From left, Alex Demos, Russell Mernagh, Cinnamon Aldridge, Megan Montalbano perform in CU's “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." (Courtesty Christopher Warren)

Despite competition with Friday’s football game, the musical opened at the University Theatre Building to a sizeable crowd of theater lovers. While waiting for the show to begin, the audience had a chance to survey the simple, but cheerful set. The brightly lit stage featured yellow risers on the left, a judging table on the right, a white projection screen and a big, cartoonish banner.

Though the setup was stark, it was only a backdrop for big personalities to fill.

The Tony Award winning show first premiered on Broadway in 2005. Its heroes are elementary-aged kids who are competing in a spelling bee for a grand prize trip to Washington D.C. Reminiscent of “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” in style, the musical is character study of a small cast of kids with dreams. Putnam County takes this concept to a new level with pop culture references, fast-paced dialogue and a general attitude.

As if the audience was patiently waiting for a real spelling bee to begin, Rona (played by Megan Montalbano), a nostalgic past contestant and a judge for the current contest, quietly walked on stage without much warning to test the microphone. Of course, it wouldn’t be a musical if she didn’t sing a little song too. Her entrance subtly made it clear that the audience was a vital part of the play’s staging.

This became apparent when three audience members walked onstage with the cast. They signed up to be extra spellers in the performance, which made them unofficial cast members of the night. Opening night brought two college-aged girls and a tall older man with facial hair on the stage. The man stuck out among the cast of obnoxiously dressed “children,” but he proved to be a great sport and a source of unintentional comedy.

One especially funny moment happened when an audience member tried to spell “cow” without laughing as Vice Principal Douglas Panch (played by Alex Demos) stared with hilarious apathy.

The exchange went something like, “Spell cow.” “Can I have a definition?” “It’s a Cow.” “Could you use it in a sentence?” “Please spell cow.”

The real comedic life force of the play, however, came from the spectacular student performances that embodied the show’s motley crew of characters.

Though each character had its own hilarious moments, none committed to comedy in the same way James Miller did. “Embodied” is not a strong enough word for Miller’s portrayal of Leaf Conneybear, a lovable child with an unlimited energy supply and imagination. His bashful smile and goofy voice for his sock puppet gave him a child-like quality that was unquestionably believable.

During the most memorable song in the show, “I’m Not That Smart,” he showed off an ability for physical comedy. He basically turned himself into a human projectile by clumsily flinging himself around the stage. Miller also showed comedic versatility by doubling as another character’s gay father and stole several moments with his few lines.

A subtler source of comedy was the character Vice Principal Douglas Panch. The balding Panch was a source of sarcasm in a world of spelling-bee fever. Demos delivered hilarious definitions for words in a perfect deadpan voice, such as defining capybara as “A tail-less four-and-a-half-foot largely aquatic South American rodent.” When asked to use capybara in a sentence, he went on to give the line, “Don’t look now, Pedro, but I think that tail-less four-and-a-half-foot rodent swimming next to you may be a capybara.” His apathy, frustration and an underlying sweetness had the audience laughing and excited for each of his lines.

Katherine McManus delivered a stirring performance as Olive, the show’s unofficial female lead. Her endearing performance was evident during childish flirtation with William Barfee (played by Cole Bradley), the competition’s know-it-all, and during her charming serenade to her dictionary, “My Friend, the Dictionary.”

McManus’ true talent lies in her incredible voice and acting ability. The silence in the audience was palpable during “The I Love You Song.” Throughout the show, Olive hints that her family is somewhat broken, with a mother in India and a father who can’t quite make it to the competition. Her effortless voice danced through her melody, but she maintained a melancholy power through her eyes and through her delivery of the piercing lyric “Mama, mama, mama!”

The CU production also used multimedia as a way to heighten the humor. Images such as pictures of contestants with quirky background information were projected on a screen onstage. The screen was even used during some songs, like flashing pictures of pandas during the song “Pandemonium.”

The weakest point of the production came during its ending. It takes a cheesy approach to summing up the plot. For many, this will not be a problem. Be prepared though to lose a little faith in the comedic integrity of the show.

For those who fear musical theater or get antsy halfway through the first act of “Les Miserables,” this show is only one act long and has an infectious bounce that is difficult to dislike. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is an easy recommendation for a light-hearted evening on campus.

Catch the show this week from Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for students and can be purchased at the box office in the University Theatre Building or buy them online here.

Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Stephanie Riesco at Stephanie.riesco@colorado.edu.

The 2011 film, “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” is a psychological thriller that explores the effects of this lifestyle through the eyes of a young, lost woman. Though the film deals with a fascinating topic and contains a noteworthy lead performance, its predictable development and slow-moving style cost it any dramatic momentum.

The story follows Martha, a girl with an ambiguous past, who attempts to assimilate herself into her older sister’s life. At the start of the film, the audience is thrown into Martha’s isolated existence as she chaotically flees from a house into the forest.

Actress Elizabeth Olsen immediately sets up Martha as a stubbornly fragile person; in the first scene she hunches her shoulders as

(Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures)

her voice warbles with a fearful, brainwashed tone into a pay phone. It was unclear how the younger sister of the famous Olsen twins would fare in the independent film, but Olsen shows her chops as an actress in this scene, and her believable quality as a victim carries through the rest of the movie.

The audience gains hints of Martha’s past life in the form of flashbacks. First-time director Sean Durkin shows his stylistic ability through seamless cuts, such as a character walking into a dark hallway in the present, only to emerge somewhere in the past. This surreal style lulls the audience into Martha’s mind and draws hazy lines between memory, reality and paranoia.

A notable aspect of the cult was John Hawkes’ performance as the patriarch, Patrick. In his own creepy way, Hawkes manages to subtly switch between playing the comforting father figure and a threatening predator, often in the course of one sentence. In an especially memorable scene, Hawkes sings a haunting song about Martha. It sets up the inclusive draw of a cult, yet leaves the audience feeling wary.

Unfortunately, the cult’s portrayal often becomes stereotypical. Seeing a movie like this, it’s easy to expect heavy sexual overtones, and the movie fulfilled these expectations with both rape and orgy scenes. That, however, wasn’t the most annoying part of the cult’s development—the film’s random ploys to be shocking came off as both obvious and cheesy.

For example, Martha is asked to kill a cat for no apparent reason. It was as if this scene was thrown in to check off a sign of emotional abuse from a list. It lacked motivation from previous actions of the cult and was a cheap way to disturb the audience.

This same failure in development crops up again with Martha’s relatives. A combination of weak acting performances and writing made Martha’s sister and brother-in-law difficult to relate to. They often scream “What’s wrong with you?” after she does harmless activities such as skinny-dipping. Their two-dimensional characterization made every moment of fear and concern seem hollow.

Despite occasional deviances, Martha seems to fit back into her sister’s socially acceptable lifestyle with no trouble. But don’t be fooled, Martha is randomly capable of sneaking onto the foot of her sister’s bed at the, well, most awkward moment possible. This scene especially came out of nowhere, and again, seemed to exist only to be shocking. If there had been more motivation leading up to this moment, this choice might not have felt so unrealistic.

The movie does contain a few genuinely jaw-dropping moments and eventually builds an anxious energy. But this only happens after the audience has been taken for granted. There’s only so many endless close-up shots and melancholy sequences that a person can take before losing interest.

In short, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” is a lacking version of a potentially powerful story. Thanks to Olsen’s delicate performance, however, many people will leave the theater half-liking the film, and half-confused.

Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Stephanie Riesco at Stephanie.riesco@colorado.edu.

These are just a few of the top stories from the satirical newspaper, The Onion. On Tuesday, the “Onion News Network,” a television broadcast, came back on the air for its second season on IFC, the INdependent FIlm Channel. Self-proclaimed as “America’s Finest News Source,” the Onion has become a popular source for everyone’s poking-fun-at-journalism needs, especially since its website’s creation in 1996. From stories about everyday annoyances to larger commentary pieces (“’Layoffs are necessary if we want to keep the lights on,’ says CEO halfway through tasting menu”). The Onion interprets the “news” in its own way.

The Sept. 29 issue of "America's finest news source," The Onion. The satirical news found in the print edition can now also be found on the Onion News Network via the Independent Film Channel. (CU Independent Photo Illustration/Robert R. Denton)

Though Onion stories often mention real people (“Obama not sure how to handle compliment”) and reference current events, creative writers are the masterminds behind this faux-news. Suzanne Sena, who plays Brooke Alvarez, the show’s anchor, said The Onion acts like a real news source — sort of.

“The Onion doesn’t refer to themselves as fake news at all, they consider themselves real news in an alternative reality,” Sena said. “Should you watch The Onion and think of it as legitimate news to find out what’s going on in the world? Probably not.”

But if this isn’t a legitimate news source, and there are hundreds of news stories waiting to be read online, why do students choose to spend their time with stories like “Study: Multiple stab wounds may be harmful to monkeys.” Even without the The Onion, there are plenty of other news-parody comedians, such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, which also draw many college-aged fans.

Associate Professor Michael McDevitt, whose specialties include news-writing, research and media theory, said that students often want to appear knowledgeable about events, even though they don’t pay attention to the news.

“What ‘The Onion’ does is it allows for consideration of topical news in a way that’s fun and that’s hip,” McDevitt said. “I think it’s also beneficial to college students because in order to get some of the humor, you do have to pay attention at some level to what’s going on in the news, otherwise the jokes just pass you by.”

The appeal of The Onion’s fake news may go beyond sarcastic headlines and pop culture references. Sena, who was once an anchor for Fox News, plays Alvarez as a caricature of stoic newscasters. Her severe comments and icy looks exaggerate a persona that many viewers have come to expect from an anchor.

Sena said that “Onion News Network” tries to raise awareness about negative aspects of broadcast news.

“I think all of us have felt certain things are kind of ludicrous when it comes to certain news stations,” Sena said. “Just the way a cable news station might take one story and beat it to death for three days in a row, but they do it because they have 24 hours to fill with content. And so we make fun of some of that.”

McDevitt said that fake news sources like The Onion often use humor to make journalists more accountable to their audience.

“[Their purpose is] to shame corporate journalists into doing a better job,” McDevitt said. “It’s also to improve the media literacy of citizens so that, by getting the joke, they also see the limitations of journalists. The humor is a vehicle for them to realize that their frustrations are not misplaced, that other smart people are frustrated.”

No matter what the reason, audiences continue to enjoy the hilarious and offensive antics of The Onion. Sena said that the new season of “Onion News Network” will include more character development of their cast and heighten its courageous humor.

“It pushes the limit, it goes beyond the edge of what’s acceptable and what may not be,” Sena said. “If we were partially offensive last time, we’re majorly offensive this time, all in good fun.”

Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Stephanie Riesco at Stephanie.riesco@colorado.edu.

(Courtesy of boulderbeats.com)

Besides possibly a mullet, there are few things that can successfully combine business and party into one working entity.

The people behind Boulder Beats don’t have awkward hair, but still manage to make partying a business by applying their business majors to planning events surrounding music ranging from hiphop to dubstep. Now, having racked up over a year’s worth of party-hosting experience, this promotions and productions company will introduce two new interns to the backstage world of electronic music.

Boulder Beats, a local company started by CU students, is looking to hire two new interns to help learn the ropes of the local electronic music scene. The contract runs from Sept. 1 until Dec. 31 of this year, according to the Boulder Beats website. The website describes ideal applicants as: current CU students, preferably 21 years of age, who live in Boulder and are “hardworking and committed to the advancement of electronic music.”

The Boulder Beats founders certainly fit this description. The company was started by Mat Bernstein, 22-year-old senior business OPIM major and Josh McAdoo, 22-year-old senior economics major, who bonded over a love for electronic music and business ventures as dorm roommates their freshman year.

The company took off after the launch of the Boulder Beats website, a forum established for local music lovers looking to find more Boulder music, Bernstein said.

“You can go to a lot of places and find music, but there’s not a lot of places where you can go to find music from [Boulder], music that the other students in your class could be making,” Bernstein said. “That’s a lot of the appeal of the website.”

Boulder Beats now hosts events and promotes shows, boasting acts like Savoy and were listed as one of the sponsors of the Snowball Music Festival. Boulder Beats has found success as a promotions company, but in many ways the business specializes in working with local venues and finding talent in the CU student population.

In the past, they have been responsible for the CU welcome back concert and have worked on productions with CU’s Program Council. McAdoo said that having a relationship with campus organizations has been helpful.

“A lot of the college kids feel really connected to it, because they see [Boulder Beats] all around campus and see it everywhere,” McAdoo said. “So it’s easy for us to get a lot of input on what’s coming up through the school system. Which is cool, because it does turn over. Every year, totally new CU kids come out and we see what they bring.”

This fall, the two new interns, who have not yet been announced, will have a chance to be involved with all aspects of the small company — including blogging, event planning, ticket sales and promotions. From the tedious to the exciting, Bernstein said that the internship would give students a broad picture of the music industry.

“We want to keep them involved at every stage of the process, because we want this to be as valuable for them as it is for us,” Bernstein said. “Even when we’re sitting in the office planning an event, we want them to be there to contribute to it and hear how it works, from the start of the conception of the idea all the way through the execution. We’re not sending them for coffee and sitting back.”

Though the internship is unpaid, Boulder Beats plans to tailor the internship to meet college credit requirements. For the new interns some of the best perks include free shows and experiencing local parties from a new perspective. McAdoo said that the interns should be people who already love the genre and its atmosphere.

“We want someone who is involved in the scene, likes the scene, is a fan of the scene and at the same time also wants to maybe get into this world when they graduate,” McAdoo said. “You definitely see all that goes into the backside of an event and really creating something. [This job is] fun and it’s interesting and it can definitely help in a lot of fields today.”

With graduation coming up for Bernstein and McAdoo, the future of the young company is somewhat uncertain. Both plan to stay in Boulder and continue to build the brand, particularly due to its strong association with the city. Bernstein said that one day they might expand to another area.

“We’ve thought about expansion,” Bernstein said. “Going to another market and starting something similar. Obviously we would have to hire people to continue on with what we’re doing here. It’s also a little nerve racking to turn over control of something you’ve been working so hard on to someone. It just takes time.”

Bernstein said the most rewarding part of the job is making sure guests are enjoying themselves at the parties, wherever the venue.

“It’s fun for us to see other people having fun,” Bernstein said. “When we can throw a party like this and all of these other people are enjoying it, that makes us happy.”

To learn more about Boulder Beats or how to apply to be an intern visit the Boulder Beats website.

Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Stephanie Riesco at Stephanie.riesco@colorado.edu.