Movie
North Carolina School of the Arts
Nutcracker Continued:
Page 3
Billy Jack Is Still Back “Leaps and Twirls and Crisp Dancing”
“Down with the grits. Hooray
for the Robin Hood ^ the hippies.
Peace and love or else.” T&it’s
basically what I expected to get
from the^ movie “Billy Jack”
after watching the previews on
television and glancing at the
posters for the film that conjure
up images of a cheap wrestling
bout. I am happy to report that
my hasty assumptions were dead
wrong.
The plot, very basically, in
volves ex-Green Beret, Billy
Jack, a loner who spends his time
in a state somewhere out west,
protecting wild stallions and
preparing to undergo an Indian
ritual that will make him
“Brother of the Rattlesnake,”
and who finds time to keep an eye
on a very liberal arts school on
top of a nearby mountain. The
sdiool is mainly in danger from
the townspeople of the v^ey who
don’t understand the school and
have a genuine dislike for the
Indian students there. The
students at the school don’t un
derstand the townspeople and
have a genuine dislike for red
necks. Billy Jack doesn’t un
derstand the school or the town
and has a genuine dislike for
people in general. To remain
objective he scolds the students
for their passiveness and kicks
the teeth of a dozen or so townies.
Tom Laughlin’s portrayal of the
slow-tempered, quick-burning,
protector of the Indians is botii
intriguing and wholly believable.
In the context of the film, the
Rock Group:
Qiicken
These days, there is something
for everyone in the music world.
Rock, classical, jazz, country and
western, soul, electronics.
Almost everyone can find
somewhere to go to hear his or
her favorite music. Recently, I
saw a group of musicians at a
small nightclub and was over
whelmed by what had happened
to my taste in music in just two
short hours. This combo consists
of four bushy^aired, nearsighted
youi^ men who play a type of
music which is probably as far
removed from “what’s hap
pening” as sound can get. Simply
mention the name of this style to
someone and they will close their
ears and probably never speak to
you again. Bluegrass. Bluegrass
is that terribly fast, te^bly
intricate backwoods music that
comes from the mountains of
Kentucky and Tennessee. Most of
the time bluegrass deals with a
lost love or someone dropping
dead. Most of the time it is based
on three or four very simple
chords and anyone can write
bluegrass music. Consequently,
most of the time it is very dull.
However, this group deserves
credit for making bluegrass
music come alive. They call
themselves “Chicken Hot Rod.”
The group uses the standard
instruments used in playing
bluegrass. There’s “Big Jim” on
banjo, “Big Mark” on fiddle and
mandolin, “Big Tom” on guitar
and voicebox, and “Big Darrell,
the ditch wizard” on string bass.
After hearing them you realize
that they are all extremely fine
musicians and could probably
play just about anything. It just
so happens that they like to play
bluegrass. And they play it well.
One good thing about &e show,
is that it isn’t entirely hard-core
bluegrass. (Strict down-home
blue-grass is hard for most
people to take unless they are
bluegrass addicts.) They use
some other material as well.
They’ve taken some “Beatles”
and some Mike NesmiQi and
recycled it into the up-tempo,
energetic bluegrass style t^t
they do so well. Then when they
sink their teeUi into bluegrass
standard numbers like “Foggy
Mountain Breakdown” and
diaracter at times reaches fairy
tale stature, but is always
brought back to frightening
realism by Laughlin’s easy -
going manner, which rather than
seeming a concealment for
anger, appears instead as a
housing for a kind of matured
violence.
Before I start sounding like a
second rate psychiatrist, let me
get back to the movie. The movie
as a whole is good. Photograi^y
is exceptional. The actii^ gete
testy in parts, but editing keeps
the movie going at a pace that
saves several of the per
formances from sudden death.
You won’t find a great deal said
in “Billy Jack” that hasn’t been
said many times before. But the
audience isn’t beaten over the
head with it, and you’ll find that
rather than there being sides
drawn between a misun
derstanding older generation and
a new confused-and-trying-to-get-
it-together generation, Bmy Jack
stands alone. Not as a defender of
you^ people or even a fighter for
Indians; Oiere is much more to
the character than flying fists
and feet. Beneath the cool ex
terior and the soft eyes is a
history of violence. Violence that
wasn’t learned or forced on him,
but a violence that is bom in
mankind itself. This is the ab
sorbing thought that makes
“Billy Jack” a movie to be seen.
And, even more, a movie to be
understood.
Duke Emsberger
Hot Rod
“Orange Blossom Special,” you
see what bluegrass is all about.
Not only are they very fine
musicians, they are also ex
cellent performers. Their concert
is really a very well assembled
show, complete with comic bits
and good times. One of the
reasons they are able to pull off
such an excellent evening of
entertainment is that they are so
“together.” They seem so totally
at i^ace with each other and so
excited about playing their music
that things have to go smoothly.
Pity the poor devil who hears
them on record because this
group has to be seen to be
believed.
On one of the banjo cases there
is a sticker that sums up
everything that can be said about
“Chicken Hot Rod”....
“bluegrass music will make you
free.”
Every so often they come to
Winston-Salem and play at
Chaucers uptown. It’s a perfect
way to spend a lazy Sun^y af
ternoon. There is no finer way to
be introduced to bluegrass, than
through “Chicken Hot Rod.”
Jon Thompson
★★★★★★★
Rock and roll music, despite
having been declared “dead” ifl^
1971, plays on. It’s not quite as
exciting (or should we say
apocalyptic) as it was back in the
halycon days of the Beatles, but
there is stW a lot of intelligent,
diverse and even good music to
hear these days, if you listen for
it. And the spectnun of rock is so
wide that the serious listener will
own albums by Captain
Beefheart and the Four Seasons
and listen to both with equal
interest.
1971 was a strange year. It was
a year that was (according to a
Newsweek report) to see the
demise of rock bands and the
return of the solo artist. Well, solo
artists were very big in ’71, but
the powerhouse work of the Who
and the emergence of the Allman
Bros, and Alice Cooper as
definitive young bands gave us
some of our most exhilarating
moments. On the other hand.
Continued From Page 1
all of theatre. The magic of the
scene was further assured by
superb ensemble dancing by the
corps de ballet. The swirling
Snow Flakes were breathtaking
in their white costumes which
made them more like delicate,
ethereal birds from some frozen
Utopia than like snow flakes.
Leaps and twirls and crisp
dancing were noteworthy here.
The second act of the ^et is
set in the Kingdom of Sweets and
is a hymn and celebration in
honor Ol Clara’s visit there. The
sets, costumes and dancing in
this part were as delectable as
the feast of sweets served to
Clara and her escort, the Nut
cracker. Christina Giannini, who
designed the sets and costumes,
has beautifully captured the full
gossamer loveliness and fantasy
that pervade this act. Clara’s
arriv^ in this world of spun
sugar and frosting is heralded by
a band of gold and lace angels,
who glide ^ough the halls as if
on mirrors of ice, trumpeting
their welcome through long
gilded horns. The costumes in
this sequence, not included in
Elton John turned out not to be
the Next Super Star, while
Jackson Browne (believe me
folks, one of these years this
boy’s gonna make it) has yet to
release an album.
In 1971 we saw the ghost of Bob
Dylan (circa ’63) creep out from
new shadows and give us a
glimpse (and a spark) of what we
used to be. The Beatles,
irrevocably split it seems, con
tinue new musical lives, not
always with great success. We
lost two more brothers in 1971,
Jim Morrison and Duane Allman.
And George Harrison, ex-Beatle,
showed us that even in the Year
of Nixon ’71, rock and roll doesn’t
have to be a morass of hype and
bullshit.
Best Of lists are insane, of
course, but they’re also an in
credible temptation and such fun.
Most of all, they are a tradition..
These are the best records
heard in 1971. Keep in mind, as
past years, were exquisite and
the ethereal quality of the dan
cing remarkable. TUs scene was
flawless at dress rehearsal, but
less well done^ on Sattmiay
evening with some unfortunate
slips and poor timing in the en
semble dancing.
For both ot the performances I
saw, Lisa Corbet and Jeff
Satinoff danced, respectively, the
Sugar Plum Fairy and her
Cavalier. Both danc^ well. One
is impressed with the strengtt
that 1^. Satinoff has developed
for a young dancer who is
relatively frafi and not very tall.
He handled himself well and ably
assisted Miss Corbet who, in a
raspberry tutu that seemed made
of spun glass and crystals,
danced admirably. Early in the
Second Act are the weU-known
dioreograi^ic treats: Chocolate,
Coffee, Tea, the Merletons,
Trepak and Mother Ginger and
her children. Rodwic Fukino
danced Chocolate i assisted, on
Thursday, by Liz ConneU and
Jeannde Ford and, on Saturday,
by Chelo Simpson and Kathy
Dorman. Mr. Fukino danced
always, that this is a personal list
and not meant in any sense to be
definitive. As there iis no order of
preference, the list is arranged
alj^ebetic^y.
Allman Bros. Live At Fillmore
East • Allman Bros.
. .And So: On - Jim Webb
..Concert For Bengla Desh -
George Harrison & Co.
..Every Picture Tells A Story -
Rod Stewart
. .Surf’s Up - The Beach Boys
..Survival - Grand Funk
Railroad
. .Tapestry - Carole King
. .There’s A Riot Goin’ On - Sly &
The Family Stone
. .Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
. .Who’s Next - The Who
Honorable Mention: Killer &
Love It To Death - Alice Cooper;
Electric Warrior - T. Rex; Hui^
Dory - David Bowie; The Ballad
of Todd Rundgren; Farther
Along - Byrds; Moments - Boz
Scaggs; Aqualung - Jethro Tull;
assuredly and most pleasantly
and is also remember^ for his
fine dancing in October in “Waltz
Reverie” and “Dance Panels.”
He will undoubte^y contribute
much to further programs given
by the School of Dance.
Especially delightful was the
dancing in “Tea” by Andy
Keyser and Jennifer Bistline -
cri^, distinguished dancing with
flie proper touch of humor.
“Trepak”, danced on Thursday
by Charles Devlin and on
Saturday by Gyula Pandi with
Cary Homme, Cortlandt Jones,
Lauren Eager and Mel
Tomlinson, was enthusiastically
received by the audience for both
performances. Mr. Pandi of the
Dance faculty is well Imown for
his superb dancing in this piece
and rightly so. ^ leaps and
twists and twirls are astonishing.
Mr. Devlin also distinguish^
himself in his rendering of this
dance.
Robert Elliott brought great
humor and fun to the role of
Mother Ginger and the delectable
children who danced forth from
her ample skirts were like
Dresden dolls suddenly come to
life. A prettier group of faces has
rarely been seen. The ensemble
dancing here was especially fine.
This sequence is followed by the
most well known selection from
the ballet, the “Waltz of the
Flowers”. The almost overly
familiar music and the dancing in
this scene, again, were
refreshing. Here. too> Miss
Giannini has created costumes
which are appropriately delicate
and lovely. The colors of
lavender, pink, raspberry,
cherry, lemon and lime are
additional delights for the eye’s
palate. Led on Thursday by
Nancy Miller and on Saturday by
Janie Parker, this was a fine
moment in the evening’s many
moments of splendid dancing and
enchanting stage effects. The
lighting here was quite effective
as it was in many other sections.
The closing ^and pas de deux
danced by Lisa Corbet and Jeff
Satinoff as the Sugar Plum Fairy
and Cavalier, was a lovely
closure to a delightful journey
with Clara and the Nutcracker,
followed by the lively finale and
Clara’s departure.
Laurels are in order for all who
had a hand in this production-
especially to the dance faculty
and to the Design-Production
department. The orchestra,
under the able and appropriately
romantic direction of John luele,
was ragged at dress rehearsal
and poorly balanced and, one
suspects, ^ort on rehearsals. An
overly zealous Celeste player
somewhat overpowered the rest
of the sound. On Saturday most of
these difficulties had been
resolved and the orchestra and
dancers complemented each
other to add to the total pleasure
of this annual Christmas treat.
Exposed - Valerie Simpson;
Imagine - John Lennon; l^t’s
Goln’ On - Marvin Gaye; Carley
Simon; Sticky Fingers - Rolling
Stones; Smash Your Head
Against The Wall - John Ent-
whistle; Silver Tongued Devil & I
- Kris Kristofferson; The J. Gells
Band; Mud Slide Slim - James
Taylor; Cahoots • The Band;
Church of Anthrax - John Cale &
Terry Reilly; Randy Newman
Live.
Rip-Off Of The Year: Ram -
Paul McCartney
Singleof the Year; “Eighteen”
- Alice Cooper
Song of die Year: “Won’t Get
Fooled Again” - The Who
Band of the Year; Alice Cooper
Man of the Year; George
Harrison
So Long, It’s Been Good To
Know You: Jim Morrison, Louis
Armstrong, Duane Allman, King
Curtis, Rock & Roll.
-Mick Ferguson
Rock and Roll 1971