Friday, December 9, 2011 - 5 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com THEATER PREVIEW 'Little Women,' big show at Arthur Miller Theatre In "The Beaux' Stratagem," two gentlemen decide to find wealthy ladies to marry. Golddiggin with wigs in 'Stratagem MT&D puts on Restoration-era play this weekend By ANNA SADOVSKAYA Daily Arts Writer Full of amusing mishaps and comical characters, "The Beaux' Stratagem" comes to the Power Center's stage this weekend. The Beaux' The play's sur- prising plot twists and Tonight and relatable sto- tomorrow rylines provide at 8 p.m. the audience and Sunday with anew look at2p.m. at period pieces and their reviv- Power Center al. From $9 Originally writtenin1707byIrish playwright George Farquhar, the story was an instant-success. Under Crom- well's rule during the Puritan S regime, stage performances were banned. Like other Restoration pieces - plays performed after the ban was lifted - "The Beaux' Stratagem" evokes the fervor of the English dramatic renaissance that followed the oppression. Priscilla Lindsay, chair of the Department of Theatre & Drama and director of the show, said the ostensibly aged piece will still be relevant to audiences because of its intended viewership when originally performed. "What were the issues back then, what are the issues now?" Lindsay asked. "These types of plays, Restoration pieces, were written for the common man, instead of court. Issues such as sex, money and relationships were all really important." These themes, which were present in the inaugural produc- tion, translate to the adaptation begun by Thornton Wilder ("Our Town") in 1939 and finished by Ken Ludwig ("Lend Me a Tenor") in early 2005. Thisversion of the show, which is used by the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, follows two young gentlemen who decide to take their last bit of money and put it to practical and comical use - finding wealthy ladies to marry. Their plansgo awry almost imme- diately. This adaptation, though hon- eat to the original script, gives the show new breath and meaning in this day and age. "(Ludwig) adapted it for mod- ern times," Lindsay said. "He cleared away the cobwebs and took away jokes that we don't care about or get anymore. It is very accessible for us today." Reed Campbell, an MT&D senior who plays Boniface, the landlord of the Boniface Inn, said he thinks that despite antiquated dress and speech, the show holds onto what's vital. "The thing about good theater is you can name any play that you like and you're going to find that the majority of it you can take, put it in (the context of) today, and it will still be relevant," Campbell said. Characters like Boniface keep the show moving quickly, making it fast-paced and engaging,Lind- say said. "As the plot starts to unravel, a new character comes and - boom! - something else happens, or a new piece of information is learned and things change," she said. "There's a character named Lady Bountiful, the mother of one of the girls (seduced by the beaux), and she fancies herself a physician, only she kills as many as she cures." Campbell said he believes the unanticipated twists are what make the show slapstick and bawdy - a refreshing version of theater, unlike the minimalistic and contemporary acting that rules stages today. "There's alot of physical com- edy, which is awesome because in this day and age modern acting is really small, contemporary and truthful," Campbell said. "But this is really over-the-top, and while it's all set in reality there are big, bold jokes." By DHRUV MADEKA Daily Arts Writer This weekend, the Department of Musical Theatre will portray the epic saga of a family mired in the turmoil of the Civil War in its latest pro- L duction of the Women musical "Little Women." Tonight and The show tomorrow is based on at 8 p.m., Louisa May tomorrow Alcott's famous and Sunday novel, which at 2 p.m. was published Arthur Miller in two parts in Theatre 1868 and 1869. It follows the From $10 lives of four New England sisters - Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy - as they encoun- ter the difficulties of life and love while dealing with the burden of a father whose life is in constant jeopardyin the war. The musical resembles the book, with some details excluded by time constraints. The original production had a run on Broad- way in 2005 and featured School of Music, Theatre & Dance alum Danny Gurwin as Laurie. Gur- win, who is directing this MT&D production, will share his knowl- edge of the show's intricacies with the student actors he directs. "Besides being an energetic and enthusiastic director, he really loves the piece because he's been with it through many, many incarnations," said MT&D senior Ali Gordon, who plays the youngest March sister, Amy. "He's taken his knowledge of all (his) productions ... and he's sort of brought them all to the table at this one great production of 'Lit- "Little Women" originally ran on Broadway in 2005. tle Women."' Though "Little Women" is characterized by the ubiquitous themes of family, loyalty and love, Alcott did not portray these themes from a masculine angle, but rather from the viewpoint of the oldest March sister, Jo. The author, who Gordon describes as a "proto-feminist," allowed her female characters to make their own choices rather than depend- ing on the wishes of the men in their lives. Older women may relate to the struggle of the mother Marmee, who attempts to raise her chil- dren in the absence of her hus- band, and younger siblings may connect to the troubles of Amy, as everything she owns is handed down to her from her older sisters. "It's still read so widely today and adapted so widely into musicals and operas and movies because people see these rela- tionships and find that they mir- ror their own lives so truthfully," said Gordon. "I still see some of myself in this young girl." MT&D junior Jane Bruce said the show's theme of family gives it a timeless nature. "Ultimately that's what we all come from, and always have," she said. Bruce, who plays Jo, said she was able to draw parallels between her character and col- lege students like herself. Broadway cast member directs. "(Students) are dealing with the struggles of love and finding your passions in life," Bruce said. "And how you decide what to do and finding that balance between being independent and living the life you always wanted to live and stayingtrue toyour roots. "It's something I know, in col- lege, I've certainly battled with and tried to figure out in the same way Jo has." A magical modern fairy tale CONCERT PR EVIWW 'U' musical couple to perform at Kerrytown By LAURA KAYE always wished to record. Daily Arts Writer Though Bolcom and Morris said they had not yet finalized A young actress living in the their playlist, they added that the C Big Apple was introduced to a program will combine various classical musician who played musical genres, including a range ragtime as of turn-of-the-century pieces as well. They well as a satirical Tom Lehrer had immedi- Ct W Be Christmas carol. ate chemistry Friends? They discussed a piece by - their hearts Argentinean songwriter Carlos S beat to the Tomorrow Gardel that they might perform. same rhythm at 8 p.m. Bolcom translated and arranged and soon after- Kerrytown the cabaret song. ward, their Concert House "The song is sort of a dump everlasting From $5 on political nastiness of the partnership times and the more I think of it, was born. it is the same now - nothing has William Bolcom and Joan changed." Morris sad. "In our Morris form one of the most song, we replaced the kind of celebrated American husband- similar people in Gardel's time and-wife musical teams. School in Argentina with Bernie Madoff of Music, Theatre & Dance Pro- and Glenn Beck, and the ponzi fessor Emeritus Bolcom was the scheme." recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Cabaret is one of the duo's sig- music and the winner of many nature styles - they will pres- Grammy awards for his work. ent some French cabaret songs He accompanies mezzo-soprano sung by Aristide Bruant, the man Morris, an MT&D faculty mem- who appears sketched in many ber who has appeared in off- of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Broadway productions and at Moulin Rouge posters. Morris various Manhattan venues. Their explained that relative to other upcoming recital at Kerrytown genres, cabaret is more direct, Concert House, "Can't We Be and it has a personal musical style Friends?," is one of many home- derived from the smoky French town appearances for the Ann cafes in which women would Arbor-based duo. dress in salacious costumes to Many of the couple's recorded dance the can-can. albums are centered on a single Morris was first an actress and composer or theme. For this per- then a singer. As a result, when formance, they will showcase she picks up a piece of music she many of their most beloved tunes not only ponders the meaning of that they never were able to but the lyrics, but she also creates miniature plays out of each song to evoke a certain story for the audience. Contrary to the presence she evokes on stage, Morris said she is actually a very shy person. But being an actress gave her an opportunity to be something else and hide behind an alter ego. This gave her the confidence to go on stage and perform in front of crowds. Bolcom and Morris are both MT&D faculty members. "Oscar Wilde once said, 'If you want a man to tell the truth, give him a mask,'" Morris said. "It is not that I become someone else - I find it within myself. It is something I work with in order to figure out how I'm goingto tell the story." Bolcom said Morris's experi- ence is similar to a song the duo has recorded, "Tamara, Queen of the Nile." The song is about a young woman who is a school teacher by day, but go-go dancer by night. That idea of transformation will be in full effect as these two University faculty members morph into versatile entertainers. By PROMA KHOSLA Daily TV/New Media Editor Fairy tales are the new super- heroes. Just as it was impossible to emerge from the last decade * *g without swing- ing around Once Upon New York on spiderwebs or a Time coping with an Season One Adamantium Midseason skeleton, it will be hard to Sundaysati8p.m. weather 2012 ABC without a few brushes with creatures of fanci- ful folklore. Beginning Hollywood's fairy- tale revival is ABC's "Once Upon A Time," which - seven episodes in - has finally found the spark that characterizes the classic tales it draws from. It's hard to discuss "Once Upon a Time" without acknowledging the clear influence of creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horow- itz's prior work on a little show called "Lost." There are Easter eggs in every episode, like a clock stuck at 8:15 and house numbered 108. For still-mourning Losties, there are even more obscure ref- erences, including Apollo bars and MacCutcheon whiskey, not to mention a guest appearance by Alan Dale. Widmore, you limey bastard. The writers also borrow that series' successful narrative ele- ments, like the format: Each episode is a character study, unfolding in two universes - real life and the fantasy realm. The most engrossing part so far is the ongoing romantic tension between Snow White/Mary Mar- garet (Ginnifer Goodwin, "Some- thing Borrowed") and Prince Charming/David (Josh Dallas, "Thor"). Their story connects more to the overarching plot of fairy-tale characters defeating an evil queen, while figures like Jiminy Cricket/Archie (Raphael Sbarge, "CSI") and Cinderella/ who-the-eff-are-you add little to the storyline. The make-believe realm in "Once Upon A Time" is a con- glomeration of traditional tropes. "I've never seen seven dwarves do that betore." The evil queen (Lana Parrilla, from the authenticity of the origi- "Swingtown") embodies every nal texts. Otherwise, the visuals unnamed female antagonist, with are satisfactory enough that their a lot more savvy and a tad more limitations can be overlooked - cleavage. That regular cross- after all, this isn't HBO. As for overs like Cinderella (Jessica Sch- the writing, a little modern adap- ram, "Unstoppable") and Snow tation doesn't go amiss. In one White are friends and attend a instance, Snow White sardonical- ball together is difficult to digest ly refers to her new acquaintance at first, but now blends into this as "Prince Charming." "I have a modern take on fairy tales. name, you know," he retortsdryly. Jennifer Morrison, finally believable as a blonde now that H i ev she's out of Princeton-Plains- F e e boro Teaching Hospital, initially so far. played the only character with which the audience could sym- pathize. She does cynicism well as Snow White's daughter, Emma Snow White started out too Swan, and since she doesn't have simpering and wistful to be lik- a fantasy alter ego, she roots the able, but she shows a surprisingly series in reality. She has a believ- Robin Hood-esque streak of bad- able rapport with her biological assery by climbing trees, picking son Henry (Jared Gilmore, "Mad pockets and making shady deals Men") and though she's the pro- withtrolls.It'sasmartmoveonthe tagonist, she doesn't steal the writers' part to update the-outdat- show away from others. ed damsel-in-distress model. Par- At first it was easy to be skep- rilla is far more intimidating as the tical about whether or not "Once malicious mayor than as the evil Upon a Time" could succeed with queen. That might be why she's its premise. In the pilot, Emma all over Storybrook, manipulat- tells Henry, "Just because you ing and blackmailing everyone in believe something doesn't make sight, yet seldom seen in the story- it true." Maybe, but humans have book world. That realm is master- an incurable tendency to try and fully puppeted by the deliciously prove otherwise. Now a third of creepy Rumplestiltskin (Robert the way through its first season, Carlyle, "The Full Monty"), with the show is pulling strong ratings just a hint of a Scottish accent. (Is and respect from critics. That ini- that you, Desmond?) tial skepticism has turned into a A clear effort is made to ready fervent desire to believe in these the characters for the modern characters and step out of real- day and age, but details like Snow ity every week. And isn't that the White's French manicure detract point of fairy tales?