Radiolab live tonight

At the Michigan Theater.

Tomorrow the show's at the Music Hall in Detroit. The theme is "Apocalyptical." Can't wait!

An Iliad, The Iliad...

John Manfredi as the Poet in "An Iliad" at the Performance Network Theatre, running through October 27

John Manfredi sweats through his shirt "singing" the classic Trojan War story in the Performance Network Theatre's production of "An Iliad" by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare. With excellence; that is the sweat of excellence.

Mr. Manfredi is exactly the man to play the role of the haggard, war-weary, long-suffering poet, warning yet another generation, another time, another place, another people, again and again, over and over and over since the beginning and until the end of time, of the pains of war. Craggy-faced and sweet-voiced--really, the kind of voice you want to hear read the news, the morning announcements, the phonebook, anything--Mr. Manfredi commands the stage and the narrative without pandering to the audience or leaving it behind. He is Achilles and he is Hector, he is Kings Priam and Agamemnon, he is Andromache and Helen and Paris and Patroclus. But he is most thrilling when he is the poet--part high school teacher, part social commenter--speaking softly and confidentially, or raging around the stage sticking invisible swords in invisible soldiers, or changing the record player, smiling to himself over the fresh delight he has in store for his audience. What he's doing is good old-fashioned story-telling, and you just can't go wrong entrusting your evening in Mr. Manfredi's very capable hands.

Perhaps it is heresy to say, but I did not find the material itself especially compelling. Ridiculous, I know: this is a retelling of one of the oldest, most persistent stories in the Western world. The tragically heroic Achilles, the deeply good Hector, the beautiful Helen (that whore, says the poet), the broken-hearted Andromache--these are the memes we've been aping for millennia. It is the very stuff of good story, as we understand it. For me, that was the problem. If you're going to re-imagine the Iliad, I want to see more imagining. This sometimes felt like a high production classic lit lesson that skips over some of the juiciest stuff in the source material. The novel contribution was the comparison of the Trojan War to every Western war that has happened since, culminating in an actual listing of all these conflicts. Don't get me wrong: you can't go wrong with the Iliad, and, worst case scenario, this an enjoyable reminder of a tale you once read in school. I just sometimes found myself wondering, Why? What is the purpose of this adaptation?

If the answer is, "To give Mr. Manfredi in Ann Arbor a vessel to disseminate his gifts as an actor," that would be reason enough for me.

Soothing sounds of fall

Sleepy Holler has been a Damn Arbor favorite for a while now--it's the perfect soundtrack to the crispening of the air and the donning of the sweaters. (Come on, air: crispen! Crispen!) Their debut album is now for sale on iTunes! "Distances" has been haunting my ear buds so far this year.

Haven Hill, a great place to see fall colors

If you're looking for a nice place to get away this weekend, or maybe interested in taking in the seasons colors, you should think about checking out Haven Hill in the Highland Recreation Area. It's about a 45 minute drive (north on 23, east on M 59), but it is one of the nicest hikes I know of in the area.

An Iliad opens tonight at Performance Network

Denis O’Hare & Lisa Peterson modern adaptation of Homer's classic opens tonight and runs through October 27. From PTN:

In this present-day retelling of Homer’s classic, a lone figure appears on an unadorned stage and shares the tragic narrative he is fated to tell for eternity. This epic narrative brings humor, pathos, and excitement to the ancient tale of the Trojan War, colliding it with the contemporary world and creating a wholly captivating theatrical experience. Starring John Manfredi.

Sounds pretty good. We have a review forthcoming. Stay tuned.

Shows are Thursday 7:30pm, Friday-Saturday 8pm, Saturday 3pm, Sunday 2pm. Tickets are $22 to $41 and active military personnel and veterans get a $20 discount.

Celebrate Violin Monster's birthday tonight at Corner Brewery

Tonight, come celebrate Violin Monster's 493rd birthday at Corner Brewery. There will be live music and a chance to try Violin Monster Autumn Ale. If you haven't had a chance to sample it, I highly recommend it. It's a rich dark wheat ale flavored with autumn spices. At 9.5% abv, it packs quite a wallop. It is hands down the best fall seasonal I've had.

Creatures of all kinds are welcome at the party, but humans are encouraged to wear costumes. Doors are at 6 and music starts at 7. A %5 donation to support the musicians is encouraged.

Ann Arbor and Detroit

Dan Green, Detroit native and senior at U of M, has a very interesting column in the Michigan Daily that you should absolutely, absolutely read. He drops his bomb in the second paragraph:

I feel less safe in Ann Arbor than I do in Detroit.

It's not that I feel more physically threatened. There are some students who are even so nice as to walk on the opposite side of the street when they see me walking their way. I feel a more pernicious, more dangerous threat than that. I constantly feel that my identity as well as my city are in need of protection. 

I have often wondered about the disconnect that seems to exist between the University/Ann Arbor (a top-ranked public university in a thriving city) and Detroit (though struggling, still the largest city in the state and its cultural center, about 40 minutes to the east). Mr. Green explores the vast space between them through the lens of race; the space exists in almost anything you can measure, and I think both cities and the university would benefit from a more cooperative relationship. (I remember once seeing a poster advertising a semester "abroad" in Detroit. That is not what "abroad" means. Those cars weren't actually imported.) Mr. Green hits it right on the head:

It’s embarrassing that the University doesn't have a bigger presence in the city of Detroit.

The Left Connection

David Lynch trolls Ann Arbor's missed connections? Is someone inspired by Welcome to Night Vale? That last line is poetry. "She is still one of my closest friends and I talk to her all the time even though she's only the left half of a human body."

Grave robbing for U of M's Medical School

Writing for the Chronicle, Laura Bien has a great article about the lengths the Medical School used to go to to procure cadavers for dissection. From the article:

The university’s ties to grave-robbers were known in the 19th century, and social censure weighed upon those in the anatomy department. In 1880, the “Demonstrator of Anatomy” in charge of procuring bodies was William Herdman. He complained at a June 28, 1880 UM regents meeting. Herdman spoke regarding the “recent and remote instances of grave-robbing which have come to your attention and to the notice of the public … which have justly excited indignation on the part of all law-abiding citizens and have been the cause of great annoyances to all friends of the University and especially to you, [the regents] … ”

Ann Arbor city council candidate forums on CTN

Ann Arbor Voters, the city council election is just a month away. Tonight and tomorrow, the League of Women Voters will be hosting candidate forums which will be broadcast live on CTN Chanel 19. Here's the schedule:

Tuesday, Oct. 1

7-7:40 p.m. — Ward 3: Stephen Kunselman (Democrat, Incumbent) and Sam DeVarti (Mixed Use Party)
8-8:40 p.m. — Ward 5: Mike Anglin (Democrat, Incumbent) and Tom Partridge (write-in)

Wednesday, Oct. 2

7-7:45 p.m. — Ward 1: Sabra Briere (Democrat, Incumbent) and Jeff Hayner (Independent)
8-8:45 p.m. — Ward 2: Jane Lumm (Independent, Incumbent), Kirk Westphal (Democrat), and Conrad Brown (Mixed Use Party)