[email protected] Technique Entertainment Editor: Patricia Uceda 13 Assistant Entertainment Editor: Friday, Entertainment Zheng Zheng January 28, 2011 WEST SIDE STORY at Fox Theatre West Side Story leaves much to be desired vocally but delivers in execution

Image courtesy of BRAVE Public Relations

SHOWS for the setting. For those unfamil- Bernstein, so all of it is master- Anita, played by Michelle Arav- The liveliness in the ensem- iar with this particular classic, the fully arranged and beautiful to ena, stood out as a strong singer. ble numbers carries over into West Side Story plot is essentially Romeo and Ju- listen to, even between scenes Fortunately, the success of excellence in dancing talent. PERFORMER: West Side liet, but with gangs in New York and during dance numbers. The many of the musical numbers did The choreography for the show Story City. The Shakespearean origins orchestration was executed with- not depend as much on solo musi- is well-done, which is good for LOCATION: Fox Theatre are more of a starting point than out any glaring flaws, providing cal talent as it did on energy and the audience because there is a formula, as the play diverges a solid musical foundation for all emotion. One of the best num- plenty of it. DATE: Jan. 25 - Jan. 30 2011 in several respects, which is not that happened on the stage. bers in the play was “Gee, Officer Large portions of many songs entirely predictable based solely The singing was less consistent- Krupke” in which some of the are simply dance numbers, but OUR TAKE: ««««« on knowledge of Shakespeare’s ly good. Of the two protagonists, gang members do impressions of these dance numbers are both work. Because the basic struc- Maria, played by Ali Ewoldtm, a policeman, a judge, a psychia- interesting to watch and also By Daniel Fuller ture of the play is not anything sang with strength and accuracy, trist and other public figures to frequently serve to communi- Contributing Writer new, its strengths arise through whereas Tony, played by Kyle ridicule how those figures per- cate the relationships and emo- those attributes unique to musical Harris, frequently struggled with ceive the gang members. The song tions of the story. In particular, The Fox Theatre’s current theatre: singing and dancing. By the upper ranges of his voice. The is very silly, and the antics of the they express the underlying production of West Side Story these two standards, the version fact that the two made a roman- characters on stage make it very themes addressing love and rac- delivers a classic theatre experi- of the show on display at the Fox tic pair meant that Maria clearly fun to watch. This energy exists ism. In dancing segments that ence of blended comedy, drama Theatre is weak in one but strong dominated any duets that the cou- in several other numbers, all of double as gang fights, the tim- and great music. This particular in the other. ple had on stage, slightly weaken- which stand out as more enjoyable ing is especially precise, show- musical has been around since The musical score of West Side ing the effect of the emotion of the than the softer, musically techni- the 50s, which is also the time Story was composed by Leonard songs. Of the rest of the cast, only cal pieces. See West, page 15 Strings does new take on traditional rom-coms FILM No Strings Attached pulls a flip- cal resident played by Natalie No Strings Attached flop on the traditional Hollywood Portman. Both leads are awk- rom-com in a couple of ways. In- ward, affable and attractive as GENRE: Romantic Comedy stead of two people falling in love they ought to be considering that STARRING: Natalie Portman, until they finally hook up, we these are the same sort of roles Ashton Kutcher have two people hooking up until Portman and Kutcher always do. they finally fall in love. Fortunately, the couple has DIRECTOR: Ivan Reitman Instead of a hopelessly roman- a healthy chemistry when they RATING: R tic girl pining for a guy who is could have just as easily sleep- afraid to commit, we have a hope- walked through the film. RELEASE DATE: Jan. 21, 2011 lessly romantic guy chasing after a This is largely thanks to a lively girl who is afraid to commit. script with punchy dialog, blunt OUR TAKE: ««««« Everything else is perfectly humor, odd 90s musical referenc- predictable. There is an awkward es and a cast of supporting charac- By Hank Whitson courtship followed by miscom- ters who alternate between likable Staff Writer munications that result in a tragic and despicable. estrangement and then everything Adam’s dad, played by Kevin I am not a fan of romantic ends happily-ever-after, with a Kline, is a drug abusing, has-been comedies, so I did not expect to wedding no less. TV star who is dating his son’s ex- enjoy a second of No Strings At- Our Romeo is Adam, a happy- girlfriend. Chris Bridges, perhaps tached. Therefore, it is to the go-lucky production assistant for better known as Ludacris, puts movie’s considerable credit that a High School Musical type-show, in a fun performance as Adam’s I left the theater good-humored played by Ashton Kutcher. smart and surprisingly sensitive and glad to have spent the price of The Juliet is Emma, an over- admission. worked emotionally distant medi- See Strings, page 15 Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures 14 • January 28, 2011 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT DC offers players chance to become superheroes GAMES superhero characteristics is phe- When the player enters the DC Universe Online nomenal. Sony also was able to world, they are awoken inside of use famous voice actors such as Braniac’s lair in a futuristic story CONSOLE: PlayStation 3, PC Mark Hamill as the Joker, Kevin line. The player must fight his or GENRE: MMORPG Conroy as Batman and even Wil her way to meet up with Super- Wheaton as Robin. man, Batman or Wonder Woman DEVELOPER: Sony Online Upon starting the game, the depending on who the player’s Entertainment player is walked through the char- mentor is. Once that part which RATING: T acter creation process. The player serves as the tutorial is complet- is allowed to customize the look ed, the player is then taken to a RELEASED: Jan. 11, 2011 and powers of the superhero to present-day story line. The player’s their liking. The player has the op- MMO experience begins here. OUR TAKE: ««««« tion to pick the hero side or the vil- The Player vs. Environment lain side, and a mentor must also (PvE) world is completely open By Andrew Akker be chosen for the new superhero. and free-roam. Players can inter- Contributing Writer The player can choose between act and fight with each other to Superman, Batman and Wonder complete quests and instances. In the world of massively multi Woman if the player chooses to be Events take place in famous loca- player online role-playing games, a hero, or Lex Luthor, The Joker tions such as Gotham City and or MMORPGs, one of the most and Circe if you’re a villain. Metropolis. anticipated games has approached Different powers are also avail- The quests will be different comic fanatics in DC Universe able to choose from such as fire or depending on the player’s alli- Online. This game from Sony On- ice powers. Fighting styles such as ance. Players can also participate line Entertainment allows play- brawling and using guns or swords in “missions” with each other. ers to immerse themselves in the can also be customized to what Teamwork is a must if you want world of DC Comic and live their the player creates. In addition, to get through it with a minimal childhood fantasies of becoming a the player can choose from three amount of deaths and problems. superhero. special moving abilities. One can Another big part of the game is The level of detail in the game harness the power of flight, acro- in reference to the actual comic batics or super speed. See Universe, page 16 Image courtesy of Sony Online Entertainment

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West from page 13 makes a few conversations hard to follow, but the emotions involved ing off the cast’s ability to rhyth- and the important plot points still mically flow across the stage in a come across. This change might CAKECONCERT leave fans satisfied seemingly chaotic manner. detract from the experience for Showroom of Aside from the dancing, not some, but it has the positive effect much else stood out about this of drawing more attention to the Compassion Tour musical. The set was effective in cultural differences that drive the PERFORMER: CAKE its simple design and capacity major conflict of the musical. for quick scene shifts, often dis- Aside from some weaknesses LOCATION: Center Stage appearing temporarily to make in vocal talent, the execution of DATE: Jan. 19, 2011 room for the more elaborate dance dancing, lighting and orchestra- numbers. tion is practically flawless. West OUR TAKE: ««««« The lighting was effective, but Side Story has many wild and only insomuch as it served its pur- silly moments mixed amidst dark, By Tim Nowack pose without drawing attention moving ones. All of the dances are Contributing Writer to itself, subtly underscoring the enjoyable to watch. By embracing emotions of each scene. One inter- the strengths of ensemble song Alternative rock band CAKE esting aspect of this production of and dance above all else, West concluded their three-night At- West Side Story that might confuse Side Story ultimately provides an lanta concert series on Wednesday, those familiar with older versions entertaining show. Jan. 19 at Center Stage. Dubbed is the amount of Spanish. West Side Story will contin- an “An Evening with CAKE,” the The two central gangs, the Jets ue playing at the Fox Theatre event was one of seven stops on Photo by Tim Nowack / Student Publications and the Sharks, are composed of through the weekend. There are the band’s Showroom of Compas- connections to the Atlanta area ner received an apple tree that had Americans and Puerto Ricans. In shows on Friday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m., sion Tour, which promoted the since their formation in 1991. Mc- been sitting, oddly, on stage the the play, large portions of the dia- Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. and release of their new album of the Crea admitted to the crowd that entire night. logue between Puerto Rican char- 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 30 at 1 same name. the fans from the area had a large After the intermission, CAKE acters are actually Spanish. This p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Known for their unique mu- impact on the early success of the performed “Federal Funding,” sical and lyrical styles, CAKE band, as many of CAKE’s early “Bound Away” and “Sick of You,” Strings from page 13 ing out a pair of lesbians who she delighted fans with a three-hour shows were performed in clubs three songs off their new album. thinks Adam has slept with. performance that sampled from across the city. Obviously Atlanta Released on Jan. 11, the album best friend. There were a couple moments the band’s extensive discography. still loves CAKE, and all three was CAKE’s first release under its Lake Bell also has a memora- that suggested a keener sense CAKE opened the night with shows sold out quickly. own label and immediately raced ble performance as Adam’s well- of self-awareness than what the a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Sad The band has gone through to the No. 1 position on the Bill- meaning but obnoxiously talk- movie winds up settling for, and Songs and Waltzes” off of their many lineup changes over their board 200 in its first week. ative colleague. I cannot help but wonder how platinum selling, second studio near twenty-year existence, but Filled with many instances of The film starts off strong, the things could have played out album, Fashion Nugget. The band has always prominently featured crowd participation, energy levels where it plays less like a predict- if writers Elizabeth Meriwether also revisited fan-favorite clas- non-traditional elements. McCrea remained high throughout the able romance and more like a and Michael Samonek pushed sics like “Opera Singer,” “Frank combines a mixture of spoken and night. screwball comedy. themselves to write a comic end- Sinatra” and “Shadow Stabbing.” sung lyrical styles to produce an A riotous call for an encore We see Adam and Emma share ing that didn’t resort to a fairy tale Regular pleas from the crowd for extremely unique, ska and indie- lasting several minutes returned a painfully awkward conversation wrap-up. their favorite songs were, surpris- like tonality. Many of CAKE’s the band to the stage to conclude at summer camp together, fol- It would be a much harder sell ingly, often answered, and CAKE hits including trumpet riffs by the with two of CAKE’s most prolific lowed by a second meeting in col- without the big red ribbon of ro- performed many deeper tracks, only other original member, Vince singles, “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” lege where she asks him to accom- mantic closure, but it also might including “Jolene,” “Haze of DiFiore. The band’s musical dis- and “The Distance.” pany her to “some stupid thing,” have been something more memo- Love” and “Guitar.” Unlike many tinctiveness carries over onto the As the diversely aged crowd which turns out to be her father’s rable and intelligent. bands, CAKE is known for not stage, as well. slowly emptied the packed Cen- funeral. Then again, a conventional ro- using predetermined set lists dur- Half-way through the concert, ter Stage, the venue buzzed with Things start to go downhill mantic comedy with Kutcher and ing shows and at many points dur- McCrea reminded the crowd that excitement and discussion on the after a frantic but tame hook-up Portman could have ended up a ing the concert, asked fans which the performance would include band’s seemingly flawless perfor- montage when Adam instantly lot worse, too. songs they might want to hear. a twenty-minute intermission to mance. CAKE’s reputation as one starts to develop the romantic If you’re in the mood for some- Hailing from Sacramento, allow fans “to discuss with the of the greatest live band’s today feelings he promised not to. thing in between There’s Some- Calif. and founded and front neighbors the songs they liked so was definitely upheld, and their There are a few other bright thing About Mary and 500 Days of manned by guitarist/vocalist John far” and also featured a lengthy extensive Atlanta fan base was not spots, like Adam’s mix-tape for Summer, give No Strings Attached McCrea, CAKE has had strong trivia contest in which the win- left disappointed. menstruation, and Emma chew- a try.

sliver www.nique.net Dungeon Standard Time -- it’s a great time Y’all talkin ‘bout racin? aha! so all the stinger buses have been taking part in a mud-rally over the break. row row row your boat, gently down the chattahoochee... who knew? Seriously Georgia Tech? You’re installing an elevator to take lazy students 1 story down to the completely pointless North Ave Dining Hall? Way to go Running in front of cars is a bad idea. I didn’t think I’d have to say that. gtcn: how do I get to channel 47.1? There is no punctuation on my remote. To that one girl in that one class at that one particular time: You’re cute! I expect a full review of Incursion once the Sansha invade. Go Minmatar! Under the Couch music sucks. It just sounds bad, always. Dear Jordan, yes I am avoiding you. Yes I don’t like you. leggings and tights arent pants. thats why they’re AWESOME Dear Bathrobe Guy: We like it when people wear clothes to the place where we eat Time definitely flows slower in most of my lectures I have a dream ... that one day stories in the Technique shall not be judged by the color of their print, but by the content of their articles The squirrels are definitely planning something ... I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air Rock Band = Guitar Hero Better Graphics Durin the exaaaaaaam .... I rock my chair back and forth ... i rock my chair back and forth ... I wish I was a character in an anime. THEN I could make my face really look like this: XD (Sand Gravel Rocks), (Heat Transfer Mechanisms), (Air move- ment & Weather), (H2O), (Aortic Pumps) .... when your powers combine I am CAPTAIN SCIENCE! 16 • January 28, 2011 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT

Universe from page 14 the Player vs. Player (PvP) aspect. Groban departs from previous work Players can participate in PvP MUSIC dy and harmonization. Previously battles against each other in four Josh Groban Groban included mostly tracks in versus four or eight versus eight various languages inspired by, or configurations. The queue system Illuminations directly covering works of classi- is very easy to use and allows the LABEL: 143/Reprise Records cal music. player to continue on with PvE The style of Illuminations em- tasks while waiting to join a PvP GENRE: Vocal, Classical braces the tradition of the English game. Once the PvP game is over, TRACK PICKS: “Você Existed songs from his previous albums the player is returned to their last Em Mim” “Straight to You” and develops it further to make location in a seamless transition and “Bells of New York City” English-language compositions back to what you were doing. that have roots in classical tradi- There are a couple problems OUR TAKE: ««««« tion but have a modern sensibility with the game, which are pretty easily understood by most listen- minor, but worth mentioning. By Chris Ernst ers. The first is the social aspect of the Senior Staff Writer This new style is promising game needs to be worked on. The in its premise but does not quite chat system is a little light in fea- Josh Groban’s Illuminations is become it to the most it can be. tures and the social panel is a bit his fifth studio classical crossover Groban sounds natural enough cluttered. However, once one gets album and also his most personal while singing “easier” music with Image courtesy of 143/Reprise Records used to the layout, it becomes eas- and progressive yet. While die- his operatic, trained voice. How- Groban has released and it shows. operatic tone. ier to navigate. It’s a bit counter- hard fans may be upset by the ever, the compositions sound only The themes are much more ac- The style of Illuminations is intuitive for those new to MMOs. change in direction of Groban’s half-baked. cessible and expected of a savvy, definitely a departure from Gro- Another problem is one found style, many fans and even new- The melodies meander too modern 20-something. There are ban’s previous work, but the shift commonly in classic MMORPGs. comers can find his new, different much and do not have strong no societal dissertations or shock- is a step in an interesting direc- The payment model Sony chose style more accessible. While there hooks, a staple of pop music. The ing opinions as the material is tion. However, it is only a step for DC is monthly-subscription are some shortcomings of the al- result is pleasant music that does tame and soothing. Love, gained and hopefully will be developed based, which costs about 15 dol- bum, overall it is an interesting not get stuck in your head. With and lost, makes up the bulk of the more into something intriguing lars per month. While many other left turn from Groban’s previous a little work and some more ex- themes. for more than just fans. competitors are adopting the free- commonplace musical direction. perimentation Groban can surely Groban’s voice is the No. 1 rea- This departure allows Groban to-play model with an in-game This new style is heavily in- master this new challenge. son to buy this album. His voice more freedom of expression as he cash shop, DC has stuck with a fluenced by more popular music With a classically trained voice is warm and soothing like hot co-wrote nearly all the songs on more traditional style. While not from the last century or so instead at his disposal, the possibilities are chocolate in a blizzard. In a world the album. Fans of Groban’s voice deal-breaking, a free-to-play mod- of the more classical traditions of tantalizing. He could take a leaf of Miley Cyrus and Drake, Gro- will not be disappointed as he is el would be a big plus for the game the albums past. While Groban out of Alanis Morissette’s book ban stands head, shoulders and still as accomplished as ever and in the future. has been known to collaborate and do ironic deliveries of pop stratospheres above other popular hearing his instrument do some- DC Universe is a very well with modern acts like Deep For- songs. Think T-Pain lyrics with “talents.” thing different like this entertains polished MMORPG for immers- est and Imogen Heap, this album Groban’s delivery. He is controlled and practiced even casual fans. ing the player in the world of the takes that a leap further by per- Groban has a writing credit on when so much music today is com- Illuminations sees Groban grow superheroes. Both veterans of forming mostly modern song in 11 of the 13 tracks of Illumina- puterized and processed. While as an artist, and with a little more MMORPGs as well as new com- English. tions, usually sharing credit with he has not quite nailed down the experience and work he can truly ers will enjoy the experience of be- The songs here have a pop-like Dan Wilson of Semisonic. This pop, bombastic tone he aims for, transition into the pop arena as a ing able to become what they’ve structure and simplicity in melo- is by far the most personal album Groban departs well from a pure talented, capable artist, a rarity. always dreamed of. ENTERTAINMENT Technique • January 28, 2011 • 17

Theme Crossword: Down On The Farm By Robert Zimmerman United Features Syndicate 43. Wonderland 75. Timber tree heroine 76. Princess in ACROSS 44. Blockbuster comic opera 1. Compass pt. 45. Tanaka’s predecessor 77. Gibb or Goldwater 4. Cachet 46. Easy mark: 2 wds. 78. Rope with a noose 8. Commenced legal 48. Nick at -- 79. Greek isle action 49. Japanese statesman 80. Dissuaded 13. Grating sound 50. Customs 82. Quiets down 17. “Whatever -- Wants” 51. Kind of garden 83. Pressed 19. Old Italian coins 52. Secret store 84. Kind of book 20. Ridge 53. Bowdlerized 85. Uses a soft pedal 21. Lover of Narcissus 55. Set in motion 86. Nail 22. Wall Street 57. Necklace 87. “The -- Family” phenomenon: 2 wds. 58. Moved carefully 90. Baseball great 24. Locomotive part 59. “You Only Live --” Hank -- 26. Literary excerpts 60. Helmet adornment 91. Like pastoral scenes 27. Antelope 61. Hawthorne’s 95. Horripilation: 2 wds. 29. Most thirsty Prynne 97. Sioux chief: 2 wds. 30. Lugs 63. Neutral shade 99. Monster 31. Lattices 64. Felonious 100. Poplar 32. Shear 67. Importunes 101. Gutter location 33. Be overwhelmed 68. Water bird 102. Unmixed, as with wonder 69. Zoo animal whiskey 36. Abusive e-mail 70. Hoover’s agcy. 103. Planet wheel 37. Safeguards 71. Term in grammar 104. Ate 41. States positively 72. Noted essayist: 105. Spool 42. -- couture 2 wds. 106. Salamander

DOWN 14. Dental complaint 36. Destined 1. Island near Corsica 15. Female ones 37. Spunkiness 2. Common or proper item 16. Haven for vessels 38. Paltry sum: 2 wds. 55. Guzzle 69. Quahogs 85. Acer 3. Fitzgerald 18. Quickly, in music 39. Parishioner’s 56. Block of metal 72. Town in New 86. Chisel edge 4. Varieties 19. -- bleu! offering 57. Scale Mexico 87. Psyched up 5. BPOE members 23. Brunches 40. Pilot 59. Weepy 73. Orate anagram 88. Venetian magistrate 6. Iced drink 25. Too familiar 42. Engaged 60. -- facie 74. Muffler’s cousin 89. Dumb --, old slang 7. Educated ones 28. Threshold 43. Hold dear 61. Like equatorial days 75. Use to one’s benefit: 90. You said it! 8. Mere appearance 31. Stuffs 46. More tender 62. Undermine 2 wds. 91. Macadamize 9. Shackles 32. Pain in the neck 47. Beauty of movement 63. Vandyke, e.g. 77. Fog 92. Release 10. Obscene 33. Early programming 48. Watts or Judd 64. Confabulates 79. Private teacher 93. Service branch: abbr. 11. And blah, blah, blah ... language 50. Ancient lawgiver 65. Slacken 81. Pencil attachment 94. Latvian 12. Standstill 34. Rounded 52. Sucker 66. Had a taste for 82. Afflicted 96. -- supra 13. Formula 35. To make angry: 3 wds. 54. Satisfied 68. Card in a hand 83. Slaty colors 98. “Norma --” 18 • January 28, 2011 • Technique COMICS

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham Non Sequitur by Wiley

Crossword Solution from page 17 COMICS Technique • January 28, 2011 • 19

Non Sequitur by Wiley DILBERT ® by Scott Adams