DISCLAIMER Stars Cate Blanchett, Kevin Klein and Sacha Baron Cohen

DISCLAIMER by two-time Best Director Oscar winner, Alfonso Clarion now airing on Netflix is a sexy, seven part thriller that proves cunning and entertaining. Our main character is Catherine Ravenscroft (played by the incomparable Cate Blanchett). She's a highly regarded documentarian. The series begins with Cristiane Amanpour presenting Catherine a reward for her reporting. Amanpour warns the audience of the power narrative and form to enlighten and mislead. The film itself uses several voice-over  narratives clarifying what we're watching. This clever use of voice-overs which first seemed unwarranted, play a crucial role in unraveling facts from fiction in this duplicitous drama. There are two entwined families connected by a fatal drowning. The prominent, wealthy Ravenscrots, elegant Catherine, her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their 25 year old son Nicholas. The other family, Stephen (Kevin Klein) and Nancy Brigstocke (Leslie Manville), both teachers, live a modest lifestyle with their son, Jonathan. After the awards ceremony, the film travels 20 years in flashback to a young Catherine, with her then 5 year old son vacationing on the Italian shore. Here they encounter Jonathan at age 19, after his girlfriend just returned to London. Catherine lures the timid but eager Jonathan to her suite and the two have steamy sex per Catherine's instructions. Catherine in turn, willingly poses for Jonathan's camera per his direction. The next day, Nicholas became adrift alone in a raft while Catherine napped. Jonathan is the first to reach Nicholas bringing him to safety but then Jonathan drowns in the undertow.  Be wary of fractured story telling. The Bristockes are devastated by their grief. Nancy retreats into Jonathan's room and writes a novel signifying Catherine as the woman who had lurid sex with her son and idly watched him drown. Stephen publishes the novel posthumously and enacts a twisted plot of revenge to shame Catherine and make her suffer. Copies are sent to her co-workers and to her husband and son with photos Jonathan had taken. Catherine's life goes into a tailspin; she's spurned at work, her husband abandons her and their son overdoses. The enticing scenes over seven episodes allow the viewer to form their own perspectives to consider how things will pan out. Blanchett is pitch perfect as the polished wife with a well-kept secret. Klein is alarmingly crazed and Cohen is convincing as a whiny husband. This easily binge worthy series will enthrall the viewer in a world of fascinating facades that crumble. DISCLAIMER is gripping and captivating to calculate where the viewer was misdirected and manipulated.   

AYA Piano Trio Play Beethoven, Brahms and Beach(?) at The 222

The AYA Piano Trio is composed of three young, international virtuoso artists who performed a classical chamber music program of Beethoven, Brahmas and Beach. Ying Li led the trio on piano. She's 27 and has garnered numerous international prizes including the List Piano Competition in Moscow. On Violin was Angel Chan. Chan received first prize in the 2024 Hannover Joachim Violin Competition. The cellist, Andres Sanchez-Linares hails from PA. At 13 he made his debut at Carnegie Hall. The trio regaled us with Beethoven's Piano Trio #6 in E flat. The piece is distinctive in the first two movements as they began very intimately and contained elements from Beethoven's repertoire but it fills out into a lush, complex conclusion. This piece was followed on the program by the Piano Trio in A Minor by French composer, Amy Beach (1867-1897). Unbeknownst to me, Li described her as a child prodigy who is only recently receiving her due recognition. The piece was a combination of a French aesthetic with an ephemeral, romantic overtone. I rather liked the work for its nuance but felt it was not on par with the other two great masters. The Lento espressivo was said to have been influenced by American Folk Music. This alluded me but for the Lento/Presto calling to mind somewhat Copland's "Rodeo".  The Introduction Allegro was very melodramatic sounding and reminded of a score to an old fashioned black/white romance movie. The final piece, or as Li said, "The main entree for the evening" was Brahms' Piano Trio in B Major. The piece sounded more like an emphatic composition by Beethoven. Ironically, Beethoven's piece began more like a subdued Brahm's composition. Li also described Brahm's piece as "a journey into space and outward into the galaxy." The piece was celestial and invoked spaciousness and exploration. The exceptional fine performance made for a remarkable and delightful evening. Should the AYA Piano Trio return - don't miss the opportunity to enjoy. 

Grammy Winning Trombonist Ryan Keberle and Catharsis Play Jazz at The 222

Grammy winning trombonist Ryan Keberle brought his jazz band Catharsis on a chilly October night in Healdsburg to The 222 where they received a warm welcome. Catharsis is credited with performing a mixed bag of musical genres that include Brazilian, Folk, Chamber and Indie Rock while fitting into a jazz framework. Keberle, who dazzled on trombone, also played on keyboard, synthesizer and provided backup vocals. Playing along with him were Camilla Meza on guitar/vocals, Ike Sturm on bass, Jimmy Macbride on drums and my personal favorite in the band, Mike Rodriguez on Trumpet. Rodriguez it turns out is a Grammy winning artist who has played with Wynton Marsalis and Quincy Jones and is currently on faculty at Juilliard and NYU.  Keberle shared with the crowd that he and the band were marking their 10th consecutive night with 10 straight stops along the western seaboard. He informed us he and  band, "we're more like family and just released their first new album in 5 years. Catharsis was set to perform for us from the album. "For the last 5 years," Keberle said, "I was ensconced in S. America soaking up Brazilian music and learning for the best." The first two numbers compositions were original Keberle pieces that had a  high octane caliber that sliced into a cacophony of blurred instruments with too little "space between the notes."* However, when Rodriguez and Keberle came to the forefront with their horn and trombone, the winds complemented each other in a rich oscillating vibrato that was exceptionally pleasing. Meza, originally from Chile, played lead guitar and sang mournful vocals in Spanish for a Chilean Folk Song, "Veracuse". Another outlier for being subdued in the program, was a composition by a French, female composer titled "Shine." This was the highlight of the concert with an alluring trumpet and trombone duet. I sensed a mostly Latin aesthetic with a new age jazz quality in the music. The Spartan chamber music element only arose in one lovely riff on trombone reminiscent of Debussy's water music works. The "jazzy fusion" sounds were not imbued with syncopation that elicited toe tapping, head bobbing or shoulder shimmering. Instead, the energy felt more like a blaring indie rock concert (except for "Veracuse" and "Shine") pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz.  The power of music to engage and arouse "active listening" and  a visceral response was most apparent in the program's final number entitled "Sonic Living." 

*"Music is the space between the notes." (C. Debussy)

Katori Hall's Play THE BLOOD QUILT on Broadway-Quilting Bickering Sisters

THE BLOOD QUILT is an African American family drama that reunites two sisters with their two younger "half-sisters" at the home where they grew-up shortly after the passing of their mother. Their home is a ramshackle cabin, strewn with numerous quilts which lend a cozy, beckoning ambience. Situated on the small Kwemera Island off the coast of Georgia, a ferry is the only means of connecting the Isle to the mainland. We meet the two older sisters when the play opens. Gio tells her sister, Clementine, to vouch for her that she's ill and not able to come into work. Gio is too preoccupied with getting stoned and when pressed over the phone to explain what's wrong, she says she's fighting glaucoma. The tone is set for a family comedy/drama with four dynamic siblings and a precocious niece. in tow because she's been suspended from school for smoking pot. Cassan arrives soon after bringing her 14 year old daughter who is suspended from school for smoking pot.  Zambia is thrilled to be among her aunties, especially Aunt Gio who is happy to share her stash. Last to arrive is the golden child, Amber. Amber is a glamorous, successful "Harvard" attorney whom the sisters both adore and resent for various reasons. Katori Hall is a Pulitzer Prize winning dramatist and twice Tony nominated playwright. Hall brings brusque banter to the women whose love for one another is about to become frayed when tying up the family's tangled financial situations and the reading of what their mother bequeathed to her daughters individually. What weaves the family together is their shared upbringing on the isolated island and their tradition of quilting. Over the next few days the women will cut, stitch and sew fabric into a quilt to honor their mom and their own legacies. The sisters will stew, argue and mend unraveling relationships. Dark secrets and buried resentments will be uncovered. Hall's crafty writing unspools skeins of colorful conversations twanging in unfettered dialect. Hall also brings lyricism to the forefront spinning a historical yarn of their ancestors. The present and past, rough and soft are woven together harmoniously to paint a portrait of a strong but tattered family of women that endure by underpinning heartache and loving each other.  

LEFT onTENTH with Julianna Marguilies and Peter Gallagher on Broadway

LEFT ON TENTH is the Broadway play based on Delia Ephron's 2022 memoir that picks up on her life after the passing of her beloved husband  of 30+ years, Jerry, while she's been on hold purgatory by AT&T. Disconnecting the landline to Jerry's phone resulted in the debilitating disconnect of her internet. As a writer, the internet is an essential lifeline. Who would've thought that the frustration of waiting on hold for the phone company would lead to a whirlwind romance and second chance at love? Ephron put her talents to writing an editorial of her aggravation from her apartment on 10th in Manhattan was read by Peter living in San Francisco who responded to her in an email and so the paper trail led to phone calls and a NYC rendezvous that brought two septuagenarians together in what would read as a "Sleepless in Seattle" romantic  comedy of far-flung lovers brought together by "bashert;" Yiddish for fate. The Ephron sisters, Delia and her late sister Nora, share a talent for writing. Unfortunately, the two also shared a genetic propensity for blood cancer that killed Nora in 2012. Having read Delia's memoir, I was aware of the miraculous love story and the harrowing story of Delia being stricken with blood cancer that nearly took her life at the time when her life was overflowing with joy at being in love. The story does have a happy ending with a risky blood saving bone marrow transfer that worked and left her with a new blood type. This type of story actually reads very well in the deft hands of the gifted writer. Sadly, despite Delia as the playwright and two very engaging actors, the play is a mildly charming love story. Furthermore, it flatlines with hospital scenes of the many arduous months of treatment. Julianna Marguilies as Delia is delightful and Peter Gallager is wonderful as her new devoted husband. Problems lie elsewhere. as when  Marguilies lies being bedridden and comatose for long stretches. During the passage of time which gets marked by orderlies moving hospital screens to give the actress an opportunity to shift positions. The lighter sexual bedroom scenes feel foolish as the two actors cavort under flouncing sheets.  And, when Peter beseeches his wife to fight and stay alive cannot help being too melodramatic. Still, this true to life love story and story of survival vibrates off the page but merely flutters tepidly like a soft-shoe step on stage where it should have received a DNR order.   

Robert Downey, Jr. in MCNEAL Marks His Broadway Debut in a Muddled Play

The new one-act play MCNEAL by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Ayad Akhtar ("Disgraced")is playing at the Lincoln Center Theater and marks Robert Downey, Jr.'s Broadway debut. Downey plays the lead role as Jacob McNeal, an acclaimed novelist who is on the cusp of receiving the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature. Though the play is fictitious, Akhtar has alluded to the play as being semi-autobiographical. This might infer Akhtar's own personal dilemma posed by the temptations to access A/I in his writings. The reckoning between A/I and the arts lends itself to a heady topic worth investigating. We're first directed to believe this is the play's intent. However, the play shifts focus to become a character study of an irritating and exhaustive writer. McNeal is an amalgamation of stereotypical attributes associated with brilliant but troubled writers. He's an alcoholic, intellectual snob, narcissist and shameless flirt. He's a failed husband and father, and a bombastic blowhard who can't get out of his own way.  McNeal ignores his Dr.'s dire warning to stop drinking or be dead within the year. He receives the Nobel Prize only to give a bombastic acceptance speech that attacks the institution. He sabotages his interview with the NYTimes by insulting the reporter and claiming to admire Harvey Weintraub but somehow charms her into writing a flattering piece. There's scenes that feel shocking but extemporaneous. One scene involves his estranged son and the reveal of an incestuous relationship. There's a melodramatic account of speaking to the skull of his wife who committed suicide after the bones were washed up in a tempest. McNeal also meets with the woman he had an affair with during his marriage whose relationship he wrote about without her consent. And, there's the effervescent, unflappable agent (Andrea Martin) who remains steadfast by him with a ready pot of coffee. All told, the play is confusing, disjointed and dreary. It's a tedious mess that can't find its way. Perhaps, Akhtar wrote this play utilizing A/I to amass storylines from classics, (i.e. Hamlet, Oedipus) and character traits of a self-absorbed, self-destructive writers (Hemingway, Chandler).  Maybe what Akhtar hints at all along is that A/I can amass and emulate other writers but in doing so, the result fails to have cohesive meaning, Artistic Integrity or Any Interest. And, In Addition, I'm sure Akhtar aspires to win a Nobel Prize. 

On Broadway OH, MARY! This Bawdy Play was a Drag

"Oh, Mary!" is a bawdy, comedic take on Mary and Abe Lincoln set during the last days of the Civil War. Mary is performed in drag by the show's playwright, Cole Escola, donned in a flouncy hoop skirt and knickers. Mary is portrayed as a conniving alcoholic and petulant pest to her besieged husband consumed with fighting the war to save the union. It's a credit to Escola's commitment to portraying Mary's peevishness that 'they' bring a frothy hilarity to her self-absorption. Good old Abe (Conrad Ricamora) has a lot on his plate to contemplate while keeping his wife's wile's within reason, satisfied. The President has his own needs for an outlet to release pressure. Honest Abe, lover of men, bargains with the Almighty to win the war and finds his assistant (Tony Macht) ready and willing to serve him above and beyond the call of duty; beneath his desk while on his knees. Abraham Lincoln gets his portrait repainted as a repressed, gay man. To distract Mary from becoming inebriated, Abe hires an actor to give Mary lessons for acting in the theater. Mary's female chaperone has a salacious secret taste of her own and is forever being thrown down the stairs by her. Abe is determined to assuage her from aspiring to her real aspirations for performing cabaret as it's unsuitable for a First Lady. The actor Abe hires is none other than John Wilkes Booth (yes, that Booth) to work with his wife. It appears the two quickly become smitten with each other and plot to abscond together to Canada. Alas, tis a ruse with Mary being used as Abe and John are actually secret lovers. There's a lot to swallow in this slapstick, frenetic farce. Some will be in stitches following the zany antics. Others may find it somewhat droll. Anyone who would perceive this as a disrespectful, irreverent play, please, just stay away. Personally, I found it somewhat amusing but more confusing as to why most in the audience were bellowing with laughter.  Exploring Mary's neurosis and Abe's sexual proclivities in an impudent comedy did strike some high, hilarious notes. There's a clever historical twist at the end and an added bonus of several cabaret numbers performed with gusto by Escola accompanied on piano. But, just so you know, I was far from slayed by the show.

Dan Hoyle's Theatrical Performance IT TAKES ALL KINDS at 222

Journalism takes flight in Dan Hoyle's solo theatrical performance, "It Takes All Kinds". Culled from hundreds of conversations Hoyle conducted over a large cross section of America, Hoyle set about to  register the present political climate. Hoyle uses selected conversations to re-enact "verbatim" in the persona of the individuals he interviewed. These portrayals pulsate with intelligence and a measured intensity. His ability to morph in the varied characters is uncanny. He's able to bring these people to life and imbues their stories with gravitas and humanity. Called a present day prophet by The San Francisco Chronicle, Hoyle describes himself as a dramatic journalist. By spreading the word of others Hoyle serves as a modern day messenger. His own overriding message is for people to maintain, "open hearts and open minds." Audience members are placed in the role of as an active listener in a one-on-one conversation, This approach enhances empathy by delving into one's personal history in a confiding, genial manner. Hoyle is able to convey not only differing political or ideological views, he gives a fully realized personal along with their views and rationales. As a broad and diverse nation, we tend to be logistically, economically or socially segregated. All too often, dialogues from differing  viewpoints are difficult to encounter. And, oftentimes opposing outlooks can become contentious conversations when presented with opposing convictions. These dramatized dialogues provide an earnest opportunity to fathom and empathize with a different way to consider how other people arrived at their way of thinking. These one-sided, re-enacted conversations eliminate divisive diatribes and replaces them with uninterrupted dialogues.  Several of the characters Hoyle searingly brought to life included a survivor of a racist mass shooting, a former violent felon turned social worker, high school students, barbers, a bartender and small business owners and others from different walks of life. Changing one's personal position was not Hoyle's intent. Nor was it likely to have been achieved from this engrossing theatrical experience. However, one should come away considering issues from a different perspective. And, perhaps realizing, we are all more alike than unalike.

An Evening with VAN MORRISON at Lutther Burbank in Santa Rosa-Still Got It!

Van Morrison is a true legend with a music career having spanned seven decades. Now pushing 80, you wouldn't know it from his, rich vibrato singing voice that still richly reverberates one's senses. Needing no formal introduction. Morrison come on stage at 8PM sharp to his 8 person band and a warm welcome from a packed house. Not only has he retained his strong, unique fog horn sounding voice, he blends genres of blues, jazz, country and soul into a hybrid art form. His talents on the sax, harmonica and guitar remain omnipotent. Dressed in a boxy-grey suit, grey fedora and shades, he walked out on stage and began playing. His sunglasses intermittently flashed a green neon light giving him an alien aesthetic. Of course his playing and arranging makes you wonder if he isn't some tripe of extra terrestrial with supernatural abilities causing incessant swaying and shaking from spectators. There was only one brief moment of banter after his first number on stage performing "Days Likes This." He said he had performed this song for the president...of the United Sheet Metal Workers. The unexpected final number was a long rendition of "Gloria." He left the stage after two singing two choruses leaving his band and vocalist to shine in their solos. The musicians in the band were all exceptional and proficient on multiple instruments. The horn players brought in trombone, clarinet and flute. The gifted pianist also played the electric organ and the bass guitar doubled on bass. It was unforeseen and deeply disappointing that he did not return to the stage for an encore or an acknowledgement to Santa Rosa fans for turning out despite a standing ovation that only ended when house lights were turned on. Regardless, the nearly two hours of his non-stop singing and playing went without a pause. The audience was provided with an exceptional concert that was above and beyond a mystic experience. It was a performance where the music and the talent were pure, powerful and rewarding. He's never been an artist who repeats himself or relies on set arrangements or mostly fan favorites (albeit "Moon Dance"). Morrison dazzled with his brilliant rendition of other artist's  compositions including "You are My Sunshine." and "Cold, Cold Heart." His mastery for arranging has cultivated unique renditions that reveal a surprising and soothing sound solely his own. The program was a musical, mixed bag that also included spiritual songs which referred to "higher grounds," "going down to the river" and "being lifted up." Morrison's own religious journey explored various theologies and religious practices. His exploration lead him to align himself as being more spiritual than affiliated with any formal religion. He shared his philosophy in his poetic lyrics, "There are only two things from the start. What you believe. What's from the heart." The evening with Van Morrison was a celestial event with his impenetrable vocals and preternatural musical gifts. Ting-a-ling-a-ling  

Raven Theater's DEATH TRAP a Play that Has Seen Better Days

As you walked into the Raven Theater, music from the 70s was being played. The Bee Gee's "Stayin Alive" preceded the start of the play "Death Trap". The show originally ran on Broadway in the 70s and received four Tony nominations, including for "Best Play." Written by Ira Levin, it's a comic thriller with chills and laughs that should remain in the past. The show no longer feels fresh, clever or relevant. And its entertainment value has greatly diminished. The two act play revolves around a long in the tooth playwright, Sidney (a charismatic Craig Peoples). Sidney's talents have waned and his glory days have passed. He tells his wife Myra (a prim Elizabeth Henry) he's received an excellent play written by a student whom he can't remember from his writing seminar. His envy turns to plodding how he could rub out the author, put his own name on the play and become the toast of Broadway, again. The 70s era period piece play is anchored by telephones and technologies that were non-existent at the time. Rotary. landline phones, electric typewriters and carbon copy machines vital at the time, are embedded into the plot are now obsolete. Sidney and Myra conspire to lure the budding playwright, Clifford (an earnest Christopher Johnston) to their country estate under false pretenses of Sidney's help for improving the play. A fawning Clifford is dazzled by Sidney's interest and by the arsenal of weaponry mounted on the walls used in Sidney's previous murder mysteries. Act one's murder twist doesn't pack the intended shock it once wielded which proves enough to send Sidney's complicit wife to her grave. Nor is it scandalous to discover Clifford and Sidney are lovers who consorted to rid Sidney of his wealthy wife and take over her estate. The celebrity psychic neighbor Helga (Diane Bailey) who warns the married couple of pain and doom she feels within their room is played for comedic relief but it comes off as cheesy. Sidney and Clifford come to crossroads over writing about their murderous scheme. Clifford believes that nothing  can implicate them. Sidney doesn't want to risk anything, including being outed from the closet. The grade school students accompanied by parents to the matinee were not engaged in the play. They continuously, albeit quietly, kept leaving their seats.  "Death Trap" has lost its jolt and neither did it fly with the older folks. Alas, "Death Trap" is not the only thing that has fallen out of style from the 70s. Along with disco, this play should stay in the past.