Misc.
Section B • Page 4
The University Daily Kansas
Thursday, November 16, 200
Musical combines two books
By Amy E. Cummins Kansan theater critic
Opening night for the new rock musical Call of the Wild brought an excited audience to Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall last Friday.
Mariane Kubik, professor of theater and film and resident movement coach, directs and choreographs the performance. The musical is based on two novels by Jack London, Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906).
Act One depicts the struggles of the canine protagonist, Buck. One of the best musical effects is when the performance "goes electric" as Buck hears the howling of the wolves that represent the call of the wild.
Topeka sophomore Nathan Scholl's convincing portrayal of Buck makes it clear why he received the Renna Hunter Award from the Topeka Civic Theatre.
The ent'acte, or interval prior to
Theater review
Act Two, poetically depicts the birth of White Fang, offspring of Buck and a wolf. The hybrid White Fang is portrayed by Michelle Nikooomanesh, Olathe freshman, who has great voice and stage presence.
While the first half of the musical dramatizes Buck's "survival of the fittest" on the Alaskan coast, the second half ends comfortingly with White Fang finding safety at a warm fireside in California. Thus, the musical is about "how the dog goes wolf, and the wolf goes dog," in the words of the final musical number, "Every Creature Wears A Crown."
We also see the shift from civilization to wilderness and back again in the life of mapmaker Weedon Scott, played by Tom Picasso, Overland Park junior.
To some viewers, the ending of
the musical seemed protracted, giving too many choices for what might have happened to White Fang. But this demonstration of multiple possibilities might have been a theatrically deliberate way of countering the naturalism and determinism in London's novels.
John Buxton, Wichita senior, perfectly embodies Buck's rival Spitz, whose voice and movements fully convince the audience of this lead dog's dominance until his death. Ramie Becker, Visalia, Calif., junior, is excellent as Mercedes, especially in the saloon and on the dog sled.
The entire cast of dogs, wolves and pioneers is skilled, but the dog team really carries the show. One of the most crowd-pleasing performances was given by Matthew Simon, Overland Park sophomore, who is amusingly nimble as the sled dog Jonnyboy and English bulldog Lord Alfred.
The scenic design is completely
new for this production. The set was by Delores Ringer, associate professor of theater and film, the lighting design by Delbert Unruh, professor of theater and film, and the costume design by Patrick Carriere, Bemidjl, Minn., graduate student.
Kubik's musical version of *Call of the Wild* is a participating entry in the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival.
An impressive number of students and faculty members have collaborated to make this University Theatre rock musical an experience no one in the region should miss.
Performances are at 7:30 tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Crafton-Preyer Theatre. Tickets are available at the Murphy Hall Box office.
Tickets are $7 for the public today and Sunday; $14 for the public on Friday and Saturday; $6 for students on today and Sunday; and $7 for students on Friday and Saturday.
Live Music
Tonight:
Chamber music, 7 p.m. at the Central Court at the Spencer Museum of Art. Free.
Senior recital with Justin Barron—composition, 7:30 p.m. at the Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall. Free.
Showboat 8 p.m. at the Lied Center.
Strength of Indian Women, 8 p.m.
At Hiawata Hall on Haskell
Indian Nations University. $3,
students. $6, public.
Sunday:
Tomorrow:
at Hlwatha Hall on Haskell Indian Nations University. $3.
students. $6, public. Also plays at 8 p.m. Saturday.
KU Tuba-Euphonium Consort,
7:30 p.m. at the Swarthout
Recital Hall in Murphy Hall. Free.
Strength of Indian Women, @ p. m.
Camerate Lawrence, 2 p.m. at Central Court in the Spencer Museum of Art. Free.
Our Town on the Plains: J.J. Pennell's Photographs of Junction City, Kansas 1892-1992 presentation by James Shortridge, professor of geography, 3 p.m., at the Lawrence Public Library auditorium. Free.
Tuesday:
Jazz concert, 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center. $5, students. $7, public.
Monday:
Senior recital with Franck Harwell tuba, 4:30 p.m. at Swarthownt Recital Hall in Murphy Hall, Free.
Master's recital with Toh-Chal Zechariah Goh — piano, 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall. Free.
Friday, Nov. 24:
Nunc crackers — community theater; 8 p.m. at the Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St. Also plays at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26.
Monday, Nov. 27
Festival of Trees, 10 a.m. to 8:30
p.m. at Liberty Hall, 644
Massachusetts St. $2, donation.
Tuesday. Nov. 28;
Monday, Nov. 27:
Symphonic Wind Ensemble — "Masterworks for winds and percussion." 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center, $5 students, $7 public.
Master's recital with Yoshi Murakami — piano, 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall, Free.
Festival of Trees, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St. $2, donation
Wednesdav. Nov. 29:
KU performing arts, 7:30 p.m. at Elizabeth Sherbon Dance Theatre in Robinson Center. Tickets at door.
- Festival of Trees, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St. $2, donation.
Several sites offer stress relief fun
Welcome to collegiate hell. This is the most stressful part of the year.
One online stress compendiu m .
If this were spring semester, we would have had break about a month ago, but now we have the rush of papers and tests just before Thanksgiving (which brings a stress all its own), plus enrollment and add/drop. We even have the added stress of not knowing who will be running the country in three months.
www.psychw.com/www/mtsei/smpage.html, lists signs of handling stress poorly as exhaustion, depression, burnout and breakdown.
Oo yeah. four out of four.
Oh yeah, four out of four,
baby.
There are a couple of good ways I know how to relieve stress. To get rid of that presidential stress, hit this week's Onion, www.theonion.com. It's one of their best issues in a while, and their coverage of "Mayhem 2000" is hard to beat.
Another good place for a laugh is ESPN, where they just premiered a new weekly columnist: Hunter S. Thompson. That's right, your favorite mescaline-laced gonzo journalist and author of numerous books and articles with titles incorporating "Fear" and "Loathing" opines for the sports network.
Thus far, he is railed against baseball ("Pitchers, as a group, are pampered little swine with too much money") and the Oakland Raiders ("They strangled cops and ate their own babies"). Check it out at
espn.go.com/page2/s/thomp
Web Wandering
son.
You could also try going to www.cdnnow.com and hunt down some Enya clips. They'll only be 30 seconds, but hey, you get what you pay for. Of course, I'm not sure hearing "sail away sail away sail" over and over again will reduce your stress level more than raise your aggravation level.
Meditation has always been touted by Enya listeners as a good way to relieve stress. One site, www.meditationcenter.com, covers everything you would need know. It provides instruction on every way to "om" under the sun.
Finally, I recommend www.905cafe.com. Designed for stress relief on the job, it has several "mood rooms." It also has a link for when your boss peeks over your shoulder to take you to some serious-looking efficiency study. I went into the zen room. Here is a halku it inspired:
pretty peaceful pics
pretty pastel pre panic button for the boss five syllable aaaaaaaah
I've also heard of some who have reduced their stress through something called "time management," but I'm too busy to look into it right now.
If you hear anything, e-mail me.
Hopkins is a Greshham, Ore senior in journalism.
The Kansan is accepting applications for editor positions, including sports, design/graphics, campus, wire, photo, Jayplay, special sections, readers representative, features, opinion, news, online, copy chiefs, features designer and news clerk. Applications are due tomorrow at noon to Lori O'Toole's box at the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Please contact Lori O'Toole at 864-4810 for more information.