University of Utah Student Newspapers | 2011-01-12 | Page 4

4 Wednesday, January 12, 2011 ARTS www.dailyutahchronicle.corn EDITOR'S CHOICE by Mohammad Allam A second chance for a pilgrimage W PHOTO COURTESY ANDY SNOW "Spring Awakening," the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, will play at Kingsbury Hall on Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Awakenin sexuali Kingsbury Hal newest production centers on sexually repressed teens Devin Richey STAFF WRITER There is no question that, as a whole, our state is one of the most socially conservative in the United States, leading to what many would consider a sexual repression of people who grow up in Utah. Near the beginning of the loth century German playwright Frank Wedekind felt that his country was also discouraging sexuality and decided to express his discontent in the form of a tragic play, "Spring Awakening," which premiered in 1906. One hundred years later, "Spring Awakening" is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that will be visiting Kingsbury Hall this week. The plot of both the original and the adaptation follow young Wendla Bergmann as she enters the universally-loathed stage of life called puberty. The girl asks her mother where babies come from and receives an answer along the lines of "when a husband and wife love each other very much, the wife becomes pregnant." Armed with a raging teenage libido and no new knowledge of the reality of the human reproductive system, Wendla becomes pregnant with no idea how it happened. The rest of the story examines the lives of several of Wendla's classmates as they deal with their own ignorance and fears about their bodies. Only a few boys know what is happening and use that knowledge to their advantage. "Spring Awakening" contemplates the power given to those who know and misuse the information that is kept from their peers, and how that misuse can wreak havoc on the lives of both parties. Courtney Markowitz, an actress on her first national tour, plays Ilse, a troubled friend of many of the characters who becomes tangled in the tragic circum- Hansel and Gretel come to life on the Utah Opera stage [e-mail] See PILGRIM Page 8 WINTER BREAK MOVIE RECAP The doldrums of January have arrived, and there's no better time to catch up on the lesser-seen arthouse pics and indie features still showing in theaters. TRUE GRIT Jamie Rankin A surprisingly strong performer at the box office, the Coen brothers'"True Grit" is both a stylistic homage to the classic western genre and arguably the siblings' most accessible film. "True Grit" features plenty of the filmmaking duo's trademark dark breed of off-kilter humor, picturesque cinematography by Roger Deakins, and two memorable performances by the likes of newcomer Hailee Steinfeld and Oscar winner Jeff Bridges. STAFF WRITER Hansel and Gretel will once again narrowly escape being baked into gingerbread cookies and cleverly outwit a wicked witch in the Utah Opera's first performance of the new year, Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel," beginning Jan. 15. This will be the Utah Opera's second time performing "Hansel and Gretel". Trained in vocal production, musical repertoire, style and linguistics, principal coach Carol Anderson assists artists with their music and language expression. This year's performance will be in German (with English subtitles) to preserve the musical context with the original setting of the text, Anderson said. "(The music) has a lot of great counterpoint...it is very melodic, the orchestra is very large and there are a lot of wonderful colors," Anderson said. "There are places that are very spiritual and folk-like and other parts that approach dissonance...the harmonies take surprising turns throughout (the opera)." The fairy-tale opera consists of an overture and three acts. Cast member Leah Wool, who plays Hansel, particularly enjoys the end of Act III. "When the gingerbread children come alive...the music is so gorgeous and touching that it (nearly brings me) to tears every time," Wool said. "Hansel and Gretel" offers a stances of one of the show's main conflicts. use overcomes many of her own issues, including physical and sexual abuse in her family, but is unable to help a seriously troubled boy using her own method of free sexual expression. Markowitz said that much of the importance of the show comes from many of the dilemmas from the century-old material still relevant and troubling today. It might also show younger audience members that they are not alone in dealing with these things that they might not have seen others their age openly struggle with before, she said. "If people come to the show with an open mind, the show will be able to change them in some way," Markowitz said. Filled with catchy rock music and powerful writing, "Spring Awakening" will both entertain and challenge the beliefs of its audiences. Students can purchase two tickets for $20 at the Kingsbury box office with their student ID. en the dust cleared after months of publicity for "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," much to my chagrin, the film only made it out of its opening weekend with $10.5 million. This underappreciated film will be making its way to the Post Theater on campus at 7:30 p.m. Thursday as part of the Presenter's Office Free Film Series. This film is the first in the film series, which includes critically acclaimed films such as "Inception" and "The Social Network." AP PHOTO/UNIVERSAL PICTURES "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," Michael Cera stars in "Scott derived from Pilgrim vs. the World," which will the graphic be shown Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at novel series the Post Theater. by Bryan Lee O'Malley, focuses on the plights of 23-year-old Scott Pilgrim, a socially awkward but endearing character, played with perfection by Michael Cera. Scott must battle the dreaded seven evil exes of his love interest, Ramona Flowers—and they truly are battles. When the confrontations occur, these battles break into video-game-style fights, which end with the loser bursting into a shower of coins. Each individual fight has its own entertaining and comic twist. The seven exes include famous action stars such as Chris Evans from "The Fantastic Four" series and Brandon Routh from "Superman Returns." Funny twists keep the fights fresh and fun to watch. The visual effects and style of this film are brilliant. For a mainstream release, this film has an experimental feel. The unique style is evident in the visuals with obvious comic books and video THE FIGHTER Another recent winter release that boasts an unexpected amount of macabre humor is David 0. Russell's "The Fighter," which recounts the true-life rise to fame of boxer Micky Ward and subsequent recovery of his half-brother, Dickie Eklund, from crack addiction. The film is a refreshingly raw variation on the standard underdog story and boasts award-worthy performances by Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. BLACK SWAN PHOTO COURTESY JASON MCGREW PHOTOGRAPHY "Hansel and Gretel" will play at Capitol Theatre from Jan. 15 to 21. lot of entertainment and will reach a broad audience. "It has tuneful music, some really fun visual moments... and fun theater effects like fireworks and smoke," Anderson said. "There (are) good comedy moments as well— especially in the witch's part, which kids love." "Hansel and Gretel" will be conducted by Ari Pelto and directed by David Gately. Cast members include Anya Matanovic as Gretel, and Jennifer Roderer as the witch. "This is one of my favorite operas of all time, and I never get tired of hearing it," Wool said. "There's good orchestra- tion...and it is just gorgeous music. Everybody knows the story, and the opera does a great job of being true to (it) and making it come alive." The performances will be Jan. 15, 17, 19 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. at Capitol Theater. Students can purchase two tickets for $io with a student ID. Non-student tickets range from $15 to $85. Tickets can be purchased at any ArtTix box office, including Capitol Theatre, Abravanel Hall or Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, or online at www.arttix.org. j.rankin@ chronicle.utah.edu "Black Swan" is also a critical darling playing in theaters. The film stars Natalie Portman, who gives a physically strenuous performance as Nina, a ballerina whose obsession with achieving perfection takes its toll on her already fragile mental state. Director Darren Aronofsky employs some impressive visual trickery to portray Nina's nightmarish descent into madness, and the results are disturbingly memorable. THE KING'S SPEECH Fewer moviegoers have checked out"The King's Speech," though it's another worthy title that has earned many award nominations. Filmmaker Tom Hooper's period drama recreates the events surrounding King George VI's impromptu ascension to the British throne on the eve of World War II with elegant production design, a lovely soundtrack and rousing performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. I LOVE YOU PHILIP MORRIS Last but not least of these recent releases is the warped romcorn "I Love You Phillip Morris."The film is based on the real-life exploits of conservative lawman turned openly gay con man Steven Russell, portrayed with fearless abandon by Jim Carrey. Its controversial subject matter and risque tone are not for everyone, but moviegoers won't have the opportunity to see such a fiendishly entertaining love story in theaters again anytime soon. Compiled by Sandy Schaefer