Tag: university musical society

REVIEW: asses.masses

Maeve Ricks Leave a comment

The lights dim, and a sense of communal excitement fills the air. This is asses.masses, a unique blend of performance art and interactive gaming that shows that UMS’s “No Safety Net series” is keen on shattering entertainment norms. Imagine embarking on an 8-12 hour journey through the whimsical yet poignant world of donkeys, alongside 60 of your newest friends—or better yet, fellow asses? It’s a spectacle that blurs the lines between audience and participant, reality and digital whimsy.

The night unfolds with this structure: bursts of gameplay, each lasting 1-2 hours, interspersed with 20-minute breaks full of delicious snacks to refuel the mind and ass (you were sitting for basically 12 hours straight). During each session, one, or multiple brave souls step into the spotlight to take control, leading us all through a donkey-laden adventure examining the complex themes of oppression amongst the masses (the asses). 

And what a game it is! Without spoiling too much, let’s just say it takes you places: ass heaven (or perhaps hell), plots to save and slay donkeys, and interactions with the glinting eyes of ass gods. Our particular group, inventive as ever, decided to collectively voice these celestial beings, yielding echoes of laughter from the creators of asses.masses who were watching from a back corner. A spontaneous chorus, indeed and it seems we were pioneering uncharted ass communications.

What’s truly fascinating is the meta-narrative unfolding within and around this performance. It’s an interesting case study: you’re both an audience member of a performance and also a guinea pig who is trying the game for the first time. As we play, are we not testing the game itself? Watching each other’s reactions, it raises the question: how does our interpretation as audience members inform the art we’re immersed in? asses.masses challenges you to question whether passive observation equates to play; at the end of the evening, are you a gamer if you never held the controller?

Delving further, this unconventionally satirical journey through donkey society cleverly turns the mirror on governmental systems, ethics, and morality. Are we any different from the metaphorical asses, constrained by human societies’ dictates? In a delightfully strange twist, this absurdist narrative finds roots in eerily relevant social commentary.

If you ever get to see the show, bring friends along to share in the story and debate the ethical questions the story raises. But if you attend solo, then chances are you’ll leave with new friends, bonded over collective laughter, and some mutual existential musings about the plight of the ass.

asses.masses is a peculiar and transformational dive into interactive art. It encourages you to reflect upon and engage with the world, proving that games can be profound social experiments when left in the hooves of good company. Here, you’re not just along for the ride; you are part of an unpredictable, evolving story where the roles of ass and master blur. Hopefully, asses.masses will come to a city near you soon, and you can embark on a donkey-ful escapade.

REVIEW: Triptych

Maeve Ricks Leave a comment

Upon entering the realm of Peeping Tom’s Triptych, one quickly learns to abandon all preconceived notions of a linear narrative. This Belgian dance theatre company crafts an experience that is just weird, yet so irresistibly fantastic that it leaves you ensnared in its labyrinthine grip. Composed of three haunting acts united by the intricate theme of “memory as labyrinth,” the production ventures into territories both unsettling and sublime, drawing you into a journey that defies traditional storytelling.

Where Triptych excels is in its audacity to explore the intangible nature of memory—not a straightforward journey, but a dance through corridors flooded with both familiar and fantastical whispers of the past. Each act draws you deeper into the maze, where paths are both discovered and created anew with each performance.

Triptych is a masterclass in marrying choreography with set design, where each act unveils a new visual marvel. From the immaculate hotel room, where doors seem to have minds of their own, to a restaurant submerged in a foot-deep pool of water, each setting serves as a dynamic backdrop to the dancers’ wildly impressive physical feats. It’s a wonder no one emerged injured from such daring aquatic performances.

In between acts, be prepared for a unique intermission experience. The entire company, with remarkable synchronization, deconstructs and reconstructs the set, transforming it into the next fantastical landscape. Witnessing this metamorphosis is a testament to the powerful collaboration between performer and designer, a reminder that storytelling transcends words. My advice? Take your bathroom break before the show if you don’t want to miss this spectacle.

What’s particularly astonishing about Triptych is its ability to weave compelling narratives without a single line of dialogue. The movements speak volumes, their language universal. The choreography, a mesmerizing fusion of styles and techniques, crafts stories so vivid and gut-wrenching that audiences are left to decipher them through their own lenses. You might walk away with a narrative entirely different from the creator’s intention, yet equally profound and personal.

Even if dance isn’t your forte, Triptych is a masterpiece that stands out for its technical magic on stage and behind the scenes. With its ability to harness unorthodox elements and turn them into visual and emotional storytelling, the production redefines what it means to experience theatre.Peeping Tom’s Triptych defies convention and challenges its audience to lose themselves in its dance of memories. A compelling kaleidoscope of movement, design, and the murky depths of the mind, this is one performance that will linger long after the final bow has been taken.

REVIEW: Nate – A One Man Show

Maeve Ricks Leave a comment

Have you ever felt your jaw ache from being dropped in shock for a whole hour?

No? Oh, well, that’s too bad. You sure are missing out… To experience it firsthand, go see Nate – A One Man Show. 

In its 146th season, the University Musical Society (UMS) presents Nate – A One Man Show (Nate for short), as its penultimate showing in its fourth iteration of the “No Safety Net Series.” This series of performances promises “audiences a platform to engage with high-impact theatre that challenges conventions and confronts complex themes head-on.” Nate is no exception. 

Created and performed by Natalie Palamides, Nate – A One Man Show is an hour long comedy performance that shocks and shines through the smoke of fake Marlboro cigarettes. Performing entirely in drag, Natalie becomes Nate: a shorter and overconfident look alike to the Brawny paper towel man who sports a cowboy mustache, black eye, and cargo pants. 

From start to finish, Nate shocks, disgusts, and humors the audience. Palamides plays an exhibitionist who demands applause and validation, and the audience willingly gives it up. As Nate quips, “bitches be thirsty.” And we sure are, drinking up every crude joke, racy pose, and can of free LaCroix that Nate hands out. 

Nate pouring LaCroix down his face to simulate crying
Nate pours a can of LaCroix down his face to “feel something.”

Speaking of liquids, beware the splash zone! Nate has a tendency to spray the audience whether it’s from the cans of LaCroix he shotguns or the shower he takes in a kiddy pool. I sat in the mezzanine thanking G-d that I wasn’t anywhere near the chaos of this show. Audience participation is voluntary, of course, but, as this show examines, consent isn’t always black and white. 

Throughout the show, Nate asks many audience members (and the stray mannequin) for consent to interact with them in whatever raunchy way the show calls for. Even a general liability waiver is signed at one point. Beyond legal documentation, the show’s usage of asking for consent highlights the grey areas in which we ask for and give consent. This important conversation, masked by comedy, asks more questions than it answers, leaving me with a sour, but welcome taste in my mouth. 

Behind the absurdity that Nate presents, lies a familiar, yet unstated debate: man vs bear. Recently a point of division on social media, the debate asks “would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or with a bear?” In this case, would you rather be alone in the theatre with Nate or with a bear? 

Maybe someday we will have answers to these questions. Maybe one day, it’ll be easier to be alone with someone like Nate in the woods. For now, though, Nate will continue to ride his toy motorcycle into theatres across the globe, and audience members will continue to drive their cars to these theatres to feel the weight of their jaws on the floor. 

 

If you weren’t able to catch Nate in Ann Arbor this February 5th-10th, you can watch Nate – A One Man Show on Netflix.

REVIEW: New York Philharmonic – Young People’s Concert

Sophia McPherson Leave a comment

Word was out: The New York Philharmonic was set to make its debut to the University for their second major residency in honor of Leonard Bernstein. Upon their arrival, the NY Philharmonic had more than twenty various educational and community engagement activities planned for both students on campus and those of the larger community as well. Before attending the Young People’s Concert, I had the opportunity of attending the lecture held by the University Musical Society’s current president, Matthew VanBesien and Deborah Borda, President and CEO of NY Philharmonic. This discussion was driven by the topic of Leadership, Innovation, and the Business of Running an Orchestra. It was a packed room full of faculty, students, and UMS affiliates. With the energy and excitement elicited from those in the room, I could not wait to finally attend one of their mainstage performances!

Come the big day (Saturday), the weather was dreary and raining vigorously…not an ideal day for attending a world-renowned concert, as one may imagine. Though, my enthusiasm was not shot down a single bit! Upon arriving, I was thoroughly pleased with the sight of so many young faces and people of color. This was something that I could truly appreciate, as it is of mutual understanding (and a prominent goal mentioned by Ms. Borda) to shift the majority orchestra concert goers from older individuals to a more diverse audience.

Moving along, the concert’s primary purpose was to celebrate Leonard Bernstein. In a roundabout way, the show itself was a rendition of episodes performed by Bernstein himself. It was set up like an interactive lesson, rather, somewhat like a game show with a host and commentary/history of selected pieces in between each performance. We were even presented with a special guest: one of Leonard Bernstein’s daughters! In conjunction with testaments to her own stories of childhood, there were also members of the orchestra that accounted for early memories of Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts.

We are told that Bernstein was a man of many roles: a father, conductor, composer, and so forth. The program was composed of excerpts from Bernstein’s Candide, Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, “The Age of Anxiety,” Symphony No. 2, “Jeremiah,” Symphony No. 1, and West Side Story. The most audience participation came from the very last piece, Mambo. Throughout the performances, the host and conductor, Leonard Slatkin, took various efforts to involve the audience. During Mambo, we were given the exclusive role of synchronously shouting “Mambo!” when given our cue.

I found the excerpts from West Side Story to be a special treat. In addition to hearing more upbeat tunes and jazzy compositions, we were given pieces from the Broadway musical! With two special guests, U-M alumni were welcomed to the stage to aide in performing “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” and the “Balcony Scene.” Surprisingly enough, it felt as though I was watching the musical itself while simultaneously viewing what would be the orchestra pit during the show. All in all, the New York Philharmonic’s residency this year was an unforgettable experience, with much recognition given to the University Musical Society for hosting them.

REVIEW: San Fran Symphony

Acrimonious Funk
Photo Courtesy of UMS
Photo Courtesy of University Musical Society

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra took a residency in Ann Arbor this weekend, with two performances at Hill Auditorium and numerous master classes being given around town (Gil Shaham’s violin master class being one of them). This artistic residency would not be possible without the help of the University Musical Society, which coordinates functions such as these several times a season.

Michael Tilson Thomas received great applause as he first stepped on the stage at Hill this Thursday, raising his baton before a close-to-capacity crowd. With no hesitation, he gave a downbeat to start the nocturnal stroll in the park that is Mahler’s seventh. The SFSO played at a very high level, albeit with some faults that only the musically inclined would have caught. Michael Tilson Thomas, however, put on a show. From stomping his foot at the apex of the fourth movement to his fluid body movements in the andante portion of the work, MTT was definitely a sight to see. It must be noted, as well, that MTT is known for playing Mahler well, and Thursday’s performance was a testament to that notion.

Something must also be said about the choice to play Mahler’s seventh in a college town such as Ann Arbor. Mahler was the product of the late German romantic period, meaning that his works (along with Bruckner and late Brahms) involved some form of intricacy and musical abstractionism that only veterans of the symphony could appreciate. Now, the brand of the SFSO definitely attracted a lot of patrons to Hill, but the ambient-nocturnal nature of the particular piece was not captivating enough for much of the student body. The students that were in attendance, however, were either symphony fans or die-hard Mahler fans. Fortunately, the author is both.

Discrepancies aside, the SFSO played a wonderful show Thursday night. From what I heard, Friday night was also a spectacular performance (they played Mephisto Waltz!). The SFSO received grand standing ovations both nights, and have been very well received throughout their residency here in Ann Arbor.