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(11/16/06 5:00am)
Muppets having sex on stage. New York's Bohemian youth fighting AIDS. The Wicked Witch of the West - actually not wicked.
These plots describe some of the recent Broadway shows that have been showered with success and drawn a hipper crowd.
The trend suggests Broadway might be turning in the top hat and tap shoes for controversy and rock bands.
"Avenue Q," a musical comedy that opened in 2003, is best described as Sesame Street if it were designed for recent college graduates instead of 3-year-olds. The show combines Muppets and actors who sing upbeat lessons such as "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" and "The Internet is for Porn".
Jonathan Larson's "Rent," which will play at Memorial Hall in January, opened on Broadway in 1996 and 10 years later still is filling seats.
The rock opera is a modern interpretation of Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme" and sets themes such as AIDS, poverty, drugs and sexuality to rock 'n' roll beats.
The controversial subject of "Rent" is not the only reason it drew in younger crowds. More recently pop artists who have jumped on the bandwagon of the musical's fame might have influenced audience interest.
Boy bands battled for a spot on the playbill. In 2002 Joey Fatone of *NSync starred as Mark Cohen, and in 2004 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey snagged the role as well.
And who can forget Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown of the Spice Girls playing the drug-addicted, AIDS-stricken Mimi in 2004?
The Tony award-winning musical reached audiences outside the Big Apple with the 2005 film version, featuring most of the original cast.
When "Rent" was announced as part of the Memorial Hall schedule, students camped out to purchase the limited number of $10 student tickets.
Emil Kang, UNC's executive director of the arts, said he has not personally seen a trend of musicals geared to younger audiences.
"People want new fresh ideas, but also things they can relate to," he said. "The decision to bring 'Rent' is because it is more appropriate for the student body, more than a show like 'Cats.'"
Kang describes musical theater as an art form with tremendous value. He said the challenge will be what musical to bring after "Rent."
Kang said he looks for pieces that serve Chapel Hill-Carrboro audiences of all ages and enrich their lives. Musical theater, he said, certainly has a place in achieving that goal.
This will be the first time a musical has been part of the Carolina Performing Arts Series. Kang said he expressed concerns with bringing musicals to the venue because of scheduling, timing and financial constraints.
"It is very difficult to bring in a first-run Broadway show," he said.
Drama professor Gregory Kable described "Rent" as "tapping into different energy and sensibility than other musicals."
Kable said he sees the possibility of a trend toward younger audiences.
"The subject matter and music is more immediately accessible," he said.
As more Broadway scores incorporate youth-oriented themes, the demographics begin to change.
Broadway audiences might traditionally be perceived as mostly white, upper-class grandparents enjoying "The Music Man," but according to The League of American Theaters and Producers, the 2005-06 average age of audience members was 42, slightly younger than previous seasons.
Also, there were 2.72 million non-Caucasian audience members, a 34 percent increase from the 2001-02 audiences.
"Rent's" ethnically diverse cast and new shows such as "The Color Purple" might play a role in diversifying audiences.
The suggestion that younger generations have a growing interest in musical theater has been fed by movies such as "Rent" and the 2004 movie version of "The Phantom of the Opera." Those films are far more accessible for young people, with movie tickets being a fraction of the cost of a Broadway show ticket.
The recent success of Pauper Players' "Cabaret" speaks to students' intrigue in the genre. The show opened on Broadway in 1966, but its subject matter is just as heated as that of "Rent."
The 1998 revival of "Cabaret" added even more edge by replacing the cutesy milkmaid costumes of Liza Minnelli's days with S&M-inspired leather and lace.
Lori Mannette, a junior English and drama major, directed "Cabaret," the biggest show in Pauper Players history.
"'Cabaret' has something for everyone," Mannette said, referring to the universal themes and varying musical numbers in the show.
For those with no previous interest in the genre, some of the 2006-07 Broadway shows might raise an eyebrow or two.
Alongside shows like "Rent" and "Wicked," Broadway buffs now can see "The Wedding Singer" and "High Fidelity," both based on their respective film versions.
And Elle Woods is back, this time on stage in 2007. That's right, it's "Legally Blonde: The Musical."
Broadway is still home to the classics and hosts successful revivals of more traditional shows. But it's hard to deny that the times are changing when it comes to Broadway story lines.
And that's not just referring to the new musical "The Times They Are A-Changin'," which is scored with Bob Dylan songs.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
"Babel"
3.5 Stars
In Chapter 11 of Genesis, God punished the Hebrews for trying to build a tower to reach the heavens. The people were condemned to speak different languages, resulting in mass chaos, abandonment of the tower and dispersal of humans all around the earth.
In the age of instant connection, Mexican director Alejandro González I
(10/12/06 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Trentalange
Photo Album of Complex Relationships
4 Stars
Former Crooked Fingers member Barbara Trentalange takes listeners for a ride on an emotional roller coaster in her first solo album Photo Album of Complex Relationships.
The creative efforts of singer/songwriter Trentalange - she's dropped the Barbara from her moniker - result in a moving and interesting album.
Photo Album of Complex Relationships is a triple threat of strong instrumentation, lyrics and vocals.
The album's 12 tracks incorporate Trentalange's unique and oftentimes haunting voice woven into diverse instrumentation of strings, piano and strong percussion lines.
Trentalange offers the listener thoughtful, dark lyrics without crossing the line over to melodrama.
The song "Rabbit" has eerie, broken sounds coupled with the description of a hunt, "the ground vibrates underfoot/ nothing but a skittish rabbit/ it was the last breath that it took."
"Rabbit" and other tracks can be unsettling experiences but are nonetheless intriguing and will hold the listener's attention.
Though Trentalange's sound is different and engaging, some of the tracks run together and the moody feel becomes repetitive.
But mostly the songs are stimulating. Tracks such as "Take Me Home" use a simple phrasing and build musically and vocally into a beautiful and abrupt climax.
This solid first album will leave listeners hoping for another.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/14/06 4:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
Hollywoodland
2 stars
In 1959 the star of the "Adventures of Superman" series, George Reeves, was found dead in his home.
He had been shot in the head, and the case was quickly closed as a suicide.
In 2006 director Allen Coulter's "Hollywoodland" seeks to uncover the truth surrounding Reeves' death with a star-packed cast including Academy Award winners Ben Affleck and Adrien Brody, as well as Academy Award nominees Bob Hoskins and Diane Lane.
In spite of a phenomenal cast, "Hollywoodland" becomes a drab drama.
Brody plays Louis Simo, a divorced private investigator who is contracted by Reeves' mother to prove that it was murder, not suicide, that took Reeves' life.
The movie then parts into two story lines. One follows Simo's investigation and the other keeps track of Reeves (Affleck) in the years leading up to his untimely death.
While the parallels drawn between the lives have potential, the connections at times are obvious and uninteresting.
"Hollywoodland" suffers from a cluttered plot that never develops enough to make the audience care.
Simo's character faces financial problems, family dysfunction, woman trouble and other side stories that crowd the plot and come to a dead-end in their relevance.
The film only brushes the surface of several themes instead of staying with one long enough to intrigue the viewer.
At times "Hollywoodland" seems to be a weak look at the end of an era, when families gathered to watch superheroes on TV whose greatest power was the ability was to mask the underlying corruptions in society.
Or maybe in uncovering the story of Superman, the movie uncovers the secrets and lies of Hollywood and strips the stars of their glitter.
Either way it's confusing and leads to two hours of apathy from the film's audience.
But for all the film's weaknesses, acting is not the issue in "Hollywoodland."
It is, rather, one of the movie's only true strengths - despite performances that can at times be inconsistent.
Hoskins plays the gruff MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix. His stature and bulldog-like grunts paint him as a villainous toughie, but scenes with wife Toni (Lane) give nuances to Hoskins' character in ways that make him one of the more interesting characters in the film.
Brody is undeniably talented, but doesn't pull off the street-smart side of his supposedly savvy character.
He has the tortured-soul act down, but when he is forced to get down and dirty in the Hollywood slime, Brody's persona falls short of his character's.
Affleck and Lane fit their characters and give excellent performances, but the stars can't save the faulty plot this time.
A deeper investigation is needed to make any moviegoer care about the disgruntled man in tights.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(08/31/06 4:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
The Heart of the Game
Four stars
"The Heart of the Game" has enough game to be interesting and enough heart to be inspirational, without being sappy.
Director Ward Serrill follows the Roosevelt High School Rough Riders girls' basketball team for seven years and pieces together a moving collection of the importance of teamwork and the strength of one's self.
Rap artist Ludacris narrates the Seattle high school team's every move, on and off the court.
Enter Bill Resler, a tubby, white-bearded tax law professor at the University of Washington. As the new head coach of the women's varsity basketball team, Resler leaves the X-and-O strategies on the chalkboard and instead focuses on the "inner circle" - the teams' confidential pow-wows free from parental input and even Resler's guidance.
Resler's unorthodox tactics transform the dwindling basketball program to undefeated champions with a packed house.
This story might seem like just another heartwarming tale of the underdog team, with an eccentric coach who challenges his players, leads them to victory and then walks away with the Coach of the Year award after only one season.
But it's only the first quarter, the movie still has a long way to go.
"The Heart of the Game" cannot be denied the touching and inspirational feel associated with great sports flicks, but the film goes beyond warm fuzzies and stays grounded in the nuances of reality.
Resler not only pushes the physical strength of the team but adds a very mental aspect to the team's strategy. Each season Resler selects a theme that the players use to visualize strategies and psych themselves.
When the girls are the "Pack of Wolves," they talk about smelling players' weaknesses and moving in for the kill.
Some of the most humorous parts come from pre-game chants of "draw blood!" - a shock to many parents who came to watch their little girls play ball.
And then the coach scoots by screaming, "Look them in the eyes! Go for the kill!"
The Rough Riders are unique and surprise those outside their tight inner circle.
When Darnellia Russell enrolls at Roosevelt, she feels out of place but is in no way out of her league.
Her mother placed Russell, a black freshman good enough to make the women's varsity team, in the mostly white high school because of its academic reputation and athletic program.
The film turns its focus from the team at this point and places a great emphasis on Russell and her relationship with Resler. This shift unfortunately cuts connections to the other players, but Russell's story is one worth telling.
Like all sports films before it, the game is a metaphor, and you don't have to be a die-hard fan to get it.
But the film needs no celebrities or pumped-up pep rally music to draw audiences in and make them care.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(08/25/06 4:00am)
The Carrboro ArtsCenter's "Hidden Voices" series finds itself behind bars with its upcoming performance, "Snapshots in Time: A Reading by the N.C. Women's Prison Repertory."
This will mark the third time Hidden Voices has presented an ensemble of female prisoners - all of whom will relate personal accounts of prison life.
The performance will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. The ArtsCenter suggests a donation for all attendees.
"Snapshots in Time" will incorporate meditations on a variety of topics, such as a segment titled "Mail Call", which describes the anticipation and occasional disappointment associated with receiving daily mail in prison.
Other monologues deal with more personal and less obvious feelings.
The segment titled "Banana Bread" is a reflection on a prisoner's favorite food from home.
"Hidden Voices" is a nonprofit performance series that seeks to uncover underrepresented populations in North Carolina and provide an artistic venue that educates and encourages dialogues for the community.
The ensemble performance evolved from a writing workshop for female inmates.
Lynden Harris, the artistic director of the ArtsCenter stage, saw the therapeutic benefits and transformed the project into a stage production.
"At times the performance is very painful to listen to, but it reminds us of the choices we make," Harris said.
"The prisoners could be anyone we know, or even ourselves."
Following the performance, audience members will be allowed to participate in a discussion with the performers.
Due to legal constraints, however, the women are not able to go into details about their crimes or the circumstances surrounding their arrests.
Instead, the audience can expect stories about the prisoners' childhood, life in prison, and the emotional pain of missing their families and children.
Harris plans to continue the ArtsCenter's work with female prisoners.
In December, the ArtsCenter will present "Rewind", a one-woman show featuring a woman who was imprisoned for 13 years.
Her release from prison lifts the content barriers facing the upcoming performance.
The performance will begin with her experience in prison and work backwards through her life and childhood.
"Rewind" is due to be showcased in local high schools, Harris said.
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(08/19/06 4:00am)
JUNE 15 - There is some seat-swapping ahead for the artistic director's chair at The PlayMakers Repertory Company.
Joseph Haj will begin his new role as producing artistic director July 1.
"It's his time," said McKay Coble, chairwoman of the dramatic art department. "This theater is a part of his life."
Haj graduated from the UNC MFA professional-actor training program in 1988 and has been back to PlayMakers as a guest director several times.
When Haj began the graduate program, he was there for the first class taught by David Hammond, the artistic director for 14 seasons.
Hammond decided to resign his post while on sabbatical in the fall and said he plans to return to UNC to teach. He is currently teaching a summer-abroad program in London.
Haj's time away from the University granted him opportunities to work with artists such as actor-director Peter Sellers.
An actor himself, Haj has appeared in small roles in episodes of "24," "Without a Trace" and "Charmed."
In 2000, he received a National Endowment for the Arts Millennium Grant, awarded to only 50 artists nationwide.
He also was awarded the 2004-05 National Endowment for the Arts-Theatre Communications Group Career Development Grant for Directors.
"I feel so blessed that I was able not just to work with great directors, but great thinkers who explore why we do theater, what we do with theater, what theater does for a community and what community does for theater," Haj said.
Haj worked with PlayMakers on the 2004 productions of "King Lear," and "Not About Heroes" and on his own adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac" in spring 2006.
Coble worked with Haj on "Cyrano" and commented that "You don't work for Joe Haj, you work with Joe Haj.
"He is passionate and extraordinarily committed - it makes you want to come to work."
Haj said he was proud of his work with PlayMakers and that he was looking to improve his time spent with the repertory company.
"I was very proud of 'Cyrano,' but I want to keep moving forward."
Haj said he is busy envisioning ways to involve different departments on campus in PRC besides the traditional drama crew.
"A play should not be an end in itself," he said. "It can become an axis point for lots of conversation and dialogue."
Haj sees plays based on literary works as one way to involve other departments, and he suggested bringing in guest authors to facilitate discussions about the plays.
"I am so eager to get started," he said. "I want to make (PlayMakers) a busier place."
Contact the A&E Editor
at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(06/15/06 4:00am)
There is some seat-swapping ahead for the artistic director's chair at The PlayMakers Repertory Company.
Joseph Haj will begin his new role as producing artistic director July 1.
"It's his time," said McKay Coble, chairwoman of the dramatic art department. "This theater is a part of his life."
Haj graduated from the UNC MFA professional-actor training program in 1988 and has been back to PlayMakers as a guest director several times
When Haj began the graduate program, he was there for the first class taught by David Hammond, the artistic director for the past 14 seasons.
Hammond decided to resign his post while on sabbatical in the fall and said he plans to return to UNC to teach. He is currently teaching a summer-abroad program in London.
Haj's time away from the University granted him opportunities to work with artists of great talent, such as actor-director Peter Sellers.
An actor himself, Haj has appeared in small roles in episodes of "24," "Without a Trace" and "Charmed."
In 2000, he received a National Endowment for the Arts Millennium Grant, awarded to only 50 artists nationwide.
He also was awarded the 2004-05 National Endowment for the Arts-Theatre Communications Group Career Development Grant for Directors.
"I feel so blessed that I was able not just to work with great directors, but great thinkers who explore why we do theater, what we do with theater, what theater does for a community and what community does for theater," Haj said.
Haj worked with PlayMakers on the 2004 productions of "King Lear," and "Not About Heroes" and on his own adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac" in spring 2006.
Coble worked with Haj on "Cyrano" and commented that "You don't work for Joe Haj, you work with Joe Haj.
"He is passionate and extraordinarily committed - it makes you want to come to work."
Haj said he was proud of his work with PlayMakers and that he was looking to improve his time spent with the repertory company.
"I was very proud of 'Cyrano,' but I want to keep moving forward."
Haj said he is busy envisioning ways to involve different departments on campus in PRC besides the traditional drama crew.
"A play should not be an end in itself," he said. "It can become an axis point for lots of conversation and dialogue."
Haj sees plays based on literary works as one way to involve other departments. He suggested bringing in guest authors to facilitate discussions about the plays and their broader applications.
"I am so eager to get started," he said. "I want to make (PlayMakers) a busier place."
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
Life in rural North Carolina may not seem exciting, but there sure is a lot to say about it.
The latest installment in the Hidden Voices series brought together white, black and Latino students from Terrell Lane Middle School in Franklin County to explore issues such as racism, stereotypes and racial identities.
The students began working in January and created the book "Not Yo' Mama's Home Cookin'," a collection of portraits, dialogues and writings compiled during the discussions with the children.
"Not Yo' Mama's Home Cookin': The Changing Face of Rural North Carolina" premiered May 20 at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Students performed featured selections from their book.
The Hidden Voices series is a nonprofit organizational project focused on underrepresented groups in the community and works with them to talk about issues relevant to their lives.
Previous Hidden Voices projects have included working with female prisoners, teen immigrants and adults continuing their educations.
"I love doing regular theater, but there are so many stories that never get heard," said Lynden Harris, director of the ArtsCenter stage.
The students deliberated concerns that always exist in a community, but discussions of immigrants and Latino culture is perhaps more relevant now than ever.
"Rarely do these three groups come together," Harris said.
"The 13- and 14-year-olds discussed their perceptions of one another and agreed that there are few avenues for them to interact and communicate."
The program helped them explore those avenues, Harris said.
The students not only addressed issues of race, but also the broader experience of living in a rural county.
One question posed in the performance was what one does in his spare time in Franklin County, and the answers ranged from doing nothing to serious concerns, such as drug use and crime.
"The material is insightful and perceptive but also troubling," Harris said of the different topics explored by the students in the book and performance.
Students also gave the book a personal feel by including self-portraits, taken by photographer Luis Velasco.
"Initially the kids were self-conscious and embarrassed about having their picture taken," Velasco said.
He decided to move away from the traditional headshot and let the students direct him to more comfortable settings for their portraits, allowing them another way to explore their identities.
"In the end the kids were really proud of their pictures," Velasco said. "They would show them to everyone and say, 'This is me.'"
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(05/18/06 4:00am)
Have a craft but don't know how to sell it? The upcoming Artists' Salon will get creative marketing juices flowing outside the proverbial studio.
The Artists' Salon series is sponsored by the Orange County Arts Commission and hosts four events a year. It is designed to provide an informal venue for local artists to meet and discuss topics relevant to their craft.
The Artists' Salon will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 19 in the West End Theatre at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro. The program is free and includes refreshments.
(04/20/06 4:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
'Sophie Scholl: Die
Letzten Tage'
3.5
Sophie Scholl was a 21-year-old Protestant student who worked, studied and sang American tunes with her friends in Germany.
But she is remembered for her open defiance of the Nazi regime and her name has become synonymous with peaceful resistance.
A new film about her life brings to light difficult questions about a difficult past.
"Sophie Scholl: Die letzten Tage," German with subtitles, translates to "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days."
(04/13/06 4:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
"A Good Woman"
1.5 stars
"A Good Woman" can't hide the fact that the women in it are just plain bad.
The unfortunate romantic satire is adapted from Oscar Wilde's play "Lady Windermere's Fan" and is reset in 1930s Italy.
It begins with Mrs. Erlynne, a divorcee with reputation for exploiting rich married men. She is mysterious, sensual and drives respectable wives mad with jealousy.
So what leading lady could portray this scandalous, yet maturing vixen? Kim Cattrall? Sharon Stone?
It's Helen Hunt, and it shouldn't have been.
(03/30/06 5:00am)
Die-hard Carolina fans - who paint their entire body a bright shade of blue and scream until their throats are raw - rarely stop and ask, "Why?"
(03/30/06 5:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
'Why We Fight'
4 Stars
In 1961, President Eisenhower warned America, "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex."
In 2006, Eugene Jarecki's documentary "Why We Fight" takes aim at America's choice to ignore the President's farewell address.
The film explores what Jarecki presents as the U.S. government's manipulation of public opinion to justify increased government spending, wars, and most recently the invasion of Iraq.
(02/16/06 5:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
'Firewall'
2 &1/2 Stars
"Firewall" has the potential to entertain, but the plot burns out fast.
Harrison Ford plays Jack Stanfield, a bank security executive who has two concerns: protecting his family and protecting his clients' money.
His wife, Beth (Virginia Madsen), is a talented architect, who designed their gorgeous, waterfront home and cares for their 2.2 kids and scruffy dog, Rusty.
Life is calm, cool and under control.
But when Jack goes to work one day, finding out he has been the victim of identity theft is the least of his troubles.