The best of 2002: Arts events at UCLA

10. Spring Sing
Spring Sing always promises a dandy time, with generally impressive
performances (if you don’t count the obligatory
sorority/fraternity numbers). Spring Sing 2002 had all the
components of a typically good Spring Sing, but it was the guest of
honor that put 2002 on this list. The fact that soulman-superstar
Stevie Wonder graced the Los Angeles Tennis Center was great
enough, but he went the extra octave to appease the screaming
Bruins, playing classics like “My Cherie Amour” and
“Superstition,” during which he invited two students to
play keyboards with him.

9. Hal Willner’s "Never Bet the Devil Your
Head"
This massive Halloween event in Royce Hall featured not only great
readings of Edgar Allan Poe by people like Harry Shearer and
hauntingly gorgeous music from Antony and the Johnsons but also had
Lou Reed re-working “The Raven” and singing
“Perfect Day.” Yeah, it rocked.

8. "Cloud 9" production by the theater
department
The third-year theater MFA students’ production of Caryl
Churchill’s controversial piece started as an educational
experience for them and ended as an astounding work of art for
everyone else. The play innovatively explores gender identity,
warping from Victorian Africa to 1979 London with all of the actors
switching roles. Hardly publicized at all, many Bruins missed this
chance to see a brilliant performance by their up-and-coming
peers.

7. "Wpyzeck"
At its heart, “Woyzeck” was deceptively simple, playing
with the basest human traits with minimal action and dialogue. But
the overall emotional effect was arrestingly powerful. Bringing the
avant-garde to a city not quite accustomed to the surrealist dreams
of Robert Wilson and Tom Waits, “Woyzeck” won’t
change the face of the L.A. theater, but it was a welcome breathe
of fresh air.

6. Milton Avery exhibit at the Hammer
The Hammer’s decision to cull work from the final twenty
years of one of America’s leading modernists was a good one.
It was aesthetically pleasing to see the walls hung with intense,
rich colors and thick lines. The subtlety and depth of
Avery’s pieces crept up on your eyes.

5. "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" screening by Campus
Events
Maybe the fact that “Mr. Deeds” was such a horrible
film was what made Adam Sandler’s live performance such a
rockin’ time by comparison. After a disappointing screening,
the Sultan of Silly himself did a live recording of the third
version of the “Hanukkah Song.” And Sandler, known for
his interminable shyness in public was as zesty and zany as he is
on the big screen, singing several extra songs for the audience.
His partner in crime Rob Schneider also made a surprise appearance
and proceeded to moon the crowd while getting jiggy to the Hanukkah
diddy. Celebrities, silliness and nudity ““ couldn’t
think of a better combo.

4. Kronos Quartet as Artist in Residence
Lucky for us that David Sefton isn’t quite ready to put the
nail in the coffin of classical music. It bodes well for the
fledgling program that he took a genre most students assume is dead
and brought to campus the most shamelessly cutting edge act
available. They’ve got the appropriate hipness quotient (see:
“Requiem for a Dream” soundtrack), plus their
commitment is unmatched (see: Disappointments of 2002, #5).

3. The "Ulysses" marathon reading
Take one of the best books ever written and read it in one sitting
over what approximates to a day’s time and it’s
difficult to mess up. Especially when that book takes place over
what also approximates one day and is written by James Joyce.
Enthusiastic readers and a simple but fun set made this a
must-attend for any literature fan.

2. UCLA Film Archive: Festival of
Preservation
Movies may create lasting memories, but the film itself
deteriorates like crumpled, yellowing paper. The UCLA Archive is
one of the premiere centers for preserving films, preventing de
facto censorship if you will. Every two years, they show their
painstaking work to audiences, and last year big names like Kirk
Douglas and Curtis Hanson came out for the event.

1. All Tomorrow’s Parties
The biggest and best U.S. music festival of 2002 was on our campus.
Everyone from improvisational jazz master Cecil Taylor to punk
legends Television to Japanese noise maker Merzbow to indie-rock
icon Stephen Malkmus to IDM king Aphex Twin was there, and it was
curated by our friends in Sonic Youth who happened to close the
show themselves. Not too shabby UCLA, not too shabby.