TheTornadoTimes

By Young Cho

NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” is a breath of fresh air in a genre polluted by vulgar jokes and outrageous stupidity.
Perky, ambitious, righteous, and outrageously loyal Leslie Knope (Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler) at first seems to be nothing more than a ditzy blonde who is invested in her job in Pawnee, Indiana’s Parks and Recreation department. As the show progresses, Leslie’s nearly manic enthusiasm becomes endearing and her ambition admirable. If this was a drama, it would be mediocre at best. Instead, it is a knee-slapping, windpipe-constricting, stomach-aching comedy stocked with witticisms and uniquely hilarious cast members.

The true American man, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) is known for his thick mustache and his love for steak and all things manly. As a hardcore Libertarian and the head of the Parks department, Swanson lets the employees, Leslie excluded, do whatever they want. While coworkers April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) and Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) passionately underachieve, Leslie obsesses over an empty lot which she is determined to convert into a public park, despite the lack of funds and support from her department.

As the seasons go on, Leslie’s empty lot project turns into many other impassioned ordeals. The Parks and Rec. department is overrun by two government officials, a geeky and socially awkward Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) and a health-crazed and fanatically optimistic Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe). Chris’s perpetual smile and disjointed speech and Ben’s nerdy seriousness balance out whatever was lacking in the show before their arrival. Although the first season of “Parks and Recreation” was slow, the addition of the new characters and development of Leslie’s personality smoothed the rough edges.

Comedy is often looked down upon as a genre when compared to heart-wrenching dramas and thrilling action shows that dominate the evening broadcasts, but they can be just as difficult—or even more so—to write. When watching a sitcom, one expects to be constantly entertained. Also, people’s senses of humor vary, making it even harder to create a show that keeps the laughs coming for all its viewers. Despite that not every viewer enjoys crude humor, off-color jokes serve as the foundations of most sitcoms.  “Parks and Recreation” does just that while refraining from the crude jokes that fill so many other sitcoms.

Leslie’s obsession with waffles (she obsesses over absolutely everything) and all things Pawnee, Indiana adds another facet to the show’s comedic complexity. Pawnee, being the fourth fattest city in the country, offers up myriad colorful and obese characters that all support the main plot lines while retaining their individual humor.

The setting, acting, witty dialogue, ridiculous situations, timing and delivery of the jokes, and, above all, the characters come together to form a brilliant show that guarantees at least one whole-hearted laugh per episode.

Writing good comedy is hardly a walk in the park, but “Parks and Recreation” avoids the old clichés and effortlessly strolls to the top of my favorites list.

By Matthew Benitez

While other seniors await the results of their college applications, Justin Cha (’13) is taking a more active role in his university prospects: he is sending tapes and attending callbacks to various music colleges and conservatories, finding a path for his future as a professional opera singer.
Cha, who has been informally singing in church from the age of eight, has since begun taking official lessons.  He spent a year learning from private teacher Sang Kuen Chang, a family friend, but for the past three months, he has been learning from Shigemi Matsumoto, acclaimed opera singer and vocal arts professor at USC’s Thornton School of Music.

“Opera really just makes me feel good,” Cha said. “It’s so emotional. It’s very, very soothing and it helps me calm down when I’m sad or angry. I feel great, and [the feeling is] consistent whether I’m practicing with my teacher, just by myself or performing.”

In addition to a formal vocal teacher, whose primary role is educating him in the art of operatic singing, Cha also has the guidance of vocal coach Juli Kim. Kim, with whom Cha has worked for about three months, helps Cha with the technical side of singing, from teaching him sight singing to enriching his general musical knowledge to playing piano accompaniment for him at auditions. She is also currently helping Justin balance his academic workload and extracurricular commitments with staying on top of his application process.

“Justin’s very special,” Kim said. “His voice itself is very expressive in tone. In his voice, I see a wide range of color. It’s beautiful, and he learns very fast.”

Although the road to becoming a successful musician or vocalist is incredibly difficult, Kim feels that “Justin has what it takes.”

“It’s a hard, long road, extremely competitive,” she said, “but he has the essential qualities of an outstanding singer.”

Justin just finished playing the lead role in “Phantom of the Opera”   and  played Gaston in last year’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Though he had difficulty playing the egocentric and vain Gaston, Cha says that his experience performing and singing in musicals “helps give [him] the extra kick when it comes to enjoying performing.”

Fellow tenor Eric Avanessian (’13), who is playing the other male lead, Raoul, is “very excited to work with him.”

“Justin is definitely one of the best,” Avanessian said. “He has this beastly persona, where his singing just takes over your senses. The way he sings is so moving; you can really feel the emotions in the depths of his voice.”

Cha admires classical singers including Pavarotti, Su-Mi Jo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, but said that the one who truly inspired him to take on this career was Matt Bellamy, the lead singer of the English rock band Muse.

Cha auditioned earlier this month at Eastman School of Music, currently the top-ranked music school in the country. Yet Cha still has several callbacks lined up, such as at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and one at Mannes College in New York. These specialized auditions are the musical college equivalent of an interview.

In order to get these callbacks, Cha had to send in a taped recording of him singing to each school, after which the school officials decide if they want him to come and sing for them in person.

In order to prepare for the callbacks, Cha has been working with his teacher and coach on a piece from an Italian opera called “O del Mio Ardor Dolce,” though he is also learning to sing in German and French.

“I’m so, so proud of him,” said father Charley Cha. “All of these auditions show me that he’s going to be very successful. He’s got a good future, talent, and he really loves music.”

After college, Cha looks to perform or perhaps teach singing like his teacher.

“[Justin] has incredible potential for a career,” Kim said. “He is very strong, and I know he will excel at everything he puts his mind to.”

By Edit Vosganians

Drama students will “recognize the touch of the Opera ghost” as the drama department presents the world renowned musical “The Phantom of the Opera” starting Feb. 28 in the auditorium. The show will run through March 4 starting at 7 p.m. with the exception of a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets will be priced at $10.

The musical tells the story of the love struggle among Christine, Erik, and Raoul Victome de Chagny, the childhood friend of Christine.

Based on a French novel by Gaston Leroux, the story is about a young, talented Swedish woman, Christine Daaé, who is brought up in the Paris Opera House. Erik, the “Phantom,” writes operas and coaches Christine with her vocal training without revealing his identity.

According to director and drama teacher Dave Huber, the talented cast will be able to deliver “the same classic story, but with a Tornado twist.”

For assistant director Vivek Patel (’13), arranging the play took “twice the effort as the previous plays” due to high expectations and anticipation for the musical.

Costumes have been ordered from Valentino’s Costumes in Hollywood and are scheduled to be ready for the dress rehearsals starting Friday.

“The costumes for this play are very formal,” Eric Avanessian (’13) said, who plays Raoul. “The setting and the status of the characters require special attention in both the cut and the quality of the fabric.”

The play’s famous scenes will be brought to life by stage art teacher Rachel Myles and her class. Volleyball coach Charles Min is replicating the iconic chandelier using lightweight Plexiglass. Alumnus Miles Mathews (’10) will be helping with the Phantom’s mask and make-up.

As this will be Ally Specter’s (’13) final musical performance as a high school student, she is determined to be “the best Christine” she can be.

“It’s a great way to go out with a bang for my senior year,” Specter said. “This will be my most challenging play because of the high expectations for Christine.”

Justin Cha (’13) as the Phantom said he cannot wait for the audience to “experience the originality and the emotion behind every word sung and every note played.”