XU Singers hop down the rabbit hole
Nora Heink
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
The University Singers took audiences down the rabbit hole last weekend in their production of “Alice’s Psychedelic Journey.” Highly conceptualized by Singers’ director Danny Manning and firmly anchored by pop hits from artists such as Pink Floyd, Gnarls Barkley, Beck and Chris Brown, the show was as fantastical as the Lewis Carroll novels at its center.
To those unfamiliar with Singers’ productions, the group’s moniker may not do justice to the ensemble, and describing them as a “show choir” doesn’t accurately define them either. The company is a fixture at Xavier and stages high-quality performances that combine song and dance of all genres and styles.
Focused around the Carroll stories “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass,” the Singers’ latest “Psychedelic Journey” began with Alice, portrayed by senior Liz Wagner, being pulled into a bizarre dreamworld to the tune of “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. From there, the Singers’ presented the audience with a phantasmagoria of zany characters including a Door Mouse, The Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter.
The songs that followed showcased the cast’s incredible talent, and included several eye-popping ensemble dance numbers—most notably the Edgar Winter’s “Free Ride,” sung by freshman Justin Hanks as the Red King, and Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” sung by the White Queen, senior Jessi Kovatch, and the Cheshire Cat, junior Katie Huey.
Outstanding individual performances included Kovatch’s vocals in the Earth Wind and Fire hit “Fantasy” and, although it was the slowest song of the show, Huey’s rendition of “Round Midnight” by Thelonious Monk. Senior Mike Sause also provided laughs as Humpty Dumpty singing Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
The Singers’ were backed by the local band “Eclipse,” which—vocals and dancing aside—could have provided enough incentive to attend the show. The band experiments with both fusion and hip-hop styles and tours both locally and nationally. Aside from treating the audience to several guitar and keyboard solos, the band performed an excellent cover of Groove Collective’s “Hide It.”
Manning and the production crew did a fine job of reinterpreting a familiar set of children’s stories into a show that was both dark and edgy while still maintaining a whimsical and somewhat innocuous feel. The costumes and makeup, designed by Tiffany Lusht of the production team Mind Ignition, made for an interesting visual effect, consisting of variations on a black and white theme calling for plenty of black eyeliner.
Senior Jeannette Stokes’ lighting, combined with front and side screens projecting images suggestive of each scene’s wonderland theme, also enhanced the production’s visual and overall sensory appeal.
I’ll be the first to say that I’m often cynical about musical productions that MacGyver a plot out of a set of unrelated pop songs a la “Across the Universe,” “Mamma Mia!” and pretty much half of what’s been on Broadway in the past 10 years.
Fortunately, Manning refrained from imposing a storyline on the show as a whole and instead used the episodic structure of Carroll’s tales to provide an excellent showcase for students’ talent. The result was a feeling of justified outlandishness in a production that, like the original stories, doesn’t take itself too seriously.
‘Grandmother’s Attic’ had stories to share
Stephanie Metz
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Erika Bresee
The Rainbow Goblins, from left to right: Monica Bostic, Ollie Birkhead, Eliza Martin and Natalie Fortmeyer gather around Lisa Margevicius to hear a story.
When can you relive the excitement that comes from child-like faith and imagination if not during the holiday season?
The Xavier Players brought the spirit of the season to life in their production of “Tales from my Grandmother’s Attic,” which played in the Black Box studio last week from Thursday, Dec. 4 to Monday, Dec. 8.
This production was the result of Madcap Puppet Theatre’s year-long residence at Xavier.
The plot from “Tales from my Grandmother’s Attic” is exactly what you would expect.
Cypher, a colorful puppet played by freshman Zoe Teets, opens the show and decides to let the audience see what happened the last time Grandmother’s attic was explored.
Chris (freshman Ollie Birkhead) and Jesse (sophomore Lisa Margevicius) open a forbidden trunk labeled “Keep Out!” in their grandmother’s attic, and mayhem ensues.
Chris is taken hostage by the trunk, and Jesse has to tell stories so her brother can be released.
Jesse tells several folktales to the ornery Jasper, played by junior Elle Rothan, which include a lot of colorful characters such as Princess Squeaky-Cheeks, played by freshmen Monica Bostic and Natalie Fortmeyer, and the Rainbow Goblins played by Birkhead, Bostic, Fortmeyer and junior Eliza Martin. Although the show featured a small cast, they were able to jump from one role to another easily, so that the overall story did not suffer.
Although the show is geared toward children, the kids in the audience were far outnumbered by the adults in attendance. “Tales from my Grandmother’s Attic” was less than an hour long and the play’s pace moved along quickly, leaving everyone entertained.
All the adults present, myself included, enjoyed the show a great deal and were just as mystified as the kids were by Madcap’s puppets.
After the show the audience was able to meet the puppeteers and ask questions
about the puppets, the performance and how everything worked.
Adults were as interested as the kids in how each puppet worked and was brought
to life.
I can’t commend all of these actors and puppeteers enough. They used everything available to them, their voices, their bodies and their puppets to bring the characters to life.
Although once or twice puppeteers hidden behind curtains were visible to the audience, it did not seriously damage their performances.
I was also impressed by the cast’s ability to interact with audience participants. Several scenes in the play required audience volunteers. The cast, especially Margevicius, did a great job of getting the audience involved in the performance and guiding those who volunteered.
The puppetry was incredible. Some puppets concealed the human presenting them, while other puppets left their humans fully visible. Either way, humans and puppets blended seamlessly during the performance. The puppets seemed like a natural extension of the actors.
Not only did the puppeteers embody their puppets physically, but in their voices as well. All four goblins’ voices were great; each had a distinct personality.
The play’s set also enhanced the performance. Various trunks were scattered around the stage to represent the attic, a classic location for childhood mischief. Antique picture frames and Christmas decorations rounded out the set.
In addition to the master classes that produced “Tales from my Grandmother’s Attic,” Madcap and Xavier students will collaborate on a touring production this spring entitled “Healthy Habits,” which will focus on the problem of childhood obesity.
Overall, the Players produced a crowd-pleaser for young and old.
Hollywood braces for another strike
Christian Sese
Contributing Writer
Less than a year after the 100-day writer’s strike, which cost the Hollywood industry around $2 billion, the nation’s largest actors’ union may stage a walkout early next year.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which represents over 120,000 working actors in film and television worldwide, is seeking a strike authorization from its members by the end of this month.
The union’s negotiators are confident that a strike authorization would
aid in the contract talks with Hollywood studios that broke down last month.
SAG’s contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
expired on June 30 after both sides were unable to agree on new contract terms
regarding “new media.”
The fundamental issue dividing SAG and major studios is how actors would be paid when movies and TV shows are distributed through mobile phones and the internet.
As Hollywood enters this new digital era, the guild wants to ensure it receives a portion of an online shows’ profits and that their actors are able to work under a union contract.
While studios argue that shows created for the internet do not generate enough revenue, the guild believes online entertainment is Hollywood’s next frontier.
With the upcoming awards season and the state of the nation’s economy, many Hollywood insiders believe the repercussions of a strike would be disastrous; therefore, studio executives feel that a strike is unlikely.
The recession has already caused several major studios and TV networks to lay off thousands of employees.
Last week, NBC Universal announced that it would cut 3 percent of its workforce or 500 employees while Viacom, Inc. (owner of MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures) announced it would trim 850 jobs.
SAG President Alan Rosenberg has criticized studios for using the depressed economy to dismiss the needs of actors, claiming that they are victims of corporate greed and deserve to secure their futures.
Following the collapse of the contract talks last month, the SAG launched a $100,000 “educational campaign” to gather support for a possible strike that could begin in mid-January.
The guild communicated to its members through emails, mailings, newsletters and town hall meetings in the hopes that they would be able reach a majority vote for a strike.
At the end of this month, strike authorization ballots will be mailed out to all eligible SAG members.
The balloting process will take about three weeks and if approved by 75 percent of its members, the guild’s 71-member board can begin a strike at any time.
While an actors’ strike could halt productions of your favorite TV shows, fear not because some scripted programs would not be affected.
Popular shows such as “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Saturday Night Live” would be safe. If an actors’ strike does occur, you’ll probably see a rise in reruns.
However, compared to the writers’ strike,which led to crumbling ratings and shortened seasons, viewers this time might not notice much of a difference.
Breifs
Fashion Models
Interested in modeling? Are you always developing the newest pose? Come to an informational meeting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11 in Gallagher room 330 for more details about how you can be a part of Xavier’s Spring 2009 fashion show, “Evolution.”
Free Hot Beverages
Here’s one good thing about finals week: free hot beverages in the vending machines! Starting around 7 a.m. on Mon., Dec. 15 and ending at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, the hot beverage machines will provide free beverages compliments of Auxiliary Services.\
Stress-Buster
O’Connor Sports Center is offering a two-hour Spinning Class from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. The class will combine endurance and racing elements for a two-hour workout that’ll keep you in shape for finals week. The course costs $3 or is free with a semester fitness pass. Participants should bring water and a towel. Reservations can now be made at the OSC front desk—hurry, space is limited.
