Page 8-The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, March 26,1991
WEEKEND
Continued from page 5
jam based around "The Battle Hymn
of the Republic." Much of what
they played was material from the
album they are planning to record
within the next few months, includ-
ing one song which might be called
"Terribly Hard," which featured a
rap by Popper.
Toward the closing of the per-
formance, Popper wound up tossing
one of his harps into the audience.
As it was flying through the air, a
group of hands reached out in an at-
tempt to make the grab, only to have
it land in the hands of two fans who
began fighting over the cherished
object. One of them screamed, "Hey,
let me have it; the bass player got
kicked out of my high school!" The
other backed off. That's the kind of
crowd I like to see at a show.
-Andrew J. Cahn
Mehta's subtle
conducting
enthralls
A month ago, the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra evacuated
their stage during an Iraqi air raid.
Last Thursday, under the direction
of Zubin Mehta, the orchestra gave a
triumphant encore for a rapturous
audience at-Hill Auditorium.
The entire concert was character-
ized by a sweeping boldness both in
programming and in style. For the
most part, Mehta's delicate move-
ment yielded an active and expansive
sound. The large orchestra was dy-
namically sophisticated and handled
transitions from contemporary to
romantic moods with flair.
For all those neglected percus-
sionists out there, Joseph Tal's
Symphony no. 2 is a dream come
true, containing one of the most
elaborate timpani solos ever heard.
The symphony, performed in honor
of the Israeli composer's 80th
birthday, was commissioned by the
Israel Philharmonic in 1968.
The group performed the work
with grace and a practiced emotional
breadth. Almost immediately after
a sweet flute melody broke through
the work's sinister introduction, the
strings and brass interceded with a
section that had a jazzy feel to it.
Mehta's understated ability to take
the orchestra through Tal's many
moods was summed up in the way he
concluded the piece: with a gentle
wave of his hand, he managed to
bring the symphony to a drifting
close so subtle that it seemed to
float into nothing.
The same kind of control in
graceful phrasing was exhibited in
Dvorak's Symphony No. 7 in D
Minor, Op. 70. The movements
flowed from a tremulous and dark
tone to a majestic processional. The
marching sound continued in the
third movement, giving forth vast
billows of sound. In the second
movement, the oboe, an instrument
which can always be counted on to
give a particularly wonderful and
clear sound, came through with a
poignant arc of melody.
Mehta is hailed worldwide as
one of the most seasoned and tal-
ented conductors working today.
His dedication to the Israel
Philharmonic as its music director
is apparent in everything from his
reverential treatment of the text to
his modest curtain calls.
Predictably, he gave the spotlight to
the the evening's astounding soloist,
17-year-old Maxim Vengerov.
The Soviet violinist recently
emigrated from the U.S.S.R. to Tel
Aviv and is accompanying the
Philharmonic throughout its
United States tour. The audience
was bound to be fascinated by the
extent of Vengerov's success while
still in his teens.-However, when he
began Tchaikovsky's Violin
Concerto in D major, Op. 35, his
youth was forgotten due to his
sensitive and masterful handling of
the piece.
The first note alone contained a
breadth of expression that was the
rule rather than the exception dur-
ing the entire piece. The build of
tension that was seen so gracefully
accomplished by the orchestra in
Tal's Symphony was transferred to
Vengerov's passionate bowing. At
times, most notably in the first
movement, the orchestra seemed to
be overeager to leap in and join the
violinist.
However, in the second move-
ment, the conversation between
soloist and accompaniment was
lyrically balanced. Vengerev's per-
formance was the most breathtaking
event of the evening, but in Mehta's
graceful conducting, the jam-packed
Hill Auditorium witnessed a leg-
endary talent.
-Elizabeth Lenhard
It really was
better than
Cats
Liza Minelli's strong but un-
emotional rendition of Kander and
Ebb's "Cabaret" is perfect - her
voice never falters. When Elizabeth
Richmond came onstage, she played
Sally Bowles realistically. The
character was slightly drunk, had
just had an abortion (1930's style)
and had lost her lover. She was flus-
tered and out of breath, and her bit-
ter tone was heavy with the irony of
the lyrics.
Richmond started out in a
whisper, grew, weakened, and
crescendoed to a dazzling climax
which left tears in my eyes. She gave
the song character and feeling as
well as strength, allowing the song
to impact emotionally the way
Minelli's version never has. As she
did with Pontius Pilate in Jesus
Sally, while she refused to look at
the world but could see the failure
of the relationship.
The show had an intensity rarely
seen in musicals, no matter how
well they are performed. In the fi-
nale to Act II, Fraulein Kost
(Miriam Shor) vengefully ruined
the revelries of Fraulein Schneider
(Lynne Sherwood) and Herr
Schultz's (Mitch Shapiro) engage-
ment party by indicating that Herr
Schultz was Jewish. The beautiful
"Tomorrow Belongs To Me"
Sherwood, Miriam Shor and Jason
Hackner, the singer of the first ren-
dition of "Tomorrow Belongs To
Me." The show was tight and in-
tense; the cabaret numbers were
eerily focused on the scenes that
went before. It's a shame that the
show will not run for another
weekend - the cast had the entire
audience on its feet before the major
characters came out for their curtain
call, applause which was well-de-
served.
-.Beth Colquitt
of Dance seems to be video-crazy
lately, often subjecting its audiences
to techno-overkill, Cheng's use of
video images of CNN anchors with
their faces blanked out and other
scenes of war was fitting and effec-
tive. The dance, accompanied byA
mesmerizing score for three live
cellos (composed by Robin Co ,
portrayed two women who, wh
they could finally tear themselv
away from their armchairs and
news, engaged in fascinating, oft4
violent partnering.
"The Attic" was Hobyak's onri
work, in place of the three separae
pieces composed by the other
dancers. Hobyak used the longer
piece to take the audience through
detailed and delightful walk ba
ward in time, via the memories
found stored in an attic. Using cat"
dles and a lone yellow spotlight to
create a sepia-tinged atmosphere,
five women dressed in an array of
old dresses and hats set the scerid'
with a picture of the domestic sidq
of life during the jazz era. Hobyalfk
played the present day explord,
moving into the world of the pt*
by donning a fedora.
In the second of the work's five
parts, she then exploded into their'
world with a stunning solo set toi
Duke Ellington's "Lary'
Rhapsody." Hobyak displayed facil'
expression that was rarely matche
by the other performers, while he
clever choreography was a mis-
chievous romp that showcased h.
impeccable technique and fun per,'
sonality.
In range of expression, HobyakV
only competitor was Cheng, whose
solo work, "Prelude to Vertigo
was breathtaking. The dancer's di'
play of pain and fear in her faWe
highlighted her beautiful, ligh
ning-speed movement; Cheng's con-
trol was often seen in a sudden slow
sweep of her leg or arms, amidst
twisting and leaping that was truly -
dazzling.
Palazzola often did create pretff,
pictures in her choreography. Hei
abstract "Schoenberg Solo" was 6
ten graceful and expressive. But her
two group numbers, set to composf I
tions by Liszt and Mozart, were
almost indistinguishable from eaW
other in their bland and repetitive
poses. While simplicit may haeha
p o e . W i e s m l c t a abeen the m otivating factor here, tlf '
colorless costumes did nothing bt
lull the audience to sleep. Cheng79
piece for the trio, "Vertigo," on the'
other hand, took simple costumes
and incorporated their gradual deb
composition into the meaning of tW,
piece. '
It is not essential that a work o
dance have an inherent conflict, e;
pecially if it is in the abstract, as are
Palazzola's pieces. However, th&
panache displayed by her two coutn
terparts in the end overshadowed,'*
her work.,4
- Elizabeth Lenhafd
clean lines of the classical form or
decides to investigate the meaning:
behind the artwork and the search
for classicism, the exhibition will
satisfy both the aesthete and the iniu
tellectual.
GREECE VS. ROME will be at thw
Museum of Art in the main hall unti
April 28.
Mary Beth oarberSPEIuA L TOTHAIL
Nightclub star Sally Bowles (Elizabeth Richmond) flirts outrageously with her newfound friend Cliff Bradshaw
(Jason Dilly) in the impressive MUSKET production of Cabaret.
Christ Superstar two years ago and
Desir6e Armfeldt in A Little Night
Music last semester, Richmond
took a character in a show already
famous for its original performers
and made it into a character both
fresh and totally her own.
"Cabaret" was the high point in a
show that gave no evidence of being
a University production.
It would be unfair, however, to
weight Richmond's Sally over Josh
Rhodes' Emcee, Jason Dilly's Cliff
or any of the supporting roles which
made up the large cast. These three
were a few of the excellent casting
choices in this professionally-done
show. Rhodes was both amusing and
terrifying as the enigmatic Emcee.
He made excellent use of the comic
role and showed himself versatile
enough to turn lewd comedy into
demonic satire, as Nazi Germany be-
gan to encroach on the oblivious and
hedonistic world of the Kit Kat
Kiub. Aided by Danny Gwirtzman's
spectacular choreography and backed
by the smooth stepping, scantily
clad Kit Kat Girls, Rhodes also
shone as a graceful dancer in his
bizarre and entrancing part.
Less flashy but just as powerful
was the role of Cliff. Dilly
smoothly conveyed his character's
transition from an innocent writer
to a party-loving Berliner to a man
who had become disillusioned with
everyone and everything. The final
scene between Cliff and Sally was
charged with emotion. Cliff under-
stood what was happening to his
world but not his relationship with
turned into the ugly stomping of
knee-jerk Nazi sympathizers, and
Herr Schultz, having had a bit too
much schnapps, naively stomped
along with the rest.
The freeze at the end of the
number accented the already
chilling scene, with Fraulein
Schneider and Cliff staring at the
ruin of the party from the corners,
appalled, and Sally draining her
wine glass with a flair. Fraulein
Kost and Cliff's old friend, Ernst
Ludwig (Mark Wilson), occupied
center stage, one manically enthusi-
astic, the other cold and calculating,
as the large Nazi flag overlooked
the party.
The enormous size of the Power
Center stage was not a problem
with Warren Lehmkuhle's inge-
nious set. The split stage made scene
transitions run smoothly and effec-
tively. The cast made easy use of the
whole stage, a remarkable feat, con-
sidering the set's complexity and
the number of levels. The costuming
also worked well: Sally's period
dresses were simple and elegant, and
the Gaultier-like Kit Kat Klub cos-
tumes were amusing and impressive.
The variety given to Rhodes'
evening clothes was also a clever
touch.
Cabaret calls for musical talent
as well as strong dramatic acting
ability, and the MUSKET produc-
tion supplied all the punch that the
show required. As much attention
was given to the supporting roles as
to the major parts. Particularly
strong were the voices of Lynne
Two out of
three ain't bad
At times, the dances had the
substance of a short story, with ten-
sion, a conflict or even a plot. At
other times, they were more like a
poem - an imagerora feeling
fleshed out. As far as literary
metaphors go, these elements
(created by choreographer/dancers
Anita Cheng and Barby Hobyak) of
Trilogy: Episodes in Dance were an
exciting journey through emotion,
time and war. But when the dance to
could only be likened to a single
word, such as "nice" or "pretty,"
which aptly sum up Benedette
Palazzola's choreography, I was
left unsatisfied.
When the choreographers chose
to tell a story, the result was grati-
fying. Often tinged with humor,
Cheng's "Homefront" and
Hobyak's "The Attic" took the au-
dience on a journey through
poignant experiences that are com-
mon to all of us. While the School.
WAR
Continued from page 5
both well lit and showcased, and
written material is clearly explana-
tory, both in the mounted didactic
material and the printed brochure,
aiding the viewer along the debate.
Whether one plans to enjoy the
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