Is there any better way to wave goodbye to winter and welcome the warm weather than eating ice cream? Ben and Jerry think so, by hosting their annual Free Cone Day, tomorrow April 12th! Every year, Ben & Jerry’s warms hearts and cools taste buds with a little bit of heaven. Celebrate the arrival of spring with a FREE scoop from any local Ben & Jerry’s parlor. Most people have to search the freezer section of their local grocery store to find the quirky, frozen treats but lucky for us Ann Arborites there’s a Scoop Shop smack dab in the thick of downtown AA. Go between 12PM-8PM to receive a free treat. Ben & Jerry’s is located on 304 South State Street. The company considers it a small thank you to their customers for thirty-three years of “scooping the chunkiest, funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet.” Looking for traditional chocolate or vanilla? Try Stuchhi’s down the street because Ben and Jerry “classics” consist of Cherry Garcia, Everything But The Kitchen Sink, and Phish Food. Infamous for their fun flavors and hippie roots, the question for Ann Arbor isn’t whether you’re going, but what flavor are you going to get? 
PREVIEW: Sheifest 2011
Sunday, April 10th from 7pm-10pm, Shei Magazine will host their annual event in honor of their new issue. Shei Magazine is a student-led publication on campus that dedicates itself to the arts, culture, and fashion. The night will celebrate University students who have been nominated for their signature style. The selected group of students will model their looks, each showcasing their good taste in fashion. The fashion show guarantees an eclectic mix of clothing, ranging from vintage finds to current trends. To reserve tickets, email sheifest@sheimagazine.com. Simply include your name, the number of tickets you would like to purchase, and the ticket type. Presale tickets cost $7 for general admission and $12 for VIP tickets as opposed to $10 general and $15 VIP at the door Sunday evening. A VIP ticket includes a copy of the magazine and a gift bag. For those who preordered, tickets can be picked up and paid for at the doors of The Michigan League Ballroom the night of the event. 
REVIEW: The Campus Symphony Orchestra
The Campus Symphony Orchestra preformed Monday night at Hill Auditorium. The grand venue amplified an outstanding performance, one that showcased the hard work of University students, faculty, and their instruments. Musicians practiced throughout the semester for the one night concert as student conductor Eiki Isomura harmoniously orchestrated the chamber of violins, viola, violoncello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and percussion. Isomura is the participant of the Helen Wu Graduate Conducting fellowship, which offers one University student the chance to conduct a full orchestra of musicians. The fellowship advocates for real life experience as a paramount part of training a professional conductor. The Campus Symphony Orchestra also provides non-music major students, like freshman violinist Adriana Saroki, the opportunity to pursue new talents on campus without sacrificing their love of classical music while receiving credit.
“Joining The Campus Symphony Orchestra exposed me to a diverse group of people who are equally passionate about classical music.” -Adriana Saroki
With Hill’s self-proclaimed “perfect acoustics,” the music swept listeners away on lofty notes. I felt my self drifting into a dream as the music dipped from a soft melody into a powerful crescendo. Isomura waved his arm and the entire orchestra stirred to create a sea of movement and music on stage. My senses were awakened and my life turned into a movie. It reminded me of the timeless ballroom scene from My Fair Lady; I was Eliza, a helpless flower girl, who was overwhelmed by the blending of art, culture, and music.
The evening was broken into three songs Richard Strauss’s “Serenade for Wind Instruments in E-flat Major, Op.7,” George Gershwhin’s “Cuban Overture,” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64.” Gerswhin’s Cuban Overture added a flavorful twist on classical music. The audience swayed to the rhythm, ready to jump into dance: perhaps even salsa. The crowd was equally entranced by Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Musicians played for an impressive twenty minutes straight, their arms fastidiously moving and eyes glued to their sheet music. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the musicians endured.
“I couldn’t imagine how their arms weren’t about to fall off!” said one spectator.
“My heart went out to them,” said another.
Nevertheless, the musicians stayed focused. I scoped the stage for signs of weakness, yet no one was phased. The music continued as their hands automatically knew what to do. This skill and dedication produced a performance that was nothing less than magical. It was a successful night, one that expanded the love and support of classical music in everyone.
REVIEW: The Friars: 55th Annual Best Concert Ever
I’ve been a big fan of The Friars for a while now. Excited for our last Friars concert as graduating seniors, my friend and I were very much looking forward to the ‘Best Concert Ever’. My friend actually insisted we leave the house at 7 pm for the 8pm show because she’s so particular about the seating in Rackham. “You don’t have a good view of the stage unless you’re in the middle rows,” she said. So we left early, got seats in 4th row center, and anxiously awaited the Friars to jump out onto stage.
The Friars, as always, were energetic. A few of the songs they sang included Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight”, Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” , Taylor Swift’s’ “You Belong with Me”, Maroon 5’s “Misery”, and The Turtles’ “So Happy Together”. But of course, everyone knows that the Friars are famous for their parodies. One new parody song they sang was about a certain “unkempt” group of people on campus: humanities majors. The song poked fun at LSA and subjects in the humanities in comparison with majors viewed as more practical, such as computer science and engineering. The song was of course introduced by Tenor II, LSA junior, Aaron Bindman as he joked about his concentrations in History and Classics. Another well-known parody they performed was “Formal Rush Dropout” to the tune of ‘Beauty School Dropout’. As many know, the Friars love singing about Greek life. (Another one of their parodies mocks the sorority girls’ winter dress, ‘North Face Girl’). I’m not sure they’ve gone one show without singing either one of those songs, but it’s all in good humor.
Later into the show, they brought up the ‘Prior Friars’, as they call them, to sing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. About 7 of them were in attendance, both from recent years and many years ago. Their presence is usually very noticeable because the Prior Friars are the ones making jokes and calling out to the stage during song intros. They are also usually all wearing turtlenecks, in all kinds of colors. After being to a couple shows where the Prior Friars came up and sang, my friend and I realized it must be a tradition. These kinds of traditions are what the Friars are really all about, whether it be their parodies, hilarious, but unrelated introductions to songs, or the Prior Friar joint performance.
Closing their 2-hour concert, Tenor I, junior, Bryan Kendall, led the Friars in singing, “G-d Bless the U of M”, their version of “G-d Bless the USA”, which I would say is one of their best parodies, one that’s not full of jokes, but more sentimental and full of UM Friar pride.
PREVIEW: Campus Symphony Orchestra
The Campus Symphony Orchestra performs tonight, Monday April 4th at Hill Auditorium. The Orchestra is largely comprised of non-music major students, faculty member, staff, and alumni of the University. The program includes musical performances from Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony, Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, and the Strauss Serenade for Winds. The concert runs from 8-9:30pm and admission is free of charge. 
REVIEW: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
I really had no idea what to expect from this musical. Before last Saturday, I’d never seen it performed or heard any of the songs. Perhaps that’s the best way to go to a musical–with a completely open mind. Let the cast members do what they will with the story.
One of the first things I noticed, before the show even started, was how amazing the set was. Kudos to whoever designed it and set it up. The spelling bee was set to take place in a school’s gymnasium, complete with wooden floorboards, crappy metal bleachers, and even a basketball stuck between the hoop and the backboard. It was perfect.
The musical itself was a delicate balance between hilarious and touching. Much of it was lighthearted and funny–the definitions and sentences given for each word were my favorite part. The introductions of each contestant were great, too: someone was “writing an opera in Braille,” while another was “kicked off Project Runway for creating that outfit.” Audience participation was a huge part of the first half, but just because someone was brave enough to go on stage in front of hundreds of people didn’t mean they would get treated gently. Aside from the Project Runway line, someone was referred to as “Babycrombie and Fitch,” and the last holdout in the spelling competition was given the most difficult words possible, until he failed and left no one on stage but the cast members. I was really, really glad I hadn’t volunteered! I just laughed comfortably from my vantage point in the auditorium seating.
I thought there were a couple standout performances (Maddy Trumble, Jordan Harris, Tyler Jones), but the real magic came from how the cast worked with each other. In a musical that could have easily coasted on the hilarity and quirkiness of the writing, everyone on stage dug a little deeper and found a way to make each character’s story poignant and gripping. By the time the contestants are whittled down to Olive and William, the audience has felt the loss of each kid that dropped out, and doesn’t quite know who to root for to win it all. Even so, when one kid does win, all of a sudden it feels like that’s exactly how it should work out and everyone goes home happy. All in all, I felt like the show did exactly what a show should do: it was entertaining, and at the same time, it left the audience with some deeper issues to think about on the way home. If you ever get a chance to see it performed, I highly recommend it!
