On Friday night, the Michigan Theater hosted the Midwestern Benefit Premiere of the film amid Hollywood-style hoopla. While throngs of people milled about outside the theater awaiting the arrival of Jeff Daniels via an old-fashioned fire engine, Detroit news vans readied their cameras and Dalmatian dogs ran amok through the crowd. Once local hero Daniels showed up, the masses swelled inside the theater, helping themselves to free popcorn and soda. UMS performance shines Rackham Auditorium seats 1,200 people, and Saturday night's crowd was standing-room only. Chamber music doesn't usually attract such crowds, but this performance by the Guarneri and Orion String Quartets was surely special - and may prove to be one of the most interesting concerts of this University Musical Society season.
Little attention is paid to earth-shaking events, and even less attention is paid to politics.