2S THE ENTERTAINER Corvallis (OR) Gazette-Times and Albany (OR) Democrat-Herald, Friday, October 1-8, 1999 SHIM EDA AT THE BEANERY ther do I recommend that it linger while the locals and visitors say goodbye to one another, tidy up every plot strand and demonstrate that their hearts are in the right place. I do, however, think this same cast, in this same town, could metamorphose into an entertaining sitcom. It almost feels as if they metamorphosed out of one. to sing the "Star-Spangled Ban-' ner," or what he does for an encore, because that sequence is just about perfect. All of these people are awfully nice.
I don't know how they got an rating for their movie, which seems pretty PG-13 to me. They have a fine little village there, and darned if I wasn't rooting for the home team in the big game. This is not a bad movie so much as a meandering one, lacking in dramatic tension because no one really turns out to be a villain. I don't require that a sports movie end when the outcome of the big game is decided, but nei- attorney; Lolita Davidovich is married to the mayor (Colm Meaney); Ron Eldard is "skan*," the local ladies' man; Judith Ivey is the judge's wife and Rachel Wilson is his daughter, Ryan Northcutt is Stevie, her boyfriend, the speed demon on ice. Mike Myers has fun with a Canadian accent and word chokes as a TV color commentator; no doubt he was recruited by the director, Jay Roach, who made the "Austin Powers" movies.
Hockey legends Doug McLeod, Phil Esposito and Jim Fox are also TV announcers. I will not reveal what celebrity they recruit The Entertainer UL IliHIM.JillJIL I -HI I I'JI JH.HI III JJ J-ll. I I- miiaJ" Ml rr lmli' The Movie Bits listing was not available this week. It should return to this space next week. and at the door.
Among the local musicians who will appear are: Sandy Smith Jon Tenbrook, The Nettles Duo, Ditchwater, Robby Friends, Jane Sivetz, Suzannah Doyle, 1 Kathi Anderson and Sarah Hoffman. Both regular and sugar-free desserts will be on hand. Proceeds will be used to buy blood-sugar monitors that will be given to the clinic's patients. CORVALLIS A host of popular local musicians will perform an evening of music and dessert to benefit the Community Outreach Diabetic Clinic. The concert will be from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct.
2 at the Lewisburg Grange Hall, 6000 Elliot Circle. Tickets are $10 and are available at Grass Roots Books Music, Rice's Pharmacy living Me Tz L3 By ROGER EEERT Universal Pres Syndicate "Mysjery, Alaska" is sweet, pleasant, low-key, inoffensive and unnecessary. It sticks up for underdogs, nice people and small towns, and doesn't like big corporations, adulterers, TV producers and New Yorkers in general. It contains not only a big game with a thrilling finish, but also a courtroom scene, a funeral scene, an innocent teen-age sex scene, a change-of-heart scene and a lot of scenery. No one falls through the ice and almost drowns, but we can't hope for everything.
The movie assembles a large cast in Mystery, Alaska, a fictional town where since time i immemorial life has revolved; around the Saturday Game, a hockey match played on black pond ice by local boys and men, who take it very seriously indeed. A former town resident (Hank Azaria) writes an article for Sports Illustrated about what fierce and brilliant hockey players they all are, and soon a sports network is promoting an exhibition game between the local team and the New York Rangers, But this is not merely a hockey movie, leading up to the big game. It has many things on its mind. A foul-mouthed representative for a big retail chain comes to town and gets shot in the foot by a general store owner. The mayor's wife fools around with one of the hockey players.
A veteran team member gets kicked upstairs to the coaching job to make room for a teen-age phe-nom. There are scenes of young and middle-aged love, visits from Used Remans Imported Domestics free DeliverylLow Cost 'MYSTERY, ALASKA' A John Biebe Russell Crowe Charles Danner Hank Azaria Donna Biebe Mary McCormack Judge Walter Bums Burt Reynolds Mayor Scott Pitcher Colm Meaney Mary Jane Pitcher Lohta Davidovich Bailey Prurtt Maury Chaykm 'skan*'-Marden Ron Eldard i Hollywood Pictures presents a film directed by Jay Roach. Produced by David E. Kelley and Howard Baldwin. Written by David E.
Kelley and Sean O'Byme. Photographed by Peter Deming. Edited by Jon Poll. Music by Carter Burwell. RUNNING TIME: 118 minutes RATED: (for language and sexual-lily) PLAYING AT: Albany Cinemas high-powered media stars, and a drunken driving scene involving a Zamboni.
So cluttered is the plot that Burt Reynolds, sporting a Mephistophelian beard and a black overcoat he didn't get from Eddie Bauer, plays not only the local judge but also a strict and troubled husband and father, a former hockey coach who returns to the job, and a spoilsport who turns into a good guy. Since he gets only one big scene for some of these manifestations, the screenplay is like a test of versatility. The film was written by David E. Kelley, one of the most successful writer-producers in TV today and Sean i O'Byrne. They like lots of characters.
Russell Crowe is the town sheriff and aging hockey star, Mary McCormack is his sweet wife; Maury Chaykin is the local ALBANY ENGINE EXCHANGE I- Rhythm ensemble to play 'percussion landscapes' i which suffered because summer audiences are shy about stories that take more than a sentence to summarize. Despite my affection, I can't quite recommend "Drive Me Crazy. "The good stuff needs more energy behind it. John Schultz's 1 direction is lackadaisical. Scenes i arrive without feeling necessary, i Plot points are belabored.
These characters deserve a quicker pace; sometimes they feel ahead of the movie. Still, there's this: Although "Drive Me Crazy" is indeed based on one of the three basic prom plots, it isn't based on the other two. Continued from page 25 ter moments in which he takes her up in a hot air balloon and hands her "Zen arid the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," suggesting it might help her understand him. She throws it overboard. I felt like cheering.
"Drive Me Crazy" is slight and sweet, not a great high school movie but kinda nice, with appealing performance's by Hart and Grenier. I remember him with respect from last summer's The Adventures of Sebastian Cole," in which his stepfather wanted to have a sex change. That was a much better movie, The Entertainer (ft fa eres, timbales and balaphones," according to its publicity materi-ali i (The band's CD, "locations," on local label Louie Records, will be available for sale. I Eugene Weekly said of the CD, 'Locations' is a feast for jazz lovers as well as Mickey Hart fans." i- i Performing Thursday will be Mike Curtis on reeds, and Dave Storrs, Hal Lee and Mischa Schurman on percussion. CORVALLIS The Califas Rhythm Ensemble will perform "percussion landscapes" at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 7, at the Bean Bag, 1425 N.W. Monroe Ave. Admission will be by $2 donation. The four-member Corvallis group performs "melodies played by winds floating over a variety of percussion backgrounds including congas, bells, garbage cans, shak- Seattle musician Aiko Shimada and her band will perform at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Beanery, 500 S.W. Second St. Shimada got her start in music at the Beanery and other Corvallis venues before moving on to the big city. The Aiko Shimada band has played throughout the Northwest, fusing elements of jazz, folk and rock.
She has played on both coasts, in Europe and Japan. The band will be appearing with Minus. The show is open to the public and will have an optional admission charge. Information: Mark France, 7540756. i BRING US YOUR COPIES, YOU'LL SAVE -ecoeS Present your Asr o3.fcf color copy job on disk, uL0 Oak Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum 3 I' Lebanon Sweet Home concert series opens I- WiiWkll Ivl litll lill ttt I I tai bail Live Music No Host Bar Social 6:30 Dinner 7:30 1301 Waverly Drive SE Albany 928-2675 The Entertainer Viva Majestic Theatre Management Specializing In Cremation, Memonalization and Affordable Package Plans IV presents Portland-based 'Primal Mates' set for Music a la Carte Whiteside I 2245 SV I Corvalli 2245 SVV Corvallis 7 Open Mon-Fri Sat by Appointment Visitors Gate open 8:30 sundown 7 days a week 753-4532 THEATRE I An Evening Saturday, October 9th Tfco linn Cc*nty Fair a Exsa Center Treats $40 chased the night of the perfor- mance or by calling Lorrie un tertian at (541) 451-3168.
jl Season tickets cost $30 for li adults, $15 for students, and $65 for a family. Hurst is a concert soloist on both harp and piano, and has performed with many big names of i show business, including Ann i Margaret, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diana Ross. He has recored five albums, including "October Light." OSU News Service LEBANON Paul Hurst, a pianist, harpist and composer, will be featured artist for the openin gof the Lebanon-Sweet Home Concert Association's season at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2, in the Lebanon High School auditorium, 1700 Fifth Street.
Admission to all performances is by membership in the associa- tion. Season tickets can be pur- in Paris TTe Magic is Back! AVaSLABLE AT: lice's rumKi CORVALLIS The Music a la Carte concert series at Oregon State University will host "Primal Mates," an acoustic chamber jazz trio from Portland, at noon Thursday, Oct. 7. The free, informaljuiblic concert series is held in OSlTs Memorial Union Lounge. Primal Mates includes Chris Lee on vibraphone and drums, Colleen O'Brien on cello and vocals and Gary Versace on accordion.
The trio draws from its vst experienceilrHazz, folk In addition to an extensive original repertoire, a performance by Primal Mates also includes music from such diverse sources as Ornette Coleman, Nick Drake, Thelonius Monk, Egberto Gismonti and Carta Bley. Lee is active as a composer, vibraphonist, drummer, and teacher. Vocalist and cellist O'Brien has led her own groups as well as performing as a solo artist and in duo and group settings. She was featured at the Mt. Hood and Westcliffe jazz festivals and on the Denver PBS series "Artists Profile." Versace began playing accordion as a child, and as a teenager was featured soloist with the Greenwich (Connecticut) Symphony.
While in high school he began to play piano which soon eclipsed the accordion. Versace received his master of music degree in jazz studies from the Eastman School of Music. As a jazz pianist, Versace has won several awards, including Best Soloist at the 1991 Villanova Jazz Festival, and has performed with Bob Moses, David Friesen, Glen Moore, Jerry Hahn, Peter Epstein, Ingrid Jensen and others. He has recently taken to rediscovering his accordion roots by exploring the instroment's untapped potential in contemporary jazz. Portland Opera presents 'Aida' rKids Fly Free Songs and stories from France: Francois Poulenc I Jacques Brel Edith Piaf The Entertainer and improvised music, and creates a sound that is bv their definition "atjmceipassioaajie and Dlavful." 1 HKMrMf tit stown I Sptmsoml by 1 i wrm HewLErrX MJLM PACKARD If ICjfMninPoutNfabnl Disneyland Promotion Travel thru February 29, 2000 Must be booked by 12-12-99 featuring Opera For The Hesitant Thereasa Koon Christy Slocacek Sponsored by Le Bistro According to a review in "Percussive Notes," Portland Opera box office at (503) i 241-1802 or by calling Ticketmas- terat(503)790-ARTS.
Tickets also can be purchased i in person at all Ticketmaster out-i lets, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portland i Opera offices. Groups of 10 or more save up to 10 percent by i calling group sales at (503) 24 1-1 1407. i PORTLAND -Portland Opera will usher in its 35th anniversary season with Verdi's "Aida." Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9 at the Civic Auditorium, S.W. Third and Clay.
Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased by phone by calling the this unusual combination produces music that is "improvisatory and has clearjazz root.These: musicians sound wonderful together, performing complex musical passages with impeccable phrasing and improvising in a manner that is playfully October 9 at Majestic Theatre Uaiforetf Jravef of Lebanon intuitive, subtle and at times wiiJrwrttkcarefree abandon." Call for details (541) 259-6444 1-877-259-6444.
