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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1990)
The Battalion LIFESTYLES Thursday, June 28,1990 Aggie Players’ 4 6 Rooms Riv Vu’ offers many levels of emotion, drama, comedy Photo By Sondra Robbins Senior theater arts majors Maryellen Brennan and Jonathan Burke co-star in the Aggie Play- ers/MSC Dinner Theater production of “6 Rms Riv Vu.” The play will run today and Friday. By DON ATKINSON JR. Of The Battalion Staff Probably the biggest compliment that can be given to the Aggie Play ers production of “6 Rms Riv Vu” is that it is difficult to write about. When you consider the depth of the characters involved, the impor tance of their social framework and the range of emotions portrayed, any review must deal with this work on several levels at once. In this 1970 play written by Bob Randall, two people in the throes of a mid-life crisis find themselves trapped in a vacant New York apart ment overlooking a river. They ar gue, Find common ground, argue some more and eventually reach out to each other. Understandably, this would be a difficult play to translate onto the stage. If one element was out of E lace, the entire structure would col- ipse. “6 Rms Riv Vu” deals with real people and emotions. The play cre ates such a perceptible reality that it cannot be faked. The emotions and lives of the characters must be re created, not merely mimicked. Fortunately, the Aggie Players production starring Ross Lambert and Christina Vela O’Connor suc ceeds brilliantly. Lambert plays Paul, an advertis ing copywriter who feels that his childhood has slipped past him. He loves his wife but feels trapped by the marriage. Most of all, Paul is struggling to convince himself that his life actually means something. O’Connor plays Anne, a house wife whose life has gone pretty much the way she planned it, but now she- needs something more. She too is struggling to find some meaning in her daily existence. Although O’Connor is the first major actor to appear on stage, it is Lambert who dominates the early portion of the play. Ironically, he does so with a single word: “Yuck!” With that word and a glance out of the apartment window, Lambert speaks volumes about his character. You get an immediate sense of who he is, and how he deals with life. In all fairness, O’Connor has to play her character straight at first, so she doesn’t have the flexibility to get away with the things Lambert does. But, towards the middle of the play, she pulls off the same feat with a single look. Anne and Paul Finally admit they like each other, and there is a pause. In that moment, O’Connor throws a look of pure warmth at Lambert that is absolutely devastat ing. She deserves a lot of credit for managing to pull off that scene. If “6 Rms Riv Vu” sounds like a drama, that’s only half of it. Actu ally, the play has more in common with the works of Neil Simon and Edward Albee to a lesser degree than it does with anything else. The dialogue is well-crafted in its intensity and ability to make even the simplest exchange interesting. For example, during act one, Anne and Paul are discussing their spouses. Anne mentions that her husband has sagging pectoral muscles in his chest, something that he is appar ently embarrassed about. She imme diately feels guilty for saying it. “I shouldn’t have told you,” she says. Paul, trying to be nice, tells her: “If I had sagging pectorals, I wouldn’t mind if my wife mentioned it in passing.” “I didn’t mention it in passing,” Anne exclaims. “I drove out of my way to get there!” Moments like that make “6 Rms Riv Vu” a delight to watch. Even if you aren’t much of a the ater-goer, this play is definitely en tertaining. Everyone in the Aggie Players, from the director to the cast to the set designer, deserves a round of applause. Showtimes for “6 Rms Riv Vu” are today and Friday at 8 p.m. in Rud der Forum. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Rudder Box Office. Pop group Chicago disappoints at Dallas concert with lackluster effort, sappy music, short-lived set By TODD STONE Of The Battalion Staff The pop-rock group Chicago showed its best and worst sides Sat urday night at the Starplex in Dallas. During the ’80s, Chicago seemed content to rest on past success and release a bunch of sappy tunes from time to time. This was tolerable be cause they were at least making new music that was incorporated with the older material during live perfor mances. Besides, Chicago won a large au dience using the sap, so who could blame them for going with the hit making formula. However, the group’s first tour in the ’90s has shown an ugly side — Chicago is becoming a nostalgia band. Chicago is not supporting a new album on this tour, and the only new material played was a lame tune, “Hearts In Trouble” from the new Tom Cruise film, “Days Of Thun der.” Even more disturbing was the lack of zest in this performance. Chicago has always been a lengthy live band, but they played only 19 songs. The performance time barely reached an hour-and-a-half after a three-song encore. In spite of this, there was a good side. Original members Rober Lamm (piano), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), Walter Parazaider (saxophone and flute) and Jimmy Pankow (trom bone) kept this show from being a disaster with animated performing and quality playing. Parazaider took a gung-ho flute solo during “Just You and Me” and Loughnane played a lights-out trumpet solo during the introduc tion part of “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” Pankow was the most animated performer of the group. He danced around stage, and he seemed to gen uinely enjoy performing. Pankow also blew me away with a trombone solo during “Beginnings.” Rober Lamm has faded in the background during the ’80s, but his past compositions, “Dialogue Part One and Two,” “Saturday In The Park,” “Beginnings,” “Does Any body Really Know What Time It Is?” and “25 or 6 to 4,” added the quality music this concert needed. Even his more recent song “We Can Stop The Hurtin’” was better than the modern Chicago sap. The leader of Chicago’s sap movement and the group’s new voice is Bill Champlin. He wooed and wowed the audience while per forming recent hits, “Look Away” and “You’re Not Alone.” However, I found his intense “oohs and ahs” vocal style tiresome during many of his twinkle-toe pas sion songs. Why does Chicago think they need a new voice when Lamm has the smoothest and best voice of the band? Bass guitarist Jason Scheff sang former Chicago singer Peter Cete- ra’s songs “Stay The Night,” “You’re The Inspiration” and “If You Leave Me Now.” Scheff has a good voice and matched Cetera’s high notes. New drummer Trace Kimble (Re placing original drummer Danny Se- raphine.) was adequate when playing the modern beat music, but he was too stiff during the more snappy older songs like “Make Me Smile.” If Chicago would have de-em- phasized the sap and played longer, the concert would have been better. Overall, the show was a disapoint- ment. Digital Underground hops it with ‘Packets’ Digital Underground Sex Packets Tommy Boy By JOHN RIGHTER Of The Battalion Staff A bizarre collage of sex, personas and hip hop mark Digital Under ground’s Sex Packets. The Underground has already cracked mainstream MTV with their hilarious video for the single “Humpty Dance,” a song based on Underground leader Shock-G’s alter ego, Humpty Hump. As infectious as the “Humpty Dance” might be, the song slightly misrepresents the rest of Sex Packets (for one, Humpty Hump is only a supporting persona). Sex Packets, hardly a rap album, is more accurately an infusion of hip hop (a style of urban music that lies between rap and funk on the decibel and motion scales) that blends a chunk of rhythm and blues with a generous jigger of George Clinton- styled funk (but then who doesn’t add a little Clinton to their sound?). The album is broken into several storylines that work as vague con cepts such as the evolution of Humpty Hump, the annual “Gut- fest” celebration (a sex show) and a collection of five songs that detail the use of “Packets.” Packets are an imaginary, illegal sex drug that Shock-G describes as “more powerful than a hallucino gen” and are the “one thing safer than your hand.” The “Packet” numbers include a pair of piano tunes, an illegal, mock street exchange of a packet, Shock- G’s startling acclimation to the sex ual realism of the sex tablet and Humpty Hump’s introduction to packets by a street dealer. Again and again a dub of an or gasmic Shock-G mumbling, “It feels so real,” is followed by a woman’s las civious reply, “It is.” The “Packets” concept is quite a statement on the fear of AIDS that exists for today’s younger genera tion — even the fictitious “packet” drug is described as an illuminating object shaped like a condom. The fact the Underground is so concerned with safe sex (they men tion condom use in several songs and list their album sides as “safe si de” and “sex side”) is not surprising in light of the explicit sexual nature of Sex Packets. The album contains an imprinted warning label for language, supplied Oex packets are an imaginary, illegal sex drug that Shock-G describes as ‘more powerful than a hallucinogen’ and are the ‘one thing safer than your hand.’” voluntarily by either the band or Tommy Boy. It’s not abusive lan guage that demands mature guidance, but the album is a descrip tion of sexual fantasies and con frontations with vague allusions to drugs. Unfortuntely, the rap and hip- hop industry needs to consider ei ther the explicitness of its material or the demographics of its audience. Whether the genre wishes to ac knowledge the fact or not, it is young kids (predominantly males) that pur chase their albums (probably be cause the sexual handling of the material, which borders on retarda tion, fits the male-puberty mental ity). And when Digital Underground, 2 Live Crew, L.L. Cool J. and others start appearing on the cover of teen mags, a distinction between teen idol status or adult titillator is in order. Digital Underground has a lot of potential, and Sex Packets fulfills that potential in several places. You can’t help but love Humpty Hump and his new dance craze. The “Sex Packets” concept is both interesting and intelligent, and the rebellious nature of “Doowutchyalike” is en dearing. A little libido control and more “umph” in their arrangements will lift Digital Underground to the top of a skying hip-hop network that’s skimming the cream off the rap fringe. Thurst 4 ‘W Lifestyles Editor Todd Stone 845-331: ‘Robo Cop 2 ’ copies original with violence, action, plot, By TODI Of The B but stillpacks punch as sequel Robo Cop 2 Starring Peter Weller and Nancy Allen Directed By Irvin Kershner Rated R By TODD STONE Of The Battalion Staff “Robo Cop 2” has enough vio lence to make a “Friday The 13th” film look more Tike “Driving Miss Daisy.” Of course, the action and violence was a big part of what made the first “Robo Cop” so successful. The filmmakers didn’t forget that win ning formula in the sequel. There are enough explosions, shoot-outs and Fight scenes to make any die-hard action fan drool. “Robo Cop 2” also has many of the same plot devices of the first film. Peter Weller returns as Robo Cop and not much has changed. His E artner Lewis, played by Nancy Al- •n, is still there, and the Detroit po lice are striking. The crooked, criminal, corporate bad guys, OCP, are also up to their old tricks — this time, a hostile take over of Detroit (actual film shooting took place in Houston) and a new cy borg for Robo Cop to deal with. If that wasn’t enough, a new ad dictive and dangerous drug. Nuke, is being distributed by a psycho scumbag, Cain. The drug syndicate, corpcr bad guys and crazy cyborg were plot devices of the first film. Further, the quirkiness andet geration of the future is still sirs in “Robo Cop 2.” The popularo: ball commercials and newsprogrt are around, but they lack the pu; and surprise-value of the firstfik Although the plot looks thesa: the filmmakers do explore Cop’s character. Robo Cop must decide ifhes man, Alex Murphy — the polite; ficer Robo Cop was made from machine. While the conflict overly compelling, it still fits net into the storyline. Unfortunately, Robo Cop dis pears for periods of time while plot unfolds. He is the oneelet of this film that consistently ei tains and interests. When RoboG isn’t around, neither is the fun However, director Irvin Kersh keeps the action intense, anl even builds solid suspense in? scenes. He loyally sticks with sa references to the First film. This course of direction mav originality, but Kershner re-crtj the mood and tone of the orij; film that was directed by Paul', hoeven. Although many of the element the first film are used again, ! Cop 2” is still a fun film. If you joyed the first “Robo Cop," then no reason you won’t enjoy the quel. Violinist Lack amazes in chamber concert ByTODD STONE Of The Battalion Staff After an intermission, thesam quartet returned with Milton Ka Musicians from the University of Houston and Texas A&M formed an entertaining team for the fourth of five Chamber Music Concerts at Rudder Theater Monday night. The Chamber Music Series is part of the Texas Music Festival. The concerts are sponsored by Humana Hospital in Brazos Val ley and the Texas A&M College of Liberal Arts. Continuing the theme of “Brahms and His Times,” Fredell Lack (violin) and A&M’s coordi nator of music Werner Rose (pi ano) were the featured perform ers of Concerto in D Major for piano, violin and string quartet by Ernest Chausson. Lack, a well-known recitalist, played intensely and took several solos throughout the multi movement piece. Rose, A&M’s lone participant, accompanied Lack during many of her solos. The combination of piano and vi olin was enjoyable. The Concerto in D Major is a dramatic piece of music — a nice balance of lively, intense sections with softer, more introspective parts. Kenneth Goldsmith (violin), Albert Muenezer (violin), Law rence Wheeler (viola) and An thony Elliot (cello) comprised the string quartet during Chausson’s piece. tuns (viola), former artistic direc tor of U H school of music, to per form Quintet No. 2 in G Major!)) Johannes Brahms. Quintet No. 2 is more uplifting than Chausson’s Concerto in E Major. The Bpahms piece had thick and big sound that was, for lack of a better term, “Beethoven ish.” The four-movement piece has a pleasant, melodic secont movement. A livelier thirt movement follows. But the fourth movement is an inspiring piece of music that should thbl any formal composition fan. H owever, there was a problem —digital watches. During the softest, most melodic parts of the performance, high pilch bleeping from a digital watch could ft heard. This is terribly distracting If you have a digital watch,leave it at home when you go to a for mal composition performance Still, the occasional ble couldn’t spoil an entertaining performance of 19th century mu sic. If you like romantic period composers, then the Chamhet Music Series will entertain. The final part of the Chamhet Series is Monday night in Ruddet Theater at 7:30. rickets are 15 for students and senior citizen' 60 years or older. For other adults, tickets are $8. All ticket 1 are available at the Rudder Office. For more information call 845-1234. Wart Relea If yoi Stone” c le,” thei entertaii Mich Turner mances level of 1 Howe third ef ventionz the “Sto “War comedy detachir married Douglas Dissai violence and div< Rose’s a more co DeVii the Rot film’s h to’s inco element a memo Hold film is a day. Gradi We’r< Relea If yo nia, the It’s the 1 “Ang but it’s money. Ch a PI Strange Enigma ByJOHI Of The B If not T.S.O.L Few 1 derived hardcon gone ai and pei The itive ste a pair c more I True S has cor full nar membe Roche of Strai App; didn’t; guitarh problei the last and < T.S.O.l ing Ch, the ton Back their fi indicati Photo By Sondra Robbia Cellist Anthony Elliot was part of a string quartet that per formed Monday night at Rudder Theater. After should b that grei They havoc v that it w quel noi film. 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