;» INOVn. |Hiy, November 10, 2000 AGG1E/& A Page 3 THE BATTALION ^uiet on set! Current Event ■hh' -I ions focus, 'tsofthe lachweel inthecoi- 'c officers; L'ek, anr lore flecij program," iliat, onaj less ther cities ryan has In rates at compliar,' cry high le said."!,! .■ attribute: Bryan's am. Colt, as no pres, I fiPBiifc ecentlvadi meetings etoberanj] tembe :eiveda to key r the net Uike Mats on Police ’Our iittefl ee w on is enti th the vhichalst: speeding r I DWlsi in tin on has unddii: cific dat f ryan toy Bs Rachel Landry in Bnaf,kfy^ Battalion IStSl The 2(KX) season of the MSC Opera ouiKL, | ld p er f orm i ng Art Society (OPAS) savHlIiiB s a * reac ^’ k>cgun and members are .. loping it will he as popular as ever. ictors"KveB members said this year’s it the new iM 161116 ’ * ^ Season for all Ages,” will t gtyan attract larger and younger ce depart!! ' cri,wc ' s t0 die performances at A&M. orcentent. 1 he current show on OPAS ’ main lie musical Footloose, the sto- feitKWW ofaboy and his mother who move said. “It the small town of Bomont. Footloose’s musical soundtrack in- udes several hits like “Let’s Hear it rthe Boy,” and the show has been ic of Broadway’s most popular. Men of Honor Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.. and Robert DeNiro Directed George Tillman, Jr. Men of Honor, based on the life of Navy diving legend Carl Brashear, is a surprisingly powerful film, considering it covers familiar ground. How often have audiences seen a film about a man who is deprived of rights but will not give up? That is the plot of this film. Brashear (Gooding) beat all the odds to become the first African-Ameri can diver in Navy history, and this film chronicles his struggles. The first half of the film is similar to the fictional G.I. Jane, as Brashear is the target of discrimination during his training. Brashear even has a set of barracks all to him self, just like Demi Moore’s character.. This movie is based on true accounts, but one cannot help but think of this film in terms of the cliches on which it relies so heavily — the bigoted men whose minds are changed by uncommon val or, the hard-nosed but likeable commander. But credit director Tillman {Soul Food) for his casting and direction. Somehow, each challenge presented to Brashear does seem grueling. Tillman avoids camera tricks, letting the actors cany the movie. Gooding delivers a mesmerizing performance. His posture, expressions, the manner in which he speaks — all ring true. DeNiro’s character is a composite of several ac tual people in Brashear’s life, and it shows. His character is as two-dimensional as they come, but DeNiro finds the man’s heart in this pile of rubbish and manages to make his character' seem human. (Grade: B-) — Matt McCormick u PAS brings Broadway musicals nd children’s programs to B-CS /an receivf? aresf" ‘' reived i TC jjani DOM ( STEP j annual motrt ling. A few of the highlights of this sea son are the Boys Choir of Harlem in December, Jeky/I and Hyde in January and Peter Pan in February. Jeremy Byrd, OPAS chairman, said the Broadway shows should draw large crowds. OPAS also has a children’s pro gram called OPAS Jr., which featured a production pf Amelia Bedelia Oct. 8 at Rudder Theater. Amelia Bedelia is based on the children’s books. The performance was very popular, boast ing two sold-out performances. Allison Dietert, director of OPAS Jr. and a junior agriculture economics major, said OPAS Jr. also does com munity outreach. OPAS Jr. visits Boys and Girls Clubs and the North Bryan Community Center to teach children about all types of art. OPAS Jr. also puts on school per formances for Bryan-College Station children in the third through sixth grades. The children are bused to A&M to see the shows during the school day. Dietert said that, later in the season, the show Bugs and Balloons will come to Rudder Theater, as well as a version of Cinderella performed by pup peteers With life-size puppets. Last year, OPAS started a new pro gram called Intimate Gatherings, which brings varieties of music to the com munity that would not normally come to A&M due to high booking costs. “We wanted to have a series of mu sic in a smaller setting in a theater,” Byrd said. “It’s not just classical mu sic; we have a variety of entertainers.” After the show is over, the audience can interact with the entertainers. The next Intimate Gathering will showcase Daniel Heifetz and the Clas sical Band. Dietert said that Heifetz is a multitalented entertainer who will have a great show. Bobbie Eftekhar, a junior psychol ogy major, said many people enjoy the Intimate Gatherings,, She said she thinks OPAS will have a good season this year. “I think it’s going to be a really good season,” Eftekhar said. ‘‘‘‘Peter Pan will be cool, and I’m looking for ward to Footloose.” Eftekhar said OPAS’ performances bring in a variety of people. She esti mated the attendance at shows to be about half students and half older adults. Eftekhar said the “big name” shows, such as musicals and ballet, are usually popular. Kevin Edwards, a sophomore com puter science major, said he has been to several OPAS shows. “I enjoy the broad variety that OPAS brings to the A&M campus and the cul tural enrichment that it brings,” Edwards said. “Last year, my favorite show was Romeo and Juliet. It was really good. This year. I’m going to see Peter Pan, Footloose and Aeros. But, I’m thor oughly looking forward to Peter Pan F Tickets for any OPAS event can be obtained through the MSC box office or by calling 845-1234. GATHOIIC BOOKS & OIFTS (favtte cdec& out