This event will feature seven of Michigan’s very own dance crews battling it out to win first place! First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded! Flowdom and Izzat are among the participating teams.
The event begins at 7pm tomorrow and will end around 9:30pm at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. Tickets are $2 at the door. Hope to see you there!
This concert was a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening. I enjoyed the range of songs the two choirs chose. The guest choir, a barbershop a cappella group named Voices in Harmony, mostly performed very percussive songs with plenty of the rich lower notes, while the Women’s Glee Club performed more serene songs with higher melodies and not as much of the alto section. This difference added a good variety to the concert. I only wish the theme, Journey On, had fit the subjects of the songs better.
I was, as always, impressed with the entrance of the Women’s Glee Club. They always file onto the risers, stand in straight lines, and then shift as one so that they are arrayed in window formation. I think my favorite song was “Down to the River to Pray,” because at the beginning most of the women were lined along either side of the main floor, so when they started singing it gave the sound a very universal quality and filled the space beautifully. The solos (in “Down to the River to Pray” and “Kyrie”) were all really well done. Midnight Blue, the Women’s Glee Club a cappella group, also performed three numbers. I like that in the songs Midnight Blue performs most everybody gets a solo, which allows a listener to distinguish the different voice timbres that make up the group.
Voices in Harmony was fantastic. I loved the sparkly black tops they all wore, and their enthusiasm was contagious. They began singing while one of their members was introducing them, which I thought was a very nice touch. There was plenty of choreography, making the songs really dynamic, and even when there wasn’t the women were all moving to the beat. My favorite song was “Bottom of the River”: they produced a beautiful beat by slapping the floor, clinking chains, and clapping their hands in something that reminded me of the hand jive from Grease, and they moved around throughout the song. The low notes in that piece, as well as all the others, really stood out to me, and added gravity to the performance.
These two groups each presented a unified front, enhancing the listeners’ experience. They both choreographed their songs, and they blended very well, using the same articulations (for example, in “Jubilate Deo,” sung by the Women’s Glee Club, they had beautiful staccato notes). When they joined to sing “You’re My Best Friend,” the two groups interspersed themselves among each other: I had been expecting them to stand in blocks, and the fact that they didn’t was refreshing and added meaning to the song as well. It was a wonderful performance, and I’m very glad I was able to go.
This Wednesday, the Union housed a very special exhibit from the University’s Confucius Institute, a display of hand-embroidered Peking Opera Costumes. I have long been interested in Peking Opera, and actually took a Peking Opera performance class for several months while I lived in Beijing. Despite having experience performing Peking opera, and having worn costumes before, I knew very little about the costumes themselves.
When I first walked in, the exhibition was nearly empty. The present exhibitor leaped at the chance to talk to me, and one of the first things out of her mouth was “do you want to try it on?” I took one look at the shimmering costume, decorated with delicate embroidery and sparkling details, and promptly refused, too afraid to touch the costume, let alone try it on, lest I somehow damage it. I don’t know if the she didn’t hear me, or simply didn’t share my fears, because before I knew it she was expertly shrugging the coat over my arms and placing the headpiece on my head. I hadn’t expected quite how heavy the costume would feel, but it felt like I was being slowly dragged to the ground by its sheer weight. Despite this one fact, it was surprisingly comfortable to wear, if a bit warm. The particular costume was for the titular character in the popular Beijing opera The Drunken Concubine. Below is a video showing off both The Drunken Concubine and the beautiful and iconic costumes used in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTOtkEIF05A
One of the most stunning elements of all the garments in the room was the hand-sewn embroidery. Featuring popular motifs such as the peony and the phoenix featured below, each design was filled with minute detail and vibrant colors. Sometimes the embroidery had special symbolism. Empresses tended to wear clothing with phoenixes embroidered onto them, whereas Emperors often would wear garments featuring the five-toed dragon.
Another presenter at the exhibit taught me how to flip and twirl a handkerchief, which might be part of an opera production. While the technique looked simple enough, I can say from personal experience that it is far from easy. It would take years, or at least months of practice to be able to flip it as expertly as she did. 
I hope that the Confucius Institute has further such events, as these costumes were too pretty to not be admired on the daily. To keep up with the events going on, check out the Confucius Institute’s official website.
The Handmaiden is a difficult movie to discuss without ruining the film. It’s one of the films best to watch knowing as little as possible. The trailer is sufficient preparation–it gives you a sense of what the movie is about without actually telling you what the movie is about. I don’t intend to write any spoilers, but if you haven’t seen the movie yet and have any desire or intention to, stop reading right here. Don’t read any other reviews. Don’t watch any scenes on youtube. You can watch the trailer, but that’s it. It’s a good movie. Just go watch it.
Still, even if I lost some (or all) readers there, I am obliged to go on with this review. I will try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.
The premise of this film is that as part of a conman’s plot to marry a rich orphan and gain her fortune (before declaring her insane and throwing her into an asylum), a thief is planted in the house as the rich orphan’s handmaiden. It is her duty to aid the conman and get her mistress to fall in love with him.
Complications arise.
I won’t go in to anymore plot details, but what I will say is that the film manages, very successfully, to pull you along. Things move at a quick enough pace that viewers don’t have time to wonder what if or maybe or hmmm–they have only the time to comprehend what is before them. We do not have time to ask the questions–let alone figure out what the real questions are. It is not rushed however. Individual scenes are not flashes. Rather, individual scenes are chosen carefully so that while they may be long and sufficient, they also always keep the plot moving just enough.
From a visual angle, the film is often beautiful, and more often disturbing. Sexual sadism rears its head in this film, and while the worst is heard and not seen, the atmosphere is persistently perverse. There is something wrong about this home and the people in it. Though the details and depths of this depravity are not revealed for sometime, the sense that something sinister lurks is present from first sight. That is not to say the atmosphere is gloomy or anything like that–there are many moments of levity and even sensual scenes. The wonder of this film lies in how it is able have us entangled in all its running themes, in both the romance and the dread.
And, of course, the suspense.
The movie will be playing at the Michigan Theater throughout the week. Student tickets are $8.
“The Handmaiden” by Park Chan-Wook is the kind of film that can captivate you for the entirety of its run time, entrancing the viewer and drawing them into its twisted and erotic world. Based off of the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-Wook moved the story of this thriller into Japanese-occupied Korea. From the moment I saw the trailer I knew that this film would be one to watch, but it far surpassed my wildest expectations.
Without reveal
ing too much of the plot, the film begins when skilled pickpocket Sook-Hee is recruited by a sly conman to pose as a handmaiden for the aloof and mysterious Lady Hideko, all in order to get at her rather large inheritance. The development and clever weaving of the story was one of my favorite parts of the entire film, and watching the threads slowly unravel had me utterly enthralled. Each of the actors and actresses delivered a praise-worthy performance, with Kim Min-hee sticking out for her layered delivery of Hideko.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the plot was the 
use of language. Most of the characters in the film are multilingual, speaking both Japanese and Korean. Even the decision of which language characters use with one another becomes yet another important, nuanced aspect of the plot. The languages were differentiated by the color of the subtitles, with Korean written in white and Japanese in yellow.
Some of my favorite elements of the movie were the breathtaking set design and costuming. I truly felt Sook-Hee’s envy looking at Hideko’s various dresses, jewelry and assorted finery. Additionally, a combination of brilliant cinematography, evocative lighting, and gorgeous set design drew me into every scene.
Lastly, I found the use of music to be particularly effective. There was minimal music during the first part of the movie, which lent to a sparse and oppressive atmosphere. However, as the plot developed, so did the music, and the contrast between the two halves of the movie was particularly effective.
When my friend and I left the theater we spent the entire walk home discussing the film, not able to bring up a single criticism. It has since quickly jumped to the top of my favorite movies list, battling it out with longtime favorites.
However, before you buy your ticket, I must issue a warning that this movie features several highly graphic sex scenes, and some graphic violence. Think carefully about what your limits are, and the limits of your movie-going partners, before you buy your ticket.
Show times for The Handmaiden at the Michigan theater can be found at their website (here) http://www.michtheater.org/schedule/ , tickets are $8 for students.
Images from The Guardian, A.V Club, CNN, The Hollywood News,
If I didn’t already know from the title of tonight’s performance, “G’s Out for Harambe,” by the time I picked up the program at the front of the theater I knew that we were about to see what my friend lovingly described as “a comedy show disguised as an acapella concert.” Describing the G-Men as able to rock audiences with “the power of 100 raging Mark Ruffalo’s,” and suggesting a game with points awarded for catching members “visibly power-hungry,” laughing at their own jokes, or going cross-eyed, the program was representative of the G-Men’s unique sense of fun and levity.
The G-Men were cracking jokes the entire night in between songs, showing off their tangible camaraderie. Sometimes it felt like the audience was privy to a big inside joke, that while none of us fully understood, we were fully entertained nonetheless. However, the true star of the show was the amazing musicality displayed by the group. They opened the performance with “Like Real People” by Hozier, which showcased both their singing and arranging skills. The trend continued through to their next song, “Dust Bowl Dance” by Mumford and Sons. I was most impressed by how skillfully they were able to alternate between powerful bursts of sound and quieter moments, moving together as a cohesive unit. For a sample of this particular arrangement of “Dust Bowl Dance,” check out their performance of it at last year’s Charity Fest below.
The next two songs were “Color My World” by Chicago and “Sunday Morning(s)” by Maroon 5. The soloists in each of these songs, as well as the entire set list, were fantastic and matched the tone of the song perfectly. One member even did an impressive saxophone imitation, reflecting the mix of comedy and artistry that G-Men possess. Check out the video of their performance of “Sunday Morning(s)” at this year’s MacFest below.
The last song before intermission was my favorite of the night, a stunningly emotive rendition of “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. After introducing the song with a joke of it being, “the 22nd best Beatles song,” they blew us away with the sheer power of their performance. Below is a video of them performing the song last year.
After a brief intermission, the Sopranos came onto stage and sang two numbers, one of them “Lost in the World” by Kanye West, a video of their arrangement is attached below. They then invited the G-Men back, who rushed onto the stage with renewed energy and fresh t-shirts, only to perform a stunning rendition of “Shadow of the Sun” together with the Sopranos.
They finished the show with three more songs, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, “Sandcastles” by Beyoncé, and “Ultralight Beam” by Kanye West. Each song was just as polished as the first half.
While snow was falling in blowing frigid air by the time we left the auditorium, my friends and I were filled with enough post-show energy to last for the entire walk home. The conversation never left the fantastic performance we had just witnessed. If you are interesting in listening to more of the G-men and keeping track of their upcoming concerts, check out their Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/themichigangmen/
