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Features

FEATURES

Dance troupe wins regional competition

Juliana Keeping
April 5, 2001

Members of the MSU Repertory Dance Company visited Bowling Green University last month to participate in the Northeast Regional festival of the American College Dance Festival.And after a healthy dose of dance classes and workshops with professional choreographers, five MSU students were offered a chance to perform at a Gala Dance Concert, presented the last night of the four-day event.The modern dance piece performed by the repertory dancers, “Birds in the Air,” is meant to convey a sense of womanhood and community through movement, which represents quilt-making.“The dancers form positions that are representative of a wedding ring, a common quilt pattern,” said Dixie Durr, chair of the Department of Theatre.

FEATURES

Red Bull sponsoring student-produced films

Vince Estes
April 5, 2001

Film festivals come and go, but ones that offer a little financial help are hard to come by. So students interested in heading up a project this summer, but don’t know from where the money will come, should find some comfort in Lawn Shorts. Taking place next fall, the festival will showcase short films made by and featuring MSU students.

FEATURES

Area band brings show to U

Dan Julian
April 5, 2001

Local rockers Under Construction have an unusual discrepancy with its latest release, “All Access Live.” The band can’t seem to write some of its songs quickly enough. “The only difficulty we ran into is that we have so many newer songs that are fan favorites that didn’t make it on the live album,” vocalist/guitarist Jesse Young said.

FEATURES

Critic pays tribute to Cusack film

Dan Julian
April 4, 2001

I don’t know how she saw this.But for some reason a friend of mine in high school told me I looked like actor John Cusack and even went as far as to nickname me “Johnny C.”Not knowing who this dude was at the time, I was like, whatever.Eventually, I learned of his plethora of movies and became a huge fan of his acting.

FEATURES

Club reminiscent of Dylan, Stones music

Dan Julian
April 4, 2001

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (self-titled) Virgin Records Some bands know how to use fuzzy guitars efficiently, and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club nailed it. The album opens with a 50- second stagnant and droningly fuzzy introduction which turns into a basic chord rock song with equally droning lyrics. One noticeable trait among each song is the monotone vocals of Peter Hayes.

FEATURES

Duo gives audience taste of Brazil

Dan Julian
April 3, 2001

Kathy Panoff said watching Brazilian brothers Sergio and Odair Assad perform together is like watching Serena and Venus Williams play tennis together. “Since they’re brothers they have the ability to play very complicated music, intuitively working with each other like the Williams sisters work together,” said the director of events at the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond in Virginia. The world-renowned guitar duo will perform their revived contemporary music at the Great Hall in the Wharton Center Thursday. Sergio Assad said any formation of music requires the performers to know how it’s going to be set up. “Using the example of a string quartet, everyone writes for it,” he said.

FEATURES

Christian, contemporary musician comes to U

Dan Julian
April 3, 2001

Things have changed for Christian and contemporary musician Sandi Patty since she first began performing. “When I first started out, there were not these big churches that had auditoriums and sound and light things,” she said. “A lot of times concerts had to be moved to theaters or arenas, but now there are so many wonderful churches and great options.” Patty will bring her unique set-up to the Wharton Center this Friday and said her music appeals to more of a family crowd. “There’s something for everybody, from little kids to youths to the younger parent to the older parent,” she said. Fifteen years ago, Patty’s debut album was released and earned $11 million in sales.

FEATURES

New action movie good for people of all ages

Until 1998’s “The Faculty,” it seemed like writer/director Robert Rodriguez had carved out a niche for himself with such big-budget bloodbaths as “Desperado” and “From Dusk Till Dawn.” With that “my high school teachers are aliens” flick, it looked like he was getting softer. But now we have “Spy Kids,” a film that helps prove your average shoot-em-up is going out of style.

FEATURES

South Park creators go inside Bush White House

LYNN ELBER The Associated Press LOS ANGELES - In the new sitcom “That’s My Bush!” from the creators of “South Park,” President Bush plays host to beer-swilling fraternity brothers, is mocked by a White House maid and henpecked by the first lady. Bush, as portrayed by actor Timothy Bottoms, also accidentally executes a death-row prisoner and is terrorized by an anti-abortion talking fetus. The Comedy Central series is juvenile, coarse and impishly determined to offend.

FEATURES

Hollywood strike may be best for TV, film

Aaron M. Miller
April 2, 2001

If you thought last year’s movies lacked good acting, writing, directing and originality, get ready for what may be coming up next.Beginning in May, the Writers Guild of America, which represents screenwriters, will likely go on strike unless it can reach an agreement with producers.

FEATURES

Anne Frank comes to U

Juliana Keeping
April 2, 2001

The MSU Department of Theatre’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” was a job well done.For two years, the Franks, Van Daans and dentist Mr. Dussell hid from the Nazis in the Secret Annex, a hidden apartment above a factory.

FEATURES

Real World cast members talk to U about sex

Vince Estes
April 2, 2001

Kristy Snape and her roommates got to the Union two and a half hours early and were first in line to see former cast members of MTV’s “The Real World.” But she hasn’t seen the show much. “I’ve seen it because my roommates watch it, but I saw the episode of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ with Danny,” the nutrition sophomore said.

FEATURES

Weekend Guide

FRIDAY: “The Marriage of Figaro” will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Auditorium’s Fairchild Theatre.

FEATURES

Various superstitions may provide comfort, good luck for U

Cutler Fetherston
March 30, 2001

It’s a typical rainy March afternoon in East Lansing - but that doesn’t bother Jim Tyler at all.An East Lansing resident, Tyler smiles broadly as he bends down to pick up a penny from a muddy puddle of rainwater.“Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck,” he said as he went off on his way to work.Almost everybody has a superstition of one kind or another, said Robert McKinley, an MSU professor of religious studies.“Superstitions may be irrational sometimes, but they are very attractive and comforting to people,” he said.

FEATURES

New film offers little more than toilet humor

Vince Estes
March 30, 2001

Actor/dental hygiene model Jerry O’Connell crosses my mind a lot. I think of him twice as much as any other young actor, usually because I mistake his name for Chris O’Donnell’s in conversations. Take “Tomcats,” starring Joe of “Joe’s Apartment.” It’s about a few plucky fellas who are scared of commitment and their comedic falls into it.