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Wednesday; September 12, 2012 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September12, 2012 -
'Anything Goes' at
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ry through Cole and the brass, bold nightclub
singer Reno Sweeney, Crocker
?orter's music goes on his pursuit of love.
Andy Ballnik, the director of
By LAURA KAYE this production, explained his
DailyArts Writer view of the show. The. dialogue
is dated and the plot is silly, but
a time of financial insecu- the "timeless" music remains a
nd with a critical election solid base for the entire musical.
, a general malaise has Balinik also made clear
over the that over the years, different
ry. The productions have mixed and
remedy Afthl matched songs from Porter's
Lese hard Goes repertoire, so each version has
is to live a distinct selection. The ver-
eartedly Tomorrow, sion he is employing is the 1987
ay, "any- Friday and Beaumont version performed by
goes." Saturday at 8 Patty Lupone. This adaptation
Ann p.m., Sunday has modern dialogue with more
Civic at 2 p.m. timely jokes and also emphasiz-
re is pre- Lydia Mendelssohn es the sexual undertones of Cole
g "Any- Theatre Porter's music.
Goes," From $10 The show is widely known
rfy story for its vigorous dance numbers
compli- scattered throughout the per-
s of love combined with formance. All the dancers went
tive identities, bawdiness through an intense tap boot
n iconic score of Cole Por- camp over the summer, where
egendary music - which grueling rehearsals improved
es noteworthy songs "Any- their technique. Even though
Goes," "You're the Top" not every performer is well-
Get a Kick Out of You." versed in tap, the choreogra-
play begins with Billy pher makes sure each dancer
er falling madly in love grasps each step, creating clear,
the beautiful Hope Har- crisp sounds ranging from sim-
who, unfortunately, is ple flaps to more rigorous pull
ed to Sir Evelyn Oakleigh. backs. And though many believe
er decides to follow her that "Anything Goes" is simply a
d a steamboat sailing from tap production, the title number
York to London. With the is the only major tap number.
The other dance routines are
mostly musical theater move-
ment, a combination of jazz and
ballet styles.
Ballnik highlighted how
even though "Anything Goes" is
known for its noteworthy dance
routines, he wanted to illustrate
how there is so much more to the
dances than the rigorous move-
ments performed.
"I was very adamant about
having the dance tell a story or
display something about the
character," he said. "I think
that's what a lot of people fall
through with, they just put
dance on stage for dance's sake."
Ballnik emphasizes that, even
more than the plot, it's Cole Por-
ter's songs that showcase the
intricacies of each character and
demonstrate the inner strug-
gles they are experiencing. For
instance, "I Get A Kick Out Of
You" is the first musical number
that introduces Reno Sweeney.
The song shows her not only as
an audacious figure who domi-
nates the crowd, but details her
vulnerabilities, suggesting that
she is also in love with a man she
cannot have.
Much as the title of the show
suggests, Ballnik made clear
that life should be enjoyed and
not taken too seriously.
"I want them humming the
tunes when they leave," Ballnik
said. "This isn't Stephen Sond-
heim, and it isn't Shakespeare,
this is 'Anything Goes."'
Hippie hair is an optio for robots?
Raging against
machine -mademusic
MusIc NOTEBOOK
In defense of Waka Flocka
By ANDREW ECKHOUS
Daily Arts Writer
Why do I have to defend my
loveofWakaFlocka Flame? When
I divulge my best-kept secret, why
do I feel obligated to add the self-
flagellating caveat, "I know Waka
Flocka sucks, but ... ?" Even my
compatriots who listen to rappers
guiltyofsullyingthe name of"hip
hop" are quick to roast, zing and
scoff at my heretical declaration
that "2 Chainz actually isn't that
bad."
Now, before anyone gets any
ideas, I'm not claiming "Hard in
Da Paint" is rhythmic ambrosia
or comparing 2 Chainz to Inspec-
tah Deck - I'm just saying peo-
ple should take their music less
seriously. As a recovering music
elitist, I know better than any-
one that it's easy (and fun) to tell
someone that their favorite musi-
cian is a human pile of shit with
shit for brains and shit for music.
"Oh,you don'tlistento Wu-Tang/
J Dilla / Kendrick Lamar?" "Your
favorite OutKast album is The
Love Below?" "You paid how much
to see Drake live?" "You must not
be a person worthy of my time."
But I'm a reformed man now.
I've seen the error of my ways,
and I know why the caged thug
raps. Simply put, the music serves
a purpose. It's crude and upfront
with misogyny, and has no doubts
about what it wants to be. It para-
doxically combines willful igno-
rance of everything commanded
by God with ostentatious gold
crosses and scripture tats. These
rappers effortlessly maintain
couldn't-care-less attitudes while
retaininghordesofmarketing and
PR professionals. It's a life of con-
tradictions, but if you confronted
them about it they'd just shrug it
off and take a hit from the ever-
presentblunt in their hand.
Let's be frank - the type of
lyrically challenged party rap
I'm referring to will never be
considered "good." If a thousand
chimpanzees at a thousand type-
writers take a thousand years to
write Shakespeare, they'd prob-
ably be able to pound out the lyr-
By EMMA GASE
Daily Arts Writer
It was Halloween, and I was
visiting a friend at awarm, idyl-
lic southern university. I was
standing on a balcony dressed
as Crocodile Dundee, more
than buzzed, surrounded by
costumed peers gyrating to
ear-bleedingly loud bro-step in
every direction. The scene was
so picturesque it could have
been an "I'm Shmacked" video
- I was smack dab in the mid-
dle of a college student's Eden.
Like those sorority T-shirts on
football Saturdays, I tried des-
perately to RAGE RAGE RAGE.
And yet, all that resulted was me
awkwardly nodding in a sort of
half dance, half neck-snapping
jig to the loud techno as I franti-
cally scanned the crowd for my
friend, all the time clinging to
my (very empty) Natty Light like
a lifeline.
After a while, I mercifully
found myself back at the bar with
my friend. He looked at me oddly
for a moment, and then blurted
out the sentiment that would
provoke the creation of this very
article almost a year later.
"You can't Rage, can you?" he
asked.
Indignant and proud (and
totally bullshitting), I scram-
bled to defend my Big Ten party
school honor.
"Psh, are you kidding? Of
course I can Rage! I go to Michi-
gan!" I lamely protested, embar-
rassed that he had picked up on
my obvious discomfort.
The next day, as I flew north
of the Mason-Dixon line back to
Detroit, I pondered the notion of
"Raging." Why didn't I enjoy it?
As much as I hated to admit it, my
friend was right - I was not into
standing on a balcony holdingmy
beer up high, toasting the Gods
of Rage. But I did like partying.
Wherein lies the difference?
It got me thinking. What is
Raging, anyway? Isn't it just par-
tying ... intensely? Or is there a
variable that separates it from
regular old partying?
At the time, I couldn't answer
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"Will you be friends with me?"
ics to "Grove St. Party" - which watch him diiiiiieeee," the Sex
features the line "it's a party" 48 Pistols called for anarchy in the
times - between breakfast and UK and even mom-friendly rock-
their first smoke break. But the ers Foster the People sing about
song is visceral. It growls and kids with guns. The astronomi-
snarls at you through the stereo. cally high number of murder and
The emphatic drum-machine crime rhymes in a Gucci or Waka
driven beats and completely lit- Flocka song may be less than
eral threats of violence put you in alluring to some, but the refer-
a mood you never knew existed. ences are inseparable from the
style. What's gangsta rap with-
out them? It's sad to say, but for
Take rap music many of these rappers, murder
and crime were reality in their
less seriously, old neighborhoods. (If you don't
believe me, just listen to every
gangsta rap song ever written.)
But it's impossible to appreciate
I'm not alone in my apprecia- the music until you actually see
tion for the unapologetic vapidity this style of rap in action. What-
emanating from songs like "Hard ever your opinion of Waka Flocka
In Da Paint." At bars, parties or as a rapper, there's no denying
any other event where fun and he's an absolute monster of a per-
debauchery are one in the same, former. He knows exactly what
crowds erupt with energy when his audience wants and gives it
Rick Ross's "so fat you can hear to them in Costco-sized servings.
him gasping for air" voice blasts Constant chantsof"WakaFlocka"
from the speakers. And if you've and "Brick Squad" get the crowd
ever bumped "Pillz" by Gucci jumping, and his simple dread-
Mane or "Beam Me Up" by Tay shake dance move gives hope to
Dizm, you know that what was rhythmically challenged rap fans
once ajoke can quickly, and unex- (a.k.a. me) everywhere.
pectedly, morph into a guilty, I know it's not cool to listen to
guilty pleasure. bad rap. I getthatit's not trendy to
While detailing murder and appreciatethe cheesyuncleword-
other not-so-law-abiding actions play of 2 Chainz. But if I have to
in music is a problem in the eyes choose between subdued hipster
of both red and blue state Amer- rap and rambunctious DMX jams,
ica, it's nothing new. Johnny I'm going with the latter. Just
Cash "shot a man in Reno, just to please don't tell my friends.
The
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questions. However, nine from a bemused observer, not a
s, some hands-on experi- scholar. But let it be known: I am
hird-party inquiries and a positively mystified that this kind
lot of marinatinglater, I've of music seems to have entranced
come up with a few aca- such alarge portion of my genera-
conclusions. tion. When did partying to Big-
lieve that Raging is created gie and Kanye become eclipsed
rique alchemy consistingof by bludgeoning techno remixes
lowing proportions: 10 per- whose "drops" tell you the exact
being drunker than nor- moment at which it is appropriate
0 percent is being in public to start to Rage?
underestimate the power This music, which I shall
ity), 10 percent is the abil- hereto from this day on christen
lose touch with one's self- "Electro-dub-tech-bass," baffles
ousness due to substances me. These songs don't often con-
whole 50 percent relies on tain very many chord changes,
sic. bridges, choruses or hooks - in
other words, the thingsthat make
a song actually musical. Instead,
hyparty if they have an inhuman quality
hy party f that allows listeners to disengage
ll the music in order to focus on being ine-
briated. It's music without the
sounds the music. It's a get-fucked-up-for-
free pass that allows for minimal
sanme? distraction from the task at hand
- to go hard. To cop a line from
Chief Keef, that's that shit I don't
like.
answer is in the ratio Call me conservative, but do
own: I do not like Rage you know what I like? Instru-
therefore I cannot Rage. ments. Discernable lyrics. Evi-
elaborate. dence that a human may have had
ic is the backbone of a hand in its creation.
party, gathering and social Electro-dub-tech-bass is
ence - it dictates the approaching a ubiquity I am
generates ambience, ral- powerless to forestall. But for
'orts fans, motivates lazy those unable to make a complete
catalyzes pregames. If escape, there is a simple panacea:
en't jiving with the playl- Fake it until you make it. Just
can suck the life right out kidding. One shouldn't have to
.Dave Matthews came on expend valuable energy dancing
t house party on Green- on balconies to electro-dub-tech-
Rewatching "Game of bass when other, less muscle-
es" in bed is starting to straining options abound.
retty good. Let's get back to our roots, peo-
re's a very particular ple. Load the party playlists with
f music that is the driv- the forefathers of Rage: 50 Cent,
rce behind Raging. You T.I., Ja Rule, OutKast. Dance and
the type - louder than sing along (with tracks under five
ass mixed to blow out the minutes, too!). There's nothing
peakers, track lasting long like that burst of camaraderie
h to finish at least three when an entire party busts out all
the lyrics to "Ignition (Remix)"
tronic music, dubstep, or "No Scrubs." In fact, we're
, bass - tomato, tomahto. approaching a party artist renais,
claim to know anything sance thanks to Icona Pop, A$AP
ntial about any of these Rocky, Meek Mill and Kendrick
rents (or the laptops - I Lamar. And if that still doesn't
artists - that perform work, HBOGo.com is always a
ir shows). This is coming click away.
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