University Daily Kansan / Thursday, January 15, 1987
7A
Arts / Entertainment
Dan Ray/KANSAN
To act or not to act
pouri, an annual theatre department production. Students auditioned for parts last night in Murphy Hall. Auditions are open to all students and will continue through Friday evening.
As an example for students, Joe Brandsky, Lawrence teaching assistant in theatre and media arts, interprets a character from the Russian play "Lunin." The play is one of eight different acts that will be part of Pot-
Man-eating flytrap is a musical horror
If you like musicals, go see this movie. If you don't like musicals, go see it anyway.
"Little Shop of Horrors" has a long pedigree that includes a book, a previous film (in 1960, featuring Jack Nicholson) and a play in its lineage.
JOHN BENNER
Columnist
The technique is interesting if not innovative. Director Frank Oz has garnered more popular acclaim for this film than did Francis Ford Coppola for "One From the Heart."
Rick Moranis, of Second City Television and "Ghostbusters," plays Seymour Krelborn, a plant shop clerk who discovers a man-eating flytrap from outer space and names it Audrey II, for the woman he secretly loves.
"Little Shop" was filmed on a soundstage in England, and the intricate sets behind street scenes remind viewers of what is watching a play captured on film.
This version stars Elen Greene as Audrey, a lisping flower shop girl with a push-up bra. She played the same role on stage.
Seymour discovers the little flytrap at a Chinese wholesale flower seller just after a total eclipse of the sun. He buys the plant for $1.95 and takes it back to Mushnik's flower shop, where he lives and is a virtual slave for Musknik, played by Vincent Gardenia, (Making jokes about type
casting here would be too easy. )
Seymour discovers that the plant eraves blood and begins to feed it by pricking his finger. As Audrey II grows, Seymour is forced to find other sources of plant food.
In exchange for food, the plant tells Seymour that it can give him everything he has ever wanted — including Audrey.
The songs for the movie were penned by Howard Ashman, the author of the book and of the screenplay for this version.
Moranis does his own job and does a respectable job. Greene, who I assume has more voice training than does Moranis, often breaks out of her stage voice and lets it rip. I'm looking forward to seeing her do some*bing serious some day.
The voice of Audrey II is furnished by Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops Stubbs and Moranis also sing a duet, this one a medley called "Feed Me/ Suppertime" in which the飞trap swing suggests that Audrey's boyfriend, a sadistic dentist played by Steve Martin, looks like plant food.
One musical highlight is a counterpoint duet by the pair titled "Suddenly Seymour."
Sights and Sounds
Bill Murray, a masochistic dental groupie, has an appointment with Martin that left me checking to see if my own teeth were still intact.
Also, look for a camo appearance by John Candy and camo appearances by Christopher Guest and Jim Belushi.
Thursday
"Albert Herring," a contemporary opera by Benjamin Britten, will be performed at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow in the Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.
"Dutch Posters 1840-1940," an exhibition featuring 100 works by 70 designers is on display at the Spencer Museum of Art until March 1.
- The Red Zone at the Jazzhaus at 9:30 p.m. $2
- "Born Free and Equal: Photographs by Ann Adams," a book of 50 little-known photographs taken by Adams in the early 1940s at The Nelson-Akins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo., until Feb. 15.
Friday
The Rainmakers, in the SUA special event, is at 8 p.m. in the Kansas Union Ballroom. $9 with a KUID and $10 for the public.
Darrell Lea at 9 p.m. at the Glass Onion. Free.
"Stop Making Sense" Midnight at Liberty Hall.
"Down By Law" at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Liberty Hall.
A. C. Reed and the Spark Plugs, a Chicago blues band will play at 9 p.m., today and tomorrow at Grand Emporium in Kansas City, Mo.
Saturday
"The Wild Duck Boy," presented by the Ric Averill Players at 8 p.m. at Liberty Hall.
"Stop Making Sense" Midnight at Liberty Hall.
Altered Media at the Jazzhaus at 9:30 p.m. $3.
Bennett Allen and Goodheart playing American Folk and Celtic music at 9 p.m. at the Glass Onion. Free.
**Barn Dance** at 7:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts enter. The dance is sponsored by the Lawrence Barn Dance Association, $3.
■ Frederick "Toots" Hilbert, one of reggae music's founding fathers and luminary on that scene since 1962 will perform at 9 p.m. at Parody Hall in Kansas City, Mo., with his band. The Mavtals.
The Lawrence Art Guild is sponsoring a Juvenile Painting Firm and Scripture Workshop.
Sundav
- "Darkness Visible"* and exhibition of prints by John Martin inserts at Spencer Museum of Art with a lecture by Dustin Wees at 2 p.m.
"I'm not Rappaport," starring Judg Hirsch and Cleavon Little concludes their engagement at 8 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. This comedy is Tony and Outer Critics Circle Award. Hirsch and Little were its original stars.
Monday
Tuesday
Absolute Ceiling and Full Fathom Five alternative rock music at 9 p.m. at the Grand Emporium in Kansas City, Mo., $2.
"The Getty Museum of the Future," an art lecture by John Walsh at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Art auditorium.
Wednesday
- Talent Search sponsored by Worlds of Fun at 2:30 p.m. in the Burge Union
"The Hustler" at 7 p.m. in Woodruff Auditorium $2.
Lonnie Ray's Blues Jam at the Jazz haus at 3:0 p.m.
Courtesy of Nelson Art Gallery
'Entrance to Manzanar,' is one of 50 photographs by Ansel Adams from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo. exhibition 'Born Free and Equal: Photographs by Ansel Adams,' at the
Making rain
Midwestern musicians bring roots rock 'n' roll to Lawrence
The band, which was formerly called Steve, Bob and Rich, will play every song from its first nationally-released album titled "Rainmakers."
They will also perform songs from an album that will be released in August and a collection of tunes from a previously released album titled
The Rainmakers are storming into Lawrence tomorrow for a night of merriment.
By JENNIFER FORKER Staff writer
The Rainmakers, who are sponsored by SUA, will perform at 8 p.m. Friday in the Kansas Union Ballroom.
They began performing nearly four years ago as a bar band in cities and on campuses in the Kansas City, Mo. area. During the last year, they completed two United States and two
Their music incorporates cynicism and challenging messages with a dose of humor. Their song, "Rockin' at the T-Dance," bewaits the story of the Hyatt Hotel skywalk collapse.
European tours.
One of the group's songs is "Downstream," which is about traveling down the Mississippi River with Mark Twain and Harry Truman. It's a movie about cheese." Let My People Go-Go," and "Big Fat Blonde."
Bob Walkenhorst, the group's lead singer and songwriter, compared The Rainmakers' music to that of the band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Although the bands have similar sounds, their styles are different. He joined the Rainmakers' brand of 'music as basic, traditional rock' n' roll.
He said it was important to combine good, sweaty rock 'n' roll with
an intelligent message.
"My main concern is for the opinions in the songs to cause reaction," he said.
He said even though some people might not agree with their message or think the band members are jerks, at least the music raises responses.
"The challenge of music is that it works the body and the mind," said Walenkhorn. "I've learned to have a healthy respect for the recorded world. Music has a lot of power to influence people's thinking."
The album "Rainmakers" has been on the Billboard charts for seven months. Many of the band's songs, such as "Downstream," are often heard on national radio stations.
"It's been a real good year for us." said Walkenhorst.
The Rainmakers, will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Kansas Union Ballroom. The group started as a bar band in the Kansas City area and now tours worldwide. Their album, "Rainmakers," has been on the Billboard charts for seven months.