Summer movie preview
WEEKEND previews this summer's big upcoming movies
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WEEKEND previews this summer's big upcoming movies
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since its premiere in 2007, “Mad Men” has raked in awards and critical acclaim, not to mention the viewers. People who watch the series that rocketed AMC to star network status tend to defy any single category.“Mad Men” appeals to a large and diverse audience primarily with nostalgia, depicting a time when “Atlas Shrugged” and Disneyland were new to the world. For four seasons, fans have been captivated by the life and times of Donald Draper, an advertisement man for the Sterling Cooper ad agency in the early 1960s.The ideal woman wore a size 10 then, and businessmen didn’t have to hide booze in a desk drawer. Love it or hate it, it was a different time. And different is interesting.When it comes to garnering attention, the “Mad Men” strategy is two-pronged, shocking viewers who are younger than 55 with behavior that was de rigeur in the 1960s — including sexual harassment in the workplace, casual racism and cavalier parenting — and making us think about how much or how little these things have changed.Its greatest strength lies within the multiple ways it manages to connect a bygone decade to today.“Mad Men” takes up many topics we generally consider well addressed and makes them fresh again. These days, for example, the birth control pill and abortion are as topical as in the dynamic years that frame the series.It’s a show that strives for intelligence and challenges the TV-rots-your-brain theory. Likewise, it attracts a smart, broad audience fascinated by the historical context and the well-rounded characters.Unlike, say, NBC’s “The West Wing,” which catered to a specific crowd curious about top-tier politics, “Mad Men” taps into a network of interests beyond advertising.Feminists can watch the show and see social mores in flux. Liberals and conservatives are both represented, as is a range of sexual orientations. And less discussion-minded viewers can, if nothing else, enjoy more than four seasons of suspenseful drama and snappy dialogue.Behind the scenes, “Mad Men” is an anomaly. Creatively, men dominate television today the way they dominated the New York advertising business in the 1960s. As of the third season in 2009, however, seven out of nine writers molding the chauvinistic world of Sterling Cooper were women.This was a groundbreaking ratio at the time. The numbers have since regressed but remain impressive considering that fewer than a quarter of writers working in Hollywood today are female.“Man Men”’s influence even extends to current fashion. Banana Republic and the show’s costume designer, Janie Bryant, offer a collection of updated fedoras, pencil skirts and other 1960s-inspired ensembles.Of course, the advertising element is not to be ignored, either. Thanks to Internet pop-ups, it is now habit for us to erase ads without a second thought. “Mad Men” lets us get to know characters whose job it is to force a second thought, then a third. In the time before computer-based graphic design, ads and the people behind them were outright compelling.“Mad Men” is a show about manipulation. It manipulates us, too, and we like it.Its success has given rise to a trend of other shows set in the early 1960s — including ABC’s “Pan Am” and NBC’s short-lived “The Playboy Club” — but trends don’t last forever.Whether “Mad Men” can carry its nostalgia into the future as it returns from a year’s hiatus remains to be seen.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In this post-“Avatar” era, “John Carter” works hard to capture viewers’ imaginations. Andrew Stanton, the director of Pixar hits “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E,” brings his expertise in engaging an audience to his first live-action film.Set to Michael Giacchino’s sweeping score, the film tells of Civil War veteran John Carter accidentally traveling to Mars — or Barsoom, as the natives call it — and becoming embroiled in a war for a dying planet.Sci-fi pulp might be past its time, but “John Carter” excels in balanced storytelling, lighthearted humor and impressive special effects.The script meanders here and there, but lavish visuals carry interest between action sequences.Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins deliver solid performances, but even in secondary roles, Willem Dafoe and Bryan Cranston are scene-stealers.Though slightly longer than necessary, “John Carter” works best in its clever tale-within-a-tale framework. Large themes address war and environmental neglect, but they are subtle, not scathing.For moviegoers just looking for fun, “John Carter” is a good time.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At 45 years old, Sinead O’Connor still possesses good vocal quality. But her new album, to put it bluntly, doesn’t feel new at all. The songs are well-composed, but a confusing sound mix is often overwhelming.The most fun “How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?” comes from the upbeat, reggae-pop opener “4th and Vine.”From there, the selection descends into typical O’Connor heaviness. The only exception may be “Queen of Denmark,” which carries some genuine humor. The other tracks mostly seem to serve as a gloomy lead-up to the closer, “V.I.P.,” which ends the album with a scathing diatribe against celebrity worship and the Pope, followed by creepy whispers of discontent.O’Connor’s causticity might cost her a substantial audience for “How About I Be Me.” Nevertheless, it’s not enough to taint “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which will remain a staple on any early 1990s playlist.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From Warner Bros. Animation, “Justice League: Doom” is loosely based on Mark Waid’s DC comic book “JLA: Tower of Babel.”Scripted by the late Dwayne McDuffie, “Doom” addresses trust issues within the Justice League.The immortal Vandal Savage steals files from the Batcave that contain the superheroes’ weaknesses and methods of killing them — methods devised by Batman himself. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Green Lantern must first save each other, then the world.“Justice League: Doom” also features Cyborg, a hero added to the Justice League roster in DC Comics’ re-launch last year.The film is feasible as a continuation of the popular animated series “Justice League Unlimited,” featuring much of the same voice cast, including Kevin Conroy as Batman and Michael Rosenbaum as the Flash. In the role of Green Lantern, Nathan Fillion’s Hal Jordan replaces Phil LaMarr’s John Stewart.Competent animation, witty dialogue, creative action and complex motivations fill a character-driven story.“Justice League: Doom” will appeal to anyone who likes superheroes or simply appreciates smart, nuanced adventure.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Trent Deckard, the Democratic co-director of the Indiana Election Division, seems like any other 34-year-old suburban Bloomington resident. His house, however, has one special room: a personal library with exactly 8,960 comic books.Perhaps defying stereotypes, the room is clean and smells just fine. A cozy reading chair is tucked between a desk and a shelf full of DC Comics single issues. Stacks of varying comics cover a wide card table, with more stacks of issues yet to be read, filed and shelved underneath it.Deckard’s history of collecting comic books began during his childhood, when his brother would give them to him to help him learn how to read.“I went from struggling with reading to being able to say the word ‘debris,’” he said. “That triggered it all.”Deckard owns every issue of Marvel’s “The Avengers,” naming issues one and four as his favorites. He said his collection has expanded from “spandex-heavy” superheroes to other genres.“I was very heavy into DC, but pulled back a little bit when they re-launched,” he said.Deckard buys his comics through subscriptions from Vintage Phoenix on East Sixth Street. He has also acquired others’ collections through the years and browses for back issues.Maintaining his collection with the organization of a museum curator, Deckard keeps an inventory of all his issues, arranged by title and numerical order, on his computer.In addition to comics, Deckard’s “hidden room” contains other comics-related memorabilia: a pair of Hulk hands on the floor, Captain America lampshades, Thor’s hammer on a wall and a rainbow of power rings from the “Green Lantern” series. Then there is the array of figurines, including the entire Justice League, the Avengers and their assorted nemeses.Recently, Deckard found a way to combine his love of comics with — as they might say in the world of superheroes — the greater good. He decided to take on a villain of his own: hunger.The Community Kitchen on South Rogers Street is a local organization that feeds more than 200,000 people per year. To help raise funds for a newly renovated building for it, Deckard has begun the “Comic Challenge.” His goal is to read 1,095 comics by his birthday, Nov. 15.Deckard keeps himself accountable through his blog, comicchallenge.wordpress.com, in which he writes about characters, costumes and stories. So far, he has read more than 300 comic books for the challenge.“I’ve always been involved in community things, and I wanted to tell people about my comic books,” he said. “I thought a blog that raises pledges, collects money and helps me read and talk about comic books might tie it all in.”Kyla Cox, Deckard’s girlfriend and a Community Kitchen volunteer, said she has been supportive of the blog and is an avid reader, as well.“I’m very excited that he’s as passionate about it as he is,” she said.Deckard said he often wonders what he will do with his collection when he gets older, but he’s too proud of his room to think much about cashing in on it.“Most collectors know you can’t really make money off comic books because they’re supposed to disintegrate,” he said.While the ultimate fate of his collection remains undecided, Deckard said he is sure of one thing.“I’ll keep reading,” he said.
WEEKEND takes a look at each of this year's Best Picture nominees
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The success of “The Lion King 3D” last September has prompted Disney to re-release more of its most popular features in 3D conversions. “Beauty and the Beast,” the first of 2012, is no less enchanting 20 years after its premiere.Though not quite the breath-taker that “The Lion King” was, the enhanced visual depth gives “Beauty” some renewal. Lavish background art benefits the most from 3D, while a big screen provides a fresh viewing experience. Even longtime fans may catch something they never noticed; look for the drunk passed out at the end of the “Gaston” number!Animation mistakes due to a short production schedule are more visible, but these are less annoying than amusing.The all-ages film still has masterful appeal even for children who have become adults. Between its witty script, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s songs and score and sweeping special effects, it is understandable why “Beauty” became the first animated feature to garner an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.Disney has taken care to form a creative story from a simplistic fairy tale. Expect this “tale as old as time” to last.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Much of humanity’s best art has resulted from grief and agony. The creative explosion that followed the devastation of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 provided evidence of this. Filmmakers, musicians, writers and even comedians coped with the impact of the attacks by continuing their craft in its wake. For the world of showbiz, it was the ultimate non-surrender. Here’s a look at some of the best art from the last decade made with the memory of 9/11 squarely in the rearview mirror:“United 93”Too soon, audiences said to the film’s intense re-creation of the events of 9/11. But now is the right time to experience Paul Greengrass’ real-time suspense story. He depicts 9/11 as no more than a normal day, free of heroes and villains, and leaves us only with the basic human acts of courage, fear and strength from these unfortunate victims.-Brian Welk“25th Hour”In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper look out their penthouse as Ground Zero looms in plain sight. Spike Lee shows in “25th Hour” that New York was never the same after the attacks. Despite uncertainty and a newfound identity crisis in the city, these survivors remain rooted to their home and each other.-Brian WelkSteve Earle, “Jerusalem”Earle’s tenth album is a sobering look at America and the world post-9/11. On “Amerika V. 6.0 (The Best We Can Do)” Earle uses his best Rolling Stones impression to expose the cash-hungry elitism of the so-called American Dream, while the controversial “John Walker’s Blues” is an objective look at John Walker Lindh’s vilification. The most powerful moment, though, is the closing title track’s message, not of despair in the Middle East, but of hope.-Max McCombsBrian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris, “Ex Machina”In the 50-issue comic book series “Ex Machina,” Mitchell Hundred (as costumed crime-fighter The Great Machine) stops the second plane from hitting the World Trade Center’s south tower using his superpower of communication with machines, and he is later elected mayor of New York City. Remaining ever sensitive to the tragedy, Brian K. Vaughan’s multi-genre “what if” story raises important questions about politics and dependence on government in post-9/11 America.-Vanessa TorlineThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart, “September 20, 2001”Jon Stewart doesn’t always do pathos, and when he does, he often makes us wish he would go back to playing the buffoon. But on his first episode back after the attacks, the “Daily Show” host tearfully delivered a nine-minute monologue that concluded with the powerful sentiment that the new view from Lower Manhattan in the absence of the World Trade Center is the Statue of Liberty. “You can’t beat that,” he says, and, of course, he’s right.-Brad SandersSleater-Kinney, “One Beat”While not a full-on concept record, the excellent sixth album by Washington riot grrl trio Sleater-Kinney is firmly rooted in post-9/11 reflection. Unlike the country music cheerleaders who dropped countless flag-waving singles in the wake of the tragedy, Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker trade verses on “Far Away” and “Combat Rock” that channel the pain of the attacks while looking to the future with a sadly prescient uncertainty, not mere vengeance.-Brad Sanders
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Having presented diverse topics ranging from the death penalty to Victorian-era blackmail, the Department of Theatre and Drama is ending its 2008-09 season with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Hailed upon its 1943 premiere as the best musical of the century, the story tells of a community in an Oklahoma territory pre-statehood. A cowboy named Curly and Laurey, a farm girl, pine after each other, but both are too stubborn to admit it. Laurey’s guardian, Aunt Eller, encourages them, although farmers and cowmen do not tend to get along. Their friend Ado Annie Carnes has the opposite problem and must decide between her cowboy sweetheart, Will Parker, and a merchant, Ali Hakim.The often-performed, well-loved material is embraced by this production. Director and choreographer George Pinney does a lot to give an “Oklahoma!” that is fresh and still remains true to the simplicity implemented by the creators. An enthusiastic cast lights up every scene, from three-second hug to three-minute hoedown. The show’s ensemble plays as important a role as the principals, a fact that does not go neglected and shines as a result. Mark Banik as the lovable hero Curly is a superb foil to Henry A. McDaniel III, who plays the villainous Jud Fry. McDaniel, incidentally, has shown excellence for portraying frightening figures this season and ends strongly with the addition of his singing talent. In the role of Aunt Eller, Kristyn Kate Hegner adds a special touch with her Carol Burnett-style humor. Jared Rutherford’s rural scenic design merges exceedingly well with lighting by Sean Michael Smallman and costumes by Robbie Stanton. The soft color palette whirling through the performance effectively attests to the past and the classicality of what is largely considered Rodgers and Hammerstein’s best work.Most notable of all is the opportunity “Oklahoma!” provides for Pinney to flex his endless talent for choreography. A melting pot of styles is found, including breakdance and even some Irish step dancing, while the two-step and square dance also remain intact. This daring experimentation makes for a pleasant surprise, particularly in the longer dance breaks and the signature dream ballet at the end of the first act.Though not without a dark side, the musical’s overall view is ultimately optimistic. Complete with timeless music and a Disney-esque ending, the show demands smiles from its audience before and after final bows. “Oklahoma!” closes the theater season on a very high note.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“I hate theater,” announces a voice in the dark at the opening of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the latest arrival at the IU Auditorium. “Well, it’s so disappointing, isn’t it?”From this point on, the musical devotes its considerable energy to proving itself wrong. A show within a show, “The Drowsy Chaperone” is a tribute to the over-the-top musicals of the Jazz Age.The lights come up on a cluttered, one-room apartment where the audience meets its host, the Man in Chair. Rueful of the present, the Man is a lonely theater queen who seeks to free himself of life’s concerns. On a vinyl record, he shares his favorite musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the tale of a Broadway diva’s wedding day and the ensuing chaos.Janet Van de Graaff gives up her life as the star of “Feldzieg’s Follies” to marry her wealthy, handsome fiance. Unbeknownst to Janet, Feldzieg himself is threatened by his leading investor into stopping the wedding and ensuring the show’s future success.Janet explores her bridal doubts under the wandering eye of her martini-toting chaperone (who is, in fact, not drowsy at all, but perpetually tipsy).In the middle of a recession, the timing is perfect for an escapist show. The audience is invited into the Man in Chair’s indulgent bubble, swept along as his drab apartment transforms into a high-glitz 1920s wonderland. The formidable cast, headed by John West as the winning Man in Chair, is ready to bounce back with spit takes and roller skates and anything else that may earn the briefest laugh.And this is the extent of the production’s goals. The winner of five Tony Awards, “The Drowsy Chaperone” does not intend to send anyone home with thoughts of how to make the world a better place. Ingratiating to the final high note, its only purpose is to provide a couple of hours of pure enjoyment. The songs, written by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, hearken to the Cole Porter and George Gershwin styles largely absent from recent musicals.In spite of this only one song remains memorable: Janet’s tour de force “Show Off.” Far more unforgettable is Casey Nicholaw’s tap-focused choreography.Loaded with 20s stock characters (the debonair hero, the ingénue, the gangsters) and familiar plot devices (mistaken identities and misunderstandings), the show’s most heinous flaw is its unapologetic approach to unoriginality. But the audience becomes so engaged, viewers honestly do not mind. After so much rock and hip-hop frenzy on Broadway, it is nice to see something old. The Man in Chair says it best as he implores, “Please, Elton John, must we go on with this charade?”“The Drowsy Chaperone” may fall short of masterpiece status, but it offers a full dose of preoccupying, amusing glamour – and in the end, this is really all that is needed.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“The America Play,” the Department of Theatre and Drama’s current production at the Wells-Metz Theatre, is proudly defiant of classification. It is both historical drama and a critique of the current era. Through her 1994 play, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks proposes the excavation of truth by means of displacing the dirt in America’s past and ripping up the roots for closer inspection.The first act is 90 percent monologue from a character known only as the Foundling Father, played by Jamaal McCray. Decked in a false beard and stove top hat, the Foundling Father tells his audience that he is a gravedigger by trade whose remarkableness lies in his resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. He has since committed himself to impersonating Lincoln and earns his living reciting fragmented speeches and feigning death at the hands of customers, who will pay a penny to “shoot” Lincoln in a replica of the famous booth at Ford’s Theater. Several do so with passion, for the therapy or thrill of involving themselves in an important American event. The effect is assertive humor as a pair of newlyweds, a couple of temperamental customers and a devoted, weekly participant briefly accept the role of John Wilkes Booth. All of the customers who watch and participate in the Foundling Father’s performance are of different ethnicities, and each responds to his personification of Lincoln in a different way, ranging from anger to giddiness. By presenting ethnicities other than white and black, the play seemed to offer a shoutout to minorities to which Lincoln did not pay attention during his life. At the end of a gun, the others become impossible to ignore. In the second act, the Foundling Father’s son, eager and awe-inspired Brazil, celebrates American history with his Hall of Wonders. Like his father, he is in the “mourning business,” digging away and adding to his display of artifacts. His mother Lucy, a secret-keeper for the dying, listens for whispers of truth trapped in the past. In their own ways, both of them seek, and later find, the man who left them.The actors in “The America Play” reached into dark depths of questioning, and the show was rewarded for it. Shewan Howard offered an admirable performance as Brazil, only too happy to leap over props, slide across the stage and dash in and out of a pit with energetic abandon. Dawn Thomas, in the role of the far more reserved Lucy, provided a favorable counter to the hyperactivity of Howard’s character.Nick Passafiume’s straightforward scenic design sets up location and still leaves room for the imagination. The set, the cast and the direction by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe all came together nicely, even though Parks’s script cannot easily be neatly tied up. The two distinctive stories told in the two-hour play are unique, so each act could stand on its own. Its complexity lies in the moments in which these stories connect. By identifying the presence of holes in American history, “The America Play” also points out the nation’s vulnerability and raises the question: As we run away to chase the past, must the past, in turn, run to catch us?
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Department of Theatre and Drama’s production of “An Ideal Husband” at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre stood out as the best of the season thus far for its appreciative, unpretentious approach to Oscar Wilde’s play.“An Ideal Husband” tells the story of a successful, respected aristocrat named Lord Chiltern, played by Eric Young. When the manipulative Mrs. Cheveley, played by Abby Rowold, threatens Chiltern with his own unsavory past, he suffers the resentment of his eternally moral wife. To make his fortune, Chiltern sold government secrets, but with the help of his best friend, he strives to save his reputation and the happiness of his marriage.Despite its solemn premise, the play is a comedy of hysterical proportions.In addition to an engaging plot, the comparison of the different ways in which men and women show their love for one another prompts questions that are as relevant today as in the Victorian period.Through his play, Wilde warns audience members of the human tendency to harbor delusions of perfection for their lovers. The effects can be more destructive than complimentary for a romantic relationship.The first act followed a suspenseful formula – hero is threatened, hero frets, secrets are revealed, all seems lost – but that broke off at intermission. The second act veered into farce with silly misunderstandings and evil plots gone wrong. The discrepancy between acts was only momentarily jarring, as the fast-paced plot and witty dialogue surged through the two-and-a-half-hour show.Although the characters in “An Ideal Husband” are wonderfully written, the talented cast lent believability to a way of life that is no longer familiar to modern theatergoers.Matthew Buffalo, who played Lord Goring, was unfailingly funny as the joke-cracking flirt, while Sarah Fischer earned the audience’s sympathy as Lady Chiltern, the under-appreciated wife.Seamus M. Bourne’s scenic set design was simple and lovely. The sets lacked much of the flashiness that was popular during the era, but the set still managed to capture the finery of an expensive, urban English residence at the time.This works to good spacial effects. The bevy of costumes, designed by Erica Griese, were impressive in their own right and masterfully manned by the actors. The costumes added the final touch – the result here is not illusion so much as brief time travel back to the days of weekend banquets and scandals whispered behind fluttering fans.Immortal humor, relatable characters and compelling situations combined to form a masterpiece. For a time when society aspired to be charming and clever, “An Ideal Husband” brims with an abundance of both.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following the stupid/funny films vein already cut open by successful predecessors like “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express,” director Kevin Smith takes a stab of his own with “Zack and Miri Make A Porno,” which – imagine that! – even stars Seth Rogen, a cultural staple in surface-level comedy today. Or maybe this marks an end to Rogen’s typecasting, as Smith’s latest film is devoid of marijuana. But it’s got something else. Despite the fairly basic premise, the script is original. A young couple – but not, they will insist, a “romantic” couple – find themselves buried in debt, and their lifelong friendship alone cannot pay the bills. To keep homelessness at bay, they turn to a supposedly – genius, obviously – desperate plan: Zack and Miri set out to make a porno.The two-disc edition DVD offers some fun for those who immensely enjoyed the film or are simply interested in the film industry. A making-of documentary runs for an hour and a half and gives glimpses of the work from beginning to end. Scenes deleted from the original cut made it onto the DVD. The blooper reel is amusing but strangely redundant for a movie that feels like one big ad-lib at times.One feature is labeled “Battle For Improvisational Supremacy” and consists of Rogen and Justin Long locked in comedic warfare, improvising their one scene together. This is funny only because it shows how well Long maintains character next to Rogen, who breaks every five seconds.Kevin Smith is still a worthy director, and it makes sense to keep riding the wave of near mindlessness that made him big, but hopefully he’ll return to his “Chasing Amy” side and write something with a bit more brains.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Like any work by playwright Diana Son, “Stop Kiss” is punchy, passionate and honest. It is unfortunate, then, that IU’s production, now in performances at the Lee Norvelle Theater and Drama Center, fails to achieve the same straightforwardness. Callie, played by Lilia Vassileva, is a brutally honest New Yorker, but when it comes to her growing feelings for her new friend Sarah, played by Kate Catherall, she is bogged down by uncertainty. Sarah is beaten up after she and Callie are seen kissing in a park in the West Village. Confusion and hesitation pervaded the first half, the cause of which can be attributed to opening night jitters or the pattern of the play, which alternates from present to future and back again. Vassileva and Catherall are comfortable with each other, almost counterproductively so. As Callie and Sarah take some time adjusting from their heretofore heterosexuality, it becomes belatedly apparent that the two harbor any sexual attraction at all. The rest of the cast serves its purpose and even boosts quality at times. Brian Bradshaw, for example, who plays Callie’s friend and occasional bedmate George, gave an energetic performance.Tension overflows but does not escalate, which is a disservice since Son’s script is meant to only pick up steam. Vassileva does find her rhythm, and Catherall shines brightest in wordless scenes. Given enough time, I think they could find more conviction, and because of their characters’ underdevelopment, the play seems to end too soon. Katie McDermott’s set design caters well to the different locations other than Callie’s apartment, where most of the play occurs.“Stop Kiss” might be an imperfect play, but IU’s production of it can certainly improve. It touches upon relevant issues without getting preachy but is a show that can claim that accomplishment deserves an audience.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Anyone looking for a nuance-heavy, thought-provoking and dramatic musical that will haunt long after curtain call will not find it in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the most recent musical to show at IU Auditorium. Instead, a theatergoer can get almost constant laughs from the hilarious hijinks of adults portraying not-so-typical teenagers and experience the fright that comes with remembering adolescence.From the opening title song alone, the show does not pretend to be mature. The fact that it is seems completely and perfectly accidental. The young entrants are introduced as zany but familiar characters: the academically pressured parochial schoolgirl, the overly competitive social outcast, the political activist, the eccentric, the brain and the champion. Beside them are two faculty members with issues of their own and a questionable comfort counselor. The cast is a vocal powerhouse, and all are equally talented at vaulting into these outlandish roles. Rachel Sheinkin’s bold script merges seamlessly with songs by William Finn, and both demand extreme effort from beginning to end. The action constantly escalates until the kids’ collective snapping point explodes into the wildly energetic “Pandemonium,” in direct contrast with “The I Love You Song,” the one puncture in the musical’s ecstatic bubble that tells its secret. Underneath the surface humor, this show has at least one extra layer. Topics both current (Jonas Brothers hysteria, Blagojevich) and ongoing (jihad, political dissent) are brought up without hesitation. Despite its mindless premise, the audience is given plenty to think about.It also gives the attendees a good deal to look at. Costumes by Jennifer Caprio set the characters impossibly higher on the oddness scale, while Beowulf Boritt’s scenic design of a school gymnasium appears to be pulled straight out of a preteen’s doodle pad. “Spelling Bee” does fall back on a few classic safeguards – audience participation, awkward pauses that ultimately result in a few guffaws – but, delightfully, it does not need the comic protection and would probably do better without it. The crowning achievement of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is its ability to amuse and relate to those long past the throes of late childhood and those presently caught in it. The show is worth the cost and, with only one act, well worth the time. No need to spell it out.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>David Fincher takes a leap in his directorial career with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” an examination of life at a distance, from end to beginning. Brad Pitt, in the title role, opens the movie with the narrated confession: “I was born under unusual circumstances.” Here, Fincher reaffirms his fascination with the abnormal as seen in his previous films (“Fight Club,” “Zodiac”). Loosely based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of the same title, the movie follows Button, a New Orleans man in the unique situation of living from old age to infancy. He experiences extraordinary things in between, not least of which is surviving World War II. But his pure affection for his lifelong friend Daisy (Cate Blanchett) is offered as the most remarkable facet.Screenplay writer Eric Roth’s storytelling is at its best both fantastically and historically as he utilizes events as long past as World War I and as recent as Hurricane Katrina. A number of anecdotes and time jumps serve as augmentations to the tale, not interruptions. Fincher’s direction lessens the noir of his earlier films, finding delicacy for the material and content of “Benjamin Button” when he is known for edgier work.The high point of the film, besides stunning and imaginative cinematography, is the cast. Pitt successfully tackles what is perhaps one of his most challenging roles, impressively reconciling physical and mental acting. Blanchett delivers a relatable, inevitably tragic performance as Daisy, whose chronology clashes with Benjamin’s longer than it converges. Supporting actress Tilda Swinton provides emotionally endearing realism.“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” lacks any moral to inscribe on its audience, and some may find this a waste of three hours in their normally advancing lives. Others may appreciate the film – undoubtedly on the Oscar short list – for this truth: life, going any direction, has points worth a closer look.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A little celestial anarchy goes a long way. “Marisol,” Jose Rivera’s 1992 play now being performed at the Wells-Metz Theatre, offers enough to drape its viewers with the uncomfortably realistic urban nightmare of what happens when heaven undergoes a change of regime.This tale of triumph in a hopeless world follows Bronx native Marisol Perez, whose monotonous, faithful life is turned upside down when her guardian angel reveals herself and announces that she is discarding her position.A senile God is dying, and to prevent the end of the world along with Him, the angel plots to lead the charge into war. Marisol’s story lies in the struggle for survival amid the turmoil erupting on the earth.Heavy in myth and biblical portents, Rivera’s script dares to ask the terrifying questions regarding mankind’s place in the ferocious world, with and without religious viewpoints. Among other themes, hysteria prior to Y2K, fear of death in the AIDS-rattled 1990s and barbaric intolerance between races are poetically threaded into the story. Rivera simultaneously weaves in a steady lining of humor as dark as the world he displays.Director Sabrina Lloyd captures this world with image after home-hitting image: a group raising a cacophony of threats and complaints late into the night, an angel casting off her wings in preparation for battle, even a rendition of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” by a concert of the homeless at intermission.MFA student Dawn Thomas in the title role makes Marisol’s journey relatable – a difficult feat given the play’s extraordinary circumstances. The underused Shauna Burris notably distinguishes the angel, who could easily be forgotten after her first scene. The tragic June is excellently portrayed by Erin E. Ehlers. Her power onstage is amplified when she appears with the abundantly talented Henry A. McDaniel III, as the less-than-stable Lenny.Although the cast makes the show, the work of costume designer Scott Anderson successfully launches the show back to a time when humanity felt nervous about the new millennium. Those nerves and other emotions are beautifully rendered by Ryan J. Davies’s lighting. Hyunsuk Shin’s bland scenery serves well in conveying an anemic existence led by the residents of an apocalyptic New York.While “Marisol” expectantly takes a preachy lean, the show respectfully and effectively directs attention to devils dwelling not in the spiritual realm, but in the harsh world of men and women. This, more than any other production in the first half of IU’s theater season, is a show worth paying attention.‘Marisol’When: 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday, and a 2 p.m. matinee on SaturdayWhere: Wells-Metz Theatre in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama CenterMore info: The cost is $20 for adults and $15 for those 30 years old and younger, students and seniors. Student rush tickets are $12 with a valid IU-Bloomington student ID during each performance day, and group ticket prices are also available. Tickets are available online at www.theatre.indiana.edu, at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center box office or by phone from Ticketmaster at 333-9955.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While quoting Professor Higgins’ famous line to Eliza Doolittle, “He’s so delightfully low, so horribly dirty,” Lawrence Jameson sums up “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” And it’s no My Fair Lady.This is a show that is not great theater, knows it and doesn’t care. Adapted from the 1988 film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, the musical comedy takes its audience on a riotous vacation to the French Riviera where well-established con artist Lawrence Jameson (Brian McKay in the touring production) reigns like the prince he has convinced his victims he is. After a chance encounter with newcomer Freddy Benson (Stephen Patterson), the two engage in a bet: the first man to swindle “soap queen” Christine Colgate (Heather McGuigan) for $50,000 claims victory and remains in the azure coast; the loser packs up and leaves town.With improbable shenanigans at every transition, the over-the-top script takes shots at everything from American stereotypes to theater itself. A charming side plot keeps the soul of the show intact. This show is something to see with friends, but despite its childish heart, the kids should really stay home. From the overture of mischievous “doo-doo”-ing by the ensemble to the excellently absurd power ballad “Love Is My Legs,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is filled with singable songs by David Yazbek that will no doubt stick in the head for days after the show.The cast is competent but, as in the case of most tours, falls in quality compared to the original duo of John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz as Lawrence and Freddy. Butz won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical in the role of Freddy Benson.Whimsical scenery by David Rockwell, including stained glass palm trees and a full moon at sea that can appear at the snap of a character’s fingers, emphasizes the playful silliness that radiates from the stage while this production occupies it. Jackie Mustakas’s choreography makes for a hilarious ensemble, something rare in American theatre.Open-minded audience members will love this show for its raucous humor that achieves both wit and vulgarity. From the beginning to the “surprise” ending, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” conveys a sense of fun in the theater, and fun is just a different form of great.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Those who wish to freshen up Shakespeare’s most renowned tragedy for Bloomington audiences are faced with quite a challenge. IU’s solution? Style and sexiness.“Hamlet” offers both at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.In this production, all but the dialogue is reshaped to fit the present, and even that is not entirely unaltered; these familiar lines contain the shrewdness exuded by the entire cast under Murray McGibbon’s direction. The show is a cunning one. In his first scene, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, played by graduate student Harper Jones, is eclipsed by his uncle and new king, the charismatic Claudius, played by senior Josh Hambrock. After an initial warm-up period, however, Jones manages to display a well-developed psyche that ranges from melancholy to misogynist. Tasked by the spirit of his murdered father to claim vengeance and regain his crown, Hamlet makes every attempt to reveal Claudius as a traitor. Claudius retaliates and, as is usually the case with Shakespeare, rival plots lead to the wreckage of all.“Hamlet” boasts several notable performances, including Hambrock, whose Claudius is more powerful than aristocrat but no less scheming. Doctoral student Bethany Barber plays Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, who is likewise appropriate for her role. In this world, European royalty becomes the tennis-playing, party-hosting yuppie caste of America. And while the humor here is played with more gusto than the sorrow, the realm of the rich and supposedly carefree is proven to be a dark place. Doctoral student Neal Utterback throws some light on such scenes with his delightful portrayal of Polonius. The costumes designed by Linda Pisano, associate professor of costume design, are instrumental in achieving a sense of modern times and appear to be ordered straight from Dolce and Gabbana or pulled from an American Eagle shelf. The only hint of classical Elizabethan clothing is during the tongue-in-cheek play put on by a touring acting company, which in itself is a highlight of the entire show. The scenic designs by Fred M. Duer, consisting primarily of two adjustable staircases, work in tandem with graduate student Cynthia Murphy’s lighting, which is enthusiastically showcased in everything from a stained-glass window to the enormous, projected head of the ghost of Hamlet’s father. The latter, however, results in inconsistent responses. With the black-and-white graininess of an ancient film reel, the ghost ends up looking like something seen halfway through Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride rather than a device for theatrical enhancement. IU takes a chic approach to a vintage script and emerges with a new fashion. For Shakespeare admirers, to go or not to go should not even be a question.