THE RIVER with Hugh Jackman Meanders Incessantly

Hugh Jackman,  the huge movie star & Broadway veteran, is the star in the play THE RIVER which droned on; hook, line & stinker.  Playwright, Jez Butterworth's (Jerusalem '09) new play is a riff on Viriginia Woolfe's "To the The Lighthouse."  The Woman (a captivating Cush Jumbo) plays the 1st of 3 women who ephemerally fade in & out of the life of The Man, (a languid Hugh Jackman) lacking in impact.  The set is in a sparse cabin near an unseen RIVER.  Jackman extols the intoxicating pull of fishing; the one thing that sparks animation in his passiveness.  Jumbo's character is far more dynamic as she tries to lure Jackman a committed relationship.  She spent the day on the river letting Jackman teach her the beauty of casting.  At night when Jackman pleas for her to join him fishing on the perfect moonless night, she puts her waders down & opts to remain inside with her book by Woolf.  "It's just getting interesting.  It's about people setting out for the lighthouse.  Do they even get there or not?"  Does this play reach fathoms of artistry or intrigue?  No, THE RIVER is shallow & trickles along slowly.

THEORY OF EVERYTHING-Is NOT a BRIEF History of Stephen Hawking

The beautifully filmed movie THEORY of EVERYTHING includes quantum information on Stephen Hawking, but then it's all relative.  This wonderfully acted movie starring Eddie Redmayne as Hawking & Felicity Jones (think Reese Witherspoon as a brunette with an British accent) as his first wife Jane follows them from the time they were students at Cambridge to the present.  It didn't feel there were any darkholes in the story telling; it's long winded and not likely to appeal to the masses.  But, for those who love a biopic movie of a remarkable man & are interested to learn about his love life & philosophies, this movie will draw you to its epicenter.  Shortly after Stephen & Jane meet in 1963, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS.  The prognosis given by his physician was only 2 years to live.  This prognosis has been proven false.  Hawking also proves & disproves his own theories pertaining to blackholes.  As Jane so eloquently summarized her husband's objective, "to find a simple equation to explain everything since the beginning of time."  Everything in life is in a constant state of flux.  People have always craved an understanding of the underlying order of the world.  Hawking maintains there are no boundaries to the unvierse or human endeavor.  For those who wish to learn more about Hawking's personal history & have patience for this yawning yarn, there is hope that you will be rewarded.  Then again, "One never knows do one." (F. Walker)

Billy & Ray-Film Noir is Created, This Play I Hated

Billy & Ray @ the Vineyard Theater is behind the scenes look at the contentious collaboration between dir/screenwriter Billy Wilder & novelist Raymond Chandler on the groundbreaking film Double Indemnity.  Double Indemnity is the film that navigated around studio's stringent censorship restrictions and introduced the artistic film noir genre.  Sounded like an interesting premise for a play.  Unfortunately, this insipid and amateurish production was so bad it fit the trainwreck genre; so unbelievably bad you can't turn away.  I should have left at intermission.  The 1st act was annoying, terribly acted & cheesy melodrama.  The 2nd act was awful.  Garry Marshall directed this stinker & Sophie von Haselberg (Bette Midler's daughter) was cast as the wise cracking secretary.  There is nothing redeeming in this play.  It wouldn't fly in Poughkeepsie.  In retrospect, Billy & Ray was not a good idea in any way.

FATHER COMES HOME from the WAR @ The Public Theater

This Civil War play by Suzan-Lori Parks, a brilliant contemporary playwright, epitomizes the best of theatrical experiences.  Parks has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her Tony winning play Topdog/Underdog.  Withn this intense look at slavery during the Civil War, there is love, heartbreak and humor.  The play ingeniously shows the imbedded servitude of slavery & the unwavering contention of the plantation owner's sovereignty over his slaves.  Prior to & during the performance on a small, stark set a solo guitarist plays southern blues, setting the tone with his music & poignant lyrics.  The play opens on a pre-dawn gathering of 4 slaves excitedly wagering their prized possessions on whether Homer, their master's favored slave, will be going to war alongside the Colonel.  Homer appears contending he is staying on the plantation with Penny, the woman he loves.  Homer seeks advice from the oldest slave who has been like a father to him.  Homer reveals the Colonel's offer of freedom if he serves alongside him for the Confederacy. It takes little prodding to convince Homer to leave as he had intended.  The scene shifts to a small encampment.  The Colonel has lost his regiment but has captured a Union soldier.  Homer is servile & tends to the Colonel's every whim.  The pompous preening & preaching by the Colonel of white supremecy is appalling & comical.  Most shocking is the explanation Homer gives their captive for not running away.  Homer's warped sense of self-worth comes from the high monetary value deemed him by the Colonel.  "I'm worth something and if I ran away I'd be stealing."  Homer returns as a lordly freed man to the plantation after the Colonel has been killed.  Comic relief is brilliantly delivered by Homer's talking dog who relays the chain of events before his master's return.  The juxtaposition of grave issues & humor prove "truth is a funny thing." A refrain heard often among the slaves is "there are worse things."  This masterpiece is one of the best plays I've seen.                

ROSEWATER film & dialogue with Dir/writer Jon Stewart & Steven Colbert

Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show, known for his sharp wit & politcal lambasting, has written & directed the astonishing film ROSEWATER.  The film recounts the harrowing events of Newsweek reporter, Maziar Bahari who in June 2009, traveled back to his native country of Iran to cover the Presidential election between incumbent despot leader Ahmadinejad & opposing candidate Moussavi.  Moussavi running on a platform of reform & social change was garnering strong support from the people of Iran.  Bahari interviewed supporters of both candidates.  He also did an interview with Jason Jones for the Daily Show.  Jones interview with Bahari was irreverant & humorous; perhaps something Americans take for granted.  The election declared Ahmadinejad the winner.  Many were convinced it was a sham & their votes weren't counted.  Bahari (played convincingly by Gael Garcia Bernal) filmed the protests following the election met with military force resulting in casualities & havoc.  Bahari released his footage which ran internationally.  He was arrested shortly afterwards at the home of his mother, played by the incomparable Iranian/Amer. actress, Shoreh Aghdashloo.  The agony Bahari endured during his 118 days of solitary confinement, torture & inquestions was traumatic.  Still, Bahari's sustained an insurmountable strength & dignity.   Bahari's brutal interrogator was only known as Rosewater. This is a remarkable storytelling.  The acting is phenomenal & the cinematography puts into the scenes.  Most importantly, the film is an omnipotent weapon against oppression.  The panel discussion following the film with Stewart, Colbert & Maziar Bahari made this an exceptional & memorable event.  After Colbert's & Stewart's mutual flaggelation, a serious topical discourse of events ensued.  This question was posed to Stewart, "Didn't you feel guilty for the interview that led to Bahari's imprisonment?"  Stewart answered forthrightly, "No, but we felt immediately responsible for getting him released."   A democratic society can only thrive when allowed freedom of expression, freedom to vote and the conscientious practice of both.          

THE ELEPHANT MAN starring Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper, the handsome, talented Oscar nom. movie star is cast as John Merrick, (b. England 1862-90) a horrendously disfigured man.  Merrick suffered from a condition called elephantitis resulting in massive swelling & bodily distortions.  The play begins on an ascetic set with Cooper dressed in only  shorts standing next to a life size photo of Merrick.  Dr. Frederick Treves is on the other side of the photo acerbically describing Merrick's maladies.   Cooper contorts himself to align with the disfigurements as they're being pointed out.  Cooper's transformation & performance are nothing short of miraculous.   Without the use of prosthesis, Cooper personifies the deformities and disabling speech & movements of Merrick; "The Elephant Man."  Dr. Treves finds Merrick being displayed & humiliated in a freak show.  He rescues Merrick from this degradation & brings  him to live at the hospital where he works.  However, Merrick's torment persists as staff come to gape or refuse to attend to him.  This deeply stirring philosophical play contemplates religion & humanity.   Mrs. Kendal, a famous actress  (the always illuminating Patricia Clarkson) is drawn to visit Merrick & a trusting friendship develops.  The moment Mrs. Kendal & Merrick first shake hands communicates the crucial role of physical contact.  Act I ends with Merrick's heartbreaking wails.  For all his prior suffering & humiliations, his newfound friendships & kindnesses of others reveal an endless chasm of despair.  Merrick comprehends the vast experiences his grotesque physique will deprive him of in life.  This inspirational & extraordinary play leaves you grateful for the joy & astonishment of ordinary things.    

Picasso & Jacqueline - The Artist, His Muse & Works 1st Time on View

The Pace Gallery on W 25th is exhibiting an extraordinary collection of works produced during the last 20 years of his life.  These years are arguably his most prolific & personally most rewarding.  The front entrance has a collection of black/white photos by David Duncan that reveal a private peek at the man at work & play with his wife, Jacqueline; more than 40 years his junior.   The exhibit is called "Picasso & Jacqueline:  The Evolution of Style."  It appears from both the photos & numerous paintings made with Jacqueline as his model, this was a profound relationship of love & admiration.  Many of these works are being viewed by the public for the first time as most are from the Picasso family estate as well as loans from private collections & major museums.   Jacqueline is painted in a myriad of styles; all attesting to her great beauty.  Included in this show are 11 paintings from the series of Picasso's "The Women of Algiers" (1954-55) inspired by Delacroix's painting & a tribute to his friend & rival Matisse.  This is a unique opportunity to get a rare glimpse of the great artist's paintings & personal life.    

New HOCKNEY PAINTINGS (never get old) @ PACE in Chelsea

The PACE Gallery on W 25th is presenting Hockney's newest paintings.  Hockney (British b. 1937) shows no signs of slowing down.  This collection is the 1st exhibition of new works since his return to LA from England.   There are new portraits in this collection along with some works of photography.  Pushing 80, Hockney is fascinated with current technology as seen in his recent iPad works: The Arrival of Spring.  Included in this exhibit are 5 photographic drawings on high-definintion screens.  New  technology is embraced by Hockney with masterful & absorbing effect.  The most arresting works in this show for me are the dancer paintings referencing Matisse's iconic painting DANCE.  Hockney's vibrant colors, shadowing & bodily configurations give a kinetic & joyous feel to these works.  Each figure has a unique position in space & relation to the other figures.  These latest works by Hockney are dynamic.  Do not miss the opportunity to view David Hockney Some New Painting (and Photography.)        

The BELLE of AMHERST- Emily Dickinson Kindly Stops for Us

Universally recognized as one of America's most important poets, Emily Dickinson lived a very sequestered & banal life.  Very little is known of Dickinson's personal life but her legacy of poetry attest to her intense feelings regarding her family, nature, religion & mortality.  The BELLE of AMHERST is a 1 woman play featuring Joely Richardson (in a shakey portrayal) of Emily Dickinson (ED.)  Emily enters the set of her home in MA in 1883 at the age of 53.  Emily immediately speaks to the audience as if on intimate terms.  For the next 2 hours, ED shares her cake recipe, desires & intimacies with a thread of her poems woven into her soliloquies.  The play is most rewarding during the  recitation of some of her most beloved poems.  Richardson falters often but redeems herself nobly when giving life to ED's poems & her strong desire to have them published.   ED produced more than 1,800 poems in her 56 years but fewer than a dozen were published during her lifetime.  Her her cache of poems were uncovered after her death. Higginson published her 1st collection although he spurned most of the work she had submitted to him.  Emily never married & lived nearly her entire life within her family home.  Her timid & banal existence belied her deep contemplations on life/death & connection with her surroundings.  "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and seizes the tune without the words and never stops at all."  For those who enjoy poetry readings & learning about the poet, this charming show will delight.  Although most will not stop for poetry, it kindly arrested me.

WIESENTHAL-A Life Dedicated to Preserving Lives

Simon Wiesenthal was a Holacaust survivor who passed away in '05 at the age of 97.  He is remembered for his relentless pursuit to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.  Wisenthal is credited with aiding in bringing 1,100 Nazi's to trial who went into hiding after WWII.  In this moving one actor play, written & performed by Tom Dugan, we understand Wiesenthal mission to obtaining justice by alerting the world in the courts to Nazi atrocities. WIESENTHAL addresses us directly in the audience as if we were his last group of visitors to whom he is imparting his story & the legacy for the 11,000,000 people killed.  The play is set in his office in Vienna on the eve of his retirement in 2003.  He speaks while dissembling his office/files to be sent onto the Tolerance Museum in LA.  He confides to us that we are a special group as we are the last group he will be addressing.  He disarms us with a joke and a call from his wife whom he promises to remember to bring home the milk.  He writes it down as his wife asks so as not to forget.  We warm  to this disarming proud grandparent.  He tells us "I am often compared to James Bond except I don't  care for martinis."  What Wisenthal passionately cares about is imparting the knowledge of what happens when barbarianism meets with technology. He wishes to leave a permanent testament to serve against further genocides.  This is a compelling biopic enacted with grace, integrity & wisdom.  As Wiesenthal is about to leave his office, he reminds himself to bring milk home.  Far more importantly, he asks, who will remember after I am gone?  "I trust you to remember me."          

BIRDMAN-Soaring Bird's Eye View into an Actor's Hell

BIRDMAN is a piercing & unrelenting character study of a former celebrity film star striving to gain back recognition & maintain his sanity.  Riggan Thomson (an unforgettable Michael Keaton) played the superhero Birdman character in films which brought him fame, fortune & family dysfunction.  Now years later, he's desperate to prove he's a legitimate talent within the ranks of Broadway legends.  With the little money retained from his commercial action films, Riggan gambles everything on acting/directing an adapted Raymond Carver story on B'wy.  The smart acting & brilliant cinematography thrust you seamlesslly into the theatrical world & Riggan's head as he struggles with  demons & vicariously straddles a thin line with reality.  "I've crossed some kind of invisible line to a place…{that} has led me into consideration of death & annihilation."* The movie is a turbulent, exhausting yet rewarding experience.  Despite his relentless compulsion for adulation, Riggan is not without compassion for others.  The interactions between fellow actors (Ed Norton & Naomi Watts)  his daughter (Emma Stone) and legal advisor, (Zak Galifinakis)  reveal absorbing, multi-layers of addictive, compulsive behaviors.  The film soars into the angst & egos attributed to those in show businesss.  BIRDMAN is a phenomenal achievement in cinema.   Everyone involved in this crowning, artistic achievement should clearly be recognized by the Academy.  "To feel myself beloved on the earth,"* is what Birdman & everyman craves.

*Raymond Carver

MTA's Poetry in Motion an untitled Poem by Jeffrey Yang

After a long day, riding home on the subway looking forward to a quiet, relaxing evening, I noticed a new posting of a magical, dreamlike poem by Jeffrey Yang (Amer. b'74.)  His somnolent untitled poem help set the tone for a peaceful evening.  The poem floated in a beautiful painting by artists Holly Sears that has elephants floating in air amongst sea horses & long tailed fish.  The otherworldly combined poem/painting was a lovely way to ease into the nighttime landscape.

            West of rest is sleep
             east, dream
             where waters meet
             north, emptiness,
             south, wakefulness,
             and out, rising up
             to the stars, peace

And to all a good night.

Sturtevant: Double Trouble @ MoMA, Don't Trouble Yourself

Elaine Sturtevant who passed away earlier this year at age 89, was an artist known for imitating the works of other great artists.  In this exhibit there are her works that replicate the styles of Duchamp, Johns, Warhol and contemporary artists such as Gober and Gonzalez-Torres.  She is credited with promoting or getting larger audiences familiar with famous artists & with adopting their techniques.  My question is why is she acclaimed for what other's would claim as plagiarism.  Instead of going to Double Trouble - or as I call it Copy Cat art, see Robert Gober's original works now in a major show @ the MoMA.  Don't trouble yourself to see art redux that isn't new.

"Hey White People" Hey Listen Up EVERYONE

The comedic social commentary film "Hey White People" by dir./writer Justin Simien is a funny, clever & insightful look at racial issues today.  Racism is viewed from multi-perspectives: black, white & mulatto.  "Does anyone say mulatto anymore?" The film parodies our cultural obsessions with reality TV, our electronic devicies & our opportunist drive for fame.  "Hey White People" is the radio talk show hosted by black co-ed, Sam, (Teyonah Parris.)  She is beautiful, brilliant & indomitable.    Simien's writing is superlative.  Listen up, "Using the term African Amer. is more racist than the word black." "Dating a black person to piss off your parents is a form of racism." Hair & skin tones were constantly lampooned.  The movie takes place at an elite college.  We see the events leading up to a racial riot on campus.  A white frat house throws a Halloween party with a "black theme."  Ironically, Cocoa a black co-ed conives the fraternity to host the party.  Cocoa wants to cut all her "ghetto roots" and get cast in a campus reality series aimed at hostilites drawn down racial lines.  This intelligent & sensitive film should've gotten real with younger actors & dismissed the son trying to please his daddy storyline.  I did like the homage to "Imitation of Life."  Most importantly, racial discussions are front & center and from both sides now.  Race is viewed by many as a non-issue regardless of a pervasive, malefic plantation mentality.  White frat brothers view affirmative action as unjust.  The repugnant Halloween party shows white students in black face, chains, gun laden, dancing to loud rap music.  Hey white people "don't dance." Satire here is the weapon of choice.   Simien sharp skills with dialogue drives home many a zinger.  This film is a winner.

DISGRACED Pulitz Prize Winning Play '13

Ayad Akhtar's brilliant play won the Pulitz. last year, and for good reasons.  DISGRACED dismantles the fragile facades of racial/religious tolerance & civility with commanding authortity.  Unlike the B'wy farce GOD OF CARNAGE which also reveals contemptuous behavior & prejudice, DISGRACED takes social issues seriously for a scorching impact.  Amir (played ferociously by Hari Dhillon) is an intense atty. of Muslim heritage at an all Jewish law firm.  He's hungry to place his name alongside the names of the firm's all Jewish partners.  Amir is married to a beautiful Emily (Gretchen Mol) an aspiring artist.  The young couple appear loving & living in an upscale NYC apt.  They are friends with another bi-racial/cultural couple Isaac, a Jewish art dealer, and Jory, a black atty. working at the same law firm as Amir.  "You can't start a fire without a spark."  Amir's nephew Abe implores his Uncle's for legal counsel for an Islamic friend charged as a terrorist.  Against his better judgement but at the urgings of his wife & nephew, he goes to the courthouse.   Amir is quoted in the Times linking his law firm with the case.  Soon the law partners question Amir's idenity (nationality & birth name.)  It appears Amir was not totally forthcoming in his bio details.  Soon after, the 2 couples are having a friendly, civilized dinner that combusts into flames igniting racial, religious & cultural hatred & violence.  Akhtar's play is an illuminating play on the precarious balance between justice & order;  self-loathing & disgrace.  Most of us are still dancing in the dark.  

Robert Gober: The Heart is Not A Metaphor @ MoMA

"The Heart is Not a Metaphor," the exhibit of Gober's work spanning 40 years is anything but subtle.   Gober is identified with his sculptures of of men's hairy leg's & white sinks.  This this show has a compelling narrative & makes you think.  Every item is constructed by his hand; incredible . The show contains a clarion commentary on sexuality and the sanctity of the church.  Gober throws out everything including kitchen sinks (some with running water) & discarded newspapers.  Sculptures of male legs protude from walls & other objects.  This monumental & groundbreaking (literally) collection of Gober's works (Amer. b.'54)  consists of sculptures, drawings, slides, & prints.  There are running water installations & decimated concrete floors with holes with works that had me agog.  Kudo's to the MoMA for its audacity to take extreme measures for maximum impact.  The craftsmanship & ingeniuty of Gober to construct every item which appears manufactured is astounding.  Some may ask why - everyone should be amazed & question how.  This maverick show of an ingenious artist's works are explosive & disturbing.  Many of the works are perturbing,  psychological conundrums.  Clearly, the sinks made in the 80's address the sanitizing, isolating & stigmatizing of AIDS patients.  Note the 2 sinks embedded in the grass glimpsed through a window appearing as tomb stones.  The gallery also contains cribs that are skewered.  Do these represent an abusive, rejected childhood or address the laws preventing  gays to adopt children or marry as the empty bridal gown suggests.  There are printed wall paper prints juxtaposing a white man slumbering serenly alongside a black man's lynching.   shows an image of a white man peacefully sleeping next to a lynching of a black man.   Kitty litter bags strewn demonstrate a tolerance of living with cat excrement within the home at the same time there is intolerance for variant human sexuality.  Sexual explicit prints & drawings of human genitalia are ubiquitous.  The large cigar made of tobacco winks at the Clinton/Lewinsky relation.  On a solemn note, the 9/11 tribute pays respect but mixed with some irreverence.  Still,  I felt a sense of healing.  "The Heart Is not a Metaphor" but the heart does register agitation & pulsation.  This exhibit will literally get your heart racing.