Nebraskan
PREVIEW
For the weekend
of Sept. 9-11
Give it a shot
> Blue Sunday — Lincoln Action
Program is sponsoring this blues festival
to help low-income families in Lancaster
and Saunders counties. It will be held at
the Antelope Park Bandshell from 1 p.m.
to 9 p.m. on Sunday, of course.
> U nivcrsity Singers — Th is UN L
music group will perform Sunday at 7
p.m. in an interdenominational matricu
lation service at the Cornerstone, 640 N.
16th St.
Plot slaughtered in ‘A Good Man in Africa’
By Gerry Bettz
Staff Reporter
The tools were there, the talent was there,
but it was all for naught. “A Good Man in
Africa" just doesn’t come together.
It’s notasthough there wasn’t any potential,
cither. Any cast that includes such talented and
award-winning performers as Sean Connery,
John Lithgow and Louis Gossett Jr. seems
almost sure of success.
Then again, some predicted a big comeback
for the Village People, too.
“A Good Man in Africa” is based on Will
iam Boyd’s novel, of the same name, and the
book has been highly acclaimed, but the film
version may end upbcingdisclaimcd by anyone
involved.
Australian talent Col in FricLs—Americans
have seen him in “Class Action” and “ Darkman”
—plays Morgan Leafy, a British diplomat who
is looking to get out of his assignment in the
newly independent African state of Kinjanja.
Leafy isabutt-kisscr and a yes man; he cares
only about sex and alcohol and is willing to
bend over backward to please the people over
him, always fearing that one iota of failure on
his part will result in a permanent assignment
in Kinjanja.
Leafy hears opportunity knock when his
boss, the extremely stuffy and racist High Com
missioner Arthur Fanshawc( Lithgow), arrives
in Kinjanja. He instructs Leafy to sway the favor
of soon-to-be-elected president Sam Adekunlc
Quik Facts
Movie: “A Good Man In Africa”
Rating: R
Stars: Scan Connery. Colin Fricls, John
Lithgow, Diana Rigg, Louis Gossett Jr.
Director: Bruce Beresford
Grade: C
Five words: A stellar cast completely
wasted
(Gossett) toward the British side, because of oil
and mineral deposits that have been discovered
in Kinjanja.
However, the favors continue to pile up, and
hands start washing other hands, all cumulat
ing with a talk with another one of Sean
Connery’s all-knowing, all-wise characters,
which gets Leafy to sec the light.
This entire film is incredibly dreadful and
marked by barely passable performances from
everyone involved. Friels is a virtual newcomer
to the screens, and it is unfortunate that this is
his big debut film, but it is hoped he will have
other opportunities.
Sean Connery, left, and Colin Friels star in “A Good Man in Africa,” a
. Gramercy Pictures release.
The only good thing about Lithgow’s per- “A Good Man in Africa” isn’t funny enough
formancc is his attempt at having a stuffy to be called a comedy, and it doesn’t carry
British accent. Gossett could have faxed in his enough interest to be considered a drama. The
performance. film is very... blah.
Improvisational saxophonist
to jazz it up at Westbrook
From Staff Reports
Jazz up Sunday night with saxo
phonist David Murray, who will ap
pear with the Ncll/Roberty/Edwards
Trio in Room 119ofWcstbrook Music
Building at 8 p.m.
This may be the first time the trio,
consisting of pianist Bob Nell, bass
ist Kelly Robcrty and drummer Brad
Edwards, has played at the Universi
ty of Ncbraska-Lincoln, but Murray
has performed here often enough to
know his way around.
The last time Murray came, he
appeared with Kahil El’Zabar, an
avant-garde percussionist, said Ron
Bowlin, director of Kimball Recital
Hall.
But what stands out in Bowlin’s
mind is the first time Murray and the
World Saxophone Quartetpcrformed
at UNL.
“It was a wild event,” Bowlin
said. “It was supposed to have been
scmitradilional Ellington stuff, but
the Quartet forgot their stuff and had
to do a four-part improv.”
Spontaneous improvisation is
Murray’s style—he makes the mu
sic up as he goes along.
And what pours forth frain his sax
is an assortment of intense emotions,
influenced by his religious roots in
the black church and his African
American lineage.
Concert tickets, available at the
Lied Center box office, are $10 for
general admission and $5 for stu
dents.
‘Blizzard’ new addition
to frontier bronze exhibit
From Staff Reports
Herb Mignery wanted to be a
cowboy, but he captured the heart
of the wild prairie through a differ
ent medium — art.
Mignery.who specializes in cre
ating bronze sculptures depicting
scenes from Nebraska’s history, will
be in Lincoln on Sunday for the
unveiling of his new sculpture,
“Blizzard of’88.”
Mignery’s sculpture depicts a
couple and their horse caught in the
mounting drifts of the devastating
blizzard that hit Nebraska on Jan.
12.1888.
“Blizzardof’88" will accompa
ny a new exhibit titled “Sculptures
by Herb Mignery” as part of the
Great Plains Art Collection.
A native of Bartlett, Mignery
grew up on a central Nebraska
cattle ranch that had been home
steaded by his paternal great-grand
father in 1878.
He majored in industrial arts at
Wayne State Teachers College. In
1961, he was drafted into the U.S.
Army and served as illustrator of
training aids. After his discharge,
he worked as a sign painter, car
toonist and rhythm guitarist in a
local band.
He began working in Hastings
as a commercial artist with tnc
Comhusker Press in 1965, and it
wasn’t until 1973, when he re
ceived a birthday gift of sculpting
tools and clay, that he found his true
love.
Mignery focused on bringing
out the true nature of heroic West
erners like settlers, farmers and
Event: Opening of new
exhibit, “Sculptures by
Herb Migncry”
Time: 3:30 p.m. Sunday
At: Love Library, Room 205
Comment: Artist will appear
and talk to audience
cowboys.
He was able to combine his love
of sculpting and his dream of be
coming a cowboy when he served
as president of the Cowboy Artists
of America in 1992-93.
M ignery has cast more than 100
editionsofdiflferent subjects in var
ied sizes.
“Trails Home” is a7.5-foot sculp
ture of a pioneer family that com
memorates the 150th anniversary
of the Oregon Trail. “Heritage”
shows a settler family pi anting trees,
and “Prairie Odyssey” depicts a
heroic frontiersman.
Other topics for his work in
clude settlers fighting a prairie fire,
cowboys managing their animals, a
rancher and his wife conversing
and two boys picking an apple.
The exhibition opening and
unveiling will take place Sunday at
3:30 p.m. in Room 205 of Love
Library.
Migncry will give a brief talk
and answer questions from the au
dience. In conjunction with the
exhibit, noted poet Ted Kooscr will
read from his book of poems “Bliz
zard Voices.”
