The Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
was buzzing with excitement,
as the audience was antsy to see
another spectacular performance
put on by the University’s School of
Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD).
The energy in the room bounced
off the bright red curtain that fell
so elegantly, covering the floral,
colorful, ’60s flower-power set of
“Sweet Charity.”
“Sweet Charity” is a musical
based on an original screenplay by
Frederico Fellini, written by comic
playwright Neil Simon, with lyrics
by Dorothy Fields and music by Cy
Coleman. It debuted on Broadway
in 1966, choreographed by the
iconic Bob Fosse (known for the
dance masterpieces “Cabaret” and
“Chicago”). The show’s history
boasts four-time Tony Award-
winning actress Gwen Verdon as
one of its stars. Many tunes from
“Sweet Charity” have made it
into the mainstream, such as “Big
Spender” and “If My Friends Could
See Me Now.”
The musical follows the story
of a woman named Charity Hope
Valentine, a dance-hall hostess
who thirsts to find a partner who
would not pay much mind to her
taboo job. In comes skittish tax-
account, Oscar Lindquist, who
seems to be Charity’s chance at
love, at last.
Charity Hope Valentine, the
fun-loving dance hall hostess
desperately searching for love, is
played by Nevada Koenig, a senior
BFA Musical Theatre major. Koenig
displayed her dance skill with an
impressive performance of the
Fosse-inspired movements. While
even some of the most experienced
performers struggle with the subtle
movements of the Bob Fosse style
on the big stage, Koenig was able to
successfully make every movement
effective. She makes movement
informed by the bubbly demeanor
of Charity Hope Valentine. Fosse
choreography lends itself to being
sensual. However, Koenig put her
own spin on the dance, making
the movements appear innocent
and playful. When the curtains
open and we first see Charity, she
uses movement to set the mood
of the entire musical. It was truly
incredible that Koenig could get
the audience to giggle and laugh by
using her witty movement.
Although Koenig’s movement
was impressive, her performance
lacked in acting skill, which was
especially seen once the music
stopped and transitioned into a
scene. When she was left to be
the character without the music
backing her, Charity’s chipper
demeanour greatly diminished
and the energy sank. Without
movement guiding Koenig, she
became a less genuine actress.
Her lines were not internalized,
so when she delivered them, the
performance came across as very
rehearsed instead of playing with
character development in the
moment. This resulted in some
comedic moments being washed
over the audience. I left the theater
without much of an impression of
Charity.
The
energy
that
radiated
off the stage came from the
incredible
ensemble
members
and supporting roles. One of the
most impressive numbers was in
the second act, “Rhythm of Life.”
The ensemble filled the stage
with extravagant hippie prints
and a fun and contagious energy
emanated from the stage. It was
one of my favorite numbers of
the entire show because of how
much fun the cast was having,
which transferred to the audience.
Commodore Primous, who had a
featured role as Daddy Brubeck,
had an especially explosive and
compelling performance, which
was showcased in his interactions
with other members of the cast
during this number and his
powerful movement.
My favorite dance number
was “Rich Man’s Frug.” The
ensemble’s movements were sharp
and effective, and this number
showcased the incredible talent
and versatility of the Department
of Musical Theatre. I tremendously
applaud
Linda
Goodrich,
the
choreographer of this production
and associate professor in the
Department of Musical Theatre,
for her wonderful choreography.
Throughout
the
entire
show,
I
was
thoroughly
impressed
with not only the execution of
movement, but the creativity of the
choreography. Goodrich was able
to blend Fosse influence with her
own personal style, which made
the musical more accessible and
fun to watch. It is worth buying
tickets to see the movement for
yourself.
I was very impressed by the
performances of Mikaela Secada,
sophomore BFA Musical Theatre
major
and
McKenzie
Kurtz,
senior BFA Musical Theatre, as
Helene and Nickie, respectively.
Helene and Nickie are dancers in
the dance-hall that Charity works
in, and they are Charity’s closest
friends. Kurtz and Secada did an
incredible job in embodying the
sassiness and toughness of their
characters, putting their own
spins on them. Their authentic
performance made them so much
fun to watch.
Another striking moment was
when Blake Roman Bojewski,
senior
BFA
Musical
Theatre
major,
who
played
eccentric
Italian moviestar Vittorio Vidale,
opened his mouth to sing. His
voice was incredibly enchanting.
His performance of “Too Many
Tomorrows” was moving and
entrancing. His voice matched the
hypnotizing smoothness of his
character, as he showed off a more
classical vocal style and color.
SMTD’s Department of Musical
Theatre, again, put on an enjoyable
performance.
“Sweet
Charity”
was a joy to watch, and I had a
wonderful time marvelling at the
great talent that we have right here
on campus.
SMTD’s ‘Sweet Charity’
is a striking performance
ISABELLE HASSLUND
Daily Arts Writer
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI / DAILY
COURTESY OF NIKE
This July, Nike released
a
single
image,
meant
to
represent
the
cusp
of
something
new.
A
sea
of
vacant black is punctuated by
a luminous, gel-like structure
outlining
the
character
omega.
The
translucent
white base graduates to an
amalgam of electric magenta
and
cyan,
which
reflects
itself onto a black heel barely
distinguishable
from
the
negative space that surrounds
it. The picture communicates
less of an upcoming shoe
release than a re-centering shot
Nike’s Air Max 720 takes
steps toward the future
SAM KREMKE
For the Daily
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
of energy — the sun rising over
a black monolith, set by the
sepia-toned haze of a sneaker
market flooded with archival
releases and lazy mash ups.
Stanley
Kubrick’s
“2001:
A Space Odyssey” explores
the exciting new trajectories
brought
about
by
the
technological
age,
while
addressing fears of its sterile,
objective
rigidity;
Nike’s
environmentally
conscious
intentions with the shoe are
an appeal to the former. Their
assertions of eco-benevolence
as a corporate mega giant
are a press-friendly spin on
confronting waste issues that
have gone unchecked until
recent years.
Expected to release on Air
Max Day (Nike’s designated
anniversary of the massively
successful
line,
celebrated
on Mar. 26th) of next year,
the shoe’s credentials pack
an
undeniable
punch.
As
purported by their website,
the 720 will boast the largest
heel of any sneaker in history,
allowing
for
unparalleled
comfort
and
agility
for
a
trainer or a person that’s going
to be trotting around midtown
all day. Using their Vapormax
technology,
they
removed
the need for a foam midsole
(a
significant
waste-causer
that’s problematic across the
industry) and crafted the shoe
out of about 75% recycled
materials. It should also be
noted that Nike is committed
to using dying processes for the
shoe that allow for virtually no
water pollution and upcycling
about 95% of sourced materials.
With yearly plastic production
projected to clock in at over
half a billion tonnes over the
next few decades, the eco-
friendly race within sneaker
and fashion communities is
no longer just about feel-good
PR or appealing to a vocal
minority.
It should go without saying
that reckless industry and
consumerism has run up a
tab on the environment that
may not be easily paid off.
According to a recent study at
MIT, the average lightweight
running shoe (like the ones
that, according to a tweet
by Matt Powell, Nike sells
at a rate of about 25 per
second) produces almost 30
pounds of carbonic waste and
existing processes are greatly
contributing to the plastic
barge in the ocean that will
outweigh the total underwater
life count in terms of weight by
2050. Currently at its zenith
with about 20 billion pairs of
shoes coming off the line each
year, “drop” culture and its
perpetrators have an ethical
responsibility
to
implement
procedures that reduce waste
from the standpoint of both
material and the construction
itself.
While they may not be
leading that charge, the Air
Max 720 is a powerful step
forward. In light of the IPCC’s
recent
report
indicating
that a concerted effort will
have to be made in order to
prevent
permanent
damage
do the environment over the
next century, it’s heartening
to
see
titans
of
industry,
like
Nike,
create
products
that acknowledge the dire
circumstances under which
contemporary industries are
working. The introduction of
new technology (coupled with,
hopefully,
a
slower-paced
sneaker release calendar in
coming years) that is attractive,
ethical and sustainable from
the
market’s
leader
will
undoubtedly have an impact
on future developments from
competitors as well as habits
of the consumer. The 21st
century may be sold separately
from a Pan Am sponsored
trip to Jupiter or AI that has
a pragmatic take on human
life, but Nike’s retro-futuristic
installment of footwear will at
least have the aesthetic chops
to sit next to those fabulous
Djinn chairs.
STYLE REVIEW
REPRISE RECORDS
“I know, no one’s going to
show me everything / We all
come and go unknown / Each so
deep and superficial / Between
the forceps and the stone.”
This
is
my
favorite
line
from
Joni
Mitchell’s
entire
discography. It’s part of the
title track off her 1974 album
Hejira, a record full of longing
and grit and beauty that is often
overlooked in the great scape of
her work at large. But it’s this
line, this articulation of the
uncertainty of life, that has stuck
with me from the first time I
heard it. Above everything she
has done, Mitchell’s haunting
voice captures the calm that
comes
from
understanding
the
simultaneous
grandeur
and microcosm of the human
experience. We are both deep
and superficial, all unknown, all
in limbo between birth and death
at any given moment. In this
statement, I have found strength
and calm throughout some of
the most difficult periods of
my life. The relationship I have
with Joni Mitchell has changed
over the years, but ultimately
it comes down to that line, and
the message it represents carries
across much of her work: No
matter who you are, what you
do, or where you go, we are all
here together, and we might as
well find something deeper in
the world around us. As a young
woman growing up in a time
where it’s sometimes hard to
find the truth in popular music,
Mitchell offered a sense of
perspective on a larger scale, and
for that, I will always be grateful.
Anyone who has ever had a
conversation about music with
me knows I love Joni; she is
a puzzle and a master at the
same time, an artist who has
taught me more than even she
could understand. Though I
grew up with Mitchell’s hits
like “California” and “River”
playing throughout my house,
it wasn’t until I had some of my
own life experiences that I could
truly appreciate her genius. I
discovered her fully in the first
few years of high school, which
were arguably some of the
darkest times I’ve been through.
Being a teenage girl can often
feel like a living nightmare, and
I dealt with both chronic illness
and depression on top of that.
During those rough years, Joni
was a friend, a mother and a
prophet for me in a period where
I desperately needed something
to hold onto. For me at that point,
Joni Mitchell’s music was both
a salve and a lens to see myself
through, an aid in understanding
that accepting the future as it is
provides more than trying to fix
it in place.
Mitchell’s own story serves as
a perfect example of strength and
success in spite of a difficult past:
She had a baby at 20 and gave her
up, a choice alluded to in Blue’s
“Little Green.” She went through
a divorce at an incredibly young
age, stood back up and became
an unstoppable force in modern
folk music. She is revered not
only for her incredible talent for
lyrics and music, but also her
uncanny ability to synthesize her
own experiences into universally
applicable narratives. At the
foundation of Mitchell’s work
is a rock-solid sense of self,
something that everyone who
listens to her music cannot
ignore.
The
songwriter
has
always known who she was,
and while I was trying to find
my own identity, her steadfast
analysis of the toils and joys of
her own life gave me hope that
I would one day understand
myself. I recommend her music
to every young girl because of
this: Though it may seem dense
or weird at first, Mitchell’s heart
is clearly in everything she has
made, and a shining example of
how vulnerability can be just as
powerful as defense.
While that era of my life
is fortunately over and I am
happier
and
healthier
than
I’ve ever been, I firmly believe
that the lessons I learned from
Mitchell’s
throughout
those
struggles will stay with me for
a very long time. There’s a song
on her third record Ladies of
the Canyon called “The Circle
Game” that details the cyclical
nature of life, explaining that
“We’re captive on the carousel
of time / We can’t return we can
only look behind / From where
we came / And go round and
round and round / In the circle
game.” Here, Mitchell comments
on the value of looking behind
at the past to understand the
present and future, something
that serves as a window to much
of her work. In every album that
she has written, the singer takes
stories from her own life and
observations from the world
around her and turns them into
proverbs for the years to come.
We have all been at a party
sitting by ourselves (“People’s
Parties,”
Court
and
Spark),
watched mundane life with
awe (“The Hissing of Summer
Lawns,” The Hissing of Summer
Lawns) or felt misunderstood
by romantic partners (“Woman
of Heart and Mind,” For the
Roses).
In
these
narratives,
Mitchell taught me resilience
and patience with myself and my
idea of the future. Though it is
easy to rush through your days
with an intense focus, it is in
noticing the beauty and sadness
of life that we can learn the most.
Joni Mitchell’s music serves as a
book of parables if you look hard
enough, all set to piano, guitar
and her singular voice. For those
who have never listened to her, I
offer this to you: Be ready to open
your heart and mind, because
fully understanding Mitchell is
impossible, but trying will teach
you more about yourself than
you would ever expect.
Joni and I
DAILY GENDER & MEDIA COLUMN
CLARA
SCOTT
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, October 19, 2018 — 6A