the guide F R I DAY, M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 8
ILLUSTRATION BY: MINA LEE AND ANGELA PEREZ/THE HOYA
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THE HOYA
friDAY, MARCH 16, 2018
GU IMPROV ASSOCIATION
Gabe Bolio (SFS ’18), left, Julia Usiak (COL ’19) and Megan Howell (COL ’18) crack up audience members during their GU Improv Association performances. Combatting underrepresentation, the 2018 Funniest Human at Georgetown competition featured a majority of female competitors.
Women in Comedy Stand Up and Stand Out alexandra brunjes Hoya Staff Writer
Jim Gaffigan (MSB ’88), Mike Birbiglia (COL ’00), Nick Kroll (COL ’01) and John Mulaney (COL ’04) — all names that could sell out comedy clubs across the country. At one point, they called the Hilltop their home. And, incidentally, all of them are men. The overwhelming maleness of Georgetown’s famously funny alumni stands in stark contrast to the comedic talent evident among women on campus. In fact, during the second annual Funniest Human at Georgetown competition Feb. 16, six of the 10 contestants who took the stage were women. But while some Georgetown women have broken into the industry — notably comedian Alison Becker (COL ’99), known for her role in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” — none have acquired the star power of Georgetown’s famous male comedians, who have gone on to star in Broadway comedies, host Netflix specials and headline shows in Madison Square Garden. In the meantime, Georgetown’s women in comedy are battling the stereotype that women are not funny. Women have long faced an uphill battle in achieving equal representation in comedy. Of the top 10 highest paid comedians each year, only one woman — Amy Schumer — has made the list, first in
2016 and again the following year. The industry has also been historically riddled by sexism, from the late Jerry Lewis asserting in 1998 he does not “like any female comedians” to critic Christopher Hitchens penning a now-infamous 2007 piece in Vanity Fair speculating “Why Women Aren’t Funny.” More recently, since November 2017, the industry has come under the scrutiny of the #MeToo movement as comedy stars such as Louis C.K., T.J. Miller and Aziz Ansari have faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
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As a woman in comedy, I think that comedians of all genders need to be more conscious of how they’re portraying women in their sets.” HELEN WHETSTINE (COL ’21) Member, Georgetown Stand Up Society
Nevertheless, by baring their souls onstage in stand up and bringing laughter to campus with their improv troupes, a new generation of stand-up women at Georgetown hope to inspire others to
join the ranks of female comics and begin changing the scales so the number of women in comedy — and the overall impression of female comics — tips toward equality.
Laugh Riot
The comedy scene at Georgetown is composed of groups including the Georgetown Improv Association, the Georgetown Stand Up Society, GUerrilla Improv and the satirical newspaper The Georgetown Heckler. These groups teamed up with the Georgetown Program Board to host the Funniest Human at Georgetown competition Feb. 16, which featured a majority of female contestants, up from three women out of 15 competitors last year. Recognizing the challenges that precluded women from taking the stage, from societal pressures to stereotypes, GPB collaborated with the student organization Georgetown University Women in Leadership to organize a comedy workshop that helped women prepare for an audition for the Funniest Human competition. Megan Howell (COL ’18), who led the workshop and is a member of the Georgetown Improv Association, said she believes one of the most significant problems confronting women in the industry is a lack of representation, which contributes to a self-fulfilling prophecy that further prevents women from enter-
ing comedy. “Women are funny as hell, but it is hard to join a community [or] industry that is predominantly white men,” Howell said. “It is difficult to ‘see’ yourself doing something if you don’t ‘see’ people like you doing it. I hope that fellow women see me perform and think, ‘Aw hell yes. If she can do this, then I can do this!’ And then she does the damn thing.” Olja Busbaher (SFS ’18) felt empowered to audition for the competition after attending the workshop — even though she had no experience with comedy before. Using the routine she developed in the workshop, she was able to get into the competition. “Before the Women in Comedy workshop, I had never done anything in comedy on campus,” Busbaher said. “Thanks to the workshop, though, I was encouraged to audition for Georgetown’s Funniest Human and was lucky enough to participate in that. I always enjoy entertaining people with stories, so trying comedy felt like a natural, albeit terrifying, move.” Busbaher finds that while women confront less stigma in comedy today than in the past, they still may feel confined to only broach certain topics in their routines. “I do think women still tend to confine themselves to certain topics, such as their dating life or self-deprecation,” Busbaher said. “For example, Funniest
the guide
friday, MARCH 16, 2018 Human this year actually featured more women comedians than men, but many of the sets covered topics of dating, mine included, while the males had a wider range of material.” Julia Usiak (COL ’19), another member of the Georgetown Improv Association and the thirdplace winner at Funniest Human, echoed the sentiment that expectations for women in comedy often do affect their experiences onstage. “I felt very unconfident as a performer last year in improv because I felt like everything I was doing I was doing with the assumption that I was the girl character in the scene,” Usiak said. “I made jokes to myself that it was like ‘Julia Usiak in roles such as girlfriend, wife, or mother.’” Helen Whetstine (COL ’21), a member of the Georgetown Stand Up Society and The Georgetown Heckler, said she feels part of the stigma lies in the fact that women are often treated as a punchline. “As a woman in comedy, I think that comedians of all genders need to be more conscious of how they’re portraying women in their sets,” Whetstine said. “There is nothing inherently funny about the concept of women, so we need to pay attention to the jokes that women are telling, rather than treating women like they are the joke.” For Taylor Green (COL ’20), a two-time participant in Funniest Human, the intersections of her identity as a black woman add another dimension to the hurdles she faces as a comedian. “Not only are you a woman but you are black,” Green said. “Which is a double whammy. It is like having to battle racism and sexism at the same time.” Green said there are also discrepancies in black comedy and white comedy in both expectation and representation. “I’m a black feminist and it shows up in everything I do,” Green said. “I often say that I have to be ‘white-people-funny.’ Which is my way of saying that white people have a different humor and different cultural references that I wouldn’t understand.”
THE HOYA
B3
A Humorous Home
While female comics on campus such as Usiak and Howell may be making waves, they are certainly a minority in the improv scene: The Georgetown Improv Association, which typically has fewer than 10 members, has only ever had one to two women at one time. However, Usiak remarked this underrepresentation is a trend replicated on campuses across the country. “The fact of the matter is, when you go to different schools and you are in improv competitions with other societies or other troupes, there will be groups of seven people and only one or two of them are girls.” Usiak also reflected on the fact that the other members of the improv team are deeply supportive of women. She said they have even stood up for her and felt frustrated on her behalf when she was heckled during an improv group tour. “I don’t want there to be a negative connotation about women in comedy because I think that the guys on the team are some of the biggest feminists and most supportive human beings that I know,” Usiak said.” Howell, who had never done improv before attending Georgetown and now serves as a role model to comedians like Usiak, has carved out her home in the Improv Association. Smitten with comedy after attending the Georgetown Improv Association’s shows, she auditioned her sophomore year. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow. These people are the most witty, clever bunch I’ve ever seen. I want to be a part of this,’” Howell said. Howell has flourished in improv ever since, – throwing herself into any scene, ready to whip out an accent and invent a character. Her involvement with comedy is among her defining experiences at Georgetown. “The Georgetown Improv Association has been like family at Georgetown,” Howell said. “I’m so blessed to spend so much time with such amazing people.”
TOP: ANNE STONECIPHER FOR THE HOYA; LEFT: DEEDLE-DEE PRODUCTIONS; RIGHT: GU IMPROV ASSOCIATION
Although Georgetown’s comedy groups are dominated by men, the outstanding female members, for the most part, feel welcomed into the comedic community. The lack of female participation in comedy on campus echoes a larger national trend, one that comedians like Megan Howell (COL ’18) and Julia Usiak (COL ’19) seek to change through their work.
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THE HOYA
friDAY, march 16, 2018
spring break photo submissions
JULIA HYACINTHE
CAROLINE PAPPAS
Amanda Van Orden
RACHEL SKAAR
aisha malhas
AARON WEINMANN
SHEEL PATEL
Stephanie Yuan
SUBUL MALIK
HAYLEY GRANDE
friday, march 16, 2018
Kelela
the guide
THE HOYA
B5
concert review
9:30 Club
timothy mcnulty Special to the Hoya
In a performance at the 9:30 Club that was equal parts intimate and transcendent, Kelela returned to her hometown of Washington, D.C., on March 1 to share the fears, heartaches and celebrations that come with rising to stardom as a black woman in the United States. Kelela and opening act Tiffany Gouché opted for a bare stage that drew focus to their music and the dazzling lights accompanying the performers’ sets. Singing old favorites and new singles, Gouché used sensuality in a refreshing way that helped create a new image for romantic love. Her performance combined confidence and sultriness to set the mood for Kelela’s deeply personal set. Kelela, hair adorned with translucent beads and wearing a skintight white dress, let the lights bounce off her body as though she was a canvas. For each song, the colors reflecting off her outfit helped define the mood of the piece. The singer opened with “LMK,” the lead single from her 2017 debut studio album, “Take Me Apart.” During the song, warm red and icy blue lights melting together on her dress helped envelop the audience into
the push and pull of emotions between lovers. The song’s rush of deep, bass-filled beats quickly pulled everyone into her grasp. Slowing things down after an enlivening opener, Kelela transitioned to “Send Me Out,” a dreamy and longing slow burn from her 2013 mixtape, “Cut 4 Me.” The stage, now darkened to only reveal Kelela herself, transformed into a space that felt both intimate and closed off. This paradox of distance mirrors the emotional turmoil Kelela struggles with in her songs: She used the stage to show how she can feel extremely close to a lover while remaining unable to cross the everpresent divide between them. What defines Kelela’s work, though, is not her subject matter — rather, it is her genre-smashing production and ability to make these subjects her own. She offers a new vision of rhythm and blues and womanhood that puts her ahead of her contemporaries. In person, Kelela presented this redefined vision in her 2017 single “Blue Light,” a ferocious and almost chaotic song that culminates in her fully embracing the love of another. She shed all hesitation and let her voice reach for its limits, the warped backing track and vocals similarly reflect-
ing her newfound relinquishing of personal restraint. As she began the sleek “Waitin,” a bright white light enshrouded her from behind, hiding her face from view. From this angle, Kelela took on the futuristic persona her work’s production suggests, which made her confidence as a performer look effortless. The combination of sound and color as a means of transporting the audience outside of themselves into her artistic universe reached its peak with “Bank Head.” The constant percussion combined with Kelela’s falsetto and the strobing lights raised the energy in the venue to a frenzy. This passion overtook her during the performance and spread an electric, visceral sense of excitement through the club and the audience. At times, it seemed nothing could stop Kelela’s momentum as an artist. Yet, she would be the first to tell you otherwise. During an interlude between songs, Kelela encouraged aspiring artists in the audience to keep striving for their dreams. For her, though, success has been an uphill battle. “I came to 9:30 Club all the time [growing up in D.C.]. I could not have imagined
performing here in a million years,” she said during the show. Throughout the night, Kelela repeatedly came back to her connection with the District. She made clear how much it meant to her to return to her home and perform her art. The audience loved sharing in her special moment, cheering and encouraging Kelela whenever she paused to collect herself. She closed with “Altadena,” a soothing choice to end a night full of ecstatic energy and excitement. The track serves to inspire the performers and creatives who currently occupy the same space she did before she became successful. The lyrics speak for themselves: “It’s not just me, it’s everyone / Let me remind you.” Kelela ended the night with an affirmation to all as a repayment to the community that helped her achieve her own dreams of sharing her art. Despite Kelela’s icy, futuristic aesthetic, she opened her heart to members of the audience and let them into her life with her performance. Her set at the 9:30 Club reinforced her commitment to her listeners in a way that goes beyond a checklist of her most popular songs and cements Kelela as a performer who cares about her art and her fans above all else.
KELELa
Kelela’s concert at the 9:30 Club on March 1 was equal parts intimate and transcendent. While the Washington, D.C. native is often characterized by her cool, futuristic aesthetic, her performance was warm and inviting. Throughout the night, Kelela expressed how excited she was to sing for her hometown.
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THE HOYA
the guide
friDAY, march 16, 2018
Testing Truisms
Is Productive Procrastination an Oxymoron? Vera Mastrorilli
L
ocation: Lauinger Library at 3 a.m. You squint at your computer screen and punch out a few more words on the keyboard. You lost your ability to write coherently a long time ago; now you’re just trying to reach the essay’s required word count and print it before your class starts in six hours. As you limp through the concluding paragraph, you think of all the earlier times you could have written this paper. Did you really need to watch Netflix until 4 a.m. the other night? Why did you spend the entire afternoon on Lau 2, talking to your friends while staring at a blank Microsoft Word document? When you finally emerge from the depths of Lau and slowly trundle back to your dorm for a couple hours of sleep, you think, “Never again.” Two weeks later, you find yourself in exactly the same place. Most of us have been guilty of procras-
tination at some point; Lau is open until 3 a.m. for a reason. When we are rushing through an assignment that is due the following day, we may regret that we did not follow the well-known maxim “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” But is procrastination always a bad habit? On first glance, procrastination appears detrimental. A study on the long-term effects of procrastination found that although students who procrastinate on an assignment initially experience less stress and illness than those who complete the assignment immediately, procrastinators suffer from more illness and stress over the course of the assignment. So while putting off that history paper may give you a few days to relax, scrambling to complete it right before the due date is more stressful than writing it earlier would have been. Added stress resulting from procrastination does not lead to better results: The same study found that students who procrastinated received lower grades than those who did not. But what about people who work better under pressure? Can procrastination increase productivity? Another study suggests that in addition to whether you procrastinate, the way in which you procrastinate determines your stress levels and performance. Students
who procrastinate passively will indeed suffer from more stress and feelings of depression than students who do not procrastinate, because they do not intentionally put off tasks, but wind up doing so because they struggle to take action quickly and are pessimistic about their ability to complete them. Procrastinators also tend to have lower GPAs than non-procrastinators. Intentional, or active, procrastination, however, can be productive. If you put off an assignment because you know you work better under the pressure of a deadline — and are motivated to complete the task when the due date approaches — you will not experience more stress than your non-procrastinating peers and will perform just as well as they do. As long as you have the drive to complete the assignment immediately before it is due, take today to catch up with friends or do work for another class instead of finishing your “Problem of God” essay. Author Frank Partnoy goes as far as to say that procrastination can be beneficial when it comes to decision-making. In his book “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay,” Partnoy recommends that people put off decisions until the last moment to give themselves as much time as possible to subconsciously consider their choice. So by holding off on answering a tricky email
or text message for a few hours, you might craft a better response. Along the same line, another experiment conducted at the University of Wisconsin that examined how subjects generated business ideas found that those who procrastinated after being assigned the task had time to think of more creative ideas than their peers who began brainstorming right away. It may be that reading over an essay prompt and then waiting a few hours or days to actually write the paper gives you space to come up with more innovative material than you would have created if you started immediately. But a limit to the creative potential of procrastination exists; if you do not read the prompt or think about the assignment at all until the last minute, when you finally sit down to write, you will not have time to generate a creative response. As long as we procrastinate intentionally and allow time to consider our ideas and decisions, late nights in Lau need not sink our moods or GPAs. If you know you work best under an impending deadline, go ahead and put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Vera Mastrorilli is a junior in the College. TESTING TRUISMS has been renewed for the spring and appears in print every other Friday.
between bali and me
My Heritage Is a Blessing
Olivia Buckley
B
orobudur Temple in Yogyakarta, Java, was the first place I’ve been in the world where my racial ambiguity was ignored instead of being questioned. My friends and I visited the Borobudur Temple compounds, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, in central Java on an overcast and humid day. Built in the eighth and ninth centuries, the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered a potential eighth wonder of the world, so it was unsurprising to see it flooded with tourists. When we arrived at the temple complex, our program director warned us: “People will want to take pictures with you.” As soon as my friends and I split off from our guide, groups of young Indonesian students flocked around us, giggling nervously.
“Hello, can we take picture with you?” one of them asked. While my friends were swarmed for photos, I was ignored. I was astonished at how unabashed people were to reveal they were gawking at us based on our skin tones. They didn’t consider it rude to marvel at pale or dark skin or to ask to document the encounters so they could show their Facebook friends. It seemed we were almost as intriguing as the ancient temple they came to visit. My skin didn’t expose my identity as a foreigner the way my friends’ skin exposed theirs. Unlike them, I was not approached directly. It was not until the students realized I was also American, and, in fact, with the other foreign tourists, that I was encouraged to join the photos. If I had been on my own, I probably would not have been asked at all. For the past 10 days, my friends and I have been staying in the village of Godean, Yogyakarta, on the island of Java. In preparation for a performance of a traditional Javanese dance, we sat down to get our makeup done. The women remarked to each other in Bahasa Indonesia that I looked Indonesian. Over the years, I’ve been told I look Brazilian, Dominican, Indian and Chinese. Now
I can add Indonesian to the list. Throughout my time in Indonesia, I’d seen native women wearing makeup several shades lighter than their natural skin color. When the woman was done with my makeup, I looked in the mirror to find a pale version of myself looking back at me — proof of colorism, or prejudice against individuals with darker skin tones, in Indonesia. At times, it can be hard to not be identified for what I am: I am proud of my Jamaican heritage and the blackness that reveals itself through my loose-curl pattern and latte-colored skin. My racial ambiguity is a blessing; because of my ambiguous features, I am often treated the same as natives, and for that, I am extremely grateful. I am fully aware of the light-skin privilege that follows me when I walk into a grocery store or raise my hand in class. There is an inescapable weight of knowing that if I shared the same shading as my father, I may be treated worse. Still, I have also been trapped by the feeling that people are treating my family differently because they don’t approve of our existence. I have felt singled out by random bag inspections while white people stroll by. I have been ashamed of
my blackness at times for fear that others would be less inclined to receive me. I am reluctant to admit that, as a child, I would tell people I was “the whitest black person you’ll ever meet” without understanding the latent self-hatred that burdened the statement. I’ve also been told I’m “not that black,” as though my mannerisms nullified the blackness that flows through my veins and pumps my heart — the same amount of blackness that exists in icons of the black community like J. Cole or Barack Obama. Like for any other person of color, race is an inescapable lens through which I see the world and through which it receives me. No matter how light my skin, my worldview will always reflect the Jamaican in my blood. Racial ambiguity could allow me to hide my blackness in most places I reside, but I refuse. I will always be proud to identify as the daughter of a first-generation Caribbean immigrant whose family lived the American dream — every beautiful, broken, oppressive part of it. Olivia Buckley is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. Between Bali and Me appears in print every other Friday.
friday, march 16, 2018
the guide
THE HOYA
B7
TELEVISION review
Tremolo Productions
“Ugly Delicious,” a new food documentary series that recently debuted on Netflix, does more than profile high-class chefs. The series examines food through a cultural and social lens, investigating how food influences culture and vice versa. However, unsatisfying reactions to food and a lack of diversity hold the series back.
‘Ugly Delicious’ Tells the Stories Behind the Food
Vienna roche
Special to the Hoya
Drifting from the monotonous “food porn” Instagram accounts and features on high-class chefs that have dominated food dialogue in the past five years, “Ugly Delicious” is a refreshing documentary series that, instead of focusing on taste, details the stories behind how food is made and who creates it. David Chang, James Beard award-winning chef and Momofuku king, is the self-proclaimed rebel who leads the series and its viewers on a journey about food that is funny, authentic and sometimes a little weird. At first glance, the series seems simple because of episode titles like “Pizza,” “Tacos” and “Fried Chicken.” Once the viewer dives in, however, “Ugly Delicious” proves it is not your run-of-the-mill cooking show. Rather than featuring the best taco in the world or the most delicious crawfish in the American South, “Ugly Delicious” portrays foods as relics of various cultures and highlights how food has evolved over time. Throughout the show, Chang and his best friend and collaborator extraordinaire, food writer Peter Meehan, talk to chefs, food writers and ordinary foodies alike
who prove to be more interested in the origins of a pizza — and the people who made it — than how crispy its crust is. While the series shows mouthwatering footage of fresh Neapolitan pizza and steaming Viet-Cajun crawfish — so colorful and alive that you almost feel as you yourself are right in the kitchen — it barely describes the taste of its featured food at all. Often, even when Chang seems to spend hours preparing the featured food with the chef, constantly hyping up how good it will taste, he and his friends give nothing more than an assuring head nod or a “d- -n, that’s delicious” when they finally get to eat it. This lack of sensory description is often unsatisfying, but the viewer’s hunger to live vicariously through Chang and Meehan’s good eats is almost immediately replaced by a hunger to learn how food can provide a cultural and social lens to view the world. Throughout the show, Chang and Meehan, along with their ever-growing gang of foodie friends, including funny celebrities like Georgetown alumnus Nick Kroll (COL ’01), tackle everything from the importance of balancing tradition and innovation in food to the role of food in immigrant cultures in the United States.
Referencing Chang’s own family of Korean immigrants, the show often cycles back to the theme of food functioning as a way for immigrants to stay connected to their roots while finding ways to share their cuisines with American culture. The show features powerful personal anecdotes of Chang’s life, as well as less personal, but still poignant, immigrant stories, such as a Vietnamese-American shrimper’s experience with the Ku Klux Klan in the “Shrimp & Crawfish” episode. In this sense, the series feels authentic to Chang’s own experience of and connection to food. Although “Ugly Delicious” strays from attempts to cover a variety of cultural food experiences, going from cities as close as Washington, D.C., to those as far as Tokyo, it always returns to how Chang sees food. As seen in his dogmatic comparisons of each food to various Asian dishes, to interviews with rebel chefs like himself, such as René Redzepi and Massimo Bottura, “Ugly Delicious” does not attempt to offer comprehensive perspectives on food culture. Although Chang highlights a variety of restaurants and chefs throughout the show, his attitude toward each dining locale is universally positive. He and Meehan showcase the famous Michelin-star
representations of tortellini and dumplings, but they visit places like Domino’s and KFC with the same excitement. Chang continually emphasizes that “good food is from everywhere, and it’s not just from one perspective.” But for a show that so passionately asserts the importance of diversity within food, it glaringly lacks diversity within its cast. Most notably, almost every chef and food writer featured is male. Although the series does feature a few short clips from incredible women, the sound bites are mostly insignificant and are overshadowed by the typically more relevant male statements. The show also seriously lacks any representation of black chefs or food writers outside of the “Fried Chicken” episode — ironic considering that the social focus of that episode is that black chefs want to be known for more than just fried chicken. “Ugly Delicious” is an entertaining and inspiring show in the way it broadens viewers’ understanding of the food they consume and how food stems from and shapes cultures. Yet, while it pushes the limits of how viewers perceive the culinary world, “Ugly Delicious” fails to be inclusive of other perspectives and does not reach its revolutionary potential for the culinary world.
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THE HOYA
the guide
friDAY, march 16, 2018
Theater Review
KEEGAN THEATRE
The Tony Award-winning musical “Chicago” made its Washington, D.C. debut March 10 at the Keegan Theatre with an eager audience and charismatic cast. As the show’s plot unravels, the talented actors captivate the audience with their sultry vocals and dance moves, filling the theater with energy.
‘Chicago’ Makes DC Debut at the Keegan Theatre
Eliza Phillips
Special to the Hoya
Clad in silky lingerie and fishnet tights, Velma Kelly, played by Jessica Bennett, opens the show with “Chicago” classic “All That Jazz.” Her smooth alto and sultry dance moves strikingly portray the unapologetic boldness of the iconic character. She exchanges quick kisses and flirtatious twirls with her accompanying male dancers, perfectly introducing the playfulness, high energy and mischief of “Chicago.” On March 10, the American musical “Chicago,” directed by Susan Marie and Mark Rhea, came to Keegan Theatre, First performed in 1975, “Chicago” has won six Tony awards, one Grammy award and two Olivier Awards, and tells the story of a murderous seductress’ attempts to outwit the law and her rivals. The talented cast at the Keegan Theatre did more than live up to the musical’s legacy — they captivated audience members with their charismatic performances. The show’s plot unravels quickly as the extramarital affair of Roxie, played by Maria Rizzo, goes south when her lover tries to leave her. As the situation deteriorates, the scene transitions into Roxie’s captivating performance of “Funny Honey.” Jumping
between a range of emotions — fury, frustration and frenzy — Rizzo strikingly conveys Roxie’s overwhelming fear of incarceration. Throughout the show, Rizzo skillfully portrays Roxie’s growing hysteria, with frantic body clutches and subtle eye twitches reflecting her overwhelming hunger for fame. During this number, the audience laughed along as Roxie mocks doe-eyed husband Amos, played by Michael Innocenti. Though he is initially portrayed as a stock character and a source comical relief, Innocenti successfully adds depth to Amos in his solo number “Mister Cellophane.” His slow, dragged-out voice creates an endearing and sympathetic performance as Amos solemnly despairs over being “invisible” and “inconsequential.” Yet, lightheartedness is never far: Amos’ seeming invisibility is humorously reinforced when he asks the orchestra to play his exit music and is met with silence, eliciting a roar of laughter from the audience. The actors use song and dance to highlight comical character interactions and witty quips. In one example, a tap dancer mockingly trots around Roxie as she metaphorically “tap dances” around asking her husband for money. “Cell Block Tango” is undoubtedly a stand-
out number with its dramatic musical backdrop and villainous themes. As Velma and the seven other murderesses sadistically recount how they end up in jail, the energetic beats of the orchestra’s drums, trumpets and trombones emphasize their deep scorn and fury. Another noteworthy number, “When You’re Good to Mama,” features soulful deep tones from the prison’s matriarch Matron Mama Morton, played by Rikki Howie Lacewell. Amusing, boisterous and unapologetically self-serving, Mama quickly make the audience warm to her. Holding hands and gazing intensely at each other, she and Velma demonstrate their striking chemistry as they bemoan the society’s universal lack of etiquette in “Class.” Billy Flynn, the murderesses’ lawyer, played by Kurt Boehm, comes out dancing from amid the audience in “All I Care About.” Though his entrance to the show lacks the level of energy and pizazz expected from this showbiz-crazed character, he becomes increasingly charming and believable with each cheeky wink to the crowd and suave dance move. News reporter Mary Sunshine, played by Chris Rudy, is another fascinating character. Sweet and shrill, her theatrical persona is
further emphasized by her platinum blond wig, overdrawn lipstick and smudged eyeshadow, all of which captivate the audience’s attention each time she appears on stage. The hilarious, enchanting performance of “Razzle Dazzle” by Billy, Roxie and their dancers — filled with feathers, flapper dresses, sparkles and theatrics on every corner of the stage — encompasses the eccentricity of the Roaring Twenties era when “Chicago” is set. Bennett is undoubtedly the star of the show, with sass and confidence pouring from her tasselled dresses and sparkly heels. She commanded the audience’s full attention with every number and often overshadowed Rizzo in their duets as a result of her powerhouse vocals and unbeatable energy. In a charming final dance, donning tailcoats over their identical embellished dresses, Roxie and Velma skillfully balance top hats on their heads and twirl batons as they shimmy across the stage. The rest of the cast joins them for the finale, which includes an especially animated musical performance from the talented orchestra. Filling the theater with a potent energy and buzz, the show comes to a lively end with the same flair the ensemble has brought to the entire performance.
friday, March 16, 2018
Gringo
the guide
Special to the Hoya
“Why am I always getting screwed for doing my job?” wonders earnest businessman Harold Soyinka, an exuberant, hardworking Nigerian immigrant played by David Oyelowo, in the beginning of the second act of “Gringo.” “Gringo,” director Nash Edgerton’s second feature film after “The Square,” spends 110 minutes on the twists and gore of the “always getting screwed” that Harold questions without ever making the “why” matter. Oyelowo moves with ease away from past roles in biographical dramas like “A United Kingdom” and “Selma” — which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. — toward this dark comedy thriller. The same ease cannot be associated with his character, Harold, who is trying to convince himself and his wife that his ruthless bosses at Chicago-based pharmaceutical company Promethium are his friends.
Tomb Raider
Harold is sent by the company’s co-presidents Richard Rusk, played by Joel Edgerton, and Elaine Markinson, played by Charlize Theron, to their Mexico-based lab to check on a supply shortage of a new drug, Cannabax. The pair decides to accompany clueless Harold to Mexico and leave him waiting outside during a key meeting. The co-presidents try to quickly sell off their company, along with the accompanying responsibility for the missing drugs — likely meaning unemployment for Harold. The co-presidents’ deception propels the plot through a wild set of twists and turns, enhanced by a rotation of colorful characters. Among the most memorable are Harold’s unfaithful wife Bonnie; a sibling duo of motel owners; Richard’s hitman-turned-philanthropist-turned-extractor brother Mitch; wannabe drug-dealer Miles; and Miles’ innocent girlfriend Sunny in the role of an ingenue. These characters can come across as flat and contrived, serving only as plot devices. Still, the ensemble produces enough shock to keep the audience engaged.
Cinematographers Natasha Brier and Eduard Grau capture the vibrancy of Mexico City and Veracruz as characters themselves — foils to the bleak Chicago winter co-presidents Elaine and Richard revel in making crudely clear they prefer. However, even the top-billed cast does not break through the limits of a script that demands either total innocence or unbridled evil of its one-dimensional characters. Over the course of the film, Harold realizes the adage of “live by the rules” his father taught him is false. Yet, rather than being the darkly comic statement that director Edgerton seems to intend, the contrast between the rule-abiders and the renegades makes the message that rules must sometimes be broken glaringly obvious. The flat writing is especially clear in a scene where Paris Jackson, playing the alluring criminal Penny in her film debut, fails to bring personality into a tired line — “Are you in or out?” While “Gringo” jumps jarringly between Chicago, Los Angeles and Mexico City just as
Special to the Hoya
Departing from the painfully unwatchable original films, Alicia Vikander ushers the “Tomb Raider” franchise into a new era as the lead, Lara Croft, in director Roar Uthaug’s fantastical adaptation of Crystal Dynamics’ popular video game series. “Tomb Raider” follows Lara, the aimless, rebellious daughter of a long-missing adventurer, who must solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance and finish the dangerous work he started, no matter the risk. “Tomb Raider” is Uthaug’s first English language film, as well as his first major studio production, and cowriters Geneva RobertsonDworet and Alastair Siddons also have little experience. The central creative team’s collective inexperience comes across clearly in the film’s lackluster production, and the film struggles substantially with the stakes. Siddons and Robertson-Dworet’s script never adequately explains the great threat against which the protagonists struggle, thus leaving the viewers struggling to care for them. The action scenes are similarly tired and
quickly as it does between the storylines of its many characters, the film is most enthralling in moments of unashamedly violent twists that affirm director Edgerton’s vast experience as a stunt coordinator. Appropriately marketed as a dark comedy, “Gringo” careens between biting hilarity and risky, sometimes cheap, laughs. As Harold dodges airport traffic and emerges with only a few scrapes from yet another wreck, the overbearing suspense present throughout the film has already worn the audience out. Harold’s survival is neither an ironic reversal of fortune that could characterize “Gringo” as a biting, modern pulp film nor even a triumphant moment. It is simply predictable. The inordinate amount of time “Gringo” spends marveling at Harold continuing to escape death makes it easy for audience members to wonder how the film is still running. Even with its star-studded cast, the film’s excessive plot twists and shallow characters make “Gringo” a movie to skip until it hits online streaming services.
movie review
Directed by: Roar Uthaug Starring: Alicia Vikander, Daniel Wu, Walton Goggins Paulina Enck
B9
movie review
Directed by: Nash Edgerton Starring: Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, David Oyelowo anastasia armendariz
THE HOYA
uncompelling, either putting the film’s eponymous star in perilous situations in which every viewer knows she will prevail or following choruses of nameless extras through dizzyingly paced and over-edited gunfights, robbing the scenes of any tension or audience investment. The most effective action scenes are those that rely on restraint: A scene in which a single bullet was fired proves more exciting and terrifying than the film’s massive shoot-outs. Fortunately, this outing in the “Tomb Raider” franchise steered away from the campy, challenge-free action of the 2001 film, in which Lara is seemingly invincible, with the battles leaving little effect on the heroine. In this reboot, branded as grittier and more realistic, the characters are affected by the action, imbuing it with some stakes. By the movie’s midpoint, Lara is bruised, bloodied and exhausted, showing the impact of all she has been through, which in turn prevents the audience from engaging in her struggles. What truly sold the threat of Lara being in any danger was the credibility and honesty displayed by Vikander. Convincingly tough yet vulnerable, Vikander is the ideal Lara Croft. Vikander trained intensively for the role, putting
on a good deal of muscle to do her own stunts, and the dedication paid off — her well-executed choreography pairs beautifully with the palpable emotion she displays in every frame. While Angelina Jolie’s take on Lara in 2001 felt affected and forced, as if her sole motivation in every scene were to appear as sexy and cool as possible, Vikander makes no effort to be cool — which makes her all the cooler. With charm, confidence and sincerity, Lara carries the film on her strong and more than capable shoulders. Dominic West as Richard Croft, widower businessman turned adventurer, provides the emotional core of the film. Fans of West know him primarily as a morally dubious antihero, such as in his role as the de facto protagonist of HBO’s seminal classic, “The Wire,” but here, he effectively captures the upright, loving, paternal Richard. “Tomb Raider” marks the second time that West and Vikander play father and daughter, following 2014’s “Testament of Youth,” and that history is revealed through touching scenes that beautifully capture the love between a father and daughter. Daniel Wu, as Lara’s love interest Lu Ren, is substantially less compelling. For the most part, Ren is given next to no character development
and very little to do; his purpose in the film is to help Lara and flirt with the tomb raider when the script requires. The former use of the character feels contrived, and the latter falls flat due to the stark lack of chemistry between Wu and Vikander. Mathias Vogel, the film’s primary antagonist played by Walton Goggins, is a chilling presence, but only for half of his screen time. The script slings Vogel between coolly menacing and manically overeager. These quieter moments are imbued with tension unrivaled by any of the fast-paced action that makes up much of the film. Vogel is also a very timely character in an era when powerful men are finally being held accountable for sexual harassment or assault. In his first meeting with Lara, Vogel’s overly sexualized behavior towards the young woman felt all too redolent of the encounters that have engulfed Hollywood. While a marked improvement from the original films, “Tomb Raider” is a well-acted but ultimately unexciting action movie. This video game adaptation will not challenge its audience or provide any real substance, but it provides a fun bit of escapism into an action packed world of adventure.
B10
the guide
THE HOYA
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2018
What to Do in DC
MUSIC
NEW RELEASES
WILLIAM LEO
Hoya Staff Writer
1
NOAH HAWKE AND NOAH LEVESQUE Hoya Staff Writers
ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL IN THE DISTRICT
Washington, D.C., is home to one of the oldest and most accomplished environmental film festivals in the country. This weekend, the festival is coming together again at various theaters across the city to showcase films that grapple with environmental issues. The festival generally has an international focus and includes films from diverse communities from all around the world. See the festival’s website for more information.
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LIL YACHTY
MARSHMELLO
LIL YACHTY FT. NBA YOUNGBOY, ‘NBAYOUNGBOAT’
MARSHMELLO FT. LEAH CULVER, ‘FLY’
Lil Yachty comes in hot with an assist from Baton Rouge-based NBA YoungBoy on this hit from his second studio album, “Lil Boat 2.” The sequel deviates from his debut track by focusing on heavy raps and avoiding the sweet melodies that carried him to fame. Yachty trades sharply cut bars with the up-and-coming rapper on the track, showing marked improvement and clear intent to climb his way back up.
Marshmello returns to his roots with some deeply infectious EDM. The plodding, euphoric beat ensnares listeners; the bass lines are finely warped; and the timing of the samples is impeccable. The DJ has been teasing “Fly” in sets for a couple years and fans finally get to hear the full version. Marshmello is back in action and set to make good on his promise of a “back to basics” approach to 2018.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
SCOTT MCCREERY
THE NEIGHBORHOOD ‘TOO SERIOUS’
SCOTT MCCREERY ‘THIS IS IT’
On the indie band’s eponymous third studio album, “Too Serious” is a melancholy track that discusses lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s struggles with depression and anxiety. On an album filled with eclectic tracks, “Too Serious” stands out with a withdrawn melody and soft, poignant vocals. The song is measured and never breaks free, reflecting Jesse’s feelings of being trapped in a depressed state.
A personal track detailing the story of his mountaintop proposal to longtime girlfriend Gabi Dugal, “This Is It” is the perfect first-dance song at a wedding. The former American Idol star croons to his future wife, “On top of the world here together / If there ever was a time for a perfect kiss / This is it.” The song’s soft sentimentality is sure to resonate with fans and music critics alike.
CLOVER BEER FEST 2018
Come celebrate Irish culture and beer with D.C.’s own Clover Beer Fest. The event will feature Irish cider, bagpipes, a variety of foods and unlimited access to green beer. The event will take place at the Akridge Lot outside of the Audi Field in Buzzard Point, D.C. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 17.
3
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN THE TIDAL BASIN
As winter fades away, D.C.’s famous cherry blossoms will bloom again. The trees have a long history in the city, arriving in 1912 as a gift from the mayor of Tokyo. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Jefferson Memorial and the Patomic, the Tidal Basin is the perfect place to enjoy the cherry blossoms. Large numbers of cherry trees grow in East Potomac Park and on the Washington Monument grounds.
5
MARVEL AND WALT DISNEY
SHABAZZ PALACES
Shabazz Palaces, a hip-hop duo from Seattle made up of Ishmael Butler and Tendai Maraire, is one of the most innovative and experimental hip hop groups working today. The duo is also playing a free concert with music from its newest album this weekend at the Kennedy Center. The concert does not require tickets; just show up. It begins at 6 p.m. March 17.
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DCIFF
St. Patrick’s Day is more than an excuse to party; it is also a celebration of Irish heritage and culture that has shaped the American experience. Shamrock Fest is America’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration, featuring music, food and refreshments. The celebration occurs at the RFK Memorial Stadium. on March 17.
BREWER ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND
SHAMROCK FEST
BAD AXE THROWING
the guide
friday, March 16, 2018
Lil Boat 2
THE HOYA
B11
Album review
Lil Yachty
Jack colavita
Special to The Hoya
On “Lil Boat 2,” Lil Yachty attempts to cement his place among fellow Atlanta rap stars like Migos, Young Thug and 2 Chainz but falls short, as personality and energy are swapped for rinseand-repeat beats and uninspired flows. After the almost overnight success of his 2015 viral hit “One Night,” Lil Yachty began a career as one of the most colorful stars in rap. As the self-proclaimed “King of the Teens” began to build his brand and transcend his own music, he also polarized audiences –– radio personalities Joe Budden and Funkmaster Flex criticized his goofy demeanor and lack of lyricism, while rappers J. Cole and Kodak Black have dissed Yachty in lyrics and interviews. Despite the criticism, Yachty has maintained a fanbase and a presence in the rap community, with his 2017 debut album “Teenage Emotions” reaching No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200, which tracks album sales. “Self Made” sets the tone of his latest album. Yachty is serious, delivering braggadocio lines with his signature AutoTune-saturated voice. Fans familiar with his 2016 mixtape “Lil Boat” will immediately recognize that the goofy creativity that defined the first project has been replaced with mainstream rap cliches. The production features luscious bass layered with
dreamy synths and pulsating hi hats, but ultimately is not unique enough to be creative. In fact, the center point on many tracks is production from the likes of 30 Roc, Digital Nas and Pi’erre Bourne. “Count Me In” is incredibly similar to Pi’erre’s work on Playboi Carti’s “Magnolia,” but Yachty makes the song his own, taking aim at his haters as he says, “You don’t have to like me / Just don’t talk / Just don’t f---k with me.” Yachty and his team clearly have an ear for beats. Some other highpoints include “NBAYOUNGBOAT,” “Baby Daddy” and “66.” Each has its own take on the all-too-common trap sound, but the quality is still there. Lyrically, Yachty lacks originality, and his verses are predictable. He is rich. He is tough. He did it on his own. These topics are not necessarily overly played out -- they define rap for better or worse. However, Yachty has neither the voice nor the flow to completely disregard lyrical content. His words lack substance, which is made all the more obvious when he teams up with the A-list features that appear on the album. Yachty is continuously outdone on his own songs. “Talk To Me Nice,” featuring Quavo of rap group Migos, could belong on a Migos project. Quavo is catchy and memorable, outshining Yachty’s two verses that begin and end the song. Yachty appears nonessential and out of place.
The same problem occurs on “Baby Daddy,” which features Lil Pump and Offset - and yes, Migos’ third member, Takeoff, was left off “Lil Boat 2.” On this track, Yachty sacrifices his own sound to accommodate the features. The result is just a Lil Pump track, awkwardly showcasing Yachty on the hook. The one feature that actually complements Yachty is PnB Rock on “She Ready.” The beat is sunny, the hook is melodic and Yachty finally displays energy and charisma. The song is a nod to the Lil Yachty of old, leaving the listener nostalgic for what used to be. Only two projects ago, Yachty was writing songs about happiness and positivity, singing and rapping from the perspective of two characters embodying the competing sides of his personality. That level of creativity defined him, as he made music that could not easily be defined. He was pushing boundaries and was an exciting, unpredictable act to follow. He wore a rainbow grill. He infamously said that the Notorious B.I.G was “overrated” in an interview with Pitchfork. At every instance, he rejected tradition and ushered in novelty. But over the past two years, Yachty’s style and creativity have vanished. Yachty signed to the Quality Control record label after the first “Lil Boat” brought him into the mainstream. Ever since, he has lost his artistic vision. Quality Control pushed him to
collaborate with other acts on their roster like Migos and Rich the Kid. On his debut album “Teenage Emotions,” you can hear Yachty fighting to keep his personality alive. While most of the tracks made Yachty the typical trap rapper present on any Quality Control Project, songs like “Young Forever” featuring Diplo and “Bring it Back” are examples of Yachty keeping his creative sensibilities and blending pop and rap in a distinct and fresh way. “Lil Boat 2” marks a further descent into the ecosystem of Quality Control music. Yachty is a shadow of the artist and personality that he used to be. He went from rejecting the rules of rap to reinforcing them and along the way lost what made his art exciting in the first place. Yachty’s music should be anything but predictable, but “Lil Boat 2” is some of the most formulaic rap released this year. On the album’s closing track, “66” featuring Trippie Redd, Yachty paints the image of himself and Trippie Redd riding around in his Bentley. There was a time where Yachty and Trippie would have naturally been grouped together. Trippie is an exciting new voice in rap, born from Soundcloud. He bends genres in a way that is all his own. He is original in the way Yachty used to be. Trippie sings, “I’ma keep on runnin’ it up, ayy / I’ma keep on runnin’ it up.” Fans should hope he does, because it seems like Lil Yachty’s run might be over.
television review
Pilot for ‘Rise’ Lacks Originality Kyra diMarco
Special to The Hoya
The series premiere of NBC’s new drama, “Rise,” at times resembles a gritty, dramatic reshoot of “High School Musical.” The show follows a disillusioned English teacher who takes over a small-town high school’s drama department and leads a ragtag group of students in putting on “Spring Awakening” as the fall musical. The shows’ stars pitch the series as more similar to “Friday Night Lights” than “Glee” — understandable since both “Friday Night Lights” and “Rise” are written and created by Jason Katims — but the parallels between the plots of “Rise” and “Glee” are too obvious not to compare: An unsatisfied teacher finds an opportunity to pursue his passions. He then discovers that the small-town starting quarterback can sing and manipulates him into pursuing the arts. Our heroic teacher leaves the program for a few minutes to add drama to the pilot’s third act, only to return victoriously,
inspired by the passion of his students. The similarities between the two shows are often distracting, but new storylines introduced in later episodes could help “Rise” come into its own. The show must develop the character of teacher Lou Mazzuchelli, or Mr. Mazzu, played by Josh Radnor, who seems like a failed combination of Mr. Schue — the fact that their nicknames are eerily similar does not help — from “Glee” and Coach Taylor from “Friday Night Lights.” Every one of Mr. Mazzu’s speeches is eyeroll inducing instead of inspiring. Radnor’s sitcom past starring as Ted Mosby in “How I Met Your Mother” did not train him for this level of depth, and in every scene the actor tries much too hard to be convincing. The show also tries too hard to establish a marital dynamic similar to that of Eric and Tammi Taylor of “Friday Night Lights” between Mr. Mazzu and Gail Mazzuchelli, played by Marley Sheton, but Shelton just ends up appearing as a patient housewife, following her dreamer husband’s wishes instead of an equal partner in marriage.
In one of the show’s most cringeworthy moments, Mr. Mazzu playfully flirts with his wife by rapping along to the “Hamilton” soundtrack as his daughters blast it in the kitchen. Not only is the chemistry between Radnor and Shelton lacking, but it is too obvious a nod to how the musical shares producers Jeffrey Seller and Flody Suarez with “Rise.” After seeing countless promos for the show that touted the producers’ Broadway pedigree, the fact that the “Hamilton” soundtrack was playing within the first 10 minutes of the pilot feels forced. Additionally, Radnor’s attempts at parenting his troubled football player son are difficult to believe. Radnor’s acting will require a lot of work for Mr. Mazzu to become inspiring instead of irritating. Thankfully, the young actors playing the high school students shine. Auli’i Cravalho, best known as the voice of Disney’s “Moana,” is going to be a star. Her inexperience with acting is evident, but the camera is drawn to her open expressiveness and uplifting voice as Lilette Suarez, a high school student auditioning for the fall musical. She is the exact op-
posite of “Glee” diva Rachel Berry. Her partner onstage is quarterback Robbie Thorne, played by Damon Gillespie, who is remarkably natural on camera given his limited professional experience. The chemistry between him and Cravalho is palpable and fun to watch. One of the cheesiest and most unrealistic moments of the pilot, however, is when Robbie goes from uncomfortable on stage to a natural after hearing Mr. Mazzu’s wise words, “Don’t act, just be yourself.” Small things like this can be fixed, and Cravalho, Gillespie and the rest of their peers deserve the time to grow into their roles. Fans of passionate theater kids dealing with serious subjects or outsiders taking over a school theater department should give “Rise” a chance. Pilots of shows that later hit their stride often feel clunky because so much backstory has to be introduced in one episode. While the storylines of this pilot already feel tired, the cast has great promise, and the show will hopefully rise to the heights NBC is aiming for.
Illustration BY: Grace Chung/THE HOYA