XL WEEKEND REVIEWS

Tito Puente Jr., the Evens, 'Ring Round the Moon,' 'Elephant's Graveyard'

Monday, November 12, 2007

Theater: 'Elephant's Graveyard'

"Elephant's Graveyard," a new play by Michener Fellow George Brant, has fertile ground to dig: the only known lynching of an elephant.

As the chorus of the play often repeats: "It was September. There was a small town. There was a circus. There was a railroad. There was a man with red hair. And there was an elephant." That's the bare bones of the story, which, for the most part, is told through a series of monologues — how a circus elephant ran rampant and was hung from a railroad crane. The action is never shown or played out.

There's still spectacle aplenty, with admirable clowning by Ben Schave and a towering, awe-inspiring set by Szu-Feng Chen. But it's all subdued when compared to what's not on stage.

That lets director Laura Kepley focus on each individual's performance. Some, like Matrex Kilgore as a town outsider narrating most of the event, rise to the occasion. Some get lost in preaching the heavy-handed metaphors of the elephant as a test of masculinity and the railroad as the killer of the circus' free spirit.

The play is moving and still strikes meaning, but with the exciting material, it'd be nice to see less direct pedantry and more exploration through the story. That's the real elephant in the room.

— Joey Seiler

"Elephant's Graveyard" continues at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Oscar G. Brockett Theatre, 300 E. 23rd St. $10-$16. 477-6060, www.utpac.org.

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Theater: 'Ring Round the Moon'

"Ring Round the Moon" is an odd little play. Chronicling a ball at a luxurious French mansion, the play, and it seems the director, can't decide what sort of story to tell.

Frederic, nephew to the chateau's owner, is smitten with a girl who in turn loves Frederic's identical, more-coldly-pragmatic-than-evil twin Hugo. To save his brother from a loveless marriage, Hugo invites a poor ballet dancer to the ball to lure Frederic away.

The contrived farce sets up two initial acts that should breeze by like a classic film, suited to the natural charisma of the Hepburns and Grants of the world. Too often the current actors come off as broad parodies of the archetypal actors who served those roles well. But by the third act, when the action picks up and identities are mistaken, the cast does a fine job of carrying the comedy. Jacob Trussell as the twins stands out in particular, bouncing back and forth without losing a step.

The final two acts present the real conundrum, shifting to a state of meta-theatrical absurdity. And Ev Lunning Jr., as a tired capitalist, and Kate Eminger, as the outspoken ballerina, shine in an extended scene of gleeful anarchism.

There are enjoyable, disparate moments, but the cast and direction can't quite make them mesh.

— Joey Seiler

"Ring Round the Moon" continues at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Mary Moody Northern Theatre. 3001 S. Congress Ave. $10-$15. 448-8483.

Review: the Evens

If there's one thing that characterizes Ian MacKaye's career, it's an ongoing quest for greater and greater independence from whatever he sees as a constriction, be it financial, cultural or otherwise.

His record label, Dischord, is one of the most famous independent rock labels in the world. His first well-known band, Minor Threat, was considered by many the definitive hardcore punk band, defining a sound and vision that is copied to this day.

His former band, Fugazi, had a reputation as the punkest of the punk, if you define punk as a lifelong devotion to maximum self-determination. Their shows were all ages and had low door prices. The albums were cheap and they had no manager or booking agent. They didn't truck with jerks at their shows and occasionally kicked the truly obnoxious out with a refund. It helped Fugazi's success that it was one of the best live bands that ever lived.

These days, MacKaye is playing in the Evens, a duo with his partner, drummer Amy Farina, known in underground rock circles for her time in the D.C. band the Warmers.

With this act, MacKaye continues to hammer away at underground rock's conventions. The duo brings its own PA and acts as its own sound person ("If you can't hear us, don't yell at someone in the back," MacKaye said). They prefer non-conventional spaces to rock clubs. (This show was Sunday at the Compound, an open lot a few doors down from the Scoot Inn.) They play sitting down, MacKaye on baritone guitar and Farina on a full drum kit. The songs are usually played at middling volume, so the audience is forced to pay attention. It looks like a folk duo, but it isn't, really.

The funny part is that MacKaye's writing hasn't changed that much. He still has a way with blocky riffs that resolve into surprisingly potent hooks. Were these songs louder and the players jumping around, they would be mid-tempo (if mellow) rock tunes, not unlike Fugazi. MacKaye's concerns are still the same — institutions and the damage they do.

"Dinner With the President" takes aim at rewards from those you don't respect: "I don't exist in their worldview/ But if I went, I know what I'd like to do/ Stand up and scream while the food is served."

"You Won't Feel A Thing" equates the state of our nation to a trip to the dentist ("It's only when you're numb does the real violence take place"). MacKaye requested an epic rock fadeout on the final lines, "until you wake up." Everyone sang along, quietly, then quieter, then out.

"That was really great," MacKaye said. One has the feeling this was a level of crowd participation (and control) he's been after for a long, long time.

— Joe Gross

Review: Tito Puente Jr.

"Bienvenidos! My name is Enrique Iglesias," joked Tito Puente Jr.

The fans packing the dance floor laughed, and Puente added a rueful "I wish!"

But while Iglesias is undoubtedly hunkier, and sells a lot of records, the poor lad always appears to be brooding about something. Puente, on the other hand, looked to be having nothing but fun Saturday night at the Monarch Event Center as he celebrated his late father's musical legacy of mambos, cha-chas, salsa and fiery Latin jazz.

The younger Puente enjoyed some success recording Latin house music a few years back, scoring a Billboard Dance chart hit with a remake of his father's "Oye Como Va." His last album, however, was the 2004 tribute "In My Father's Shoes/En los Pasos de mi Padre." These days he's playing timbales — his father's instrument — and singing Palladium Ballroom classics.

Puente, 36, shares his father's ebullient personality, as well as his sense of rhythm. He and musical director/vocalist Louis Shati ribbed each other all night, and Puente traded quips with fans in Spanish and English. When someone up front requested the inevitable "Oye Como Va," he replied "It's coming! That's the money tune!"

Puente seemed to savor each solo from the members of Shati's terrific 12-piece San Antonio-based band, flashing a wide grin like his father's. He showed off his own chops in lively solos in the classic "Ran Kan Kan" and, of course, the set-closing "Oye Como Va." He may be fueling his career with nostalgia, but between his own high energy and the finesse of the band, it all sounded a lot fresher than the latest Enrique Iglesias hit.

Opening acts Cienfuegos, from Austin, and Salsa del Rio, from Texas State University in San Marcos, also kept the dance floor sizzling. The student group dazzled like consummate pros. Singer Leo Rodriguez was particularly impressive, not just for his bright, supple baritone, but also for the natural elegance of his phrasing and ease of his improvisations.

— Parry Gettelman