Play 'Three Guys Naked'
mixes humor, bitterness
Anyone who has ever wanted to say
"I was there when . . while others turn
green with envy had better get on the
phone and call the PlayMakers Rep
ertory Company today.
Three Guys Naked From the Waist
Down, a musical PRC is presenting in
its p re-off-Broadway tryout, opened to
the kind of audience response that
indicates a sure-fire sell-out hit in the
making.
Uniquely fresh and modern, Three
Guys wraps a contemporary score
around expressions of both humor and
bitterness in the story of three stand
up comics and their rise to a fame they
can't shake even when they want to.
i
Jeff Grove
Review
Ted Klaustennan, an itinerant emcee
making the rounds of New York City
comedy clubs, crosses paths with tough
guy comic Phil Kunin and the bizarre,
fragile Kenny Brewster.
The trio's elevation to greatness
comes quickly, and the bulk of the
musical deals with the consequences of
this sudden fame.
On paper, Ted seems to be the show's
centerpiece. In practice, John Kassir's
performance as Kenny frequently steals
the spotlight.
Kassir has a wider range of vocal
effects than the entire BBC Sound
Effects library a range he demon
strates with a monologue in which he
single-handedly replicates both a God
zilla film and an episode of Star Trek,
to the audience's convulsed delight.
Surprisingly his previous experience
having come primarily in comedy
Kassir also demonstrates a sure feel for
his more poignant, emotional scenes.
jerry Colker swaggers with macho
assurance through the part of Phil,
betraying anxiety as his thoughts turn
increasingly to his pregnant girlfriend.
The clash of these emotions builds a
strong character that buries the "dumb
jock" stereotype.
As Ted, Scott Bakula relies on a glib
surface and his character's skill for
astute management to bulldoze Kenny
and Phil to the top with him. His final
scene is all the more shattering a picture
of disillusionment for his early
cockiness.
Three Guys belongs in textbooks on
how to write music for the theatre. In
his debut as a composer, Michael
Rupert has constructed tunes that
bounce along with the plot, nowhere
better exemplified than in "Promise of
Greatness" and "Don't Wanna Be No
Superstar," which serve as recurrent
motifs.
Rupert also writes sly, pointed
humorous numbers well. Phil's "Angry
Guy Lovely Day" wins the audience
early. The title song bristles with fun,
and Don Bondi's choreography,
coupled with Ken Billington's extrav
agant lighting and Thomas McKinley's
ingenious costumes, give it even more
zip.
When there is time to relax without
derailing the plot, Rupert's melodies
soar into ballads that make most Top
40 material seem infantile by compar
ison. Among Rupert's best creations
here are "Dreams of Heaven," portray
ing Kenny's shyness as well as his
loneliness, "A Father Now," in which
,-PLITT
THEATRES
CAROLINA CLASSIC
ROSEMARY'S BABY
GHOSTBUSTERS
2:45
5:00
GREMLINS
7:15
930
A
:
2:30 v
i
7:00 i
9:15
(PG)
Phil acknowledges the uncertainties of
parenthood, and "I Don't Believe in
Heroes Anymore," Ted's powerful
finale.
In addition to playing Phil, Colker
wrote the script and lyrics for Three
Guys. His lyrics maintain their sophis
tication without playing convoluted
word games, a trap to which many
lyricists fall prey. The script, however,
is a start-and-go affair. Some scenes
seem to exist merely to connect songs;
others truly come alive. The choice to
set much of the text as a sort of rap,
complete with percussion accompani
ment, is especially inspired.
Andrew Cadiffs direction neatly
exploits Clarke Dunham's set, which is
by turns as severe as a desert and glittery
as an act in Vegas.
Opening night ran a little slowly
because of unresolved technical difficul
ties, but the play itself undeniably drags
at times, too. A sequence portraying the
characters' world tour lasts too long and
has too little variety to keep the
audience's attention. Sometimes, how
ever, the slow pace is intentional; Ted
and Phil's opening monologues, for
example, seem a little stiff and forced,
but that paves the way for Kenny's
dazzling routine to prove that he is the
real genius among the three.
One truly annoying technical hitch on
opening night was an incessant buzzing
noise in the sound system. But the 50
megaton energy of the performers,
backed up by musical director Henry
Aronson and his energetic four-man
band, overcame these obstacles to put
the audience on its feet at the end of
the show.
Three Guys is a biting, funny musical
that Chapel Hillians will talk about for
years. PRC has even set up a special
"hotline" in anticipation of ticket
demand. And people who donl use the
number soon will be left in the cold,
contenting themselves merely with the
inevitable original cast album of the
show.
U .. ' '" mm .HWHWmn iiii...iu .ill u n.., nM.ujMiii.iM.MmJi.ij uui ip, i n iiiiiiini mi ii i im niii.ui inmi..iiiii. -in mi n. i i.iim
:--
;
-' f
I w-f ' ;
I f i ? 'zzpzt :r $
111 i I :: i ' , ' , ,
til , f I . -v -' W- 'fy v ' vs
k lit ill x-tzfSSSSS. C ; . , ,
; 1
xv0 i f "" - ; '
f - -, A
(' . :.,.' -'J
.
I , ; f v 1
i 1 v :Ai
. : :s-:--w-:v:v;-.'::-:-:N-t::-:- jasv?:.-.1:-:- .... . J-:X' i
I - v - i -J:
1 -
The Daily Tar HeelMonday, September 17, 19847
Scott Bakula, Jerry Colker and John Kassir star in new PRC play
Alcohol
from page 1
Three Guys Naked From the Waist
Down will be performed Tuesday
through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday
at 2 and 7 p.m. through Sept. 23 in
the Paul Green Theatre. Call 962-8755
for ticket information.
year here I have treated three students
who could have easily died because of
alcohol. That's a reality."
In light of all this, SHSS offers these
suggestions to maintain control if you
are going to drink:
Drink only when you're feeling well.
Eat before and while drinking.
Sip drinks slowly.
Dilute drinks
Take a break between drinks.
4 , YA
Soft Contact Lenses
$129
Includes a complete eye
examination, daily wear
soft contacts.
disinfection kits and
follow up care.
Tinted or extended
wear lenses available at
additional cost.
Quality Eyecare at an Affordablo Price.
Dr. David L. Kroningur, Optometrist
121 S. Estes Dr., Suite 106-A
942-G531
Sometimes students end up
being the best teachers.
7
V - I,"
MICHAEL CAINE JULIE WALTERS
PGiS3& f
Friday, Sept. 21
7:00 & 9:30
Tickets at Union Desk
beginning Monday
Admission $1.25
nciwEMAtr
1012 EERUN ALEXANDER PLATZ
dX", .-in. w ,iii nr.. .ni
Fri. & Sat. 11:45
THIS IS SPINAL TAP
& LIQUID SKY
EMIU0ESTEVEZ
HARRY DEAN STANTON
Written anC Directed r ALEX COX
cc
AN ENCHANTED COMEDY
'REPO MAN' is the saltiest sweetest, most sublimely sleazy
tickle in the Los Angeles ribs, if it doesn't convulse you with
belly laughs, then you're a stiff...The most astonishing fea
ture film debut since Steven Spielberg's 'Duel.'f 9
Carrio Rickey. Boston Herald
STARTS FRIDAY: 3:00, 5:00, 7:30, 9:45
"A GREAT MOVIE!
And so much better than any new
movie that one feels both elated and
dismayed."
David Den by. New York Magazine
Jk.,1
Sit
m
ALFRED HITCHCOCK J
THE OACJ OOi
IMlW W O1SC0
2:15, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30
PG
Union Free Flicks:
Chilly Scenes of Winter
Thurs., Sept. 20
Vernon Florida
Sat., Sept. 22
Rashoman
Sun., Sept. 23
All at 7:00 & 9:30
id
pad
I . W if IS S g Cf "Q'0.5 ' 5 5" 5 5 Q
Clip this coupon for a free T-Shirt
with the purchase of a Futon
(while supply lasts)
i l-fi"rC
mr- (,
i r a.
,.-,.. , .in, i in r f in n 1 1 tiiiii n I I . .... ., ..... mi. i . .i n. n.i .i.i.i.i th-.iimLmm
natural home .
f look tor the Kr'V & while awning. .i ross from
McDonald . on W I rinklin St . Chapel Hill HM 2222
X 7
B'nai Brith HiHef Foundation in North Carolina
2 10 West Cameron Avenue Chapel Hill. North Carolina 27514-4090
JEWISH HIGH HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
1984
ROSH HASHANAH
Wed., Sept. 26, 7:00 PM (UNC & Duke)
Thurs., Sept. 27, 10:00 AM (Duke)
Fri., Sept. 28, 10:00 AM (Duke)
YON KIPPUR
Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30 PM (UNC & Duke)
Sat., Oct. 6, 10:00 AM 7:30 PM (Duke)
Followed by a community-wide Break-the-Fast
The student-run egalitarian services are held at Baldwin Auditorium, on
the East Campus of Duke University. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
EVENING services will also be held this year at Gerrard Hall on the
U.N.C.-C.H. campus. Anyone planning to attend the High Holiday
Services must pick up their tickets in advance at the Hillel office. Tickets
are free to all students. The Hillel office is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday
through Friday and is located at 210 W. Cameron Avenue, behind
Granville Towers. Tickets will not be given out after 12 noon on
September 26. Transportation is available. For more information, call
942-4057.
each
updated the situation yesterday. There
was quite a bit of damage. I imagine
about $5 million." Most of the injuries
to homes will have to be paid by
insurance companies, while the towns
major problems will be repairing eroded
streets and battered utilities, he said.
We were lucky our house had
received only as much damage as most
others. Tree branches and green leaves
stood at least two inches deep every
where in the county, but considering the
number of trunks which came through
people's roofs, there was little
complaining.
In fact, there seemed to be only one
common gripe: "the durn news media."
Early Thursday morning, it was "some
how" reported that Southport had been
leveled and half of the Brunswick
Nuclear Reactor was missing a feat
that would have left little of that part
of N.C.
"My daughter was in tears when she
finally got through to us on the phone,"
said Dorothy Piper, of 305 Mercer St.
In reality, only four homes were
devastated beyond repair, mainly
because of damage caused by water and
rain. Houses up and down the ocean
front are missing shingles and plywood,
while most homes were left with 3 inches
of foliage fallout.
Before Diana had made her round-
frcm pega 1
house sweep down the coast, many
locals were refusing to believe, but not
refusing to leave.
"Hell, aint no hurricane coming to
Long Beach," a friend's dad remarked,
"cant get no damn permit."
Dorothy and her husband, Peter, had
been the last ones over the bridge to
an evacuation shelter Tuesday, they
said. But after spending the night in the
gym of a county school, when they
heard of the hurricane's path, they
decided their house would be just as
safe Wednesday night.
"It was raining sheets of rain," and
you could see whitecaps on the 4 inches
of water in the street, Peter Piper said.
But the Pipers went to sleep, forgetting
about the storm. "To me this was
nothing like some blizzards we've been
through (in Poland, Ohio)," he said,
"knowing you're going to be stuck for
two or three weeks."
But most people who could leave, did,
Thomas said. "We had 98 percent
evacuation on Tuesday. I think eve
ryone realizes that we were extremely
fortunate extremely fortunate,"
Thomas said.
Hurricane Diana had blown through
here twice since my last visit, but it had
not been a storm of "epic" proportions
and more importantly it had not
been a killer.
ui 0te6mU
Restaurant & Car
INTRODUCES ALL NEW
B.B.Q. Beef Ribs, Marinated Sirloin
Strips, Chicken Kabobs and Much More
JUST $3.5
served with a garden salad, homemade rolls and
choice of french fries or baked potato
LUNCH Mon-Fri. VISA MasterCard ALL ABC
11:30-2:30 dCum PERMITS
157 E. Rosemary, two floors above Troll's 942-5757
Q5ffiBM mam; mss 5
SEIPTEMEEE AT
. GIVE US A FilESH TMY!
MOW. PIZZA Hk LASAGNA BUFFET
$3.85 SB PM
TUES. PIZZA DELIVERY SPECIAL
Buy 1 Get Another of Equal
or Less Value at y2 Price
WED. GREAT POTATOJ
IT'S 2 FOR 1 5-9 PM
THURS. PASTA SPECIAL 5-9 PM
Buy 1 Get Another of Equal
or Less Value at y2 Price
208 W. Franklin St. 942-5149
r::;!
''mm
Uncover Ibur
True Potential.
O,
o
Reveal the qualities you possess in an Intern-
ship Program with Northwestern Mutual.
Students willing to:
work flexible part-time hours
earn good income
gain real business world experience
Plan to attend informational meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 19
7:00 pa, 210 Hancs Hall
i-.
, -V;'" .-. v--