Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
You probably already know if you’re going to be around campus this weekend. That’s right, this weekend is the ML Halloween Party, the night when most people are either in the Breakfast Room or trying to get as far away from it as possible. Questionably accurate rumors say that this year’s theme, “MLcatraz,” relates to increased attempts to reduce contact with the Ville police, and once party-goers arrive at ML, they may never leave. Like, ever. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
For those of you who wish to avoid the party, there are plenty of alternatives. If you swash and/or buckle your way to a movie theater, you can catch “Legend of Zorro”, a sequel to the hit “Mask of Zorro” that again stars Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Will the masked crusader again defeat the forces of tyranny? You can bet he will, and, since it’s a sequel, will do so with bigger explosions, more suffering children, or otherwise heightened stakes. Reviews are mixed, but who cares about reviews for popcorn movies, anyway?
If Clap Your Hands Say Yeah weren’t enough music for you, head over to the Academy of Music for the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Verdi’s rich middle-period opera, “A Masked Ball.” It takes place in Boston. Yes, that Boston. A Boston with counts and back-stabbing noblemen and all the other European types you’d expect to find at a European court (originally set in Sweden, the satire was found to be too sharp and the locale was changed). We at Weekend Roundup haven’t seen it yet (say hi if you go on Saturday night), but we hear that, in typical Philly opera fashion, it features excellent singing with a confused and overly conceptualized production. The singers include soprano Angela Brown, a terrific Aida last season, Philly opera regular baritone Gregg Baker and newcomer tenor Marcus Haddock, who sources tell us is really good. The production features the rear projection scenery that’s all the rage in Europe but still a novelty here. So close your eyes and listen. Buy a cheap ticket (starting at $5.00) and you won’t be able to see very much anyway. It plays Saturday night at 8:00.