
By ERIN STEELE audience.
Daily Arts Writer Lauren Wolfe, a sophomore in
the schools of LS&A and Music,
Imagine being part of agroup Theatre & Dance, first experi-
that has enough trust in each of enced the group's openness last
its members year when she choreographed her
to give the first jazz piece.
individuals Impact Dance "I had all juniors and seniors in
total cre- Annual Spring my piece, so I was really scared,"
ative license Pm du I she said.
to explore Of course, the company's work
their craft. Today and ethic and mutual trust allowed
Comprised tomorrow Wolfe's piece to be successful,
of original at 7 p.m. launching her more confidently
dances cho- Tickets from $5 into the daunting world of chore-
reographed ography.
by each mem- "It's really cool to watch my
ber of the company, Impact Dance's stuff onstage," Wolfe said.
Annual Spring Production will Music, Theatre & Dance senior
showcase a variety and uninhibited and Impact Dance Co-Chair
creativity in choreographythat can Sophie Torok has chosen to break
only be producedby such a group. away from her typical jazz chore-
The Annual Spring Production ography and to create a new con-
is the company's biggest show of temporary piece for the show.
the year, and it's always an eclectic "It's gone through a lot of
yet cohesive compilation of dances changes, and it's really different
created by each member in the from what it was at the beginning.
style of her choice over the win- The dancers added a lot to it," she
ter semester. This year the show said.
includes jazz, contemporary, hip
hop, tap and a large production
number. Dace ofal
"This year is going to be our ances of all
most diverse show," said LS&A shapes and sizes.
senior and Impact Dance Co-Chair a
Jackie Busch.
Impact's repertoire is influ-
enced by the diverse backgrounds Ross School of Business junior
of its members, most of whom Arielle Ziv has grown as an artist
have danced from a young age in a since she choreographed a piece
studio company, dance team, bal- that was in a style completely new
let school or competition circuit. to her during her freshman year.
Although the company's members "I've done jazz every year, butin
have danced for years, the art of high school I never really did jazz,
choreography is new to most of so it's cool to get into a new style,"
them. she said.
"Whenever we bring in new As if Impact hasn't produced a
girls, we're never really sure what show with enough variety on its
their style is or what their back- own, the company will be joined
ground is," Busch said. "It's scary by guest performers and fellow
for some people, because nobody student groups The Friars, an a
has ever choreographed before,but capella octet, and comedy compa-
I think it's kind of fun for everyone ny ComCo.
to delve into choreography." Those who attend the Annual
The dancers' commitment to Spring Production will experience
each other's creative vision and a collection of pieces that could
respect for the artistic process can only result from the unconven-
be seen in rehearsal, and it's what tional process Impact Dance has
allows Impact Dance to present employed to draw creativity from
stunning and exciting pieces to its each of its members.
Frisch goes over
Arlen's 'Rainbow'
Brotherly love in'Tucson'.
Child actors carry FOX's
latest comedy series with
emotion and absurdity
By JAMIE BLOCK
ManagingArtsEditor
FOX has taken it upon itself to answer histo-
ry's most burning question: What would happen
if Jack Black adopted the kids
from "Malcolm in the Middle" *
and moved to Arizona? While
that may not be the exact plot Sons of
of "Sons of Tucson," it's pretty
damn close. But here's the Tucson
thing: It actually works. Sundays at
Tyler Labine ("Reaper") is 9:30 p.m.
our Jack Black wannabe, tak-F
ing on the role of Ron Snuffkin, FOX
a slightly overweight, washed-
up loser who lives in his car. He's approached
by the Gunderson children, three incredibly
rich, orphaned kids who secretly live on their
own in a suburban Tucson home. The trio pays
Snuffkin to pose as their father so they can
enroll in school. As the kids struggle to avoid
being found out and sent into foster care, they
broker a deal with the desperate Snuffkin, giv-
ing him a weekly stipend and room and board
in exchange for him posing as their father on an
as-needed basis.
While Labine is technically the star of the
show, he just seems along for the ride. His act-
ing is certainly up to par, but his character is
the stereotype of a low-brow slob, giving him
few opportunities to shine in an original way.
Snuffkin's requisite heartwarming moments as
a father figure, though, are actually aided by this,
as he manages to retain his slovenliness even in
his noblest actions.
It's really the children who make the series
shine. They take the main trio from "Malcolm in
the Middle" and give each character an upgrade,
adding wit, charm and a whole lot of love.
There's the youngest Gunderson, eight-year
old Robby (newcomer Benjamin Stockham), who
is crazy, loud and often shockingly diabolical.
And while he's certainly not the first rambunc-
tious, angry child we've seen on the small screen,
he's one of the mostendearing, and one of the sad-
dest. He's ascaredkidwho'supsettobe alone and
is just looking for someone to look up to. Robby
harbors an incredible resentment toward adults,
so he takes it out on every adult close to him. And
Stockham is able to make this motivation clear
without the show ever mentioning it overtly.
Then there's the middle child, 11-year-old
Gary (newcomer Frank Dolce), who is smart
and mature to the point of absurdity, just like
Frankie Muniz's Malcolm. But while Malcolm
was motivated to escape his family, Gary's moti-
vation is to keep everyone safe and together. For
God's sake, the kid made sure they all got signed
up for school. But more than anything, Gary is a
stress ball, going so far as to buy a heart moni-
tor at ayard sale to ensure he stays healthy under
pressure. Dolce pulls the character off perfectly.
Sometimes it's hard to remember he's a child, not
a vertically challenged adult who shops at Gap
Rids.
Thirteen-year-old Brandon Gunderson (new-
comer Matthew Levy) is the oldest of the three,
though Gary is undeniably the leader. While
Brandon has some of the bullyish, slightly oblivi-
ous qualities of Reese from "Malcolm," once
again his motives are far more endearing. Bran-
don puts up flyers of Gary saying "Whatup, slut?"
not to mock Gary, but to give him a chance to
reinvent himself as a fun-loving guy. Brandon
seems the most aloof to the trio's plight, but still
fulfills the role of morale booster.
This trifecta of novice actors is supremely
entertaining and extremely talented. And the
Gunderson characters make for great televi-
sion; they're just weird enough to allow for some
absurd plots, but still driven by brotherly love.
"Sons of Tucson" manages to combine the crazy
antics we see in the "Home Alone" movies and in
"My Name is Earl," then make them legitimately
heart-warming and witty.
The show would probably be better with-
out Snuffkin. He only shines when he's with
the kids, and the scenes without them drag on
tediously and for far too long. But even thatslob
Snuffkin can't completely mess up the magic
of the Gunderson children. Hopefully when
the dust clears in Tucson, the trio of aspiring
actors will find a chance to have the spotlight
on themselves.
"You are no son of Tucson!'
Putting scriptures on, display
By BRAD SANDERS
Daily Arts Writer
Have you ever wondered what is
actually over the rainbow? While
everyone's familiar with the popu-
lar song "Over the Rainbow" and
the question
it poses, many A
don't know
who actually Alen
composed the T
Broadway hit. Todayat5 p.m.
Walter Frisch, Burton Memoral
a professor
of music at
Columbia University, will be hold-
ing a lecture this Friday at 5 p.m.
in the Burton Memorial Tower
discussing the complex works of
Harold Arlen, the composer of the
famous tune.
Like most people, Frisch was
introduced to Arlen while watch-
ing "The Wizard of Oz." However,
his curiosity took him a step fur-
ther into examining the compos-
er's lesser-known pieces.
"I had been looking through the
works that had been made by the
great masters of that time, such as
Richard Rogers, and was drawn in
by the qualities of Arlen's music,"
Frisch said. "I find his songs very
expressive and moving."
"The song forms he uses often
transcend the standard form, as
he's frequently interested in lon-
ger structures that keep unfolding.
The way he approaches this genre
really gives him the quality of what
we might think of as an art song,
and there's a kind of completeness
and richness that is satisfying to
listen to," he added.
In addition to the form of Arlen's
music, Frisch is interested in the
songs' key changes, hinting at their
novelty.
"There's a song that he wrote
with Johnny Mercer, from a
show called 'St. Louis Woman,'
that starts in the key of B flat and
ends in A flat," Frisch explained.
"I think he just sort of follows his
instincts. He obviously couldbegin
and end in the same key, but he
loves to play with things like that."
Arlen drew inspiration from
specific types of music, as well as
his religious background, and con-
tinues to inspire various artists to
perform his songs.
"He denied he was just a blues
composer, but his harmonies are
very much tinged with blues scales
and notes," Frisch said. "Some
people say that since he was the
son of a cantor ina synagogue, that
his melodies and harmonies reflect
the Jewish cantorial style.
"'Over the Rainbow' served as a
comebackvehicle for JudyGarland,
and was also sung by famous sing-
ers such as Frank Sinatra and Bar-
bara Streisand, who specialized in
singinghis pieces," Frisch added.
With the popularity of some of
Arlen's songs, including "Stormy
Weather," it's strange no one really
recognizes his name.
"It puzzles me in some ways, but
I think it's because he never had a
hit show on Broadway. His work
was mostly showcased in films,"
Frisch said. "Hollywood compos-
ers never really got high status like
Broadway ones did, they were like
second-class citizens. His music
has seeped into the consciousness
of Americans, but for some reason
his name hasn't gone with it."
The lecture will include vari-
ous recordings of Arlen's as well as
other performers' works.
"I'll be talking a little bit about
how the song'A Sleepin' Bee' came
intobeingthat he wrote for amusi-
cal in 1954 when he was working
with a less experienced writer
named Truman Capote. He guided
this talented lyricist into recording
that song," Frisch explained.
Credit where
credit is due.
"My hope is to give an impres-
sion of this different side of Arlen
that people may not know about.
He was very unusual in the early
20th century in the sense that he
was such a complete and rounded
talent," he added.
Invited by the musicology
department, Frisch is excited to
speak at an institution that accel-
erated the integration of music as
a subject to be studied in Univer-
sities.
"The University of Michigan
was one of the first departments
of music in the country to study
American music as a scholarly sub-
ject," he said. "Many people who
have made their careers studying
music from the United States come
from the University, so this is a
great opportunity for me to share
research with people who have
been thinking about it for genera-
tions."
By HEATHER POOLE
Daily Arts Writer
Religious texts have always had a widespread
impact, influencing our everyday customs, polit-
ical preferences and even our
concept of time. An annualA
exhibit at Hatcher Graduate
Library, "A History of the of the Bible
Bible from Ancient Papyri from Ancient
to King James," explores
these themes and makes Papyn to
them more accessible to the King James
public.
Running through March Through March
31 this year, "A History of 31,8:30 a.m.
the Bible" is showcased in to7 p.m.
the Audubon Room of the Hatcher Graduate
Hatcher Graduate Library. Library
The texts range from the
Epistles of Paul (circa 2nd
century C.E.) to a 1611 edition of the King
James Bible.
In addition to possessing great religious
significance, the displayed texts span a vari-
ety of subjects. The collection has served as a
resource for students studying art history, reli-
gion and the honors curriculum, Great Books,
but it also has other uses.
"One of the most important things (the exhib-
it) does besides telling the specific history of the
biblical text is it... talks about communication of
information," said Peggy Daub, director of the
Special Collections Library. "So in that sense
you go from the ancient Egyptian papyri to the
medieval manuscripts to the invention of ... the
movable type printing.
"It's a history of how text is transmitted from
one age to the next."
The exhibit has attracted not only University
members, but also the surrounding community.
"There are a lot of seminaries and theologi-
cal schools, so it is not just for the campus,"
Daub said. "In fact, a lot of groups come in from
churches and also people from different schools
where they are studyingtheology."
In addition to the evolution of the written
Bible, the collection features non-Biblical Chris-
tian texts, such as a Census Declaration from 119
C.E. and the Book of Enoch from 4th century C.E.
Daub also emphasized the importance of
enduring themes in the texts. There are no man-
uscripts in the exhibit created after 1611, but the
ideas they discuss are still relevant today.
"The fact that it stops at 1611 I think makes it
seem a little foreign to people," Daub said. "One
of the things we've tried to do in the labels and
text isto point out things that are eternal."
Correspondingly, the exhibit addresses last-
ing concerns such as the preservation of texts
and the conflicts between religion and politics.
"Most people would not have thought the act
of translation as a political act," Daub said. "The
fact thatnpeople were burned at the stake, people
were persecuted for taking it upon themselves
to put the Bible in their own language whether
it was Martin Luther in Germany or it was the
people in England ... is a surprise to many peo-
ple."
"A History of the Bible" features some of
Hatcher Graduate Library's most valuable doc-
uments. The exhibit has been displayed annu-
ally for the past 20 years. This year, the exhibit
is extended to the end of March, due to the visit
Exploring the impact
of religious texts on
politics, everyday life
and the idea of time.
by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
"The Royal Shakespeare Company in Eng-
land has commissioned some new plays thatcel-
ebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James
Bible next year," Daub said.
"They are actually coming to campus in
March ... and that's why we're keeping the
exhibit open longer so it will be open when
they are here and people can come see the King
James after hearing about it."
Rogue Wave gets poppy on 'Permalight'
By ARIELLE SPECINER
For the Daily
What's the recipe for a typical
indie-rock album? Start with a sim-
plistic drumbeat,
throw in some ***
tambourines and
add a teaspoon of Rogue Wave
clap tracks mixed
in with a soft- Permalight
sounding male Brushfire
singer. Then, for
some flavor, add a dash of dance
beats and a large helping of overly
poetic (yet still charming) lyrics.
Put it all together and the resulting
concoction is Rogue Wave's fourth
album, Permalight.
The indie rock band from Cali-
fornia takes a different, well-played
approach on its first record after a
three-year hiatus. On past albums
Rogue Wave threw in a few dance
tracks and pop-synth beats, yet
retained traces of their folksy
charm. Permalight trades the usual
hypnotizing guitar riffs for some
club-thumping bass and poppy lyr-
ics.
The album opens with "Soli-
tary Gun," an acoustic standout in
tribute to late Rogue Wave bassist
Evan Farrell. Singer Zach Rogue
reminisces: "We've been suffering
the six days since he's died / I saw a
picture of his mother as she cried."
Despite such devastation, the band
is able to produce an upbeat song
and surround it with numerous
other cheery tracks.
The band is also clearly taking
more risks: "Good Morning (The
Future)," "Stars and Stripes" and
the title track each infuse electroni-
ca to a much greater extent than the
band has dared before. While much
of the album lacks true original-
ity, "Permalight" contains the most
unique sounds Rogue Wave has ever
put out. Starting with tribal grunts
as a glittery dance beat flows into
the background, the chorus imme-
diately grips the listener with sim-
ple but memorable lyrics like: "Turn
the light / On tonight / Permalight /
Say good night."
Less riffing, more
club-thumping.
On the other side of the spectrum
is acoustic ballad "I'll Never Leave
You." Rogue muses over his brand-
new baby girl in the track's camp-
fire-like serenade as he sings: "The
only thing I have is time / to bring
back this blood line of mine / Well,
I'll never leave you." The summery,
feel-good song is short, sweet and
to the point, with clapping percus-
sions on the chorus and happy gui-
tar chords dottingthe mix.
But after all is said and done,
Rogue Wave seems a bit confused
on Permalight. It's as if the band
members don't know which sound
they likethe most: hip, programmed
mechanizations or organic folk.
Permalight is a grab bag of solid
acoustic songs, fun dance numbers
and indie regulars, but as a whole
it's a bit lackluster.
Nevertheless, Permalight is a
delightful listen. The track "We
Will Make A Song Destroy" per-
fectly describes the album as "digi-
tal campfire." As front man Rogue
retains his folksy lyrical genius, he
pops up the record with perky per-
cussion and digital doodling. And
while Rogue Wave surely won't
cause a tsunami with Permalight,
it's certain to make a sizeable
splash for newcomers and long-
time fans alike.
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0
"Help! This wave has gone rogue!"