The Cadet. VMI Newspaper. February 19, 1988 - New Page 1 ...

Page 2, The VMI Cadet, February 19,1988
Robertson Returns
By James Cox
One of the most ambitious
albums to be released in the past
few months is Robbie Robertson's
self-titled solo debut.
Robertson attempts to bring
together his long musical background
with the likes of such
current acts as The BoDeans,
U2, and Peter Gabriel.Garth
Hudson, keyboardist for the
Band, also appears.Robertson's
style is pervasive, masked by
these guest performers. At first,
it seems as if Robertson is adding
these names to the credits
for other than artistic reasons.
However, it becomes readily apparent
that he is fully in charge
of the music.
The lead track is titled Fallen
Angel. Dedicated to Richard
Manuel, the late pianist of the
Band, the song is a lament of his
untimely passing. Manuel, who
hanged himself, was one of
Robbie Robertson's closest
friends as well as bandmate.
Although Robertson could have
made a sappy ballad, like so
many performers have done before
him; he instead questions
death, especially by suicide.
Leaving the tasteless crooning to
Elton John, he sings "You gotta
play the hand that's dealt ya/
That's what the old man always
said." The next song is slightly
more upbeat. Titled Showdown
at Big Sky, the song parallels
ti ;.s niL ' to a gunfight. The
lyrics are not simple; they deal
widi the biblical apocalypse.
They are almmost strained, to
the point of requiring clsoe
listening to undertand their message.
The album covers many topics,
but deals nrostly with the
disillusionment Robertson has
found in middle age. American
Roulette tells the story of success
in the music industry, and
the resulting problems it brings.
He sings of the drug use which
has crippled performers. In specific,
he refers to Marilyn Monroe
and Elvis Presley. He calls
his group "the lost generation/
who spin the wheel out of desperation."
The best song on the
album is Hell's Half Acre. This
song deals with the Vietnam
war, but not with the Melleneamp-Springsteen
' wrapped in
Old Glory' tinge to it. Roijertson
instead looks at the scars that the
war has left on one person who
went. He tells of the changes
wrought through the eye's of a
girl who loved this
soldier. Robertson sings "She
said you've changed/ you're not
the same./Clouds of Napalm and
the opium, the damage was
already done."
15 Days Until
Spring Break
Robbie Robertson's album is a
well balanced interrogation into
the ideals and feelings of a generation
that is already starting
to fade. However, with his talent,
he should continue for quite
some time.
The visions, the struggles, and
the accomplishments of Martin
Luther King, Jr. will be reenacted
in the play "I Have a
Dream" to be presented Tuesday,
February 23 at 7:30 p.m. at
Lylburn Downing Middle
School.
In honor of Black History
Month, the Rockbridge Concert-Theatre
Series, the
N.A.A.C.P., the Washington
and Lee University Minority
Student Association, and Promaji,
VMI's Black student service
organization, invites the en-
"I Have A Dream"
Black History Month Event
The VMI Theatre will be presenting
the musical, comedy Oklahotna!
by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
The show will h>e performed
as a dinner theatre on
March 25 and 26, and April 1
and 2. It will be shown as a stage
production only on March 24
and 31. The cost for dinner and
show will be $15.00 for adults,
and $13.00 for students and Sr.
citizens. Performance cost, for
show only, will be $5.00 for
adults, and $3.00 for students
and Sr. citizens.
n
tire community to this special
event. There will be no admission
charge for this hour long
performance by Theatre FV On
Tour.
One of history's most
impassioned periods is brought
to life in this fascinating and
compelling presentation. The
phenomenal impact of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. is chronicled
in Uiis dynamic and inspirational
dramatization of the most influential
and charismatic leader
of the American civil rights
nrwvement.
VMI Theatre Presents The
Musical Comedy Oklahoma
This Spring's cast will include
Cadets Patrick McMahan as
"Curly," Shannon Daly as
"Judd Fry," Frank Mussarra as
"Ali Hakim," Lance Gilman as
"Will Parker." Cadets involved
in the chorus include Shawn Paul
Evans, Jeffrey Covey, Michael
Jeffries, Jeffrey Johnson, and
Jim Stepnowski. Other Cadets
helping in them VMIT production
will be Mark McSwain,
Charlie Richardson, and Steven
Vazquez.
Once again, the VMI Theatre
"I Have a Dream" follows
Dr. King's life from his birth in
Atlanta through the decades of
non-violent protests against racism
to his death in Memphis in
1968.
Theatre IV On Tour is a nonprofit
organization based in
Richmond, Virginia. The comply
is supported by the Virginia
Commission for the Arts
and is the largest touring theatre
in the state of Virginia, serving a
total audience of 325,000.
For fiirther information, call
Lee RiCharde at 463-9670.
will be under the helping support
of director Joellen Bland. For
any additional information about
Oklahoma!, Cadets should contact
any member of the VMI
Theatre staff. The theatre office
is located on the 300 level of
Scott Ship Hall. More information
will follow as the production
of the show is finalized in the
later weeks. As usual, the show
will be another fine production,
and all Cadets are encouraged to
attend the up-coming show.
Response To Dial-A-Cadet
(703) 463-1583
1) Jim Florio - get out of my dreams and into my car! Maybe Sat. night at
Zollmans. Love,?
2) Dave Brown -1 love you, Melissa. •
3) Cadets - you were all great at the last Zollman's Party, esp. John Boniface,
Gordy Fox, Ned Cox and Randal Willard.
• OVE JEAD CRANES & HOISTS"
"CONVEYORS"
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