First off, an introduction is in order- My name is Bennett Stein. I’m a second year undergraduate student from Ann Arbor. I’ll be writing on this here blog with some type of regularity. I do encourage you to comment on the posts (“Oh man, Bennett, you’re so full of it.” or “Oh man, Bennett, you’re so god damn handsome” or “Meh, Bennett, you’re pretty so-so”), or, in addition, feel free to email me at bstei@umich.edu. Finally, tune in to No Shirt, No Radio every Wednesday night from midnight-1:30am on WCBN (88.3 or live stream) where I will continue to spin the funky and the weird every week.
However, the real deal is that Robin Williams is finally performing at Hill Auditorium this Friday night, October 30. Scheduled to perform here on March 28, Williams was out of commission for the past six months after a surgery to replace his aortic valve, repair his mitral valve, and correct his irregular heartbeat.
We know Robin Williams mostly from his extensive cinematic career that includes an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Good Will Hunting- one of his least funny roles- as well as outstanding performances in classics such as Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire and many others. But, he has also found great success as a stand up comedian. In 2004, Comedy Central named him 13th on the list of “100 Greatest Stand Up Comedians of All Time”.
Williams is back- he grew up in the Detroit burbs – and healthy and should rock a packed Hill Auditorium. Ticket prices are steep but there’s no better working comedian out there these days (broken link, updated!). Find a cracked window-get into Hill this Friday evening.
Who doesn’t love a free event? If you have some downtime this Wednesday and you’re an Ingrid Michaelson fan be sure to stop by Borders on State street for a good old time. Borders offers many great and free events so if you’ve never been to a “Live at 01” event, I’d be sure to check it out. Ingrid Michaelson will be performing a sold out show at The Ark the preceding night so if you weren’t able to snag tickets, this is a great opportunity to see her perform a few live songs, which will be broadcasted on Ann Arbor’s 107.1, and get some photos or an autograph. I myself will definitely be there so if you’re interested, it is suggested to arrive at Borders around 9:oo a.m. that morning to ensure you get a wristband. The actual event is at 12:30 p.m. so how about you stop by for some afternoon downtime and a relaxing show to get your day off to an awesome start.
If you’ve never heard of Ingrid Michaelson, her songs have been featured on Grey’s Anatomy and she provided the national anthem for sweaters in the infamous Old Navy commercials. Here is a link to a video last time she was at Borders. As you can see, it’s likely to be a wonderful event all happening down the street from class. Take a break from midterms and soak up some music to calm your nerves.
Just to recap…
What: Ingrid Michaelson Show and Signing
When: Wednesday, October 28th 12:30 p.m. (arrive at 9 for wristbands)
Where: Borders on State Street
How much: FREE!
Why: Cause who really wants to study in between classes anyways?
Yes! Yes! Yes! DKR gives yet another spectacular performance. I think that by the end of the night, everyone who attended had a crush on at least one of the dancers. My crush is on A-train, who’s birthday was actually the day of the show. “A” received a good spanking for each year of his life, including a few from a vicious lovely with a riding crop.
A-train, My Celebrity Crush
I realize that a lot of people don’t know who DKR is, so I will give a brief description of the group before moving on to the performance. Drag King Rebellion is a gender performance group that began here in Ann Arbor but now performs all over the state of Michigan. Each entertainer has a unique drag name and sometimes their own persona. The group dances and lip sings to a variety of different songs, from Broadway and Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga and N’SYNC. The show includes solo and group acts, displaying several different forms of contemporary feeling. Some of the acts are sad and political, some are funny and energetic, and some are romantic in a gushy kind of way. I love them, and so does their crowd of adoring fans!
Charlie Chapless, Funny and Fabulous, When I Questioned Him Later About Why He Joined the Troupe 3 Years Ago, He Said "I'm Just Drawn To It. I Love To Perform In Drag!"
To get to the show I had to ask people at the Spectrum Center (an excellent on-campus resource) where Sh/AUT was located and how to get there. My friends and I arrived, never having been there before, and were immersed into a sea of costumed Halloween goers and beautiful drag queens. So much fun! Everyone should visit at least once in their life.
The show started off with a upbeat funny song from the Broadway show “Altar Boys.” They had the crowd rolling in laughter and cheering. Later there was a very deep number that showed us the affects of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy on a relationship. Perhaps everyone’s favorite act was the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Fish net stockings and lacy corsets really bring out the Rocky/Franky/Columbia/Magenta in all of us. The dancers had so many great acts that I can’t describe all of them. The concert started at 10:15ish and went till 1:00am. Songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Backstreet Boys’ “Incomplete” received shouts of enthusiasm as people recognized them, while lesser-known songs were used to convey certain messages. One dance, I can’t remember the name of the song for the life of me, was about a couple in love in a park. We had to listen to the words and watch the dancers to understand. It was a very passionate and lovely display of talent by Manny Schevitz and I believe Ridn Handlebars.
Manny Schevitz, An Acquaintance of Mine from the Spectrum Center
I didn’t realize that it would be this hard to write about the performance. This is just one of those shows that you have to see for yourself. Everyone who goes has a blast and we even receive a little education/awareness on the subject of gender identity and expression. I know that I love them, and now my friends do too. So you should all definitely try to stay up to date on their events (I’ll help the best that I can) and make sure you go.
Cliff Hanger, Actually an Alum of the Group, Performed a Beautiful Resurrection in a Love Song to her Long Time Girl Friend
The show ended with a fantastic “Thriller” act, but then as they started walking away, some angel in the crowd shouted “ENCORE!” and we all repeated the cry. The troupe came back for one last dance, and of course the finale was Rocky Horror’s “Time Warp.” Everyone got in on this dance. I love the Time Warp! And so did most of the crowd.
Coco Le Femme, Absolutely Amazing Dancer!
It was sad to say goodnight to the performers, but they were exhausted, A-train a little sore, so we all returned home with smiles on our faces. I’m sure many of the newcomers, such as the people I took, will be returning to the next show. Make sure you stay up to date by visiting DKR’s website at http://dragkingrebellion.webs.com/ . I hope to see you at the next show! And you have a, what is it that A-train said, “A Happy Halloweener!”
Of course you do, or at least you will once you go see them! They are only the most amazing Gender Performance group ever to hit Ann Arbor! DKR, or Drag King Rebellion, uses the power of music and dance expression to entertain and educate. Each dancer brings their own unique character to the performance and provides us with many different gender identities, experiences, and all around awareness.
The troupe isn’t all serious though. They use a diverse range of music to deliver joy, sorrow, comedy, and energy to the audience. If you’ve never seen them, you really should go to their show this Friday night.
They are performing twice, first at 7:00 pm and then at 10:00 or 11:00 pm. I keep getting mixed messages about the times, since DKR had to switch venues recently due to the Blind Pig’s discriminating guests. I will be attending the later performance with a few friends, and we are so exited! We’re getting to Sh/AUT around 10:00 just to be safe. You should definitely come and enjoy yourself!
Venue: Sh/AUT
315 Braun Court
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-994-3677
Cover Price: $5.00/person
For more information, or to learn about any of the individual members of DKR, or even to find out how to become a part of the group, visit http://dragkingrebellion.webs.com/
Love at first Wit, some would say. What we would call a "Lover’s Quarrel"
Well if you do (or even if you don’t), you should go see “Love’s Labour’s Lost” performed by a cast all the way from London. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre of London delivered a remarkable portrayal of Shakespeare’s classic comedy. Even those who have trouble with Shakespearean terminology will laugh through the entire performance. The play is full of sexual allusions and innuendos, insults, puns, and jests. The actors and actresses have obvious talent and present the atmosphere of a true Shakespearean age. And if that’s not enough, just look at all their awesome outfits!
See, fantastic outfits! And you should see the girls' dresses!See, here they are
Before writing more about the show, I’d like to explain an interesting fact I learned when buying a ticket. I was purchasing a ticket over the phone (which would have been $36.00 for a balcony seat) when the woman helping me explained one of our many fantastic student advantages. Did everyone know that Student Rush tickets are only $10.00? As long as you purchase them before the box office closes, you get them cheaper, and I got a much better seat than if I would have paid over the phone. So when you do go see this play (because I know you will), make sure to buy a Rush ticket for $10.00 (get to the Box office before 5:00 for this price. I was also told that tickets can be purchased at the show for $15.00).
Ok, back to the play. I’ll give you a general summary and then you can go see it. King Ferdinand of Navarre and his three companions, Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine, all take an oath that they will swear off all pleasures for three years and focus on their studies. These pleasures include women, adequate food and sleep, and all-around fun. The Princess of France and her ladies, Rosaline, Maria, and Katherine, arrive and soon the boys are breaking their vows as they fall head-over-heels in love. Literally, the four suitors are seen climbing trees, rolling around on the ground, and acting as benches to hide the love sicknesses that have caught each of them.
Some classic Shakespeare tricks and an outrageously funny peasant couple help spice up the play, while a Spaniard with extremely broken English keeps the laughter rolling. An excellent performance by Christopher Godwin, who played Holofernes, a School Master, is not forgotten as he insults the other characters and trails off in his old age. I don’t want to give anything away, so you should go see the play. It is so funny that at one point some of the actors laughed on stage! I loved it, and I’m sure you will too. In fact, I enjoyed myself so much that I want to see the play again, but I’m busy with so many other events. I would definitely pay the money again. So I urge everyone else to go see it. How many times in life are you going to be able to see a world renowned cast perform one of Shakespeare’s funniest and wittiest comedies? Not very often.
When: Tuesday, October 20, 8 pm
Thursday, October 22, 8 pm
Friday, October 23, 8 pm
Saturday, October 24, 8 pm
Sunday, October 25, 2 pm Where: UofM Power Center for the Performing Arts What: Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
Really though, I had so much fun Tuesday night. It always takes me that time to switch over to Shakespeare language, but once it clicks, the rest of the play is amazing (and I walk away talking like that. Usually I’ll greet people with elaborate old English sentences after a play and they’ll look at me funny, but whatever). I really do love Shakespeare. Whether it’s sad, funny, or historic, it is always well written and acted. Seeing the plays live also makes the plays better. Reading them is ok, but seeing them allows you to differentiate the characters and actually see why something might be funny (especially since we don’t always understand puns that are centuries old). Even if you don’t go to this one, everyone should see a live Shakespeare play sometime in their life. And for $10.00, why not? What else do you have to do on a Tuesday? Come on, I know you’re just sitting in your room wishing something were happening. Guess what, something is, and it is Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” by his Globe Theatre of London!
What if aliens came to earth, not fearsome and hell-bent on destroying humans, not super-powerful and prepared to enlighten the ignorant citizens of our planet, but rather sick and malnourished, in a broken spaceship? This is the premise of science fiction movie District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp. The film has the feel of a documentary, beginning with a montage of interviews and news reports. My initial reaction during those first few minutes was that I was in for a movie-used-as-mouthpiece-for-political-opinions. But I was wrong. District 9 raises challenging questions, but does not attempt to answer them in any sort of pat manner. In fact, the primary question I found myself pondering as I walked out of the theater was “Could that really happen? Would people really do that? And if so, what does that say about human nature?”
It’s easy to imagine that if aliens showed up on earth, we would treat them with both curiosity and compassion. But what about years after they have arrived, when the burgeoning alien population is becoming a drain on the state’s resources? District 9 takes place 20 years after the aliens have arrived—after the novelty of having extraterrestrial visitors has worn off. The city of Johannesburg, where the spaceship originally appeared and where the aliens are housed (in a tightly packed district of shacks), is starting to buck against the aliens’ presence. The people of Johannesburg complain that the aliens are scavengers who will pull the shoes off a person, indeed strip them bare of anything profitable, and then kill them. Here the contentious questions begin. How should the aliens be treated? What rights belong to them? How should they be punished for their behavior? The “prawns,” as the aliens are derisively called, are supposedly the “workers” (implying some type of colony/hive queen structure to their society) of the species. Does that excuse their behavior? Or is their violence simply born out of poverty, desperation, and the misery of living so far from home? Does that excuse their behavior?
When MNU (Multi-National United) decides to relocate the aliens outside of Johannesburg, MNU officials go door to door demanding signatures (or rather, “scrawls”). One alien, Christopher, reads the document carefully and complains that his eviction is not legal. This raises yet more questions: what is “legal” in this situation? Should the aliens have any say in the matter? Since the aliens are essentially powerless to resist, why even bother to maintain such a poor semblance of legality? (At one point, an MNU official claims that he has obtained a scrawl when in reality the alien was knocking the clipboard out of his hands.)
I’m not going to disclose any more of the plot, but I do have to say that the list of questions is unending. And the ramifications of these themes extend far beyond the (arguably unlikely) scenario of aliens landing on earth. How should refugees be treated? Illegal immigrants? How much say do people who are entirely dependent on the government get about their living conditions? What are acceptable forms of population control? (One MNU official crassly compares the sound of burning alien eggs to popcorn popping.) How far can we go in the name of science? (The aliens, and even one human, are the unwilling subjects of scientific experimentation.)
This movie tackles tough issues, but doesn’t let them weigh down the plot. At times, fulfilling its role of summer blockbuster, District 9 adheres to the clichés of action films: there are chase scenes, (gratuitously) bloody shoot-outs, the requisite corny moment of alien-human solidarity (“No! We stick together!” one of the aliens says to a human), and the (actually very touching) portrait of a selfish, incompetent man who redeems himself in a key moment of self-sacrifice at the end. A movie well-worth seeing, not just for the action, but also for the thought-provoking, poignant questions about human nature it weaves in.
