Author: musickim

Oh my soul, the concert I attended Tuesday evening must have been the most spiritual, uplifting, heart-warming, concert I have ever attended. If you were not in the audience of the Fillmore Tuesday night, I truly believe you missed out on something special. Something only a few of us here were lucky enough to witness. But worry not, there will be another chance. Like me, you should already be looking into the next Walk the Moon concert and desperately trying to find front row tickets. Every ounce of sweat you feel come off the band is just another step closer to heaven.

I seriously believe this group has some of the most inspiring souls I have ever had the chance to be in the presence of. Every song was so much more than just some notes traveling through the room. They poured their hearts into every word and were living their music, revealing to everyone what life really is through every word they sang. This is exactly what a concert should be. You forget about everything else in your life except the music and the people around you. Then, after you leave the concert hall, you feel like you have just been told the meaning of life, knowing exactly how to approach the world, realizing you can of course deal with all the annoying little things of your daily routine.

Their music reminds you how happy you can be, if you just focus on the good side of life. As Nick (the lead singer) told everyone in the Fillmore to release all the bullshit we have in our lives and give up on everything outside of the now, you could feel the entire audience loose a million tons of stress. Everyone suddenly forgot why they had been worrying about that essay they had to turn in, or why they were worried about some Facebook post their friend made that day. Even the politics of the day faded into the distance. What we felt in that moment can only be expressed as pure ecstasy. And no ensemble has been able to do that for me quite in the same way Walk the Moon did.

I think many of us have given up on the idea that musicians aren’t jaded by the money, lifestyle, or fame, but I truly believe Walk the Moon may be one of the last groups left that truly just loves music and wants to move some people on this Earth. Another one of my favorite bands, Johnnyswim, convinces you of the same thing. I don’t believe I will ever tire of listening to their music because of this reason. You can’t help but feel more connected to the Earth and just smile because you are happy to be alive when listening to their music. I cannot stress how much this concert meant to me, and I highly HIGHLY encourage you to go see them live if you ever have the chance. They are totally worth the money, and you will not be disappointed.

 

What? Walk the Moon’s Talking is Hard Concert (with The Griswolds!!)

When? Tuesday, April 7th at 7:00 pm

Where? The Fillmore, Detroit

How Much? $30 and up

Why? Whether or not you are a true hipster fan of Walk the Moon or just got on board with their latest album Talking is Hard, you are sure to love their new concert! A great indie rock band from Ohio, they have such life and vivacity that you are guaranteed a good time. Also, with The Griswolds joining them on tour, you don’t just get one great band to hear perform, but two! It’s a concert you won’t want to miss!!

 

If anyone asked me my first thoughts about Arsenic and Old Lace, I would say that if you have a weak stomach, you should avoid this play. I would then say, if you can handle some mildly creepy story lines, you will spend the night laughing away. Arsenic and Old Lace was both hysterical and darkly disturbing, making it quite the unique experience for me.

Walking into a dinner theatre was an experience in itself. I got to sit down at a table of strangers, have some delicious food, and socialize before the play even started. This made the evening rather magical and added a lot to the experience as a whole. It felt more like I was spending the night out having a grand experience than simply going for some entertainment to pass the hours. And then when we’d finished sipping our coffee and exchanging our last pleasantries, we watched the lights dim as the play began.

I was pleasantly surprised by the talent of the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. They put on a very seamless show, making everyone in the audience really feel immersed in this Brooklyn story. Since the cast used the room itself as a prop, I felt very close to the characters. Perhaps this is why I also felt very affected by the eerie plot. Every time there was harm attempted on one of the characters, I felt as if I was in truly with them in that room watching it happen. Of course, the frightening plot was not pushed beyond its purpose of creating humour. Every dark scene played into this sense of a darkly sarcastic world, where nothing is taken very seriously, and everyone’s actions were treated as fleeting and unaffecting. In this sense it played off the true tragedy seen in our own world, where people fly through life without really seeing what’s right in front of them.

Overall, I had a great night with many laughs amongst good company. I very much look forward to seeing another dinner theatre in the future, as well as being able to watch the movie version of Arsenic and Old Lace, starring Cary Grant. I highly recommend both of these to all of you out there as well.

What: Arsenic and Old Lace, a dinner/dessert theatre

When: March 26 at 7:00 pm, March 27&28 at 6:30, March 29 at 1:30

Where: Michigan League, Hussey Room

How Much: Dessert $35 ($17 for students), Dinner $65 available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office

Come and enjoy an evening of great food and watch a comedic performance of the play Arsenic and Old Lace. It is a black comedy about the Brewster Family including murder, plastic surgery, and humor, all set in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Can you remember the last time you truly believed in magic? For some of us, it has been a long time since we let our minds wander into the world of possibilities. But if you just take a moment, separate yourself from the world around you, and take a look at what life has given you and the memories you possess, you may find that you are in your very own fairytale. The world is a much more beautiful, giving place than we usually give it credit for. What Cinderella showed me, and what I often forget in my everyday life, is how we must, with every fiber of our being, hold onto the magic we have experienced even in the seemingly insignificant moments.

The theme from the movie was that one must always have courage and be kind. At first glance, this short message may not seem all that significant. However, upon closer inspection, I came to find that even this corny, cliche moral has a lot of power. The character of Cinderella fully embodied this as a way of life, having in every action an optimism that seems impossible to muster given her situation. We all know the story of Cinderella, a kind soul whose mother died as a child and father passed away after remarrying a cruel women with two atrocious daughters who treat Cinderella as a servant instead of an equal. However, throughout the film, Cinderella showed a strength in her that you don’t come across on a daily basis. A strength to look past her situation and still see what is good in the world, and instead of lashing out at the world that had been so cruel to her, to try and make it better with every chance she got.

One of my favorite parts of this new adaptation was how they developed Cinderella’s character alongside that of the Prince’s character. Instead of Cinderella being a helpless girl who was whisked off her feet by Prince Charming, she actually had the gusto to stand up to the prince and speak her mind, meeting him as an equal instead of a lesser character. Even after the ball, when Cinderella was not sure she would ever meet her prince again, the movie emphasized her strength ad ability to accept life for what it is. She would have gone on happily enjoying her sweet memories and the small things in life with or without the prince coming along.

Besides the beautiful character development in the movie, there was also an astounding level of artistry in the cinematography, music, costume design, and set design. Everything that ended up on screen was nothing short of breath-taking. Every color seemed more saturated and more vibrant than I had ever seen it. Of course, Cinderella’s ball gown stole the show with how it swept across the floor when her and the prince danced, or with how it resembled rippling water when she ran from the castle. Cinderella’s house was divine, with every quaint aspect of a country home that anyone could ever imagine, as well as a regality in the interior that seemed almost out of place. There were also certain compositional elements of the film that really caught the attention of the viewer. It was clear that a lot of thought was put into how each frame could bring out the emotions in the scene as well as the magic in the story. And the music was the icing on the cake. In my opinion, a movie is nothing without a good soundtrack, and I was not disappointed. The music, by Patrick Doyle, was interwoven into every scene to reach into the audience’s heart and pull tears out of your eyes. You found yourself longing to set Cinderella free from her life of toil, desirous of being at the ballroom with so many magnificent people, or wishing for even one moment in the presence of the prince and his father to experience their love firsthand. You know you have stumbled across a really good movie when you consciously notice the absence of any music and how it leaves you hanging in anticipation, just waiting for what will come next.

Overall, I can’t say enough good things about this movie. I had no expectations going in, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself feeling alive and full of joy when leaving the theatre. Seeing such a wonderful story as this will make you see the beauty in the world and have you believing in magic again.

 

Has anyone managed to think of Christmas without thinking of the Nutcracker? Because I know I certainly have not. I grew up hearing the music of Tchaikovsky, knowing the story of the little girl whose gift came to life, and romanticizing about the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The whole performance is something out of a dream, and it seems to bring out the child in everyone, longing for a christmas of miracles.

 

This performance of the Nutcracker by the Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre was phenomenal. I was unsure of the age range of the ensemble, or of the size of the cast, but was amazed when I realized how many people came together to put on this performance and the variety in the age range. There were children no older than 3 or 4 as well as adults in the company. This made the performance really beautiful in getting to see dancers who are just growing up in a community of performing arts as well as those who can appreciate it later in life. Also, knowing that the whole thing had to be perfectly orchestrated in order to smoothly transition between scenes (given the large amount of people involved and the fantastical props used), I have to say it was a remarkable feat to pull off this show. The stage production must be one of the defining features of the Nutcracker. The costumes glitter, the props are nothing less than extravagant, and the snow at the end of the first act bedazzled the audience. The lavish sets are truly what brought the audience into this dream world.

 

Of course, the set would be nothing without the cast. Clara and her Nutcracker had great precision in their movements as well as flow in the outline of their dances. They were both high school students, and for that I applaud them greatly. Many of the other performers, such as the Mouse Queen, also executed their roles pristinely. One of my favorite parts of watching a performance is forgetting I am sitting in the audience, and there were definitely times in this performance when I believed I was part of Clara’s dream. Now that I know this performance is put on every year by the same theatre, I am tempted to make it tradition to go back every year I am here. It was the perfect way to ring in the holiday season, get a bit of culture, and enjoy the great music of Tchaikovsky. No matter which form of the performing arts you prefer, there is definitely something for everyone in this production.