franks paints musical poetry By Gary Serrao The side closes out with "Jardin If you ever get the feeling that you're Botanico, '' a samba-style selection about just about fed up with the disco or pop escaping wintertime in the city and rock thats been blasting from your stereo flying let me offer an alternative. Michael Franks, Tiger in the Rain, will ' ' .. to the Southern Hemisphere serve up some balmy orchestations Where the sky is clear . coupled with a casual, often nonchalant, Beneath banana trees ... vocal delivery that will induce a kind of Upon the cool Copacabana slow motion, laid back and mellow effect breeze ... ' ' in even the most strung-out disco/rock That's the perfect prescription for an junkies. overworked college student. Someone who can rhyme "nude" with The flip side starts up with "pulchritude" in a song titled "Popsicle " Underneath the Apple Tree," a gentle, Toes" can't help but offer an alternative quick-stepping ode to to today's often mundane music scene. Armed with a doctorate in the music "Sunnin' in our birthday suits field (he did his doctoral dissertation on Eatin' that forbidden fruit _.. '' Contemporary Songwriting and How it An interesting idea to try this summer. Relates to Society) Franks uses his The track is highlighted by a six-piece education to a subtle advantage. horn section with some especially lively Sprinkled with references from Dante to flute- and sax solos. · · Vivaldi, from Chagall to the African The title track, ''Tiger in the Rain,'' Queen, Franks' music has a kind of was inspired by a Henri Rousseau sensuous literacy that is his trademark painting and is featured on the album on the pop music scene. cover. Franks displays his exceptional Tiger in the Rain is a synthesis of jazz ability to play with words, images and meeting pop. Take away the witty lyrics, imagination in translating a painting into strip down the vocals and the LP' s musical poetry. The instrumentation has foundation is primarily jazz-oriented. a floating, dreamy quality that leaves the · Not to say that the dual rhythm sections, listener feeling a big lightheaded. creating two varied sounds instead of ' 'Satisfaction Guaranteed'' rocks a bit one bland sound, don't also incorporate more than the other cuts with several some Latin and rock influences creating outstanding contributions from the horn an urgent, jazzy samba rhythm that section. The cut sounds like a classic defies categorization. macho man come-on; The LP opens up with "Sanpaku," Michael Franks highlighted by percussion, bass and ''Can't you read these some tingly piano sections. The track thoughts I've been thinking? Let's escape all this smoking rocker with some imaginative, pictures­ ''By that time,'' Franks points out, ''you comes off with an enjoyable Latin flavor. haven't done something so many times and drinking que lyrics dealing with a stormswept "When It's Over" presents Franks at sailor who finds refuge on an island of that you're bored with it, so you still hsi most imaginative against a free­ Let's drive out to the River of Sin love. have that edge there." flowing jazz background: Michael Franks offers a variety of For those who are in the market for a ''All those books upon your And dive in. Skin to skin." styles. Some songs offer the traditional truly mellow (I mean, you play this LP shelf jazz feel, others a rock and Latin beat. when the party is over and you feel like Did they teach you how to cure The disc closes out with "Lifeline," Franks assembled a crack ensemble of crashing) album sparked with some yourself? another example of Franks' literary jazz players who whisked through the creative witty lyrics and an easy-going Not even Sigmund Freud creativity, featuring piano, trumpet and compositions with optimum spontaniety. beat, Michael Franks fits the bill with Can save you from the love you a string section. The cut is a mellow Three takes was the max for each song. Tiger in the Rain. destroyed.'' Little theatre------------------------~-~from paf(!e 7 phrase referring to patients who are ter­ "We're not afraid to tackle anything," Intimacy is the key word here too, as the where it counts by giving recent produc­ minally ill. The play is based on Mary says President Audrey Herman. Vags can only accommodate about 100 tions lousy reviews or just plain old ignor­ Rose Robacynski and will be produced in And indeed they are not. Spotlighters people. With no flies, no backdrops, and no ing the 18th century structure. the last week of June. produces musical comedies, dramas, wings to store extravagant sets, the Original material is encouraged but they "When I see a good thing, I don't like to classic Shakespeare, and even original scenery is simple but effective. occasionally succwnb to the ahnighty waste time," says Hamby. "And I write works. They are currently featuring an off- buck. fast." Tucked neatly away below ground level, Broadway musical revue entitled Start- "We're forced to do garbage sometimes The play will be entitled The Night of the theatre resembles the proverbial hole ing Here, Starting Now. The play is the to attract an audience-dinner theatre January 16 and members of the audience in the wall. It is brightened, however, by r.>roduct of the supreme talents of musician type shows,'' Tyler laments. will be invited to serve as jurors. Three dif­ superb acting, costuming, and lighting. David Shire and lyricist Richard Maltby, The themes of the theatre's productions ferent endings will be written for the show "Baltimore has really come on with lit­ Jr. A new play by Ira (Rosemary's Baby) vary. Triad, a new play by Brian West, is and will be performed depending on the tle theatre," says workaholic Herman. Levin called, Veronica's Room, will be - about a professional basketball player jury's verdict-guilty, not guilty, or a hung "The more there is, the better." May's performance. It's a chilling whose young son is a homosexual. This is jury. Competition hasn't slowed down popular suspense story with an extremely shocking scheduled to be the first summer offering. "We are better than professional Spotlighters in the least. Their musicals ending. The other summer production scheduled is theatre," Hamby brashly remarks. "The often can't accommodate the stragglers The Vagabonds present good theatre at entitled Pure as the Driven Snow, by process is the purpose in community who arrive too close to curtain time. reasonable prices-only $2.50 for students Paul Loomis. This play is an unpretentious theatre, not personal acclaim. In profes­ Spotlighters will present Dames at with an extra buck tacked on for musicals. spoof of meloramas, complete with sound sional theatre, everyone wants to get the Sea, a 1930's musical, in April. An all­ "They're located in Fells Point-appro- effects that don't work and mustaches that hell out of this show and on to Broadway. musical swnmer will feature South priately enough considering the Vags' fall off. Although a lot of amateur actors have the Pacific, Sweet Charity, and Guys and blend of contemporary production and Financial salvation may come upon dream, we look for camaraderie and per­ DoUs. proud historical tradition. completion of a proposed move next door sonal fulfillment.'' Ticket prices are $2 for students and $3 to the Vagabonds. Right now it is a full­ Variety is a big drawing card for The for adults. It's $3 for everyone, ·however, Fells Point Theatre time effort filling up the theatre's 50 seats. New Players Theatre. So is the price-only for the musicals. Theatre is not all bright lights and But the move looks promising and a $3 for adults and $2 for students. The rollicking curtain calls. Just ask managing potential theatre district is in the making theatre is air-conditioned and productions Vagabonds Theatre director Al Tyler, who speaks like a man for Fells Point. Al Tyler can hardly wait. run year-round. "The Vagabonds Theatre is the oldest, thrashing his hands and feet just to keep So despite the preponderance of de­ continuous little theatre in America," himself afloat. humanized, high-priced theatres and Spotlighters boasts enthusiastic public relations person Fells Point Theatre might be prime loca­ movie-houses, "the personal touch" sur­ Spotlighters have done a play every Shirley Bell. tion in Charm City, but paying the rent of­ vives. There is a Renaissance of sorts in month since 1962. A play every season since 1916 is a pretty fers full-time aggravation for manage­ Baltimore and little theatre is at the center good record. ment. Critics have also kicked the theatre of it. .