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A&E, Beth Brunmeier

Main Stage successfully puts on American classic

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By Beth Brunmeier

“Please enjoy The Music Man!” The voice rings out across the crowded auditorium filled with restless people, and as the lights dim, the timpani signals the pit orchestra to begin playing.

These were the opening moment of The Music Man, FC’s latest theater production. The beginning overture was played beautifully by the pit orchestra, who continued to play at the same level throughout the entire play.

The Music Man is about a con man who goes by the name Harold Hill. He sells instruments, and so when he arrives in a small Iowa town, he creates the need for a boys’ band in the town. To do this, he has to promise to lead the band himself, even though he does not, “know one note from another.” However, he cannot leave until after four weeks when the marching uniforms arrive and he can pocket the cash.

During those four weeks he begins to develop feelings towards the town librarian and music teacher.

For the most part, the play was fantastically done. The acting was commendable, even by the younger children. All of the characters were believable in their respective roles.

The dancing was also impressive, considering there were several large dance numbers that included what felt like the entire cast in the performance.

The songs were hit and miss for me because even though they were performed very well, some of them are taken very fast and I could not understand the words. The inability to understand characters at times is probably one of my only personal criticisms of the play.

Nevertheless, I especially loved the barbershop quartet, and the town’s librarian, played by sophomore Madeline Coffey, sounded like an angel. The mayor’s wife and her dance group were hilarious.

The ending seemed a bit abrupt and just very ridiculous, but all in all it was another fantastic production by our theater department, and should definitely be seen by fans of classic American musicals.

Meanwhile, I think I will have “Seventy-Six Trombones” stuck in my head for the next week.

 

A&E

The Dark Knight rises to the occasion

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By Christian Dimartino

Christopher Nolan, the co-writer and director of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Inception, wasn’t sure if he wanted to come back for The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment in his perfect series. With the success of its predecessor, The Dark Knight, he said he would only come back for round three if he felt that the screenplay lived up to TDK. So, he came back to direct TDKR. So you can assume what he felt. And what he felt, I feel also.

When the Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger, blew into Gotham in the previous film, chaos reigned, and not only did it reign, it left an impact on the city so large that their only symbol of hope is built on a lie. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckart,) a District Attorney who everyone called “The White Knight,” became horribly scarred, and ended up going on a killing spree. A killing spree that Batman took the fall for.

Eight years have gone by, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale, probably giving his best performance as Batman) has become a hermit. He refuses to see anyone, besides his loving butler Alfred (Michael Caine, who is brief but brilliant here.) But he is called back to action when two new foes, Catwoman (Anne Hathaway, giving an over-the-top but still enjoyable performance) and Bane (Tom Hardy, who is so menacing he makes the Joker look like the Riddler) step into town.

Meanwhile, Batman does have some allies once again. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman,) the genius who designs all of Batman’s brilliant gadgets. Comissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), who was also in on the Harvey Dent thing, and John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a rookie cop. And Bruce also has a new woman named Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a philanthropist who works at Wayne Enterprises.

There is much more to the story than I have told, but I would hate to ruin any of the constant surprises that TDKR keeps throwing at us. At times very powerful, moving, and nearly tear jerking-ly dramatic with some extraordinary action sequences, TDKR is the perfect way for this series to go out.

The acting from everyone is excellent. Bale is such a great actor, and I am glad that Christopher Nolan, that brilliant man, found him and made him who he is today (even though, sadly, he has been around for over twenty years). Caine’s performance, though small, is heart breaking. There is one moment where he brought tears to my eyes. The rest of the cast is excellent also, especially the diabolical Hardy and the sweetly subtle Levitt. Hathaway, though not the sexiest woman on the planet, is pretty sexy as Catwoman. She may be a little over-the-top, but, hello, she’s CATWOMAN!

Nolan is the best filmmaker. Ever. The man makes Albert Einstein look like Forrest Gump. With all of his films, since Memento, a film that went backwards, he’s dazzled our eyes, ears, and minds. He finally got the recognition he deserved with his previous film, Inception, in which he explained the way dreams work. The academy always seems to snub him whenever they can, and that irritates me.

With this final round, screenwriter Nolan, his brother Johnathon, and David S. Goyer have painted their bleakest canvas yet. what makes this series better than any other superhero film is that Batman is a real man, he has no powers, he could be one of us, and it’s that spirit that makes these films seem so real. TDKR feels like a drama, with action in the background, where as The Avengers is a fight fest. This is the most powerful one of the series, especially with the plot it has, (it’s a secret.)

I have been waiting four years, and it was worth the wait. TDK was my favorite movie and reigning champion for four years. But with TDKR, Nolan has reached new heights of excellency. He is reached film heaven. This is the best movie I have ever seen. It didn’t hit me until the final five minutes, but this film unfolds beautifully, probably having the best ending in film history.

Nolan’s Batman films have dove deeper into this hero than Tim Burton’s and Joel Schumacher’s films could ever do. These films have shown what a sad, mysterious, and fractured character Bruce Wayne is, and how he has done so much for this city and not gotten much in return. TDKR poses the question: Why? This film makes The Avengers looks like Kazaam, and that’s not exactly a good thing. The thing with The Avengers, while a good movie, is that it really dragged on. Apparently, TDKR was over two hours and forty minutes. Where did those minutes go? If you’re expecting just what I was expecting, you won’t be disappointed.

A&E

Men in Black series continues to impress

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By Megan Hardin

Agent J and Agent K have put their black suits on once more and returned to save our world.
It has been ten years since the Men in Black have graced our movie screens but they have made
their triumphant come back in their latest movie, Men in Black 3 which is now playing at the Great
Escape Theatres’ and Corydon Cinemas.

In 1997, the world was captivated by a movie all about the possibility of other life forms
among us. That movie was Men in Black, where we were introduced to Agent J (Will Smith) and
Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), and ever since then the world has been wanting more alien slaying
action from the men of the MIB agency. In 2002, Smith and Jones reprised their roles as the
infamous Agent J and Agent K and prevented another alien takeover of Earth. After a long time
coming the agents are back and willing to do whatever it takes to save each other as well as the
world.

In this third installment of the Men in Black series the plot is thicker than ever. The
friendship of Agent J (Smith) and Agent K (Jones) gets tested when Agent J wakes up one morning
to find that Agent K has been dead for over 40 years. Knowing that this cannot be true because
he just saw Agent K last night, Agent J tries to figure out what is going on with his partner of 15
years. When he arrives at the MIB headquarters Agent O (Emma Thompson) tells him that Boris the
Animal (Jemaine Clement) has gone back in time and killed Agent K so that he could not arrest him
again and now Agent J must go back in time and prevent it from happening.

As Agent J travels back in time to 1969 where he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh
Brolin) and is helped by the young Agent O (Alice Eve) and even Andy Warhol (Bill Hader) and an
alien with a special talent named Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg) in efforts to stop Boris the Animal and
save the world from being taken over by the Bogladites. Along the way secrets of the world that
Agent J did not know about will be revealed. This movie has a combination of comedy and suspense
that will keep watchers guessing what will really happen all the way up to the very end.

It is very scarce that a sequel is better than the first movie but this sequel knocked the first
one out of the park. Out of all of the Men in Black movies, Men in Black 3 is the best one. The plot
is very original and there are little surprises along the way. The actors did a great job with hooking
the watcher in and making you believe that everything happening in the movie is real. The ending of
this movie ties everything together and helps to explain Agent J and Agent K behavior and beliefs.
It is rated PG-13 due to it having some brief adult language, but it is a great film to go out and see
with friends of family of the appropriate age.

Photo by Megan Hardin
A&E

Where to eat on prom night

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By Marah Harbison

1. Wild Ginger on Bardstown Road- Sushi is always a good choice because it is light, delicious, and not too messy. Wild Ginger also offers some of the most unique rolls in Louisville. I suggest the .007 roll which features a citrusy lime taste.

2. Varanese on Frankfurt Avenue- This restaurant’s “new American” cuisine is a nice stray from the norm of Italian food for prom night. Also it’s semi-outdoor seating gives this restaurant a great atmosphere.

3. Stay Home- If parents are gracious enough, cooking a meal at a group members house and eating there can be a great option. You can avoid reservations, crowds, and extra transportation and also decide exactly what will be on the menu.

A&E

Press release: ‘Celtic Dreams’ to perform this weekend

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From Bonny Wise

Photo courtesy of Sam Vogt.

Celtic Dreams…A Journey Into Imagination

        ….Original and Unusual Production Closes the Curtain on a Director’s 39 Year Career in Educational Theatre

Chris Bundy, Director of Theatre Arts at Floyd Central High School, knew the day would come when he would retire from directing and teaching theatre arts.  When considering a final show to produce, true to form, a unique and unusual production formulated in Bundy’s mind.  “Celtic Dreams” is an original multi-media, special effects and dance show written by Bundy that uses the mystic ancient world of the Celts as the basis for several segments of the show.  In all, there are ten individual segments to the show featuring a variety of scenes that range from the mystical “Ring of Stones” segment based upon the unexplained circular stone ruins from the Druid era to more light-hearted segments such as the one featuring the legend of “Nessie,” the fabled Loch Ness monster.  The show uses a wide variety of Celtic music and incorporates a number of special visual effects.

At each of the three schools at which Bundy has taught theatre, blacklight effects have played a prominent role in a number of shows.  In each of those schools, West Washington, Silver Creek and Floyd Central, he created blacklight shows all of which recieved the honor of being selected as main stage presentations at the prestigious International Thespian Festival.  While the current production of “Celtic Dreams” does engage several scenes which use blacklight effects, they comprise only a portion of the show.

The show also celebrates Scotland and its people, an interest sparked through Bundy’s and Floyd Central Theatre’s four appearances at The International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Through that contact, Bundy and his students formed a lasting friendship with Davina Young, a resident of Edinburgh who, according to Bundy, “…has one of the most distinctive and beautiful Scottish accents imaginable.”  Ms. Young is flying in from Scotland to narrate the show.  Bundy commented, “We invited Davina to our school a few years back to tutor our cast of “Burke and Hare” which was based on the infamous Edinburgh pair of grave robbers.  I think that is when I truly fell in love with her accent as well as her amazing personality and the magic she worked with the cast.  I am so pleased she accepted this invitation to be a part of my final production before retirement.”

Due to the fact that Ms. Young is in the states for only one week, “Celtic Dreams” will be staged on one weekend only.  Performances will be April 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on April 21 and 22 at 2:00 p.m.  Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $6 for students.  The show is suitable for all ages.

Bundy is hopeful that the public will celebrate his final production at F.C. and hopes to see familiar faces from among the thousands of students with whom he’s had the pleasure to direct and teach.  Bundy summed up his long career in theatre by saying, “For nearly half a century the magic of theatre has given me a life filled with excitement and a world of imagination as well as providing me with the extreme pleasure of working with incredibly talented students and adults.  While I’ll miss my association with theatre, I think it’s about time to take on the very enjoyable role of grandfather to my four grandchildren and let someone else enjoy the amazing ride I’ve had throughout my career.  While the number of grandkids continues to increase, I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for my other few thousand ‘kids’ as well.”