Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Friday, Sept. 23,2005 . _ _ ._,.... _. , _ . .T„ . _ _ Page 5 _____-__ ■ ■ ■■ __-...-.....1_*_Cl * Drama of American dream opens season at Drayton Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge revolves around perverse, indulgent characters Hall at 8 p.m. Saturday. The play is about the journey of a man devoted to his family and way of life. Longshoreman Eddie Carbone, a powerless character in the face of his tragic fate, helps two immigrants pursue their American dream. In doing so, he exposes a world of perversion and instant indulgence. According to a news release, the play is a “relentless i drama of obsession » Performances continue through Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 for USC students, $ 12 for faculty, military and seniors (60 and older) and $14 for the public. Director Vincent A. Masterpaul is a second-year MFA student and “son of a first-generation American”. ' “I also want to understand the community involvement in the play A sizable ensemble will create a community on our stage. I want to focus on the community, and on Eddie’s mindset about the community as he tries to keep things from changing in his home. How he talks about community and how the community reacts to his actions are very important,” Masterpaul said in the release. Masterpaul also directed shows in New York City^ and helped^ found4 Shakespeare j for Schools, j which] produces] stage! classics question-and-answer sessions for students. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Medallion for his service with the American College Theatre Festival. Robert Ierardi, who recently starred in “Shear Madness” at The Kennedy Center in Washington and in Romulus Linney’s “Can Can” for the Phoenix Ensemble, will play Eddie Carbone. The character Catherine, a beautiful, smart, young Italian girl, will be played by Meghann Marty, a fourth-year BRID6C • 6 Special to THE GAMECOCK Arthur Miller's ‘A View from the Bridge’ begins at 8 p.m. Saturday and runs through Oct. 2 at Drayton Hall. Maladroit Mafia revive ska’s brass-happy sound High schoolers help reform lost genre with Tuesday performance at New Brookland 0 Devon Ulcek ■ FOR THE GAMECOCK Ska is dead — and by the looks of it, a revival of the horn driven, reggae-punk blend is not in the near future. It has been nearly 10 years since mainstream music welcomed bands such as brass happy No Doubt, ska-punk Sublime and Boston two-tone legends the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Today, MTV’s target audience would rather hear Special to THE GAMECOCK The reggae-tinged Maladroit Mafia performs in concert. minor-key screamo than the upbeat brilliance of ska. As a result, the ska scene has retreated, once again, to the underground. “I’ve always liked ska because it’s happy,” said local ska kid Seth Bailin, a first-year advertising student. “It’s fun to dance to and can be chill sometimes, but other times it can have a harder punk sound. It’s perfect.” The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the rise of generic, friendly-for-the-masses punk, and the break-up of great ska bands. Fortunately, some two tone armies still exist. The Maladroit Mafia proves to be one such band. The groups sound ranges from loud and abrasive to sweet and catchy. On “Feel the Same,” the band explores a harder ska-core sound, reminiscent of earlier Suicide Machines albums. The bands lighter sounding song “These Days” is balanced with grim political lyrics such as “equal rights for some, but not for all; divided we stand, divided we fall,” and “this fight Special to THE GAMECOCK Maladroit Mafia poses during this year’s Vans Warped Tour. ain’t about me versus you — the fight is about the red versus the blue.” The song “Playground Brawl” ends with a Catch 22 like a cappella chant. Trumpet player Brandon Rogers and guitarist Jeffrey McMicken share the vocals with a Big D &c The Kids Table vocal-and-rap style that seems perfect for the band. “Ska-wise, I would say (our biggest influences) are Catch 22, Big D &c The Kids Table and Mustard Plug,” said Jason Rikard, Maladroit Mafia drummer. “Plus, The Know How is great as well.” The Mafia’s first show was back March at New Brookland Tavern. Five months later they were playing on Vans Warped Tour, on the Ernie Ball stage. “It was great to play on the same stage as one of our influences, Big D & The Kids Table. We sold out of all our CDs, too” Rogers said. Even though the stage was one of the smallest, the competition to get on the Warped Tour was fierce. Such successes are typical of seasoned musicians, but many of the band members are still in high muni) • 6 • I www. dailygamecock. com 1 ; ' 1 ■ ' Special to THE GAMECOCK ‘American Idol’ star John Stevens sings Frank Sinatra on ‘Red.’ ‘IDOL’ IMITATES IMMORTAL ICON IN NEW ALBUM Seventeen-year-old crooner revamps old Sinatra tunes for MTV generation Hdam Carter FOR THE GAMECOCK “Not another Josh Groban for the media to fawn over!” Relax, at least he doesn’t sing opera. In June, John Stevens, runner-up on the third season of “American Idol,” released “Red,” which finds Stevens crooning just like his favorite singer, Frank Sinatra. Fans of jazz and classic pop music will enjoy this release. One music critic even said his 13-year-old, rock-loving son enjoyed it. Is it possible for a 17-year old redhead to borrow fame from a man whose singing career arguably overshadows the accomplishments of all other 20th-century artists combined? He isn’t even out of high school, but he proves himself capable of going beyond the vocal talent of his own idol. He also does a lofty, jazzy -take on “This Love” by Maroon 5. Sinatra imitations, no matter how good, ultimately remind many people of fancy Italian restaurants more than the singer himself, simply because an entire generation has grown up knowing little about the famous crooners of the 1940s and ‘50s. Alternative and punk rockers especially will find the sound hopelessly outdated and pass^. If is not that the music is bad — it’s just not loud enough to satisfy sonic demands. But if one focuses on vocal talent, Stevens’ singing isn’t all that bad. Stevens does take into account a shift in pop culture, altering the songs from more traditional singing styles such as Sinatra’s. He tends to not hold notes as long. Some older listeners might see this as reduced effort, but he has plenty of time to develop his voice and improve his. style. He might be on his way to stardom in the near future. Music lovers will just have to wait to see what comes next. He likely has a lot more talent than this album gives him credit for. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@givm.sc.edu Specialty THE GAMECOCK Reese Witherspoon plays a workaholic M.D. in her latest film. Delightful acting sanctifies ‘Heaven’ fflarjone Riddle FOR THE GAMECOCK Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo are heavenly in “Just Like Heaven,” managing to effectively balance romance and comedy with just a splash of corniness. Witherspoon plays workaholic doctor, Elizabeth Masterson while Ruffalo portrays David Abbott, a tormented, almost alcoholic plagued by the loss of his wife. Masterson is involved in an automobile accident, which leaves the audience to ponder her fate. The film :), diverts to Abbott who moves into Masterson’s spacious, San Francisco apartment. Abbott spends his days lazing on the couch drinking beer until he encounters Masterson, who accuses him of breaking into her apartment. They realize she is not entirely there — she is the spirit of herself. Like most romantic comedies, the two realize they need each other to “fix” one another’s problems. In the process they begin to fall in love. The unsurprising conclusion reaches too far for the right ending, leaving Hcnuen • 6 Albany Gault £ THE GAMECOCK Arthur Miller’s play “A View from the Bridge” will open Theatre South Carolina’s season Drayton