The Michigan Daily - Saturday, June 22, 1985- Page 9
Fest to bring variety of entertainment
The Canadian Brass Ensemble
By Neil Galanter commences the Festival next Satur-
day, and from there on out expect a
deluge of classical music, film,
BOREDOM will be a remote theatre, mime, magic, and jazz.
possibility during the upcoming Every night of the festival features an
weeks in Ann Arbor. Beginning on event, with some evenings having two
Saturday June 25, a multiplicity of or three, distributed among local
cultural events will be featured in the auditoriums, theatres, an art
Second Annual Ann Arbor Summer museum, and a church.
Festival. Who said that there is no reason to
Showy musical poised
to merrily roll along
By Susanne Baum high school to speak at the 1980
commencement ceremony. The
P RACTICALLY everyone, at one musical follows Shepard's speech
time in their lives, fantasizes recollecting his success beginning
about the glamorous world of fame with his high school graduation in
and fortune. This fascination seems 1955. .
to keep a sizeable portion of the The audience sees Shepard as a
media in business. Where would young, romantic recent high school
People magazine, The National graduate with great musical talent.
Enquirer, and Entertainment Tonight He and his two best friends, Charlie
be without the juicy, glamorous and May, who are also talented
stories about the rich and famous? musicians, make a pact to devote
But what not many people ever their lives to composing music. As
consider is that behind all that glit- time passes, Frank becomes ob-
ter and glamour lies many sacrifices sessed with money and power and
and hardships. commits his life to getting to the top.
The story of what one man gave up He turns his back on May, Charlie,
in order to get to the top is portrayed and his wife, and he replaces his
in UAC's production of the musical, dreams of composing music with
Merrily We Roll Along. greed for material wealth.
"This show is an idealistic, While gazing upon the young,
romantic statement about what is idealistic, high school graduates he
important in life," said Don Rice, is speaking to, Frank remembers his
the show's director. The main dreams and suddenly realizes that
character, Frank Shepard, has all the money in the world can never
sacrificed his wife, friends and replace dreams.
musical talent in order to achieve "It's a delightful show," ex-
power, success, and money. Riding claimed Rice.
* the crest of his success, Shepard Merrily We Roll Along, will run
realizes what he has lost along the trom June l-29 at the Lydia Men.
way and ponders the worth of what delssohn Theatre. Tickets are $6 and
he has gained. available at the Michigan Union
Merrily We Roll Along centers Ticket World. Shows begin at 8 p.m.
around a rather clever excuse for a All profits go to Mott Childrens
flashback. Shepard, a famous movie
nrndie.r gets invited back to his old Hospital.
get out of bed early on a Sunday mor- Finally there are outlets for from audiences." Alexander en-
ning? Try the School of Music's Sun- museum buffs. Approximately 100 courages people to come to the "Top
day A.M. Concerts. The Renaissance works including color lithographs, et- of The Park," a gathering spot ad-
City Chamber Players from Detroit chings, engravings, and various other jacent to the Power Center where
will perform on June 30, and Ann Ar- American prints from the '30s will all people are welcome to mingle, relax,
bor's 13-member baroque music en- be on display at the University and enjoy various films that will be
semble, Ars Musica is scheduled to Museum of Art during the Festival. shown on some evenings at 10:30.
perform in concert on July 14 and 21. Robert Alexander, executive direc- For tickets or more information for
Then get set for a marathon concert tor of the Summer Festival remarked, any of the above events and all of the
series of all of J.S. Bach's organ "We hope that there will be a greater other Summerfest performances call
works. Marilyn Mason, a chairperson of response and an even greater support 763-0950.
the Organ department at the Univer-
sity, along with several guest
organists, will present a series of 16
afternoon recitals at the First
Congregational Church, in honor of
J.S. Bach's 300th birthday.
Mason says that the concerts are
planned in the afternoon so that
people can hear a 5 p.m. organ con-
cert, graba bite to eat, and then go to
an evening event.
Other exiciting attractions include
an appearance on July 7 by Hal
Holbrook as Mark Twain, in his one-
man show Mark Twain Tonight. For
July 3, Conductor Maurice Peress has
programmed the music of Gershwin,
Berlin, and Kern for the Paul
Whiteman 1924 Historic Aeolian Hall
concert.
Marcel Marceau, the king of mime,
will also teach a series of master
classes this summer for prospective -
students of mime.
For prize winners, you can see the
three best performers from the Fifth
International Van Cliburn Piano
Competition perform in recital and as
orchestral soloists on July 2, 9 and 21.
If great movies are more your style,
then you may wish to take advantage
of a special series sponsored by the
Alumni Association and the Michigan
Theatre. Charlie Chaplin Lost and
Found, a film series examining the Daily Photo by DARRIAN SMITH
work of the silent era's greatest star, Bassist extraordinaire
will be shown on Tuesdays through The master of the bass is coming back! Legendary bassist Stanley Clarke
Saturdays July 2-6 and July 9-13. will play at the Royal Oak Theatre on Friday, June 28th at 7:30 p.m.
All you Scarlet O'Hara fans out Clarke last played the Detroit area September 1st at the Michigan State
there can enjoy showings of Gone with Fair, where he held the audience spellbound with his amazing speed. This
the Wind on July 19 and 20; there will time around Clarke is not supporting a new album, so expect such classic
be showings of childrens' films in- tunes as "School Days," "I Wanna Play For You," "Wild Dog," and
cluding the Wizard of Oz and Willy tuea ,S",
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Heaven Sent.
Agreeable but without massive appeal
By Byron L. Bull
IN MASS APPEAL we encounter Father Tim Farley, to
whom there would appear to be no business quite like
show business.
Father Farley - played by Jack Lemmon - hugs his
pulpit the way an emcee clings to his microphone, dispen-
sing with sermons to dish out snappy anecdotes and fast
one-liners with the slickened aplomb of a veteran enter-
tainer, which is just how he sees his calling. There are no
souls to be saved in Farley's stately Eastern diocese, only
fancies to be tickled, the very affluent to be assured that
their Sunday devotional will be painless, if not altogether
entertaining, and to ease any possible vague guilt over
their wealth. They return the favor by keeping their priest
quite comfy in his Mercedes, polished wood, and ample
supply of wine.
Until Farley is charged with the task of straightening
out one Mark Dolson (Zeljko Ivanek), a passionately pure,
intense young seminarian whose idealism and selfless
devotion to his calling threatens the contentedly plump
underbelly of the Catholic fraternity/business - his most
recent infraction being to suggest to the Monsignor that
scripture, if interpreted literally, might implicate Jesus
and St. John as having a homosexual affair.
Dolson finds Farley's softboiled sermonizing, his song
and dance school of theology, and habit of making up con-
venient lies to avoid unwanted engagements sacriligeous
if not repulsive. Farley finds the hot tempered young
idealist fueling tempers among his congregation, incen-
sing the normally tame flock, endangering Farley's niche
of complacency..
Despite the setting, there's little theological dissertation
in Mass Appeal. To the heads of the church, it's a little
more than an elitist corporation. To Farley, it's a smooth,
almost self-running job and, more importantly, a source
of attention and affection that he secretly, desperately
thrives on. Even Dolson, for all his devotion, seems to be
inspired by more secular sources - his altruism is essen-
tially just good humanitarianism, and the rigors of
priesthood - celibacy and selflessness - a desperate
soul purging after too many years of debaucherous aban-
donment.
Bill Davis' screen adaptation of his own play flows
smoothly, is insightful and honest in its soul probing, and
literate toa fault of glibness.
Farley and Dolson are nicely detailed characters,
though are a bit too easily readable and the Freudian
motivation at their hearts - both come from lousy family
situations - all too tidily concocted. Lemmon and Ivanek
flesh out their roles admirably and the chemistry between
them, or the lack thereof, is a major part of the film's
charm. Lemmon, something of a gamey performer
throughout his career, seems to fit into the part as if it
were tailored for him - perfect down to the smallest un-
conscious details of gesture.
Jack Lemon (left) and Zeljko Ivanek star in 'Mass Appeal.'