SICARIO starring Emily Blunt & Josh Brolin sparring with Drug Lords

SICARIO is a shoot em up bang bang combat the Mexican drug gangs if you can movie that didn't move me.  Canadian dir Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners '13) fumbles with a stereotypical script.  Emily Blunt plays Kate, a 1st rate FBI agent in a male dominated testosterone force.  She is promoted to an echelon of elite drug agents by an enigmatic govt. agent played by Josh Brolin.  Benicio del Toro is also part of the team.  He is even more undercover & mysterious.  Nevertheless, both Brolin & Benicio fall asleep 15 minutes into the movie aboard a private jet one would never think the FBI would get.  The great casting couldn't save this bomb.  I'll cut to the chase, Brolin & Benicio were right to fall asleep.  Brolin answers Blunt's question by saying "We're here because we have to be here."  The real El Chapo & escapee convicts in CA are far more interesting and credible than this violent drivel.

Jazz @ Linc Ctr CHARLES LLOYD and the MARVELS-Too Marvelous for Words

One of the most enjoyable things to do in NYC is Jazz @ Linc Ctr.  Last night legendary saxophonist Charles Lloyd and the Marvels performed in the Appel Room looking out over Colombus Cir.  Before entering the Appel Room, the Atrium had a number of young jazz musicians performing.  This was an added treat.  It was fun to see the young musicians watching & listening to their peers.  In the Appel Room, Charles Lloyd (b. 1938) came out wearing a black beret and proceeded to play.  Lloyd has played with B.B. King's Band and worked with the Doors & the Beach Boys.  He's recorded with jazz legends Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock & Keith Jarrett.  Besides playing a rich sounding alta sax, Lloyd played the bass flute and took & shook many maracas.  The marvelous Marvel quintet featured guitarist Bill Frisell, drummer Eric Harland, pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz and bassist Reuben Rogers.  Each talented musician performed virtuoso solos.  Frisell (b. 51) had a solo that went on forever which was not long enough; he was amazing.  The band's jazz performance was textured and luxurious.  Lloyd never introduced any of the pieces.  Their rendition of Shenandoah was intoxicating.  Harland on drums was first rate and enjoyed by his bandmates as well as the audience.  At the end of the set the band gathered together with their arms around each other.  Lloyd told the audience to stick around for the next set which was going to be completely different.  (If only it weren't sold out - I would have stayed.)

CONCUSSION Starring Will Smith Needed CPR

CONCUSSION is an admirable, but forgettable film based on the life of Dr Bennet Omalu who tackles the NFL with his unsurprising, but irrefutable findings that NFL players are subject to brain damage from repetitive head impact.  I'm a strong proponent of bringing the "beautiful Shakesperian sport" of tackle football to its knees and to its final demise.  Coach Mike Ditka is telling parents to steer their children away from football.  The film directed by Peter Landesman, an award winning filmmaker & author is off his game with a movie that should have resonated.  Nigerian born pathologist Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith) is first to uncover (or is he?) unrefutable evidence of brain damage (CTE) that led to several major NFL player's dementia & early deaths.  The question of when & what the NFL knew is obliterated by their powerful organization "which owns a day of the week that used to belong to the church) and their undisclosed settlement.  The David & Goliath story should have been fascinating but put me fast to sleep.  Except for when Albert Brooks appears.  Brooks should be playing more roles.  He knows how to steal a scene and if no one told him this was a serious film, he scores bonus points.  As for Smith, he's teary eyed in every shot and runs the same play over & over.  Regrettably, this movie was a missed opportunity and the message seems to have been intercepted.

Julliard Orch Concert Celebrates Milton Babbitt's Centennial

This week the Julliard Orch has been performing varied programs at Alice Tulley honoring the centennial of Amer composer Milton Babbitt (1916-2011.)  Tickets were available free of charge through Julliard's box office or online; a millenial bargain.  The program on Fri night (Prog VI) was conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky with guest pianist Connor Hanick playing Babbitt's Piano Concerto #2 (1988.)  The only composition of Babbitts which was played at the end.  Program VI began with a section of Johanne Brahm's (1883-1897) piano pieces from 11 Chorale Preludes which are rarely performed.  This was a brief, beautiful & rich overture for the evening.  Arnold Schoenberg's (1874-1951) 5 Pieces for Orch Op 16 (1909/1949) followed.  Schoenberg's innovative atonal construction was very influential on Babbitt from the time he was a young student.  Schoenberg was 28 when he composed this work which marked a turning.  Igor Stravinsky's (1882-1971) Variations (Aldous Huxley in Memoriam 1963-64) was performed after and prior to Babbitt's Piano Concerto.  Stravinsky was not a proponent of Schoenberg's "12-tone" method initially but in later years, following Stravinsky's death, he appropriated the 12-tone method.  Pianist Conor Hanick, an alumn of Julliard & Northwestern has performed with Alan Gilbert & the NYPhilh & with conductor James Levine.  The chronologically orchestrated performance provided a noticeable progression & relationships between the compositions spanning over 100 years.  The audience at Alice Tulley were treated to a captivating evening of evolving classical music.

AILEY II an Insider's Look at Ailey's 2016 Season

Alvin Ailey Amer Dance Co (AAADC) is world renown for its incredible dancers, Amer heritage and sovereign dance performances.  AILEY II is an essential extension to (AAADC.)  It serves as a launching pad for some of the country's best young dancers and enables emerging choreographers to develop their works.  Last week AILEY II had an invitation only studio showing spotlighting fragments from 4 new works that will be featured during their upcoming season beginning March 30th at the Ailey studios on 55th/9th.  All 4 pieces were developed in ('15) and will mark their debuts this spring.  Jamar Roberts, an AAADC since ('02) is known for his statuesque physique and athletic versatility.  He choreographed one of the pieces, a pas des deux for 2 male dancers GEMEOS.  Roberts came onstage to talk about his piece GEMEOS; meaning twins.  "I've a brother two year older. We're not twins and we're very different in many ways."  Roberts described his brother as being an exceptional athlete in school while his own interests were in the arts.  The jest of the piece was evident, 2 people can be opposites and oppositional but still very much connected.  The piece was exceptional.  The partnering of the dancers countered & enhanced the other.  It was a creative & ebullient work and I look forward to seeing it, redeux.  The other piece I favored was by Ray Mercer SOMETHING TANGIBLE; choreographed for 3 dancers.  Mercer is currently on B'wy in THE LION KING. His regal choreography reigned with exceptional artistry & musicality.   Courtney Celeste Spears sparkled in this piece & is a young dancer to watch.  Mark your calendars for AILEY II's spring season.    

THE HUMANS by Pulitz Prize Playwright Stephen Karam at Helen Hayes Theater

Amer born playwright Stephen Karam received a Pulitz Prize nom for his drama "Sons of the Prophet," ('12) about an Lebanese-Amer family.  His current Bwy play, THE HUMANS is about a middle class Amer family from PA celebrating Thanksgiving together in a NYC duplex aptmt.  One of the 2 daughter just moved into the space with her boyfriend.  The family consists of an older married couple, their 2 daughters and the father's senile & volatile mother.  Brigid lives in the unsettled aptmt where everyone has gathered to celebrate.  Richard, Brigid's boyfriend is 38 & working towards a social worker's license.  He explains he was waylaid for years by depression.  The overall feel of the production is depressive.  The groundfloor of the duplex has a spiral staircase leading to a spacious lower level with the main living area.  The entry level has bars on its sole window.  The early holiday cheer dissipates quickly as we learn of the troubles that befall everyone.  The chatter turns caustic, the grandmother is either unconscious or ranting and bitterness and disappointments are the dishes being served.  The 1 act play is relentless in hellish references.  Dysfunctional family comedy/dramas tend to be grating.  THE HUMANS is especially irritating.  The anger, angst and deception are substellular compared to Tracy Letts' Pulitz Prize play O'SAGE COUNTY('13.)  The father shares his nightmarish dreams and Richard tells of his bizarre, indecipherable dreams.  Watching the playwright's Stephen Karam THE HUMANS was purgatory.  

SMART PEOPLE at 2nd Stage-One of the Smartest Shows I've Seen

I'll make this simple:  SMART PEOPLE by Lydia Diamond is brilliant.  You don't have to be Sherlock to find this play entertaining, engaging and well crafted. The levity doesn't deter from the gravitas gravitas & grasp of the issues concerning racism in all its colors and connotations.  Diamond's sparkling 4 character play is set in Boston '07 and ends on the inauguration of Pres Obama in '09; a time line for systemic racism in our nation regardless of our 1st African-American Pres is at a precipice of implosion.  Acknowledgement, recognition, discussion and resolutions for a just society are sovereign issues at the center of Diamond's fierce writing. The play entwines 4 very accomplished, articulate & attractive actors.  All 4 are at the top of their class.  I bestow valedictorian honors to Tessa Thompson (Creed, Dear White People) who plays Valerie.  Valerie's aspirations as an actress are fraught with Shakespearean tragedy.  She is relagated to stereotypical roles for black actresses (with poor elocution.)  Brian, a white college prof feels diminished teaching & would choose to focus on his studies proving whites are racist with a pre-disposition to hate.  Jackson is a black, surgeon who also runs a free clinic with the little free time he has.  Ginny, "1/2 Chinese & 1/2 Japanese"is a psychiatrist & has published statistical studies supporting the subversive role Asian women have in American society.  All 4 are  talented in their respected fields which doesn't preclude them from sabotaging themselves.  Scenic designer Riccardo Hernandez (The Gin Game) & lighting designer, Jason Lyons' (Hand to God) help illuminate this thought provoking play.  Everything adds up to a winning combination.

"Take an Object" at MoMA-Various Artists' Works mid 1950's to early 1960's

"Take an Object" exhibit at the MoMA is an colorful collection of art (all owned by the MoMA) from an int'l group of artists whose work stretched beyond conventional trends and mediums.  Some of the featured artists are Rauschenberg, Johns, Bontecou and de Saint Phalle.  Rauschenberg is quoted "Take an object, do something to it.  Do something else to it. Repeat."  I found Lee Bountecou's welded steel, canvas with black fabric most fascinating for its futuristic feel and sense of timelessness.  This show is situated across from the Jackson Pollack exhibition 1934-1954 (also all in the MoMA's collection.)  Perhaps this collection revolutionized the emancipated approach to creating art that followed.  The Pollack's exhibit highlights "One" Number 31" (1950) arguably his masterpiece.  Pollack said "The modern artist is working with space and time and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating."  Take the time to walk through Pollack's exhibit followed by the multi artist show "Take an Object."

Julliard Jazz Orch with Guest Conductor Jimmy Heath

The Julliard Orch continues its programming emphasis on arranging.  Wed evening featured the Bebop arrangers:  Tadd Dameron, Gill Fuller & Chico O'Farrill.  Bebop refers to jazz featuring a fast tempo,  that demonstrated virtuosity and improvisation.  The musical compositions had amazing virtuosity & improvised riffs.   I wouldn't describe the compositions as having a quick tempo.  It seemed to possess a smooth, languid rhythm, but what do I know?  I do know the Julliard Orch plays a superabundance  of jazz styles.  I want to applaud the pianist Jaehun Kang for his flourishes and outstanding solos. The program is unknown beforehand but is always a delightful, entertaining surprise.  There is always a guest conductor or artist who has mentored the band members.  Wed night featured jazz legend Jimmy Heath.  Heath turns 90 this year.  He is a renowned saxophonist, composer, arranger & big band leader.  Heath has worked & recorded with numerous jazz icons.  There may have been a little less pep in his step but it was a privilege to enjoy the maestro conduct and banter about the music.  His love for jazz, "America's own music" was infectious.  He was happy to be on stage & it was a joy to be in the Sharp theater.  My favorite pieces from the night were:  "That's Earl, Brother (Dizzy Gillespie) and Taboo (Bob Russell.)  And, of course "Without you, No Me" (To Dizzy)  composed & arranged by Jimmy Heath.

FIDDLER on the ROOF Full of Life on B'wy

The beloved FIDDLER on the ROOF is being revived at the Broadway Theater.  The original production (1964) earned 9 Tonys.  Musical composer Jerry Bock & lyricist Sheldon Harnick earned the Tony for best musical and the Putlizer Prize.  Jerome Kern also added his genius to the incredible and unforgettable choreography that remains at the pinnacle of artistic achievement.  FIDDLER will always be timeless and resonate with the plight of refugees.  Written about a Jewish family living in a small village vicariously in the shadows of the impending Russian pogroms in 1903.  The musical numbers are all incredible, memorable and moving.  The story melds love & sorrow amidst the dilemmas of a grappling with an ever changing world.  This is one of the all time great plays to savor and bring your family to (except for the family with their boisterous 5 year old.)  If I were a manager - a yiddle diddle dee - no kiddies.)  It is the perfect play except for a few things that I would change.  The talented, Tony winning actress Jessica Hecht was miscast as Golde.  The head of the conductor poking out of the pit was more than a bit distracting.  And the fiddler's presence was lacking.  If you're asking me the question, do I love this play?  After all these years and productions, I suppose I do.

Spike Lee's CHI-RAQ is a Must See-The Academy was Blind to Overlook

Spike Lee has voiced his outrage at the lack of diversity in the Oscar race this year.  His brilliant film is a powerful, literary, artistic, accurate & painful depiction of misery & injustice in our nation. Set in the city of Chicago, a hailstorm of gang warfare & destruction in the impoverished south side that is under fire for fatal shootings of unarmed black men by white officers. Exacerbating matters the police force are exonerated and innocent victims are assassinated.  Lee appropriate's Aristophone's Lysistrata where women leave men to masturbate & wait for sex until guns & hate mitigate: "No peace No pussy."  The rap dialogue emulates Shupak, Lin Manuel & Maya Angelou.  People scorn while thousands mourn the senseless killings.  I do not give proper justice to Lee's masterpiece.  It deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.  Never has a film painted a picture of our present plagues with such mastery of words, images & artistry.  Spike is packing CHI-RAQ with star ammo:  Samuel Jackson, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Basset, John Cussack and Wesley Snipes.  The leads Nick Cannon & Teyonah Parris are dynamo.  Lee's film is entertaining but note it's pertaining to the travesty and oppression that shows no signs of cessation.  Hopefully, ladies & literacy can lead the way to peace & harmony.  Let's all sign a peace accord to discard guns, gangs your glock.  Shed not futile tears but together, starting here, at home, make our cities war free zones.  Chicago, CHI-RAQ, CHI LITES' "Oh, girl, I'd be in trouble if you left me now.  I don't know where to look for love, I just don't know how."

Our Mother's Brief Affair on B'wy Starring Linda Lavin

The indomitable and multi-talented Linda Lavin is the star of playwright Richard Greenberg's  ("Take Me Out) new play "Our Mother's Brief Affair." Anna (Lavin) is a Jewish widow & mother of twins Seth & Abby now in their 30's.  Seth is a single gay man who writes obits for a living. Abby has a lesbian lover & young daughter.  The thrust of the play is the banter between Seth & his mother.  Anna  reveals to him from her hospital bed her titilating affair from when he was at Julliard.  The 2 Act 4 actor  play (the deceased husband and romantic dalliance are the same actor) is intended to be both comedic and poignant but the plays's construction makes everything pathetic.  Lavin whose attempts at lascivious nostalgia are grating and her narcissistic expressions are twisted.  The play is cunningly set to sway from hospital bed to a bench in Central Park.  Regrettably, the plot line branches off to infamous historic events entwined with the Rosenbergs' executions.  The writing is nebulous and annoying but it does make some distinct  messages.  Everyone wants to leave behind a legacy.  And, despite being twins & raised together, everyone's vantage & experience are unique.  "Mom always liked you best." (Smother Brothers)  This is not even close to the best work from Tony winning actress Linda Lavin or Tony winning playwright Richard Greenberg.

Glen Liggon Installation & Ellsworth Kelly's "Spectrum IV" in Lobby of MoMA

American painter, sculptor & printmaker, Ellsworth Kelly (b. 1923) died this past December.  An extraordinary artists of multi-mediums, his quintessential oil painting "Spectrum IV" (1967) is hanging in the lobby in all its resplendent colors and significant social message.  The painting, 9' x 9', consists of 13 rainbow colored panels of equal proportion.  It is a kaleidoscope of radiating colors.  It resonates the rainbow colored banners associated with gay pride.  The painting is being hung in tribute & commemoration of one of our great artists of the 20thC.  Also, in the lobby is a recent acquisition (2015) by Glenn Ligon (b. Amer 1960) "Figure 2001."  Ligon is a conceptual artist whose works examine issues of race, history & identity; often times incorporating text in his works.  "Figure 2001" is a series of 50 self-portrait, silk-screens.  All 50 are of the same size 9" x 6" but all are on varying colored paper in muted jewel shades of blue, amber and amber.  The prints are hung in equally spaced rows & columns.  The profiles are unique in their positioning & intensity of definition.  Some of the portraits are frontal views, back of the head or at various angles.  And, while all the busts are in black, the intensity of each print is unique.  Ligon engages the viewer to acknowledge or confront the individual; being dismissive of an individual or race is not an option.  Stepping back from both artists' work presents a pleasing, colorful aesthetic and their juxtaposition is arresting & potent.

The Romanian Film THE TREASURE by Dir Corneliu Porumboiu

Porumoiu is a Romanian dir/screenwriter.  He won the Camera d'Or prize for his 12:08 East of Bucharest ('06.)  THE TREASURE which he wrote & directed earned him the Priz Un Certain Talent Prize at Cannes ('15.)  This Romanian film (with English sub-tittles) is about a father's hunt for buried treasure. This movie is not a find and a waste of time.  I found the movie absurdist & tedious.  Costi is a husband & dotting father to his young son.  They enjoy reading the tale of Robin Hood and fantasizing together about buried treasure.  A neighbor in the building, Adrian, hereto unknown to Costi, comes to his aptmt asking to borrow money.  Costia listens patiently but tells him he doesn't have the money to lend.  Adrian entices Costi to help him search for buried treasure on his property outside Bucharest left by his great-grandfather.  Costi agrees to this fool's gold quest.  He also provides financing for this madcap venture with the promise of a 50:50 split.  Most of the film is spent watching the men scan & dig for - (not quite sure what.)  The social/political aspects of the film are interesting especially when the police become involved.  However, THE TREASURE is not funny, engaging and the pay off is incredulous & irritating.  The film didn't strike pay dirt with me.

Booking Dance Festival NYC at Lincoln Center

The Booking Dance Festival NYC held in the Appel room looking out at Colombus Cir. It is a 5 hr extravaganza featuring 20 dance companies and 34 performances.  There is a plethora dance program.  My ticket cost $25; or $5 hr.  The seats are reserved and every seat offers a great view.  The snowfall Sunday highlighted the dances in a magical, warm glow.  I did not stay for 5 hours of dance (who would?)  I'll highlight my favorite works and tell you what didn't work.  My 2 favorite dance pieces were from the Louise Reichlin & Dancers/LA & the FJK Dance/NYC.  Reichlin's pastiche of ballet, gymnastics and modern dance was a marvel of musicality and mixed movement.  The piece ebbed from classical to modern seamlessly.  There was whimsy and beauty expertly performed by 3 separate groups.  Reichlin talented company represented a very diverse group.  A standout dancer was Kistina Pressler.  She was lithe, athletic and artistic.  FJK Dance featured 3 couples that blended varying styles of dance from tango, to ballroom to modern.  I liked their fringed costumes which shimmered on stage.   One other company to mention was the Scorpius Dance Theater but only for the piece with 4 dancers in stretchy material which covered their legs/feet.  They created an clever, amphibious aesthetic. The razzy award goes to the woman who read silly poetry while flopping around on a chair.  I hope the Booking Dance Festival change their ticketing policies.  Instead of one ticket for the entire 5 hr offering, break up the tickets into hour segments.  The coming/going of the audience is distracting & rude to the dancers.  Furthermore, it would ensure better attendance to the later programs as the majority of patrons choose to leave.  Still, this is an excellent way to see a multitude of mixed danced programs.

SKELETON CREW Part of the 3-Play Cycle "The Detroit Projects" by Dominique Morisseay

SKELETON CREW (SK) @ the Atlantic Theater is a bare bones, gut wrenching play.  It's a contemporary piece exposing worker's lives in a crumpling auto-assembly co. in the moribund Detroit area.  Dominique Morisseau is an Amer playwright (b. Detroit 1978.)  Her plays have earned numerous awards including the Kennedy Prize for Drama ('14.)   Her most recent play SKELETON CREW, is the 3rd & final theatrical piece of "The Detroit Series" which included DETROIT '67 & PARADISE BLUE.  I didn't catch either but I did see SUNSET BABY @ the Labyrinth.  SK is a raw play with 4 actors (& an incredible robotic dancer.) The dancer/choreographer, A Osakalumi (B'wy Fela) emphasized the industrialized/ dehumanizing work environment.  His dancing was mesmerizing & integral to the artistry of the production.  The entire aesthetic of SK is a powerhouse of combustible energy written with force & poetic beauty.  The single set staging is in the shabby employee locker room/ lounge where 3 auto workers & their supervisor construct verbal warfare while striking base human emotions & needs.  Reggie is the supervisor of 3 company employees (who were far superior actors.)  Faye (Lynda Gravatt, Bwy Cat on a…) is the union leader, Dez (Jason Dirden, B'wy "Raisin" & Fences) and Shanita (a riveting Nikiya Mathis.)  Faye is the wise & wizened leader.  She vicariously walks the line between management/worker while scraping pay check to pay check.  Dez carries ambition, charm & ammunition (in his backpack.)  Shanita is pregnant & on an emotional roller coaster.  The sexual banter between her & Dez (not the baby daddy) is bristling with intensity.  Faced with mounting fear of impending layoffs, desperation constantly builds.  "How can you do battle without being caught in the skirmish?"  Morisseay intelligent and engaging play is a muscular medium for social change.  Her writing, worthy of a Pulitzer, connects you like a cog into the assemblage of humanity.

Italian Dir Paolo Sorrentino's YOUTH with Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel

Italian dir Sorrentino won an Oscar for best foreign film with The Great Beauty (2013.)  YOUTH directed & written by Sorrentino is an English speaking film set in a resort in the Swiss Alps starring an A list cast.  Caine is a retired composer/conductor beseeched to perform for the Queen.  Rachel Weitz is his distraught daughter. Keitel plays Caine's lifelong friend, a successful movie director (and Weitz's father-in-law.) While at this idyllic, isolated haven, Keitel is working on a new picture to star Paul Dano and Jane Fonda (in a small role in this film.)  Of course, there are no small parts, only small actors.  And, life is not a dress rehearsal, don't postpone joy.  Both Caine & Keitel play off each other with wit & charm. This exquisitely shot film is lush with meditative beauty, sensuality, joy, humor, sorrow, fame, legacies, music and endless emotions.  The film is a pastiche of heaven, hell & purgatory. Weitz and Dano are pitch perfect in their roles; Weitz the beautiful, bereft wife and Dano the frustrated actor.  There are minions of characters and they all add richness to the exotic fabric of the film.  Keitel tells Caine "we're all just extras" and "all we have are our emotions."  Dano refuses to take the role of Hitler; "we can all choose horror or pleasure and I choose pleasure."  Weitz accuses her father of being apathetic.  Weitz is proved wrong in her assessment.  Caine is the antithesis of indifference.  I was totally smitten with this artistic & stirring movie.  YOUTH deserves admiration and multiple Oscar nominations.  I left the theater levitating.  The only thing needed were more cowbells.  Oh blah dee - this is a must see!

The Hungarian Film SON of SAUL-A Soul's Journey in Auschwitz

Hungarian director Laslo Nemes' 1st feature film SON of SAUL won the Grand Prix in the 2015 Film Festival.  The Germ/Hungarian/ langue movie with English subtitles is a relentless exposure to the heinous, systematic mass murders of WWII seen through the eyes of a Jewish prisoner, Saul.  Saul is a  "Sonder-Kommando:" Jewish prisoner that abetted Nazis leading people to their deaths and transferring  corpses to the crematorium.  They clean the gas chambers & scavange belongings for valuables.  In exchange, "Son-Kommandos" are kept alive (temporarily) & provided better rations/conditions.  This is by far the most excruciating film I have ever experienced.  The movie makes you endure the unbearable (unless you elect to leave or choose not to witness the atrocities of WWII.)  Saul herds men/women into shedding their clothes & into the "showers" knowing he is leading them into the gas chambers.  There are multitudes of strewn, unclothed bodies.  We are spared seeing faces of the dead except for a young boy miraculously found breathing when they enter to remove the dead.  The nazi commandant suffocates the boy & orders his autopsy.  Saul takes extreme risks putting himself & fellow  "Kommandos" in peril by seeking a Jewish burial for this boy he claims as his son.  Perhaps Saul is no longer capable of participating in the mass murders of his fellow Jews and is seeking some redemption.  This is not a movie to recommend or condemn.  It is a momentous testament to the atrocities inflicted on mankind.  Nonetheless, there are no innocent bystanders.  

The King and I at Linc Ctr-Shall You See It? Absolutely!

Rodgers & Hammerstein's (R&H) beloved musical 1st premiered on B'wy in 1951.  Yul Brynner & Deborah Karr starred in the unforgettable 1956 film.  I've enjoyed the film several times and looked forward to the memorable classics "Getting to Know You," "Shall We Dance," and "I Whistle a Happy Tune," performed with a live orchestra and sung by the queen of B'wy musicals, Kelly O'Hara (South Pacific, Tony Award.)  I was reminded of the genius of (R&H's) music & lyrics.  The show is timeless for its artistry.  What I had forgotten, were the prominent, strong anti-slavery messages.  Anna (Kelly O'Hara) is a British schoolteacher who moves to Siam to tutor the many children from the many wives to the King of Siam in the 1860's.  The musical takes a light hearted approach to a boorish ruler who unwittingly subjugates his people, multiple wives and women.  However, the King is no Simon Legree.  He admires Pres Lincoln & becomes more open minded as he gets to know Anna and broadens his horizons. The women/children of Siam put on a beautiful choreographed depiction of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," to demonstrate to foreign dignitaries the King is not a barbarian.  Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," lays the groundwork for the anti-slavery thrust of The KING and I. I had forgotten the poignant and haunting song "I Have Dreamed" from the musical.  Perhaps, this song inspired Martin Luther King famous civil liberties speech "I Have Dream," (1963.)   I left the show whistling a happy tune.  I also left with a deeper appreciate for its social/political importance.        

The Film ANOMALISA is an Animated Anomaly

ANOMALISA deviates from what's expected and that's exactly what makes this an exceptional film.  Directed by Charlie Kaufman (ADAPTATION) & Duke Johnson (MARRYING GOD) have made an animated movie for adults about the mundane & insane life of adults.  From beginning to end, you're held captive by this feature film which is unlike other films even when the story fails to gain loft.  High praise goes to the creative animators for their artistry which creates a bewitching facade for a mundane tale of a philandering middle-age man.  Charlie Stone is the central character in a cast of cartoonish faces that are creepy in their similarity and alarming in their identical sounding voices (Jennifer Jason Leigh.)  Stone possesses the only unique voice with a British accent.  He is an author of motivational employee books that drive every business' performance up 90%.  Charlie is on a speaking tour in Cincinatti; sin city.  He appears as a benign, weary traveler.  Looks are deceiving and the stylish look of this movie is devilishy disturbing.  The movie becomes more bizarre as Charlie hits on women in the hotel bar.  The film creates a pervasive feeling of being in purgatory tettering on the border of Hell.  ANOMALISA is Dante's Inferno unleashed.  I would tell you to see this.  It open a Pandora's Box of  discussion.

The REVENANT Stars Leo DiCaprio-He Should Get an Oscar

The REVENANT is an epic story of survival and revenge set in the harsh, wintry western frontier in the 1820's.  The untamed frontier & brutal winter landscape are finely featured.  The cinematography is breathtaking. I was swept into the freezing waterfalls.  I felt the bitter cold & filth on screen.  Nature is a force to be reckoned with but man's harshest enemy is not the elements but man himself.  Revenant is the story of Glass (DiCaprio,) who seemingly returns from the dead.  Glass lived among the Pawnee tribe.  He & his son survived a horrific massacre against their tribe.  Glass becomes a hired guide for his exceptional survival & navigating skills.  His strengths are no match for a mother grizzly who nearly mauls Glass to death, rendering him lame & near death.  (Glass' tangle with the grizzly is unbearable yet riveting.  The regiment captain (Irish actor Domhall Gleeson, BROOKLYN) realizes he needs to leave Glass behind & pays a sinister soldier to stand vigil along with Glass' son & another young recruit.  Mexican director, Alejandro Inarritu (BIRDMAN) delivers an incredibly powerful story of survival, violence and revenge.  The dir. captures the savagery in the lawless, unchartered regions in all its gore & glory between numerous warring factions.  The REVENANT is a rare epic movie that elevates movie making to a higher plane.  The puny faults I found lied with the distracting score and the absence of breath vapors in such frigid conditions.   "Hold onto every breath."

Britrish Film 45 YEARS Starring Charlotte Rampling

British actress Charlotte Rampling (b. 1946) is a well recognized face from screen and print.  She is a fine actress who doesn't mind allowing the lines of aging to show.  In this dawdling film Rampling plays Kate married to Jeff (Tom Courtenay.)  The comfortable couple are about to have their 45th wedding anniversary.  They live somewhere in the solitude of the country.  They've retired and grown staid.  Kate notes how they've "forgotten the things in life that make you happy."  Their banal, bucolic companionship takes a seismic shift after Jeff receives a letter informing him that the body of the woman whom he "would have married" if she hadn't died in a horrific accident when they were in their early 20's.  Tom is sure he's mentioned to Kate about Katrina even though this was before they had met.  However, he failed to delve into any meaningful detail about this relationship.  This movie moves at a snails pace.  The days are enumerated to provide some sense of momentum towards their big celebration.  The acting by Rampling & Courtenay is something to cheer & celebrate.  They give heartfelt credible performances of a couple seemingly in tune with one another, until they're not.  The burning question is how well can a person really know another.  Or, how willing is a person to really share themselves with another person.  The musical score is notably Amer pop from the 60's, a time when Kate/Jeff were young & 1st in love. Tom toasts his wife by saying "The choices made when young are very important."  This thoughtful film is not geared for a young demographic but should be well received & appreciated by a mature audience.

NYPhil Rehearsal Performs Sibelius and Strauss

Today's open rehearsal was conducted by Alan Gilbert.  A major part of the enjoyment to the rehearsals is to witness the intimate collaboration between maestro Gilbert and his orchestra members.  The concert began with the announcement of the passing of a member of the their orchestral family for whom the performance was dedicated.  The first piece on the program was the Sibelius' (b. Finaldn 1865-19270 En saga, Tone Poem for a large orchestra.  The rich, jubilant meldoies reverberated with double winds: flutes, piccolos, oboes, clarinets, bassoons.  In addition there were 3 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 tombones, tuba, cymbals, bass drum, triangle & strings.  The plucking of the violin stromgs provided a  brighter element.  I felt a sorrowful response in contrast to the lighthearted movements.  STRAUS' (b. Germany1864-1949) Op. 27, #1 & 2 is a more somber piece featuring soprano Heidi Melton (in her NYPhil debut) and Erick Owens singing the bass-baritone Opus 33, #4.  The admission ($20) makes a plethora of musical performances enticing for works I wouldn't ordinarily seek.  The sombre German piece  included a harpist which echoed with a bright accent to  the vocals.  I appreciated being privy to watching Gilbert confer privately to Melton with his hand on her shoulder and noting her friendly, receptive response.  Owens and Gilbert exhcanged some laughter during pausal notations.  The expanisve repertoire and the intimate interactions between conductor, soloists and orchestra are an enlightening aspect with all rehearsals.

Maurice Hines TAPPIN' thru LIFE-More Yappin than Tappin but It's All Good

I was charmed by this musical autobiographical singing/dancing/multi-media recap of Maurice Hines' rise to shine on stage; along with his brother Gregory.  Maurice the big brother may have been cast in his brother's shadow in later years.  Gregory was a cross over star on stage & screen, earning a Tony and dancing on film with Barishnikov (White Knights.)  Sadly, Gregory "transitioned" in ('03) at the age of 57.  However, this is a jubilant show filled with family photos, an all "diva" jazz band, singing and 2 sets of young siblings who demonstrated remarkable tappin' skills.  The jealous jabbing at the 2 young Manzari brothers by Maurice was intended to tip the hat to tap's thriving LEGacy.  The Manzari brothers did their own choreography and I would follow them to watch their fancy footwork.  Maurice did his own choreography - what little there was,  and sang too much. But, hey, Maurice is 72 and while he didn't entertain with a lot of razzle dazzle dance, entertain he did.  We took a stroll down memory lane.  This included the shame of segregation in the 50's; a cruel awakening to the Hines brothers.  The young brothers were a major act in Vegas but not permitted to stay in the hotels where they were performing.  Invited to swim as a guest by the legendary Talulah Bankhead at her hotel's pool, Maurice said Gregory noticed everyone leaving when they entered.  And, afterwards, they watched as the pool was drained.  In spite of our ignominious racial bigotry, this delightful 90 minute show is overflowing with warmth, familial bonds and the love for tap dancing.  I would have loved more dancing.  Still, I fervently recommend this show.  It is both a testament to tap, talent and the effervescent joy that comes through music & dance.