Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 28, 2006, edition 1 / Page 23
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http://www.thecharlottepost.com Cliarlotte $os:t THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2006 PHOTOS/CHERtS F. HODGES Teen sensation Corbin Bleu is on of the stars of Disney’s “High School Musical” and he makes the girls scream. ‘Musical’ something to shout about Briana Dease screams as Corbin Bleu sings. By Chens F. Hodges chens.hodgesWtHecHortofteposf.com High School Musical. Score the screaming kids. When the concert of this Disney movie arrived at Bobcats Arena, I’d never seen so many people there. Not even for a Bobcats game. I took my 13-year-old niece because she has been talking about “High School Musi cal” for so long. As soon as the lights went down and the cast hit the stage, she became one of the screaming masses. But this show is a wholesome mix of Dis ney promotion, because it seems as if every . cast member has an album that’s in stores now or will be, and a rip-roaring good time. “High School Musical” is the “Grease” of the new millenni\mi. It’s the story of a cool kid faHir^ for a nerdy girl. In true Disney fashion, every thing works out in the end and the music is actually pretty good. In a world of cursing hip hop stars and sexual ly ejqilidt R&B, it’s nice to see music and stars that kids can look at and not grow up too fast. The cast’s standout is Corbin Bleu. Some people say he’s Kke a young Michael Jack- son. He plays Chad and has an album coming out next year titled “Another Side.” Bleu win also star in the new Disney film “Jump In,” which is about doxible dutch repe-jumping. Bleu and “Dancing with the Stars” alum Please see HIGH/2D Over The Hedge Wanda Sykes, Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Steve Carell Tim Johnson, director Dreamworks Home Video Cartoon movies with big- name casts are the thing right now and Dreamworks’ “Over Ihe Hedge” is one of the freshest in a long time. It’s not so much the story or even idea, but the way the film is put together. You can’t miss with animals and kids and this has both, with the emphasis on animals. The story is fairly simple. An overly ambitious raccoon named R.J.’s (Bruce Willis) plot to steal a winter’s worth of food from a grumpy bear (Nick Nolte) is foiled by an 18- wheeler. lb keep said bear from eating him, R.J. tries to dupe an imsuspecting group of hibernating animals to help replenish the bear’s empty cave. Bad puns, off-color sexual references, svripes at man’s consmnption of fast food and unnecessarily large houses are packed into this 83- minute film with great care. There’s a lesson at the end - a sappy one at that - but Ihe fun’s getting thei'e. The actors’ voices fit the characters perfectly Willis hasn’t been this funny since his “Moonlighting” days. Nolte’s gravel-coated voice certainly sounds beai'-fike. But it’s Wanda Sjkes, Steve Carell and William Shatner who steal the show. Shatner hams it up as an opossum with a penchant for overact- Please see 0VER/2D Bearden highlights ‘Survey’ Romare Bearden’s “Cueing In” (above) and “Strip of Yel low-Green” are on exhibit at Jerald Melberg Gallery. By Sandy Seawright THE CHARLOTTE POST “Survey of Gallery Arfists’’ Jerald Melberg Gallery 625 South Sharon Amlly Road Following the rush of Christmas shopping and returns, relax your eye and treat yom' spirit to artistic beauty in this diverse show of gaUeiy aitists. A major reason to go is to see the large one-of-a-kind mono- print, “Cueing In” by the Charlotte native, the legendary Romare Bearden. Here Bearden’s process looks something like fingerpainting as he gives viewers an abundance ofjazz musicians. Another contemporary master here is Elizabeth Murray, who in the last year had a retrospective exhibit at The Muse um of Modem Art. Like Bearden witii his musicians, Murray is inspired by a realistic image, a clock, to create a beige deconstructed timepiece. The gallery shows the late abstract ejqjressionist Roberd Motherwell. It is good that in addition to many talented regional artists, the gallery is showir^ major active New York art stars like Murray The show is strong on realism. Charlotte’s Richard May berry in “Rudbeclda on the Appalachian TVail” created in graphite on paper gives us such microscopic detail of wild- flowers and dense foliage that it is almost fike we’re ^ven God’s view. Charles Basham’s landscape more abstracted than Mayberry’s work features a delightful green and yellow strip marking the earth at the bottom of the picture. Few people we would imagine would dishke Robert Peter son’s “Read & Green Apples with Glass which succeeds with its sharp, crisp line and probably serves as Art Appreciation 101 for those who wander in and say “I don’t know a thir^ about art.” And Melberg takes some risks for Charlotte with abstraction. The late Rick Horton’s “Untitled” oil in amber and cobalt blue shows the unending beauty of circles. Please see SURVEY/2D Ratings Cl™c; Ikcdlent; -{X -fS -(i -is -jS Why? No stars-Amess Brian McKnight Ten Various producers Warner Bros. Brian McKnight is one of the few ‘80s crooners to age grace fully His voice is still in top form and his wiiting skills have improved. That’s what fife will do for you. McKnight has always sung firom his heart, now he’s got life expeiiences to draw fiom. He’s older, wiser and just plain better. That says a lot considering his phenomenal body of work. “Tfen” seems to be a culmina tion of that work - a statement that says ‘I’m here to stay” “Tfen” would be a lesser work in the hands of a lesser singer, but McKnight isn’t. His mellow tenor could make a phonebook soxmd sensational. FoiTunately tiiese sor^ are much more. “I Do” is the kind of love song that has made McKnight such a ladies favorite. It’s insight,fill and sexy in a romantic way Even when McKnight does a breakup song it’s heartfelt. “A Little Tbo Late” makes one feel sorry for the girl who neglected him That’s the McKnight way The same is true when he’s in the same position. “Shoulda Been Lovin’ You” finds him on the outs because of ne^ect. McKnight continues his fasci nation with Mai-vin Gaye on this song. Voices weave in and out with Gaye’s mechanical precision and McKinght’s fluid harmonies. McKni^t is at his best when he’s declaring his love. “The Rest of My Life” has him in full ‘1 love you” mode. “If you think this is Eis good as it gets/I swear you haven’t seal nothing yet,” is what he teUs his intended. It’s classic McKni^t in compo sition and delivery Heck, the whole CD can be summed up in those words. Plenty to do to ring in the New Year By Cheris F. Hodges cherishodges afhechorloHeposf.com Kiss the year goodbye in your jammies. The New Year’s Eve Pajama Jammy Jam in NoDa will take place at the Hart Wtzen Gallery Its going down on New Year’s Eve Ni^t starting at 9 p.m. This isn’t your same old lam of the mill party, promises oiganiz- er Dairen \dncent. He came up with the idea for the party after hanging out in Uptown Charlotte last year. “I went out to some clubs the week before New Year’s and it was about $5 to $10 to get in,” he said. The next week, however, the price of admission had more than tripled and the party was just the same. His solution? A party that would shake things up for the new year and give people a chance to welcome in 2007 com- fortably-in their PJs. “I wanted to offer something different, a different outlook so 2 MUCH/2D O
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 28, 2006, edition 1
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