"Jews In America: From the Colonial Period to the Civil War" Panel at NY Historic Soc

Last night was a panel discussion to coincide with the (lackluster & unenlightening) exhibit "Jews in America: From the Colonial Period to the Civil War."  The exhibit I found uninspiring and was hoping that the panel discussion might illucidate what seemed elusive.  "The long history of American-Jewish contributions to our nation began during the earliest era of colonial settlement."  I was disappointed that the discussion didn't divulge any significant cultural or societal contributions that enriched our nascent nation.  The panel consisted of Dale Rosengarten, co-curator & Dir of Center for Southern Jewish Culture at Charleston Univ, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of Congregation Shearith Israel and moderator, Louise Mirrer, Pres/Ceo of NY Historical Soc.  Mirrer began by saying she was going to step outside her role as moderator and speak of her research for her masters degree in linguistics in NM where the dialect & customs indigenous to a small Jewish population were traceable to the earliest Jewish settlers in the 16th C immigrating from S America who were fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th C.  The talks are limited to an hour including a 15 minute Q&A and I'm finding the moderators have been overstepping their limits (as in this case) and deterring from the intent of the discussion.  The exhibit showed the migrations from Spain & Portugal to S American countries & then to the colonies (mainly New Amsterdam (now NYC) and from there a significant population migrated to Philadelphia.  The information which is mapped out in the exhibit didn't require as much reiteration and what was lacking in both the exhibit and the talk were contributions made the Jewish population rather than merely finding a haven from religious persecution.  Rabbi Soloveichik wanted to claim Hamilton, a founding father as a Jew but this was not new info that his mom married a Jewish man & that Hamilton studied in a Jewish school (probably because he was unwelcomed as an illegitimate child & a child of an illicit married couple.)  Rosengarten spoke of the assimilation & affluence of the Jewish population in Charleston and as such, they too maintained slaves.  I was dismayed that Rosengarten spoke of this as a badge of honor rather than disgrace.  The evening was a sold out crowd with a long waiting list.  I found the evening a dismal & disappointing discussion.

Iranian film "The Salesman" Written & Directed by Asghar Farhadi

Iranian film director/writer Asghar Farhadi (b Iran 1972) received the Oscar for best Foreign Language Film "A Separation" (2011) marking the 1st time an Iranian filmmaker has received this honor.  "The Salesman" (2016) is a political & family drama.  It incorporates Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman," in its storytelling.  The movie has received an Oscar nom for this year's Best Foreign Language Film.  Farhadi has stated he plans to boycott the Oscars in protest of Pres Trump's immigration policies.  Farhadi depicts fissures in Iranian life:  the 2nd class citizenship of women & imposed censorship in Iran.  The film begins with the emergency evacuation of an aptmt building that is on the verge of collapsing.  A young married couple, Rana & Emad are forced to find lodgings quickly as a result.  Emad is a high school literature teacher in an all male classroom.  He's teaching Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" (no one in his class was familiar with it.)  Simultaneously, he is in a production of the play.  Emad plays Willie Lohman & his wife Rana is Willie's long suffering wife.  The parables align with disillusionment with one's spouse and one's own life.  The movie is clever but also very dark & oppressive.  Rana is brutally assaulted while alone in their temporary lodgings.  She is physically & emotionally shaken but it is Emad who turns his frustration & pain into vengeance.  He is relentless in the pursuit of his wife's attacker.  It's shocking that women (even victims of sexual abuse) are considered culpable yet men are granted leniency with their sexual behaviors towards women.  Notifying the police is abhorrent to Rana & her neighbors.  When Emad discovers the guilty party, he invokes his own vigilante justice which is disturbing & horrifying.  "The Salesman" is a piercing look at contemporary restrictive norms in Iran and the disillusionment & dissolution of a marriage.  "The Salesman" may earn another Oscar for its ingenious filmmaker, Farhadi.  I admire his talents as a writer/director filmmaker & his political convictions.

"Z" for Zelda FItzgerald Screening on Amazon "The Beginning of Everything" Has Nothing of Interest-ZERO

The Amazon series about Zelda & F Scott Fitzgerald would seem to offer a lot of spark.  Pity, it's a dull mini-series entitled "The Beginning of Everything."  I expected plenty of scintilating scenes between the famous writer & his notorious femme fatale wife.  I was disappointed.  There was nothing absorbing here to cheer or leer.   Zelda (a waste of a spritely Christina Ricci) plays opposite Swedish actor David Hoflin (F S Fitzgerald.)  The 10 part mini-series is plodding & tedious with boastful outbursts by Fitzgerald "I'm going to be a famous writer one day."  "The Beginning of Everything" had nothing going for it in terms of a script.  How ironic & moronic for a TV series of one of America's greatest writers not to find decent writers.  Zelda & F Scott first met in Montgomery, AL during WWI where F Scott was stationed but never deployed before the armistic is signed.   F Scott is starry eyed & smitten the moment he looks upon Zelda doing a balletic turn in the worst editing of a dancing sequence.  Zelda aspires for more than her provincial, affluent social strata that offers  zilch - exactly what the viewing audience will get wasting their time watching.  David Strathairn plays Zelda's father who makes the most inane demands.  Zelda is expected to be on time for family dinners & he dithers at Zelda's insouciance at his remonstrations.  It's possible later episodes will introduce prominent literary characters & actors of the epoch.  I watched 3 of the 10 shows & will not bore myself with more.  "Z" rates a 3 on a scale of 1 -10 which is an eccentric rating for such a lame series about a dynamic dame & her literary giant spouse.  

Complexions Dance Co at the Joyce-Rejoice in Their David Bowie Tribute "Star Dust"

Complexions was founded by choreographers Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richard in 1994.  "The company's foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them."  This coincides with their ingenious tribute to David Bowie's groundbreaking & constantly evolving musical genius & innovative style.  Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richard have much in common being incredibly talented dancers & choreographers & having the same initials.  Both DR(s) techniques & styles encompass a broad spectrum of dance; classical, jazz, modern and incorporate various cultures, styles and epochs.  Both men were principal dancers with the Alvin Ailey Amer Dance Theater.  Rhoden was also danced with Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal & received the Ailey School's Apex Award.  Desmond Richardson performed in numerous dance compabies & on B'wy in the original "Fosse" (1999) for which he received a Tony nom.  And both have performed with or choreographed for many superstars ranging from the ballet world: Wendy Whelan to pop megastars; Michael Jackson, Aretha Francklin & Madonna.  The Joyce held a world premiere for "Gutter Glitter" (GG) followed by "So Not A…(An Epilogue to GG.)  "(GG)" & "So Not A" both had a lot to admire & recommend; particularily the talented ensemble of athletic & artistic dancers. (GG) & its epilogue logged too much on the timeclock made all the more tiring for its non-stop high energy and frentic  running.  The few pas de deuxs were a welcomed respite.   Some of the vocabulary appeared taken from Ailey's new piece "Untitled America" and Bill T Jones' "Fondly Do We Hope - Ferverently Do We Pray."  Still, the work had its own creative originality and musicality.  "Star Dust" had 9 movements which segued seamlessly to the music of the late, great David Bowie.  This piece was sensational, celestial, exuberant, fantastic (I could go to infinity & beyond with praise.)  "Star Dust" was a burst of artistic mastery that combined ballet, modern, jazz, gymnastics, humor, theatrical staging & lighting.  "Star Dust"is a loving legacy to a prolific, innovative musician & maverick of style as in his genre-bending endrogenistic looks.  In keeping with Bowie's endrogenistic aesthetics, a male dancer performed in pointe shoes as did a number of the women.  The piece had beautiful, powerful & ecstatic balletic & modern choreography.  I partiularily loved "Changes," "Heroes" "Modern Love," and "Young Americans."  I felt blasted back into the past & into outer space.  I was thorougly transported by this Rhoden's tribute to Bowie's legacy & his own choreography.  I'm going back.  I will see the future installments on this magnificient work and its chchchanges.  I felt full of life and young again.  

British Playwright Anna Jordan's "YEN" Starring Lucas Hedges ("Manchester By the Sea)

Anna Jordan is a contemporary British playwright.  "YEN" is her first full length play.   I had a hankering to leave before the 1st ACT started.  The audio-visual pre-show had blaring rap music & a video of fast & jilted traffic shifting through West London.  The film a long loop.  Perhaps without the headache inducing noise, might have made an amusing ride.  It was artfully filme in black/white with surprising sluices of colors.  The play commences abruptly with the 2 young male actors Hench (Lucas Hedges) and Bobbie (justice Smith) entering the derelict room with a fold-out sofa & large screen tv turned on pornography (not for us to see - but to hear all the gratuitous groans) & running commentary by the two teens; brothers by the same mother, Maggie (Ari Graynor.)  Hedges is 16 and Bobbie is bi-racial & just a year younger.  Hench is the top dog in this brother hierarchy.  Bobbie's hyperactivity, immaturity and mental aptitude are blantantly impaired.  The 1 room set is the dilapidated flat owned by their irresponsible, hostile, alcholic mother.  The mom lives with her boyfriend leaving the boys to fend for themselves.  Maggie's mother was living with them until simply left & took off with almost anything of value including their clothes.  They're left with 1 t-shirt between them & their only pair of shoddy pants.  However, the boys are not totally alone.  They have a growling german shepherd in the bathroom (kept off-stage) named Taliban.  The boys are constantly tossling & fighting over whose turn to clean the dog's shit which accumulates.  They never take the dog outside.  A young girl is observed looking in at their aptmt by Bobbie.  He assumes it's because she's interested in Hench.   It turns out the girl, Jennifer, is a dog lover who threatens to call the police to report their neglect of the dog or turn him over to her.  Jennifer, "Jenny, Jen, Jane or Yen" lives in the same project.  She's recently moved from Wales with her unstable mother.  They are living with her uncle, his girlfriend & the girlfriend's daughter.  Yen, is the name she prefers.  Her beloved, deceased father would call her Yen.  Yen (also the word for Chinese currency) had stock in at least one loving parent.  Neither Hench or Bobbie have a loving, responsible parent although Maggie's sporadic visits elicit immense happiness & hyperactivity from Bobbie.  Bobbie's volatility explodes when Yen threatened to remove Teleban.  His anguished pleas arouse sympathy from Hench & the startled but compassionate Yen.  Yen becomes a regular visitor & dog walker & ray of light in their dismal domicile.  An innocent & lighthearted "dinner party" is destroyed when Maggie shows up and wrecks havoc.  The only redeeming qaulity to the play is the tenderness Yen shows to both Bobbie & Hench.  But Bobbie's flaying, mental instability & the squalid living conditions left little of value in the play.   I didn't stay for Act II of "YEN" and will never go again.  I had a desire to leave before the end in YEN of Act I.

Mary Tyler Moore Meant so Much to Millons - Telling Tribute to Mary

I mourn along with millions of fans who held Mary Tyler Moore (MTM) in their hearts for a multitude of reasons.  Yes, MTM unknowingly (which is usually the way) was a maverick that paved the way for women.  She showed us that women were a viable, integral part of the work force.  It was a novel idea at the time but for today's young women (who thankfully it wouldn't occur) - believing a man was not required to validate being a woman was groundbreaking.  MTM was a absolutely beautiful & talented: she was a triple crown & Oscar winner.  Mary could dance (oh could she dance) sing & act.  And her acting range was went from comedy to serious drama ("Ordinary People.) Mary was gorgeous and gals who were gorgeous were not taken seriously in comedy until Mary made it seem worthwhile.  Danny Thomas admitted having turned MTM down from her audition for his Danny Thomas Show - not because she wasn't wonderful but because she was so beautiful he didn't think anyone would buy it.  Candace Bergen credits MTM for Murphy Brown.  Yes, another news room comedy with an incredible beautiful comedic lead.  There is a lot more in common between these two shows than strong, vulnerable & fabulous looking  female leads.  The sitcoms blended a motley group of people in a competitive work environment & lonely world but, instead of hostility or indifference, friendships were formed with love, humor & respect.  Oprah, Catie Curic and Julie Chen all credit MTM for instilling in them the desire & confidence to pursue their career paths in a mainly male workplace.   These are all wonderful contributions Mary left for the world.  Mary paved the way for generations to come but her lasting legacy is the love she spread all around.
"Who can take a nothing day & suddently make it all seem worthwhile,
Well it's you girl {referring to women everywhere} and you should know it,
Love is all around, no need to waste it."  Mary's iconic tossing of her beret into the frigid winds of the twin cities and smiling for joy - showed us that life is filled with delight and there for the taking.
Mary Tyle Moore your smile has lit up the world and the world is such a better place thanks to you.   MTM will be missed but not forgotten.  Hat's off to you - for showing us all what we can do.

NYPhil Rehearsal Tchaikovsky's Symph #5 Conducted by Russian born Semyon Bychkov

The NY Philharmonic (Phil) performed a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky's majestic Symphony #5 under guest conductor, Semyon Bychkov (b USSR 1952.)  Bychkov won the Rachmanioff Conducting Competition at age 20 (1972.)  However, he was not granted the honor comes of conducting the Leningrad Phil which is part of the prize.  Shortly after, he emigrated from the USSR and didn't return until 1989 as a guest conductor for the Leningrad Phil.  Currently Bychkov is the Conductor at the Royal Acad of Music with the BBC Symph Orch.  In 2015, he was named Conductor of the year by the Int'l Opera Awards.  Geffen Hall was packed which only made seating more frustrating with the lower orchestra seats cordoned off for patrons.  This infuriates me as the open rehearsal; one price for everyone should entail equanimous seating.  (Of course, the AMC has the express line for its paying members - bah humbug.) However, Tchaikovsky's beautiful music did serve to undermine my umbrage with back of the bus seating. It was interesting to listen & observe Bychkov's rehearsal techniques.  (My last rehearsal experience was mortifying as the guest conductor stopped & started so frequently the tension was palpable & the enjoyment mitigated.)  Today, Bychkov allowed the orchestra to perform the 1st 2 movements without interruption:  "Andante - Allegro con anima " and "Andante cantabile, conaluna licenza."  Maestro Bychkov halted the orchestra and conferred quietly with all sections for 20 minutes and then had them replay these movements.  I noted t the 2nd time the the music had a softer/sweeter tonal quality and was less somber.  For the final 2 movements "Valse:  Allegro moderator" & Finale: Andante maestoso" Bychkov had the Phil play without stopping and then conferred with the members at length (at least 20 minutes.)  The 2nd time I detected a more powerful & militant expression to the music.  The general public is always barred from the first dozen rows so it's not possible to overhear any corrections or communications.  But, it's possible to discern subtleties & engrossing to consider the possibilities the conductor is experimenting with from the compositions.   Tchaikovsky is one of (if not the) most important composers of the 19thC.  Listening to the NY Phil perform this regal and exquisitie work was fantastic (albeit seated in the back.)

Politics and US Supreme Ct Panel with James Zirin Author "Supremely Partisan" at NYHIstoric Soc

Last night's program at the NY Historical Soc featured author/attorney James Zirin.  His new book "Supremely Partisan:  How Raw Politics Tips the Scales in the US Supreme Ct" is very prescient.  From what he was able to discuss, incredibly interesting.  The problem was the moderator, Philip Bobbitt, Prof of Jurisprudence at Columbia Univ & Dir of the Ctr on Nat'l Sec at Columbia Law School.  He monopolized the conversation.  The facilitator needed to tell Bobbitt to stop it!  Zirin made pithy points when permitted to answer.  Bobbitt was editorializing & giving lengthy readings from the  book.  I found Zirin fascinating & direct.  He answered Bobbitt's logquacious remarks with "That's nonsense," several times.  The prog dir promptly announced the talk would be an hour.  After 45 minutes the floor was opened to audience questions obtained taken from their turned in notecards.  I left - usually the Q&A's are quite annoying & self-indulgent (like Bobbitt.)  Regardless, here are highlights of what I gleaned from Mr Zirin:
1.  The Supreme Ct is the most important branch of govt depsite having no military power or access to funding because the Court is the basis of a lawful society
2.  Mitch McConnell was unlawful for not having put Obama's nominations before Congress - there is nothing in the Constitution that says "The people choose the Supreme Ct Justice, nonsense" - the Pres issues nominations & congress puts the candidate to a vote
3.  Scalia didn't like rulings with a 5 to 4 decision.  Scalia preferred to have rulings to be unanimous and thus assured.
4. The only Supreme Ct Justice to be impeached was during the presidencies of our founding fathers.
5.  With the number of "hot button" issues - it is nearly impossible to separate a Justice's religious, socio-economic & educational background.  The hot topics mentioned were:  gay marriage (Scalia was against) but believed it should be a federal ruling) abortion (Scalia was strongly opposed & would have likely overturned Roe v Wade) affirmative action and capital punishment (which Scalia strongly supported sighting his Catholicism.  However, after the current Pope spoke out against capital punishment Scalia justified it.
The discussion on what constitutes cruel & unusual punishment (terms in our Constitution) "allows for evolving standards of decencies."
I was not amused or convinced by Bobbitt's comments that 1 in 10 Americans are unable to name 1 Supreme Justice or that 1 in 3 people believe Judge Judy is a Supreme Ct Justice.  Bobbitt as moderator didn't do justice to Zirin's elevated discussion on Judicial Review, the Federalist Papers and compelling questions to pose to nominees.  However, I intend to read Zirin's book and boycott Bobbitt on future panels.

The Jullaird Orch Conducted by Alan Gilbert with Cellist Anne Richardson

Last night the full Juilliard Orch performed at Lincoln Center under Maestro Alan Gilbert a composition by Henri Dutilleux (b France 1916-2013.)  Tout un monde lointain (A Whole Distant World) was composed by Dutilleux in 1970.  The cello soloist was played magnificiently by Julliard student & professional artist, Anne Richardson. The evening was special concert for several reasons.  First, the students performed in Geffen Hall, home to the NYPhilharmonic & under the Philharmonic's conductor, Alan Gilbert.  It was an exciting event and interesting to observe the serious note with which the students performed.  The Julliard Orch students were poised on the edge of the chairs & earnest  in focusing on Gilbert's conducting.  Second, Dutilleux's symphony was a delightful surprise.  This was the 1st time hearing it for me. The composition was pastiche of styles that flowed seamlessly & unexpectedly together.  I would describe the piece as modern & classical with a mystical, shimmering aesthetic.   The 1st movement, "Enigme" set up a quizzical overture with soft sounding cymbals underlying the plucking of the cello.  There was a lilt, whimsy and complexity that was enticing.  "Regard," the 2nd movement was slower, richer & more layered building to crescendos with the entire string section.  The first two movements reminded somewhat of a lighter sounding "Fantasia."  The snare drums & cymbals were woven into the rhythm with a vibrating tremble that underscored the cello.  The cello always predominated without overtaking the ensemble.  The large string section remained silent for periods & then swiftly & richly built to completeness.  Both the cello & strings were plucked with a breezy, harp-like sound.  I thoroughly enjoyed Dutilleux interesting & beautiful composition that  meshed varying styles with a cohesive fluidity.  I hope to hear this piece at another time.  Bravo to cellist, Richardson, the Julliard Orch & conductor Gilbert for enriching & mentoring the next generation of musicians.  This was a delightful evening on a dreadful, stormy night.  Perhaps, the weather & the "higher" priced ticket for the Julliard Orch kept people at bay.  What a shame to see so many empty seats in the orchestra especially with such an attentive & enthusiastic assemblage of young musicians.

French Film "Staying Vertical" Written & Directed by Alain Guiraudie Therianthropic Topic

French screenwriter/dir Alain Guiraudie's film "Staying Vertical" was nominated for last year's Cannes Film Festival.  Guiraudie is openly gay & the content of his films dominately portray LGBT characters.  In "Staying Vertical" the central character Leo (French actor Damien Bonnard) is a predatory viper at the top of the food chain (like his namesake.)  Leo is seen spying (often) through his binoculars.  He hones in on a lone shepherdess, Marie with rifle in hand guarding her flock.  Marie welcomes him to accompany her.  She expounds the evils of the wolves who have been preying on their sheep.  Leo defends the animals and their simmering exchange turns into a heated sexual liasion.  Leo returns to the farm with her & charms himself into the family's good graces & into Marie's bed.  This film is sexually graphic in a very lascivious and animalistic.  Sex is used for gaining something from the other partner. The partners interchange in perverse & provocative arrangements.  Leo & Marie give birth to a son (her 3rd.)  The birth scene is so close & uninhibited I felt intrusive (& coerced into bearing witness.)     Guiraudie has an aptitude for making an audience uncomfortable & submissive to his ferocious storytelling.  Leo meets with a female, new age healer who is an enabler.  She abets his deceitful,  rapacious behaviors.  "Staying Vertical," "stirred up a lot of shit."  Any straight, moral compass went so awry as to serve as a lethal weapon.  Leo is not the only carnivorous creature in the film.  The consumate ending was a perfect coupe de grace to this film that was awash in atrociousness.  Credit must be given to cinematographer, Claire Mathon, who captured the chilling atmosphere in a stealthy, voyeuristic style.  Since I found "Staying Vertical" is so perturbing - why did I stay with it?  Because, "I'm just another another brick in the wall."  (Pink Floyd)  The term therianthropic means the transformation of a man into a wolf.  This bit of mystical alchemy was happening right before our eyes and it became impossible to turn away from this cunning & unsettling film.

Cate Blanchett's Bwy Debut "The Present" Wanted a Refund - Ran Out at Intermission

I purchased tickets to the Broadway show "The Present," an adaptation of Chekhov's untitled 1st play was to see Cate Blanchett in person.  (I even paid full price damn it!)  Blanchett couldn't breath life into Chekhov's early work that should have been tossed or lost. (All the actors would have failed a breath analyzer.)  My loss at quite an exorbitant cost and 2 hours totally wasted.  I'd like a full refund and my time back {not gonna happen.}  But, let me spare you the "mentally induced coma" wrought by this inebriated Chekhov castoff that is a charlatan of great, classical theater.  The 1st scene in Act was so mind numbing & 2 hours long.  The clarification of all the characters was tedious.  Anna (Cate Blanchett) is the matriach of a family of 3 stepsons having married their father; a much older man, the general, as a young bride.  (The sons & their friends were near in age to Anna and lusted after her.)  It  seems the matriach may have abetted her young admirers. The play is set 20 years from when Ana was first a blushing bride on the eve of her 40th birthday at the country estate where the extended family & friends have convened to fete the occasion.  A typical garrulous, drunken Russian family drama only atypically without any merit.  The play opines the endless possibilities of young love.  "One must obey the secret workings of the heart." And offers imbecilic philosophy, "All life's experiences can only be felt through our 5 senses."  The play makes no sense.  It was painfully unimaginative watching everyone spin into a drunken stupor.   Then, it became appalling watching the party degenerate into a tasteless, sexual brawl complete with blaring ammo & detonators.  Blanchett's role was so absurdist that any semblence of nuanced & poignant performance was drowned in vodka.  I felt taken by Blanchett's celebrity draw and was robbed of $ and precious time.  Perhaps, I can save you from the same foolish fate before it's too late.

August Wilson's "Fences" Directed/Starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis

August Wilson is one of America's greatest playwrights (b 1945-2005.)  He's received the Pulitizer Prize for "Frences" in 1990 and in !987 for "The Piano Lesson."  Wilson's plays depict the black experience & lifestyle in the mid 20th C; following WWII and through the Civil Rights Era.  "Fences" is a powerhouse of emotion, struggles and triumphs black America in a world that was changing radically but at a stilted pace regarding racial equality.  The opening scene of "Fences" has Troy (Denzel Washington) asking his friend/co-worker as garbagemen, Jim (Stephen Henderson) "Don't I count?"  The underlying & unifyng theme in Wilson's brilliant plays is making one's life amount to something of substance.  Troy is husband to Rose (Viola Davis) in an incredible performance) and father to their son Corey and two other children by 2 different women.  Troy represents a generation of black men who felt life dealt them a rough hand. Troy is homeless at 14, abandoned by his mother & literally beaten & banished by his father.  He was incarcerated for 15 years after killing a man in a drunken brawl.  Troy felt he was shortchanged from playing pro-baseball because of being black and that he's been overlooked for promotions on the basis of his race.  Marrying Rose was the best thing he  ever did until he destroyed their marriage with his philandering & cruelty to their son.  This is a tense & stirring drama dealing with father/son, husband/wife relationships & racial strife & conventional images of the time.  The plights & oppressions of blacks are marked in heated dialogue and deprecating humor.  Having seen the play with the same 3 incredible leads I found the film more moving than the play.  The camera captures the quiet & powerful moments with raw emotion.  The film  illicits overwhelming empathy with superb acting and the genius of Wilson's writing.  Gabriel, Troy's brother came back from the war with brain damage and is an upsettingly sympathetic character.  Troy is tormented by his love for his brother knowing he's the beneficiary of his suffering.  Troy rants about responsibility & duty to his family which don't include love only harsh lessons in reality.  Wilson's genius is glaring and strident.  Troy's baseball metaphors strike with poetic poignancy "{I was} born with 2 strikes before I got the the plate.  Everything is lined up against you.  Life aint' nothing but a curve ball thrown at the corner of the plate."  Rose's reproach to Troy brought me to tears "You should have held on to me tight.  All my wants & needs - I buried myself in you.  Hold on tighter."  "Fences" is one of the finest movies that speaks to human dignity and compassion.  "Fences" the film deserves a Pulitizer Prize and every type of award that is served up.

"Hidden Figures" Race in Space & Racial Equality-Stars Taraji Hanson & Octavia Spencer

"Hidden Figures" is a magnificient film that uncovers the unacknowledged, significant intellectual & social contributions of 3 incredible black women during the 60's at NASA during a turbulent time of racial injustice.  Dir Theodore Melfi (St Vincent '14) remarkably entertaining & uplifting movie is astounding.  The year is 1961, Russia has launched the 1st astronaut into space; a disgrace to the US.   More shameful is the racial prejudice & social injustices in our nation.  Three brilliant & incredible women:  Katherine Johnson (a fabulous Taraji Henson) Dorothy Vaughan (a superb Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (an excellent Janelle Monae.)  These 3 friends & co-workers were mavericks in the fields of engineering, mathematics & technology at a time when women's roles were diminished and blacks were still being forced to the back of the bus, barred from white universities & subjected to the indignities of "colored only Jim Crow laws."  This is a wonderful movie for countless reasons.  These women took on numerous challenges & humiliations of racial prejudice & sexism with dignity & tenacity.  Human ingenuity is illuminated with grace, resilience and courage.  The race to launch a man in space was behind the urgency for resolving racial & social divides.  The mathematical formulations  were fast paced & fascinating.  The barriers broken down on the ground were infinitely greater than the race to put "our men in space."  There was a fine supporting case with Kevin Costner as Al Johnson head of NASA and Kirsten Dunst as a top personnel executive who develop respect, trust & admiration for their "colored" co-workers.   "Everyone at NASA pisses the same color." The accomplishments & contributions made by Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan & Mary Jackson are revelations that will no longer go unrecognized but factored into our nation's history.  I loved "Hidden Figures" which will surely be honored by the film academy.  Social injustice should also figure heavily into the equation.    

Julliard Jazz Orch The Music of Woody Herman & DIzzy Gillespie

The Julliard Jazz Orch played the music of Woody n' Dizzy under guest conductor & renown trumpet player Jon Faddis.  This concert can be summed up as upbeat, joyous & entertaining.  Knowing the Julliard students are always going to dazzle with their talented playing is a given.  It's not known what the program is or who will be the guest artist.  This adds an extra element of delightful surprises.  Last night's concert was the music of the great Woody Herman & Dizzy Gillespie.  The program selections had a quick tempo with flourishing trills & a Latin- Copacabana sound.  A few selections were:  "Apple Honey," "Bijou" and "Sweet & Lovely" (the most romantic number on the program.)  The Julliard Orch was phenomenal as usual.  I want to call out the incredible piano playing by Joel Wenhardt and Sam Chess on the trombone.  The evening had warm hearted humor aided by Mr Faddis' storytelling of having worked with legendary artists such as: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk & hearing stories he heard from other artists who had known older jazz legends like Benny Goodman.  Faddis sang the praises of both Herman & Gillespie as jazz greats and spoke of them as kind & generous people.  According to Faddis  "Benny Goodman was not such a kind man.  His band was rehearsing in his basement studio and members complained how cold it felt.  Goodman said really and left the studio & came back wearing a heavycoat."  The passion & love for jazz was evident in the mentorship of Jon Faddis who treated us to his incredible trumpet playingin the 2nd set.  It was interesting to see the stewardship of Faddis with the students.  He insisted (kindheartedly) they stand & bow after they're given recognition.  One trumpet player was late for the 2nd set & was made not only to wait in the wings but also admonished by not being allowed to play until the last 2 selections.  This was one of the most enjoyable & insightful programs I've attended.  Thank you Mr Faddis & the Julliard Jazz Orch for such a swinging & cheerful evening.

Conversation "The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde" with Curator Sarah Suzuki Fell Flat

The conversation in tandem with the MoMA's fascinating show "A Revolutionary Impulse" The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde" piqued my interest in hopes of enhancing my appreciation for this exhibit.  Sadly, Sarah Suzuki, Curator, Dept Drawings & Prints, did little to enlighten me on Russian's revolutionary history 1912-1935.   Nor did she spark my enthusiasm for the artists or artistic developments during this epoch.  I'd visited the exhibit prior to the "conversation."  I'd found the show both stimulating & distrubing; reflective of a very turburlen history.  I was intrigued to learn more of  the unprecedented sociopolitical transformations that commenced with a liberating, egalitarian revolt that was short lived.  This year is the 100th annv of the Russian Revolution & the abdication of Nicholas II (a.k.a. the execution of the Czar & his family.) Civil unrest & uprising erupted from massive food shortages & famine.  The not so peaceful transference of power from a Royal oligarchy to the general population didn't portend an egalitarian society.  Shortly, the Bolsheiks, under the dictatorship of Vladimir Lenin resulted in an oppressive Marxist state.  While Suzuki is not an art historian, it was afoul not to assimilate clearly the connections between the artworks (paintings, poetry, photography, technology & architectual plans) with momumental changes within the Soviet Union.  The discussion led by Suzuki lasted only 30 minutes and then opened to questions.  I learned that Alfred Barr at age 27 travelled to Russia in 1912 where he met many prominent artists, writers & performers.  He was responsible for purchasing the vast majority of artifacts prior to the Russian Revolution and then again in 1936 which accounts for the extensive, preserved collection.  According to Ms Suzuki, the MoMA, outside of Russia, possesses the most comprehensive collection of Russia's artworks from 1912-1935.  The exhibit is an impressive collection but the conversation pertaining to the show did little to enlighten its impactful significance.  

"Consider the Lilies" Stuart Fail's Off B'wy Play that Fails to Shut Off yaddah yaddah

"Consider the Lilies," a world premier play written/directed by Stuart Fail - started with much promise to be an interesting narcisstic character study but failed by the writer's reluctance to truncate his interminable work.  Fail's 2 Act play is way too long proving detrimental to what started out as a humorous & entertaining play with incisive dialogue.  We meet an elderly, needy, alcoholic, bi-sexual, narcisstic painter, Paul (Austin Pendleton) and are put into the picture with his co-dependent friend, David (Eric Davis) who is also his art dealer.  David is much younger, attractive and attentive to Paul's ongoing lamentations.   Pendleton is a veteran actor of stage & screen.  He's starred on B'wy in   "Fiddler" & "The Diary of Anne Frank."  He's received both a Drama Desk & Obie Award.  He gives a convincing performance as a morose has been artist who is so  overbearing & self-consumed as to be repugnant. David is saintly in his support of Paul's to where he loses himself & "the love of his life."  David & Paul are New Yorkers living in Paris where Paul hoped to be inspired to paint (and after being rebuffed from NYC galleries.)  Act I is essentially the 2 actors.  Act II transitions to NYC with the thankful addition of 3 characters for some relief from the tiresome passive/aggressive pas des deux.  One of the characters, Angela, was David's girlfriend.  She informs David she has moved on in his absence & pregnant with another's baby.  David's breakdown following their break-up is wearisome and incredulous.  Pendleton, however, is completely credible in his role as a case study on narcissism.  Having to deal with someone like Paul would put most sane people off.  "Consider the Lilies" refers to Paul's iconic painting supposedly purchased by Peggy Guggenheim.  The bloom falls off this rose sometime in Act II.   Great artist knows when they're finished with their canvas.  Unfortunately, Fail layers on too much resulting in a murky work.  "The painting is finished when the idea disappears.  (G Baselitz)  A play should finish before the audience stops caring.

MTA Poetry in Motion-Billy Collins' "Subway" an Appropo & Engaging Poem

Sunday, on my way into the subway at Colombus Circle, there was a massive, peaceful demonstration challenging positions of the president-elect Donald Trump.   People gathered in a united purpose of freely voice their views with signs imploring Trump to act & deploring his purported intentions.   My daily descent down into the subway garnered a more meaningful experience.  Our communal means of  shared transportation felt more unifying and humbling.  We tend to take for granted the close proximity that binds us as a community and the commitments we feel obligated to each other & to our individual conscience.  Poet/professor Billy Collins (b Amer 1941) was honored as a US Poet Laureat (2001.)  His succinct prose strikes a solid message of strength, inspiration & humility.  "SUBWAY" was commissoned to celebrate the Gramd Cemtral Centenial.  I noted the poem this afternoon on a subway car riding underground while crowds gathered above to voice their political views & conscience in the the day's sunshine:

As you fly swift underground
with a song in your ears
or lost in the maze of a book

Remember the ones who descended here
into the mire of bedrock
to bore a hole through the granite

to clear a passage for you
where there was only darkness
Remeber me as you come up into the light

"20thC Women" Stars Annette Bening, BIlly Crudup & Elle Fanning

"20th C Women" is a coming of age story rooted in the 1970's.  This semi-autobiographical, nostalgic, philosophical picture stars the multiple Golden Globe winning & Oscar nominated actress Annette Bening as Dorothea, the single mother of 15 year old boy, Jamie (Lucas Zumann.)  Bening is the reason to see this tedious & uneventful movie that strives for loftiness but is a laden mess.  The film is in  disarray as is the home where Dorothea & her son live which is under perpetual renovation.  The repairs are being made by the male tenant, William (a terrific Billy Crudup.)  The other tenant is Abbie (Greta Gerwig) who plays her typical eccentric & irritating character.  Jamie's unrequited infatuation is 17 yr old Julie (Elle Fanning) his childhood friend.  Julie oftentimes climbs through his window to sleep in a confidential & platonic friendship.  Fanning is charming & convincing in her innocent/not so innocent ingenue role (playing to her typecasting.)  Dorothea is an intelligent, independent woman who realizes how ill equipt she is to raise her son without support.  Her well-meaning, misstep is turning to  Abbie & Julie as mentors.  Julie, wise beyond her years (with a mom who is a psychologist) tells her they're not right for job (how right she is.)  Julie suggests William as a role model for Jamie.  The movie starts with a car engulfed in flames.  It belongs to Dorothea who was grocery shopping with Jamie when it auto-combusts.  She invites a fireman to her home for dinner.  Her table has an open door for an ever changing grouping.  The story is character driven.  It's a fluctuating genre that never fully gets into gear.  But Bening's performance as the patient & baffled mother is captivating.  Her devotion to her son, her loneliness and resilience comprise the poignant arc of the film rather than Jamie's traversing the world of adolescence & dawning sexuality.  Still, the nostalgic references to iconic books of this era "Our Bodies Ourselves" & Pres Carter's 1979 "malaise" speech reflect the country's mentality & perhaps the intent of this film. (And why the name Jamie.)  "We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our lives and the loss of a unity of purpose." When Jamie attempts to honestly communicate with his mother as she entreats,  he's rebuked.  "Asking about one's happiness leads straight to depression."  "20th C Women" misses the mark.  I advise the younger, 21st C actresses, Fanning & Gerwig to glean from the heartfelt performance by the wizened & wise Bening.

"Paterson" Starring Adam Driver as a Bus Driver/Poet in Paterson NJ

"Paterson" portends the quotidian grind of your average Joe. Not so-this falls far off the path for what is   a poetic, life-affirming movie that sheds extraordinary light on the seemingly mundane & repetitive.  True, this film takes a double look at what we all have in common.  But, this movie is two-fold; the everyday routine with reminders of hidden gems of astounding beauty & pleasure that should not be overlooked.   Paterson (an excellent Adam Driver) is a good-natured bus driver with a penchant for putting pen to paper & jotting down poetic lines.  Paterson, ironically is a bus driver in the town of the same name.  The movie is framed by the days of the week.  Commencing daily with waking almost like clock work to a cheerios breakfast before heading off to work & ending the evenings with a pint at the neighborhood pub.  Paterson's sunny disposition is due in large part to his girlfriend, Laura (a ravishing Golshifteh Farahani.)   Farahani is an infamous Iranian actress (b 1983.)  This role should put her on the map in ths US.  Laura is creative & multitalented.  She's an artist, aspiring musician & culinary whiz.  She's noted for her irrepressible spirit and joie de vivre.  Her penchant for black & white  only accentuates her exuberance & colorful traits.  The combined majestry of this artful film is more profuse than "Ground Hog Day" (a film starring Bill Murray) and a simple "wake up & smell the flowers" nomenclature."  The infinite possibilities for turning everything more interesting abound in this enchanting film directed/written by Jim Jarmusch (b Amer 1953.)  Jarmusch received the Grand Prix Cannes Film Prize ('05) for "Broken Flowers" (starring Bill Murray.)  There are so many delightful moments in this lackadisical film overflowing with poetry and life's simple pleasures.  This movie is an absolute treasure.  It's a movie that binds humanity while highlighting the gratifying, enriching qualities of the individual & the arts.  LOVE POEM (paraphrased): " We have plenty of matches in our house, sturdy little boxes with words lettered in the shape of a megaphone as if to say to the world, there is the most beautiful match in world.  So sober & furious & stubborn.  Ready to burst into flame.  And it was never really the same after that. Blazing with kisses that smolder towards heaven." I could easily see this movie repeatedly.  

A Reading of "Storming Heaven: The Musical" Music Lyrics Book C0-written by Peter Davenport

I enjoyed a reading of "Storming Heaven: The Musical" based on the novel "Storming Heaven" by Denise Giardina.  Actor/singer/director Peter Davenport is a co-wrote the wonderful music & lyrics for this promising musical with an emsemble of talented singers/actors.  A reading, for those who've never been, is similar to being in the audience of a radio simulcast.  The actors/singers are stationery except for when performing which creates an intriguing element where the audience's imagination becomes part of the production.  "Storming Heaven" is the story of the struggles of coal miners & their families in W VA who fought to unionize in the 1920's.  At the center of the story is a married couple Carrie, a nurse who tends to the minters & their & her preacher husband who lends his moral support.  The couple live with Carrie's Aunt Jane, and Carrie's brother Miles, who is a supervisor for the mining company.  The musical direction & arrangements are by John McDaniel; Grammy & Tony Award winner for the B'wy Production of "Annie Get Your Gun."  The musical numbers are all very good and the ensemble nunbers were exceptional.  Kevin Mambo, an Emmy winning actor as Doc Booker and Paul Anthony Stewart ("Guiding Light") as Miles were sensational in their supporting roles.  As an early work in progress, the musical numbers in "Storming Heaven" are very accomplished.  I look forward to seeing the next incarnation for this charming & touching production.

"The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde"-An Explosive Art Expose of Historic Importance

The recently opened exhibit at the MoMA "The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde" is incredible in scope for its copious assemblage of artistic & innovation and for the sentient historic perspective of the  dynamic, volatile and oppressive arc from WWI & the Russian Revolution through the political changes wrought during the Soviet Union's First Five-Year Plan in 1932.  This is an extraordinary complilation of art, design, engineering, videos, political propaganda & audio that create a stirring & disconcerting exhibit.  I'd go so far as to say that the progression of events represented through various mediums, photos, videos, posters, paintings, etc. evoked a chilling & disturbing response.  That's not to say that there aren't works of aesthetic pleasing & ingenious. The first few galleries contain works by Olga Rozanova, Vladimir & Georgi Stenberg, Lyubov Popova, Natalia Goncharova & Kandinsky (to name but a few of the artistic genius represented.)  The influence of cubism & artworks outside the country during the early years of WWI are evident and then outside influences diminish during the rise of Stalin.  The exuberance of the onset of the Russian Revolution is tantamount in works that display energy, innovation & vibrant, colorful, appealing creations.  But, the impending (or imposing) Soviet Union authoritarian government is evident in the photos, films & artworks that follow.  It appears the sketches & drawings under the new Soveit Union promoted conformity while destructing the notion of individuality & uniqueness.  Art is omnipotent.  It contains the ability to reflect the epoch of which it  was created.  I believe that there is inherent in art & creative output, a subvertive proclivity.  At the very least, art instills a unique, invasive response.  My response to this amazing & thought provoking exhibit is to go back, attend a corresponding lecture from MoMA and it instilled a feeling of jingoism for the USA.  Note the paper, celluloid face structure in the upper corner of the back gallery.  It's a big brother watching you piece that also shows it vulnerable to being folded up and shut down.  Also note the design sketch for an operetic ballet where the dancers are so constrained as to make them robotic.  In fact, many of the later artworks create the sense of the human form evolving into amorphous mechanical objects.  "The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde" is a prescient exhibit for our times and an irrefutable testament to Russian history.  I'm going to return & reprise my visceral experience to this extremely engaging & haunting exhibition.  

The First Jewish Americans at NYHistoric Soc-An Unexceptional & Lacking Exhibit

"The First Jewish Americans - Freedom & Culture in the New World" is an exhibit at the NY Historic Society. It is poorly executed and uninspiring.   The minimal noteworthy information was curated with trifling platitudes & unsubstantiated.  "Only a tiny fraction of the population, {Jews} significantly negotiated the freedoms offerred by the new nation & contributed to the flowering of American culture."  The details & artifacts disseminated did little to support "flowering" contributions.  The Hebraic books were so tiny as to be illegible and merely corroborated proof of early Jewish setters in the 17thC.  These items were not indicative of any import to the overall cultural mainstream.  "They {Jews} helped to broaden freedom and culture in the early U.S. leading the way to full social, cultural & political participation for millions of Jewish Americans, and many others, today."  The missed opportunity to explore Jewish influence on America, pre-Revolutionary War & the following decades was disappointing.  It seemed any ethnic group could have been substituted within the written context of the show.  Yes, Jews were persecuted & expelled from Europe & Spain in the early 16th & 17thC causing many to flee to S America.  From S American, Jewish migrants first arrived in New Amsterdamn in 1654, branching out to nearby urban centers.  It was noted most Jewish settlers became tradesmen while only a few took up farming.  Granted, the freedoms to worship openly was emancipating, referencing Jews as the "Chosen People" was inflammatory regardless of its comparison to the freedoms bestowed on other ethnicities.  I learned Alexander Hamilton's mother converted to Judaism when married to his stepfather. Hamilton studied in a Jewish school (prior to his immigration) & learned Hebrew.  George Washington addressed a "Hebrew Congregation" in 1790, "May the children of Abraham continue to merit & enjoy the goodwill from the other inhabitants."  Again, the Jewish population (as did others - not all) benefit from freedom of religion - the contributions made towards society seemed limited to trade & merchant occupations.  "Their struggles remade Jewish life as much as it remade America…"  This paltry exhibit felt like a high school term paper that would receive a C-.  It is not a substantive exploration of Jewish life in the context of Colonial America and not worth seeing.

Muhamad Ali Painted by LeRoy Neiman-Photographed by George Kalinsky at NY Historic Soc

The world lost one of the great ones last year.  Surely, Muhamad Ali (1942-2016) was one of the most iconic & noteworthy people of the 20th C.   If challenged, he would have delivered the jolting resound "I am the greatest,' or "I'm King of the World" (yes, before Titantic.)  Ali was known for his fleet footwork, witty paraphases "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."  But, going the distance for a life well lived, he deserves recognition for his unwielding moral stamina, his social activism and magnanimous philanthropy.  The exuberant & dazzling exhibit goes the distance with artworks by LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012) & photos by George Kalinsky.  Neiman's colorful, expressionist paintings & sketches were mainly of athletes, sporting events & muscians.  His kinetic style captured the energy of movement & the lyricism of musical artists.  Neiman's identifiable undulating style is frenetic.  I was impressed with some of his quieter sketches although these too contain multiple imageries lending a constant sense of movement.   "Ali v Frazier at MSG" 3/08/71 is especially stirring and captures Ali's power and pensive personality.  "I have nothing against the Viet Cong."  Born Cassius Clay, Ali would serve time in prison for his pacifist stance at the pinnacle of his fighting career.  Photographer Kalinsky shares Neiman's passion for both athelets & musicians.  He was named Photographer of the Year by PMDA (2001.)  Kalinsky has also been an official photographer for MSG and is known for his images of famous musical artists.  His crisp black/white photos of Ali during fighting frenzies or in more contemplative positions are all arresting and exciting to behold.  I particularly liked the photos of Ali with Costello & Ali with Frazier.  These photos are knockouts depicting strong mutual admiration while appraising one's opponent.   This exhibit is socked full of fun, history, irreverance, respect & inspiration.  I'm going back in the ring for more rounds with this stupefying & electrifying show.  "It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges and I believed in myself."

Subway Therapy Notes to Pres-Elect in Tandem with NYHistoric Soc

The idea for a public platform for pontificating one's point of view is nothing new - but much credit is due artist Chavez (a.k.a. Matthe Levee.) His brilliant gem of an idea is for people to post (literally with post-it notes) their succinct thoughts, comments & hopes for the future under Pres-elect Trump.  This simple but illuminating idea blossomed into a phenomenon has successfully achieved a forum of peaceful decorum.  100,000's have shared/vented their views of what's ahead & what's utmost on their minds concerning for our country & for our world at large.  Levee's goal was to …"help people feel less stress and connect with their community."  This "Subway Therapy" quickly became a colorful mosaic that sprawled subway walls in NYC that spread to Union Square.  The striking montage has united people in a common a plea for humanity.  The Subway Notes were taken down in Dec & compiled to be published by Levee in books sometime this year. "It is my hope that these books will inspire people to explore new pathways of expression & understanding."  It is my ascension that this is a masterful coupe and does achieve a means for peaceful expression & the promise of hope from the notes.  The NYHistoric Society joined with the MTA.  Their front entrance doors are plied with post-it notes.  A table with paper & pen is provided to encourage various points of view.   I jotted down but a few notes in ink that causes one to think.  Note - many were written by young hands and many were from other nations & written in foreign languages.  One note read Chop the Heads of Isis - next to it a note in Arabic.  Some of my favorite picks:
Behind you 100% Show USA what hard work is all about - Deplorable
Trump don't destroy America (sad face)
Protect those who can't protect themselves  Get rid of Bannon
Please think about the children
Good luck with the "Great USA" - Love Canada
Trump won Stop crying Grow up
Most of us voted for Clinton Please resign
Maybe don't use nukes in the 1st year - Just a thought - Me
Global waming is a real thing Read the articles Best of Luck (heart)
Please don't be a bully (child's handwriting)
Stop spewing hateful comments
Mange de la merde (French for eat shit)
You are not above the law (child's handwriting)
Bye Bye Obama
So uncertain future….

NYPhil Open Rehearsal -Pianist Emanuel Ax Performing Gruber's Piano Concerto (2016)

Hooray!  The 1st open rehearsal of the NYPhilharmonic started the year of on a spectacular high note. Maestro Alan Gilbert (who will be leaving this year) conducted a program of Schubert's Symph #2, Weill's "Threepenny Music" & the piece de resistance, HK Gruber's Piano Concerto performed by the astounding virtuoso, Emanuel Ax.   Gruber's (b Austria 1943) Piano Concerto had its world premier in 2016 with the NYPhilharmonic.  The contemporary work was co-commissioned with the Royal Stockhold Philh Orch, Berlin Philh Orch & Tonhalle Orch Zurich.  This collaborative composition channeled Gershwin's jazzy syncopation with a flourishing classical orchestration.  The piece was performed by the incomparable Emanuel Ax "Manny" to the rehearsal director.  He is a beloved artist whose early career was as an accompaniast to acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo-Ma.  Mr Ax's inimitable gifts at the piano were noted at an early age.  He won the 1st Arthur Rubinstein Int'l Piano Competition ('74) and in ('75) received the Michael Award of Young Concert Artists.  In 1979, Ax was honored with the highly esteemed Avery Fisher Prize. Ax was an artist in residence with the NYPhil (2012/13.)  Today's concert hall was packed, attributed to Ax being on the program.  Ax's highly distinguished career has mainly focused on classical & chamber music.  More recently he has shown a proclivity for more contemporary compositions.  This was the 1st time I heard Gruber's Piano Concerto.  Having it played by Ax with the NYPhil under conductor Gilbert was a celebratory way to start 2017.  Gruber is regarded as one of Austria's most distinguished contemporary composers.  In 2002 he was honored with his nation's State Prize for Culture.  The Concerto was enthralling; sounding both timeless & lively as a Gershwin work.  The jaunty composition had a modern aesthetic which conjured careening ocean waves.  Mr Ax's playing was underscored by the orchestration.  Ax's playing elicits a vast tonal range and exuberance.  His playing contained crisp crystal sounds, the timpani of a vibraphone and the lush resonance of a Beethoven Concerto.  The instrumentation for the piece included 2 oboes & 2 clarinets (heard at the onset) 3 bassoons, a tuba a motely mix of wood instruments and a harp along with a full string section.  Overall the piece carried a vibrant NYC energy; moving with a fast pace & determination which ushered in a building orchestral crescendo. The piano was at the heart of Gruber's concerto.  Ax, Gilbert & the NYPhil performed with rich gusto and luminescence.  I was elated with the performance.  Alas, if only the concert hall still bore the name Avery Fisher v. David Geffen.

"The Babylon Line" by Tony/Pulitzer Nominated Playwright Richard Greenberg

Richard Greenberg (b Amer 1958) is an enlightening & entertaining playwright known for his subversive humorist look at life & all its follies.  His characters' foibles range from the grotesque & cruel to the meek and manipulative.  His play "Take Me Out" earned a Tony and "Three Days of Rain" was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.  His newest play "The Babylon Line" at Lincoln Ctr is a comedy/drama that is witty, philosophical & satirical.  The play is set in 1967 as told to us by our narrator, Aaron Port (a monotonous Josh Radnor.) Port informs us the year is 2015 and at age 86, he knows he's looking pretty good, pretty good.  Port is a pre-Larry David character; a Jewish nebbish wanna be writer.  He teaches "creative writing" to adults in Levittown.  He does a reverse commute on the Babylon Line from Greenwich Village.  "Do we know how stories end?" Port poses to the audience from the start.  My answer - end the play after a hilarious Act I.  Act II digresses into pretentious philosophical platitudes & chaotic cruelties.  Port "teaches without teaching."  His adult class consists of " 3 middle-class Jewish women (shut out of their 1st choices) along with an older Korean vet, a simple-minded young man and Joan; a saint she ain't.  Greenberg writes snappy dialogue for his characters. The most amusing comments come from the alpha female, Frieda Cohen.  Frieda self-proclaims herself as shameless & fearless.  Slowly but surely the class shares what they write.   Sharing doesn't necessitate caring or understanding.  The actors seamlessly slip in & out as characters in other's stories.  The authentic '67 classroom set & costumes get an A+ along with the clever staging.  Port doesn't assign topics but Greenberg touches on a cornucopia of subjects:  atheism, war, homosexuality, adultry, literature, cruelty, bigotry and the significance of one's place in the world.  Greenberg's characters all grapple with limitations & restraint.   Joan suffered for years from agoraphobia and has channeled into a fierce storyteller.  She's also the one in class who makes a pass at the teacher.  Joan harangues him about writer's block & holding back.  Greenberg should take a lesson from the teacher "Some silences are gatherings of a patient worker."  He should put faith in his wry wit and leave more mystery & less misery with his characters.  I'm grading "The Babylon Line" an A- for Act I and a C+ for Act II.    

Chilean Biopic Film "Neruda" Starring Gael Garcia Bernal

"Neruda" is a biopic, historic art film about the year in 1948 when politian & poet Pablo Neruda was named an enemy of the government for his communist affiliation.   This luscious looking & poetic elegy follows Neruda (Luis Gnecco) as he treks through enthralling Chilean regions while being pursued incessantly by an officer, Oscar Peluchoneau (Gael Garcia Bernal.)  "I grew up in this town, my poetry was born between the hill and the river, it took its voice from the rain, and like the timber, it steeped itself in the forests."(PN)  The film is directed by Pablo Larrain (b Chilie 1976.)  His previous film "NO" was a political/historic drama centered on the ad campaign "NO" in 1988 geared to oust Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet from power.  "NO" was nominated for an Acad Award for Best Foreign film (2012.)  Larrain used both Gnecco & Bernal in that film.  Gnecco is known for his roles on HBO's "Profugos" and Netflix "Narcos."  Garcia (b Mexico 1978) is a star of screen & TV.  He's been in numerous films including "Motorcycle Diaries" and "Babel."  Currently he's starring in Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle."  Given the combined talents of the actors, director, cinematographer to make known a fascinating historic figure, the components comprise for a rousing film.  The story is embedded in Chili's tumultuous and oppressive years following WWII.  Neruda used his poetry as a platform for anti-political propaganda & for artistic expression.  The famous Columbian writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (b 1927) called Neruda "The greatest poet of the 20th C in any language."  The poetry recitings were both extremely beautiful "20 Love Poems & a Song of Despair" and powerful, "Still I Rise."  The minimalistic storyline was reminiscent of Javert's relentless pursuit of Jean Valjean's in Hugo's "Les Miserables."  And, the poetry readings & stunning scenes called to mind the film "Alan Ginsberg Howl."  This is a movie that may not appeal to the masses but I appeal to you to see this artful film sure to be favored by the Academy.