ARTS
Page 10 -Thursday, July 7, 1983 The Michigan Daily
Theatrefest off to a great start
4
By Ellen Lindquist
T HE GREEN, blue and red stream-
ers festooning the Power Center
were not put there by vandals. They
symbolize the University Theatre
Department's summer Theatrefest, a
series of three plays - Scapin, Fifth of
July, and Company.
"We wanted to decorate the 'great
grey whale,' as we call the Power Cen-
ter, where the plays are being held,"
said Dianne Cenko, of the Professional
Theatre Program. "Just to give it a
festive air. Before the play each night
(starting at 6:30 p.m.) we also have
musicians, jugglers and dancers out on
the green in front of the Power Center."
Scapin, an updated version of the
Moliere farce, ran from June 29 to July
second. The Fifth of July, which opened
on the sixth of July, will run until the
ninth of July. Fifth of July is set on the
fourth of July, 1977, when several post-
1960s Berkleyites, including one Viet-
nam veteran without legs, reconvene in
the innocuous town of Lebanon,
Missouri to rehash old times and talk
about the future. It is a comic-drama by
Lanford Wilson.
Company, the third play of the series,
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is the 1970 Stephen Sondheim Tony
award winning musical about a quin-
tessential New York bachelor whose
friends encourage him to marry. It will
run from July 13-16.
Professional Theatre Program
associate director Lindsey R. Nelson
said that each play of the repertory
presents a different theatrical
challenge. "It was very challenging for
Scapin director Mary Kelly, a Univer-
sity faculty member, to update the
play," Nelson said.
Kelly transposed much of Moliere's
lines, which Cenko called boring, into
modern-day street slang. The whole
play takes place in a New York city
playground, rather than Moliere's
Naples, where preppies and purple-
haired punk rockers on rollerskates
assemble with old men and the rap-
scallion Scapin who creates mischief in
all of their lives.
"We used a very novel approach in
terms of music by blasting it from ghet-
to boxes," Cenko said.-
"Fifth of July, is challenging because
of the age of the people playing the par-
ts," Nelson said. "The student actors
don't remember the '60s as well as
director Christopher Connelly does.;
Connelly must bring this reality to the
Spectacular
By Leizer Goldsmith
ARARE SUMMER concert will occur
tonight at the Second Chance, with
Robert Palmer heading the bill.
Palmer, whose rock music has often
embraced elements of Reggae, Funk,
Calypso and New Wave, is making his
first American tour in several years.
He is promoting a new, largely synth-
pop album entitled Pride, and a single
remake of The System's "You Are In
My System." Palmer is a veteran per-
former, but he has never quite landed in
the American mainstream. His career
began with a Lowell George-influenced
record Sneaking Sally Through The
Alley in 1974, and his biggest hit to date
was a cover of Moon Martin's "Bad
Case Of Loving You", in 1979.
Nona Hendryx will be opening the
show, hot off the heels of her biggest hit 1
to date, "Keep It Confidential," and her
second album, Nona. Hendryx is r
probably best remembered for her in- 1
volvement in Patti LaBelle and the
Bluebelles. That group, which was later
renamed LaBelle, scored its biggest hit s
with the raucous"Lady Marmalade" in t
1975.
4
Gwendolyn Ricks, Pauline Gagnon, Marie Robert, Jan O'Connor-Maier,
Lundeana M. Thomas, Ellen Boyle and Douglas Sills make great company.
actors so they can recreate the flavor of New York apartments and restaurants
reminiscing about the '60s. I think with the use of scaffolds and platforms
we've created a very lyrical, poetic to suggest the New York city skyline."
play as a result," Nelson said.
"Company is a challenge for director "There's also tap, jazz and other for-
Gary Garrison," Nelson continued, ms of dance in the play as well as a ten
"because it is a musical and musicals person orchestra," Nelson said.
are always a challenge. In terms of the "we're very happy with the theatrefest
set, we created the effect of different so far," she added.
SUmmer double-hill
4
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BURT REYNOLDS is
DAILY- (PG)
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TODA Y -----,
Robert Palmer is joined by Nona Hendryx tonight at Second Chance.
Since the demise of LaBelle in the to Nona as "the best pop-funk record
late seventies, Hendryx has been living since Prince's Dirty Mind," and
in New York, and carefully developing although that might be an
her reputation as a songwriter and solo exaggeration, there's no doubting that
performer. She released a commer- Hendryx is a gifted performer whose
cially unsuccessful rock record in 1977, star is on the rise.
and a string of influential New Wave
singles, including "Bustin' Out," prior Look forward to an exciting evening
to the release of Nona. at The Chance, and by all means, get
Rolling Stone magazine has referred there in time for the opening act!
Bars and clubs
Joe's Star Lounge (109 N. Main; 665-
JOES)
George Bedard and the Bonnevilles
The
play rockabilly on Thursday while the
Sun Messengers bring the sound of the
big band to the scene on Friday.Rock
takes over on Saturday with Cult
Heroes and continues on Sunday with
Violent Femmes, a new sound from
Milwaukee.
Mr. Flood's Party (120 W. Liberty;
995-2132)
The Pulsations pump reggae and
funk on Thursday. On Friday and
Saturday see Alberta Adams in per-
son with the Crosstown Blues Band.
On Sunday it's Bob Cantu and the
Blues Nuts providing a full evening of
professional blues.
Second Chance (516 E. Liberty; 994-
5350)
Veteran rock n' roll artist Robert
Palmer brings excitement to the
stage on Thursday. Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday rock along with Toby
Redd.
Rick's American Cafe (611 Church;
996-2747)
On Thursday and Friday get into
the funk spirit with Astralight. The
Blue Front Persuaders offer
hyperkinetic blues and swing on
Saturday and Euthanasia rocks hard
on Sunday.