2008 Woodie Awards
Archetypes are tricky. To employ them in a work of fiction is to walk the razor-thin line that separates revelation from cliché. Musical comedy, however, is a genre renowned for its schmaltzy, self-conscious glibness: it prefers to leap off the tightrope altogether, to waltz and wallow on the cliché side. Witness "City of Angels," the 1989 musical now playing now at USM. It's one of the most self-referential farces you'll ever have the pleasure of witnessing; it's simultaneously a fawning love letter and a jeering missive, aimed squarely at both Hollywood and the creative process in general. "City of Angels" seems like a musical romp to the audience, but it is a difficult text to navigate for its cast and crew. The first task is in evoking a bygone era. "The biggest challenge was getting the actors to embody that expressive, 1940s theatrical style," said the show's director, USM theater faculty member Wil Kilroy.
In the program for "City of Angels," director Wil Kilroy says it best: "I've wanted to bring the show to USM, knowing what a challenge it would be. Our cast and crew have dedicated themselves and their creativity to making the story come alive for you." The production is clearly a labor of love.
March 17 If you're feeling especially brave and/or crazy this St. Patrick's Day, and would like to take a 5:30 a.m. swim to wake yourself up, head down to the East End Beach in Portland for the St. Paddy's Day Plunge. All proceeds will benefit the Children's Burn Unit and Portland Firefighters.
An excited and slightly damp crowd came out to see a rock show in Gorham's Brooks Student Center last week. Organized by sophomore Jeff Beam, the show featured his own band and local acts The Leftovers and Dominic and the Lucid. The first band to take the stage was Dominic and the Lucid.
Vogue and Bazaar may be breathing hopes of spring fashion to style-enthusiasts across the country, but for the still snow-covered USM, sundresses and high-waist shorts may be some time coming. For the fashion-forward who may be fashion-depressed as they wait out the winter and don their 'warm puffy coat' for the 234th day in a row, a quick fix has crossed into main-stream social circles.
