In a theater community often dominated by brassy belters and more modern styles, it is refreshing to see a familiar face to the Broadway scene with a beautiful soprano voice and a mix of classic and contemporary styles: Audra McDonald. McDonald has had a long career in the performing arts. After making her Broadway debut as Ayah in “The Secret Garden” in 1991, she has continued to perform on Broadway and beyond, most recently performing in the 25th-anniversary performance of “Ragtime” as Sarah. She was also recently nominated for a Tony for her performance as Suzanne Alexander in “The Ohio State Murders.” Accompanied by Mark Vanderpoel on bass, Gene Lewin on drums and Andy Einhorn on piano, McDonald performed her showcase at the Hill Auditorium on April 23, 2023.

McDonald’s voice can be described as nothing but legendary. Her sweeping soprano had the entirety of Hill Auditorium on the edge of their seats, and her rich lower range rounded out a beautiful performance. Her set consisted of what she described as “a mixture of old and new.” It featured Broadway classics like “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady” (during which she invited the audience to sing along) and “Mister Snow” from “Carousel,” which she performed with a giddy, childlike excitement. One standout performance, as anyone familiar with McDonald’s career was ecstatic to hear, was “Summertime,” from her iconic role as Bess in “Porgy and Bess.” For this number, she lowered the microphone stand to its lowest setting and placed it behind her before beautifully crooning the first notes of the song to raucous applause. Her newer selections included Jason Robert Brown’s “Stars and the Moon” from “Songs for a New World,” which was performed with perfect comedic timing and a yearning for genuine love.

She also selected songs with personal importance, both sentimental and comedic. For example, she told a story of her time in show choir at age 14, during which she elected to sing a rather inappropriate song for her age range: “Cornet Man” from “Funny Girl.” She posed seductively before letting out a husky “Well … I just put the kids to sleep,” which was met with enthusiastic laughter as she continually made fun of her 14-year-old self throughout the number with phrases like, “Was there not one adult?!”

She also used her music to express love for her children, who, growing up, expressed disdain for their mother’s voice (“Mommy, your singing makes my ears cry”). Now that those children are much older, she takes the opportunity to sing the lullabies she wished they had enjoyed, coupled with the lessons she feels the world needs to hear in today’s climate. She began with “Bein’ Green” by Wim T. Schippers (and iconically performed by Kermit the Frog of Muppets fame). She expressed solidarity for oppressed groups and sang the song as tribute: “a song for those who feel othered.” As she let the music wash over her, she placed particular emphasis on a truly timeless lyric: “I am green, and it’s beautiful.”

McDonald shines not only as a talented vocalist but as a personable and genuine friend to the audience. At one point, she spotted a young girl in the front row and had a short conversation with her, thanking her for coming to the concert. This was just one example of McDonald’s emphasis on her faith in the younger generations as the political climate in the United States grows more and more divisive by the day. Her opening number, “I Am What I Am” from “La Cage Aux Folles,” she said, was to “celebrate the uniqueness” of every individual being “legislated out of existence.” She capped off another song by saying “My God, don’t we need hope?” It is clear that McDonald performs not just because of her beautiful vocal instrument, but because she recognizes the power of her platform and of the performing arts as a whole.

The performance was a true masterpiece, and Audra McDonald continues, as always, to dazzle audiences with her beautiful voice and heart.

Daily Arts Writer Max Newman can be reached at jqnewman@umich.edu.

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In the wee hours of the morning, the South University Avenue area is crawling with students reaching the end of their nights out. These students will most likely agree that there is no better end to a night on the town than a late-night slice. When people do not want to wait in the long line at Joe’s or pay the premium at Pizza House, they don’t have to look any further than Church Street’s The Back Room.

The Back Room is a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant owned and operated by The Brown Jug Bar. It is popular as the budget option for late-night food in the area, but I decided to see how it fares at lunchtime.

Venturing into The Back Room in broad daylight for the first time was disorienting, with the swarms of drunk students replaced by a handful of adults on their lunch break. I ordered the standard slice of pepperoni pizza and was pleased to see that the slice was about a third of the whole pie. 

After gawking at this apparent bang for my buck, I took the first bite. It was good! However, as I took bites two and three I began to develop some complaints. First of all, the crust was flavorless and so dense that it was difficult to swallow. Finishing the end of the slice became a chore. In the same bite, the sauce tasted like the cheapest spaghetti sauce on the shelf, but I suppose that cheap pizza requires cheap sauce. The slice was saved by the cheese and the pepperoni, both oddly flavorful with just the right amount of grease.

My lunch at The Back Room left much to be desired. The slice tasted like it came from a middle school cafeteria and it all just felt like the wrong environment.

That’s because it was the wrong environment. The right environment came about 13 hours later. South University Avenue was in its element — absolutely packed with students — and I joined the line that was flowing out the door. I ordered the same pepperoni slice. I took the first bite and, after a delightful night out on the town, I thought that it was the most delectable thing that I had ever eaten. The flavors exploded through the cheese, the meat and the sauce — being in a swarm of other ravenous patrons enjoying their pizza only heightened this experience. Nothing could ever top this slice of pizza, I thought.

Unfortunately, after that first bite, the euphoria of quenching my hunger began to fade. The slice slowly brought me back down to Earth. I was again plagued by a failure in the same key pizza element: the crust.

The biggest weakness that The Back Room faces is its crust. The density and doughiness paired with a lack of flavor make the slice hard to get through. The meal turning into a chore stops people from wanting more, contributing to the perceived inferiority of The Back Room compared to other pizza shops in Ann Arbor.

The Back Room surprised me. The pizza was unexpectedly flavorful to start out, but eventually, the negatives outweigh the flavor and end the experience on a bad note. The Back Room deserves its place as a late-night spot. But to elevate its status to an anytime restaurant, they seriously need to work out the crust.

I, along with the rest of the student body, will continue to hit The Back Room at the end of the night, but a daytime return is questionable.

Daily Arts Writer Will Castle can be reached at wcastle@umich.edu.

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For the past three years, The Writer’s Room at the University of Michigan has undertaken the impressive task of writing seasons of television series. The U-M student group expands a showrunner’s pilot episode they’ve written the summer prior into screenplays for a first season of the series over the following two semesters. The group was initially composed of students involved in theater, but over time has attracted more students in the Department of Film, Television, and Media and students of other majors who are interested in screenwriting. This year’s series, “Hexed,” is a fantasy following the story of a teenage witch who accidentally kills her best friend when a summoning spell goes wrong, and must use the help of humans, witches and an evil deity to resurrect her. The group will be holding a live staged reading of the show’s pilot and show bible on April 19 at 8:30 p.m. in Kuenzel Hall at the Michigan Union, which will be free to attend. I delved into the facets of the series and how the Writer’s Room works with Hexed’s showrunner — Marissa Dutton, a senior FTVM student.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The Michigan Daily: What influenced the story for this year? Did any other TV or media have an influence?

Marissa Dutton: I always think witchy stuff is fun. I don’t practice witchcraft but it’s just a fun thing that’s always interested me. Before I came to school here, I made a witchy-type short film. It had nothing to do with what this came out to be but I just really liked it. This initially came out as the short film script that I used for my intro screenwriting class, FTVM 210. It started off as a comedy where she accidentally botches this spell and summons this goofy guy named Greg, and the prophet she wanted to summon is his brother. It basically started off really lighthearted and that’s how I tried to translate it in the pilot. It just turned into something more serious and darker, and has grown a lot in the past year.

In terms of influence, “Stranger Things” is actually a big influence because I was kind of going for the ensemble-type show with people from different groups where you pull them together and have that fun banter that still is grounded in a very serious and dark show. Another thing, which isn’t an influence, it’s kind of the opposite, is “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” I hate that show. The writing is so bad; when I was watching it I was disappointed because I realized it was so rare that we have a good, fun witchy show. That one was extremely popular but I thought it was super terrible. So when I was thinking about a show to develop, I was like, one, it would be fun to develop something that I’ve already started to write. Also, I like witchy stuff, so I wanted to lean into that. Stuff that’s a little bit out of our reach. 

TMD: What steps have been taken to write the show so far, and what steps still need to be taken?

MD: In the fall semester, we start with just basic development, and go into creating character bios and beat boards (visual boards and notes that outline what is happening in a script). We put everything we talk about into this big Google Drive. We break off the development semester into specific points we have to hit and focus on. There’s story, character, tone and theme. The other people in the group created our show bible to put those things in, they worked on that while I developed the pilot. We also did mood board-type stuff to try to develop tone and theme. We did a Pinterest board and I started a Spotify playlist. That’s what I do when I’m writing: make a playlist for the show or movie I’m working on because it helps me get into the mindset a lot better. We created PowerPoints devoted specifically to location, so slideshows with only pictures of places or characters. We really just tried to know the characters really, really well so that when we ran into story problems we could know what the character would do.

The second semester you get into writing, and you just run out of time so fast. We’ve barely had time to do two rewrites. I’ve had the chance to do three for the pilot, and I think that’s what really helped get the pilot to where it needs to be, even then I’m still going to do a fourth rewrite, because that’s just the way it goes. The nature of the workshop is it’s just really fast, and it’s always going to need more time. You can spend as much time on rewriting as you want and you’ll still feel like you need more anyway, that’s just the way it goes.

TMD: How does the collaborative process work when you’re producing something like this with several people?

MD: I think what helps is that everyone has their own episode to write, so it’s not just a group of ten people working on one singular episode at a time. It gets to be impossible at that point. I think what’s helpful about being in a room of writers is that I’ve found that people aren’t afraid to push back on your ideas. We get into arguments, in a way that’s constructive. People get so excited and into the show that their idea is very important to them, and it’s really important that they have other people in the group see their side. I think that’s super helpful to me because it means I’m making a good show, if the writers really care about it.

You have so many people with so many different ideas, that’s why it helps having people from different majors bringing in their different perspectives and wholly different skill sets. We all get along really well, too. Overall it’s just really nice to have people to rely on. Writing is such an isolating experience, and having a writers’ room makes it so much easier. If you get stuck on something you have nine other people who can read it and help you out and fix it.

TMD: What’s your end goal for the project, and what do you hope to get out of it?

MD: The goal is basically practice. Right now it’s hard to come out with something you can actually produce, because this is like a crash course in a way. The Writer’s Room has helped me learn. Last year I had to write a 50-page episode, and it just seemed like so much, but now, I can write so much more, much faster. It’s a learning experience and good for writing samples of course. For me, I think my dream would be to develop the pilot enough to where I could pitch it because I’m graduating this semester and I want to work in screenwriting. I would love to work on the show and get to know it enough to answer questions like, “What does your character eat for breakfast?” and small stuff like that. I want to be able to get to that point and pitch it to people because I really believe in the show. I mean, if I didn’t, what would I be doing? I’m really proud of how far it’s come. I would love to develop it more and get to that point — like that’s the dream. I don’t know if it could get there, but that’s the dream. Even if it didn’t, it’s a great experience to be a showrunner and have that leadership position for a while.

With the winter semester almost over, Writer’s Room is nearly finished with developing “Hexed.” Their upcoming showcase is an exciting opportunity to be introduced to the world of “Hexed” and support the culmination of their year-long project.

Daily Arts Writer Cecilia Dore can be reached at cecedore@umich.edu.

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What happens after we die? And when death comes, what was the point of all of that living? These are the questions asked in “Everybody,” a play written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and performed by the University of Michigan’s Department of Theatre & Drama under the direction of Andrew White. Performances of “Everybody” ran from March 30 through April 9, 2023, at the Arthur Miller Theatre.

“Everybody,” based on the 15th-century play entitled “Everyman,” tells the story of, well, Everybody, as they grapple with impending death and search for a companion for their journey to the afterlife. Encountering characters like Friendship, Love and Stuff, the story becomes a relatable part of any audience member’s experience, prompting viewers to ponder their own place in the story of life and death.

Unlike in most live theatre, the cast of “Everybody” is determined by lottery at each performance. Before the show begins, guests take a bingo ball and place it in one of several suitcases lining the edge of the stage. Throughout the first few scenes, actors draw from the suitcases in order to find out which of two memorized tracks they will be performing in/for that particular show. The cast takes on their assigned roles with readiness and enthusiasm.

Traditionally, only the characters of Everybody, Friendship, Kinship, Cousin and Stuff are drawn by lottery, and the five “Somebodies” double as Evil, Beauty, Strength, Mind and Senses. With a cast of 14, however, each actor memorized two roles, while some, like Love and Death, were double-cast despite the original script. This particular casting choice was ingenious as, at one point, Everybody wasn’t quite sure whether Love was Death in disguise.

The highly adaptable script lends itself to specific audiences, with this production including countless references to the University. The character of Stuff dresses as a U-M football fan, decked out in maize and blue and singing “The Victors” as they enter the stage, and the character of Evil explains how difficult the theater is to reach due to the heavy construction on Bonisteel.

Another stand-out feature of this production is the band members, who later become actors in the show. The band’s name — Bones, Bones, Bones — is fitting for the performers’ skeleton onesies. The group kept the audience engaged throughout the pre-show with charisma and enthusiasm, even improvising a song based on audience suggestions like “summer,” “cake” and “nap.”

For this performance of “Everybody,” Music, Theatre & Dance junior Abigail Labbé played the title role. Labbé slipped seamlessly into the role from the moment the bingo ball sealing her fate was drawn by a member of the band, a truly daunting task. She embodied everyone who has gone and will go through the same end-of-life questions as her character. Between interactions with characters like Friendship and Kinship, Everybody spirals into train-of-thought monologues about the life they are leaving behind, expertly delivered by Labbé. Each thought frantically follows another with beautiful realization, and Labbé stunned the audience with gravity, honesty and pain, asking, “Why did you have to live, again?”

The two characters called Ushers, played by Clara Dossetter and Maya McEntyre (Music, Theatre & Dance senior and sophomore, respectively) quickly reveal themselves as the show begins to be a part of the act, and bring the viewers seamlessly into the story. Playing off of each other as if embodying one person, both performers expertly switch between charismatic ushers, a human embodiment of God and even the concept of Understanding. The choice to have two actors playing Understanding was particularly striking; by the end of the show, the audience comes to realize that even Understanding doesn’t quite know what the point of the play, or even life itself, is, and having the two performers asking each other life’s big questions was beautiful.

Other standout performances include Music, Theatre & Dance senior Andrew Otchere as Friendship, Music, Theatre & Dance sophomore Myles Sherwin Mathews as Stuff, Music, Theatre & Dance junior Nathan Goldberg as Kinship and Music, Theatre & Dance junior Mary-Kate Sunshine Mahaney as Cousin. Each actor did a brilliant job of bringing a genuine personality to an otherwise non-personified concept. It is difficult to balance pointedly general comedic lines like, “Do you remember that time we all did that one thing together that one time?” with a human soul, and yet each actor did so beautifully.

Rounding out the cast are Music, Theatre & Dance sophomore Rohan Maletira as Death, Music, Theatre & Dance junior Emilia Vizachero as Love and Music, Theatre & Dance senior Stefania Gonzalez as Girl and Time. All three upheld their facades of intimidating importance while allowing truly human personalities to come through. The beautiful final picture of Death and Time stargazing in silhouette made the seemingly unreachable personifications seem like a part of “Everybody,” too.

The crew expertly tied together the show’s themes. The themed set by Music, Theatre & Dance senior Rachel Schlager, composed of geometric shapes and lantern-adorned trees at various stages of life, was complemented by gorgeous lighting by Music, Theatre & Dance junior Sydney Geysbeek. The use of house lighting is particularly important in a show involving so much audience interaction, and the subtle use of spotlights to point out emerging actors while the house lights remained on was just enough to push audience eyes in the right direction. Costumes by Christopher Vergara were also gorgeous. Particularly striking were Death’s suit with skeleton-like accents, Love’s Aphrodite-esque dress with beautiful anatomical heart detailing and matching “EB” blazer and necklace for Kinship and Cousin, respectively. These costumes were just symbolic enough to indicate the tropes of each character and their concept while maintaining the characters’ believability.

“Everybody” is a daunting and unique production to face. The Theatre & Drama Department did so with bravery and gusto. The cast and crew recognized and embraced the show’s dual nature of both oddity and relatability in what became a beautiful production.

Daily Arts Writer Max Newman can be reached at jqnewman@umich.edu.

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Lines formed outside the iconic Michigan Theater at 5 p.m., though the main event would not start for hours. As doors opened at 6 p.m., the crowds pushed their way to the front rows for the biggest night of MUSIC Matters’ week-long annual celebration of music. The headlining concert featured indie pop idol ROLE MODEL and up-and-comer E L E Y. The April 11 concert was MUSIC Matters’ first celebrity headliner in four years — a return of global stars joining students to ignite a community built by live music to make social change through community partnerships. Hundreds of screaming fans, only some of whom were students, reminded us what makes a crowd-performer relationship so touching.

Songwriter, producer and singer E L E Y took the stage at 7 p.m. to open the concert. E L E Y’s work brings a rhythmic and melodic sound, witty lyricism and a sense of musicality to pop and R&B music. With influences ranging from hip-hop to rock, E L E Y has long been an industry standout for his work behind the scenes and in the booth. As he later told the audience, this was only his fourth live performance. He dove right into his funky, poppy hit “Deserve” as the audience got off our feet.

E L E Y’s rich voice rang off every verse’s final note. He created a personalized touch in every song as he responded to his lyrics between beats with ad-libs of “that’s true.” He engaged us all as we let the lyrics (which were mostly unfamiliar to us) and catchy rhythms into our ears and hearts. He even told us that his song “Fade Away” was inspired by a young betrayal. His claimed primary focus was priming us for the next set, but the audience took it all in, especially the rich rhythmic hits and love songs from his 2022 debut album Cherry.

In his final moments, he showed how to get a crowd wild — a rendition of “Mr. Brightside” (mostly performed by the audience). Halfway through the song, roaring from the energy, he went into his single “Know You Like Me,” the heavy poppy/punky song making a solid concert closer. We all clapped to an infectious beat we had never heard. His main fault was his unfamiliarity with a crowd, which only appeared as he counted down his remaining songs. Though we had just gotten to know his sound and energy, E L E Y had us hooked.

In the few minutes while we awaited the main event, dozens of people filed into the overflowing balcony seats. As singer-songwriter ROLE MODEL — née Tucker, as a few diehard fans call him — sprinted onto the stage and reached into the crowd, the excellence in live music was palpable. These were some serious fans decked out in merch. Hundreds of people finally met their idol, inspiration or perhaps their crush. His music reached the audience in new, uniquely personal ways as they sang as one.

ROLE MODEL is not without the cheesiness his fans love him for. He told the audience of their beauty on multiple occasions and returned many a “love you.” He held a bit throughout the performance, introducing himself as any artist but ROLE MODEL, from Charlie Puth and Shawn Mendes to Brad Paisley and Nickelback to Rae Sremmurd. He said that he and his band, a powerful team of synthy keyboards, strumming and beat-keeping guitarists and bassists, and rhythmic drums, are “whoever you want us to be tonight.” He kept that promise. He called to each section to sing and yell along with him, and they all seemed to compete for his attention.

ROLE MODEL is a heartthrob. He danced along the stage and jumped like the just-over-teenage boy he is. He even covered One Direction’s “Night Changes.” What set him apart is his steady voice, which held every note with power and dove into stunning, booming melodies, echoing through the crowd as he pulled our heartstrings. It had a unique, smooth headiness. A subtle rasp crept in at times, adding to the depth of his booming range. Every song was a killer.

Bright lights and colors lit the stage to the booming beat of his voice and instrumentals, and ROLE MODEL transported us to summer with a carefree, dance-along-type song with seriously pining lyrics titled “cross your mind.” He joked with the audience in a flirty, nonchalant way. His lyrics are romance — in tones ranging from sensual to edgy to mildly silly. In “neverletyougo,” he let the crowd take over to sing his (in)famous lyric (dedicated to a mystery music video girl), “Respectfully, I think about you sexually.” 

ROLE MODEL’s music career began in a college dorm room, where he tried on his signature bedroom pop with truly catchy yet relatable lyrics and melody. He started with songs of angst, love and insecurities. In his recent single “a little more time,” he dove into the more homegrown elements of his music, picking up a guitar and playing some simple chords while letting his voice shine through. The crowd belted along to the relatable lyrics about the pains of hookup culture in “that’s just how it goes.” In his hit song “blind,” his voice hit every powerful downstrum as the crowd shook with each note.

Some songs are pop-punky and others have a tinge of R&B; some even have a ’90s guitar and drum-heavy pop feel. ROLE MODEL built a style with all the elements that make pop music great. He reminds us that pop and indie are fun. 

ROLE MODEL acknowledged his audience of teenagers, the people who can most relate to his anthems and odes. Early on, ROLE MODEL promised the boyfriends, girlfriends and mothers brought “against your will to support someone you love” that something would win them over. If not his music, his voice and stage presence did just that. 

The all-caps letters in the singers’ names suddenly made sense. After experiencing a concert, the singers become massive presences in our lives that we cannot quite shake. With E L E Y’s and ROLE MODEL’s performances, the four years of waiting for a celebrity to kick off Springfest felt worth it, and we all felt ready for a week of live performances. The best live music is about connection, love and occasionally, a subtle flirtation between performer and audience. 

Senior Arts Editor Kaya Ginsky can be reached at kginsky@umich.edu.

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One of the most iconic food scenes in film: Remy, the gourmand rat of “Ratatouille,” takes a bite of cheese and a bite of a juicy strawberry in succession, savoring his small rat bites. He leaves the kitchen, entering a beautiful world in his mind with an explosion of colorful fireworks. That is how I felt eating my roommate’s favorite sweet and salty grilled cheese for the first time.

Pairing cheese and fruit is nothing new; it goes back to the cuisine that birthed a rat revolution. French cuisine uses fruit and cheese as complements: Fontainebleau whipped cheese with whipped cream and berries, pear tarts topped with gruyere. An end-of-meal cheese course, a fixture in French dining, is presented with a simple bread on the side and matched with palate cleansers like apples, figs and grapes. The tart flavor makes one savor the complexity and depth of the cheeses even more and provides a perfect balance to an otherwise intensely rich course. 

Cheese boards piled with chutneys, preserves, jams and fresh berries have taken over the 2020s social media food scene. The trendy platters’ creative designs and complex layering of flavor, texture and color allow for incredible experimentation. Raspberry jam and brie, goat cheese and fig spread, Remy’s favorite: strawberries and cheese. Restaurant menus everywhere feature “elevated” grilled cheeses, pairing melty, decadent cheeses, crisped buttery bread and preserves, jams and spreads of all kinds. 

My roommate’s suggestion of fruity grilled cheese was not shocking. Cheese and fruit are meant to be together; sweet and savory, tangy and salty, bright and aged. The best food pairings (re: munchies) come from experimentation, scarcity and taking odd-seeming suggestions.

I was bored of my everyday lunches and snacks and I agreed to my roommate’s childhood favorite — grilled cheese with jelly. I felt fine using my frozen sourdough and two shredded mozzarella cheese sticks; it was all I had. But it felt wrong to use jelly. Jelly is a few dollars, intensely sweet and, yes, gelatinous. Nevertheless, it worked perfectly. The jelly was a perfectly-textured dip for the crisped grilled cheese, not gooey, melting, overly wet or sticky. The subtlety of the strawberry flavor and sweetness brought out the richness of the butter and cheese. It was the best sandwich I have ever eaten. As I dipped the buttery sourdough into the strawberry jam, I became Remy in the strawberry scene. 

Living with a roommate, you gain bits and pieces of their lifestyle: their favorite snack pairings, comfort movies and beauty secrets. The jelly-dipped grilled cheese is one of many things I gained — and will always cherish — from the moments in my first college kitchen.

Recipe

2 slices of bread of your choice

1 tbsp butter

Any melty cheese 

2 tsp jelly

Strawberries (optional)

1. Thinly spread butter on one side of a slice of bread. Melt the rest of the butter in a medium-hot skillet.
2. Put the not-buttered side face down on the skillet. After it lightly toasts, place the cheese on top.
3. Place the second slice of bread on top of the melting cheese and flip to toast the other side in the butter.
4. Remove from skillet when golden brown and serve on a plate with jelly and a side of strawberries.

Senior Arts Editor Kaya Ginsky can be reached at kginsky.edu.

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I think makeup is one of the most exciting forms of art. Discovering techniques that complement different facial structures, emphasizing your favorite features and enhancing personal style all draw me to the beauty world, whether in everyday makeup or more creative, bold looks. My interest in makeup is reflected in the way I use social media — on Pinterest boards or my Instagram explore page, there’s bound to be some makeup-related content. So, when I first discovered Vogue Beauty Secrets — a series of YouTube videos starring different celebrities detailing their beauty routines — I was instantly enthralled. At first, I used the videos simply to learn more techniques and how to enhance my style. They soon became special to me in different ways. 

Vogue Beauty Secrets quickly became my go-to comfort media, as I would unwind to “Stranger Things” star Natalia Dyer’s calming step-by-step through her sensitive skin routine, or cheer up to Rihanna’s energetic guide to going out makeup. I realized that there was an aspect of companionship and intimacy present in these videos that made them unique from any other beauty content I had seen at the time. This was because the celebrities in the videos not only showed how they do their makeup, they also gave details of their personal life that connected to their routines. For example, in Dyer’s video, she speaks about her relationship with makeup and skincare in her teen years, explains why she prefers natural looks over red carpet glam and reveals the emotional significance of things like perfume in her life. Small insights and stories about the lives of the celebrities make these videos feel personal, as if a friend was telling me about their day.

This feeling of authenticity was enhanced because of the variety of people and stories present in the collection of videos. In Emma Robert’s video “Mom’s-Night-Out-Glam”, she shows her makeup routine and how she treats her post-pregnancy melasma, a common skin issue faced by people who have been pregnant. Another video features 64-year-old Joan Severance, who gives tips for aging skin and talks about the vitiligo that she’s had since childhood. Having real stories and situations that many others can relate to in the context of these beauty videos makes them feel authentic and more personal. It also destigmatizes these skin types (such as varying textures and aging) by showing them as a normal aspect of their lives, rather than something to be ashamed of or hide. Seeing celebrities show off their acne and combat their oily hair is a comforting behind-the-scenes look, which makes me feel more connected to the content.

The best part of these videos for me is not fully encapsulated by their relatability or their older sibling mentor-y feel. It is also the way that they encourage the sharing of techniques, products and advice; it’s a space for pure helpfulness and positivity. Creating a forum for building up one another and celebrating companionship in a dominantly female space such as Vogue Beauty Secrets is important, especially in modern-day media where pitting women against each other and trying to get ahead of one another is promoted. It seems like no matter where we look in the media, (especially in beauty-related media) there’s women being compared, fans of women degrading other women or women tearing each other down. A space of helpfulness and sincerity online is a refreshing change of pace in a world of Selena versus Hailey and gatekeeping: a culture where I feel like the only option is to compete. 

As my love for Vogue Beauty Secrets blossomed, I discovered that the reasons I am so drawn to these videos run a bit deeper than my interest in beauty products and techniques. The videos are prime examples of how to use beauty and fashion content for good, and they always leave me with an abiding feeling of community and kindness. The videos have a variety of people and situations that aim to give bits of advice to others in similar situations. Fostering a sense of solidarity among the community of viewers, even if it is just through a smokey eye tutorial, is a small yet important step away from the competitive nature of the beauty world.

Daily Arts Writer Cecilia Dore can be reached at cecedore@umich.edu.

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This past Friday at the University of Michigan’s Fashion Media Summit, influencer Remi Bader took the stage. While her interview was entirely virtual, presented on the large projector in the Ross School of Business’ Robertson Auditorium, her message was still clear. Famous for her “body positive” platform, Bader has inspired her followers to reach new levels of confidence and self-love. The interview lasted half an hour and was led by MFMS co-Presidents Talia Potters and Hannah Shipley.

Beginning with a discussion of Bader’s background in public relations and marketing, and finishing with her hopes for body inclusivity in the fashion industry, Potters and Shipley took us through Bader’s story, in Bader’s words, with ease. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bader was let go from her job and, like everybody at the time, downloaded the TikTok app. This was the first time she saw “curvy” girls and plus-sized fashion in a media setting, Bader said. Inspired by this, and in a search for more confidence, Bader started producing content, what she called “silly” try-on clothing hauls. These videos she called “realistic hauls” — where she would order several outfits from well-known brands such as Zara, PrettyLittleThing or Fashion Nova and compare the size and fit to the website pictures. Now, she moves beyond realistic hauls and into topics such as mental health and her day-to-day life.

When asked how she would describe her transition into social media, she firmly said, “I never wanted to be the ‘spokesperson’ for body positivity. I just wanted to show my life and be a positive inspiration.” And that she did. Several years into her new career, Bader has amassed a following of over 2.2 million on TikTok, and 540,000 on Instagram. In the interview, she mentions how lucky she feels to have this large of a platform, and that her “blow up” was as unexpected as it could’ve been. She believes that TikTok has become more saturated with body positivity content now, relative to the time of her “blow up.” To her, timing was everything. 

Aside from a social media career, Bader has also transitioned into clothing design and line curation. Her collaboration with Revolve, a popular online shopping website, was indeed the first time the company had up to size 4X in a line. It all began with one of her “realistic Revolve hauls” in which Bader beseeched the company to “do better.” Upon the video’s upload, Revolve instantly reached out to Bader, asking if she would be interested in designing her own line. When developing the line, she started with the design team, working on silhouettes and body shapes, with a variety of loose-fitting and tighter clothing depending on consumers’ level of comfort. In the future, she hopes to continue this relationship with Revolve. While her brand was a catalyst for the company’s first size-inclusive line, Bader still believes that the fashion industry has much to do. Her mission will always be to keep the conversation going about body positivity and confidence at any size. To achieve this, Bader consistently reaches out to brands, offering the names of plus-sized models and encouraging companies to invite these girls to brand trips or events. This work allows the fashion industry to reach new levels of inclusivity — a difference that Bader pioneered.

Regarding the future, Bader said, “I am always waiting for the next exciting thing to happen, and to see what I am passionate about over time.” She closes with a piece of advice for students who want to enter the content creation industry: “Start something,” she said. “You want to start something that is important and unique to you.”

Bader’s influence and positive, hopeful perspective brought the house down on Friday, and the U-M student body is eager to see what Bader does next. 

Daily Arts Writer Skylar Wallison can be reached at skylarmw@umich.edu.

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The 27th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons opened in the Duderstadt Center Gallery last Tuesday hosted by the Prison Creative Arts Project. This monumental showcase is the largest curated collection of art by people who are incarcerated in the world and is one of the many undertakings of the PCAP at the University of Michigan. This socially-engaged exhibition is free, open to the public and runs until April 4.

Just minutes after opening, a line of people formed outside the gallery, desperate to have the first pick at the art for sale. The opening was dynamic and vibrant, as bustling groups of people, photographers and volunteers filled the space. With more than 600 hand-picked pieces featured in their in-person and virtual galleries, the exhibition highlights art from Michigan’s 26 state prisons. Born from months of art curation trips to prisons across the state, the wide breadth of this showcase creates a platform for a large array of people with distinct visual styles and stories. With a diverse selection of art — from abstract paintings to sculptures made of paper — this collection is a testament to the innovation and creativity of the artists. Further highlighting this scope is the exhibition’s division into themes, like “Animals & Nature” and “Religion,” with thoughtful curator’s notes that inform and guide the viewing of each section. 

As much of the art, even the thematically lighter pieces, comes the desire to express oneself when confined to prison with limited outside communication, intricate depictions of a beach scene or horses with flowing manes take on a deeper meaning: one of a distant liberation from the physical, emotional and psychological toll of being incarcerated. Still, some pieces more explicitly treat darker themes. “112379,” for example, is a heart-wrenching van Gogh-inspired portrait that depicts the anguish of feeling trapped behind bars and, consequently, urges viewers to have empathy for those living in prison. Through both the thought-provoking and technical prowess of the art, the gallery effectively reconstructs the narrative around the artists who may be overlooked and dehumanized by society.

The gallery further invites visitors to engage with the artists through a centrally-located computer that grants quick access to “Artist Statements.” “Artist Statements” allow browsing guests to see hand-written notes from featured artists and better understand the motivations and intentions of a piece, which is especially helpful if one is considering a purchase. Notably, the net proceeds of all sold art are distributed directly back to the artists. Visitors particularly moved by a piece can also connect with artists by writing them a response letter, sharing positive feedback and building solidarity with those who have been isolated from society. 

Following the public unveiling of the collection, visitors were invited to a reception in the Duderstadt’s basement with various speakers, the majority of whom were formerly incarcerated artists involved with PCAP or those who had art in a past exhibition. They spoke passionately about the gratitude they had for the program as well as the importance of art to their life and emotional well-being. One message was clear: PCAP and its art initiatives change lives. 

This special exhibition provides an outlet for artists and a means for visitors to enjoy and buy compelling pieces while showing support for the community who has been system impacted in Michigan. With a massive collection of emotionally moving and thought-provoking art, one visit to the exhibit might not be enough. 

Daily Arts Writer Nicole Appiani can be reached at nappiani@umich.edu.

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Two years after opening, does Side Biscuit hold up to the hype?

Short answer: yes

Side Biscuit sits on the edge of the student neighborhood at Packard and Woodlawn streets. It emerged in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as the brainchild of chef Jordan Balduf. Balduf originally started Side Biscuit running online orders out of his driveway before buying the restaurant space. Side Biscuit’s cult status in the Ann Arbor restaurant scene has steadily risen since it first opened its doors in 2021. Just after its two year anniversary celebration, I decided that it was finally time to see if it lives up to the hype.

Walking into the store, you are immediately struck by how much energy is flowing through such a small space. Off to the side, they have merchandise for sale prominently displaying their Buffalo Bills inspired logo. I took about two steps before reaching the order counter with the rest of the space being occupied by a tight open kitchen where the temperature, volume of the classic rock and vibes were all sky high.

The “driveway plate” is Side Biscuit’s marquee deal, coming with six wings and the side biscuit of the week. I ordered the driveway plate with the open pit BBQ sauce. It was definitely sweet; in fact, it was one of the sweetest BBQ sauces that I have had. This was no detriment, however, as the sweetness came with equal tanginess. In addition to the BBQ, I tried the OG buffalo sauce. It absolutely blew me away. The buffalo sauce had the correct level of heat; I could totally feel it, but it wasn’t too much to handle. It had a subtle butteriness to it that smoothed out the heat. 

These sauces are nothing without the masterfully prepared wings underneath them. As a broke college student, I eat so much dining hall food and fast food that I was beginning to think that generic and processed food had gotten pretty good in terms of quality and taste. Yet these wings reminded me how good wings can really get. The meat was a much higher quality than what is normally seen in chicken wings. The chicken was noticeably juicy, as opposed to the all-too-often dry chicken wings you might see from a fast food wing. The skin was fully crispy and was clearly fried to perfection. Overall I thought that the chicken wings were spectacular.

The real star of the show was the namesake side biscuit. Every week Side Biscuit features a biscuit of the week and in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, they featured an Irish soda biscuit studded with raisins and topped with orange zest. The biscuit managed to outdo the wings in terms of quality and taste. It had a perfectly crispy outside with a hot, soft and buttery inside. Speaking of butter, keeping with the theme, it came with a side of orange marmalade butter. The butter was incredibly creamy and so good that my roommate felt justified in finishing it on its own.

Side Biscuit celebrated its two-year anniversary of opening last weekend with a tailgate-type party outside the store. This celebration included a wing eating contest, free biscuits and a guest DJ. Over the last two years of its operation, I have heard constant claims of how elite Side Biscuit is and now I can finally attest to its cult status.

Daily Arts Contributor William Castle can be reached at wcastle@umich.edu

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