pop - Apr 22, 2011

Norman Music Festival, Page 4

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Friday, April 22, 2011

OU Lab Theatre brings Eugene O’Neill’s comedy to life

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Film

Friday, April 22, 2011

A Never-Mess-with-Adrien-Brody double feature f you think acting is easy, Adrien Brody might disagree. He had to lose 25 pounds for his Oscarwinning role in “The Pianist� (and he was already a beanpole), suffered a broken nose during “Son of Sam,� was tortured by sadistic pseudoprison guards in “The Experiment,� and was walloped around by angry natives and a giant ape in “King Kong.�

The 38-year-old Brody shows no signs of moving toward romantic comedies, either. He continues to prove that skinny guys with big noses can be every bit as sexy and tough as the pretty boys. Maybe more so. Over the past year, Brody completed two of his most physical roles to date, showcased in our Never-Mess-with-Adrien-Brody Double Feature.

I

MaryAnneHempe Forgotten Video When “Predators� (2010) begins, we have no idea what’s going on.

Neither does our hero, Royce (Brody), who has just woken up, although not in bed. Royce is plummeting through the sky. He manages to pull the ripcord on his parachute, but not in time for a soft landing. When he wakes up again, Royce finds he has company.

A lot of company, in fact. There are seven other souls who’ve been dropped here like Royce. And they soon discover two startling facts — 1. They’re not on Earth, and 2.

Except for a confused doctor (Topher Grace), they’re all profes-

sional killers.

Royce is a mercenary from the States. The others come from all over the world, ranging from a Japanese Yakuza (Louis Ozawa Changchien) to a Mexican drug lord (Danny Trejo). There’s even a serial killer (“Justified’s� Walton Goggins).

These are the best of Earth’s murderers, but on this planet, they’re nothing more than bait; bait for a trio of deadly Predators (Carey Jones, Brian Steele, and Derek Mears) who can hardly wait to kill them all.

Although critics weren’t kind to “Predators,� I bet this worthy new chapter in the “Predator� series is on their guilty pleasure lists. It’s certainly on mine. Brody is a fabulous as Royce (he gained 25 of muscle), and the supporting cast, especially Walton Goggins and the always-fab-

ulous Lawrence Fishburne as the nutty Noland, are terrific. “Predators� is rated R for language and violence.

In an odd twist, Brody also has no idea what’s going on at the beginning of “Wrecked� (2011).

There’s no question he’s still on Earth, pinned in the front seat of a car that appears to be at the bottom of a cliff. His leg is crushed, but other than that rather serious problem, he has no other injuries. The only questions remaining are how did he get here and more importantly, who is he?

We know Brody simply as “The Man� throughout his ordeal, which becomes more and more desperate as the hours tick by. Finally, The Man manages to pull himself free from the wreck. He begins a slow

and painful journey through the woods, praying he’ll come to a road.

As bits of his memory start to return, The Man is horrified to realize that he may be down at the bottom of that cliff for a very good reason, and that he was not meant to survive. “Wrecked� (2011) was filmed in just 18 days and in chronological order too, which is quite rare. Brody spent nights by the wrecked car while the crew went home to get a feel for what someone in that situation would have to endure. His performance is a tour-de-force; he’s the only actor onscreen for most of “Wrecked� and makes sure there's never a dull moment. “Wrecked� is rated R for language and violence.

Check ‘em out!

Movie Listings New Releases

Water for Elephants — A veterinary student (Robert Pattinson) abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet. Also starring Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. PG-13.

African Cats — A nature documentary centered on two cat families and how they teach their cubs the ways of the wild. G. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family — Madea jumps into action when her niece, Shirley, receives distressing news about her health. PG-13.

Also showing

• The Adjustment Bureau — The affair between a politician (Matt Damon) and a ballerina (Emily Blunt) is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers

apart. PG-13. (Robinson Crossing) • Arthur — A drunken playboy (Russell Brand) stands to lose a wealthy inheritance when he falls for a woman his family doesn't like. PG-13. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Gnomeo and Juliet — The neighboring gardens of Montague and Capulet are at war, but the gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, are in love. G. (Robinson Crossing) • Hanna — A 16-year-old who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives. PG-13.

(Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Hop — E.B., the Easter Bunny's teenage son, heads to Hollywood, determined to become a drummer in a rock 'n'

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roll band. In LA, he's taken in by Fred after the out-of-work slacker hits E.B. with his car. PG. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • I Am Number Four — John (Alex Pettyfer) is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him.

Three like him have already been killed ... he is Number Four. PG-13. (Robinson Crossing) • Insidious — A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further. PG13. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Justin Bieber: Never Say Never — Follows Justin Bieber with some footage of performances from his 2010 concert tour. G. (Robinson Crossing)

Contact Us: Phone: 366-3533 Fax: 366-3516 E-mail all press releases and all other inquiries to: pop@normantranscript.com

• Just Go with It — A plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler) convinces his loyal assistant (Jennifer Garner) to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a careless lie he told to his muchyounger girlfriend. PG-13. (Robinson Crossing) • The King’s Speech (edited version) — The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and his speech therapist. (Robinson Crossing) • Limitless — A writer (Bradley Cooper) discovers a top-secret drug that bestows him with super-human abilities. PG-13.

(Warren Theater) • The Lincoln Lawyer — A lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) conducts business from the back of his Lincoln town car while representing a high-profile client (Ryan Phillippe) in Beverly Hills. R.

Weekly deadline: 5 p.m. Monday All faxed or mailed information submitted must be typed.

All letters to the editor must include address and phone number.

(Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Red Riding Hood — Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl (Amanda Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure. PG-13.

(Robinson Crossing) • Rio — When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with this bird of his dreams. G. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Scream 4 — Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer. R. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14)

pop is published each Friday by The Norman Transcript, P.O. Box 1058, Norman, OK 73070.

To advertise in this section, call 366-3554.

• Soul Surfer — A teenage surfer girl summons the courage to go back into the ocean after losing an arm in a shark attack. PG. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Source Code — A soldier wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal. PG-13. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Your Highness — When Prince Fabious' bride is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her... accompanied by his lazy useless brother Thadeous (Danny McBride). Also starring Natalie Portman and James Franco. R. (Warren Theater, Hollywood Spotlight 14).

COVER ART: OU Lab Theatre students perform in a production of Eugene O’Neill’s comedy, “Ah, Wilderness!� The show continues at 8 tonight and Saturday.

Photos provided by OU University Theatre

Film & Music

Friday, April 22, 2011

MOVIE REVIEWS

MUSIC REVIEW

‘African Cats’

Drive-By Truckers

((() Earth Day becomes Mother’s Day in “African Cats,” a magnificent new wildlife documentary from Disneynature. It’s an engrossing and often moving film built around the fierce protectmy-young instincts of a lioness and a female cheetah struggling against the odds on the Kenyan Masai Mara savanna.

Almost every shot is a postcard-perfect African vista, and every animal shown in majestic close-up — lions, cheetahs, hyenas and aardvarks — even the homely wildebeest, their snouts covered in flies.

Music, image and narration combine in the Disney film to present life and death, up close (and yet almost bloodless), capturing a world where man isn’t yet the biggest threat — other lions and everybody’s favorite monster, the crocodiles, are.

Filmmakers Keith Scholey (“Big Cat Diary”) and Alistair Fothergill (“Deep Blue,” “Earth”) showcase the animals to great effect, letting us appreciate their beauty, their exquisite design. The filmmakers occasionally capture the cute — cuddly cubs wrestling. But they don’t shy away from the daily brutality of the “circle of life” — as we see in slow-motion takedowns of gazelles and zebras, whole herds of them bleating in alarm.

But there’s nothing remotely traumatic in the G-rated “African Cats.”

Jackson’s enthusiastic performance of the narration, even managing the odd joke (“Herding cats is never easy.”), the splendid images and especially the wonderful sound — cheetah calls, grunting aardvarks wrestling, lions trying to muster up their most menacing roar — make “the Disney version” of the hard life “lived by tooth and claw” both educational and terrific, kidfriendly entertainment.

— The Orlando Sentinel

AP Photo

Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon are shown in a scene from “Water for Elephants.”

‘Water for Elephants’ ((() “Water for Elephants” is partly a sawdust love story, partly a survival story. It opens with an old man’s reminiscence, as Jacob Jankowski (Hal Holbrook) tells a young circus hand about his own Depression-era adventures under the big top.

He didn’t join the show out of any romantic impulses about carnival life. The wellplanned veterinary career he expected was torpedoed by a family tragedy. And the first train he could hop just happened to be carrying roustabouts, a menagerie, a gorgeous trick rider, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), and her possessive husband, the circus’s owner and ringmaster, August (Christoph Waltz).

That’s where the romance enters in. And the survival drama, too.

Twentysomething Jacob (Robert Pattinson, looking much nicer tanned and smiling than he does in the “Twilight” series) gets a crash course in circus etiquette. The

workers hate the performers, the train doesn’t slow down when deadbeats get tossed off, the coochie dancers like to tease virginal lads and the animals produce staggering quantities of manure. As to the age-old commandment Keep Your Hands off the Boss’ Wife, he is respectful. At least initially.

Witherspoon, doing her best work since her Oscarwinning “Walk the Line,” is a decent, dutiful wife struggling with her feelings for Pattinson’s kind, hunky animal lover. Waltz gives his role surprising depth. He’s a commanding personality, shading into cruelty, but you don’t want to poke his eyes out. He can be both ruthless and kind, and when he acts out violently he’s contrite.

But there are some infractions that can’t be excused, and Marlena and Jacob find themselves dancing a very precarious tightrope duet of suppressed desire. Their animal attraction, mirrored in the show’s half-tame animals, eventually pours out with catastrophic results. This is a story with one happy ending and many unhappy ones.

Director Francis Lawrence, who brought a richly detailed feel to the fantasy worlds of “I Am Legend” and “Constantine,” is right at home in the equally artificial milieu of a 1930s circus. He works new ground here, however. The scenes of spectacle, spangly aerialists and lion tamers are few. The film’s focus is on the dramatic interplay among its topline actors, shot in adoring close-ups.

Witherspoon’s costumer did a great job fitting her with theatrical spotlight attire and sleek Jean Harlow gowns for romantic nights on the town; her hairdresser spun her locks into an alluring platinum haze. Pattinson seems to improve as the movie goes along, over-indicating at first but gradually relaxing into his naive, awkward character. The endlessly entertaining Waltz moves beyond his silky-monster thing to create a character who deserves admiration and pity, as well as scorn.

Even if your circus taste runs more to Soleil than Ringling, there’s a lot here to like.

— Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Go-Go Boots” (ATO Records, 2011) Southern rockers DriveBy Truckers recently released “Go-Go Boots” hot on the heels (get it? Heels?!?) of 2010’s stellar “The Big ToDo,” both produced by former Sugar bassist David Barbe.

Yes, the band that loves hyphens and Southern gothic tales of misery and loss, set against a raw, live-in-the studio sound have arguably come up with their best release since 2001’s double album “Southern Rock Opera.” Yeah, I dug “The Big To-Do,” as I noted on Red Dirt Report, but the DBT’s have outdone themselves with this new record.

Now, I should note that “Go-Go Boots” is a bit more downbeat and tends to hang around the mid-tempo song range, but I find that this is where their song/stories are in their strongest form.

Lead singer Patterson Hood is great form on this outing. On the title track, with some of the swampiest guitar riffs this side of the Bayou State (think Lucinda Williams), Hood sings of a lecherous preacher and his lust for a dancer in “go-go boots” named Missy. You can just smell the spilled beer on the dancehall floor as this one slinks along.

Brilliant stuff.

Co-vocalist Shonna Tucker offers up the sweet “Dancin’ Ricky” while “Cartoon Gold,” featuring multi-instrumentalist Mike Cooley on vocals, is something out of the porchpickin,’ 70’s outlaw-hippie mold – pleasant enough but lacking a hook that makes it memorable.

Cooley’s Southern singing accent also comes through

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on the straightforward honky-tonk of “The Weakest Man,” a song that sounds like it was unearthed at Sun Studios, forgotten since 1958.

Hood returns on “I Do Believe,” an alt-country tune that has a vague Wilco-ish feel. There’s a sense of longing and loss hanging over this track.

Sings Hood, in a mournful way: “I believe I saw youir shadow looking like 1967 / Percy Sledge on the radio / Or maybe Spanish songs / All my troubles swept away.”

Hood is back to his old tricks on the longish story/song “Used To Be a Cop,” with it’s steady beat courtesy of Tucker and reliable drummer Brad Morgan. Hood’s descriptive and devastating lyrics keep you hooked.

A cozy cover of Eddie Hinton’s soulful “Everybody Needs Love” fits snugly midway through the album while later on Hinton’s song “Where’s Eddie” gets the treatment from Tucker’s female perspective. A little low-key to start off but it does build and Jay Gonzalez’s organ work add an appropriate feel as do the 70’s-styled “wah-wah” guitar effects.

“Go-Go Boots” is everything you expect from the Drive-By Truckers and more. Keep it comin’ y’all!

Grade — A — Andrew W. Griffin

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Norman Music Festival

Friday, April 22, 2011

Rock this town The Norman Music Festival is set to take over downtown Thursday through April 30.

THURSDAY 06:00 PM - Catching Chloe - Opolis Stage (indoor) 06:00 PM - Edgar Cruz - Brewhouse Stage 06:00 PM - The Fountain and the Figurehead Michelangelos Stage - Indoor 06:45 PM - Saturday Sirens - Opolis Stage (indoor) 07:00 PM - Jerry Brooks/Frank Lawrence Michelangelos Stage - Indoor 07:00 PM - Psymbience - Brewhouse Stage 07:00 PM - The Needles - Bill and Dees Stage 07:00 PM - Unwed Sailor - Blackwatch Stage 07:30 PM - Gregg Standridge - Bluebonnet Stage 07:30 PM - Man-Made Objects - Opolis Stage (indoor) 08:00 PM - Gentle Ghost - Blackwatch Stage 08:00 PM - Head Cabinets - Brewhouse Stage 08:00 PM - Nathan Brown - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 08:00 PM - Thirteen Stars - Bill and Dees Stage 08:15 PM - The Venditos - Opolis Stage (indoor) 08:30 PM - TheLonzoDogBand - Bluebonnet Stage 09:00 PM - Brother Gruesome - Blackwatch Stage 09:00 PM - Crown Imperial - Opolis Stage (indoor) 09:00 PM - John Houser - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 09:00 PM - The Nghiems - Brewhouse Stage 09:00 PM - The Purple Church - Bill and Dees Stage 09:30 PM - O Fidelis - Bluebonnet Stage 09:45 PM - The Gentle Art of Floating - Opolis Stage (indoor) 10:00 PM - Chase Kerby - Brewhouse Stage 10:00 PM - Russell Kabir - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 10:00 PM - Sherree Chamberlain - Blackwatch Stage 10:00 PM - The Electric Primadonnas - Bill and Dees Stage 10:30 PM - The Rum Fellows - Bluebonnet Stage 10:45 PM - Depth & Current - Opolis Stage (indoor) 11:00 PM - Ben Kilgore - Blackwatch Stage

11:00 PM - Green Corn Revival - Brewhouse Stage 11:00 PM - The Oh Johnny! Girls - Bill and Dees Stage 11:30 PM - The Gunship - Bluebonnet Stage 11:45 PM - Student Film - Opolis Stage (indoor) 12:00 AM - Other Lives - Blackwatch Stage 12:00 AM - Rico Muerte - Bill and Dees Stage 12:30 AM - The Neighborhood - Opolis Stage (indoor) 01:00 AM - The Workweek - Blackwatch Stage

FRIDAY 01:00 PM - Negro Allowance - Guestroom Stage 01:40 PM - Easy Lovers - Guestroom Stage 02:20 PM - Kerai-Pantsu - Guestroom Stage 03:00 PM - The Copperheads - Guestroom Stage 03:40 PM - Skating Polly - Guestroom Stage 04:20 PM - Shitty/Awesome - Guestroom Stage 05:00 PM - Grey Engraved - Dreamer Concepts Stage 05:00 PM - The Boom Bang - Guestroom Stage 05:40 PM - The Dead Space - Guestroom Stage 06:00 PM - Black Canyon - Bluebonnet Stage 06:00 PM - daniel walcher - Brewhouse Stage 06:00 PM - Dazzlers - Spectacle Stage 06:00 PM - Farrel Droke - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 06:00 PM - Football, etc - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 06:00 PM - FRMR - Sooner Theatre Stage 06:00 PM - straightshooter - Dreamer Concepts Stage 06:00 PM - Thee Bad Newes - Opolis Stage (indoor - unplugged) 06:25 PM - Stuffies/Shitty Beach Boys - Guestroom Stage 06:30 PM - Mickey Reece - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 06:30 PM - Modern Rock Diaries - Bill and Dees Stage 06:45 PM - Brother Bear - Opolis Stage (outdoor)

06:45 PM - Ouija & The UniNauts - Spectacle Stage 07:00 PM - ALEGRIA REAL - Latin Stage 07:00 PM - Anthony Nagid Jazz Quartet - Sonder Jazz Stage 07:00 PM - fos - Red Room Stage 07:00 PM - Frequency Jones - Dreamer Concepts Stage 07:00 PM - Luna Moth - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 07:00 PM - Norman High School Dancers Spectacle Stage 07:00 PM - Ryan Lawson - Sooner Theatre Stage 07:00 PM - The Damn Quails - Bluebonnet Stage 07:00 PM - tomcrider - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 07:00 PM - Tony Romanello and the Black Jackets Brewhouse Stage 07:10 PM - Bottle Service - Guestroom Stage 07:30 PM - Blue Valley Farmer - Opolis Stage (indoor - unplugged) 07:30 PM - John Wayne's Bitches - Bill and Dees Stage 07:30 PM - Julia's Academy of International Dance - Spectacle Stage 07:30 PM - The Wurly Birds - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 07:35 PM - Watersparks - Red Room Stage 07:55 PM - Dikes of Holland - Guestroom Stage 08:00 PM - Brine Webb - Blackwatch Stage 08:00 PM - David Henson - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 08:00 PM - Day One - Red Room Stage 08:00 PM - J.D. Thompsoni - Bluebonnet Stage 08:00 PM - Laura Wiederhoeft & Kyle Reid - Sonder Jazz Stage 08:00 PM - Oz Davidson - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 08:00 PM - Psychotic Reaction - Brewhouse Stage 08:00 PM - Travis Wackerly and the PostOkies Dreamer Concepts Stage 08:00 PM - Zèbre - Sooner Theatre Stage 08:15 PM - DEERPEOPLE - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 08:15 PM - LOS HOLLYWOOD - Latin Stage 08:30 PM - Ashtanga AcroYoga and Magic Spectacle Stage 08:30 PM - Boy Wonder - Bill and Dees Stage 08:35 PM - Mind The Fox - Red Room Stage 08:40 PM - Lumerians - Guestroom Stage 09:00 PM - Brad Fielder - Bluebonnet Stage 09:00 PM - Darden Pierce - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 09:00 PM - Jeff Hobbs & the Jacks - Dreamer Concepts Stage 09:00 PM - John Moreland - Brewhouse Stage 09:00 PM - Locust Avenue - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 09:00 PM - Mama Sweet - Sooner Theatre Stage 09:00 PM - Pa Pa Win - Sonder Jazz Stage 09:00 PM - Penny Hilary - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 09:00 PM - Prairie Folk Circus - Spectacle Stage 09:00 PM - The Rockettops - Red Room Stage 09:00 PM - Vandevander - Blackwatch Stage 09:10 PM - Habibi Yal Albi (Marjan's troup) Spectacle Stage 09:15 PM - Killer Drum (Marjan solo) - Spectacle Stage 09:20 PM - Ashley Lin & Madisen Cary Duet Spectacle Stage 09:30 PM - Ali Harter - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 09:30 PM - Candela Latin Dancers - Spectacle Stage 09:30 PM - Love Collector - Guestroom Stage 09:30 PM - MONTE NEGRO - Latin Stage 09:30 PM - MOON - Bill and Dees Stage

09:35 PM - Of The Tower - Red Room Stage 09:40 PM - Prairie Folk Circus - Spectacle Stage 09:45 PM - Stardeath and White Dwarf - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 09:50 PM - Candela Latin Dancers - Spectacle Stage 10:00 PM - BradChad Porter (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 10:00 PM - Horse Thief - Red Room Stage 10:00 PM - Ivan's Hot Six - Sonder Jazz Stage 10:00 PM - Lands Bejeweled - Bison Witches 10:00 PM - Ottrepop - Brewhouse Stage 10:00 PM - Ryan Welton - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 10:00 PM - Tepes Rouge - Spectacle Stage 10:00 PM - The Burning Hotels - Blackwatch Stage 10:00 PM - The East Dallas Shufflers - Dreamer Concepts Stage 10:00 PM - The Hex - Sooner Theatre Stage 10:00 PM - Travis Linville - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 10:00 PM - Will Gardner - Bluebonnet Stage 10:10 PM - James Nghiem (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 10:20 PM - Dan Skaggs (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 10:30 PM - Followed By Static - Guestroom Stage 10:30 PM - Michael Priest (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 10:30 PM - People,People - Bill and Dees Stage 10:30 PM - White Denim - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 10:40 PM - Cameron Buchholtz (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 10:50 PM - Ryan Drake (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 11:00 PM - Bungalouski - Dreamer Concepts Stage 11:00 PM - Flatland Travelers - Bluebonnet Stage 11:00 PM - Love Button - Brewhouse Stage 11:00 PM - OKC Improv (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 11:00 PM - Open Jazz Session - Sonder Jazz Stage 11:00 PM - The Mimsies - Sooner Theatre Stage 11:00 PM - The Pretty Black Chains - Blackwatch Stage 11:10 PM - Zach Smith (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 11:20 PM - Anthony Cavazos (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 11:30 PM - RUDE AMPS - Bill and Dees Stage 11:30 PM - Spencer Hicks (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 11:40 PM - Rundus (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 11:50 PM - Derek Smith (Comedian) - The Garage Stage 12:00 AM - Hush Hush Commotion - Brewhouse Stage 12:00 AM - Native Lights - Blackwatch Stage 12:00 AM - The Dead Armadillos - Bluebonnet Stage 12:30 AM - Traindodge - Bill and Dees Stage 01:00 AM - Jacob Abello - Blackwatch Stage

SATURDAY 11:00 AM - Monty Harper - Little Rocker Kids Stage 11:00 AM - Norman Chamber Music Composers Showcase - Sooner Theatre Stage 12:00 PM - Ali Harter - Jägermeister Stage 12:00 PM - Big Brown & "Slim" - Brewhouse Stage 12:00 PM - Dustin Prinz and Anna Kinder Michelangelos Stage - Indoor 12:00 PM - gum - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 12:00 PM - Josh Sallee - Sooner Theatre Stage 12:00 PM - OU Jazz Band - Little Rocker Kids Stage 12:00 PM - Romero - Bill and Dees Stage 12:00 PM - Seth Mccarroll - Opolis Stage (indoor -

unplugged) 12:00 PM - The Pizza Thieves - Dreamer Concepts Stage 12:00 PM - Tim Jennings - Zanzibar Stage 12:00 PM - Zach Walchuk - Michelangelos Stage Outdoor 12:30 PM - Black June Revival - Red Room Stage 12:30 PM - Dr. Pants - Bluebonnet Stage 12:45 PM - Oklahoma Scottish Pipes & Drums group - Dreamer Concepts Stage 12:45 PM - Zombie vs. Shark - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 12:50 PM - Penny Hill Party - Main Stage 01:00 PM - aDDLib - Sooner Theatre Stage 01:00 PM - Beau Jennings - Jägermeister Stage 01:00 PM - Josh Roberts - Brewhouse Stage 01:00 PM - Klipspringer - Bill and Dees Stage 01:00 PM - Matthew Stratton - Michelangelos Stage - Outdoor 01:00 PM - p.m. Brendan Parker - Little Rocker Kids Stage 01:00 PM - Post Arcadia - Dreamer Concepts Stage 01:00 PM - Scott Hartman (Aaron Squirrel) Michelangelos Stage - Indoor 01:00 PM - Taylor Atkinson Band - Zanzibar Stage 01:30 PM - A Fate Far Worse - Red Room Stage 01:30 PM - Acoustic Ross - Bluebonnet Stage 01:30 PM - Bulletproof Tiger - Opolis Stage (indoor - unplugged) 01:30 PM - JUNEBUG SPADE - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 01:40 PM - The Non - Main Stage 02:00 PM - Algebra - Sooner Theatre Stage 02:00 PM - Apollo - Bill and Dees Stage 02:00 PM - Audra Mae - Jägermeister Stage 02:00 PM - Denver Duncan - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 02:00 PM - Richard 'Daddy' Love - Michelangelos Stage - Outdoor 02:00 PM - Switchblade Rosie - Dreamer Concepts Stage 02:00 PM - The Gussissin - Zanzibar Stage 02:00 PM - The Lily Guild - Brewhouse Stage 02:00 PM - Young Musicians Showcase: The Studio of the Sooner Theatre - Little Rocker Kids Stage 02:15 PM - Carter Sampson & Joe Mack - Opolis Stage (indoor - unplugged) 02:15 PM - Unmarked Cars - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 02:30 PM - BLOODY OL MULE - Bluebonnet Stage 02:30 PM - Foot Patrol - Main Stage 02:30 PM - Rats Rats Rats - Red Room Stage 03:00 PM - DANIEL(S) - Bill and Dees Stage 03:00 PM - Debris' - Blackwatch Stage 03:00 PM - Emory Grey (formerly 8Bit Cynics) Sooner Theatre Stage 03:00 PM - Glister - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 03:00 PM - Hydrants - Zanzibar Stage 03:00 PM - Jim Madsen (S.W.A.N.) Michelangelos Stage - Outdoor 03:00 PM - K.C. Clifford - Brewhouse Stage 03:00 PM - Kale Hunter - Dreamer Concepts Stage 03:00 PM - Pidgin Band - Jägermeister Stage 03:00 PM - The Damn Quails - Opolis Stage (indoor - unplugged) 03:00 PM - The Samurai Conquistadors Michelangelos Stage - Indoor 03:00 PM - Young Musicians Showcase: Sonder Music, Dance & Art - Little Rocker Kids Stage 03:30 PM - BitchWizard - Red Room Stage 03:30 PM - Bulletproof Tiger - Bluebonnet Stage 03:30 PM - The Fortue Tellers - Main Stage 03:45 PM - Jesse Aycock & Paul Benjaman - Opolis Stage (indoor - unplugged) 04:00 PM - And There Stand Empires - Bill and Dees Stage

04:00 PM - Camille Harp - Brewhouse Stage 04:00 PM - Jabee - Sooner Theatre Stage 04:00 PM - Magnificent Bird - Zanzibar Stage 04:00 PM - OK Sweetheart - Blackwatch Stage 04:00 PM - Rainbows Are Free - Opolis Stage (outdoor) 04:00 PM - The Trishas - Jägermeister Stage 04:00 PM - The Whiskey Trio - Dreamer Concepts Stage 04:00 PM - Tod Barrett - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 04:00 PM - tracy reed - Michelangelos Stage Outdoor 04:00 PM - Young Musicians Showcase: Norman Music Institute - Little Rocker Kids Stage 04:30 PM - Brine Webb - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 04:30 PM - los hijos del diablo - Red Room Stage 04:30 PM - Resident Funk - Bluebonnet Stage 05:00 PM - Guitar & Mandolin Orchestra Michelangelos Stage - Outdoor 05:00 PM - Kite Flying Robot - Blackwatch Stage 05:00 PM - Luna Moth - Bill and Dees Stage 05:00 PM - Riley Jantzen and the Spirits Brewhouse Stage 05:00 PM - SoYé - Sooner Theatre Stage 05:00 PM - Syloken - Zanzibar Stage 05:00 PM - The Barrelhouse Revelers - Dreamer Concepts Stage 05:00 PM - The Simoleons - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 05:00 PM - Travis Linville - Jägermeister Stage 05:00 PM - Ty Segall - Main Stage 05:00 PM - Young Musicians Showcase: McMichael Music - Little Rocker Kids Stage 05:15 PM - Ryan Lindsey - Opolis Stage (indoor unplugged) 05:30 PM - Carter Sampson & Joe Mack Bluebonnet Stage 05:30 PM - TradeMark Twitch - Red Room Stage 06:00 PM - Acrobatic Yoga and Magic Show with Andrew Eppler - Ashtanga Yoga Studio Stage 06:00 PM - Caravact - Zanzibar Stage 06:00 PM - Colour Revolt - Sooner Theatre Stage 06:00 PM - Dorian Small - Jägermeister Stage 06:00 PM - John Calvin - Michelangelos Stage Indoor 06:00 PM - Kerry Folsom - Michelangelos Stage Outdoor 06:00 PM - Kylie Morgan Band - Brewhouse Stage 06:00 PM - Scales of Motion - Bill and Dees Stage 06:30 PM - Amy Lee and the Second Line Bluebonnet Stage 06:30 PM - Peelander-Z - Main Stage 07:00 PM - Ashtavakra - Ashtanga Yoga Studio Stage 07:00 PM - MONTU - Jägermeister Stage 08:00 PM - Proprieters of the Earth - Ashtanga Yoga Studio Stage 08:30 PM - Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Main Stage 08:30 PM - Keller Williams - Jägermeister Stage 09:00 PM - DJ Sick Nick - Ashtanga Yoga Studio Stage 09:30 PM - The Walkmen - Main Stage 10:30 PM - DJ Steve Morton - Ashtanga Yoga Studio Stage 11:00 PM - BRONCHO - Blackwatch Stage 12:00 AM - Colourmusic - Blackwatch Stage 12:00 AM - DJ Evolve - Ashtanga Yoga Studio Stage 01:00 AM - Chrome Pony - Blackwatch Stage

Cover Story

Friday, April 22, 2011

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Page 5

Buchanan is ‘Something’ in O’Neill’s ‘Ah, Wilderness!’

By Johnnie-Margaret McConnell

THEATER REVIEW

For The Transcript

help fill the sometimes-dragging action until Buchanan or Philip Wiles, playing alcoholic Uncle Sid, reignite the cast.

Buchanan is the debonair boy next door with a profile baring a strong resemblance to a young Harry Connick Jr. His wide, round eyes add to his youthful and energetic appearance. What youngster wouldn’t fall for such looks and passionate conviction?

Wiles portrays Sid as a loveable drunk. Returning sloshed to Independence Day dinner, Sid can barely sit up straight in his chair. The Miller children are shushed to not react, but who can control themselves when Uncle Sid falls asleep in his soup, drinks his soup like water and carries on about one crazy idea after another. Wiles controls the scene with realistic timing that is not outlandish, but remarkably familiar to anyone who has been around someone intoxicated to the point just before crashing.

Three doorframes remind us O’Neill keeps us within the Miller home for most of the play’s action. He delves beyond the “safety” of home into questions about what family members do both to help and enable those they love.

These themes still ring true today for many American families.

Jake Buchanan plays the idealistic 17-year-old Richard Miller in the University of Oklahoma’s production of Eugene O’Neill’s only published comedy, “Ah, Wilderness!” (1933). Fraught with burning desire to eradicate the world of its wrongs, Richard is swept away by youthful love.

The four-time Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright is most often associated today with his 1939 drama “The Iceman Cometh.” Richard Miller is what “Iceman’s” Harry Hope was before he left home for the great world beyond.

Considered semi-autobiographical, “Ah, Wilderness!” is built around Richard’s comingof-age verbal fits at his family’s home on July 4, 1906. The Millers are a middle-class couple struggling with developing children, social mores and dependent family members.

Director Judith Midyett Pender, OU associate professor of acting, directing, and theater history, is working with an underclassmen-dominated cast of 15. No detail is too small, including Nora’s Irish accent, the men’s tall, stiff detachable neck collars and the bar’s piano rolls (performed by Miranda Shaughnessy). These details

Pender’s young cast provides a rare opportunity to see O’Neill at a very reasonable price. Cast members include Samuel Boeck, Brad Brockman, Casey Coy, William Easley, Emily Ferren, Joey Hines, Matthew Percival, Andrew Rathgeber, Morgen Reed, Brooke Reynolds, Lindsay Sawyer, Anna Shafer, and Taylor Vowell.

Production team includes Kelsey Ray, assistant director; Christopher Fitzer, scenic designer; Amanda Reimer, costume designer; Eric Stehl, lighting designer; Tom Huston Orr, sound designer; Kae Koger, dramaturg; Dexter Settles, stage manager; Ben Quarles, assistant stage manager; and Tom Huston Orr and Rich Taylor, OU Lab Theatre producers.

“Ah, Wilderness!” takes the stage at 8 tonight and Saturday in the Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm Ave. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults; Reservations can be made by calling the OU Fine Arts College Ticket Service at 3254101 from 11:30 to 5:30 today.

The box office is in Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St. and is open one hour prior to the performance.

The production is sponsored in part by Mo and Richard Anderson and is a part of the Faith Broome Playwright-in-residence project.

Photo courtesy of OU University Theatre

OU drama performance junior Morgen Reed, left, plays Essie Miller in OU Lab Theatre’s production of “Ah, Wilderness!”

Page 6

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By the Numbers

Friday, April 22, 2011

RIFF REPORT

IN THEATERS APRIL 22: Apollo 18 22: Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family 22: Water for Elephants 29: Dylan Dog: Dead of Night 29: Fast Five 29: Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 29: Prom

Gorillaz “The Fall” In one of the lightest new music release weeks since the beginning of the year, Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz offer up a new set of tunes composed and recorded during their 2010 North American tour. “The Fall” is conceived of as something of a diary of their travels with Albarn saying, “I literally wrote everything on the day in each place and there’s a strange sort of sound of America and its musical traditions that comes through.

It feels like a journey through America.”

tUnE-yArDs “w h o k i l l” Merrill Garbus, aka tUnE-yArDs, spent almost two years on the road honing her sound following the 2009 release of the critically acclaimed “BiRd-BrAiNs.” On “w h o k i l l,” Garbus reveals a newfound musical confidence, pulling back the digital effects and haze from her sound and letting her voice stand at the forefront.

Other notable releases: • The Belle Brigade — “The Belle Brigade” • Blackfield — “Welcome to My DNA” • Del the Funky Homosapien — “Golden Era” — PopMatters.com

MAY 6: Something Borrowed 6: Thor 13: Bridesmaids 13: Priest 20: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 26: The Hangover: Part 2 26: Kung Fu Panda 2 JUNE 3: X-Men: First Class 10: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer 10: Super 8 17: The Green Lantern 17: Mr. Popper’s Penguins 24: Bad Teacher 24: Cars 2 JULY 1: Larry Crowne 1: Monte Carlo 1: Transformers: Dark of the Moon 8: Horrible Bosses 8: One Day 8: The Zookeeper 15: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 15: Winnie the Pooh 22: Captain America: The First Avenger 22: Friends with Benefits 29: Cowboys and Aliens 29: Crazy, Stupid, Love 29: The Smurfs AUGUST 5: The Change-Up 5: Rise of the Apes 12: 30 Minutes or Less 12: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark 12: The Help 19: Conan the Barbarian 19: Fright Night 19: Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World 26: Final Destination 5 31: The Debt SEPTEMBER 2: Colombiana 2: Untitled Shark 3D Thriller 9: Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star 9: Warrior 16: Drive 16: Johnny English Reborn 16: Straw Dogs 23: Abduction

23: Dolphin Tale 3D 23: Moneyball 30: 50/50 30: Anonymous 30: Courageous 30: Dream House 30: What’s Your Number

24: I Am Number Four — Disney 31: Biutiful — Lionsgate 31: Drive Angry — Summit

ITUNES DOWNLOADS

iTunes Downloads 1. Judas (Lady Gaga) JUNE 2. E.T. (Katy Perry feat. Kanye West) 1. Undertow — Wolfe 3. Just Can’t Get Enough (The Black 7: Another Year — Sony Eyed Peas) 7: The Company Men — Anchor Bay 4. Rolling in the Deep (ADELE) OCTOBER 7: Just Go With It — Sony 5. The Lazy Song (Bruno Mars) 7: Real Steel 7: Sanctum — Universal 6. On the Floor (Jennifer Lopez feat.

7: Wanderlust 7: True Grit — Paramount Pitbull) 14: The Big Year 14: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son 7. Down on Me (Jeremih & 50 Cent) 14: Footloose — Fox 8. S&M (Rihanna feat. Britney Spears) 14: The Thing 14: Immigration Tango — Lionsgate 9. Till the World Ends (Britney Spears) 14: The Three Musketeers 21: The Eagle — Universal 10. Blow (Ke$ha) 21: Contagion 3D 21: Kill the Irishman — Anchor Bay 11. Price Tag (Jessie J feat. B.o.B.) 21: Paranormal Activity 3 12. Country Girl (Shake it for Me) (Luke 28: Dibbuk Box SEPTEMBER Bryan) 28: Now 13: The Tempest — Disney 13. Give Me Everything (Pitbull feat. NeYo, Afrojack & Nayer) NOVEMBER 14. Born This Way (Lady Gaga) BOX OFFICE 4: Puss in Boots 15. Who Says (Selena Gomez & The 4: Tower Heist Scene) 1. Rio — Weekend: $39.2M; Gross: 11: Immortals $39.2M (after 1 week). Critical consensus 16. S&M (Rihanna) 11: Jack and Jill 17. Coming Home (Diddy - Dirty Money & — 73% positive reviews.

18: Happy Feet 2 Skylar Grey) 2. Scream 4 — $18.7M (1). 58% 18: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 3. Hop — $10.7M; $82.2M (3). 24% 18. Forget You (Cee Lo Green) Part 1 19. What the Hell (Avril Lavigne) 4. Hanna — $7.3M; $23.3M (X).

23: Arthur Christmas 20. Determinate (Adam Hicks, Bridgit 71% 23: Hugo Cabret 5. Soul Surfer — $7.3M; $35.9M (2). Mendler, Naomi Scott & Hayley Kiyoko) 23: The Muppets 53% 23: Piranha 3DD 6. Arthur — $6.8M; $22.2M (2). 26% BESTSELLERS 23: Project X 7. Insidious — $6.7M; $35.9M (3).

HARDCOVER FICTION 65% 1. The Fifth Witness (Michael Connelly) DECEMBER 8. Source Code — $6.2M; $36.9M (3).

2. The Land of the Painted Caves (Jean 9: New Year’s Eve 90% M. Auel) 9: The Sitter 9. Your Highness — $4M; $16.1M (2).

3.

I’ll Walk Alone (Mary Higgins Clark) 16: Alvin and the Chipmunks: 25% 4. 44 Charles Street (Danielle Steel) Chipwrecked 10. Limitless — $3.7M; $69.6M (5).

5. Miles to Go (Richard Paul Evans) 16: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 69% 6. Lover Unleashed (J.R. Ward) 16: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 7. Crunch Time (Diane Mott Davidson) 21: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 8. Toys (James Patterson and Neil 23: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of TOP RENTALS McMahon) the Unicorn NEW RELEASES 23: The Darkest Hour 1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: 9. Live Wire (Harlan Coben) 10. The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli 23: We Bought a Zoo Part 1 (Critical consensus: 79% positive (Carolyn Hennesy) 28: War Horse reviews) 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage HARDCOVER NONFICTION of the Dawn Treader (50%) DVD RELEASES 1. Bossypants (Tina Fey) 3. Little Fockers (9%) 2. Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand) APRIL 4. Tron (50%) 3. Malcolm X (Manning Marable) 19: Gulliver’s Travels — Fox 5. Due Date (40%) 4. 63 Documents the Government 19: Rabbit Hole — Lionsgate 6. Black Swan (88%) Doesn’t Want You to Read (Jesse Ventura 19: Somewhere — Universal 7. Tangled (89%) with Dick Russell) 19: IP Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster 8. The Fighter (90%) 5. All That is Bitter and Sweet (Ashley — Well Go USA 9. Megamind (72%) Judd with Maryanne Vollers) 26: 3 Idiots — Fox 10. The Tourist (20%) 6. The Social Animal (David Brooks) 7. Onward (Howard Schultz with Joanne MAY REDBOX 3: The Dilemma — Universal Gordon) 1. Hereafter (Warner) 3: The Green Hornet — Sony Pictures 8. Red (Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin) 2. Country Strong (Sony) 3: From Prada to Nada — Lionsgate 3. The Tourist (Sony) 9. Moonwalking with Einstein (Joshua 3: Waiting for Forever — Fox 4. Due Date (Warner) Foer) 10: Blue Valentine — Anchor Bay 5. Love & Other Drugs (Fox) 10. Physics of the Future (Michio Kaku) 10: The Illusionist — Sony 6. Tron: Legacy (Disney) Information from 17: The Mechanic — Sony 7. Tangled (Disney) RottenTomatoes.com, 17: The Rite — Warner 8. 127 Hours (Fox) DarkHorizons.com, NYTimes.com, 17: The Roommate — Sony 9. The Fighter (Paramount) Music-Chart.info, and McClatchyTribune News Service.

10. How Do You Know (Sony) 24: Gnomeo & Juliet — Disney

Justin Bieber 2D • G 12:15 2:35 4:55 7:25 9:45

I Am Number Four • PG13 12:30 4:25 6:55 9:25 Red Riding Hood • PG13 The King’s Speech • PG13 12:35 2:50 5:05 7:20 9:35 12:50 4:10 6:50 9:20 The Adjustment Bureau • PG13 12:25 2:40 7:30 Gnomeo and Juliet 2D • G 12:20 2:20 4:40 7:05 9:15 Just Go With It • PG13 5:00 9:40

SOUL SURFER • (PG) 1:45 4:40 7:05 9:45 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS • (PG13) 1:25 4:10 6:55 9:35

HOP • (PG13) 1:15 3:45 6:35 9:15

WIN WIN • (R) 1:50 4:20 7:25 9:55

ARTHUR • (PG13) 1:05 3:55 6:50 9:30

MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY • (PG13) 1:40 4:35 7:10 9:50

INSIDIOUS • (PG13) 1:25 4:10 6:55 9:35

HANNA• (PG13) 1:35 4:20 7:20 9:55

THE LINCOLN LAWYER • (R) 6:40 9:25

RIO 3D • (G) 1:00 3:30 6:30 9:10 2:00 4:30 7:30 10:00

YOUR HIGHNESS • (R) 4:05 10:05

RIO 2D • (G) 1:30 4:00 7:00 9:40 SCREAM 4 • (R) 1:10 4:15 7:15 10:00

SOURCE CODE • (PG13) 1:20 6:45 CAPRICCIO • 12:00

POP’S FRIDAY

APRIL

22 Mark Galloway, Belmar Golf Course Big Smith, The Deli Squad Live, 10 p.m., The Brewhouse, $5

SATURDAY

23 The Saucy Gentlemen’s Club, The Deli Blue Moon, 8 p.m., Othello’s

SUNDAY

24 Mike Hosty, The Deli Anthony Nagid Jazz Quartet, 8 p.m., Othello’s

Camille Harp, 8 p.m., Othello’s

SOCIAL CALENDAR MONDAY

25 Travis Linville, 7 p.m., The Deli, free The Damn Quails, The Deli

TUESDAY

26 The Tracy Reed Band, The Deli

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

27 The Frequency Jones and Bungalouski, The Deli

28 Norman Music Festival MAOI Broadcast, The Deli Christian Pearson, 7 p.m., Othello’s John Calvin hosts open mic, 9 p.m., Othello’s

normantranscript.com

Thursday April 28 thru Sunday May 1st Advance tickets 6 for $10 Tickets at the event 6 for $15 Downtown Norman

Call 317-9495 to purchase tickets