Wednesday, June 2,1993-TheMhog Day Summer Weeky -9
Tony picks Broadway's best

By MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO
The biggest annual event in the
theater world takes place this Sunday.
I'm talking about the Tony Awards,
andthe theater-going community is a-
buzz with anticipation.
Nominees were announced May
10. The musicals "Kiss of the Spider
Woman"and"Tommy"eachreceived
11 nominations. The play "Angels in
America: Millennium Approaches"
received nine, setting arecord for the
number of nominations for a play
sincethefrstTonysin 1947.Interest-
ingly enough, these three productions
have all opened in just the past four
weeks.
Detroit Free Press Theater Critic
Lawrence DeVine gave me his "as-
tute picks" for the big categories.
Play: "Angels in America: Mil-
lennium Approaches"
Other nominees were "Someone
Who'll Watch Over Me," "The Sis-
ters Rosensweig" and "The Song of
Jacob Zulu." However, Tony
Kushner's fantasy-reality saga has it
in the bag.
Musical: "Tommy"
"'Blood Brothers' doesn't have a
chance; 'TheGoodbyeGirl' isonlyin
there because it's Neil Simon, so my
guessis 'Tommy,"'DeVinejustified.
DeVine is aware that he is betting
against a Harold Prince show, "Kiss
of the Spider Woman," but the "teen-
age British rock-and-roll concert" is

Hot with a capital "H."
Actor, Play: Ron Liebman, "An-
gels"
While Liam Neeson ("Anna
Christie") and Stephen Rea ("Some-
one") both received much acclaim for
their performances, Liebman is the
choice.DeVinesaidofLiebman, "He's
beenaround...he'sawonderful, fero-
cious, lively actor."
Actress,Play-Jane Alexander,"The
Sisters Rosensweig"
Other nominees were Madeline
Kahn (also for "Sisters"), Lynn
Redgrave for her one-woman show
"Shakespeare for my Father" and
Natasha Richardson for "Anna
Christie." "If I had to bet, I'd bet on
(Alexander); but if I was saying a big-
gerpart and someone whoreallyhad to
stretch,probablyNatashaRichardson,"
DeVine explained.
ActorMusical: MartinShort, "The
Goodbye Girl"
Tim Curry ("My Favorite Year")?
And although Con O'Neill ("Blood
Brothers") is a British sex symbol, he
hasn't caught on here. "The real sad
case is thatlBrent Carver is not going to
get it for 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'
... Martin Short comes on in 'The
Goodbye Girl' and plays the nice role
thatyoutakedownofftheshelf... he's
adorable,buthedoesn'tdoverymuch,"
DeVine said.
Actress, Musical: Chita Rivera,
"Kiss of the Spider Woman"

"She's been arounda long time .. .
she's hung in there, she broke her leg
and came back from that - I mean,
that's thekindof thing thatpeople vote
for,"DeVinesaid.StephanieLawrence
("Blood Brothers") hasn't a prayer,
nor does Ann Crumb ("Anna
Karenina," the second bomb of the
season). Bernadette Peters ("The
Goodbye Girl") may havea shot, but
Chita has the veteran factor.
Director, Play: George C. Wolfe,
"Angels"
No contest. DeVine explained:
"One - because it's a monster of a
play. Two-becausehe did aremark-
able job on it. And three - that he's
hot this year;he just gotJoe Papp's old
job (at the Public Theater in NYC,
home of Shakespeare in the Park)."
Director, Musical: Des McAnuff,
"Tommy"
McAnuff is basically only known
for Off-Broadway, Canadian-Ameri-
can and West Coast stuff - his La
Jolla Playhouse in San Diego will be
awarded a Tony for excellence in re-
gional theater. Like Wolfe, he's an-
other one to watch.
Book for amusicalwillbe Terrence
McNally for"Kiss,"andscorewill be
Pete Townshend for "Tommy."
Tune in to the Tonys at 9 p.m.
Sunday onCBS, with yourhost,three-
time Tony winner Liza Minelli. Even
though Liza will probably sing, it's
well worth the watching.

Even surly young stud Billy Baldwin can't save "Sliver."

SLIVER
Continued from page 8
tors that enthrall Baldwin and Stone
reveal a whole building gone horny; a
homemaker uses not a vacuum but a
vibrator.Eventhe directorNoyce bares
all in a monitor scene that lasts a sec-
ond and a half. If you find yourself
straining to ascertain the motives of
any characters, don't. Just answer
sex.
Besides simplifying the characters,
Eszterhas and Noyce considerately
annihilate all vestiges of a coherent
plot, so as to stupefy any moviegoers
still conscious after 45 minutes.
The movie opens with a woman
falling from a 20th-story balcony;
shows Stone moving into 1300 Madi-
son;introduces twomain malecharac-
tersandsomeminorones-especially
those slated to die; jumps to a cocktail
party and a couple office scenes; de-
picts a violent stabbing and a brief
police investigation; and ends without
any genuine resolution.
The significance of character of
pulp novelist Jack Lansford (Tom
Berenger), who somehow suspects

Zeke to be responsible for the deaths in
1300 Madison, particuarly might per-
plex those still searching for an under-
standable plot.
But the filmmakers don't intend
youtoanswerunanswerablequestions.
This is the golden age of film that
allows you to absorb inane informa-
tion through glazed eyes.
See Stone masturbate in a steamy
bath; see Stone hug apillar for support,
while Baldwin embraces her from be-
hind;seeStonemoanasBaldwinkneels
down to nuzzle her, see Stone straddle
Baldwininbed; see Stone watch Stone
straddling Baldwin in bed.
These and other gratuitous sex
scenes prove their worth by destroying
any suspense that might be building up
and by weaving a predictable consis-
tency through the shreds of plot.
I'm telling you, "Sliver" sedates.
Okay, if none of my words have
convinced you that this is a must-see
(three years from now at 3 a.m. on
cable TV), then maybe this titillating
tag line will: you hate to watch (Stone
touching herself), don't you?
If not, take Stone's advice in the
film: get a life.
SLIVER is playing at Showcase.


ALLIGATORS
Continued from page 8
voice: "Today, I'll listen with my inner
ear for an enduring and repeating
message. I'll let it flow into my writ-
ing." This is but one example of
Shaughnessy'sconvincingphilosophy.
Sometimes Shaughnessy's advice
is less explicit. For example,
Shaughnessy says of writing methods
that, "There is no one right way to
write, or to start writing. Any process
youdiscoverforyourselfis valid-as
long as it helps you write each day."
Fexible writers who are willing to
personalizethiskindofpurposelyvague
advicewillvalue"Walking"morethan
writers seeking hard-and-fastrules for
their craft.
Shaughnessy does encourage dis-
cipline, however. While she realizes
that,"writersresist being methodical,"
she insists that writers "must be me-
thodical."
But Shaughnessy asserts that your
methods should "matter to nobody in
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the worldbutyou.Ifthey serve youand
moveyour work forward,they aretobe
treasured. If they do not, discard them
and try something else." Methodical,
daily work is key for a writer.
WhileShaughnessy'sadviceisgen-
erally very helpful, on one page she
undercuts the whole intent of her book.
She quotes Cicero: "Nobody can give
wiser advice than yourself."

If this is true, then writers do not
really need Shaughnessy's advice.
According to this passage, writers
shouldbe abletohelp themselves with-
out "Walking."
But if you do need Shaughnessy's
help - and even the most self-moti-
vated writerscan stumble on alligators
from time to time--"Walking"offers
friendly, thoughtful encouragement.

Interested in doing pen and ink
drawings for the Arts staff of the Daily
this fall? Call Nima at 763-0379.
Ann Arbor Civic Theatre MainStage Productions
SASTER HAROLD"
I.. andthe boys
by Athol Fugard 4
directed by Conrad Mason
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
June 9-12, 1993 at 8 p.m.
Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
For tickets, call 971-AACT
Beginning June 7, call 763-1085 § ; rr


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