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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1974)
doilu 1 otf &Uffu Qfu m&fwal (mm J 'Pussy Cats' purrs with ex-Beatles' help Record review by Chuck Strinz Pussy Cats by Harry Nilsson. Harry Nilsson has come out with yet another good album. This time it's Pussy Cats, produced by John Lennon and featuring the likes of Keith Moon (from The Who), Jim Keltner and Sneeky Pete (both of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen), Jim Horn (Layla and others), Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman, and of course, John Lennon. Lennon first became acquainted (and obsessed) with Harry back in '68 when they met in Surrey, England. Nilsson .had just finished recording his first album which included a collection of Beatle songs melted together into a musical collage. Several of Nilsson's LPs have featured performances of ex-Beatles and seeniinalv thousands of other artists and arouos have recorded Nilsson tunes (Yardbirds, Monkees, Bad finger, The Turtles, Herb Alpert, Blood, Sweat and Tears and on and on and on). The voice of Harry Nilsson is often heard crossing the boundaries of rock, country-western, easy listening, and jazz, as well as three octaves. He is the King of Overdub and has been known to record a Nilsson choir of some ninety voices (all his own). Lennon says Harry Nilsson is his favorite group. Lennon's influence is evident on Pussy Cats, especially on the cut, "Subterranean Homesick Blues." a 1965 Dylan song. Several other cuts are remakes of oldies. "Loop de Loop" contains a goodly amount of the Chubby Checker spirit, "Save the Last Dance for Me" includes a great parody of the old voice over music heart-to-heart lyric recitation, and the final cut, "Rock Around the Clock," (about the 846th version) ends appropriately. Nilssorj's inability to take himself seriously makes its appearance on "B'lack Sails," a song about a girl with so many veins in her leqs they look like maps ("You're so veinyYou probably think this map is about you"(.The album also features a performance by the Masked Alberts Orchestra, whatever that is. On an album by a man who is know to have listed Harrison and Starr on the Dredits as George Harrysong and'' ' Richie Snsyra, well, which former Be&ttr- cotltf i oh r Masked Albert? It's pure speculation, of course, but why not? Every other ex-Beatle has popped up on one Nilsson Album or another; why not McCartney? UNL, city cultural events listed in 'lively' booklet The "Lively Arts at UNL," a listing of cultural events In Lincoln is available free to students again this year. The booklet includes a chronological listing and pynianatinns of music, theater, dance, film, and art events and guest speakers during the academic year, general editor Dennis Ellermeier said. It centers on campus events, he said, but includes major community activities such as those by the Community Playhouse, Community Concerts and Lincoln Symphony, he said. The booklet Is much like its predecessor last year, Ellermeier said, but the events it reports have Improved. , . ' The booklets are distributed free in dormitories, in booths and at the program office in the Nebraska Union and at Kimball Recital Hall. It is complied by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cultural Affairs Committee. It is subsidized by the University' Alumni Associa tion, event sponsors and miscellaneous sources, Ellermeier said. . i s A : , --p I r i ft " it Judy Zimmerman and Roger Johnson " In a School For Wives" playing tonight, Wednesday and Saturday at Howell Memorial Theatre. Nebraska Repertory Theatre to close its seventh season This week the Nebraska Repertory Theatre closes its seventh season. Today through Saturday, Lincoln aud iences will have their last chances to see either Moliere's The School For Wives, Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, or David Bell's Cohan is a Grand Old Name. The fourth production in the year's repeftoryr-Rick-Besoyan's Llttlo' " Mary Sunshine, closed. Saturday. The Nebraska Repertory Theatre Company draws both local and national talent to Lincoln for the summer. The professional company is funded Dy the University, the Nebraska Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and box office receipts. Lis Lewis, a technician with the company' who has been associated with the theatre company for several years, noted that "every year it gets better," She suggested that it is exciting for both the actors and regular audiences to see how the individual actors respond to the different and varied roles they piay during the summer. Lewis also indicated that the concen tration of 14 hour work days and several repeated performances of the same show not only produces excellent productions but also a core of exper ienced people who continue with the University during the school year and help maintain the excellence of the University Theatre productions. The Nebraska Repertory off ict.al'y begins with the acceptance of applica tions in March. Highly competitive auditions in the beginning of the summer get the bal more visabiy roiling. Each of the four productions is in rehearsai for about six weeks and it is the challenge for the company to brinq 1 it aft together by the tiffie WTr'sTow' opens in the last week in June,.r , . ,!.-,- The unique problems of repertory style of theatre (that is, a different show every night) must also be reckoned with. Sets for all the shows must be able to be changed as quickly as the scedule demands and must be easily and compactly stored while other shows are playing. This summer the Nebraska Repertory Theatre was scheduled for 51 perfor mances from June 28 through August 31. Following its last performance in Lincoln, The School For Wives will tour Nebraska for a week. Dunng this fourth annual tour the company will visit four or five Nebraska communities and perform in gymnasiums, outdoor arenas or other suitable facilities. School For Wives will piay tonight. Wednesday and Saturday. Cchan is a Grand Old Name will play Tues-jay and, Friday. And Birthday Party wdl pi.i on Thursday. All shows begin at B pm at Howell Memorial Theatre. Ail reserved seats are $2.50. Animai Crackers' revives arx-ists Anima! Crackers, the 1930 Marx Brother's movie (men second) has been around a long time but its recent re-release (after years of legal, distribution hassles) has sent hordes of slavering Marx fanatics and countless others back into the theaters. The Marx's cult is huge, and sometimes it's difficult to belive that one of the Brothers, Groucho, is still around. He is perhaps the wittiest senile old man in the world. Eight of the first 1 1 Marx films have been shown at some place or another in Lincoln during the past few years. They have proven to be the only "old movies" that consis tently draw in a broad spectrum of moviegoers to downtown theaters. This speaks well of the never ending appeal that Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Sometimes Zeppo (but never Gummo) still command. But in another sense it points out the fate that meets thr? few other old films whose showings are attem'p- iihCut the benefit cf a new ad 4CU angle or pandering publicity. But that's another story. greg ukow i Animal Crackers is not the best Marx film. It is a bit too stagey (like their first, Cocoanuts, it was taken from their successful Broadway production: (note the wierd sets and fake thunder and lightning) and some of their comedy scenes together suffer from the lack of camera, editing and sound flexibil ity common to the early sound films. But the fact remains trat to' " e ,w t . . . t . ... funnier movies than the M.irx ? Brothers. The direct Marx af frontal on dignified social norms i- a hilarious and, somehow, hs fitting a commentary on our own tr1'. : as t was in their depression Vrs. (According to Groucho, marriage, was an institution "put over or irm American people -when cw toys were over there.") Who kntvr., perhaps Groucho's seven-ccr.t nickei is the answer to aM cif m'lation problems. The Sheldon Film Theatre lo gins its 1974-75 season Tuesuay, Wednesday and Thursday with the first in itj semester-long serif-, of documentary films. Shown this week is Sunseed, a film uy Frederick Cohn. Also scheduled is a short feature, Evolution of a Yogi. J monday, august 28, 1974 daily nebraskan pago 13