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(08/06/09 12:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With rambling dialogue, unconvincing characters and an even more implausible plot arc, Woody Allen’s latest flick, “Whatever Works,” seems to take its titular mantra a bit too close to heart. The film’s premise is one familiar to fans of Allen’s work: The depressing world of an older, neurotic Jewish academic is slightly improved through the companionship of a naive young woman who enters his life by chance. This time around, Larry David, of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame and former “Seinfeld” writer, tries his hand at Allen’s stock character, Boris Yellnikoff. The talented Evan Rachel Wood is the object of Boris’ almost-affection.In this role, David proves no one plays Woody Allen like Allen himself. Though he certainly puts some energy behind his performance as the isolated, disenchanted Boris, demonstrated through a host of wild hand gesticulations and seemingly endless monologues, David seems ill at ease, as though reading his lines aloud for the first time rather than delivering them in any convincing way. Boris’ relationship with the young Melody Celestine, a wide-eyed, Mississippi-bred runaway, is meant to be tough to grasp but is so inconceivable that it’s tough to care about. The characters’ “meet cute” can hardly be described as such, with Melody making Boris’ acquaintance as a barely legal homeless woman sitting outside of his apartment one evening. Boris begrudgingly agrees to help Melody find her next meal and gruffly invites her inside; yet some time later, being too indifferent to her presence in his home to make her leave, Boris marries her. “Whatever Works” stumbles and putters its way through Boris and Melody’s awkward marriage until Melody’s Bible-thumping Southern belle of a mother stampedes through the door of their Manhattan apartment. Marietta Celestine, played wonderfully by Patricia Clarkson, looks like Melody aged 20 years (despite, one imagines, her best effort to keep those years from showing) and comes into Boris’ life like a storm of hairspray, pocket sermons and sexual repression. She aims to bring her daughter back to Mississippi but finds herself at home in New York and settles there to pursue a career as an artist. One year later, Melody’s father, John (Ed Begley Jr.), makes his own pilgrimage to the Big Apple and leaves the South to stay. After the arrival of her parents, Melody’s relationship with Boris becomes more complicated – and somewhat more predictable. But as Allen would have audiences believe, it’s all for the best. And for Boris’ tireless pessimism, the film’s conclusion is too rosy to be believed. It seems that everyone finds his or her happy ending in Manhattan, complete with self-actualization and all the feel-good nonsense that Boris spends more than 90 minutes pooh-poohing, only to buy into it in the last five.
(08/06/09 12:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Try as hard as she might, Ashley Tisdale will have to work a whole lot harder to separate herself from the squeaky-clean image she developed as a star of Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise. Tisdale’s latest release, “Guilty Pleasure,” which comes two years after her initial step into solo recording, is nothing pop-music fans haven’t heard before. Though the first track, “Acting Out,” begins promisingly enough with a melody featuring string instruments, it quickly devolves into the same trite confessions made by pop princesses through the ages: “Up above the surface / I was just a perfect child / But underneath it all, I was craving to be wild.” Despite an emphatic setup, Tisdale’s role as a rule-breaking rebel never really materializes. After giving the album a thorough listen, fans will learn that she likes the smell of her boyfriend’s T-shirts (“Hair”) and that she sometimes wakes up “in a bra and ... makeup” (“Hot Mess”). Shocking. Unfortunately for Tisdale, this album is as tame as anything she sang beside Zac Efron on the small screen. Most of her songs, with their catchy power-pop chords and belted vocals, take a cue from the latest songs by Kelly Clarkson and Pink, and the club-friendly “Crank It Up” could easily be a bonus track on Britney Spears’ “Blackout.” But Tisdale’s renditions fall short of the edge and polish exhibited on those artists’ chart-topping albums. Surprisingly well-done tracks such as “It’s Alright, It’s OK” hint at the type of music Tisdale could be making if she attempted to create her own style rather than serve as a lesser imitation of successful pop stars before her. This release is not a guilty pleasure, but with a little work, her next album just might be.
(07/30/09 1:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While romantic comedies are known to stray far from the realm of reality, “The Ugly Truth” could not be further from it. Katherine Heigl, as Abby, plays what has become her stock character – an uptight, career-driven yet socially defective woman obsessed with finding her Prince Charming (and failing miserably at it). Luckily, audience members are not left to worry about her well-being for long. Enter Mike, played by Gerard Butler, a crass television personality who’s been hired to host a segment on the morning TV show Abby produces. Mike, with his infinite wisdom about the shallowness of the male psyche, becomes the tutor to Abby’s poor relationship-snagging strategies. (She’s a woman so out of touch that she treats a dinner date more akin to a job interview.) Predictably, Mike and Abby butt heads for the first 95 percent of the film, only to find – during the span of one sexy dance at a restaurant in San Francisco – that they are perfect for one another. The most frustrating aspect of this film is a familiar one: the female lead bending over backward, changing everything from the size of her personality to the length of her hair in her quest to find Mr. Right, while her male counterpart does little more than spout misogynist criticisms, crack a few crude jokes and provide some predictable, albeit effective, advice on his path to true love. It seems that audiences are no closer to seeing a reversal of roles in which a woman succeeds in bringing a man to her level rather than the other way around. (To the movie industry’s credit, I spent much of “The Ugly Truth” trying to come up with a movie in which this is accomplished but came up with nothing.) Would it be too much to ask for two characters to meet in the middle?As actors, Heigl and Butler are likeable enough, but the movie’s cliche material and the characters’ exaggerated gender roles are neither memorable nor interesting. The film’s female writers, in what appears to be a too-earnest effort to prove they can play with the Judd Apatows of the movie world, created a script rife with raunchy jokes that seem misplaced and just plain clumsy.The scene that provides the most potential for humor involves prudish Abby putting on a pair of vibrating panties just before she is swept off to a business dinner. For reasons unimportant and unexplained, the underwear’s remote becomes an extra guest to the meal, and things get interesting when it’s picked up off the floor by a kid sitting at the next table. While it’s amusing to watch Abby squirm in this ridiculously implausible situation, the in-crowded-restaurant orgasm has been done before – and far better – by Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally.” The truth might be ugly, but this film isn’t any prettier. Its story has been done a hundred times over, and at least a few times (as in 2001’s “Someone Like You”) with wit, supporting characters who possess depth and charm and – rarer still – a smidge of believability behind the romance.
(07/02/09 4:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The movie adaptation of Jodi Picoult’s popular novel “My Sister’s Keeper” is a tear-jerker to be sure, but the film falls somewhat short of an emotional “slam dunk.”“My Sister’s Keeper” follows the story of 11-year old Anna Fitzgerald, played by the talented Abigail Breslin, the family’s youngest child who was conceived to be a blood and bone-marrow donor to her older sister – and cancer sufferer – Kate (Sofia Vassilieva). Though Anna’s donations have kept 14-year-old Kate alive long enough for her to be considered a medical miracle, as Kate’s health declines, Anna hires the help of a local lawyer (Alec Baldwin) to sue her parents for the rights to her body to keep herself from undergoing more painful medical procedures to help her sister. Though Anna’s unprecedented lawsuit raises some interesting issues about age and body agency, which are hinted at as a judge (Joan Cusack) hears the family’s case, these issues are more or less brushed aside. Cusack shares few moments on the screen, but her poignant, understated performance resonates throughout the entire film. The beginning of the movie is tough to get into, with the script awkwardly jumping in and out of the perspective of all five members of the Fitzgerald family, including Anna and Kate’s mother (Cameron Diaz), father (Jason Patric) and older brother (Evan Ellingson). An abundance of inner monologues slow this part of the film down and add an element of cheesiness the story line could have done without.Though Diaz and Patric give surprisingly powerful performances as distraught parents, some elements of realism are lost in the film’s sweeping family drama. We understand their respective roles, the tough-as-nails mother who won’t allow her sick daughter one day of fun and the passive father suffering in near-silence, but true character development is forgone in lieu of mere symbolism about the love between parents and their children.Vassilieva shines as the cancer-stricken Kate, who is neither too saintly nor too angry, and therefore is a likeable and realistic character. A small love story between Kate and another young cancer patient (Thomas Dekker) is one of the highlights of the film and, unexpectedly, the relationship that rings truest.Unfortunately, the movie’s ending, which fans of the book will note differs greatly from the novel, is too soft, too banal to have the true impact it could. For a movie that makes several earnest attempts to show the frayed realities that having a sick child can bring out in a family, its sickly sweet ending is quite a cop-out.
(06/25/09 12:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though a guilty pleasure for moviegoers everywhere, romantic comedies have become almost painfully predictable: Boy meets girl, boy and girl can’t stand one another, boy and girl spend a few days forced into close quarters and learn that they are (gasp!) meant to be, leading one to make a very public declaration of love and devotion to the other at movie’s end.As to be expected, “The Proposal,” released June 20, follows this map of modern romantic comedies to the letter. Margaret Tate, played by Sandra Bullock, is the hard-nosed editor-in-chief of fictional publishing house Colden Books, and Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) is Margaret’s self-sacrificing assistant, a New York City transplant who has busted his hump for three years to satisfy his boss’ every work-related whim. When Canadian-born Margaret finds she will be deported from the United States for failing to fulfill the requirements of her Visa application, she comes up with a plan: blackmailing her assistant into marrying her so she can stay in the country.To add some credence to their sudden claims of undying love and to reduce suspicions from a federal immigrations official (Denis O’Hare), Margaret and Andrew travel to Andrew’s parents’ house in small-town Alaska to announce their engagement and fool his family into thinking they’re together. Cue Andrew’s prerequisite wacky grandmother (played by the wonderful Betty White), daddy issues and doe-eyed high school sweetheart (Malin Ackerman) and audiences have a supporting cast made in rom-com heaven.Throughout the weekend, Margaret and Andrew stumble their way through telling the story of how they met, how he proposed and how much they care about one another. Of course, they also come to realize that neither is the person they expected from their stressful days spent at the office, and a budding romance develops out of thin air.Bullock, a talented actress with great comedic timing, has made herself famous by playing sweet, bumbling “Miss Congeniality” types and, as a result, is somewhat hard to believe as an overbearing editor so terrifying that Andrew must alert their entire office that “the witch is on her broom” via instant message at the beginning of the film. As the movie progresses and Margaret lets her guard down, however, Bullock eases into the role. Reynolds was a solid choice for the sensitive yet snarky Andrew, and his unassuming good looks are enough to bring teens to their local theaters in droves. Though there was chemistry between the two actors, their characters’ leaps from loathing to loving were too unsubstantiated for even a film of the romantic ilk.Unfortunately, the best parts of the movie were shown in its previews, leaving awkward moments involving unplanned nudity and palpable sexual tension to be repeats for the audience rather than fresh jokes in a tired genre. A dramatic life-or-death scene involving a boat, a buoy and an overboard Margaret is overwhelmingly cheesy, and although it was surely meant to be a climax of the film, is one of its low points.Fans of romantic comedies will enjoy watching Andrew and Margaret squirm on screen for a couple of hours, but those seeking something refreshing and well-written are better off saving their popcorn – and $9.50 – for a different film.
(06/24/09 11:52pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If there’s one thing the Jonas Brothers want you to take away from their latest release, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” it’s that the boys are growing up. Drifting slightly from their sugarcoated Disney selves, the JoBros show a mature side in this album, going outside of the sappy puppy-love songs that characterized the band’s 2008 release, “A Little Bit Longer.” This time, the subject matter is more complicated, their lyrics darker, their melodies richer and more complex. Despite its obvious dig at Joe’s ex-flame and country princess Taylor Swift (“Got a rep for breakin’ hearts / Now I’m done with superstars / And all the tears on her guitar / I’m not bitter”), the best song on the album is “Much Better.” It’s an infectious, 1980s-inspired track about finding contentment with someone new. Adding to the amusement of 15-year-olds everywhere is the fact when Nick Jonas sings, “I wanna fight with you” on the track, it doesn’t sound at all like he’s saying “fight.” Think about it for a little bit. Yeah, you know where this one is going.The ballads, however, are where the JoBros really shine. Barring its cliche metaphor comparing life to a racetrack, “Turn Right” is a sweet number with a string section that joins the beautiful “Black Keys” as one of the most memorable songs. The band also has help from some notable guests on this album, including vocals from fellow Disney Channel star Miley Cyrus on “Before the Storm” and riffs from famed blues guitarist Jonny Lang, adding some depth to their tracks. There are, of course, a few saccharine songs younger fans will wear out from overplay. The peppy “Fly with Me” and “Hey Baby” hearken back to the Jonas sound of yore, complete with power pop chords and cheesy guitar solos. The most awkward moment on the album comes courtesy of a collaboration with rapper Common titled “Don’t Charge Me for the Crime.” Though the JoBros deserve some props for branching into different genres, which they also do on the country-inspired “What Did I Do To Your Heart?” this attempt at a hip-hop song is a jumbled, disingenuous mess, complete with police sirens, gun shots and complaints about the crumbling state of the American dream. If anyone would know about life on the streets and hard crime, it’s the Jonas Brothers.To the further delight of JoBros disparagers, the jokes on the brothers’ very public declarations of sexual purity practically write themselves on this album. “World War III” describes youngest brother Nick walking in on an upset girlfriend in a bedroom somewhere, and “Poison Ivy” compares being in love to having a stubborn ... erm ... rash, in lyrics like, “Everybody gets the itch / Everybody hates that.” A pause at the end of those lyrics implies the word “bitch.” Edgy, JoBros, edgy.It’s sometimes painfully obvious that the Jonas Brothers are trying very hard to be serious, intellectual artists. Just read the title of the album. Lucky for them, they may be well on their way. If not, the three of them can count on the fact that teen angst, unlike their faux-hipster outfits and overly styled hair, will never go out of style.
(06/04/09 12:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With each new album, Mandy Moore takes a step further away from her “Candy” days. Moore’s latest record, “Amanda Leigh,” enters a whole new realm for the former pop princess. Contrary to its simplistic title, this album is darker and more sophisticated than Moore’s past releases, but her attempt at being a more unique and serious artist does not entirely succeed. Moore’s choice to venture into more mature territory was not a bad call, but she did so at the expense of the catchiness that made her earlier hits worth a second listen. The upbeat “I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week” is the only song on “Amanda Leigh” that hearkens back to “Wild Hope,” her 2007 album that struck a palatable balance between maturing subject matter and mellowing sound. Moore’s breathy voice, which suited the bubble gum pop music of her past, just sounds babyish juxtaposed with these more mature tracks. “Merrimack River,” with a melody reminiscent of carousel music, only highlights how her voice has failed to age with her music. Several of the tracks on “Amanda Leigh” seem to lack direction. “Fern Dell,” a song about a failing relationship, fuses angsty lyrics and somber melodies to be expected from Fiona Apple or Tori Amos, with strings and big-band rhythm sequences. While each component is unique and interesting on its own, put together, they make somewhat of a mess. “Song About Home” sounds straight out of the 1970s folk era but with some gospel harmonies thrown in – two elements that don’t blend well. Though some numbers on the album are short on cohesion, others are sleep-inducing (and not in a sweet, lullaby sort of way). “Indian Summer,” with its plodding piano intro, and “Everblue,” which relies on a simplistic drum beat to carry it through, are two tracks best skipped. While fans might applaud Moore for taking the plunge into less cookie-cutter material, “Amanda Leigh” is an album better left on the shelf.
(05/27/09 11:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six years after his “American Idol” debut, Ruben Studdard is still trying to make his mark on the music scene. His recently released fourth album, “Love IS,” is a fairly bland compilation of 10 original old-school R&B songs and a few covers of some unexpected rock and R&B classics.“Love IS” opens with the upbeat “Together,” a song that maintains a solid level of energy while showcasing the pipes that led Studdard to the top of the “American Idol” competition. His velvety vocals really shine on the slower tracks, including “My Love Is a Rock” and “We Got Love (That’s Enough),” which give him space to show his voice’s richness and impressive range. Several of the album’s songs, however, have melodies and lyrics riddled with child-like cheesiness that quickly become annoying. In “Song for Her,” Studdard declares his desire to write a “special song” for that “special girl,” while in “How You Make Me Feel,” he croons that he wants “to be in love again” and “hope(s) it never ends.”Studdard’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” is strong vocally but sounds outdated and out of place, while his rendition of Al Green’s “For the Good Times” is a fresh take on a classic track that blends well with the rest of the songs on the album. His remake of The Beatles’ classic “The Long and Winding Road” is a risky choice for Studdard, and although his voice sounds wonderful singing Paul McCartney’s lyrics, the cover sounds stilted set to R&B beats. His take on Extreme’s “More than Words” sounds nice enough but lacks the infectious energy and on-point harmonies of the original.Overall, “Love IS” is a pleasant album for easy listening but easy to forget.
(11/06/07 4:39am)
When looking for a job, it’s a good idea to leave those eyebrow rings and ear gauges at home. \nInterview appearance is more important than most of today’s students realize, said Mark Brostoff, associate director for the Kelley School of Business’ Undergraduate Career Services.\n“In an interview, how you present yourself is just as important as how knowledgeable you are,” Brostoff said. \nEven at a career fair or networking event, appearance is crucial. First impressions are important to company recruiters who may have traveled long distances to speak with students, Brostoff said. The amount of time and effort students put into how they look is one way recruiters differentiate students from one another and gauge students’ interest.\nHaving a clean, groomed appearance shows respect for interviewers and recruiters and demonstrates time management skills and attention to detail, he said. \n“(Appearance) is not just a business student’s issue,” Brostoff said. “It affects all students.” \nStudents should be at least as dressed up as their interviewer, if not more so. \nSuits and ties always look professional but are not always necessary, he said. Collared shirts, dress pants and blazers are fitting components of interview attire, while ripped jeans and T-shirts are never appropriate. \nLess is more when it comes to make-up, jewelry, perfume and cologne, he said. He suggested covering tattoos with long-sleeved shirts and long pants if possible. \n“You don’t want (your appearance) to distract a recruiter from getting to know you,” he said. \nSome students echo Brostoff’s emphasis on dressing nicely. \n“(Interview attire) is really important because people go off of first impressions,” junior Swathi Hemachandra said. “People will judge you before you even open your mouth.”\nHemachandra said she typically wears a collared shirt, khaki or black pants and dress shoes to interviews.\nWhen striving to make a good impression, it’s also important to wear dark colors such as navy blue and dark gray and avoid bright patterns, according to the IU Career Development Center’s Web site. \nBrostoff said wearing dark colors is a good rule of thumb; however, the importance of a conservative color scheme varies by industry. An applicant for a position at Macy’s might want to demonstrate his or her fashion sense, in which case it would be appropriate to be more creative with clothing choices, he said.\n“It doesn’t have to look like a funeral,” Brostoff said. \nUnderstanding how to dress professionally is especially difficult for students because the university environment fosters individuality in a way most workplaces do not. Students too often assume that campus norms transfer to their work environments and are surprised when they are expected to conform to workplace standards, he said. \nFor students concerned about expressing their individuality, Brostoff suggests showing personality in other ways. \nStudents can research companies they’re interviewing with to understand the companies’ goals, he said. They can stand out by letting their interviewers know how their personality and skills fit into their company culture, he said. \n“Students shouldn’t be afraid to speak through their clothing as long as it is appropriate,” Brostoff said. “But don’t look too out there.”
(07/19/07 4:00am)
There is something to be said about a movie that encourages you to believe in the impossible, follow your dreams and support your family unconditionally. There is also something to be said for overkill, and this movie has plenty of all these ingredients.\nThe premise is as ridiculous as the name promises. A former astronaut (Billy Bob Thornton) builds a rocket in the barn of his Texas farm -- although we never see the man do any actual farming. Though the townsfolk call him crazy, he is determined to launch himself into space with little more than the love of a woman (Virginia Madsen), the engineering skills of his 15-year-old son and a bank account that suspiciously never dries up.\nAs usual, Thornton is a winner. The man can play an "everyman" character like nobody else, and Madsen and the rest of the cast hold their own. Even so, the hour and 41 minutes of the film drag because, let's face it, we all know how it's going to end before we even put it in the DVD player.\nExpect no surprises from the extras, either. There's the making-of documentary with cast and crew pouring on the schmaltz about how they became a family during the filmmaking process. The features are rounded out with a NASA astronaut interview and more than eight minutes of outtakes. This excruciatingly long blooper reel is worth watching only for the "Sling Blade" impression Thornton does at the end. \nThis movie is not bad, but not great. I suppose it might be a fair alternative if you go to the video store and every other movie with the plot "family man gives a finger to the naysayers and overcomes great obstacles to achieve his long-lost dream" has already been rented. Otherwise, stick to movies such as "The Rookie," which did this plot before and better than this movie.
(06/21/07 4:00am)
The Prince of Persia is back, for more adventures in buying blue carpeting and gold curtain rod.\nOK, maybe he's after a princess, but it would have been a lot more fun if this remake was based off that recent "South Park" episode.\n"Prince of Persia" has always been something of a thinking man's platformer.\nWhile Sonic has been all about speed and Mario about bouncing on the heads of as many freaky enemies as possible, the Prince has been about methodically making his way through a labyrinth of traps and enemies that take real strategy to beat.\n"Prince of Persia Classic" is a remake of the 18-year-old PC game using the same layout and 60-minute time limit, but with graphics similar to the modern "Sands of Time" trilogy.\nThat easily makes this one of the best-looking games on Xbox Live Arcade. But underneath the shiny new coat of paint, this is the same old game, just more frustrating than classic.\nThere's a reason other mascots like Sonic and Mario are much more recognizable today than the Prince -- it's a lot more fun to blast through a level as quickly as possible than die every two minutes on a bed of spikes that popped out of nowhere.\nAnd while the Prince's enemies might take strategy to beat, strategy easily turns into frustration when the same cheap bastard cuts you down with his scimitar 20 times in a row.\nDespite these issues, and maybe because of my masochistic nature, I still found myself coming back to the game, which is actually only about an hour long and doesn't offer much replay value beyond the nostalgia factor.\nIf this game were longer, or a little bit easier (like the "Sands of Times" games), it would be a lot of fun, but as it is you'd be much better off downloading that episode of "South Park" where the Persians take over the lesbian bar instead of spending your points on this.
(05/31/07 4:00am)
It's time to get to know the two most promising young, creative minds in Hollywood, Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen. Collectively, their credits include pop culture phenomena like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Anchorman" and "Da Ali G. Show," as well as cult successes like "Freaks and Geeks," "Donnie Darko" and "Heavyweights." This film ranks right up there with these past great works and will finally put these two geniuses firmly on the map.\nIn "Knocked Up," Seth Rogen is finally given his first leading role, and he absolutely nails it. He plays Ben Stone, a 20-something stoner who has no job and spends his days lying around, getting high and joking around with his guy friends. On a night out with the boys, he meets and impregnates the attractive Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), an up-and-coming entertainment journalist.\nThe movie makes pregnancy seem easier than it is, but Apatow keeps the right tone for the film at every step. Through Apatow's direction and script, every moment feels authentic and dead-on accurate. Even though its plot points are predictable, the film feels fresh and exciting because of his excellent storytelling and wonderfully developed characters.\nApatow assembled a solid group of actors pulled from his various shows and projects and found fitting roles for many of them here. Jason Segel and Martin Starr are perfect as Rogen's best friends, and Paul Rudd is his typically sadistic self. Apatow's actual wife, Leslie Mann, plays Rudd's wife and Heigl's older sister to perfection. A quick cameo from Harold Ramis as Rogen's dad adds a lot.\nThis film is consistently laugh-out-loud funny, and even the plot points that would feel bogged down in a typical romantic comedy are perfect here.
(04/17/07 4:00am)
The provocative and unusual production “Nine” opened Friday night at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.\nA mixed bag of stupendous and so-so performances, “Nine” fell short of my expectations but still delivered an engaging and entertaining show. \nFeaturing a cast of 22 women and one man, “Nine” tells a story packed with flirtation and frustration. The musical follows Guido Contini, a famous Italian film-writer and director who loses his inspiration and searches for it in the wrong places. He drags his wife, Luisa, to a spa where he feels he can escape the stress of being hounded by media reporters and fawned after by a flock of female fans.\nWhile on his vacation of sorts, Guido’s problems only multiply. His producer, Liliane la Fleur, demands a script that he claims to be finishing, but in reality he has failed to start it. Enter Guido’s current mistress, Carla, and old flame, Claudia, who both end up at the spa and vie for his attention (to his wife’s chagrin). Caught in his web of lies, Guido is his own worst enemy and comes close to losing everything he has worked for. \nGraduate student John Armstrong dazzled as Guido, the cinematic celebrity and conniving Casanova to women across the world. Armstrong’s performance was on par at all times; he captured Guido’s most manipulative and melancholy moments with startlingly accuracy. His sensational singing during first-act closer “The Bells of St. Sebastian” gave me goose bumps and left me wishing for an encore. \nThe actresses playing the women in Guido’s life held their own on stage.\nAs Guido’s one-time co-star and romantic interest Claudia, junior Maggie Mountsier shone. Her singing reflected a sophistication and skill missing from most of the show’s female voices. \nSenior Angie Perez, who plays Carla, was spot-on as Guido’s sexy, sassy mistress. Her gutsy performance was both entertaining and enjoyable to watch. \nSenior Erin Daugherty, as Luisa, gave a good performance as Guido’s wife. Her acting was strong, but her singing could not hold a solo. I had a great deal of trouble hearing her sing, despite sitting in the fifth row. \nAs Guido’s eccentric and outlandish producer Liliane la Fleur, senior Margot Gendreau was delightful to watch. \nPerformances of the other women in the cast and chorus ranged from fabulous to fair. \nThough disappointing at times, “Nine” is a production worth seeing. Its stronger performances are some of the best from the Department of Theatre and Drama this year. \nThe show runs from Monday, April 16, through Saturday, April 21, at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $14 for students, seniors and anyone 30 and younger (discounts today through Thursday). Student rush tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the IU Auditorium box office. For more information, visit www.theatre.indiana.edu.
(04/12/07 4:00am)
The musical opening Friday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre will take its audience somewhere outside of reality, says graduate student John Armstrong.\nTony Award-winning “Nine, the Musical” follows the story of an Italian film director named Guido Contini, played by Armstrong. The musical is based on Federico Fellini’s Italian film “8 1/2.”\n“The show takes place like a dream,” Armstrong said. Many things happen simultaneously on stage, and a lot of the action takes place in Guido’s mind, he said.\n“Guido is a lost soul,” Armstrong said. The character loses his muse and tries to reclaim it by manipulating the people around him, he said. Guido eventually learns what is truly important, Armstrong said. \nThe musical features strong dramatic sequences and well-drawn characters that audience members will enjoy, he said. Like life, the show is a mix between tragic and comedic moments, he added.\nNot only will “Nine” be Armstrong’s final performance on an IU stage, the show is his ninth production with George Pinney, the musical’s director and associate professor of stage movement and musical theater.\nArmstrong said he has enjoyed his last rehearsal process with Pinney.\n“It’s great to come full circle (at IU) with someone I respect,” he said. \n“Nine, the Musical” will show at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Monday, April 16, through Saturday, April 21, at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.\nTicket prices are $18 for adults and $14 for students, seniors and anyone 30 and younger (discounts Monday through Thursday). Student rush tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the IU Auditorium box office. For more information visit www.theatre.indiana.edu.
(04/02/07 4:00am)
Department of Theatre and Drama faculty announced the 2007-2008 season last Friday at a Theatre Circle-hosted dinner for donors and friends. Upcoming productions run the gamut from a Shakespearean comedy to an IU student’s original screenplay. There will be eight performances split between the Ruth N. Halls Theatre and the smaller, more versatile Wells-Metz Theatre.
(03/26/07 4:00am)
"Big Love” director John Maness said he thought audiences would be shocked by the show’s openly suggestive content. \nBut he forgot some other things they might be shocked by – the production’s talented actors and top-notch script.\n“Big Love” opened Friday night in Wells-Metz Theatre to a nearly full house. Funny, sexy and smart, the show is a big hit. \nIn the play, 50 sisters are being forced by their father to marry their 50 cousins. The women, represented on stage by three sisters named Lydia, Olympia and Thyonia, flee from their native Greece to Italy to avoid being married. \nThey arrive at the home of Piero, a rich Italian man played by junior Jeff Montague, and seek refuge there. At the Piero’s nephew Giuliano, a flamboyant character played by senior Thomas Choinacky, who spends the production wearing an outfit that is half wedding dress, half tuxedo. One of the more entertaining moments in the show is when Giuliano, Olympia and Bella – Piero’s widowed mother, played by senior Hannah Moss – join together in a rendition of the classic Gershwin song “Someone to Watch Over Me.” \nThe 50 brothers, represented by three characters named Constantine, Nikos and Oed, soon find their fiances and negotiate with Piero so that the wedding takes place. \n“Big Love” is rife with characters that epitomize gender stereotypes. Junior Claire Smith is flawless as the ferocious feminist Thyonia, while junior Tara Goldsborough successfully portrays the submissive Olympia. Junior Melanie Derleth plays Lydia, whose disposition lies between her sisters’ contrasting positions on the female personality spectrum. Michael Borgmann plays the pig-headed, arrogant Constantine perfectly, and junior Jason Nelson is subtle yet solid as the sensitive Nikos. \nSide characters Leo and Eleanor, played by senior Dylan Weinberger and senior Emily Chovanec, add sexy humor to the show. \nMee’s script shines in its exploration of the complexities of modern gender roles. The actors astound when the brothers and sisters of the cast separately share their experiences as male and female society members. The cast emphatically pounds on the floor and loudly voices frustrations with society’s gender constraints and with the opposite sex. These powerful scenes certainly leave audience members contemplating what it means to be a man or a woman in today’s world. \n“Big Love” starts at 7:30 p.m. from March 26 through 31 in the Wells-Metz Theatre. The production features adult situations and full-frontal nudity. Ticket prices are $16 for adults and $13 seniors, and anyone 30 and younger. Student rush tickets are sold the day of each performance.
(03/22/07 4:00am)
Despite what people might think, the play opening Friday at the Wells-Metz Theatre is not about Mormons on HBO, says the play’s director, John Maness.\nWhile the HBO TV series is about a man with three wives, Maness’ “Big Love,” by playwright Charles Mee, is based off an ancient Greek tragedy called “The Suppliant Women,” said Maness, a graduate student. \nIn the play, 50 sisters are being forced by their father to marry their 50 cousins. The women seek asylum from their marriages in Italy, but their husbands-to-be eventually find them, Maness said.\nThe female characters then decide to “take matters into their own hands,” said Melanie Derleth, a junior who plays Lydia in the production. The sisters make a pact to kill their husbands the night before their wedding day, but Lydia decides not to follow the plan, she said. \nEven though the original play was written hundreds of years ago, Mee remade the script for today’s audience, Maness said. \n“Big Love” has a modern setting and language that audience members should find accessible, Derleth said. The female characters, for instance, mention MAC makeup and John Frieda hair products, she said. \nThe play’s plot is basic, but big, controversial ideas rise from its simplicity, Maness said. \nThe show explores complex topics like gender roles, political issues, homosexuality and what love really means, Derleth said. \n“It says what everyone thinks but not what they say aloud,” she said. \nDerleth said she enjoys playing Lydia because she portrays a woman who fluctuates between being an old-fashioned “girly-girl” and a “violent feminist.” \nEvery woman, Derleth said, feels torn between those two roles at some point in their lives. So perhaps the show demonstrates that women don’t have to be one way or the other, she said.\nManess said he hopes the audience comes away from “Big Love” debating the issues the play presents. \n“I wanted the play to challenge the audiences,” he said. “I also wanted a chance to explore something outside of my comfort zone.” \n“Big Love” will show at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Monday, March 26, through Saturday, March 31, at the Wells-Metz Theatre. The production features adult situations and full-frontal nudity.\nTicket prices are $16 for adults and $13 for students, seniors and anyone 30 and younger (discounts Monday through Thursday).
(02/28/07 5:00am)
Things will be heating up around town this spring in more ways than the weather.\nThe Bloomington Area Arts Council will kick off its annual One Book, One Bloomington communitywide reading project Feb. 28.\nThe community voted in December and chose “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury as this year’s book selection, said the arts council’s event coordinator, Heather Lynn.\nAbout 20 events around the community will be centered around Bradbury’s 1953 book. Events include book discussions, staged readings, a film viewing and a ritualistic burning ceremony at the Tibetan Cultural Center, 3655 Snoddy Road.\nA grant from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program allowed this year’s One Book, One Bloomington project to be five times its usual size, Lynn said. The grant helped the BAAC sponsor activities that appeal to all age levels, she said.\n“Not many adults read for pleasure anymore,” she said. “It’s a big problem.”\nNext month, the BAAC is offering a new way to get involved with One Book, One Bloomington through a judged art contest.\nArtists who create two-dimensional art aged 16 and up from Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Green and Owen counties may enter their work in “The Artist Inferno: Hot! Hotter! Hottest!” Submitted artwork should explore and interpret the themes, characters or events of “Fahrenheit 451.”\nArtists will compete for cash prizes to be given by a panel of community judges. All artwork is due by 5 p.m. March 29 at the Showers Building, 501 N. Morton Ave., where it will be displayed through April.\nFor a contest entry form, visit the arts council’s Web site at www.artlives.org.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
The atmosphere of the Ruth N. Halls Theatre was rowdy Friday night after the curtain rose.\nThe opening night of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” was uproarious. Its colorful, charismatic cast kept audience members captivated and chuckling in their seats. Graduate student Allison Moody plays Viola, a woman who is shipwrecked in the show’s opening scene. Stranded and alone, Viola believes her brother to have died in the crash. With the help of a sailor, she dresses as a man, calls herself Cesario and obtains a job in the court of Duke Orsino. \nViola soon falls in love with Orsino, played by senior Nick Arapoglou, but is unable to voice her feelings for fear she will give away her disguise.\nMeanwhile, the duke sends Cesario, his messenger, to express his love for a lady named Olivia. Olivia, played by graduate student Lilia Vassileva, wants nothing to do with the duke’s affection, but instead finds herself falling in love with the young messenger. Vassileva is excellent as Olivia, showing Olivia’s transformation from repressed to unrefined without a hitch. \nMoody’s performance is subtle but outstanding. She plays the wide-eyed Viola naturally and gives a terrific spin to the character.\nAlongside Viola’s love triangle, a terrific subplot emerges. Graduate student Jeff Grafton plays the outrageous Sir Toby, uncle to Olivia and a drunkard to boot. With his sidekick, Andrew Aguecheek, an exaggeratedly effeminate character played by graduate student Matthew Buffalo, Toby plans to win his niece’s affection for Andrew. Grafton is wonderful as the boisterous, lovable drunk. His character is a perfect compliment to Buffalo’s, and both are a delight to watch. \nThe two become tricksters when prompted by Olivia’s chambermaid Maria, played by senior Lindsey Charles, to prank a member of Olivia’s staff. Graduate student Eric VanTielen is superb as the stuck-up steward Malvolio, the object of the threesome’s tricks. His performance is flawless and side-splittingly funny. \nSenior Joanne Dubach adds more hilarity to the performance as Feste, Olivia’s “fool.” Her performance as the omnipresent entertainer is filled with energy. \n“Twelfth Night” is highly recommended and will continue showing at 7:30 p.m. today through March 3 in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Tickets are $13 to $16 and can be purchased at the IU Auditorium Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Student rush tickets for $10 are available the day of each show with a valid IU student ID. For more information, visit www.indiana.edu/~thtr.
(02/23/07 5:00am)
Full of mystery, mayhem and mistaken identity, the classic Shakespearean comedy “Twelfth Night” opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. \nThe play tells the tale of Viola, a woman who is shipwrecked on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and believes her brother died in the crash. She dresses as a boy in order to get a job, and the show takes off from there. \nSenior Allison Moody, who plays Viola, said she enjoys playing a character whose life comes full circle. \n“In the beginning, Viola believes she is all alone in the world,” Moody said. “But she eventually falls in love … and makes some great discoveries about her life, which is wonderful.” \nPlaying Viola has been Moody’s first experience with acting in a Shakespearean production. She said she prepared for her role by researching the play’s time period and practicing how to speak her lines, which are written in iambic pentameter. \nHowever, she said she doesn’t feel Shakespeare’s language is antiquated or dull. \n“The show is very fast-paced,” Moody said. “Because it’s a comedy, a lot is happening that is fun to watch.” \nHenry Worornicz, visiting associate professor of theatre and drama, directs the production.\nWorornicz, who has had four years of experience with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, said teaching young actors Shakespeare has been a wonderful experience. \n“Getting to work with (Shakespeare’s scripts) is great,” Worornicz said. “It’s the best dramatic literature ever written.” \nAlthough Worornicz has acted in three separate “Twelfth Night” productions, this is the first time he has directed the play. Worornicz said he enjoys working with IU students because of the eagerness, excitement and talent they bring to the stage. \nHe hopes the audience members will play off of that energy and have fun during the performance as lively characters and a love story emerge, he said. \n“Anyone who has fallen in love or had a crush can relate to the show,” Moody said. \n“Twelfth Night” opens today and runs Feb. 24 and Feb. 26 through March 3 in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $16 for adults and $13 for students, seniors and anyone 30 and younger (discounts Monday through Thursday only). Student rush tickets are sold the day of each performance. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the IU Auditorium.