The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, March 26, 2012 - 7A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, March 26, 2012 - 7A Cirque molds to contemporary tastes 'Hunger Games' triumphs Sts no secret that many forms of fine art are strug- gling to stay relevant in the 21st century. Attendees of traditional bal- lets talk about their night out to "Swan Lake" as though they're show- ing off a novel antique ringthat LAUREN will soon be CASERTA returned to its dusty box in favor of more modern accesso- ries. Directors fight to draw new crowds as the advent of televi- sion and film make the exclu- sivity of theater performances an inconvenience of the past. Most musicals older than "Les Misdrables" feel as if they've been hermetically sealed in a time we can no longer relate to. As people are drawn away from the artistic expressions that captured the imaginations of earlier decades and centuries, a critical question must be asked: Do the fine arts have the ability to evolve alongside the audi- ences that enjoy them? Or is the art community forever set in its ways? Believe it or not, the answer comes in the form of a little Canadian entertainment com- pany called Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil, French for "circus of the sun," is a collection of touring and stationary shows that are part circus, part opera and part narrative-in-motion. The company has been perform- ing for just 28 years - infantile when compared to ballet's 400-year-old pedigree - but something about its artistic for- mula has clicked with viewers. What else would have already drawn more than 100 mil- lion people worldwide to their shows? While the more than 5,000 members of this troupe may call themselves a circus, their performances prove that the term is woefully inadequate in describing the vortex of color, sound and motion that charac- terizes their work. Actors are required to do much more than run through a series of spandex- covered acrobatic acts - each show is knit together by an over- arching narrative or abstract allegory that is chosen specifi- cally because of its universality and culture-bridging familiarity. In this way, entire stories are woven without the aid of spoken language (their self-composed music almost always utilizes made-up words) using themes that connect to audiences on each of the six continents where the company performs. The passing of time, growing up, fall- ing in love, dreams and reality, the circle of life - each of these themes have been infused into a stream of pantomimed emotion W put to music. These wonders of the human imagination are then ingeniously paired with the wonders of the human form. Feats of strength and power are synthesized into graceful acts of expression, allowing actors to become living, breathing, bending and flying works of performance art - in the truest sense of the phrase. This synthesis is only one facet of the proof that fine art is a genre surprisingly capable of change - the venues used by Cirque du Soleil are technologi- cal and visual marvels in their own rights. The company has mastered the art of performing in integrated 3-D spaces that project outward into their audi- ences even as they draw viewers into the action. Stages of every shape and size spin, unfold, and catch fire as the shows burst out of the proscenium and take advantage of everything from tanks of water to wires in the air. Canadian circus troupe blends fine arts and modernity. Cirque du Soleil has also bridged yet another gap that the- ater has yet to embrace - their performances have consistently proven to be some of the best examples of art translated onto film. More than 10 video-record- ed versions of various shows have been produced, garnering three Gemini Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. With masterful editing and a keen sense of performance space, the movie versions of the shows are the next best thingto actually sitting beneath the human com- ets suspended above you. Artistically, Cirque du Soleil tackles metaphors that can't be put into words, creating a vibrant consciousness that builds on established forms without being weighed down by an unspoken dedication to them. There's something electrifying about watching a dying firebird proudly preen its scraggly feath- ers in between staggering leaps to which the traditional self- aware poise of a ballerina doesn't do justice. Limited only by the imaginations of their artistic directors, shows become more like living works of art than the- atrical presentations. Cirque du Soleil gives hope to the future of art that strives to evolve beyond the standard visu- al, audible and theatrical arts triad that has dominated for so long. By embodying the abstract without forgetting where it comes from, the company has managed to enchant children of all ages by dragging out our ids and giving them a physical form. With 21 different productions currently performing around the world, it seems as though Cirque du Soleil has found a niche with- in all of us. Caserta is running away to join the circus. To stop her, e-mail casertaumich.edu. Film adaptation of popular novel beats the odds By ADITI MISHRA Daily Arts Writer Now hold on just a second. Can it be possible? Can a film based on a bestselling young adult saga, with a fan base **** frighteningly similar to that The Hunger of the "Twi- Games light" series (a moment's At Quality16 pause to shud- and Rave der at the mem- ory...), hit all Lionsgate the right notes? Yes, yes it can! "The Hunger Games," with its flawless cast, perfectly paced action and dra- matic intensity, is everything we've been waiting for and more. Breathe easy, Suzanne Collins - perhaps Hollywood's finally learning how not to mess up a beloved piece of fiction. Though, the movie's victory has to be due in part to Collins's contribution to the screenplay. Director Gary Ross's ("Seabis- cuit") decision to hire Collins, writer of the original trilogy, yields a film that's true to its lit- erary counterpart even after certain scenes from the book are cut and altered. If anything, it ensures that the books' multitude of fans get what they pay for - a movie that's loyal to the material it's inspired by. To most, the story is familiar. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Law- rence,"Winter's Bone") lives with her mother and younger sister Prim (newcomer Willow Shields) in an exhausted part of District 12 called the Seam. As happens annually, all children between Tributessss ... make it work. the ages of 12 and 18 from the 12 districts have to submit their names for the Hunger Games - a competition in which 24 children battle to the death, used by the Capitol to maintain totalitarian control. When her 12-year-old sister is picked to compete, Kat- niss volunteers in Prim's place. When it comes to the Capitol, Ross lets his imagination fly. It's precisely as over-the-top, color- ful and extravagant as readers undoubtedly expected. But just as Katniss and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson, "The Kids Are All Right") are pawns in the Capitol's games, the Capitol is a pawn in Ross's game. It's a means for him to break the emotional intensity of the games themselves, to occasionally hide the fact that under the love tri- angle most teenagers in the audi- ence have come to see, this film is actually about survival, death, desperation and unrestrained animalistic instincts. Execs at Lionsgate must have really pushed hard for the film's PG-13 rating. While not as Tar- antino-esque as most would have liked, "The Hunger Games" stays true to the blood and gore of the first book. Herein lies the film's greatest strength - it's all about raw emotion. There are no obtru- sive, overwhelming soundtracks that detract from the emotional trauma of the lead actors at the death of their friends. This organic approach allows the actors to shine in their roles. Hutcherson is believably love- stricken and embattled as the guy who knows he can't win but wants to make sure the girl he loves does. Woody Harrelson, as the tributes' mentor Haymitch, is equally perfect as a drunk mess trying to get his act togeth- er. Of course, no one can forget the adorably naive Effie Trin- ket (Elizabeth Banks, TV's "30 Rock"). Her comedic one-liners are as invaluable as Dnonald Sutherland's ("Horrible Bosses") cold stares as President Snow. But while the games have two winners, the film only has one. Lawrence is a powerhouse of talent. She churns out arrogant, impatient, sweet, sexy, trauma- tized and desperate faster than the speed of one of Katniss's arrows. There's no other way of saying it - this film is a cornucopia of surprises. Instead of capitalizing on its love triangle, it sticks to its roots and captures the frustra- tion of an oppressed society that's just trying to survive. More than anything, it's a beautiful ode to 'hunger' and 'passion' - the hun- ger that drives people physically and emotionally, the passion that causes people to act against their better judgement. As such, "The Hunger Games" definitely leaves you craving more. So longbrooding, poutingvam- pires - this is how a young-adult adaptation is done. Approximately 40 percent of every incoming PharmD class consists of former lSA students. So. You want one good reason to earn a pharmacy degree from the University of Michigan? Here are 12 good reasons, for starters: 1. Financial support unequalled by any other U. S. pharmacy school. 2. Outstanding pay. 3. Job security in economically uncertain times. 4. Unlimited opportunities to improve people's lives. 5. Unparalleled career choices. 6. Continuous growth potential. 7. Life and career mobility. 8. The power to apply medical knowledge at the forefront of technological innovation. 9. Membership in an influential alumni network spanning the globe. 10. The prestige of owning a degree from one of America's top-ranked pharmacy schools. 11. One-to-one learning with world-renowned faculty. 12. A small college environment within a major, academic institution. DO YOU WATCH MOVIES ON THE INTERNET? WRITE ABOUT MOVIES ON THE INTERNET. APPLY TO BE A BLOGGER FOR THE ARTS BLOG, THE FILTER. Request an application by e-mailing kaylau@umich.edu. Choosing the right career requires equal parts knowl- edge, insight, and planning. If you are weighing your career options, please be sure to attend one of the pre-pharmacy counseling sessions listed below. To learn more about Michigan's PharmD Program, visit the College Web site at www.umich.edu/-pharmacy. Or contact the U-M College of Pharmacy at 734-764- 7312 or at mich.pharm.admissions@umich.edu. Pre-Pharmacy Sessions at the U-M College of Pharmacy: Academic Year 2011-2012: Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011 - 4-5 pm, Pharmacy Building, Rooi ii1019 Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 - 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, Rooisi 15617 Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 - 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, RoomI 1)17 Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011 -- 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, Ro om 15617 Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 - 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, Room 1567 Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 - 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, Room 1567 Tuesday, Mar. 27, 2012-- 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, Room 1567 Friday, Apr. 6, 2012 - 4-5 pm, C.C. Little Building, Room 1567 Your future never looked brighter.