Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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hop ?i uou iiiudiuai By John Vaughan USC's current stage offering bats aroi dated, club-footed humor sure to I theatergoers. But the show also boasts the type of 1 talent guaranteed to please more clear-he This dichotomy makes the reviewer's easy one: if you consider theater a terribly away from "The Club" ? but if yoi sometimes ought to be a place to have fu "THE CLUB" is a trifling musical revi luigcuduic iuiics anu some wounaea-ciuc But the university presentation, now or Theatre, fuses technical excellence and p produce a rather jolly affair. Written by Eve Merriam, the show brinj exclusively male club in the early 1900s, w condescending attitudes about wives ai preparing for their annual spring revue. You want to know what's wrong with OK. It's outdated and unmeaningful. TY the limericks are worse, and as the line come a long way since then. NOW, YOU want to know what's right Let's take it from the top. Longstreet's depiction of "The Club" I of richly colored furniture, a grand piano, elaborate, beautifully painted arena floe some time. Susan Gratch again has turned a simp visual, creating by brush the ornate in Oriental rug over a parquet wood floor. Carey Robinson's lighting design is sn warm tones anu .soio spouignis renect tne ing even the inexperienced viewer to see 1 cent the material. SPIFFY TUXEDOES and colorful hat: the show's keynotes. Had designer Allen biness here, jt would have been very disa All of these elements come together w the technical direction of Patrick Gill. Of course, what "The Club" is really sh and theatrical talent. It does so in high f; Director James Patterson has drawn c 'Master of hor writes grippint By Robert O'Connor According to the New York Times, S "modern master of horror" and it is it that he can do no wrong with the worl< In only 10 years, 13 books and a sc career, with six of his novels turning ini The merging of reality and the super been the key to King's accomplishmen gore and senseless fear King devises through his work. The author slightly < unearths his reader's darkest fears. "Pet Sematary," the current No. 1 does not deviate from the famous Kii growth is not necessary for the writer. "Pet Sematary" is so terrifying a st was frightened into an inability to writ< of time. The plot centers around the have moved from Chicago to Maine. L< Rachel and children Ellie and Gage Unci to the surface level tranquility of L neighbor (Jud Crandall) immediately paternal friendship with Louis, who i older man's anecdotes and genuinenes* Once the initial story is set, horror be, ly and surrounds the normal and unsu A burial ground beyond the Creed ho sematary" is pleasantly introduced to Generations of naive children have bur deceased pets in the cemetery as a las The merciless and inescapable nighti upon the Creed family. Rachel's < toward death is explored and Louis is patient about the veil forces guardinj "It's not the real cemetery. The soil stonier, Louis," the dying man whispi what he can . . .and tends it." While his family leaves for vacation has to endure the death of the beloved As a result, Jud initiates Louis into the V4iau uuiicti giuunu ucyunu mv pvi wi fering an explanation, Jud gives Louis bury Church there. The terror becomes obvious and inte rection of the family cat. According t "You do it because it gets hold of ; reasons and they seem like good reason: it because once you've been up there, you belong to it." "Pet Sematary" controls the reader fear. The combined elements of ver become addictive with each increasing King has triumphed once again. I revue offers noth md the type of out- ^ bother stiff-necked vibrant, sure-footed " ?? aded patrons. . J x. recommendation an - J- ' serious matter, stay - li believe the stage \ n, go enjoy it. ^ mm jr ie dotted with light, k one-liners. /I i stage at Longstreet A1 / | A.. _ c * A _ .?A Bib * ? A iciuy ui f/uriucne 10 A gs theatergoers to an rtflWMffifli here the men bask in id mistresses while Merriam's musical? ^pSB^tegl le jokes are woeful, goes, women have U^W with this show? OK. 3ffi|p? features a few piece* and one of the mosi >rs USC has seen ir le set into a striking ? 7^g^3/fr';a g lage of a gorgeou ? **:'V' ';;;i : '* 100th and deft. Hi; ^ show's nature, help fl ? ~ _! how lighting can ac<A Woman as male chauvinist s also strike some of Wend Wo|ff p, Bobb jn Usc-S musj( Smith allowed shabppointing. musical direction and Gail Freeman's 1 ithout a hitch under concoct a slick, stylish production. lowing off is musical THERE IS an unmistakable air of c ashion. razzle-dazzle about "The Club." We'n >n Sid Haton's fine canes and slapstick silliness. the ^|^EHflHH^R^^^HB|^HR^ ?ore than apparent [ . _. _ i. reenplay began his IS^5?|3S^S^ip:ii| ^^rvi: natural has always } - t. By downplaying St- ~ believable terror *' T Q lants actuality and Wf jJBgjr jM ?--- ":? 1 iffl lg style. However, fl|wbBs&sM \^y .: V-/' ory that even King for a short period Creed family, who \4 mis Creed, his wife A jflEff "J it difficult to adapt ||\ .udlow, Maine. A gygggg^gggg^ ?HD la Uaa.Im/% *-? M olrrt/\ct vt- _ __ yc^ni* an annua* | ne VVinRBrS s fascinated by the Qea| an(j j0^n watson stole the si rSSii Unknown talc the family by Jud. ied their loved, but By Kelley Braithewaite t, humble gesture. The Undeclared's, The Boys From nare soon descends The Place Called Next, National cavernous aversion Juniors, Ronnie Kane, Bobby Dassing. warned by a dying Do any of these names sound famil'ar? \ the pet cemetery. Probably not right now, but some of of man's heart is these performers may be the talent of ers. "A man grows the future. These are just a few of the bands and entertainers tnat pertormed without him, Louis at Amateur Night at the Golden Spur family cat, Church. Tuesday. sinister Micmac In- Eight groups performed for a metery Without of- substantial crowd, presenting a i the opportunity to musical spectacular. Bearing in mind this was only Amateur Night, these nded with the resur- musicians displayed quite a showcase o the secretive Jud, Gf talent. you. You make up The show began with eventual s, but mostly you do second-place winner Ronald Hughes, it's your place and This talented combination pianc player-singer powerfully delivered 's lust for satisfying songs such as Stevie Wonder's ity with the occult "Greatest Love of All," and the ly suspenseful page. classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." ? A contestant with a similar style ol ittenT ling but fun, ta ^ Such an aura would ha' Hi flapper crowd of earlier th R on the feeling today. His < |A evening is meant as an un The director has blocke< using Longstreet's arena I - jg show briskly and lightl 90-minute performance st; )nK^ Choreographer Freemai |WTher effervescent work. F bended-knee, outstretc i routines, while filling ni MgnL SHE ALSO gets her ch< well by a pair of red-hot t Veeda Griffin, as Henry as Johnny the bell boy, wonderful tap solo during clicks along on the top Tane" ? skinnino tn th<? z? r r ?o % v performers' duet after "II Griffin and Stephenson of the show, playing to the Griffin skewers the era's s portrayal. The mockery is a qualit members, in fact. THEY KNOW the line stale. So when it's time to c they score laughs in the s? Fozzie Bear makes viewer; Claudia Anderson is possesses the best voice of I most solid. She is hysterit gag scene. Anderson also cuts the most closely matched by IN ,g| Q|ujj ? tresses manage the difficul diiu pubiures. Kogers sn lilting choreography to adultery is delightful. Wendy Wolff's sopranc with Griffin on "He Ren >ld-fashioned, cornball more femininity shows thr s dealing with top hats, is an appealing character. MMm mf i i' V { mJH low at Amateur Night at the Golden Spur Tuesday. jnts perform at G performing was third-place winner me Bobby Dassing. Dassing, while playing sin; the guitar, sang "Downtown" and tur "Kiss Your Picture," to an attentive, thr but thinning, crowd. sty Only one other solo performer en< entered the contest ? singer, song- an< ; writer and guitarist Ronnie Kane. Kane, Lit I the only female solo performer, first presented an original song, "Tomor- vo| row," which received only minimal ati tention. Her next number, the well- on i known Kenny Rogers smash "The ^ [ Gambler" received a more enthusiastic " J response. Kane's last selection, a song pr ; from "Fame," written by Paul McCart- qj( ney, was lyrically lovely, although not jnI quite loud enough. Included in the other five entries was ( the two-man band, the National Qf I Juniors, who entertained with Stray i Cats-style music. The Boys From the : Place Called Next played several we ? original songs, one of the best entitled Hi "The Life I Used to Know." en The only punk-style band ? a three att lent ve sold this show to the Broadway lis century, and Patterson picks up iecision quickly tells the viewer the abashed revisit to a bygone era. \ the show busily and thoughtfully, tn orpal hpnofit lln K..<- ' "V..VIU. 1 IV. na^ jJULCU II1C y, so patrons won't spend the aring at their watches. i deserves some extra applause for rreeman draws fun from the old hed-palm and hand-over heart umbers like "Ticker Tape" with geography demonstrated especially ap dancers. the waiter, and Tamra Stephenson, are simply terrific. Griffin has a ; "To the Ladies," and Stephenson of a rickety chair during "Ticker floor without skipping a beat. The F Money Talks" is a showstopper. bring their talents to other aspects ; hilt the self-mockery in their roles, tereotype of blacks throughout her y realized by all seven women cast s are hackneyed and the jokes are ieliver a Henny Youngman clunker, ime manner as the Muppets' corny > smile. outstanding as Bertie. Anderson the lot, and her songs arc the show's rally funny during the revue's best sharpest picture of a man, a feat 4argot Rogers as Freddie. Both act task of affecting male mannerisms mple shoulder-shrug admission of ) is pretty, especially during a duet linds Her of Her Father." A little ough the seams here, but her Bobby Sm "Club." page 16 Phot* by JoMpfe Ganwtt olden Spur mber group with a female lead ger ? put out several hard-hitting les. The Undeclared's, another ee-man group played yet another le of music, with powerful, ?rcetic selections such as "Joanna" i "You Are the Sunshine of My c." Fhe judges, as well as the audience ted John Watson and Mike Neal as : best band of the evening. With one guitar and the other on banjo, the ;n excited the audience with songs ch as 4' Foggy Mountain eakdown," and "Blackberry jssom." While snapping and clapp\ to the energetic music, audience ;mber David Keller said, "They are finitely the most entertaining band the evening." The music styles of all performers, as *11 as the snerial talent of Ha^irio iges, Watson and Neal, presented an tertaining and fun night for all who ended.