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(09/12/07 4:00am)
For freshman Scott Neidich, today marks a special occasion.
Neidich, a Charlotte native, will celebrate his first Rosh Hashana - the Jewish holiday that begins tonight and lasts through Friday.
Neidich, who is half Jewish, wasn't raised practicing the faith but chose to convert. He said he was influenced by his brother's switch to Judaism.
"I just really want to experience what it's all about and get a feel for my Jewish roots," Neidich said. "Right now that's one of the biggest things that's important to me."
(09/11/07 4:00am)
For sophomore Ellie Hanna, Facebook has become as vital to her daily routine as breakfast or personal hygiene.
"I knew it was bad when I would be on Facebook.com and I would say, 'All right, time to do something else,' and I would type Facebook in the search bar," she said.
Her loyalty runs so deep, in fact, that if the service crashed, she said she wouldn't turn to a similar one - even if it meant going back to what she called "normal" methods of communication.
"I would never, ever do MySpace," she said.
But recent troubles in networking paradise have raised questions about whether Facebook will continue under its current management or exist at all.
Facebook and its creator Mark Zuckerberg continue to battle long-standing accusations of copyright violations levied by the founders of ConnectU, another online social-networking site.
Divya Narendra, Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss, fellow Harvard classmates of Zuckerberg's, filed a lawsuit against Facebook in 2004, claiming he built his site based on stolen computer code.
Another classmate, Aaron J. Greenspan, has come forward recently with similar claims.
In an official statement, Facebook representatives disagreed with ConnectU's allegations and called the lawsuit an attempt to undercut the success of Zuckerberg's project.
"This particular hearing was an early motion in the case, and regardless of the ruling, the case will continue," a Facebook spokeswoman said.
The courts have yet to announce a verdict.
Meanwhile, Facebook has filed a counter lawsuit in California against ConnectU for attempting "to steal our information, spam our users and copy our Web site after it launched."
ConnectU representatives declined to comment.
No official announcements have been made about the future of Facebook, but the legal developments have sparked conversation on campus about the possible repercussions of the lawsuit.
Rob Stephens, a sophomore from Winston-Salem, said it wouldn't be the end of the world if the court mandated a Facebook shutdown.
"I'm sure something would replace it really quickly," he said. "It might take a couple of weeks, but something would establish itself as a social site online."
"It would be havoc on campus for a while, though," he added.
Facebook ranks among the more successful networking sites, but it isn't the only one.
Cyworld, one of many social Web sites aimed at teenagers of specific nationalities, is a site for young South Koreans that features a friend-request system much like Facebook's.
Fotolog is a community for people who want to upload and share photo blogs.
But Facebook remains arguably the most lucrative. The company rebuffed a $750 million buyout offer from Viacom in January 2006. Technology bloggers have reported that Zuckerberg is holding out for $2 billion.
Although some students expressed similar opinions as Stephens, others - particularly those who use Facebook to advertise for campus organizations and causes - have a different outlook on the possibility of losing the social-networking site.
"It's a multidimensional way to get in touch with people," junior Jeasun Huh said. "It's also a source to find e-mail and phone numbers."
Huh said she plans to use Facebook to promote Vision for North Korea, an upcoming program to raise awareness of North Korean politics and culture.
Even if Facebook changes hands, she said she will keep using it for her organization.
"I think I would stick to Facebook because that's what people are already acquainted with," she said.
That sentiment isn't necessarily a popular one, even among other students who organize groups and events through Facebook.
Junior Shana McClammy of Wilmington sent out Facebook invitations to a series of events she coordinated in 2006 for Women's Week.
Although she said she believes in the power of Facebook advertising, she won't stay with Facebook if the company undergoes any major changes.
"I'd boycott it," she said. "Because I liked it just the way it was."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(08/22/07 4:00am)
For the Formeister twins, the notion of being identical transcends appearance.
Sure, their physical resemblance is undeniable: They're both stocky and broad-shouldered, and they have the same propensity for telling long stories that trail off into ringing laughter.
But for the second year in a row, Marc and Eric will share something more - living space.
And the Formeisters aren't alone. Marc and Eric are just one set of twins living together at the University this year.
"Being an identical twin is a different kind of bond," Marc Formeister said.
Because they grew up together, the two seniors have similar living habits and a strong connection that wouldn't be possible between strangers, Marc Formeister said.
The two didn't room together when they transferred to UNC in their sophomore year, Eric Formeister said.
But bad experiences with other roommates prompted the decision.
"Your friends versus people you can live with - two different groups of people," he said.
The two agreed that rooming together made things much easier, especially because they didn't have to worry about roommates with different needs or habits.
"My mom will ask me a question, and my response will be nearly identical to what he says," Eric Formeister said.
Samantha Moore, a senior, said the comfort and convenience of living with her twin Sierra eased the transition into college and created an anchor for her relationships at UNC.
"We came from a small town, so we were pretty shy," Samantha Moore said. "We only knew a handful of people coming up here."
She added that she has 21 years of experience rooming with her twin.
Sierra Moore said living apart would have been impractical, especially because the twins share everything from cosmetics to clothing.
"It would have been hard to go out and buy a second set of things," she said. "When we pick stuff out, I just hold it up to her to see what it looks like on me."
The decision to room together seems a fairly automatic one for many sets of twins.
Rebecca and Beverly Knight, juniors, sounded horrified at the thought of rooming with anyone else.
"We're always so saddened when twins don't room together," Beverly Knight said. "We're best friends."
That isn't to say twins always get along, though. Roommates of all kinds have to compromise.
"If it's anything, it's cleaning," Sierra Moore said, adding that she and her more-organized twin get in frequent five-minute squabbles over the messes Sierra accumulates.
But Samantha Moore said cleanliness has been less of an issue ever since the twins moved to an apartment.
"You have a little more privacy," she said. "It's harder in the dorms because you're in such a confined space."
All the twins agree that such struggles are easily overcome. More important is the main challenge of their college careers: the search for identity and independence.
This common goal takes on a different meaning for students living with their identical twins.
"You kind of feel like you're not really independent," Sierra Moore said. "When you have someone there your entire life, you don't want to change."
Rebecca Knight and her sister have been working toward the same objective. Beverly is the more studious of the pair, Rebecca said.
"Because we're so close, we find that we're dependent on each other for a lot of things," Rebecca Knight explained. "If I see her doing something, I'm more motivated to do that."
This process seems especially important for twins who room together in college because all three of these pairs will probably separate after their undergraduate careers.
Beverly Knight plans to pursue a job as a physical therapist, and Rebecca Knight is working toward a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
"It would be nice, but we're not expecting to live together," Beverly said.
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(04/26/07 4:00am)
Movie Review
Hot Fuzz
4 stars
When Simon Pegg and Nick Frost unleashed "Shaun of the Dead" on unsuspecting theater audiences in 2004, it was one of the funniest movies in recent memory.
Years later, there's good news for Pegg and Frost. The new funniest movie in recent memory is "Hot Fuzz."
The snarky British duo is back with another irresistible blockbuster - and they might have outdone even themselves this time.
When London top cop Nicholas Angel (Pegg) gets transferred to a small town for outperforming his co-workers, he has to join forces with the bumbling PC Danny Butterman (Frost) to uncover a conspiracy among the townspeople.
Like its gory, glorious predecessor, "Hot Fuzz" has a brand of savvy-satirical humor that pays loving honor to a genre even as it rips it to shreds.
The camera work is like "C.S.I." on steroids. The filmmakers amp up the smallest actions - making a cup of coffee, for instance - with furious, teeth-gritted intensity.
In traditional buddy-cop style, Pegg and Frost get into scrapes and have a couple of fights.
But of course they're constantly lampooning the process with humor that draws everything from chuckles to gut-busting guffaws.
After delivering a tearful monologue about his parents' tragic death in a car crash, Frost breaks the tension by fake-stabbing himself in the eye with a fork and laughing at Pegg's horrified expression.
"Hot Fuzz" delivers on one other front that made "Shaun" so successful: It eventually becomes exactly what it lampoons, with hilarious effects.
The final half hour of the movie is a full-fledged action flick conclusion.
It has a car chase, a battle with the villain of the film and one-liners so bad they make the script of "Lethal Weapon" sound like fine literature.
That's why Pegg and Frost are so good at their job. By the time their movies have morphed into the objects of their satire, they actually work.
The later stages of "Hot Fuzz," like the closing scenes of "Shaun," are so enjoyable because they feature fully developed characters acting believably, and it's impossible not to care.
It helps that the movie's goofy vision doesn't falter a bit, even when things get hairy.
Moments before Frost and Pegg march into the town square for a final firefight, armed to the teeth and wearing "Bad Boys"-style sunglasses, Frost jump-kicks someone's shotgun-wielding grandmother in the face.
It's a horrible thing to find funny, but that's just a testament to the laugh-inducing power of Pegg and Frost.
As is the rest of the movie. There are precious few films where every new minute - every single one - brings some new joke or gag.
"Hot Fuzz," in other words, is not to be missed. Like "Shaun of the Dead," it brings a revolutionary balance to the smart and the silly.
We only can hope there's more to come.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(03/22/07 4:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
300
3.5 stars
Sure, "300" goes too far at times. It spills enough blood and bares enough breasts to make Quentin Tarantino jealous, and historical content is hardly more than a footnote.
But when King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his Spartan vanguard are hacking through yet another wave of Persians, electric guitars raging in the background, these issues suddenly seem negligible.
That's because the film incarnation of Frank Miller's graphic novel is breathtaking. Like "Sin City," another Miller adaptation, "300" has a look all its own.
It has just the right mixture of real cinematography, antique polish and comic-book exaggeration.
Most of the scenery creates the effect of standing inside a giant painting about the Greeks' famous suicide stand against Xerxes at Thermopylae.
All the characters look like bronze images off the side of a Grecian urn, especially when they're leaping through the air in a bare-toothed snarl - which happens about every five minutes.
About three-fourths of the movie is one long battle sequence, and a mesmerizing one at that. Miller's battle-hardened Spartan regiment fights with such grace and skill, it's almost like watching a dance with swords and spears.
And Xerxes' ghoulish soldiers are a testament to Miller's imaginative power. His monsters have enough traces of human quality to seem believable in this mythologized rendering.
Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) himself, an 8-foot colossus whose face bristles with rings and piercings, is an excellent example.
Basically, the film is like wading through a corridor of blood to get to a famous painting exhibit (and in no way is that a bad thing).
But for all its gory glory, the movie does have flaws.
The intense stylistics can wind up leeching the emotional impact out of some of the scenes. The digital scenery is so perfect it's often difficult to focus on what's going on with the characters.
Look, King Leonidas is bidding a stirring farewell to his wife. Man, forget that - the moon is taking up like half the sky right now. How did they do that?
And then there's the question of how much is too much, which this movie often answers by crossing the line. To say half the battle sequences occur in slow motion is more or less true.
The Spartans can't swing a sword without taking things down to half tempo.
And King Leonidas' penchant for shouting his lines can get old, even in a movie about ancient warfare. You're assaulted by constant reminders that you're watching a movie about (read this as if shouting) one of the greatest battles ever fought.
Still, for all the liberties it takes, "300" is a must-see. The stunning visual effects and adrenaline-filled battle sequences brush aside any minor qualms.
Once again, Frank Miller is synonymous with visual excellence.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(02/15/07 5:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
"Hannibal Rising"
1.5 Stars
Like a recent space trilogy set in a galaxy far, far away, "Hannibal Rising" proves a back story is the last thing a perfect movie villain needs.
Sure, the film's sumptuous shots of the European countryside make it beautiful to watch. And sure, it explains why Hannibal kills people and then eats them afterward.
But the road to these revelations winds through a maze of cinematic clich
(01/25/07 5:00am)
Art doesn't require a television screen. Artists still practice their craft all across North Carolina, and it's easy to spend an afternoon browsing the galleries that exhibit their work.
The Triangle teems with artists, and galleries are everywhere. With a little detective work, you can find anything - metalworkers, painters, pottery-makers and more.
There are still pictures made without pixels, and they're closer than you might think.
Animation & Fine Art Galleries
Where: University Mall, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
(01/25/07 5:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Ghost Stories
Quixoticism
3 stars
The music on Quixoticism is as straightforward and palatable as its title is vague and exotic. Although it isn't monumental, it's catchy in places and often charming.
The instrumentals on the album sound unusually polished. Ron Lewis, who plays everything except for a few guest parts, appears to have a good idea of what he's doing and what he wants out of his music.
Lewis prides himself on his ability to keep things moving and changing without losing the listener. Every song sounds different, drawing on a variety of genres and traditions.
The opener is an upfront rock song. Smack in the middle is a track with a bluegrass-boogie feel. The last track is a fusion of rock rhythms and hip-hop-style effects.
Despite all its reinventions, Ghost Stories manages to keep a steady, solid sound going all the while.
That said, there's nothing groundbreaking about the album. Lewis has fun with synthesized sounds and beats, and his ingenuity gives the tracks a unique feel, but this one isn't going to redefine any conceptions about music.
Quixoticism could draw comparisons to Of Montreal, but it doesn't have the same zany spark or the almost manic desire to knock down musical boundaries. It's hard to shake the feeling that stripping away the effects would leave something you've heard before.
Lewis doesn't match his label-mates Death Cab for Cutie and Nada Surf in quality or popularity, but he delivers decent, enjoyable pop music with just enough of a twist to make things interesting.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(01/18/07 5:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
3 stars
At times beautiful and at times bizarre, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is a gripping, well-conceived foray into the mind of a young perfumer obsessed with finding the perfect scent.
An adaptation of "Das Parfum," a novel by Patrick S
(01/18/07 5:00am)
CONCERTREVIEW
Scourge of the Sea w/ Sweater Weather and Petticoat Petticoat
Wetlands
Thursday, Jan. 11
There was a lot of empty standing room at the Wetlands Thursday night, but the meager turnout didn't dim the enthusiasm of the three bands who took the stage.
Scourge of the Sea opened with a solid indie rock set, an interplay of guitar rhythms and string parts layered over mournful lyrics. The band, still in its experimental stages, shows promise. Scourge of the Sea likes to have a good time, and it makes them fun to watch. The drummer's guitar-heavy stint as frontman came across with good results.
Sweater Weather's set was the highlight of the evening. With the addition of four new members, the band has evolved from a coffee shop jam band into an eclectic indie collective, and the result goes down smooth. Their set had plenty of energy and displayed a refreshing attention to dynamic contrasts. Toes tapped and heads bobbed in the room.
The band's penultimate jam was a kind of worship of the drum set in which the guitars gathered around the percussion rig and the trumpet player picked up a pair of sticks, matching the snare parts hit for hit on the floor tom.
Lexington band Petticoat, Petticoat ended the set with a few words from the Kentucky countryside. The group lacked a bit in stage presence, especially in the wake of Sweater Weather, but the guitar and drum work made the group well worth seeing. The band's blend of folk tradition and rock sensibility brought the show to a smooth, coasting conclusion.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(11/30/06 5:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Dave Matthews Band
The Best of What's Around
3 stars
Although it suffers from typical greatest hits album flaws, Dave Matthews Band's newest release is accessible enough for newcomers and arcane enough to please longtime fans.
The two-disc release takes a good stab at catering to both sides of the market.
The first disc, which features two top picks from each of the band's five studio albums, is an excellent primer for new listeners.
It balances popularity and quality. Some of the tracks - "The Best of What's Around," for instance - never made it to radio even though they're among the best on the albums. Others, such as "American Baby" and "The Space Between," got top billing on radio stations when they were released.
The real gem of The Best of What's Around is the second album, which features live tracks chosen by fans via a survey on the band's Web site.
It features some of the band's most popular live performances, from older hits ("Ants Marching") to newer recordings ("Louisiana Bayou," featuring guest Robert Randolph).
The live material has two-fold appeal for fans. DMB neophytes get a taste of the most popular live hits. More dedicated fans get the opportunity to hear live performances from specific shows that have gained fame in the fan community.
It's easy to say good things about The Best of What's Around, but the album is far from perfect. It gets broad-sided by many of the woes that plague greatest hits compilations, and some of the blows leave it limping.
First of all, it's difficult to pare down a decade and a half of material into two "best of" discs, especially when all of the live tracks run six minutes or longer. One or even several good tracks from each studio album are forsaken, and someone's going to be disappointed.
In particular, the tracks from Stand Up, are hit-or-miss. "Hunger for the Great Light" might strike a chord with newer listeners, but it gets many fans of the band's earlier material up in arms.
That's another issue with the album, and with greatest hits releases in general: What one fan considers good might get fast-forwarded on everyone else's stereo. One man's clash is another man's pleasure.
True to its name, Dave Matthews Band's greatest hits album provides some of the most memorable material from the band's career. But unavoidable dilemmas of the greatest hits genre will leave some fans wanting more.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(11/30/06 5:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
The Trekky Yuletide Orchestra
A New Old Fashioned Christmas
2 stars
Trekky's holiday release isn't Billboard, but it delivers an early dose of holiday cheer at a time when chestnuts and open fires have yet to hit the shelves.
It's hard to argue with a record that features Chapel Hill bands.
The Trekky Yuletide Orchestra features brings members of The Never, Vibrant Green and Alvarez Painting together playing twelve traditional Christmas tunes.
It's also hard to turn down an album whose proceeds benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Trekky makes a good effort, but the album doesn't offer much in the way of innovation - some of it comes out sounding like shopping music.
The instrumentation is pretty standard in the early tracks: acoustic guitars, some caroling and a mandatory set of sleigh bells. Everything one expects out of a Christmas album.
Things pick up a bit with the group's rendition of "All I Want for Christmas Is You," and "O Little Town of Bethlehem," which have some more upbeat bits, but they end on the same too-traditional notes that define the beginning of the album.
The charity donation makes it a good buy, and the album might be a good soundtrack for Christmas dinner.
Just don't expect anything in the way of Mannheim Steamroller or the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's killer "Carol of the Bells" that hit the radio stations a few Christmases ago.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
The Blow
Paper Television
4 Stars
It takes true ingenuity to combine catchy rhythms, jaded romantic lyrics and electronic sound effects into something worth buying.
The Blow accomplishes this strange synthesis with flair on its new album, Paper Television.
This album will please anyone looking for something groovy and left of the dial. No guitar solos or long jam sequences in these tracks.
The Blow's quirky, offbeat tone separates it from other bands. Paper Television tackles all the old-school romantic themes - commitment, courtship, conflict - with a wry smirk.
But it navigates these well-traveled waterways of the soul using the oddest metaphors.
The second track, "Parentheses," says a healthy relationship functions like a pair of punctuation marks.
The song says the bond of lovers, like a pair of parentheses, can contain any word in love's complicated lexicon without breaking. Good relationships weather sadness and pain but leave room for joy.
It's a clever little idea, and well-executed.
Some of the album's metaphors are more visceral. Take "Babay," subtitled "Eat A Critter, Feel Its Wrath," for example. The vocals compare a breakup to a ride down a former lover's digestive tract.
And yes, the journey ends in a predictable smelly pile on the pavement, vividly described.
It's a new breed of song for the dumped - more like a ditty for the dumped-on. The clever language, when paired with The Blow's jagged electronic beats, makes Paper Television an album for all seasons.
It's easy to imagine its catchy beats shaking the hippest dance club floors downtown. On the other hand, a stressed-out student could ride the upbeat vocals and tricked-out rhythms into a late-night study haze.
The album can be a bit alien at first. Blow's minimalist vocals and music might take some getting used to.
It's comparable to stepping onto a roller coaster - that new sensation in the stomach subsides after a minute or two.
Overall, Paper Television has the potential to hang around like an old friend, ready for the next impromptu dance party.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/28/06 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Mutemath
Mutemath
3.5 stars
You'll want to turn up the volume on Mutemath's latest.
It's hard to squeeze the band into a single genre. Most of the time it features catchy, straightforward guitar work with some impressive drumming.
Synthesized riffs wander in and out during "Collapse" and a few other tracks.
What results is an interesting, entertaining mix of alternative rock and electronica.
Mutemath doesn't linger in one decade for too long.
The second track, "Typical," starts with a bold guitar pattern that settles into a groove after the drums come in - very mid-'90s.
The next song, by contrast, starts out with a wavering piano part that dissolves into abstract harmonies. It's like riding a raft through a sound board.
But it's back to tradition by the fourth track, which sounds a bit like an accelerated single by The Police.
The lead singer's voice might be responsible for this - he sounds like he could do a decent cover of "Wrapped Around Your Finger."
Mutemath's fusion of styles should appeal to a variety of listeners - it's old-school enough to lure '90s alternative-rock fans.
The band probably will pull in some outliers from the fringes of electronica, classic rock and radio pop.
But the themes of the album remain steady though styles change from track to track.
Most of the songs encourage listeners to make the most of their days and persevere during hard times.
"Typical" encourages listeners to break the shackles of a repetitive, homogeneous world. On "Noticed," the lead singer remembers feeling his heart for the first time when he looked at someone who inspired him.
Mutemath isn't going to set the album racks on fire. It's doubtful that any of the members will end up in the rock and roll, alternative-electronica hall of fame.
But with its fresh sound and steady energy, the new album is danceable and a few steps above decent. Listeners won't be disappointed.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
Live concerts don't have to live in memory when you can take them home with you.
That's the idea behind bootlegs - unreleased recordings of broadcasts, live concerts or studio outtakes. And there's quite a market.
Artists of the past few decades - the Grateful Dead, for example - have supported fan recordings of their shows.
"I think they'll amass more fans by having music available in different ways," said Frank Heath, owner of Cat's Cradle.
"I think it's a very good promotional tool if people can get (live performances) for free."
(08/31/06 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Bob Dylan
Modern Times
4 stars
The times might be a-changing, but the years haven't tarnished the talents of Bob Dylan.
His new album, Modern Times, shows that a few things have changed since Dylan's early days.
The passing years have tossed more gravel on his voice. In "Workingman's Blues #2," he complains that the world has gone crazy with too much paperwork.
And Dylan's musings on faith and the afterlife in "Beyond the Horizon" suggest he regrets some of the mischief he made in his younger years.
For the most part, however, "Modern Times" is a classic Bob Dylan album - which means, in other words, that anyone with a stereo should own it.
You can play this album straight through without getting bored. Maybe twice.
"Modern Times" will keep your attention from its bold and energetic opening track, "Thunder on the Mountain," to the last chords of "Ain't Talkin'," the album's cowboy lament of a closer.
And the songs in between offer something for everyone. Fans of Dylan's early folk music should start out with "When the Deal Goes Down" or "Nettie Moore."
Dylan taps into his blues roots for the subdued "Someday Baby." The album's third track, "Rollin' and Tumblin'," would fit right into the setlist at the next Allman Brothers concert.
And there are woman troubles, of course - Dylan has never been a stranger to those.
In "Nettie Moore" he sings about bad luck women sticking like glue. "Someday Baby" is Dylan's farewell to a lover who hasn't treated him right.
In other songs he sings passionately - and hopefully - about love. "Spirit on the Water," the album's second track, is one of these. He tells a woman he'll have her heart "or throw my love into the deep blue sea."
And these modern times haven't done anything to dull the spirit of the American bard in Dylan; it remains one of his most enduring traits.
When he isn't sitting on hillsides contemplating spirituality in "Beyond the Horizon," he's wandering the road with only his thoughts and the clothes on his back.
In the album's last track Dylan "Ain't talkin', just walkin'" on a journey that brings him face to face with painful memories from his past.
Stop by the music store or the coffee shop on your way back from class and pick Modern Times up. You won't be disappointed.
"You think I'm over the hill," Dylan sings in one track. "You think I'm past my prime/Let me see what you got/We can have a whoppin' good time."
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(08/29/06 4:00am)
Pauper Players will launch its fall season in style with a bigger budget, two spiral staircases and an onstage orchestra.
Lori Mannette, one of the group's administrators, couldn't say enough about the company's upcoming production of the 1966 Broadway musical "Cabaret," a show that has enjoyed a recent revival in New York City.
"The production staff has been working hard all summer to create the designs for this show," she said. "Most days we rehearse more than we sleep."
Auditions for "Cabaret" will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, and the show is scheduled to open Oct. 27.
According to Ben Rumer, producer for "Cabaret," the Pauper Players' staff has had plenty of resources at its disposal.
The success of its four most recent productions - including last year's "Jekyll & Hyde" and "Assassins" - allowed the group to add an extra $1,000 to its regular production budget of $5,000.
"We're going to see whether the bigger budget translates to more people in the seats," Rumer said.
Mannette said Pauper Players spent much of the extra funding on two metal spiral staircases.
They are, in essence, expensive pieces of symbolism. The final segment of the play examines the "spiraling" decline of Europe in the 1930s as Hitler's Third Reich began its takeover.
"We generally like to shy away from spectacle," Rumer said. "You kind of lose the acting and the overall message of the show."
The group will make an exception in this case, he explained. He and Mannette agreed that "Cabaret" is all about spectacle.
The staircases and the addition of an onstage orchestra will strengthen the effect.
"I see no reason why this won't be the best show we've ever done," Rumer said.
He added that the production comes at a pivotal time for the growing theater company.
Most of the more active members will graduate soon, he said. Behind the scenes, Pauper Players is focusing on securing its legacy.
"We'd like to get new blood and train new people," he said.
"Right now all the administrators are working on the show. One of our goals is to write a manual that will define everyone's jobs."
Mannette stressed the importance of collaborating with other organizations on campus.
He specifically noted fellow theater companies and student groups such as the General Alumni Association.
"Loyalties are becoming a hazier area," she said.
But worries about the future aside, Rumer and Mannette said they can't wait for opening night.
"It's very corny to say we're a big family, but we kind of are," Rumer said.
"Our goal is not only to put on the best production we can but also to make good friendships and have fun doing it."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/27/06 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Yonder Mountain String Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
2.5 Stars
If you're a fan of bluegrass, folk music or both, look no further than Yonder Mountain for an instant hit.
The fourth studio album from Yonder Mountain String Band will hit the shelves May 9. It builds on the ensemble's original light blend of guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin.
Most of the songs on the self-titled album have a traditional bluegrass feel. The band starts most songs with bass and acoustic guitar and adds interludes featuring mandolin and familiar sixteenth-note banjo riffs.
(04/21/06 4:00am)
Drama buffs will want to immerse themselves in this weekend's production of Henrik Ibsen's "The Lady from the Sea."
UNC Department of Dramatic Art Mainstage's production of the classic play, which juxtaposes expressionism and psychological realism, will examine the gap between our lives and the lives we wish to lead.
Ellida, the second wife of a country doctor, is wrestling with family issues and the loss of her cherished supernatural connection to the ocean.
(03/27/06 5:00am)
For British literature fans, fiction met reality Friday when the Carolina Union Activities Board sponsored a question-and-answer session with English novelist Nick Hornby.
Part of the weeklong Carolina Comedy Festival, the event took place in the Class of 2000 Lounge in the Student Union.
Hornby was one of several entertainment professionals featured in the festival; others included comedian Lewis Black, improvisational actors and contributors to shows such as "The Daily Show" and "Chappelle's Show."
About 30 students talked with Hornby about his career and writing style during a free, informal meet-and-greet.
The author of "High Fidelity," "About a Boy" and "Fever Pitch" began by giving an overview of his early writing days.
"It felt very hard for me then to carve out any sort of professional career," he said.
The author tried his hand at journalism, teaching and playwriting before he published his first book. He also had stints at Samsung and The New Yorker.
"Every time I tried to write prose, it came out sounding like a bad university essay, which is what I'd been writing for the past few years anyway."
He eventually found widespread success: Several of his books have been adapted into movies featuring big-name actors such as Colin Firth, John Cusack and Hugh Grant.
His popularity comes in part from the ironic humor that characterizes his work. But he said comedy can be difficult to write.
"The problem I have with comic fiction is the narrator kind of gets into a groove and there's nothing at stake for the characters," he said.
Hornby also fielded questions from creative-writing students in the audience.
One participant asked how he distinguished between short story ideas and novel ideas.
"I think you get the sense for what's the appropriate form for an idea you've had," he said. "They seem to fall naturally into one camp or another."
Hornby, who said he is working on a new book, winced when one student asked about sharing works in progress.
"If you give something to enough people, they'll hate every page you've written," he said. "Don't do that. Don't give it to anyone."
He added that he has a fairly lax work ethic. Of the eight hours he reserves each day for his craft, Hornby said, he usually spends about three of them writing.
"I'm shockingly, awfully undisciplined," he said. "My only concession to discipline is not having a television in my office."
He handed out his e-mail address after the talk and invited students to contact him.
Hornby closed with some remarks about his style.
He mentioned his love for the stories about people who live in cities, which plays a prominent role in novels such as "High Fidelity."
He said the messages of a work never should take a backseat to ornate language.
"I'm not so interested in prose for prose's sake," he said. "I want people to be able to absorb themselves in the work."
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.