Word: wile
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Evita is a spectacular eye-catcher, but it seldom gets a grip on a playgoer's feelings. For one thing, the basic tale has been too oft told. It is the familiar show-biz saga of a nobody from nowhere who, through wile and gumption, achieves wealth, fame and glory as a dazzling superstar. In the case of Evita, this tale has been telescoped and occasionally tampered with. Most of the key events happen offstage. They are described in song and dance and recitative, but not dramatically rendered, so the musical lacks the warming pulse of intimacy...
...sort of decorative frieze of character actors surrounding the main action. The most effective isGregory Sierra as a husband continually cuckolded and perpetually seeking revenge on the prince. Sierra is usually assaulting the wrong man entirely, ending up with his schemes backfiring on him-a sort of Wile E. Coyote in human form. Most of this comedy turns out to be perfunctory, as is Director Quine's handling of the straight action scenes. There is an unnerving feeling that most of the performers would like to do more than they are called on to do, that there...
BAUDELAIRE ONCE SAID that the devil's deepest wile is to persuade humans that he doesn't exist. There is no danger of Malachi Martin making that mistake; he is convinced that Satan and the Pit do and always have existed. Modern Christians who no longer believe in hell or the devil as realities will find in Martin's Hostage to the Devil a well-articulated, and disturbing reaffirmation of traditional doctrines about evil and Lucifer...
...dance program has more character and problems than just an idiosyncratic building, however, The University is not malevolent towards its dancers, but it is not cooperative either. The budget for dancers-dance is strictly extra curricular does not relent. So dance at Harvard has to run on love and wile...
...musical's promise was that it could conjure up the madcap mayhem of the Keystone Kops, the antic nostalgic appeal of Mack Sennett's Bathing Beauties, and Mabel Normand, his mistress and the star of his two-reelers. Despite formidable talents working with will and wile, the promise is not kept...