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Carmen comes to Columbia by Erin O’Neal The Gamecock The London City Opera, created six years ago by acclaimed British Artistic Director Martin McEvoy, made a name for itself in England because of the company’s dedication to quality entertainment. McEvoy’s successful actors, having al ready won over European audiences, are now trying their luck in Columbia. The London City Opera company made its European debut in 1996 with renditions of “La Boheme” and “Madame Butterfly.” In the winter of last year, the company toured the United States with its perfor mance of “The Magic Flute.” This year, the company will perform “Carmen,” George Bizet’s classic Spanish opera, at the Koger Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Monday. An orchestra will accompany the performers as they interpret Bizet’s story. At one point, “Carmen” was thought of as unacceptable for a family-oriented au dience and proved to be quite shocking during the time of its release in 1875. The novel, written by Prosper Mer imee, was adapted for the stage. Extra char acters were invented, and stereotypes were exaggerated to provide the bourgeois with a melodrama fit for their tastes. But even the soft, romantic picture ol Spain that Bizet painted didn’t manage tc offset Carmen’s outlaw image. Don Jose, a Spanish soldier, becomes enchanted with Carmen, a woman working in a cigar factory in Seville. He is so taken with her, he helps her escape arrest and lands himself in prison. Jose continues to tarnish his good name when he is released from jail and joins Car men’s gang of smugglers. Jose leaves the gang when he is told his mother has taken ill. By this point in time, his enchantment with Carmen has become an uncontrollable desire, and he vows to her he will return. He keeps his promise, but discovers that Carmen and the toreador Escamillo are having an affair. Unable to cope with this fact, Jose kills her in an angry, sorrowful fit of rage. Though the play wasn’t an immediate success, audiences grew to love it just as much as the everlasting image of the Span ish gypsy captured by Carmen. Tickets are on sale for $30 and $28, de pending on seat location, at the Kqger Cen ter ticket office. For more information, call the Koger Center ticket office at 251-2222. * The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotlight@hotmail.com The Pharcyde return with new album after five-year absence from hip-hop by Clayton Kale The Gamecock REVIEW CD: Plain Rap ARTIST: The Pharcyde GRADE: ☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆ The first song on The Pharcyde’s latest album, “Plain Rap,” begins with ironically appropriate lyrics: “Where ya at? Where ya been?” It’s been five years since The Pharcyde released an album. Rap fans might remember the first album “Bizarre Ride II: The Pharcyde,” with off the wall songs like “Ya Mamma,” “Mister Officer” and “Passin’ Me By.” Their freshman album broke new ground on the West Coast hip-hop scene, moving away from gangster rap and into intellectual, jazz-driven songs. Their second album, “Labcabincalifor nia,” broke new ground yet again, as Tre “Slimkid” Hardson, Derrick “Fatlip” Stewart, Imani Wilcox and Romye “Booty Brown” Robinson, toned down the tracks, using a psychedelic sound to season their unique, stream of consciousness rhymes. Although Fatlip has since left'The Pharcyde, “Plain Rap” doesn’t disappoint. Even one mind short of The Pharcyde of five years ago, the lyrics re main intelligent, quirky and often humorous, laid on top of tracks that run the gamut from being edgy, like “Network,” to mellowed out, like “Mis ery.” The title of the album works alongside the group’s hip-hop philosophy. “I feel like everyone in hip-hop now has to be something ... no one is just rappin’ to rap for hip-hop’s sake,” says Robinson. “Plain Rap” is a versatile album that is suited to be the background music at a party or to play in your room while working on the computer. The lyrics are worth listening to and thinking about, while the beats are perfect to bounce your head to while driving. Admittedly, it’s hard for me to judge hip-hop, as I’m very particular about what I like. However, I recommend this album if you’re into The Roots, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, or if you want to hear something fresh after being bored by the formulaic “bling-bling” rap that is prevalent in the hip-hop scene today. foJgBr MOVIE DIRECTORY Dutch Square 14 Broad River and Bush River Rd. All The Pretty Horses - (PG-13) 1:50 5:00 Antitrust-(PG-13) 1:20 4:30 7:15 9:40 12:00 Cast Away-(PG-13) 1:00 4:10 7:10 10:10 Double Take-(PG-13) 12:40 3:00 5:10 7:25 9:30 11:45 Dracula 2000 - (R) 7:40 9:40 11:45 Emperor’s New Groove - (G) 12:50 2:50 4:50 7:35 Family Man - (PG-13) 1:20 4:20 7:40 10:15 Finding Forrester-(PG-13) 12:50 4:00 7:00 10:00 Miss Congeniality-(PG-13) 1:40 4:40 7:30 9:50 12:15 The Pledge - (R) 1:10 4:30 7:20 10:00 Save the Last Dance - (PG-13) 1:30 4:40 7:20 9:50 12:15 Snatch-(R) 12:30 2:45 5:10 7:30 9:45 12:00 Thirteen Days - (PG-13) 12:40 3:50 7:00 10:00 Traffic - (R) 12:30 3:40 6:50 10:10 Vertical Umlt-(PG-13) 9:25 12:00 What Women Want -(PG-13) 1:10 4:10 7:10 9:55 Regal Cinema 7 Cast Away - (PG-13) 1:10 4:10 7:1010:10 Double Take-(PG-13) 1:50 4:40 7:40 10:15 Finding Forrester - (PG-13) 12:50 3:50 6:50 9:50 The Gift-(R) 1:40 4:20 7:30 9:55 Miss Congeniality - (PG-13) 1:30 4:25 7:05 9:45 Save the Last Dance - (PG-13) 1:20 4:30 7:20 10:05 Traffic - (R) 1:00 4:00 7:00 10:00 Carmike 14 102 Dalmations - (PG) 12:30 2:45 5:00 7:00 9:15 All The Pretty Horses-(PG-13) 1:30 4:00 7:00 9:30 Bounce-(PG-13) 1:30 4:45 7:30 9:45 Charlie’s Angels - (PG-13) 1:00 3:15 5:30 8:00 10:15 Double Take-(PG-13) 2:00 4:30 7:15 9:15 11:15 Dude Where’s the Car - (PG-13) 2:00 4:00 7:30 9:15 11:00 Family Man-(PG-13) 1:15 4:00 7:15 9:45 Finding Forrester - (PG-13) 1:00 4:15 7:00 9:45 Miss Congeniality - (PG-13) 1:45 4:15 7:00 9:30 Miss Congeniality-(PG-13) 2:15 4:45 7:30 10:00 Rugrats In Paris - (G) 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 Save the Last Dance - (PG-13) 1:30 4:30 7:00 9:30 Thirteen Days-(PG-13) 1:00 4:15 7:30 Traffic-(R) 1:15 4:00 7:00 9:45 Columbiana Grande Antitrust-(PG-13) 1:504:30 7:20 9:45 Cast Away - (PG-13) 1:45 1:50 4:15 4:45 7:15 8:00 10:15 Chocolat-(PG-13) 1:45 4:20 7:15 9:50 Dracula 2000 - (R) 2:10 4:40 7:45 10:15 Emperor’s New Groove - (G) 1:35 3:55 The Gift-(R) 2:20 4:55 7:30 9:55 The Pledge - (R) 2:05 4:35 7:25 10:30 Proof of Life - (R) 1:55 4:50 7:30 10:20 Snatch -(R) 2:10 4:25 7:50 10:10 State and Main - (R) 1:40 4:00 7:05 9:35 Unbreakable-(PG-13) 7:05 9:35 Vertical Limit - (PG-13) 1:40 4:15 6:55 9:30 What Women Want - (PG-13) 1:30 2:15 4:10 5:00 7:10 7:40 10:00 10:25 Traffic from page 7 is the lack of strong female characters. Wakefield’s daughter is a junkie, and his wife is so irresponsible she ignored her daughter’s addiction for over more than months. Zeta-Jones’ character could be considered strong because she does show incredible survival skills, but she is only fighting for a life of ignorant bliss. Many have criticized the way Soderbergh films the different locations. Mexico is grainy and yellow, provoking one critic to aigue that Mex ico is too beautiful of a country to be filmed in such a way. He missed the fact that the movie was not trying to convey Mexico’s beauty, but the dirtiness and corruption of it. Traffic is a beautiful movie because it does not bother to preach. The movie simply supplies the audi ence with an impeccable cast, a mov ing script about where humans place their loyalties, and facts on the state of the so-called drug war in Aijterica. All of which leads to a large sup ply of questions; however, Traffic offers no answers. Instead, it demands the audience find the answers for them selves. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotiight@hotmail.com Interested in writing for Spotlight? Let us know, e-mail us at gamecockspotlight @ hotmail .com I Campus Recreation Fitness Programs 202 Blatt PE Center • 777-1827 • www.sa.sc.edu/pecenter/fit.htm • 9 Tuesday, January 16 A $10 fee and signed waiver are required before taking part in any group exer cise sessions. Participants need to bring a valid USC Columbia ID with a Spring, 2001 sticker to each class to show proof of registration. To register and pay, stop by the Campus Recreation Office, 202 Blatt PE Center. I Cardio I I Cardio I Yoga I I Yoga Step Body Step Body Step Instr. Instr. Express Sculpt Express I Sculpt Express Choice Choice Faculty I I Faculty li Hfeaculty I Staff Sta«,M^^f Step Step I Step I Step Body Combo I Interval! Combo I Interval I Bar I Express Express Express Express Express I Pump Combo Sculpting Combo I ^^ne8s Choice I Shallow Deep Shallow Deep Water Water Water m Water J * " 1 ■—11 ii1— -- Staff Staff Yoga Yoga Room 107 SpIP Room 107 .. . — Kick Step Jump Hi/Lo Yoga Sunday Boxing Pump , Interval Cardio 6:00 - 7:00 Yoga 1__—— —-—.— - <■--— !■-- ■1 ■——1 **—■-—-—— I Body Step „Step Step Sculpt Interval Pump Interval W 7:00"8:15 - --—— -■ — - Step & Cardio kickboxing Step/ Slide Impact 8:20-9:15 Sllde _Jump_