All Entries Tagged With: "Arts/Entertainment"

Chorale & College Singers to perform March 11

By Austin Driscoll

Pima Community College’s Chorale & College Singers will perform in concert March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Proscenium Theatre on West Campus.

Benjamin Sorenson directs the Chorale, a large mixed-voice choir, and the College Singers, a smaller mixed-voice choir.

Chorale concert selections will include “Hosanna to the Son of David” by Daniel Moe, “Alleluia” by Randall Thompson, “Six Chansons” by Rainer Maria Rilke and “Places Among the Stars” by Stephen Crane.

The College Singers will perform “Piccolomini Mass” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Sorenson performs regularly with the Arizona Opera Company and has directed the Chorale & College Singers since 1978. Sorenson has also prepared choruses professionally for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona Opera Company.

Tickets cost $6, and are available at the CFA box office on West Campus. Box office hours are Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. and one hour before performances.

For more information, call 206-6986.

Issue 3 Horoscopes

By Taylor Bock

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You’re going to come across something seemingly amazing, Aries. But remember that things aren’t always as they seem. That deluxe ultra cheeseburger with extra bacon just might have a cockroach in it.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Sometimes you just have to realize when something is a bad idea, Taurus. For example, it may seem like a good idea to tell a dead baby joke. But it may be a bad idea to tell a dead baby joke to woman who just had a miscarriage.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Be nice to people today, Gemini. If one of your friends is low on cash for lunch, buy him something. Then next time you’re low on cash, you can say “But dude! I got you lunch last time! You totally owe me!”

Cancer (June 22- July 22)

Try something new, Cancer. Who knows? It could lead to some real good or even love. Maybe try rock climbing. When you fall off and get mangled on the way down, you could meet a cute paramedic when they take you to the hospital.

Leo (July 23- Aug. 22)

You’re on fire today, Leo! No really, you’re on fire! Quit reading, and stop, drop and roll!

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sept. 22)

You have some good ideas, Virgo. Get out there and share them with the world. That electric toothbrush/toaster combination is pure genius. It’s sure to take off eventually.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Use your charisma to your advantage, Libra. Once you have someone in the palm of your hand, get them to buy you ice cream. Just make sure you and Gemini don’t choose the same guy, or else he’ll suspect something.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Stay cool, Scorpio. No matter what kind of crazy thing goes down today, keep calm and chill. If there’s a Godzilla attack, lean up against a streetlight and put on your shades. You don’t care if buildings are exploding. You’re just being cool.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec 21)

You need to slow down your head, Sagittarius. You’re thinking far too hard about things. Slow things down and think simple. If you can’t decide between ketchup and hot sauce, compromise and mix them together. It’s actually pretty good.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan 19)

You’re the captain today, Capricorn. Command your hardy crew, take your ship to the seas and set sail for new lands. Or maybe just carpool to a movie theater if the latter option seems a bit too tough.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Good lord, Aquarius. You may be a cool person, but don’t get a swelled head about it. You aren’t God’s gift to the planet. Calm down your ego a few notches and don’t be such a jerk.

Pisces (Feb.19-March 20)

Do a little experimenting, Pisces. I would suggest a lengthy study on what shoes cause the most pain when you kick a guy in the balls. Finding willing participants will be hard, though. I suggest Gemini, he’s gullible lately.

Band classics on tap for March 9 concert

By Austin Driscoll
Photo courtesy of PCC Center for the Arts

The Pima Community College Wind Ensemble will perform a collection of band classics and popular favorites for its March concert.

The concert, under the direction of Mark Nelson, will take place Tuesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the PCC Center for the Arts Proscenium Theater on West Campus.

Highlights will include Gustav Holst’s “Second Suite in F.” Flute section leader Chris Smith will be the featured soloist in “Concertino” for flute and band by Cecile Chaminade.

Additional compositions include “A Cole Porter Spectacular,” “A Festive Overture” by Alfred Reed and “National Emblem March” by E.E. Bagley. “Galop” from “Comedians” by Dmitri Kabalevsky will feature xylophone and marimba soloists Lauren Barnett and Zach Whittier.

The program will also spotlight the brass ensemble, flute ensemble, clarinet-saxophone ensemble and the percussion ensemble, with an original work by percussion major Derek Pan.

Admission costs $6, with discounts available. Tickets are available at the CFA box office on West Campus. For more information, call 206-6986 or visit www.pima.edu/cfa.

FYI
PCC Wind Ensemble Concert
When: Tuesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Proscenium Theatre, West Campus
Tickets: $6
Box office: 206-6986

“The Wolfman” Bites

By Taylor Bock

“The Wolfman” is a good example of a movie that truly could have been great, but just didn’t live up to its potential.

The original “Wolfman” had a good enough plot. In the 1941 classic, Lawrence Talbot comes home to make amends with his father, meets a nice girl and then gets bitten by a werewolf.

This remake is hit-and-miss, with great special effects but overused horror sequences and bland acting.

The movie opens with Lawrence, played by Benicio Del Toro, coming home to England after hearing that his brother has gone missing. When he arrives, his eccentric father (Anthony Hopkins) tells him his brother was found savagely torn to shreds.

When Lawrence tries to investigate his brother’s death, he’s attacked by a werewolf. Obviously he becomes a werewolf, and a very thin plot is born.

I could analyze the acting, but it’s easier to just tell you that it’s lame. It doesn’t outright suck, but it could very well put you to sleep.

Hugo Weaving as Inspector Abberline and the other side characters are better than the lead actors. I would watch a sequel or another unrelated movie starring just that supporting cast.

Hopkins wasn’t terrible either, but you can tell this was just another paycheck for someone of his caliber.

“Wolfman” really shines at special effects. Well, it almost does. Everything involving the Wolfman himself is superbly done. But the scares in the first half are essentially things coming out of nowhere and going BOO!

Whenever the Wolfman enters a scene, the acting becomes worth sitting through. In a time when moviemakers use computer-generated imagery for just about everything, the special effects crew put together an amazing and perfectly crafted costume.

It’s a true modern homage to the design of the original Wolfman. He walks on two legs, his clothes are shredded and torn, and his face is flat rather than a long muzzle.

You can tell there is an actor underneath all that makeup, and he might not be terrifying by modern standards, but it sure makes him a hell of a lot cooler.

The movie does use CGI for sequences where Wolfman runs along rooftops on all fours, but the transition is seamless.

Speaking of transition, not since “American Werewolf in London” have I seen such convincing transformation sequences.

Lawrence’s skin stretches, his bones break and twist, his teeth rearrange in his gums and he truly sounds like he’s in pain. While most of Del Toro’s acting falls flat, he sure can play savage and crazy.

“The Wolfman” will satisfy your inner gore-hound. Wolfman rips off heads, severs limbs and generally ruins everyone’s day. These sequences are few, but long and satisfying.

He even dukes it out with another wolfman in a no-holds-barred werewolf death match. The plot twist that introduces the second wolfman is silly and unnecessary, but does make for a dramatic fight scene.

The ending is something you can practically see coming from the beginning of the movie. The moment, like several other scenes, tries invoking emotion but just doesn’t use enough effort to make it viable. They end up being devices to further the plot and get to the next Wolfman sequence.

“The Wolfman” is worth seeing if you’re sick of the vampire craze. It’s a welcome change and the special effects are great.

But don’t let it sucker you into thinking the acting will be any better than your average horror film. Just because the characters aren’t dense teenagers doesn’t mean they can’t still be dense adults.

As always, the monster becomes the star of the show while everyone else is just wolfman food.