?
iArts^: Entertainmeifl
Summer in the mountains
Dance troops to perform at fest
Joanne Bnuinon Aldndge
Special to THE CHRONICLE
"Ail Appalachian Summer Fes
tival" in Boone is bringing in big
winners to its month-long celebra
tion of all of the arts from Broad
way Tony Award-winning musical
stars to winners of international
competitions to a much honored
poet laureate. In its 14th season,
"An Appalachian Summer Festi
val" has arts programs and arts
activities to appeal to all ages.
Garth Fagan Dance, the inter
nationally acclaimed dance com
pany in its 26th season, performs
on July 10. Garth Fagan has
recently won a Tony, among other
awards, for his choreography of
"The Lion King." Fagan says he
-worked on the choreography first
?with his own dances, trying every
thing out with his own company
first. His principal dancers include
Fagan, McDonald is a multi
award-winning performer. She will
perform "An Evening of Song" on
July 13 at the Tradewinds Coffee
house at the Plemmons Student
Union on the campus of
Appalachian State University.
Other festival highlights
include seven performances by the
Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, a
group of international prize-win
ning musicians, that concertizes all
over the world and performs regu
larly on NPR. Gil Morgenstern,
violinist with the Ensemble, is also
artistic director of "An Appalachi
an Summer." The North Carolina
Symphony takes residence in the
high country the month of July.
The Symphony will formally open
the festival with a pops concert in
Farthing Auditorium July 5. Clas
sical concerts follow on July 22 and
July 29 and a Young People's con
a 1987 graduate of the North Car
olina School of the Arts, who in
1986 held a Nancy Reynolds Fel
lowship. She joined the Fagan
Dance Company in 1988. She will
perform in Boone on July 10 in
Farthing Auditorium.
Also, straight from the Broad
way stage, is Audra McDonald,
who has recently won her third
Tony as "Best Featured Actress" in
"Ragtime: The Musical." Like
cert on July 25.
The New Orleans Preservation
Hall Band will come marching in
for a jazz concert, as well. On July
11, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
will celebrate "the sweet swing" of
the big band era.
The Smithsonian Associates,
led by Dwight Bowers, will present
a two-part program on American
music: "The America Popular
Song: Eight Extraordinary Voices"
2r ^ - ^ ^
El * m,
^Sfljj^^^H fl
fif'.?**<-<?'"
V Jbr ^
BtoLjL
Broadway porformor, Audra McDonald will star as "Sarah" in 'Rag
time: The Musical." The show is part of Appalachain State Universi
ty's annual summer festival. Other performers include Garth Fagen
Dance and The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.
V I
and "Another Opinion, Another
Show." In "The American Popular
Song: Eight Extraordinary Voic
es," Bowers will focus on eight
American singers who have influ
enced the performance of the
American popular song: Fred
Astaire, Tony Bennett, Judy Gar
land, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Home,
Nat "King" Cole, Bing Crosby and
Frank Sinatra., drawing from
research for Smithsonian record
ing collections. In "Another Opin
ion, Another Show," Bowers
explores American musical theater.
Based on his research fpr the book
and exhibition "Red, Hot and
Blue: A Salute to American Musi
cals" and the recording collections
"American Musical Theater" and
"Star-Spangled Rhythm," this pre
sentation explores the American
20th century musical as a special
art form focusing on six 20th cen
tury musicals from Kern and
Hammerstein's :Showboat" to
Sond Levin's "Sweeney Todd."
The drama component will be
represented by two staged readings
at "An Appalachian Summer." The
festival in association with the
Unterberg Poetry Center of 92nd
Street will present staged readings
of "The Inferno of Dante" accom
panied by music and translated
and adapted by U.S. Poet Laureate
Robert Pinsky. The festival will
also present a staged reading of "A
Night at the Algonquin" an imagi
nary encounter between F. Scott
Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway
by North Carolina playwright
John Justice a winner of the North
Carolina Arts Council's Play
wright's Award and author of the
popular "Raney" and Walking
Across Egypt," both adaptations
of Clyde Edgerton novels.
For more information call 1
800-841-ARTS between 10 a.m.
and 6 p.m.
;
Singer Bobby Brown arrested for
alleged sexual battery misdemeanor
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.
? Singer Bobby Brown was
arrested on Father's Day for
investigation of misde
meanor sexual battery.
Brown, husband of
actress-singer Whitney
Houston, was at the Beverly
Hills Hotel when he was
placed under citizen"s arrest
at about 4:15 p.m., Lt. Joe
Lombardi said.
Police took him into cus*
tody when they arrived and
booked him at Beverly Hills
jail, Lombardi said. Brown
was released at about 8 p.m.
on $2,778 bail. He was
scheduled to appear in court
on July 17.
"I wouldn't hurt nobody.,
I wouldn't touch nobody,"
Brown told reporters after
being released from jail.
Details on the alleged bat
tery were not available.
Calls to the hotel were
referred to a spokeswoman
who did not return a phone
message.
Brown, who lives in
Mendham, N.J., is best
known for his 1988 album
"Don't Be Cruel"' and the
hit single "My Prerogative."
In January, Brown was
convicted in Fort Laud
erdale, Fla., of drunken dri
ving and ordered to spend
five days in jail and undergo
drug and alcohol treatment.
In 1995, he was arrested
after a nightclub brawl at
Walt Disney World and
accused of beating a patron
after an argument over a
woman. Charges were
dropped when the patron
agreed to a settlement.
A kinder, gentler Eddie? Murphy puts
urban, family spin on Lofting's tale
By BOB THOMAS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NEW YORK - In 1967, Twen
tieth Century Fox released an over
produced version of "Dr. Dolit
tle," compjete with Rex Harrison
talk-singing highly forgettable
songs (except for "Talk to the Ani
mals," an Oscar winner). Even lit
tle children didn't like the movie.
Now Fox is offering another
"Dr. Dolittle," which bears even
less resemblance to the charming
Hugh Lofting stories parents have
read to their children for genera
tions. The film was obviously tai
lored to the extraordinary comedic
talent of Eddie Murphy, who gives
one of his less manic perfor
mances.
Dr. John Dolittle (Murphy)
enjoys a busy practice as a physi
cian, has a loving wife (Kristin
Wilson) and two young daughters;
He and his partners are on the
verge of consummating a big
money deal to be taken over by a
giant HMO. His money-mad fel
low physician (Oliver Pratt) is
pushing hard to finalize the con
tract.
Then something peculiar hap
pens.
Daydreaming, Dolittle hits
something while driving. He looks
back and to his horror sees a dog
lying in the street. The dog rises
and saunters away, remarking,
"Why don't you look where you're
going, you bonehead?"
That's not all. Dolittle gets into
a dialogue with his daughter's
guinea pig. A couple of rats in a
trash barrel toss sarcastic com
ments toward him. Cats, pigs,
goats, even an ailing carnival tiger
converse with him.
J
When his family and associates
notice him speaking to animals,
they are perplexed, then alarmed.
The good doctor is shipped off to
the funny farm. Pratt is panicked
that his partner's weird behavior
will spoil the HMO deal.
Thanks to special effects, the
animals talk convincingly, and
they are amusingly voiced by such
actors as Albert Brooks, Chris
Rock, Julie Kavner, Garry Shan
dling, Ellen DeGeneres, Norm
MacDonald and John Leguizamo.
Too bad the script (by Nat
Mauldin and Larry Levin) doesn't
match their talents.
If your notion of comedy runs
to bodily odors and toilet jokes,
then "Dr. Dohttle" is the movie for
you. But it seems unfortunate that
the gentle fantasy of Lofting's sto
ries has been junked in favor of
4
nasty little jokes that kids snigger
about in kindergarten.
Murphy employs all the right
moves to respond to the various
predicaments, and the reliable Piatt
has his moments. Also, Jeffrey
Tambor, the obnoxious sidekick
on "The Larry Sanders Show,"
does a funny stint as an overbear
ing veterinarian. But Ossie Davis
and Kristen Wilson are wasted as
Murphy's father and wife.
Betty Thomas directed the film
with a big assist from Jim Henson's
Creature Shop and its puppeteers.
Incidentally, Hollywood seems to
have found a new villain: the
HMO.
"Dr. Dolittle" was produced by
John Davis, Joseph M. Singer and
David T. Friendly. Running time:
95 minutes.
iddi0 Murphy it talking to tho animalt at tha now Dr. Dolitth.
The Chronicle's
.... i
e-mail address
is:
wschron@net
unlimited.net
^ CLIP THIS AO TO BE A KID AGAIN AT OLD SALEM.
WT11 ^ i
summer at I oaiem] i
AUVINOHUroWflCTW I
Through Labor Day, purchase up to I
Adult All-in-One Tickets at Kids' All-in-One Prices! I
Each All-in-One ticket includes admission to Old Salem, a tour of I
the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), an audio |
walking tour of the historic area, and, after )uly 13, admission to |
The Gallery at Old Salem. While you're here, explore our museum ?
shops, have a meal at the Old Salem Tavern, linger in our gardens, \
and take home a treat from the wood-fired oven at Winkler Bakery.
For visitor information, call (336) 779-6190.
Look for the brown Old Salem exit signs off 1-40, U.S. 52,
and Business 40 near downtown Winston-Salem.
I ? I
Celebrate Independence 1
at Old Salem |
Saturday, July 4,9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I
Sunday, July 5,12:30 to 5:00 p.m. I
? Special demonstrations and activities v I
? Children's games |
? Catawba Militia military encampment ?
? Book Fair (save up to 70% off retail)
? Celebrate great savings with your
"Be a Kid Again" coupon! '
33rd Annual Torchlight Procession
Saturday, July 4,9:00 p.m.
Join us on the square as 200 costumed men, women, .
and children light their torches and lanterns and lift their voices
in songs of thanksgiving to take you back to the town's first , I
celebration of independence in 1783. No ticket is required i
for the Torchlight Procession. ?
With this coupon, up to four adults ages 17+ may purchase our All-in-One adult admission
ticket (regularly 120.00 each) for the price of a child's All-in-One admiaaion ticket .
(regularly $11.00 each). Savings stated baaed on the puichaae of four aduh tickets. *
Offer valid on aduh All-in-One tickets only through September 7,199S.
Original coupon required. This offer may not be combined with any other offer,
v and is not valid in conjunction with a contracted group visit
ASMS ASJ f.|, M all ? I .Ls. Maas,ad Aid CsIsshA Assad ska I ? a ? .t ? 1S1 s ,, ils, ,i J a. ? id ? m n sii ? n
uw MMm. All ngnxs r?serv?a. un jawfitw ?oa u* intanocx logo are regsxerea traaainarw.
^ Cafe i
Fresh Seafood Direct To YouI HBBflH
A Two Locations
O 5 MINUTES AWAY
150 Broad Street
H1 748-0740 n ???j
lW 108 Martin Luther King Dr. WliH
748-Q793 ?
tftfisE&X Mi I rrf^^l
mfS< , i *1
?ll S/I?B I lj
0M ' i ]Tf?rjf L?