Former'Star Trek'
captain Patrick
Stewart exhibits his
various acting talents
in'King of Texas.'
Courtesy photo
Patrick Stewart visits old West
Stewart’s versatility shines
in ‘King of Texas,’ an old west
reinterpretiation of
Shakespeare’s ‘King Leaf
Movie review
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
Unlike most actors who gained
notoriety through “Star Trek,”
Patrick Stewart — or “P-Stew” —
has transcended and gained nu
merous interesting roles beyond
Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “The
Next Generation.”
The latest example of Stewart’s
versatility is “King of Texas,” re
cently released on VHS and DVD.
The film is a reinterpretation of
the William Shakespeare play
“King Lear,” but the twist is that it
is set in old western times, circa
late 1800s. Stewart plays the title
role of John Lear, a land magnate
who bequeaths his empire to two
of his daughters while ignoring the
one who truly loves him. This sto
ry is perpetually familiar.
Wisely, the movie does not co
opt Shakespeare’s dialogue, a la
recent films “O” and “10 Things I
Hate About You.” Adapting Shake
speare’s dialogue onto such an ex
pansive medium such as film is a
difficult task to accomplish, and
with a running time of 95 min
utes, “King of Texas” works better
by avoiding this effort.
What’s striking about “King of
Texas” is its feature-film quality
and cast of actors. The movie orig
inally aired on Showtime, which
usually connotes slipshod or
rushed production values. The
film was shot in Mexico, which
lends it to vividly shot, authentic
locations. And Stewart, a Royal
Shakespeare Company-trained ac
tor, also served as executive pro
ducer with wife Wendy Neuss
Stewart, so he clearly had a
personal stake in the production.
While there are no magazine
cover regulars here, most of the
main roles in the film are filled
with solid actors who probably
should have more face recogni
tion. Golm Meaney (another “Star
Trek” veteran, from both the
“Next Generation” and “Deep
Space Nine” series), delivers a sol
id performance in the role of Mr.
Tumlinson, who provides the
moral conscience for the charac
ters in the film. David Alan Grier,
known usually for his comedic
roles, gets to show off his dramatic
chops, playing the character Rip.
Finally, Roy Scheider, another
veteran actor whose career has
spanned decade upon decade,
plays Lear’s friend Henry West
over. A note about the DVD re
lease of the film: It’s presented in
wide-screen, but the back of the
box ambiguously says it’s “mat
ted,” which means it’s likely the
film wasn’t originally shot in wide
screen, but rather, “pan and
scan,” which is designed to fill
most television screens.
Contact the Pulse reporter
at aaronshakra@dailyemerald.com.
Daddies swing into Eugene theatre
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies
swung into the McDonald
Theatre this weekend with
animated tunes and moves
Concert review
Jennifer Snyder
Copy Chief
The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
shook McDonald Theatre on Sat
urday night with their swing and
ska rhythms. They took the stage
at 10:30 p.m. — after the audience
waited for what seemed like an
eternity — after Tympanic opened
at 9 p.m.
The Daddies’ lively music covers
a wide range of sounds including
jazz, rock and soul.
Swanky lead singer Steve Perry gy
rated all over the stage, struttin’ his
stuff and shakin’ like he was spas
modic. He and the band kept their
high energy throughout the concert.
The lighting, energy, rhythms,
dancing, music and vibrations of
the bass combined to make a
swingin’ atmosphere and an awe
some experience.
The concert attracted an audi
ence of all ages, from elementary
school kids to senior citizens.
Seating was available, but most
people stood ready to dance in a
large area between the back seats
and the stage.
The eight-member band, which
originated in Eugene, has played
since 1989. Perry is lead singer
and plays guitar; Jason Moss plays
guitar; Daniel Schmid plays bass;
Tim Donahue plays drums; Dana
Heitman plays trumpet; Sean Flan
nery plays tenor saxophone; Ian
Early plays baritone and alto saxo
phone; and Dustin Lanker plays
Swanky lead singer
Steve Perry gyrated all
over the stage, struttin'
his stuff ana shakin'like
he was spasmodic.
keyboards and piano.
All the music was danceable,
and people swing-danced, tapped
their feet, bounced to the beat and
jumped along with Perry.
The music varied in intensity
and rhythm. The song “Soul Cadil
lac” had a bluesy feel and was slow
and sentimental. “Trapped on a
planet of rollerskating bumble
bees” contrasted with a fast hard
rock sound.
The climax came when the Dad
dies played “Zoot Suit Riot,” the song
that put them on the map in 1997.
Lanker, wearing a furry shirt,
had huge, animated expressions
on his face as he pounded out har
monies. Schmid, in an orange
jump suit, had fun expressions as
well, as he created dramatic rever
berations on his bass.
“A real man wears a pink shirt,”
Perry said. He sported a pink but
ton-up shirt and tight white jeans.
The Daddies ended at midnight,
but the audience was so enthused
that the band came out and played
a three-song encore.
Tympanic, the opening group, is a
four-person original, eclectic alt
jam-rock band from Eugene that ac
tually improvises some of its music
on-stage, according to the band’s
Web site. The lead singer is John
Craig, who also plays bass and key
board; Harvey Rogers sings and
plays guitar and keyboard; Austin
Jones plays guitar; and Ryan Do
browski is the percussionist.
Most of Tympanic’s music was
instrumental, easy-going and re
laxed with a catchy, bluesy sound.
Each song had cool variations,
from soft and slow to fast and loud.
Some songs used syncopated gui
tar bridges and innovative echoes.
The concert was fun, energetic and
entertaining, and I didn’t stop dancing.
Contact the copy chief
atjennifersnyder@dailyemerald.com.
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The Trestle at Pope
lick (reek
By Naomi Wallace
March 5,6,7,8613,14,15
Begins at 8pm
Tickets sold at the 1)0 Ticket Office on
the main floor of the EMU (Erb Mem.
Union), (all 541-346-436}
This play contains Strong Sexual (ontent.
This lecture is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a reception, book signing,
and sale. For more information, or for disability accommodations, please call (541) 346-3934.
The Oregon Huma
PRESENTS
2002-3 ROBERT D
LECTURE IN THE
The Sound of Human
Longing: Field Notes
for an Environmental
Ethic of Care
BY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR
Kathleen dean Moore
Professor of Philosophy
Oregon State University
Wednesday, March 5
8:00 p.m.
Gerlinger Alumni Lounge
UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON