earts
Tuesday, May 19, 1981

The Michigan Daily

Page 7

'ONCE UPON A MATTRESS'

B
Once Up
musical th
has prese
Theater. W
heart sank
med in a
(certainly
small set
music was
V
Ian Go
Epic) -
mercia
ever look
on album
was.
It was,
with pop
who co-w
date, "Cr
said, if y
you'd nev
But now
with this,
Blow. He
album,
Gomm s1
average
fairly ca
problem h
are cred
sounds li
album.
All the
singing so
runs are
munds, ti
Bremner
like Terry
On the
the actua
sounds tli
to aound
does.
But ev
somewha
the key i
doesn't fa
cuts on thl
of them (
and they
pop song
but most
well.
Most p
and rel
Gomm's
possible a
are songs
("Here I
In A He
("Jealou
ships("N
relations
But, pr
the one G
"I Like Y
has tha
specialize
interestin
happy r
writes ab

ivic'sfractured
y STEVEN KURTZ - the program listed a five piece band, energy. Though this sho
pon a Mattress is the first abut since I only heard a piano during memorable tunes; Wi
re Ann Arbor, Civis Theatre the show, the band's existence seemed part in a number of pr
nted in its Main Street dubious. Who knows, maybe in other ones. She shows off her
lhen I entered the joint, my performances the full band appeared. pipes in "The Swamp
. The play was to be perfor- Anyway, I was thinking familiar oh-not- "Shy," and in probably t
room with about 200 chairs not-another-one-of-these-cheap-shows taining number of the s
no more) set up facing a thoughts when the houselights went Love" (or "I'm in Lov
of a room in a castle. The down, a minstrel strolled out, and he Named Fred"), she s
to be played by a sole pianist started singing. From that point to the stamina. She has just the
finale, I was enchanted. The limitations of sweetness and vulgar
of little space and little musical accom- root for her.
paniment were easily overcome by the In the role of Queen A
exuberant cast, performing under the dra Storrer is delic
steady hand-of director/choreographer nagging, always com
Robert Nusimer. causes all the trouble in
, 'C L419 ! The plot is a basic variation on the happy kipgdom - or per
Princess and the Pea fable. Prince be "queendom," consid
am -'What a Blow' (Stiff- Dauntless the Drab, cowed by his dominates her henpecki
claim to fame, but if you mother, Queen Aggravain, wishes to vitriolic delight, Queen
at the songwrtier's credits wed but can't get maternal permission funny that I almost felt
you'd never know what it unless the would-be bride passes one of when she finally got her
the queen's stringent princess-proving As her poor, mute husbr
in fact, Ian Gomm (along tests. Unfortunately, none of the Ladies timus the Silent, B
impressarlo Nick Lowe) or Sirs who hang about the castle can generates plenty of goo
'rote Lowe's biggest hit to get married either until the Prince ties audience in this part cr
ruel To Be kind." But, as I the knot. This is especially distressing Gilford on Broadway. He
ou don't notice the credits, to the damsel Lady Larken, who's just mimes his way through t
er have known. wild about Sir Harry. So Harry hurries as understood as anyor
r, Ian Gomm is on his own off to finda suitable suitor (Dauntless is castle. His penchant for
his second album, What A the type who needs a suitor) for the young women is strongly
eas well as on his first Prince. He returns with Winnifred, Harpo Marx. Rounding
re, as s hidrt princess of the swamps, which is better family, the epicene Da
Gomm With The Wind, than no one at all-maybe. The Queen Becker, strikes the prop
hows that he is an a bove- tries to thwart any chance of piness and yearning. He
song writer, as well as a matrimony by testing Winnifred's sen- princess and he's goingt
pable performer. But the sitivity - She puts a pea under 20 if it means talking back t
htre is thahou layes downy mattresses, since that would be AS FOR THE rest of tI
ike a Rockpile or Lowe enough to keep a sensitive princess Don Harvey and Sharon
awake all night. Will Dauntless ever get Harry and Lady Larkenc
married? Will the Ladies in waiting -- of the romantic songs
ingredients are there. The or in Lady Larken's case, the Lady ex- supercool, or at least he
ounds Pike Lowe, the guitar pecting - ever get hitched to their and she puts up with hix
almost patented Dave Ed- collective Sirs? And most important of as the minstrel who both
he bass is not unlike Billy al, will they all live happily ever after? part in the story, has the
s playing, and it sounds ALl I can say is, remember, this is a voice I've ever heard in;
plus side, even if it wasn't fairy tale. show. He's in cahootsu
I members, any band that AS WINNIFRED, Marti Fischer does played by Jimmy Posar
at meh like Rnckile has quite well and displays enormous pleasant dance solo in t

fairy ale
w has no very The two work with (and interpret) the
innifred takes king. The three make a nice comedy
assably clever team. On the Queen's side, Jim
strong set of .Crawford plays, a wacky wizard and
is of Home," master of ceremonies. The small
the most enter- chorus of Ladies and Sirs sing and dan-
how, "Song of ce well. And, yest, don't let me forget
'e with a Girl the cameo -appearance of the quirky
hows off her Nightingale of Samarkand, amusingly
e right mixture pecked out by Valerie Radovich.
ity to make us- Sure the space was small, the pianist
lonely, not every joke worked, and
ggravain, San-, every now and then a couple of singers
ious. Always would bea bit off. But I was never bored.
plaining, she Once Upon a Mattress will be playing
an otherwise this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8
rhaps it should p.m. at 338 S. Main St., and it's well wor-
ering how she th a visit.
ed husband. A
Aggravan is so
sorry for her
comeuppance.
and, King Sex- INDIvIDUA. THEATRES
rian 'Godwin s ' a "' 7619700
dwill from the BEST FOREIGN
'eated by Jack
entertainingly FILM (1980)
the show and is -NEW YORK FILM CRITICS AWARD
ne else in the -
r chasing after GERARD DEPARDIEU
reminiscent of
out the royal
untless Robert
er note of wim- -
wants a macho
to get her, even
o his mother. ALAIN
he castle crew: RESNAIS
Sussman as Sir
carry the brunt
s. Harry acts
thinks he does,
m. Tom Cooch,
tells and takes
e finest singing
any Ann Arbor DAILY-7;00 9 10 (PG)
with the jester, W
rte, 'who has a EVES ADULTS $.00
the second act.
WITH THIS ENTIRE AD
one admission $1.50 any film.
Good Mon. thru Thurs. Eves.
Valid thru 5/21/81 "M"
LAST 2 DAYSIl
JAMES RYAN
f' KILL AND KILL AGAI
// (PG)

pretty good, as this one
'en though the sound is
t important to this album,
is~Gomm's songs, and he
il to deliver. Of the twelve
is album, Gomm wrote ten
one co-written with Lowe),
can onle be classified as
s. They do vary in quality,
of them come off very
'op songs are about Love
ated heartbreak, and
tunes cover most of the
angles. On this album there
about broken relationships
t Comes Again" and "I'm
artache"), love triangles
sy"), love-hate relation-
)obody's Fool"), and even a
hip with a car ("Jaguar").
edictably, the best cut is
Comm co-wrote with Lowe,
You, I Don't Love You." It
it cutting edge Lowe
es in, and provides a more
ig counterpoint to the most
elationships that Gomm
out.
... -e- x Kahne

LONG NECK BEERS
2 FOR-il
ENTERTAINMENT AT 9 PM x
1-2-3-GO

KUNG FU MAY BE
COMPARED TO THE
GRACE AND PRECI-
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