Wednesday, July 2, 1997 - The Michigan Daily - 13
bower Center hosts arra ofm si dancc oerformances
By Stephanie Glickman thoughtful in its choreographic stage
For The Daily patterns and difficult technical move-
The next generation has not lost its ments, its underlying purpose is to
father's style. The choreography of enjoy and express uplifting music
Paul Taylor is alive and well in the six through dance vocabulary. Such a sim-
Ouncers who make up Taylor 2. a small- ple concept is often lost or disregarded
er version of the Paul Taylor Dance in this era of conceptual and non-liter-
Company. The dancers, all of whom al art. "Airs" reminds us that it is okay
hold college degrees and a wealth of for dance to be entertaining and beau-
performa n ce tiful to watch.
experience. shared The cryptic
three varied works RE VI E WA "Profiles," a
from the Taylor quartet from
repertory Friday Taylor 1979. set to dis-
night at Power Power Center sonant music
Center June 27.1997 by Jan
All six compa- Radzynski, is a
W members long way from
joined together to open the program the lighthearted fun of "Airs." "Taylor
with Taylor's classic, "Airs," first per- fills the dance with animal imagery as
formed in 1978 and set to music by dancers climb up each other's backs
Handel. Taylor's ability to truly capture and play jumping games. Pushing and
the essential spirit of his music has not pulling duets, combined with the grat-
been lost in translation from the main ing sounds of violins in Radzynski's
company to Taylor 2. Playful score, maintain a tension throughout
male female duets unfold into joyous the piece. Unlike "Airs," in which
solos and spritely partnering. Taylor sustains typical gender roles
While "Airs" is complex and and male female stereotypical interac-
By Kristin Long
Daily Arts Wrer
The local-band sound the BoDeans
bear creates a comforting melody that
soothes ravaged nerves. The experi-
enced tone that stems from the group's
classic ballads epitomizes great music.
Even more than this, the. BoDeans'
unending battle to produce chart-top-
'ing hits has created many excellent
burs that brand the music industry
with the BoDeans' name.
The Wisconsin-based band has dug a
niche in the music world, and swhat is
amazing is that the group has made the
Top Five only once in its career.
Furthermore, "Closer to Free' from
tel ev is in irs
"Party of Fi e, R
Was released on P
* baid's fifth
- bum, -Go Th
Slow Down"
(1993).
While the
E
e
Pc
where in this, music fans found a
sound they liked.
The rewards that followed from the
"Closer to Free" success were long
overdue. Griffin said, "It's the best
when the stations make a hit," and as
this came from a television show. it was
even better. Only two other BoDeans'
songs have made the Top Ten, "She's a
Runaway" ( off"Love & Hope & Sex &
Dreams") and "Good Things" (off
"Black and White").
Nonetheless, the band refuses to
retreat, regardless of its criticism. Griffin
asserted, "Sure it is great to have a hit, but
we continue to do what we do. and we're
having a blast at w hat se are doing." Ie
said much of the
BoDeans' enjoy-
V I E W1 ment comes from
the studio, where
BoDeans the group has pro-
duced seven
ower Center albums.
July 7, 1997 Since its debut in
1986 with-"Love &
Hope & Sex & Dreams," the BoDeans
have been engaged in producing the
songs that folks long to sing. Classic
songs like, "She's a Runawsay,"
"Misery" and "Still the Night" make
this album stellar, and any captive
BoDeans audience is sure to know the
siagalong routine that follows.
The group's five albums have devel-
oped a great following for the
WaukeshaWI, fellas. The fans produce
the "needed response" that makes their
concerts even better, said Griffin. "It's
the ultimate natural high," Griffin
claimed, "to walk out on stage at a large
venue to an screaming audience."
But there is a difference in shows that
venture too far from the Midwest con-
stituency. "We get a pretty good crowd
out west," he continued, but there is
nothing like being at home." With fout
tions, "Profiles" strips performers of
sexual definition. All four wear identi-
cal spotted unitards.
The final piece of the night, "Funny
Papers," captures yet another side of
the multi-dimensional Taylor. The
newest piece on the program, "Funny
Papers" was choreographed by mem-
bers of the Paul Taylor Dance
Company and then amended and com-
bined by Taylor himself. Kooky, even
too silly at times. "Funny Papers" is set
to different familiar ditties such as
"Popeye the Sailor Man," "I am
Woman, Hear Me Roar" and the yel-
low polka-dot bikini song. None of
the dancers take themselves too seri-
ously as they mimic and parody the
tunes, hamming up distinguishable
gestures and many social dance steps.
Although funny because of the
dancers' abilities to successfully harn
it ip, the choreography becomes
tedious and trite far earlier than the
end of the dance. "Funny Papers"
seems more like a gimmicky crowd
pleaser than a true Taylor work.
Only four years old, Taylor 2 has
members (Griffin, as well as Sam
Lanas, Kurt Neumann and Nick Kitsos)
originating from Milwaukee's suburbs,
the BoDeans have found that local
venues have a certain traditional atmos-
phere.
Part of this routine was broken this
year, as the BoDeans did not play
Summerfest (a sveekong music festival)
in Milwaukee. Not only were hometownu
followers disappointed, but the band
was not happy as well. "t broke a tradi-
tion"r Griffin said, "but our plans dif-
fered from the Summrrerfes program-
mer's."
The mark that the group has left on its
fals is ohsIous at its shows. Fans kiow
the lyrics and relish the entertaining
antics of the band. the BoDeains' inter-
action nith the audience is electric. and
lars been foresver preserved on "Joe Dirt
Car'" a compiaion of live perfor-
mances at some of the group's favorite
verries.
The BoDeans' latest album, "Blend,"
features a mix of the band's quick-
based rock, as well as slower, more
emotional drama. "The Urrderstading"
has already hit the airwaves, and other
singles are soon to follow.
And so the group continues forward,
to its fans' hopes and dreams. The sound
of Lanas and Neumann, with fellow
musicians Griffin and Kitsos, catches
one's attention as much today as it did 10
years ago with sounds of home. The
fans know lyrics by heart, and new lis-
teners become fans with each new
release.
The group will make its first appear-
ance at Ann Arbor's Summer Festival
Monday at the Power Center. Despite its
venture into unfamiliar territory, the
band is sure to find some of the local fol-
lowing to which it is accustomed, plus a
few who have yet to experience the
BqDeans' legeurdary te'tainnent..,
already captured much of the Paul
Taylor essence and spirit in its presenta-
tion of Taylor's works. Within Taylor's
lifetime, Taylor 2 could quite possibly
be as strong as the main company.
By Christopher Tkaczyk
Daily Ans Writer
When a Broadway performer comes
to town, it is considered a happening.
Not too often do the stars of the stage
come to Ann Arbor for special perfor-
mances. Last Wednesday the Ann Arbor
Summer Festival hosted Betty Buckley
for a special performance of her concert
tour. Buckley is probably most remem-
bered for her creation of the role of
Grizabella in the original Broadway
cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats"
in 1981. Her soaring rendition of the
theater classic
Memory's
launched her RE
into Broadway '
history. Her Beti
performance ofP
the song estab-
lished a mod-
ern Broadway
showtune standard. No one can go into
a fine restaurant without instantly rec-
ognizing the stealthy manipulation of
the piano keys to the tune of"Memory"
Television audiences probably most
remember Buckley as Abby Bradford,
the second mother on the family
series "Eight Is Enough," which fea-
tured her from 1978 to 1981 after the
actress who portrayed Dick Van
Patten's first television wife unex-
pectedly passed.
Buckley's most recent Broadway tri-
umph came when she was asked by
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber to overtake
the demonic role of Norma Desmond,
the stair-climbing madwoman of his
film noir musical masterpiece "Sunset
Boulevard."
Buckley's acting ability shone in her
concert at the Power Center. Every song
she undertook provided not only expert
singing and emotion, but dramatic tone
and elegance. Buckley'spowerful
E
P
Because Taylor 2 is a tiny group, small-
er communities can accommodate its
performances, lectures and master
classes - a step towards making quali-
ty modern dance more accessible.
vibrato rang the roof of the Power
Center and enchanted audiences with
her musical theater repertoire.
Buckley was accompanied by a
four-man jazz band who provided
entertaining and bouncing orchestra-
tions of her select works. Backed by a
piano, bass, percussion and brass
intruments, Buckley delightfuly
delivered an enticing evening of heart-
felt tunes to her enchanted audience.
Singing everything from Rodgers and
Hammerstein to Kurt Weill to Lloyd
Webber and Sondheim, the audience
never took their
eyes off the talent-
VIEW eddiva.
Among the
-y Buckley music chosen for
the evening was a
rower Center reminiscent song
Jure 25. 1997 about nostalgic
rememberance by
country/pop artist Mary ChapR
Carpenter. Buckley's announcement
beforehand that Carpenter's "Come
On, Come On" is currently her
favorite song didn't need to be revealed
because her performance alone could
prove such. Bringing the crowd to an
early emotional climax, Buckley
showed the moved audience how the-
atrical she transposes her songs into
dramatic monologues.
Two greater highlights of the evening
came when Buckley performed the two
Norma Desmond arias from "Sunset
Boulevard." Perhaps the greatest per-
formance of the night was given with
her rendition of "With One Look''
which garnished the performer with a
mid-act ovation.
The audience couldn't have been
more appreciative of the Ann Arbor
Summer Festival for bringing such a
grand diva to Ann Arbor for an exquis-
ite showcase of divine talent.
theme song
might look to some like a one-time hit,
to loyal fans it was just another fine;
example of the BoDeans' great music.
The mentality of the BoDeans exempli-
fies why it has crafted such a devoted
fan following. The band has a distinct
*pth about its music; both the group's
sound and its attitude portray what audi-
ences love to rear, and swhat makes the
BoDeans distinguishable from other
groups.
"'Go Slow Down' got back to what
we are all about,' said bassist Bob
Griffin in an interview with The
Michigan Daily. The album was pro-
duced by the BoDeans, and Griffin
said that "this allowed us to do what
Oe wanted, and use our own style."
The album features songs that venture
into intense emotional realms that
,exemplify the band's .depth; some- .