Entertainment
entertainment@nique.net Entertainment Editor: Zheng Zheng Assistant Entertainment Editor: Hank Whitson
Technique
15
Friday, September 30, 2011
A TLANTA S YMPHONY
presents debut of promising season
Photo courtesy of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
By Jonathan Peak Contributing Writer
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) played an impressive season opener last week on Thursday, Sept. 23, for a full house. Not only were the patrons out in full force, but the symphony showed its best, playing Wagner and Beethoven alongside vocal soloists and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. While the musical selections were not exactly ground breaking—sticking to classics familiar to even the nonmusical—they were stunning nonetheless, proving why they are classics. Under the direction of conductor Robert Spano and the leadership of concertmaster David Coucheron, the ASO swept through selections from
Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelugen (The Ring of the Nibelung).” These included the epic “The Ride of the Valkyries” and the elegiac “Immolation Scene” from “Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods)”—an opera. The latter featured the vocals of soprano Christine Brewer, who effectively commanded the stage and the role. After the intermission, the symphony performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, one of his most famous and most impressive works. The orchestra played the first two movements beautifully, highlighting the various themes in between the sections. The third movement, the Adagio, slowed the pace considerably, the fragile themes blurring together, effectively creating tension between the
winds and lower strings in preparation for the finale. At the beginning of the fourth movement, a discussion is conducted, as themes are brought back by the winds and summarily rejected by the cellos and basses. Eventually a melody is chosen, and that theme is the immortal “Ode to Joy.” This “Ode to Joy,” however, is not of fourth-graders learning to play instruments or tinkering on a piano, but “Ode to Joy” as it is meant to be heard—with a full orchestra, soloists and chorale all working together towards a majestic culmination of the symphony. The ASO more than effectively captures this, leaving a stark reminder that they are a worldclass orchestra. With so many things to do in Atlanta, it is easy for Tech stu-
dents to forget about or write off the symphony as stuffy and expensive. This opening night, however, proves the enduring thrill of classical music. Even for the non-musical, such a performance is undeniably impressive. However, great music alone does not draw and keep crowds. The ASO recognizes this by putting on a full show. The opening “Star-Spangled Banner” feels almost impromptu as the audience is physically and sonically surrounded by the chorus. Programs provided also contain a great deal of background and history for the pieces played, along with a brief musical analysis. With just a little reading, even the most unknowledgeable listener can suddenly feel like an expert and have at least a basic understanding of the nuances in the
SHOWS
ASO: Opening Night PERFORMER: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra LOCATION: Atlanta Symphony Hall DATE: Sept. 23
OUR TAKE: ««««« music that becomes more like a dialogue without words. As the pieces with words were in German, and as such, translations were provided on screens and in the programs. The programs also contain brief plot outlines for the perSee Symphony, page 16
Comedy Festival offers 50/50 defines “dramedy” genre improv, parody humor FILM
50/50
EVENTS
Black Box Comedy Festival PERFORMER: Various Comedians LOCATION: Ferst Center for the Arts DATE: Sept. 28 - Oct. 2
OUR TAKE: ««««« By Siddarth Sreeram Contributing Writer
It’s finally time to put those books down this weekend and take a stress-relief pill at the Black Box Comedy Festival at the Ferst Theatre. This year’s festival features new performers who guarantee that you’ll be clutching your sides by the end of their performances.
The Comedy Festival takes place from Wednesday, Sept. 28, to Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Ferst Theatre near the Student Center. For those who are wondering what this Festival is all about, Black Box features numerous performances of improvisational comedy—nine shows and 27 performances with over 150 comedians. “The festival is featuring three new groups this year—the Dusk show, which is an improvised Twilight parody, a 1960’s Batman parody and an improvised mafia show by a group from New York. There are going to be lots of costumes and this year has a high production value,” said Matthew Falkenberg, Executive Producer of the Black Box Comedy Festival. The Festival specializes in imSee Comedy, page 17
GENRE: Drama, Comedy
STARRING: Joseph GordonLevitt, Seth Rogen DIRECTOR: Jonathan Levine RATING: R RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30
OUR TAKE: ««««« By Andrew Ho Contributing Writer
Despite the presence of comedy actors and writers, 50/50 is a movie about cancer that will likely pull on the heartstrings of even the most jaded viewers. Rather than using this disease as a selling point or generic tearjerker, however, the main idea here is the humor and changes that come with the hardships of surviving cancer, with no small amount of Judd Apatow-brand
Image courtesy of Summit Entertainment
comedy tossed in. The story is based on the experience of comedy writer Will Reiser, who was diagnosed with the disease and subsequently went on to survive and write about this peculiar moment in his life.
The story centers around Adam Lerner (Joseph GordonLevitt), a plucky, neurotic sort of fellow who seems content to live with many of the punches that life throws at him. Adam is supported by his closest, if not sometimes annoying, friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and his decidedly wishy-washy girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard). Kyle and Adam spend their time working for a Seattle radio station while dealing with little else but their everyday lives and some tedious work. The bombshell in the story drops when Adam receives a startling diagnosis during a visit to the doctor, revealed none too gently either. The suddenness and impact of the news elicit such disbelief that the rest of his visit is a blur, leaving him with the incredibly awkward task of informing everyone around him. See Half, page 19