The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 67

Names Faces C2 Ann Landers CIO Ask Beth Cll The Music Section C16 TV and Radio 14-15 Movie Directory C10-11 Classified C20 UU THE BOSTON GLOBE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1997 it I 37 I WBCN's Nik Garter finds himself in a 1 Television Review 'The Fifties': a compelling look attlifidpradfi YDTI radio f. CJst jfj i X. TW I'm a person of color. Obviously, they felt that GLOBE STAFF PHOTO BILL BRETT would push some buttons with their audience." By John Koch GLOBK STAFF To say "The Fifties," the eight-hour TV adaptation of the popular David Halberstam book, should be required viewing for anyone interested in or studying modern US history, misses an important point. While it conveys' the solid worthiness of the ambitious six-part broadcast, it doesn't begin to suggest the exhilaration that is often part of the viewing experience.

Beginning Sunday at 9 p.m. on the History Channel and airing nightly through next Friday, "The Fifties" is an often powerfully affecting analysis of a decade that tends to be vastly oversimplified. Its reach is enormous: from women's issues to automobile design, from the different but frightening abuses of power by Senator Joseph McCarthy and John Foster Dulles to curiosities about the birth of McDonald's, from the Korean War to the rustlings of conflict in Vietnam. Over it all hovers the dread unleashed by the H-bomb, whose mushrooming explosion aptly shadows the series' logo. The '50s witnessed the rise of television, a medium that in the United States was exploited primarily as an advertising delivery svs- "FIFTIES," Page C6 PHOTO RICHARD BEATTIE-UPI Familiar images, tike this teenager, are filtered through the show's strong sensibilities.

Stages Theater united by events off the stage By Patti Hartigan GLOBE STAFF Anna Deavere QHth was on the phone the other day musr 3 way she was trained to hone her craft, er job, and let the audience w- rv ut nit thrmselves. The celebrated writer and re; i ner, familiar to folks here for'." "Fires in the Mirror" and "Twiligh Los Angeles," was remembering 'irticula' matinee in San Francisco. Sue was performing "Twilight" for CrOUU Ul ICCimgClO VY11U Ul kkuw. afternoon of "culture." The kids were hooting and hollering at the most inappropriate moments, and Smith was annoyed. "My instinct was 'Why do I have to be out here wrecking my voice for and the answer was that it was probably the first play they ever saw," Smith said.

"The irony was I of rival WAAF: "They want their audience to know By Jim Sullivan GLOBE STAFF it a case of racism or is just a yakety-yak radio spitting match? Is it heinous or content tious? Is it a rowdy joust or a 'profound embarrassment, a mu- I ratings booster or the nadir of this: A lot lot of hot the FM It's been but accelerated are charges personal At 107.3 station in of hot air is being blown and a buttons are being pushed over frequencies of 107.3 and 104.1. going on for more than a year, a few weeks ago. There of racism and lies; there are threats. is WAAF, an "active rock" Worcester, which has made substantial inroads into the Boston market, particularly in the afternoon drive-time slot. At 104.1 is WBCN, a "modern rock" station that long proclaimed itself "The Rock of Boston." Now it's also "The Rock Revolution." At the center of the brouhaha is WBCN disc jockey Nik Carter, who is black.

He had been doing evening shows until the station decided not to renew afternoon Mark Parenteau's contract and installed Carter in that key 3-7 p.m. slot. Carter knows his fans are following him to his new spot, but Parenteau's loyal cadre may be miffed. (Parenteau did not want to be interviewed for this story.) CARTER, Page C14 not noted for high standards begin with? Is it a big fat mess wishes would go away? very least, no one can argue Beavis and Butt-head dead? Heh-heh jit i WW i 'BCN jock Carter In "Beavis and Butt-head Are Dead," the dumb-and-dumber boys skip class for three weeks, leaving everyone to think they're dead. i 'A i ik' i i says an industry of taste to everyone At the ft lira 2.

tt.f By Matthew Gilbert GLOBE STAFF Tonight, MTV will air the last new episode of "Beavis and Butt-head," called "Beavis and Butt-head Are Dead." But Television Review anyone who watdhes MTV knows that the dumb-and-dumber duo will be anything but dead in the coming years, as the rerun-crazy cable channel will continue to air the series endlessly, alongside new "Beavis and Butt-head" specials, including a fifth annual Super Bowl "Butt-bowi" in January. Also, a sequel to the hit theatrical release "Beavis and Butt-head Do America" is currently in the works. And even when "Beavis and Butt-head" is really and truly over, the series will live on in cultural history as the MTV BEAVIS, Page C15 V.X ll I V' Theater Ed Siegel reiews ARTs production of "The Bacchae." PageC3 Books Voices of the Hollywood 1 Minn Lmmm about race relations, and there was a race relation happening right there in the theater and we missed it We have to accept that. We have to be present with the audience, even when we're in our most transcendent state." Ah, that. Performing in the moment.

Sometimes it's easy to get the job done without thinking about the audience, but there are times when the communal psyche of the audience cannot help but become a part of the performance. We're not talking about '60s-stvie love-ins where Mr. and Mrs. Eight STAGES, Page C13 Movies Christopher Munch's "Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day." Page C4 "Forgotten Silver" may be the year's funniest film. Page C4 The Music section After 18 years leading the moody rock band the Cure, Robert Smith is having fun.

PageC16 Swiss guitarist Harald Haerter comes storming back. Jazz Notes. Page C18 i "blacklist ictims: Page C8.