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Show TIm Sooner CfcrMicli-- t New Fox show 'Living Single'offers laughs because she was working on her BY STACY SMITH Chronicle Entertainment Writer cosmetology thesis ("Purple Lipstick: The Black Woman's Enemy"), instead of sending her client the questions that she was Fox Broadcasting and Lorimar Television have collaborated on a supposed to review. This is a very busy premiere and we are introduced to a lot of people. Kadijah's college roommate Maxine Shaw (Alexander), is a new situation comedy called "Living Single". The show is about four upwardly mobile African-America- n women who share lives and loves while living in New York City. hard-nose- . . The new series, which will be feature in Fox's new fall line-up, stars rap music artist Queen Latifah, Kim Coles ("In Living Color"), Kim Fields ("The Facts of Life") and Erika Alexander ("Going to Extremes"). Three of these ladies share a brownstone: Khadijah James (Queen Latifah), the se owner and editor of Flavor Magazine, an urbane guide written from a woman's point of view; w everything-you-need-to-kno- Synclair James (Coles), her ditsy, albeit amusing, cousin who works as the secretary at Flavor; and Khadijah's childhood friend Regine Hunter (Fields), a lovely insecure girl who wants to marry someone handsome and rich so that he can take care of her. In the series opener, Regine lands a hunky new boyfriend, which prompts her to stop by Flavor Magazine to tell the girls. Regine brags that her new beau, Brad, drives her around in a stretch limo, eats caviar from her cleavage, and drinks champagne from her shoe. Khadijah, however, is not impressed and writes him off as another loser, until she meets him. Brad turns out to be very hand- some, very charming and very married. Meanwhile, Khadijah is desperately trying to find a new cover for her magazine. Synclaire inadvertently loses their first choice lawyer who spends d more time at the brownstone than her own place; the girl's neighbors Kyle Barker (T.C. Carson) is a "yes, I know you want me" type of guy; and his likeable roommate Overton Wakefield Jones (John Henton), the building handyman, has a tendency to tell tall tales to get attention. The acting isn't too bad and Latifah does pretty well in her first series. Coles is an absolute nut. She adds life to every scene she is " in. it "Living Single" premiers on Fox Television Sunday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. As far as Fox programs go, this isn't too bad. A little saucy for the tykes however, so send them to another room to watch "America's Funniest People" or something less suggestive. , The logo of "Saturday's Voyeur," a musical parody of Utah culture that is currently being performed at the Green Street social club. 'Saturday's Voyeur' is a clever and funny look at popular Utah culture BY EMSHON McMICHAELS Chronicle Entertainment Writer together. Fields and Alexander show. 1 Vs, The mutual attraction between Synclaire and Overton should be expounded upon: the two are great overact a bit, but with Alexander I believe it's just excess energy. Creator and producer Yvette Denise Lee has the potential for a pretty good series if she avoids the pitfalls of a formula show. This could turn out to be just another program about single girls struggling to get ahead and trashing men in the process. That has been done before too many times and is a really unnecessary storyline. However, if they choose to develop Flavor Magazine and Synclaire and Overton's relationship, it could be a very funny w I'm not sure if you've noticed it or not, but a slight Mormon influence has crept into Utah over the past 200 years or so. In fact, some folks have evenclaimed that the Mormon influence upon our culture is more than just a slight one. Hard to believe? Well then maybe you ought to sneak over to the Green Street social club and check out the 1993 incarnation of Saturday's Voyeur the only theatrical performance that makes you feel guilty if you don't order a beer. Saturday's Voyeur: Spirit of the Hive, offers its audience a delightful parody of Utah (Mormon) culture. It is ultimately a two-hoprivate joke that ur anyone who has lived in Utah will find to be friends incredibly funny. Of course your won't understand much of the humor. They simply won't be privy to the mentality behind most of the . jokes. Which is probably why Voyeur is such a guilty pleasure among so many of the Mormon faithful. Saint They are the ones who really know Latter-da- y doctrine, so they understand the humor. Since the show mostly concentrates upon popular Mormon culture rather than sacred beliefs, members won't need to see their bishop after each viewing. And ("gentiles," as they are referred to in the show) will love seeing Utah's dominant d thrashing. religion take a Voyeur was initially conceived and performed by the Salt Lake Acting Company some 15 years ago. out-of-sta- te - non-membe- rs good-nature- The Mood Disorders Clinic at the University Medical The show was a real crowd pleaser, so each subsequent year the performance was updated with the new absurdities of Utah life and sent back into the community. It wasn't long before Voyeur had somewhat of a cult following. The show is performed in a cabaret-styl- e that imitates many of the painfully amateur roadshows put on by Mormon youth each year. The pace is fast and erratic, sliding effortlessly from dance to skit to song. The songs, the show's mainstay, are generally taken from pop radio, Broadway musicals and LDS hymnals. The lyrics are then rearranged to suit the show's humor. Sometimes the humor is sopho-moribut mostly it is funny enough to keep you laughing throughout the performance. Don't expect grand operatics in the music. The songs are competently performed, but the intent is to belt out a joke, not bless the audience with an artistic endeavor. And don't expect a polished comedy routine or an impressive setlighting design. The show is a bit rough around the edges just like the humor. If it were too professional it would become too vicious to be funny. Voyeur's strength lies in its ability to get intimate with the audience, to invade their space and then allow the audience to laugh along with the actors at themselves. And in a state that has a reputation of being a bit too serious and self absorbed, that's a wonderful strength to have. Saturday's Voyeur: Spirit of the Hive will be performed at the Green Street Social Club (610 Trolley Square) through Aug. 29. Green Street is a private club, but your ticket to Voyeur gets you in and lets you stick around for the rest of the evening. Call 8 for tickets and additional information. c, 537-751- Center is conducting FREE treatment oriented research for DEPRESSION. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS SUFFERING FROM AT LEAST FIVE OF FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS AND HAVE HAD THOSE SYMPTOMS DAILY TO SOME DEGREE FOR A TWO-WEE- K PERIOD OF TIME OR LONGER YOU MAY QUALIFY AS A STUDY PARTICIPANT. THE l. SADNESS OR IRRITABILITY 2. DIMINISHED PLEASURE 3. DAYTIME FATIGUE 4. SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS OR GAIN WHEN DIETING 5. UNDERSLEEPING OR OVERSLEEPING i oJ "X. o V. I 6. FEELINGS OF WORTHLESSNESS OR EXCESSIVE GUILT 7. PROBLEMS WITH CONCENTRATION . 8. RECURRENT THOUGHTS OF DEATH OR FEELING LIKE LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING For more information call: 581-880- Do you avoid situations 6 Wl LjJ JlAAj o because: they involve significant contact with others? you fear saying something foolish?. you might be the focus of attention? Do you fear: being embarrassed by blushing, crying, or showing signs of anxiety in front of others? r public speaking? ' , . criticism? - doing something while being watched? Do social situations cause you to experience: - blushing, palpitations, trembling or sweating? ABOVEOU MAY HAVE SOCIAL PHOBIA AND COULD QUALIFY 'FOR A RESEARCH STUDY INVOLVING FREE PSYCHIATRIC AND MEDICAL ASSESSMENT, FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: IF YOU HAVE BEEN TROUBLED BY THE 581-880- 6 A Public Service of the USDA Forest Service and your State Forester. ; ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES |