Category: Student Organization

REVIEW: MACFest

Angela Lin Leave a comment

MACFest had all the elements of a typical a cappella concert: people standing in a half circle, many hand gestures, and neat beatboxers. All 15 University of Michigan a cappella groups performed, along with a special guest performance by the Flint Octaves. Everyone sang great, but some groups stood out in particular with some memorable highlights of the night.

Amazin’ Blue kept up its legendary reputation with “Nowhere to Run,” bringing quality music that they are known for. Maica Mori of Good News sang “Hills and Valleys” with a soothing elegance and beauty, her pure voice floating through the air. Maica literally has the voice of an angel, and I could listen to her sing forever. Then, Maize Mirchi sang a calming and gentle “Au Re Chanda Pt. 4”, showing how diverse and talented the groups on campus are.

Friars, the a cappella group of the Men’s Glee Club, pulled a fast on on us. Starting out with “Ava Maria”, they quickly turned the tables and started rocking out to the Jonas Brothers’ classic hit, “Burnin’ Up.” This got the audience excited, who previously thought they were going to have to sit through the beautiful yet less-than-exciting “Ava Maria.” Instead, they pull out freshly dorky dance moves and gave us an enjoyable throwback to the 2008 hit.

The DJs brought some classy sass to the stage, with Taylor Adams rapping and singing “White Lillies/White Lies.” The all-female group Sirens had a sultry yet powerful rendition of “Cotton Eye Joe” with tantalizing harmonies and melodies. Finally, the G Men ended the concert in a way only the G Men could, storming the auditorium in soccer jerseys before closing with “Other Side of Paradise,” soloist Kyle Kim filling the stadium by hitting some impressive notes.

The groups all brought power and energy to the stage with only the miraculous sounds of their voices. While they all only performed one song, it was clear each group had their own dynamic and style and they’ll have a great year of music and passion ahead of them.

PREVIEW: Cabaret

Angela Lin Leave a comment

Cabaret is the 1966 musical that focuses on the Kit Kat Klub in 1931 Berlin. Young American writer Cliff Bradshaw and English cabaret performer Sally Bowles navigate a relationship during this tumultuous time. Meanwhile, German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor, come to grips with their doomed romance.

Even though it takes place during the rise of the Nazi Party, this musical is timeless, so come out in 2018 and watch MUSKET put on a performance that remains powerful today. Tickets are on sale at MUTO (in the Michigan League Underground) or can be purchased online. Shows are November 16 and 17 at 8pm and November 18 at 2pm at the Power Center.

PREVIEW: Candide

JM Leave a comment

Come celebrate American composer, conductor, and pianist Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday with the University Opera Theatre and University Symphony Orchestra!

Bernstein’s opera is adapted from a satirical novella of the same name by Voltaire. It follows the title character, an optimistic young man named Candide, on his adventures across the globe, and is known for its emotional power.

Performances will take place at the Power Center on Nov. 8 at 7:30 PM, Nov. 9 & 10 at 8 PM, and
Nov. 11 at 2 PM. Tickets are $24 or $30 for the general public, and $12 with a student ID. This event is also on the Passport to the Arts, so grab one to get a ticket for free! For more information, visit https://events.umich.edu/event/52126.

If you would like to see one of the works of an American musical great right here at the University of Michigan, don’t miss the School of Music, Theatre and Dance’s performance of Candide!

 

PREVIEW: Weaving

Angela Lin Leave a comment

“Stay true to yourself” seems to be the advice of the century as society becomes more accepting of different identities and supportive of individual aspirations. However, what happens when that advice starts to affect your closest relationship? Weaving, a new play by Hodges Adams, follows the friendship of Vero and Bastian, as well as their inner lives, as they each come to terms with their identities and the turmoil that comes with it. This LGBT coming-of-age story about books, love, feminism, and friendship is being performed by the RC Players on November 9 and 10 at 8pm in East Quad’s Keene Theater with a suggested ticket price of $5.

REVIEW: Women’s Glee Club Fall Concert

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The Women’s Glee Club fall concert featured performances from Women’s Glee, the South Lyon High School Varsity Choir, and Midnight Blue. Although this concert seemed to take attention away from just voices, adding a lot of instrumental work, the concert consisted of empowering messages for women, students, and those affected by the Holocaust.

My favorite song was the Women’s Glee Club’s second performance. Called “A Jubliant Song” by Norman Dello Joio, it represented a complex and versatile method of using an entire choir. Each segment of the choir was singing almost the entire time, forming intense harmonies and crescendos. The pianist, Bobby Levinger, was also amazing, showcasing his talent with every note. After speaking with my friend in the choir, I discovered that “A Jubliant Song” was ridiculously complicated to perform, but it stood out to me as the most unique and memorable number of the night.

After “A Jubliant Song,” the Women’s Glee Club performed “Reflections from Yad Vashem,” by Daniel Hall. The song was a juxtaposition of references to the Book of Genesis, prose by Hall, and names of children who were victims of the Holocaust. It was a haunting tune, using a lot of minor key along with a beautiful viola performance by Samuel Koeppe.

Women’s Glee Club then left the stage, making room for the South Lyon High School Varsity Choir. While they were less in number than Women’s Glee, their sound was still resonant and strong. For their last performance, “Bring Me Little Water, Silvy,” all the singers stepped down from the bleachers to form a line across the lip of the stage. They made their own percussion by clapping and stomping, which was a welcome addition to the relatively textbook glee performance.

After intermission, Midnight Blue sang “Praying” by Kesha, a song meant to serve as a message of empowerment for anyone going through hard times. After that they performed “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. Both rather contemporary pieces provided diversity to the concert, allowing for some of the glee singers without solos in the large performance to get their voices heard.

Women’s Glee then retook the stage. For their last two songs, they invited any glee alumni to join them in singing the famous “Yellow and Blue” as well as “Varsity Victors.” As a senior, those were probably my second favorite performances, as they always make me proud to be a student here.

Overall, the fall concert was a great way to celebrate 125 years. I appreciate that the glee club invites high school choirs and alumni to join them each year. Additionally, the use of talented musicians really adds to the performances, although I wish some songs simply focused on the voices of the glee club members.