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Pit orchestra prepares for upcoming play

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By Brooke McAfee

As the auditorium fills up, the sounds of the orchestra tuning and small portions of various melodies drift to the ears of the audience. The musicians cannot be seen, hidden within the orchestra pit in front of the stage, but when the show begins, they will have a crucial role to play in the musical.

Senior Garrett Jones, who is playing bassoon and conducting three songs for the upcoming production of The Scarlet Pimpernel, explained the process of becoming involved with the pit orchestra.

“When the staff feels that these parts can be covered by students, they ask other directors who the students are they feel are appropriate for these parts, have the skill level to take them on, and have the time,” he said.

Jones said being in the pit orchestra is a unique experience.

“It is a different musical environment than anything else I’m in. No one sees you when you perform, but the performance has very high stakes. The playing is on and off, and there are people singing to it also. That is like nothing I would do anywhere else, with all my musical endeavors.”

Senior Anna Stephens, who is playing oboe and English horn in the musical said the orchestra requires plenty of personal responsibility.

“There are definitely less people than you normally experience in band, but the level of skill is not necessarily any less. In fact, sometimes it is more concentrated, I would say, and you are the only person on that part…there’s a microphone, and everything you play is heard.”

Junior Zach Rich is playing trombone and euphonium in the pit orchestra, and said he enjoys working with the theater.

“My favorite part would probably have to be seeing the show come together with all of the great actors on stage and us musicians down in the pit, it’s an awesome experience when we put it all together for the first time.”

Rich said he also enjoys the music of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and is enthusiastic about the upcoming performances.

“I really like The Scarlet Pimpernel music.  It’s gonna be hard to top Les Mis, but I am really enjoying the music as a whole…it is a fun yet challenging experience.  I am glad to be in the pit and can’t wait until the performances next week.”

Stephens said one of the challenges includes meeting the high expectations and working with professional musicians.

“They have expectations for you, the director has expectations, and theater has expectations that you will be able to play the music perfectly, like as soon as you start rehearsing, you have to be in it with your mind, step up the challenge, and just be able to play,” she said.

Other difficulties include time management and playing the music in a different setting than many student musicians are used to.

“During hell week, there’s a lot of time management challenges, but just in preparing the show…sometimes the books you get for your parts are really hard, and sometimes parts of the show are just weird with how they line up with the singers. It’s hard just because it is different. The music can be easy and yet it will still be more challenging than many of the other things I do,” said Jones.

Stephens said the experience is worth the hard work, exhaustion, and long hours of rehearsal, and her favorite part of her involvement is her love of the music.

“Even though you can’t see what’s happening, you know the story, and after playing it so many times, you just have this special musical connection with the play. Especially for me, music is very emotional and very important in my life, so it is kind of amazing to have that experience and connection with the music.”

The Scarlet Pimpernel will be playing on March 7, 8, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m., and March 9 and 16 at 2 p.m.

A&E, Isaac Mathewson

Favorite Film Friday: Apocalypse Now

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Written and directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper
While Francis Ford Coppola has no doubt gone down into legend as the infamous director of the Godfather trilogy, he will also be forever remembered for all the grueling troubles he went through trying to bring the Vietnam War to life in this spectacular epic. True The Deer Hunter was the first mainstream film to focus on the war, but this was the film that many critics and historians claim truly captured the psychologically destructive nature of that terrible war.
 
The film tells the story of Captain Willard (Sheen), who is sent on a perilous mission into the heart of Cambodia to track down the renegade Colonel Kurtz (Brando) and terminate him with extreme prejudice. Throughout the film, he and his squad get into a series of adventures across the Cambodian river, whether it involves their American allies or their Viet Cong enemies, as they eventually realize the true terror of war. The film is inspired by the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, but it is not a direct adaptation.
 
Any major film buff will know that the troubles the filmmakers went through to make the picture are legendary. Francis Ford Coppola spent three years working on this film when it was originally supposed to take sixteen weeks. First of all, a dispute resulted in the firing of Harvey Keitel in the lead role. Second, a massive typhoon wrecked his set in the Philippines, further delaying production. Martin Sheen had a heart attack on the set and Marlon Brando showed up overweight and had not read the script. Eventually, Coppola went way over budget and behind schedule and had to invest his own money to complete the picture before it killed him. Many of these problems were the focus of the 1991 documentary Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.
 
Somehow, Coppola and his team pulled through and the result is one of the best war films in history. Coppola has famously stated that this film is not about Vietnam, it is Vietnam and you almost believe it. We get the sense of the war and how it has affected both sides. The cinematography makes us feel the dark atmospheres of the jungles of Cambodia where at any second someone may start firing at you.
 
What really makes this film stand out are the characters. Although some of them are in the film for a few minutes, they are memorable and they have great actors to portray them. Sheen is great as Captain Willard and he shows a great amount of depth and sensitivity that helps the audience understand what it is like to be in the war. Brando plays a chilling Kurtz and he helps us understand how someone can lose themselves mentally during war. There are many other great actors such as Dennis Hopper as the crazed journalist at Kurtz’s fortress, a young Laurence Fishburne as one of the privates who accompanies Willard on his mission, and Harrison Ford as the colonel who gives Willard the mission.
 
The best and by far the most memorable character is Robert Duvall as Col. Bill Kilgore. Although his screen time is only 11 minutes, he is often considered to be the most important character. This is especially shown during the film’s most famous scene where he orders an air strike against a Vietnamese village with Ride of the Valkyries being played over the loud speakers of the helicopters. He allows his men to surf the beach under enemy fire and he gives a monologue about a previous strike he ordered. It is during this scene where he gives the famous line, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” His character is different from the others because unlike most soldiers, who were against the war, he absolutely loves war and glorifies it. This scene alone is the heart of the film, even more so then the ending.
 
Many people to this day debate whether this is a pro-war film or an anti-war film. It does have elements of both, but it is really neither. It is a haunting look at how war destroys people mentally and makes us lose all perception of right or wrong. It is truly an unforgettable film and it should be seen by Coppola fans and Vietnam veterans alike. It is the best Vietnam War movie of all time. 
A&E, Christian DiMartino

Oscar Watch: Columnist provides Oscar predictions and preferences

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By Christian DiMartino

The Academy Awards, which airs Sun. March 2, is drawing near, and the competition is getting tough. Some of the categories are obvious. That said, others, such as Best Picture, are up in the air. Here is what will probably win and what should win on the big night.

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity

Steve McQueen- 12 Years a Slave

Alexander Payne- Nebraska

David O. Russell- American Hustle

Martin Scorsese- The Wolf of Wall Street

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron

Alfonso Cuaron is winning pretty much every directing award for his groundbreaking sci-fi film, Gravity. He is pretty much the one to beat. If anyone can take him down, it is McQueen. But count on Cuaron for this category.

Should Win: Alfonso Cuaron

Watch about ten minutes of Gravity, and it goes without saying. Each of these directors directed great movies, but none of them are quite as devoted as Cuaron. This is the greatest visual achievement since Avatar, and it is even better. This is a film that sounds nearly impossible to make, but yet Cuaron did it. It has been said that him and his crew had to create their own technology to bring the film to life. So, if anyone is truly worthy, it is Cuaron. McQueen is a close second.

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o- 12 Years a Slave

Julia Roberts- August: Osage County

June Squibb- Nebraska

Will Win: Lupita Nyong’o

Jennifer Lawrence seemed to be the favorite at the start of the race, considering she won a Golden Globe. But now it seems like all of the attention is being directed toward Nyong’o for her performance as the tragic slave Patsy. Nyong’o is taking home the awards, and will probably take home the biggest one. It is not set in stone though. Lawrence could swoop in, because she recently won the BAFTA. This race is a tough one.

Should Win: Julia Roberts

There is no love for August: Osage County, so Roberts doesn’t stand a chance, but I thought this was her best work since Closer (2004). Roberts’ performance is borderline over-the-top, but yet it was one of the most entertaining performances of the year. Watching her fight with practically everyone onscreen helped the film’s entertainment value. This is a tough category, because all of these women, particularly Squibb and Lawrence, steal the show. Roberts is my vote. She probably will not win, but she should.

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi- Captain Philips

Bradley Cooper- American Hustle

Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill- The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club

Will Win: Jared Leto

It seems as if Jared Leto cannot be stopped. He is winning practically every award for his scene-stealing performance in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto does quite a transformation here, and the academy loves a good transformation.

Should Win: Jared Leto

Part of what makes Dallas Buyers Club special is its acting, and Leto is a huge contribution to that. Leto steals the show as the tragic transgender sidekick Rayon. Rayon is possibly the films best character, and Leto, who has been overlooked for such a long time, is too great to ignore. I am also a fan of Abdi, Cooper, and Fassbender, but Leto is a done deal.

Best Actress

Amy Adams- American Hustle

Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock- Gravity

Judi Dench- Philomena

Meryl Streep- August: Osage County

Note: Sandra Bullock gives the performance of her career in Gravity, not in The Blind Side (the film that won her Best Actress). So I would like to pretend that the Oscar she won for that film was actually for Gravity.

Will Win: Cate Blanchett

Blanchett is practically a sure thing for her performance as the mentally unstable title character in Blue Jasmine. She is being showered with awards. If anyone can take her down, it is Adams, who also won a Golden Globe. But count on Blanchett.

Should Win: Cate Blanchett

Amy Adams is a great actress, and she definitely will win an Oscar someday, but not yet. Bullock’s case has been covered (a very close second). By now, Streep goes without saying. She’s amazing all the time. The same goes for Dench and Blanchett, but Blanchett’s is the best. Blanchett gives the performance of her career in the best performance of the year, and easily deserves her long overdue second Oscar. Jasmine is almost too interesting. She’s a woman so trapped in the past that she cannot come to terms with reality, and watching Blanchett self-destruct is possibly the best work from an actress since Natalie Portman in Black Swan. So, to summarize, yes, she should win.

Best Actor

Christian Bale- American Hustle

Bruce Dern- Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club

Will Win: Matthew McConaughey

Ah, this is where things get tricky. The competition for this category has been hectic from the start. But all signs seem to be pointing towards Matthew McConaughey. He lost a ton of weight, and Dallas Buyers Club is a true story, and the academy loves both of those things. They love transformation (even though Christian Bale wasn’t nominated for The Machinist, the craziest transformation ever, and gained a bunch of weight for American Hustle).Aside from that, he truly is fantastic. He is winning pretty much every award he is nominated for. There is a slight chance that someone else could swoop in, but it is not likely.

Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio

All of these performances are terrific. Actually, it is pretty difficult to rank them. Once upon a time, Matthew McConaughey was a second rate actor. But now it seems like has really proved otherwise. He has become the actor he always should have been. That said, he has only been great for about two years, and does not deserve an Oscar quite yet. Leonardo Dicaprio, however, has been great for over twenty years, and has somehow never won an Oscar. The time is now. The fact that DiCaprio has not won an Oscar is outrageous, considering the fact that he has been so great for so long. DiCaprio gives possibly the performance of his career in this movie. He plays such a despicable human being, but yet DiCaprio makes this terrible person watchable. In fact, you sort of want him to get away with everything. DiCaprio has never done anything quite like this before, and it is definitely a bold performance, considering the content that is put on display. McConaughey will win, but it would be nice if the academy came to their senses and finally gave him the Oscar.

Best Picture

American Hustle                  Nebraska

Captain Philips                   Philomena

Dallas Buyers Club              12 Years a Slave

Gravity                              The Wolf of Wall Street

Her

Will Win: 12 Years a Slave

Ah, this is where things get even trickier. Gravity began this race as the favorite. Then came the arrival of 12 Years a Slave, which then became the favorite, and remained the favorite. Then American Hustle arrived to theaters in December and hustled its way into the race. So now the race is down to these three. Momentum for American Hustle seems to be gaining. With that said, I think we’re all overthinking this. 12 Years a Slave was the favorite for so long, and at the end of the day, there is no way that it can lose.

Should Win: 12 Years a Slave

This category is basically a toss-up between 12 Years a Slave and Gravity, but at the end of the day, there is no denying the power of 12 Years a Slave. Finally, for the first time since The Departed (2006), my favorite movie of the year actually stands a chance. 12 Years a Slave is a devastating, disturbing, raw, and intense look at possibly the ugliest chapter in America’s history. Solomon Northrup’s tale is one that truly needed to be told, and the film’s secret weapon the magnificent Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ejiofor carries this film, and so does the entire cast. If you were not in tears by the end of this movie (something that rarely happens to me during movies), then you must have no soul. This is the best movie of the year.

Well, hopefully this gave a little insight on what to expect on the big night. The race is tough, so don’t expect everyone to leave happy. In closing, there is really only one thing that must be said: TEAM DICAPRIO. Academy voters, please vote well.

A&E, Isaac Mathewson

Favorite Film Friday: Saving Private Ryan

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By Isaac Mathewson
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Robert Rodat
Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, and Tom Sizemore
War is very complex. It is difficult if not impossible for a film to give us an accurate depiction of war, not just in visuals but also by emotion. If there is any film that came close to giving us an accurate and realistic view of war, both physically and emotionally, it would be this.
 
Saving Private Ryan tells the fictional story of a squad of U.S. Army Rangers, led by Captain Miller (Hanks), who are sent on a perilous mission to find a lost paratrooper (Damon) after his brothers were killed, during the D-day invasion of World War 2. During the mission, they question their orders as they continue to fight the war. This story was inspired by a real life WW2 veteran named Fritz Niland who soldiers were sent to look for to bring home after his brothers were killed, as part of the sole survivor policy.
 
What Saving Private Ryan does really well is depicting the horrors and heartbreak of war, as well as portraying soldiers. Throughout the film, these men fight a war that they do not want to fight and they each question the reason why one man gets the chance to come home and they don’t. However, they know that they must follow orders despite the cost and they will do anything to achieve their goals as long as something good will come out of it.
 
No doubt this film is most famous for is its realistic depictions of combat. At the time, war movies were fairly tame in order to keep an audience, but this film took war movie battle sequences to a whole new level. The first half hour of the film depicts the Allied invasion of Omaha Beach, where it gives the most realistic depiction of combat ever for a movie. There are also several other battles, including a just as intense climatic battle in a bombed out French city.
 
Steven Spielberg does a fantastic job bringing this film to life and putting the audience into this time period. He did this by making it look as real as possible. The actors had to be put under intense boot camp training to make them look like real soldiers and real amputees were used during the opening battle sequence. He also used real tanks and boats from that war.
 
The actors all fit their roles well. Tom Hanks is good, as usual, as the quiet, mysterious captain whose only goal is to do what he is ordered to do. Tom Sizemore is very good as the sergeant of the group, Edward Burns is good as the stubborn private who questions his role and at one point threatens to desert, and Damon is very convincing as Private Ryan himself, who wants nothing more to be reunited with his family. Other actors include Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper, Bryan Cranston, and Paul Giammati, all of whom are a treasure to watch.
 
Although many historians may point out some of the inaccuracies of the invasion as well as the absence of other Allies who took part in the invasion, this film is a masterpiece that cannot be missed. It is a salute to the soldiers who died during that war and for veterans in general. It is simply a beautifully made movie.
A&E, Isaac Mathewson

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ provides actors new opportunities

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By Isaac Mathewson
As FC Theater’s spring production of The Scarlet Pimpernel fast approaches, theater director Robbie Steiner provides news that may interest and excite theater buffs.
As he has already stated, The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic musical that tells the story of Sir Percy who rescues prisoners from the guillotine during the French Revolution and hides his true identity by disguising himself as a foppish playboy. “The Scarlet Pimpernel has beautiful music and has a funny script,” said Steiner.
For this show, the three leads are FC senior Collin Jackson as Percy, by junior Madeline Coffey as his wife Marguerite and senior Clay Gulley as the main antagonist Chauvelin. Steiner believes that they are fit for their parts and are well prepared.
According to Steiner, rehearsals have been going well so far but the many snow days have been taking away a lot of time and have put the actors behind schedule. However, he has stated that everything will be ready by opening night.
Steiner has also stated that the lead roles are going to be different from any of the other roles that the actors have had. There are going to be scenes with sword fighting in which Gulley and Jackson have been trained to do. Steiner has noted that while the swords are props, the actors are still at risk of being injured.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is set to take place on March 7, 8, 14, and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and March 9 and 16 at 2:00 p.m.