Arts&Entertainment
, • ' '
Courtesy Photo
■*£ '■
to Lincoln’s Lied
By Josh Krauter
Senioreditor
The Lied Center for the Performing
Arts’ Discovery! Series takes pride in
bringing new performers to Lincoln.
But the latest performer in the
series is not just new to performing, he’s
relatively new to the planet.
Lang Lang, a classical concert
pianist, will perform at the Johnny
Carson Theater tonight.
Lang began playing piano when he
was 3. Now he’s only 17, but he’s
already had the career of someone
twice his age.
Lang was born in Shen Yang,
China, and his family put him in music
classes when he was 3. X '
“My family is a music family,”
Lang said. “They play traditional
Chinese music.”
Lang said he was one of the
youngest students in his music classes,
but not by much.
“I think at that time, I was the
youngest, but many were only two
years older,” he said.
Even at that young age, Lang had
an interest in learning the music.
“I really liked music at the time,” he
said.
When Lang was 9, he entered the
China Central Music Conservatory.
After only a few years there, he was
accepted into the Curtis Institute of
Music in Philadelphia, studying under
famed pianist Gary Graflman.
It was the first time he had lived in
the United States, but he had already
played in the United States with the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra when
he was only 6 years old.
Lang said he enjoys living in the
United States.
“I think it’s a great country,” he said.
“I have my teacher here.”
Lang said he was especially
impressed that Graffman, who broke
his right hand, plays with only his left
. '.••'J’TSjjf X i
SLang Lang
In Concert
mh WHERE: Lied Center for
Performing Arts, 12th & Q
Streets
ill WHEN: 8 p.m. tonight
■M COST: $24, half price for
Af students
Ubi THE SKINNY: Teenage
A pianist brings concert to
Imm Lincoln.
hand.
Lang will be playing four pieces by
four major composers at the concert:
Haydn, Chopin, Brahms and
Rachmaninoff.
He said he picked the four for their
stylistic differences.
The Haydn piece, “Sonata in E,
Hob. XVI/31,” is a rare treat, Lang said.
“It’s very light music, a very lovely
sonata,” he said. “The sonata is not very
well known. Most people probably
haven’t heard it.”
The second piece, Chopin’s
“Sonata No. 3, in B Minor, Op. 58,” is a
crowd favorite, Lang said.
“It’s very popular,” he said.
“Everybody plays it. It’s such a beauti
ful melody. It has passion and is very
exciting.”
The Brahms piece, “Piano Pieces,
Op. 118,” is a diverse work, Lang said.
He said the piece is made up of six
parts, some strong, some deep, some
puzzling and some light. The final
work, Rachmaninoff’s “Sonata No. 2,
in B-Flat Minor, Op. 36,” ends the con
cert in a bang, Lang said.
“It’s exciting, like a storm or fire
works,” he said.
Lang said he hasn’t had an interest
in learning instruments other than the
piano because of his love for it.
“The piano has so many notes and
so many sounds,” he said. “It just has
more interest for me.”
_ ■ ft * ■ *"* '
Unrealistic romance leaves viewers bored
■ “Return to Me” gives
viewers a ridiculous, 19508
style story.
By Samuel McKewon
Senior editor
The mettle of movie reviewers is tested
when they come across a film as thick with
feel-good goo as “Return to Me.”
There are few out there who wouldn’t
say this movie is more or less ridiculous.
They do so at the peril of their reputation to
readers, who will devour this junk in large
quantities like hungry thieves.
Oh, there’s some soft-hearted critics
who might hold on to the old 1950s movie
standard, when PG-rated romances like
this came down the chute every week.
That’s what “Return to Me” is - a throw
back, a movie that would love the Edsel.
'With equal intensity, first-time director
Bonnie Hunt also loves dogs, gorillas, old
men, old nuns, flowers, Frank Sinatra,
bicycles with baskets, family restaurants,
little children and Rome.
I was half expecting to see June
Lockhart in high heels or Doris Day share
a croon or two.
All of this love adds up after a while. It
sort of washed over me as unfunny and
unromantic. It featured two leads (David
Duchovny and Minnie Driver) who I had
no real interest in knowing, because I do
not care to know people without flaws.
Maybe some would like to, though,
and that’s probably why the surrounding
audience laughed at all the jokes and
brushed away tears on cue. One thing is for
sure: It’s, very hard nbttp root for perfect
people who have been through such obvi
ous tragedy.
Let’s start with Bob (Duchovny), who
loses his perfect gorilla-training wife
(Joely Richardson) to an off-screen car
accident, which we find out through one of
the poorest jobs of editing in years.
Then there’s Grace (Driver), a sickly
woman in dire need of a heart transplant on
the same day the gorilla woman kicks it.
Put it together for yourself.
A year later, through circumstance,
Grace and Bob meet at the Irish-Italian
restaurant owned by Grace’s grandfather
(Carroll O’Conner, in thick brogue). A
courtship inevitably begins.
Both are surrounded by wonderful,
supportive friends. Grace, because she is
still vulnerable, has an even larger support
system of her grandfather and his cronies,
who take time out of their day to play
matchmakers and debate the skills of Dean
Martin and Bobby Darin. They do this all
while peeking through the blinds to make
sure Bob and Grace get along.
Hunt shows up as Grace’s friend, and
she has a few decent moments with her on
screen husband, James Belushi, who’s
about as good as he’s been in years.
The story is driven by what m^ht be
called the idiot plot, as all misunderstand
ings could be cleared up by one simple
statement - and would be cleared up in real
life. Instead, we get an extended, fistless
scene in a bowling alley.
§ Return to Me
STARRING: David
_____ Duchovny, Minnie Driver
C" DIRECTOR: Bonnie Hunt
RATING: R
|g I (minorlanguage)
UJ GRADE: C
^ FIVE WORDS: Feel-good ^
Immk and pure fantasy.
I dunno. There’s nothing really wrong
with making a movie that will offend no
one on the surface - one sans the female
subjugation and .useless sex tpmps preva
lent urleen romantic comedies. ItYsentK *
mental and cute. And there’s nothing horri
bly offensive about either Duchovny or
Driver, as both have their moments, thou$i
Duchpvny looks visibly pained in*a few.
scenes?-" 9f w
But “Return to Me” takes no chances,
and purposefully so; it remains absolute in ,
its cheeriness. Not one jnajor or minor
character is anything but pure golden sun
shine underneath. It’s the movies - yes, but
the era of escapism ended long ago*.
“Return to Me” borders on pure fantasy,, *
Yet there are many people who will
embrace this movie - who will follow
these characters through every contrived
plot device Hunt has in her bag. Here is a
movie made for the eternal optimist who
might be having a bad day and needs a
boost to reaffirm that, yes, all is right with
our fme world, and fate is always the angel
in our comer.
Just don’t count me among them.