Nebraskan
Thursday, July 20,1003
Arts©Entertainment
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‘Stakeout’ sequel hilarious
Another Stakeout'
By Gerry Beltz
Staff Reporter
More chemistry than substance,
“Another Stakeout” (Plaza 4, 12th
and P Streets) still hits the mark as a
more-than-acceptable sequel.
Original cast members Richard
Drey fuss and Emilio Estevez are back
with director John Badham to work
the magic that made the first “Stake
out" such a phenomenal success.
Seattle detectives Chris and Bill
(Drcyfuss and Estevez) arc assigned
to locate a key witness to a mob trial
who has recently escaped protective
custody in Las Vegas. Along with
assistantdistrictattomcy Gina Garrett
(Rosie O’Donnell), they pose as a
family to watch over the house of
some friends of the witness.
Unfortunately, Badham concen
trates too much on the interaction
between Estevez and Drcyfuss, and
not enough on following the movie
itself. The results is an ending that
appears rushed.
Slill, the hijinx that Chris and Bill
have (and inflict) with each other, as
well as with their untrained stakeout
partner Gina, provides one hilarious
moment after another. O’Donnell is
also terrific as the lovably-bizarre
A.D.A.
Several jokes from the first film
arc carried over to this one, and listen
for Drey fuss doing a quote from his
Academy A ward-winning role in “The
Goodbye Girl.”
“Another Stakeout’’ is a proverbial
hoot
Original author pens crazy novel
Spalding Gray
Impossible Vacation
Vintage Books
Spalding Gray is a story teller in
the tradition of... uh, well, in the
tradition of $palding Gray. • . •
That is, he%s one of a kind.
A renaissance in the art of the
spoken word is going on even as we
speak — with such notable practitio
ners as Garrison Keillor, Jello Biafra
and Laurie Anderson. It includes even
those radio ads for Motel 6 with Tom
Bodctl.
Spalding Gray is a story teller in
this larger tradition. His monologues,
in live shows and on video, have
earned him spots on Leuerman and
success in Hollywood.
Probably his most famous perfor
mance piece — the one most readily
available in video stores—is “Swim
ming to Cambodia" which chronicles
the making of “The Killing Fields,” a
film in which Gray had a minor part.
With “Impossible Vacation" Gray
attempts his first novel. Now he*s
telling a story in print, one that claims
to be “untrue” — fiction.
The results arc a little uneven, if
genuinely funny.
i - The story is certainly engaging,
and a very easy read. It con tains a taste
of irony and self mockery that makes
the whole more palatable.
Gray only falters in (me section,
dealing with his main character’s —
Brewster North’s — nervous break
down.
Anyone who’s ever pul up with
someone in similar circumstances
knows lhai crazy people — far from
the romance that surrounds the idea of
madness—are really tedious, annoy
ing and unbelievably repetitive.
Gray, to his credit, captures this
feeling.
But he captures it in the wrong
way. The brief passage that describes
North's mental deterioration is itself
tedious, annoying and repetitive.
At first you wonder why his friends
put up with him, and then why you
continue to—and just about the time
you want to flip to the next chapter,
the maddening loop breaks up like an
old ragged storm front and moves on.
% North is still crazy -— he spends a
good part of the book more or less
crazy — but he’s back to his wry old
self just when you need him to be.
So “Impossible Vacation" turns
out to be a pretty good book for the
beach, if no Nobel prize winner.
But it’s a must-read for all those
oddly grinning fans of it’s author —
the oddly grinning Spalding Gray.
Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’ on at Rep
From Staff Reports
The Nebraska Repertory Theater’s
production of Shakespeare’s “The
Tempest” is open and will run through
Aug. 14.
The play will be performed at the
Howell Theater on weekdays and
r
1
Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., with bunaay
matinees at 3:00 p.m. Tickets can be
purchased at the Temple Building.
The cast includes Michael Burg,
who has performed in past Rep pro
ductions, and State Sen. David Landis
of Lincoln.
Pat Overton, managing director of
l ne Kep, saiu incicmpc&t w««i
interesting play that would appeal to
students.
“It’s a very stylized production,”
she said. “This is Shakespeare’s last
play—kind of a farewell toevcryone
— whether he knew it or not.”
OBSERVE THE
WARNING SIGNS.
If you have chest pain lasting to
minutes or more, see a doctor.
American Heart
Association
C 1902. American Heart Association
ATTENTION!
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Benefit album
provides relief
• “Sweet Relief”
A Benefit for Victoria Williams
Thirsty Ear/Chaos Records
By Jill O’Brien
Staff Reporter
In the spring of 1992, while
louring with Neil Young, singer
and songwriter Victoria*Williams
was diagnosed with multiple scle
rosis.
Williams told Musician maga
zine, “When I think of the diseases
you could have, it’s not such a bad
one.”
Right. Things could be worse,
like being signed to a record com
pany that insures the life, but not
the health of an individual artist
Such is the case of Williams.
Fortunately, fans and talented
friends held two benefit concerts
to raise money and help defray
medical costs.
Inspired by their show of con
cern, Williams set upa fund to help
other uninsured musicians fight
medical expenses.
But Williams wasn’t the only
one inspired.
After the benefit concerts, sev
eral artists joined together to record
“Sweet Relief,” an acoustic com
pilation of Williams’ songs. The
songs range from “This Moment,”
a catchy mandolin-backed melo
dy, sung by former Lincolnite,
Matthew Sweet, to “Weeds,”asim
ple track that rocks to the beat of a
different drummer, not to mention
Michael Penn's vocals.
The result of “Sweet Relief’ is
nothing less than 14 incredible
tracks pooling the talents of Soul
Asylum, Lucinda Williams, Pearl
Jam, Buffalo Tom, Shudder to
Think, Lou Reed, Maria McKee,
Evan Dando of Lemonheads, The
Jayhawks, The Waterboys, Giant
Sand and Michelle Shocked, with
Penn and Sweet.
This album is acrackerjack box
full of sweet stories and surprises.
Soul Asylum opens with “Sum
mer of Drugs,” a ballsy mainstream
ballad about teenagers falling be
tween category cracks, as denned
in the chorus.
“And we were loo young to be
hippies; missed out on the love/
turned to a teen in the late '70s in
the summer of the drugs.”
On the track, “Lights,” The
Jayhawks have an uncanny ability
to sound like early Grateful Dead
while Shudder to Think adds an
alternative flair to the song, “Ani
mal Wild.” The Waterboys boogie
to a Calypso beat of “Why Look at
the Moon” and Michelle Shocked
closes with Williams’ gospel song,
“Holy Spirit”
These 14 tracks arc only a smat
tering of what Williams has writ
ten. More originals can be heard on
her previously released albums,
“Happy Come Home” and “Swing
the Statue.”
Nebraska Rep!
The Tempest.
Live at The Rep!
Directed by
Bob Hall.
HoweU Theatre
12th and R
The Rep's stunning vision of
Shakespeare's greatest romance.
July 29-August 14
Box Office: 472-2073