12 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 25, 1995
Experimental
By Odt Greenberg -
Daily Arts Writer CENTR
They'vebeentoVegasandarebound Where: Ce
forNew York. Ann Arborare definitely When: Ton
not going to want to miss the Central Tickets: U
Ballet of China, which will perform in 2538
the Power Center this week. Show star
It has been a decade since Central
Ballet of China's last tour of the United stage crew
States. This time, on their 10 week, 26 of doctorsv
city North American tour, the sixty danc- let of Chi
ers have included grateful Ann Arbor fusion of
on the tour. Wednesday and Thursday product. Ni
nights' Ann Arbor debut performances hold six stu
ofCentral Ballet of China promise to be shops anda
unforgettable evenings. unmarried
Very few people in China knew "Colur
about ballet in 1959, when this then preparedth
experimental dance company emerged said ZhaoF
from the Beijing Ballet School. Now of Central1
a widely known ballet company with interpreter
a repertoire of classical, contempo- program w
rary, and traditional Chinese dances, can audien
the Central Ballet of China is cel- bound tob
ebrating its 36th year. Considered a both night
cultural treasure by the Chinese gov- performan
ernment, the company tours through- talents oft
out China and extensively in many pany.
other countries. The bill
The company is comprised of more tic and give
than just dancers. Three hundred and winning d
thirty people are included in today's night begi
Central Ballet of China. In one building fice," and
in Beijing, dancers, orchestra members, Quatre,"4"
choreographers, composers, designers, ber" and th
Ballet takes
RAL BALLET
entral Ballet
night and tomorrow
MS Box office, call 764-
ts at 8:00 p.m.
, administrators and a team
work together. Central Bal-
na represents the beautiful
all the arts into one final
lot only does this building
adios, a theater, scenic work-
a clinic, it is also home to the
dancers.
mbia Artist Management has
is tour for quite a few years,"
Ruheng, the artistic director
Ballet of China (through an
). The company selected "a
hich is suitable for an Ameri-
ce." These performances are
be more than just suitable,
s promise to be memorable
ces that will show off the
this highly acclaimed com-
for Wednesday night is eclec-
es a taste of what these award
ancers are capable of. The
ns with "New Year's Sacri-
d is followed by "Pas de
Before the Wedding Chain-
Le third act of"Don Quixote."
"New Year's S
famous short sto
depicts the tragic
feudal society.1
principal dancer'
marriage to HeI
Jie, winner of th
ography and Dan
bolic and ritualis
ends when the t
wedlock.
"Pas de Qua
produced in Lon
strate the most fa
famous ballerina
play the talents o
soloists.
"Before the W
ated in 1990 b
professor from/
set to traditional
Considered to b
favorite works, 1
as "The Chinese
the Eyes of an A
Closing the e
will perform th
Quixote," a ball
epic novel, "
Mancha." The I
personally stage
Quixote on Cen
1985.
Thursday nig
mixed bill as w
center stage
acrifice," based on the romantic second act of "Giselle" will
ry written by Lu Xun, be presented with the "The Red Detach-
c life of women in old ment of Women." The ballet,"based on
The bride, played by the true history of China," as stated by
Wang Shan, is sold in Zhao Ruheng, takes place during the
Laolin played by Sun ten year civil war on Hainan Island.
e Suchuan TV Chore- Giselle's second act is full of wilis
ace Competition. Sym- (women who died before their wedding
stic, this one act ballet day) dressed in white, dead creatures of
wo are truly united in the night. "Red Detachment ofWomen,"
depicts the hardships and struggles of al
atre," which was first woman oppressed by a warlord, and her
don in 1845 to demon- final liberation. The ballet ends with the
vorable aspects of four woman joining the Red Army in the
as of the time, will dis- fight for the liberation of the country.
ffour ofthe company's The two ballets are complimentary.but
quite different. Through the diversity
edding Chamber," cre- of both performances, the China Ballet
y Norman Walker, a aims to please everyone.
Adelphi University, is Zhao Ruheng added that the con -
musicofancient China. pany is very excited to perform in the
e one of the company's States. "Chinese people keep theirfeel-
the ballet is referred to ings inward, they don't applaud like the-
Wedding Chamber in Westerner's do. That is why the danc-
3merican." ers love your audiences here." Ruheng
vening, the company hopes that through this tour the corn-
e ever exciting "Don pany will "have more chances of cul-
et based on Cervantes' tural exchange." This is a "new experi,
Don Quixote de la ence for the dancers, learning the cul-
late Rudolph Nureyev ture and history of America through its
dhisproductionofDon people." With a line up of such a
tral Ballet of China in wonderful assortment of ballets, one
expects that the company will learn jusf
;ht's performance is a how well American audiences can show
vell. The classical and their appreciation.
Uhh. This Is a picture of Ms. De Momay but not from "Never Talk to Strangers,"
'cause like, uhh, F.B.I. agents talk to strangers a lot. It's like their job, huh huh.
'Sr em 0tofaila
$tran
By Neal C. Carruth
For the Daily
In this age of uncertainty, the advice
contained in the title of "Never Talk to
Strangers" is appropriate. However,
there is some better advice: Don't see
this movie. "Never Talk to Strangers"
is a turgid, murky psycho-thriller that
collapses under the weight of its own
excesses. The often embarrassing per-
formances by Rebecca De Mornay and
Antonio Banderas only contribute to
the malaise.
The fittingly chilly De Mornay plays
a frigid psychiatrist named Sarah Tay-
lor. When we first meet Taylor, she is in
the middle of a psychiatric evaluation
of accused serial killer Max Cheski
(Harry Dean Stanton), who may be suf-
fering from multiple personality disor-
der. Stanton, a perennially under appre-
ciated character actor, does a credible
job as Cheski; he easily delivers the
best performance of the film.
After this glimpse of Taylor's pro-
fessional life, her personal life is re-
vealed to be a solemn, solitary scene.
The puckish Dennis Miller is featured
in a minor supporting role as Cliff
Raddison, Taylor's neighbor and lone
confidante. A brilliant standup come-
dian, Miller has already displayed his
inability to do ensemble work from his
years on "Saturday Night Live." This is
in evidence here, where most of Miller's
scenes falter, particularly his "emotion-
ally charged" scene with Banderas.
Despite this, Miller does manage to get
in a few quippy gems (on his doggedly
persistent pursuit of Taylor, he says:
"I'm Sisyphus with a hard on.")
Even though Miller's character is not
Taylor's type, she does grudgingly ac-
cept the charismatic advances of the
brooding, mysterious Tony Ramirez
(Antonio Banderas). The two strangers
meet in a hackneyed grocery store scene,
in which Banderas expounds on the
relative virtues of different vintages of
JJW Never Talk to
Strangers
Directed by Peter Hall; with
Rebecca De Mornay and
Antonio Banderas
At Showcase
wine. Claiming to be newly-arrived
from Puerto Rico, Ramirez wants to
"get to know" (wink, wink) Sarah Tay-
lor. Although, Taylor is initially reti-
cent, she falls for Ramirez, providing a
couple of obligatory scenes of gratu-
itous sex.
I get the feeling that I was supposed
to be compelled by both of these char-
acters. Banderas, uninteresting to me
whether he is sleeping with Tom Hanks
or Rebecca De Mornay, is one-dimen-
sional and practices his usual schtick of
prideful intensity. De Mornay is as
mechanical as ever and her forced,
strained performance falls flat. The little
bit of chemistry that does exist between
the two stars is smothered by Peter
Hall's rendering of the story.
The most ludicrous aspect of "Never
Talk to Strangers" comes near the end,
when we find out that De Mornay is
really the one suffering from multiple
personality disorder, which she explains
via silly Freudian psycho babble. In
fact, the film itself is a victim of this
disorder, as Hall has difficulty deciding
what kind of film he's making and is
unable to balance the different direc-
tions in which the film veers. It is clear
that he is trying to craft a roller coaster
of a suspense film. But the excess of
scenes devoted to the romance between
De Mornay and Banderas, as well as the
screwball character of Miller's scenes
contribute to an overall incongruity of
tone.
'Bn--Rm'fle ihenergy adexcitement
By Scot woods pets. energy of the evening's dances and
Daily Arts Writer After opening with "Gandalf" - a marches, this emotive piece asked for a
Pure energy. strong musical tribute to J.R.R. degree of reflection the crowd had not
The acoustics in Hill Auditorium, Band-O-Rama Tolkein'spowerful"Lordofthe Rings" been prepared to give.
considered nearly perfect by many wizard - the Symphony Band turned After intermission, the Marching
performers, are of such a quality that Hill Auditorium to more contemplative pieces. Band took the spotlight. Reviewing
even the lament of a single, mournful October 21, 1995 Ponchielli's "1l Con Vego," featured numbers from previous shows and-
oboe can penetrate to the remotest clarinetists Deborah Chodacki and Fred previewing this weekend's homecom-
seat in the second balcony. Ormond, both faculty at the School of ing performance, the band attacked
So when the 235 members of the than the crowds that come for perfor- Music. Ormond arranced the piece af- their work with zeal. The audience
Michigan Marching Band stormed the mances by, say, James Galway or the ter extensive archival research of responded eagerly, clapping andsingr
stage, stomping in their trademark Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Proud Ponchielli's manuscript in Italy. ing with works like "Let's Go Blue.
lock-step to a frenetic cadence, the parents and family of band members Under director H. Robert Reynolds, and "Varsity." Less inhibited mem'
venerable structure seemed to struggle filled the main floor, and groups of the Symphony Band expressed refined bers of the crowd roused themselves
to contain their thunder. And when middle school students occupied the interpretatons both of Ponchielli and of from their seats to perform; the
the band exploded into "The Victors" second balcony. their concluding suite of three old "Bullwinkle" dance and to join the
it was the thunder of the audience that The Concert Band began the evening American dances. But some of their flag corps in the aisles to bop to the
threatened to overwhelm. with a menu of dances and marches. fare may have been suited for a differ- "Blues Brothers."
But after all, that's what the annual The confidence and enthusiasm of con- ent performance on a different night. The show, featuring the
"Band-O-Rama" is: Energy, stomp- ductor Dennis Glocke infected the On an evening that otherwise belonged University's Concert Band, Sym-
ing, thunder. whole ensemble. Performing well as a to the students in all three bands, the phony Band and Marching Band, be-
The audience at Hill Saturday nighi unit, the band produced a full sound clarinet work of Ormond and Chodacki gan as it ended: With music charac.
was refreshingly less stuffy or academic with strong performances in the trum- seemed out of place. Compared to the terized by confidence and exuberance.
den amidst overdone instrumental, Most of the time when someone The pieces come from Folyd's two
RECORDS atmospheric effects and violin-vo- gets ambitious enough to try and most epic works, seven from "Dark
Continued from page JI. cals, redeems the recording. interpret rock music into symphonic Side of the Moon" and three from
The music is, well, good. It's music, it fails. Fails miserably ac- "The Wall." Each piece is master-
corny but likable. If the London tually. It usually comes out sound- fully interpreted. From the brass fan-
Us and Them Philharmonic were to come to Hill ing like over produced muzak. fare in "Brain Damage" to the Middle
. Auditorium and play Floyd's "Us Instead of appealing to fans of Eastern flavor of"Money", each piece
Symphonc Pink Floyd and Them" but credit it to some both genres, this sad attempt at mass will make Pink Floyd fans think ofthe
Point Music new, up-and-coming composer, the marketing/respectability for rock music in a new light.
There are some things in life that performance might get a standing music usually ends up alienating The best example of this is "An-
just weren't meant to be. ovation. everybody. other Brick in the Wall (Part II)".
As a diehard classical music fan, I can imagine the stodgiest clas- But forget everything you just The piece begins with a dramatic
I was sure that the London sical go-ers tapping their feet, nod- read, because someone has finally statement of the well known "We
Philharmonic' s new recording of ding their heads and applauding the made the impossible possible. don't need no education" melody.
Pink Floyd songs would join 8 a.m. composer as innovative and con- Jaz Coleman's arrangements of It then quickly interjects a new
classes and fish flavored ice cream ductor Peter Scholes as heroic and ten classic Pink Floyd songs break theme of cascading and whirling
as one of those freaks of nature - progressive. all of the aforementioned stereo- violins. It moves back and fori
freaks of bizarre marketing - that As is, "Symphonic Music of Pink types. He doesn't just change the between these two concepts, lettint
the world should never have seen. Floyd" is probably doomed. It's not instrumentation from guitar/bass/ the listener associate the old wit
And maybe it should. It's more SKR Classical but it's also not drums to strings/brass/woodwind; the new. Also, the piece is muc
than a little weird to hear one of the MTV. and he doesn't just give you a little more deliberate than the mid tempc
world's top orchestras play a track The recording's big buyer might taste of the original song and then groove of the original version. A
called "Brain Damage." be your great aunt looking for a go on some wild, pretentious tan- heavy structural change that is deal
At times, the recording sounds a good birthday gift for her hip, young gent either. The music's translation with using style and respect for the
lot like cheesy film music, a semi- relative who always seemed so ma- into the new format maintains a powerful meaning of Floyd's origi-
decent marching band arrangement ture at family parties. perfect balance between the origi- nal intention.
or freaky muzak that very bored Was this CD a good idea, meant nal intentions and the symphonic This album is a must for Pint
employees play at 4 in the morning to break down musical boundaries, interpretation. Floyd fans. It will open your' eyes
in a 24-hour suburban grocery store. or was it a disaster in the making? Coleman seems to know when it's and let you experience your favor.
Believe me, I want to hate this Don't lose sleep over it. Let the time to give you some of the origi- ite old song in a new light. 'Foi
music, however well it's played. marketers figure it out. nal melody and when it's time to everyone else, this album proves
Yet something hard to identify, hid- - Emily Lambert introduce you to an entirely new that rock music can become a sym-
I i
Career opportunities
at J.P. Morgan
for t nirersily of .1ichigan engineering
students (undergraduate) interested in
Global Technology and Operations
Please plan to attend our
information presentation on