The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 1, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Page: 6 of 6
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January 21, 2009
Entertainment
The Rambler 6
The Spring 09 Preview: Wesleyan's Fine Arts Repertoire
Chuck Fain
STAFF WRITER
Artistic expression provides pleasure to both the giver and the receiver. And Texas
Wesleyan has plenty of it in store for you this spring. The theater department and the music
department have lined up what they hope to be gripping plays and musical masterpieces.
Wesleyan theater
The Wesleyan theater department will start the spring semester off with a production of
the Okie award winning play Terra Nova by Ted Tally. Tally is a renowned playwright and
screenwriter responsible for such works as The Silence of the Lambs screenplay,
The play is a tragic and
compelling story of determination
as Captain Scott leads a team of
men 011 an exposition to the North
Pole. Scott refuses to use sled dogs,
seeing them as unsporting, resulting
eventual disaster. Ultimately, Scott
and his crew are bested by his rival
and must pay the ultimate price for
their heroism. The play runs Feb. 19-
22 and Feb. 26-March 1.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street will also be
presented in Wesleyan's own Thad
Smotherman Theatre this semester.
This morbid musical takes the
audience on a journey with a mister
Sweeny Todd, recently back from a
15-year prison sentence.
The bloodthirsty barber has
returned home with an appetite
for revenge and meat pies. The
annual musicals at Wesleyan are
popular events, and, considering this
musical's recent popularity, this year
will be 110 different. The show runs
April 23-26.
Secure your tickets for events by
calling the theater box office number
at (817) 531 -4211. Visit the Theatre
Wesleyan home page for more details.
Wesleyan music
The music department is also gearing up for the new season with several masterpieces
scheduled at Martin Flail. The 2009 President's Flonors Concert is one such event. Flere
some of Wesleyan's finest musical performers are selected by a panel of independent judges
for this special concert, featuring six singers, three pianists, a flute arrangement and a guitar
arrangement.
The concert is hosted by University President Hal Jeffcoat and his wife, Marie. Now in
its 13th year, this prestigious concert is sure to be a treat for the ears as Wesleyan displays
its musical talents at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. The concert is free and open to the public. A
reception in the Baker Building will
follow. Business attire is preferred.
Call (817) 531-4404 to RSVP.
Many more concerts are set to
come through Martin Flail, such
as the Forth Worth Symphony
Orchestra's performance at 11
a.m. Feb. 21 and the Stephen Barr
Memorial Concert at 7:30 p.m.
March 10.
Martin Hall swings, playing
host to such jazz performances as
The Combined Jazz Band and
Wind Ensemble Concert at 7:30
p.m. March 12 and the 13th Annual
Wesley an/Highlander Jazz Festival
at 7:30 p.m. May 9. Also, don't miss
Wesleyan's premier choir performing
at the Wesleyan Singers Concert at
7:30 p.m. April 16.
There are many more concerts
and events coming to Martin
Hall, thanks to Wesleyan's music
department. Visit www.txwes.edu/
music/events for more information.
1
x
Courtesy of Texas Wesleyan music department
Texas Wesleyan's music department kicks off the spring season with the 2009 President's Honors Concert 7:30
p.m. on Feb. 6. Senior pianist Karen Garcia, seen here performing at last year's concert, will be part of the piano
trio that ends the night.
Artistic expression is one of the
rare true joys in life. Enjoy.
Winter fil 111s worth watching
Martin
Garcia
In January we're always left with leftovers. Holiday movie leftovers
that is ... and sometimes that's a good thing. There's often shows still
hanging around at the theater that are worth catching if you missed them,
and this year is no exception.
This past wave of holiday movies did begin 011 the wrong
foot, however, with the post-Thanksgiving release of the obligatory
Christmas-themed movie Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and
Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon. What held some promise
was a disappointment on the big screen, but as December moved along,
the movies got better. Christmas Day proved to be the best release date,
providing the likes of Brad Pitt, Owen Wilson and Tom Cruise, three of
Hollywood's most recognizable icons. All are still on at the theater.
Valkyrie
In what was arguably one of the more anticipated releases on Christmas Day, Valkyrie
gave us the story of a plot that planned to assassinate Adolf Hitler during the height of
World War II. Tom Cruise plays Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the leading German
officers in a foiled plot to remove Hitler and the Nazi regime from power.
Without seeing the
TOM CRUISE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
There's nothing quite like a feel-good flick about a man who physically ages backwards
through real time and undergoes insurmountable circumstances. It might not be the most
appealing synopsis, but if you add a love plot to the peculiar story, you have yourself an
Oscar-worthy hit.
Adapted from a 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby, The Last Tycoon),
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button presents a compelling idea of the beauty of life, the
consistency of time and the wonder of what remains after we're gone.
The story is delivered by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, their first on-screen duo since
Babel in 2006. The duo measures up to the movie's tagline that says life isn't measured
in minutes but in moments. We see Benjamin Button progress through life with the
consequences of having to seemingly do everything backwards.
Director David Fincher puts together breathtaking moments as we stri ve to feel what the
characters are enduring and long for that favorable, yet unattainable outcome.
Although quite a marathon at almost three hours long, Benjamin Button is worth the
time and the $10 movie ticket. Aside from great acting, the plot is packed with surprises and
a gripping turn of events that leave you wanting more.
The movie was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards this month in Los Angeles,
and the cast and crew will surely gain the same recognition soon at the Oscar's.
MANY SAW EVIL.
THEY OARED TO STOP IT.
From the dihectoa of THE USUAL SUSPECTS amd X-MEN
Off Campus:
Off Campus:
Off Campus:
•Mike McClure: Granada The-
•The Buster Brown Band:
•AC/DC: American Airlines
ater, 8 p.m.
Brooklyn Jazz Cafe, 7 p.m.
Center, 8 p.m.
•Amy Ray: House of Blues
•John Legend: Nokia Theatre,
Weekly Movie Releases:
Dallas, 9 p.m.
8 p.m.
Underworld: Rise of the Ly-
ccms; Inkhecirt; Killshot
To submit an event for the
calender, e-mail
twurambler@yahoo.com.
Off Campus:
Off Campus:
Off Campus:
On Campus:
•Michael McDonald: Hilton
•Chris Botti: Bass Hall, 8 p.m.
•Pilobolus: Bass Hall, 8 p.m.
•Willson Lecture Series: Martin
Anatole Hotel, 6 p.m.
•Los Lonely Boys: Granada
Hall, 7 p.m.
•Kenny Rogers: Bass Hall, 8
p.m.
Theater, 8 p.m.
Weekly DVD Releases:
Pride and Glory; The Rocker;
Lakeview Terrace
movie or reading spoilers,
we know the ending.
We know that Hitler
somehow escapes the
assassination attempt
that took place in 1944
because Hitler committed
suicide the following
year. But Stauffenberg's
predicament opens up
a new perspective that
most of us do not know
or understand about Nazi
Germany. Valkyrie shows
that not everyone followed
Hitler and that some
Germans were civil and
cared about human rights.
Valkyrie takes us
on a rollercoaster ride
with its sharp turns and
dramatic turn of events.
Although Hitler escapes
this time, Stauffenberg's
story acknowledges a
true account of fallen
heroes that seems to get
lost amidst the rest of the
horrific destruction that
went on during the time.
The acting is superb,
the authentic scenery
is magnificent (many
scenes were actually filmed on exact location), and some of Germany's sacred legacy lives
on through the story. Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson and Eddie Izzard join Cruise in
presenting the pursuit to stop evil.
Marley & Me
Not enough can be said about Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston's on-screen
compatibility; throw in a loveable "Labradoodle" (Labrador), and we have another movie
worth popping the popcorn for.
The best part of Marley & Me is that the film sheds light on a scenario that many people
can relate to and sympathize with. John and Jennifer Grogan (Wilson and Aniston) are a
young, successful couple that are able to cope with life's changes and learn its lessons by
simply observing what a fun-loving yet neurotic lab can do to a relationship. The characters
are believable, authentic and offer real-life experiences.
Marley & Me is obviously full of laughs—bearing the talents of Owen Wilson, and
you can't help but fall in love with "the worst dog in the world," Marley. Even though I do
question the PG rating — you truly have to be experienced to understand some of the humor
— the movie is genuinely a bona fide story with a lot of heart.
If you happened to miss these gems this holiday season, don't fret: at the rate they're all
banking at the box office, they won't be leaving any time soon.
Martin Garcia is a senior English major and is news editor for The Rambler.
Courtesy of Google Images
Joining Marley & Me and Benjamin Button at the top of the charts
this holiday season, Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, tells the untold
story of a group of Nazis and their attempt to assassinate Adolf
Hitler.
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Nugent, Tiara. The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 1, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 21, 2009, newspaper, January 21, 2009; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201270/m1/6/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.