MIGHTY REAL-A Fabulous Sylvester Musical-It's a Knockout Hit

Disco daze is back in a big way at the St. Clements Church on W 46th.  MIGHTY REAL is a  powerhouse, knockout performance packed with major talent.  The biopic show tells the life, legacy & tragedy of the multi-talented disco diva, Sylvester, known as much for his singing as for his flamboyant style.  Anthony Wayne gives a fabulous performance as the outcast, unlucky in love & determined entertainer who believed his music would make him a star.  Wayne co-wrote this musical while starring on B'wy in Pippin.  Anastaci McCleskey and Jacqueline Arnold are cast as his backup singers who go out on their own & found success as the Weather Girls.  Both McCleskey (Bwy Hair & Tarzan) & Arnold are phenomenal singing sensations.  This vibrant, pulsating show has Sylvester tell us his life's story.  Born in S. LA, the oldest of 6 siblings in a single parent home.  Home was a haven.  Here he found love & acceptance & the joy of music.  Outside the home he was felt rejected.  Sylvester's 1st musical influence was gospel from the church & then radio & TV.   The choir dir. at church sexually abused him as a child.  He left home at 16 feeling shamed, living for years on the streets of LA.  His  solace & pleasures were found through music & his new home in SF.  "Music transported me to joy, love & acceptance."  He idolized the well known divas which he used to define his own sound & style. Fame & fortune came with several major hits:  You Make Me Feel & Do Ya Wanna Funk.  This energetic, joy ride of a show is bitter-sweet.  We're reminded of the devastating AIDS epidemic.  It's also a prescient reminder of the pervasive intolerance in our society.  Most importantly, it makes you feel mighty real & appreciative of every moment.  

Neil LaBute's THE MONEY SHOT-Takes Aim at Women & Fame-But It's Lame

Amer. playwright/dir/screenwriter, Neil LaBute is a very crafty writer, highly regarded for his work.  His film IN THE COMPAN of MEN won the Sundance & Indept. Spirit Awards.  The Amer. Acad. of Arts & Letters was awarded LaBute in '13.  He's known for his verbose venom of political incorrectness laced with misogynistic & misanthropic vitriol.  I've admired his previous plays REASONS to BE PRETTY and REASON to BE HAPPY containing female dispersions & outlandish cruelty.  Still, I found these plays to have a biting credibility to their sharp dialogue.  Amidst the harshness in his previous works, there arose empathy & insight with his well drawn characters.  THE MONEY SHOT is much more ambitious in its targets for contempt.  The play is set in LA;  home to cinema - no, that's false hype; France has that claim to fame.  Look it up!  The casts' thin facade of glamour & intelligence their flaws are soon shorn.  The characters are egomaniacal, controlling, misogynistic, cruel & witless.  There are 2 couples: a lesbian couple with a fading ingenue & bombastic screenwriter, a hetero-sexual couple; an aging male movie star married to a much younger, blonde bimbo.  The broad material for parody is sprawling.   However, LaBute missed hitting intended marks by a long shot.  The striking impacts that resonate with scorching truths went awry.  THE MONEY SHOT missed the bull's eye.  Instead, it was botoxed full of bullshit.   Don't bother looking this one up.    

JETER You're Just 2 Good 2 B True

Derek Jeter will forever be synonymous with the number 2, with sportsmanship & leadership.  The fanfare for Jeter has been well deserved.  For the past 20 years his indefatigable spirit & winning smile have been inspirational.  Last night Jeter went out in style:  bottom of the 9th, game tied, runner on base - he hits a game winning walk-off single.  Hooray Hooray Hooray - say it's so Joe.  A fairy tale ending to a career built on hard work, good cheer & a love of the game which has been infectious.  We wish you success in your new ventures and hope you don't venture far from your home here in NYC.  You're just too good to be, all eyes are on you.

                      *Pardon the way that we stare
                    There's nothing else to compare
                   The sight of you leaves us weak
                    There are no words left to speak
                     You're just too good to be true
                   We can't take our eyes off of you.     (*Four Seasons)

Derek Jeter you will forever be in our hearts with each start of baseball season.   Number 2 is retired with the best.
               

Pres. & UN come to NYC it's Anarchy-Still we see Poetry in Motion

New Yorkers know that while our city has the distinguished honor of hosting the UN & the President of the U.S., it's a royal pain in the ass for us.  The rain only makes it more insane.  You cannot easily get around.  Don't even think aboud it; fohget aboud it!  What you need to do is take your Metro card out & get on the subway.  Not only will it get you around the city easier (& much cheaper) you may spot another jewel of poem tucked inside the cars.  Today I spotted this little gem by Dorothea Tanning (Amer. b. 1910-2012.)  Tanning is known for her writing as well as her surrealism paintings & sculptures.  Artist Max Ernest  (German b. 1891-76) known for his surrealism, modern & Dada art was also known as Tanning's spouse for 30 yrs.

                      Graduation
  He told us, with the years, you will come
                  to love the world
And we sat there with our souls in our laps,
                and comforted them.
       ---------------------------------------
Rain, rain go away, take the President with
        and allow beloved Jeter to play.

              Captain My Captain*            (*Walt Whitman Amer. b. 1819-1892)

           O Captain! My Captain!
   Your fearless career & grace we cheer,
    You've steered the team for 20 years.
        The prize you've sought is won.
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.
            But O heart! Heart! Heart!
      Forever in our hearts you'll remain
as poetry in motion upon the leaves of grass.

IT'S ONLY A PLAY-Is Only Okay

Terrence McNally's new play IT'S ONLY A PLAY is clearly meant to thumb his nose at critics.  I agree, critics capitalize on critiquing other's works but don't have the talent to create the work themselves.  McNally has been awarded the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achivement Award ('11)  and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame ('96.)  Some of his Tony winning plays are MASTER CLASS,  MOTHERS & SONS AND LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! to name but a few.  McNally is one of the greatest living playwrights.  This should make for an intriguing play; hearing what he has to say about critics, actors, agents, producers and the merits of TV, movies vs. the stage.  He has talented actors clamoring to be in his productions.  This star studded cast included Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, F. Murray Abraham, Stockard Channing (disappointedly played by the understudy) Megan Mullally & Rupert Grint (best known for the Harry Potter movies.)  The play takes place following the opening night of a play.  The set is the stunning master suite in the home of the show's producer.  All the characters are constantly coming, going & bemoaning the decimating reviews hinging the panned play on the precipice of closing.  The cast consists of wealthy producer (Mullally,) playwright (Broderick) TV actor & close "friend" to the playwright (Lane,) narcisstic, ankle-monitored leading actress (Channing's character,) critic & wanna be playwright (Abraham,) director (Grint) & a young, naive wanna be actor (Micah Stock.)  Who knew Abraham could do comedy?  No one - he can't.  Perhaps it's McNally's aims to parody the critic with the most vitriol.  Broderick plays a one note, whiny writer (perhaps directed to act with minimal conviction.)  Grint as the dir. of the play did add a splash of lively British wry humor.  Lane's over the top antics are winning and the best reason to see this production.  Unfortunately, the play's banter becomes tiresome & dated despite McNally's clever current references; "Potato, potatho, tomato, tomahto." Let's just call the whole thing off as the play is only somewhat entertaining but more often draining.  Of course, it's much easier for me to say rather than write a play.

1st NYPHil Open Rehearsal-Mahler Symph #1 & US Premier Korean Composer Unsuk Chin

The 1st rehearsal for the NYPhil. is always cause for celebration.  Today marks the 1st official day of fall according to the calendar.  Is is also heralded with the start of the NYPhil. fall season.  The rehearsal this morning began with a major forte of Mahler's 1st Symphony a.k.a. the Titan Symphony.  I maintain Mahler's intent was to promote his majestic composition of orchestral grandeur.   Mahler (b. 1860)  was an accomplished conductor prior to the permier of his 1st Symphony in Budapest, 1889.  Mahler is a master amongst the world's great composers.  Mahler's work has movements of calm, steady tempos that are answered by robust, booming orchestration.  The second piece on the program was a Clarinet Concerto by Unsuk Chin (b. S. Korea 1961.)  The clarinet soloist was Kari Krikku (b. Finland 1960) an acclaimed interpreter of contemporary compositions.  I applaud Conductor Gilbert for his expansive reach into classical & contemporary.  Watching Mr. Gilbert conduct, particularily in rehearsal has its own artistic choreography.  Chin's concerto for the clarinet is so new & cutting edge, the soloist relied on a his musical score.  The clarinet resounded with a screeching, dissonant sound that made me curious to see the composition.  I thought I might find innovative new notes but not convinced the cacophonous concerto is something I would choose to hear again in the near future.

NYC Has Worlds Largest March On Global Warming-Sitdown on Wall St Has 100's Arrested

Yesterday in NYC, from early morning to early evening, more than 300,000 peaceful participants turned out to draw attention to global warming & the need for action to mitigate carbon emissions causing environmental catastrophes.  I commend peaceful participates in civil resistance in support of increased awareness & commitment to saving our planet.  Today's marchers converged on Wall St. where it appears a spontaneous sit-in occurred, resulting in a traffic gridlock & hundreds of protestors arrested.  The UN is meeting in NYC today & tomorrow with Obama in attendance to address this pressing issue with the intent of finding solutions to the problems of climate change.  Protestors on Wall St. contend that capitalism is the driving force & major culprit responsible for rising temperatures and environmental desecration.   Several months previously, there was the Wall St. takeover where inhabitant protestors blamed the elite 1% for the major woes of the vast majority.  Awareness, engagement & making your voice heard are all commendable.  However, I fail to hear viable solutions from the mass protestors for constructive actions that must be taken.

Doc. film ART & CRAFT-A Crafty Charlatan Character Study

Mark Landis is the central figure in this doc. film focusing on Landis' exploits passing off his 1st rate forgeries to major art institutions.  Landis has been "donating" his fak copies of master works to numerous prestigious art institutions for 30 yrs.  He's never been prosecuted.  According to Landis, "I haven't done anything illegal."  He has never accepted remuneration for his paintings.  They are appreciated gratefully having hit on "art's soft spot," acquisitions & endowments.  This lengthy & trying doc. by dir./prod./cinematographer Sam Cullum (The House I Live In; Sundance Grand Jury Prize) is tedious and pales as an entertaining art scandal film.  It relentlessly follows Landis through his squalid aptmt., psychiatric counseling, pathetically lonely, inebriated existence.  We watch his imitating process on canvas & his charades when presenting works as gifts to unsuspecting art institutions that should know better.  The exploration of the motivation or ineptness of these art professionals would have been much more intriguing.  Landis is pursued by a Matt Leninger, a former art registrar in OH who was terminated, perhaps for his relentless investigating of Landis.  Landis' work is given credibility by an extensive exhibit of his forged works entitled FauxReality at a Univ. in OH.  As a performance artist, Landis is an original piece of work.  But as Landis said "There is nothing new under the sun.  Everything goes back to something."  60 Minutes could have done an interesting investigative segment but as a 90 min. doc. it is a stretch & not worth your time or money.

A SUCKER EMCEE-Rap Performance that Strikes Hard to the Gut

The Labryrinth theater is presenting A SUCKER EMCEE, a rap hip hop performance that is written & performed by Craig 'muMs' Grant.  Grant, (b. NYC '68) is a best known for his recurring part on the HBO series "Oz" as a poetry reciting inmate.  He was also featured in the doc. film SLAM NATION that covered his team's performances in the '96 Nat'l Poetry Slam Competition.   Last night "muMs' shortened from mumbles; a short lived name & personna as a rapper reciting as if he had marbles in his mouth.  He said the best advise he received on his delivery was to slow it done.  His rap, hip hop delivery was clear, powerful, poetic, inspiring & deeply stirring.  Born Craig Grant in NYC '68,  he shares his poignant bio in an unforgettable poetry slam style; combining scorching poetry, rap, hip hop & music.  DJ (Rich Medina) is a platinum-selling record producer & renowned speaker/journalist.  He provided the undercurrent that enhanced Grant's performance  The artistry in this performance was fearless, disturbing & tender.  I felt his helpless pain at the unfair abuse his older received & the love he has for his mother now in the throes of Alzheimers.  Grant's performance had a visceral impact that smacks with a punch to the gut.  It nabs you with its indelible prose that pulses & flows.  Like Tupac's "A Rose that Grew from Concrete," Grant's poetry speaks of guns, rage, violence, drugs, broken families, poverty and the indefatigable desire to succeed.  Grant emphasized the need to push ourselves beyond the shackles of complacency.   He urges us to use our fear to drive ourselves forward.  "Money comes & money goes, money comes & money goes," you're a fool not to hear Grant in A SUCKER EMCEE bare his soul with immutable intensity, intelligence & artistry.

Chucho Valdes, Pedrito Martinez & Wynton Marsalis- Jazz @ Lincoln Center

Last night Aldes, Martinez & Marsalis all performed together for an unforgettable evening of jazz & it's connection to Latin jazz & Afro-Cuban percussive drumming & chanting.  The vocalists lead with their stentorian callings acknowledging their ancestry & spirituality.  The African drums were all 2 headed hour glass shaped in small/medium & large sizes.  The small drum kept a constant tempo, the middle drum emphasized the deep pulsing of the large, lead drum. This phenomenal concert connected Amer. jazz in its various modes with Latin jazz with it's fiery tempos to the gravitas of African vocals & drumming.  The syntax of scores blended and moved adroitly between each in a harmonious dialogue.  Each style played at the forefront & was then echoed in the other's syncopated style.  The connections had an intoxicating fluidity from the blending of richly layered sounds from the talents of great artists.  The wind section of the Jazz @ Linc. Ctr Orch. including Wynton, Ali Jackson on Drums & Carolos Hneriquez on bass demonstrated their multi-faceted skills.  World renown vocalist & percussionsit Pedrito Martinez (b. Cuba '73) has recorded with legendary artists & recieved the Sphinx Medal of Excellence '14.  The highlight of the evening was Chucho Valdes (b. Cuba '41.)  Valdes is considered Cuba's most famous pianist (arguably one of the world's finest.)  Valdes has received 8 Grammies & 16 nominations.  His gifts at the piano are legendary.  Two dancers performed to the Afro-Cuban percussion/vocals adding an elegant excitement.  Valdes, Martinez & Marsalis - who could ask for anything more?  I'd ask for more Valdes at the keyboard and forgo some of the African drumming & chanting.  

Ronna & Beverly @ Upright Comedy Brigade-Brought the House Down

Ronna & Beverly (R&B) are the funniest comedy duo performing live today.  Last night at Upright Comedy Brigade (UCB) for $5 (UnBelievable) they performed to a packed house with fans standing in the back, sitting on the stage & a making a mad dash for seats.  They play 50ish Jewish women from Boston.  They're life long friends in it for the duration; no matter how crazy their drive each other.  Beverly is the culprit with her zany physical comedy & spontaneous dialogue that stirs things up trying Ronna's patience without rancor.  Beverly's incredulous spin of events & their lives is hilarious & somehow credible.  Wherever they get their ideas from they've struck gold & mahjong magic.  R&B were glad to be here in NYC.  Beverly told us, "I love being here for the holidays - between 9/11 & Yom Kippur."  Of course they push boundaries setting off hysteria from an adulating audience.   Beverly's shenanigans in the Holacaust Museum were shamelessly funny.  Who else could be so cleverly irreverent combining comedy with the genocide of Jews?  "Just once I'd like to come through with my passport & survive, I've been there 4 times & I always die."  A comic's worst nightmare might be to die on stage - these ladies were killing it.  It's rare to find a team who play off each, the audience, and remain in character while suprising you with what comes next.  As on their weekly podcast, after jocular bantering they bring out a celebrity guest to interview.  Last night's guests were Mark Consuelos (a.k.a. Mr. Kelly Rippa) and Justin Kirk (best known for his role in Angels in Amer.)  The guests may try their best but they cannot upstage the ladies and are there for the joy ride.  Ironically, R&B drew a young, non-denominational demographic, proving their appeal comes from the gut.  They are uproariously funny.  Would I see them again?  Never again would I miss the opportunity to laugh so hard.

JEFF KOONS: A RETROSPECTIVE @ Whitney, More than Just Hot Air

Koons the Balloon man or the Michael Jackson & chimp guy, that's the one…there's a RETROSPECTIVE of his work at the Whitney through Oct. at which time the Whitney is packing up & moving down to the Highline.  There's more to this artist than meets the eye & perhaps more of him than you'd choose to see.  (There are large nude photos of Koons & his ex-wife; ex-Italian porn star.)  Koons is a brilliant self-promoter.  His middle class/middle Amer. upbringing formed the springing board for his prominent conceptual art.  His father's home goods business was where Koons developed a keen eye for displaying merchandise that grabs the consumer's attention.  Whimsy, pops of color, playful objects, iconic figures & lighting were all key elements he carried with him into his work over the years.  Koons greatly admired the artists Duchamp & Dahli.  Their impact is evident in Koons' transformation of mundane objects into art & the invention of his own bigger than life persona.  In fact, big is an adjective that would describe many of the works in the exhibit as well as colorful, shiny & whimsical.  Who doesn't respond to big & shiny objects that have a sense of humor?  What resonated most for me was his scientific approach to many of his works.  Take for example the floating basketballs (like a shark in a tank) and the large scale figures such as the hulk or gorilla made of steel or concrete that appear to be made of soft plastic like the rubber rabbits on the main floor. The large scale balloon sculptures are not only vibrant they appear likely to float away.  JEFF KOONS:  A RETROSPECTIVE is worth seeing, contemplating & enjoying.  Do I consider all of Koons' work or for that matter, that of Hirst or Oldenberg art?   Duh, dada - boundaries are meant to be pushed.  Kitch  has appeal for the filthy rich.

Mel Bochner-Strong Language-Blah Blah Yaddah Yaddah

Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill & imagination, typically in a visual form.  Does language constitute art?  Arguably, of course, what else would you call literary achievements, the spoken word on stage or poetry read aloud?  What do you call text painted on canvas?  I'm going to call it art for argument sake, for debate, up for discussion, discourse, course of action - reaction, subtraction, addition & endless possibilities.  Mel Bochner Amer. conceptual artist (b. 1940) whose paintings now on exhibit at the Jewish Museum, played, cajoled, rolled, fit, took part in the evolution of Conceptional art during the 1960's & '70's in reaction to the painterly abstract expressionist movement.  Mel Bochner's paintings are colorful words; synonyms to be exact, or merely to emphasize or enhance contemporary language as a social commentary.  The impact of the strong visual medium of paint clearly combines & compounds syntax with impact.   STRONG LANGUAGE - Bochner series of synonyms reverberate with easily deciphered words amassed to illuminate the idea of repetition as variation & the connection between the visual & verbal.  This is a fun exhibit meant to make you think & LOL but once inside, be quiet, silent, hushed or just SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Artists Lee Krasner & Norman Lewis Paired, Compared & Commanding

Painters Lee Krasner & Norman Lewis appear to have very little in common on paper.  Krasner, a white woman (b. 1908) in Bklyn to Russian Jewish immigrants was a painter of post WWII.  Lewis a black man (b. 1909) in Harlem to immigrant parents from Bermuda was a painter of the same epoch.  Delving into their stunning & prolific bodies of work, commonalities can be drawn from their oil paintings on paper.  Today, while $ is being taking out of the arts in public schools, both Krasner & Lewis benefited from the public-works programs under the Federal Art Project.  Whether taking the B or D line between Harlem & Bklyn, the use of lines figured prominently in both their works; both in a gridlike & organic style.  The influences of Lewis's Harlem neighborhood impacted his luscious & lyrical paintings.  Jazz's is reflected in abstract notes & figures amidst cool, vibrant color palettes.  "Painting like music has something inherent in itself which I had to discover."  Krasner used geometric figures, hieroglyphics & symbolic shapes in her designs, within a network of lines.  Both artists painted using both determined & random brush strokes.  Their textural layering of paint is prominent in both their works as seen paired opposite each other.  Note:  Krasner's painting "Noon" '47.  It's accumulated slabs of vibrant colors exudes the warmth of sunshine & Lewis' sensual painting "Magenta Haze" '49 is magnetic.  Both artists credit Picasso, Matisse as well as Hoffman & Pollack as major influences.  Lewis moved away from social commentary in his works, "I didn't move anybody by it." In the 50's Lewis & Krasner painted in a similar sfumato style; painterly smudging having a softer, smoldering effect.  As a child, Lewis told his father he aspired to be an artist. His father replied "art is a white man's profession."  Perhaps, Krasner lacked support as a female painter in an all boys club as well.  Despite hinging below the radar, both artists shared a tenacious talent and a comparative style that catapulted NYC to the epicenter of the art world.  The works of Krasner & Lewis are significant, preeminent achievements.  Presented together, their connections ferment an innovative advancement in abstract art.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT of the DOG in the NIGHT-TIME, Make Time to See it

THE CURIOUS…at the Barrymore is based on the highly acclaimed novel of the same, curious title.  British author Mark Haddon was awarded the Whitbread Award for best novel & best book of the year ('03.)  Christopher is a 15 yr. old (15 yr. 3 months & 2 days precisely) somewhere on the scale of autism.  Incredibly brilliant, especially in mathematics, he is lacking in social skills casting him as an outsider.  Christopher is fascinated with trains, spatial relations & the galaxy.  What he enjoys most is enclosing himself in confined spaces to contemplate the order of the universe.  This provides him the serenity that eludes him in social interactions.  Physical contact is something that he cannot tolerate.  He is incapable of lying.  Having discovered his neighbor's dog cruely butchered, Christopher resolves to learn the culprit.  Christopher is played by Alex Sharp, a recent graduate of Julliard.  Sharp plays the role convincingly & sympathetically.  The fulcrum of the play is not about autism but the infinite spectrum of human behaviors: kindness, tolerance & acceptance.  Unlike Christopher, we all tell lies for various reasons.  But like Christopher, we all try to make sense from chaos & broach contact from isolation.  The scenic design is both simple & complex.  It helps us get inside Christopher's mind & emotional state.  The frenzy & over stimulation on the train meant to enlighten us into Christopher's world is over done.  However, this insightful & appealing play asks us to consider another's perspective and to practice tolerance.

ALICE IN BLUNDERLAND-a less than Wonderful Wheeldon Ballet

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon is being performed by the Nat'l Ballet of Canada at the Koch theater through Sunday.  Forego this aberation of ballet; even if seen through the looking glass.  Wheeldon has choreographed for world reknown companies & is a talented artist.  Here his artistry fell through a rabbit's hole. Collaborating with Tony Award designer, Bob Crowley (Aida, History Boys) & brilliant composer Joby Talbot (Royal Ballet & Nat'l Ballet of Canada) should have proven to be a dazzling & innovative ballet based on the Carroll's classic tale.  Talbot's music provided Wheeldon a wonderful score that captured the essence of Alice's adventures & provided the dancers plenty of legroom to stretch their under utilized talents.  There was minimal dancing & a huge spectacle that was distracting & less than spectacular.  Act I is a garden party complete with a jello mold that grows & devours Alice.  Alice heads down the mold bringing the production down with her.  The visual effects were overwhelming & unappealing.  The costumes included a humongous, inflexible red dress & crown for the queen of hearts & red latex costumes for her knaves complete with long, matching hatchets.  Off with their ridiculous gear!  They badly needed to pull a rabbit from a hat.  The exploding confetti & performers in the aisles flummoxed badly.  Worse, the cleaver waving cook & the butchered pig into sausages was repugnant.  Confused whether to stay or exit, the first minutes into Act II with a tap dancing mad hatter & a Cheshire Cat that disassembled convinced me to head for the door.  Take a puff of the hookah pipe if you are still planing to attend before going.  Tweedle dee & tweedle dum, this was anything but fun.    

NYC's Own Banksy & No Home of Their Own

As you walk the streets of NYC glance down (not all the time like many NYer's on their cells) but with an eye for colorful pastel chalk messages meant to brighten one's day.   I find them a serendipitous treat with words of encouragement & joy.  "Flowers Add to Romance."  "You're an Inspiration About to Happen."  All literary postings are short, colorful & definitely by the same person or persons - yet to be caught in the act.  But, what harm?  None & they're full of charm.   I would enjoy seeing parents with their children drawing on the sidewalks with large colored pieces having fun (but out of harm's way of pushy New Yorkers.)  This creative outpouring will melt away in the rain.  I noticed the huge statue of what I think is Smokey the Bear at Colombus Circle.  I smiled remembering the early commercials with Smokey warning "Only you can prevent forest fires."  I also chuckled at the deers that stopped traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge last week during their commute to Marin County.  Even more disarming is the video of a bear cub who found the flag pole on a golf course to be a source of entertainment.  He pulls on the flag that bends & springs back to his delight.  The small cub also discovered the pole was an excellent way to scratch his back.  Alas, we are encroaching on land that belongs to wildlife.  Conservation & wild life protection should be a top priority.  Perhaps NY's Chalkster can mark something up to remind us.

The play THIS IS OUR YOUTH is old hat

The elements in THIS IS OUR YOUTH should have added up to a electrifying theater.  Steppenworlf is known for being edgy & thought provoking.  The cast included Michael Cera & Kieran Culkin (both played one note annoying characters.)  Playwright Kenneth Lonegran is an Academy Award winning screenwriter & Pulitzer Prize playwright finalist.  And, Dir. Anna Shapiro is a Tony, Drama Desk winning director.  Nonetheless, the play is as scattered & wasted as the blow strewn across the stage.  The play is set on the UWS in 1982 over 12 hours.  (The play felt almost as long.)  Credit should be given to scenic designer Todd Rosenthal (Tony winner for OSage) for the authentic, gritty looking studio aptmt.  It was amusing to compare the archaic phones & stereos with today's technology.  Dennis (Kieran Culkin) whose apt. the play is set, is an egomaniac & controlling bully with a caustic intimidating mouth.  Warren (Michael Cera) is pot head loser.  His dad has just thrown him out. Dennis left with his pot & $15,000 of his dad's money.  Warren comes to Dennis with his suitcase & sack of dough begging to stay with him.  Inside Warren's case are his prized processions:  childhood toys, classic albums & a limited edition toaster known for being combustible.  The whole play is one "stone grey haze." When asked what he's talking about, Warren replies, "It is not suppose to mean anything.  It's just something to say." The play is a nostalgic look back at youth spent wasted; looking to get laid & fighting with parents & friends.  "I've never understood why people consider youth a time of freedom & joy.  It's probably because they've forgotten their own." (M. Atwood)  THIS IS OUR YOUTH was a waste of my time.  

British Prison Drama STARRED UP-Violence Stirred to the Max

The British film STARRED UP is a violent prison drama with maximum savage brutality.   This gripping film will confine you for the duration.  It is a fierce & disturbing look at inhumanity within prison walls.  The rage & ruthless sadistic behaviors of both prisoners & prison guards is chilling & authentic.  Dir. by British director, David McKenzie, the powerful performances by all the actors are painfully gripping.  Eric (Jack O'Connel) is a young convict just transferred to an adult correction facility for extremely vicious, high risk prisoners doing hard time.  The dehumanzing procedures used on inmates is depicted in chilling detail.  We watch Eric strip searched & controlled at every juncture.  Placed in his cell, we see Eric's devious means for procuring lethal objects.  We also see Eric observing other inmates' nefarious behaviors.  Eric's combustible brutality on a fellow inmate & prison guards occurs almost immediately.  He literally has a prison guard by the balls.  There are sparse moments of poignant connections amidst the omnipresent savagery.  Oliver (Rupert Friend, emmy nom. on HOMELAND) plays a sympathetic social worker.  He strives to rehabilitate & advocate for a small, select group of inmates.  Eric is placed in this group & gains a connection (& protection) with those in the group.  However, his estranged father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn) is also incarcerated here.  Neville's misquited attempts at guidance only exacerbate prison life for Eric. STARRED UP refers to the hierarchy of prisoners marked for privileges & coverage from the feared "Don" in prison.  STARRED UP garnered acting awards for its 3 lead actors and won the Dublin Int'l Film Award '14.  There are stirring messages within this shocking depiction of prison life.  Violence begets violence and compassion breeds compassion.  I forewarn viewers of the horrific savagery on the screen while coercing you to see this film.        

#2 Gets 1 of only 3 Hits in Bottom of 9th-Yankees Lose 1-0

Do the Yankees have a chance to make the play-offs?  Hah, don't make me laugh my head off, NO WAY.  Goes to show top $ payroll doesn't buy you a winning team.  Or as the "Countess" on NYC housewives likes to say "Money doesn't buy you class."  Still, the reason for seeing the Yanks play is OUR Captain, Derek Jeter, in his final season.  Last night, the Yankees were shut out 1-0 by the Kansas City Royals.  And, while the Yankees had only 3 hits on the board, Jeter got a single in the bottom of the 9th with 1 out; giving us hope for 2 in a row walk off wins.  Unfortunately, that's not what happened.  What else didn't happen is hustling to 1st base on hits by younger players.  Jeter motored with everything he had to 1st with everything he hit.  I thought he was safe on one call made @ 1st.  Joe should have challenged that call.  And, Joe needs to yell at his young, lazy ball players to run like the wind towards 1st & stop pausing at the plate to admire their long balls before moving their feet.  Derek's #2 should be retired at the end of the season.  He will forever be #1 in the hearts of Yankee fans and baseball fans alike.  

Bill Cunningham You Can Ride but You Can't Hide-NYC's Pride Photog.

Mr. Bill C. you are an incredible force of nature, a kind hearted gentleman, witty & wonderful and you're also an amazing photographer whose passion for fashion captures current styles on the streets.  Last night having you graced us @ the 92ndY.  The 2010 doc. Bill Cunningham New York did catapult you from the mysterious, ubiquitous man biking about town snapping photos in your cobalt blue jacket.  The wizard behind the curtain regaled us with his stories and disarming charm.  Fern Mallis, organizer of NY Fashion Wk. is responsible for getting you, for the 1st time, to a 92Y talk.  It was only after you inadvertantly spilled a drink on her sarong from India.  You beseeched her to make amends.  Redemption was requested by your speaking at the Y, amen!  However, Mallis wavered between abject adoration & bombastic questioning.  (It wasn't about you, Fern.)  She should have deferred to Bill's lead.  Fern reading his astrological profile was a silly waste of time.  Photographs of her "researched" questions would have added excitement.  Time spent listening to Bill talk of his love for what he does, what inspires him, and the multitudes of fascinating people & events (the Versaille Fashion show '73) he's encountered was thrilling.  Bill strained to hear Mallis but his stentorian voice filled the auditorium with stirring observations & emotions.  Tears came to his eyes recalling the plague of the AIDS epidemic.  Bill has never accepted remuneration because "then they own you."  He said, "the fashion world killed itself by paying celebritites to wear their clothes." He also said, "he who seeks beauty will find it."  Bill, you are a beautiful human being and while you put the spotlight on New Yorkers & others you are beloved by millions; especially New Yorkers.  Please, be careful out there.  

Jazz Music of Harlem @ Linc Ctr Atrium-Cool Free Jazz

Last night the Julliard Jazz Ensemble presented the Uptown Sound:  Jazz Music of Harlem in the Linc. Ctr. Atrium.  The performance scheduled @ 7:30PM was free; seating on a 1st come basis.  Silly me, I got there at 7:10PM thinking I'd be early only to find a long que waiting outside. The gentlemen explained to the crowd of close to 100, "We would be allowed in as people left.  The atrium was at maximum capacity.  It may not be possible to get everyone inside & then it would be standing room only."  Since the ensemble was scheduled for 7:30PM, I reasoned it unlikely I would be let inside.  Why leave a free performance when you're already there?  I figured, I'd wait outside on this mild summer night & read the papers I came prepared to read (inside) waiting for the show.  Slowly, the line crept forward.  At 8:00PM (my cut-off & go home time) I was let in with a doz. other people in line.  Once inside it was standing room only-so I sat on the floor.  The Julliard Jazz Ensemble conducted by an "Aussie" on trumpet, had a terrific band: drummer, bass player & Jordyn (a Julliard alumni) on saxophone.  The ensemble put on a lively jazz concert of NYC's composers.  The dazzling program featured music by jazz legends: Ellington, Strayhorn, Sampson & more.  This was a wonderful celebration of music & NYC.  Next time I'll come earlier.  The UWS Neighborhood knows great entertainment, free of charge.   Go on line for free performances at the Rubenstein Atrium @ Linc. Ctr.  

Y/A film IF I STAY-If only I Left

Summertime brings the big box office films & the smaller, romantic young adult films.  The film THE FAULT in OUR STARS was an intelligent & appealing love story of 2 cancer stricken teens.  IF I STAY has a handsome teen couple who fall in love and then deal with the heartwrenching trauma of growing up & growing apart.  This film is also shrouded in tragedy involving Mia (a beautiful & disarming Chloe Moretz) her parents & younger brother.  Mia's boyfriend, Adam (an engaging Jamie Blackley with a sexy singing voice) is in a local rock band.  Adam graduates & is ready to move forward with his career & away from Mia despite their passionate love.  Mia is also a gifted cellist aspiring for Julliard.  Most of the film is seen in flashback following the horrific car crash that leaves Mia in a coma & takes the lives of her hip, closeknit family.  Mia's body lies in a coma as we watch her trying to communicate with Adam, friends & family; much like Patrick Swayze in Ghost.  The platitudes about life & love are enough to bury this movie.  Thankfully, it is rescued by the earnest performances of its star leads.  Stacy Keach as Mia's granddad also lends gravitas to the meaning of family ties & sacrifices.  "Life is a big stinking mess.  But that's the beauty of it," Mia's mom tells her.  "Sometimes we make choices in life & sometimes choices in life make you."  I should have chosen to leave but this is an appealing young adult love story for the brace face set.

LOVE IS STRANGE-Quirky Love Story of 2 Gay Men

This likable movie, despite a 1st rate ensemble cast, starring John Lithgow & Alfred Molina, does not make for a compelling drama.  Ben (Lithgow) & Geroge (Molina) are long time partners who become married surrounded by friends & family.  They're a fun loving, adorable couple who enjoy being the life the party.  George returns to work after their wedding as the choir dir. for a church where he is promptly dismissed for having married Ben on religious moral grounds.  George leaves the priest & church with both his faith & dignity in tact.  The shamelessness ensues when George & Ben, a retired painter/gallerist, realize they are unable to afford the expenses of their condo.  They are forced to sell & move out, beseeching "temporary" lodging from their relations in NYC.  Dir./actor Darren Burrows highlights NYC in the romantic style of Woody Allen's film.  Burrows also edifies the expensive & cramped living spaces in Manhattan.  Ben's nephew & his wife, Kate (the always wonderful Marissa Tomei) take him in at their 2 bdrm aptmt. which he shares a room with their teenage son.  Meanwhile, George's refuge comes on the sofa of a gay police couple who throw loud, late night parties.  The relationship between Ben & George mirrors all couples trying to sustain their love while dealing with issues of trust, honesty, jealousy, desire & considerations.  Kate, a writer who worksing from the aptmt. is finding Ben's omnipresence insufferable.  She tells her husband "It's hard being nice to someone whose around all the time."  This is a pleasant film as a rental.  It drags on longer than it should.