A part of the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Series
When: November 5th, 2009 5:10pm
Where: Michigan Theater (603 East Liberty Street, near Starbucks)
Tickets: there are none, the event is free!
Can optical illusions and sleight of hand be considered art? Jamy Swiss has quite the topic to discuss at this Penny Stamps Lecture. Hear what he has to say about the “real work of a magician,” how body language affects deception, and how psychology can be more important than speed. Stop by for an out of the ordinary lecture!
If you would like to read more about Jamy Swiss, here is a link to Penny Stamps Lecture Series Website: http://art-design.umich.edu/stamps/detail/jamy_ian_swiss
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.
University Symphony Orchestra and University Philharmonic Orchestra
Program:
March of the Little Goblins —————————————— Adam Glaser
Overture to Die Fledermaus (The Bat) —————————– Johann Strauss, Jr.
Night on Bald Mountain ———————————————Modest Mussorgsky
The Fairy Garden from Mother Goose —————————-Maurice Ravel
Funeral March of the Marionettes ———————————Charles Gounod
Storm from Peter Grimes ——————————————- Benjamin Britten
Witches’ Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique —————–Hector Berlioz
The Ride of the Valkyries ——————————————-Richard Wagner
Star Wars Medley—————————————————– John Williams
Wow – I never thought serious musicians would ever dress up in crazy costumes for a classical music concert! But when I walked into Hill Auditorium, the first thing I saw was the sea of bumblebees, angels, bunnies, and other, interesting yet occasionally unidentifiable costumes. Fully impressed, I thought back to my high school days when our conductor told us to dress up for the holiday concerts, and I was the only one in the violin section with reindeer antlers.
Before each piece, the conductor walked on staged and gave a little introduction to the piece through a comical skit which left the audience laughing. The conductor of “The Fairy Garden” frolicked and skipped on stage in an elaborate ballerina-like costume complete with a giant tutu and colorful leggings. My favorite was the “invisible” conductor for the “Witches’ Sabbath.” Creaky door sounds and footsteps sounds were played as the stage door opened and closed (no person passed through), but the most mysterious part was when the music, or rather, a giant piece of cardboard, on the stand flipped back and forth. This happened several time times during the piece and though I scrutinized every slight movement of the first row of musicians, I could not figure out who was moving the “music!”
All the pieces in this program were pretty short, living up to the advertised “fun for the entire family.” Maybe I’m used to long symphonies and concertos – I actually wished the pieces were a little longer, but the short concert is perfect for friends who may not be as interested in long classical pieces.
By far, the best part of the concert was the encore when the orchestra played the “Ghostbusters” theme song and the conductors danced on staged, especially since I knew one of the conductors from when I played in the Campus Symphony Orchestra!
At the end, one of the conductors asked the audience who had attended the concert last year. Many people raised their hands. Then he asked about the past 5 years. The past 10 years. And finally, the past 20 years – several people raised their hands! I loved the enthusiasm of the whole orchestra – they wanted to be there and they were excited to play for the audience. And we were all just as excited to watch the performance. 1 year down, 19 more to go!
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!”
PREVIEW: Halloween Concert
Date: Sunday, Oct 25th, 2009
Location: Hill Auditorium
Time: 4pm and 7:30pm
Link to buy tickets online: http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=3456&month_value=9¤t_year=2009
$12/$8
Also sold at the league ticket office
Take a break from homework and get in the Halloween spirit! This spooky concert will be performed by the University Symphony Orchestra and the University Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by graduate students. The music selections have not been released yet, so this concert is sure to be a fun surprise. The orchestra will be wearing costumes, so make sure you do the same!
