Names and faces

LITTLE ROCK — Actor and director Ben Affleck told members of Congress on Wednesday that a desperate humanitarian situation in Congo requires a stronger display of U.S. leadership, and it will get worse without one. Glancing down at prepared testimony, Affleck told the House Armed Services Committee that he had traveled to Congo regularly in recent years, seeing both the effects of violence and the potential of the African country. He called for the U.S. to show moral leadership in the region, saying it didn’t require a deep investment of taxpayer money. “They deserve better than this cycle of violence and upheaval,” he said of the people of Congo. “Without persistent, high-level leadership by the United States, the key players will not come to the table and do their part,” he said. Affleck said the U.S. should lead an effort to reshape the United Nations’ role in the region.Despite a U.N. presence in the country for 15 years and a peacekeeping operation there, a rebel group called the M23 has operated in eastern Congo, terrorizing the region. Affleck was one of five witnesses to testify before the committee about Congo.

Some classic Broadway show tunes will soon be getting the headbanging treatment. Dee Snider, lead singer of the ’80s heavy-metal band Twisted Sister, will be headlining the nightclub 54 Below this week, taking on such standards as “Mack the Knife” and “Cabaret.” The appearance tonight and Friday night builds on Snider’s new CD, Dee Does Broadway, where he tackles a dozen theater standards, including “Music of the Night” and “Big Spender.” “I was true to the songs but I found the rock in them, I didn’t force the rock into them,” said Snider, settling onto a cozy bench dressed in his trademark all black with his long wavy hair in a ponytail. Snider, who grew up on Long Island, became one of the more flamboyant singers during the hair metal era, belting out anthems like “I Wanna Rock!” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” while in full makeup and shoulderpads. “The thing I say to people who are surprised to see me doing Broadway and theater is, ‘What about the makeup and costumes and theatrics I was doing for all those years?’” he said, laughing. “Are you shocked that Alice Cooper is a theater fan as well? He is. Shocker!”