NYPhil with Yuja Wang, Piano and Groundbreaking Rehearsal with Conductor Jaap van Zweden:

David Geffen Hall was packed today for the NYP rehearsal as expected to hear the phenomenal pianist Yuja Wang (b China 1987) perform Brahms Piano Concerto #1 in D minor.  Unfortunately for me, the Brahms' piece was to be rehearsed after Prokofiev's Symphony #8 in B-flat major.  I was disappointed I had to leave & miss Wang on the piano.  Still, Prokofiev's Symphony is quite a rousing selection.  Some of Aaron Copeland's compositions seemed to reflect Prokofiev's movement Allegro marcato.  It was obvious that Prokofiev's composition was going to be performed 1st as Brahms & Prokofiev were the only pieces on the program.  I have repeatedly asked the people wearing the ASK ME signs around their necks to please inform me of the order of the pieces for the rehearsal.  No one has ever been able to provide me an answer or answer why can't there an announcement made at the start of the rehearsal.  Today, Conductor & Artistic Director Designate for the NYP, Jaap van Sweden (b Amsterdam 1960) turned to face the audience with a microphone to wish everyone a good morning and to say how pleased he was to see so many people had come.  He said, "You may wonder why I'm holding a microphone.  I will be keeping the microphone on the podium so that you can all hear what is said to the orchestra during the rehearsals as so many of you have requested."  WOW!  I know that some NBA coaches are miked during their sideline talks to the players which is pretty exciting. But, to hear what's said between the conductor & orchestra members, unheard of, unthinkable...who even thought to ask this remarkable practice be done?  BRAVO!  I always thought there was a cone of silence between the conductor/orchestra & audience.  I was astonished.  I was delighted and enlightened.  Never before has an orchestra rehearsal done more to include the audience.  The process & the utter genius of asking the musicians for precise corrections was thrilling.  Zweden was gracious & encouraging. He was respectful & plentiful with bellissimas!  This provided an added thrilling enticement into the ingenious musical process.  BRAVO!  "If we do the unthinkable would it make us look crazy or would it be so beautiful either way." (A Keys. Drake)  Yes, it is so incredibly beautiful.

Chilean Film A FANTASTIC WOMAN Features Transgender Actress as Mournful Outcast from Lover's Funeral

Chilean dir/screenwriter & producer, Sebastian Lelio (b Argentina 1974) received an Oscar nomination for this year's Best Foreign Film.  Life imitates art in part. Marina (a superb Daniel Vega) a transgender woman plays the lover of Orlando (Francisco Morando, "Nerudo").  The Spanish speaking film is shot in Chile with exquisite cinematographic work.  Marina & Orlando appear passionately in love.  We first follow Orlando from his steam room massage to a steamy love scene between him & Marina; a singer/waitress. The couple's relationship is hot & intriguing.  One can't  help but question whether Marina is male, female or transgender.  As a voyeur to their sexual liaison  we want to catch a glimpse of female breast or genitalia because besides being sultry & seductive, her physique & features appear somewhat masculine. Tragedy & humiliation strike the 1st night we see them in bed.  Orlando sits upright struggling to breath.  When he collapses, Marina hurries to transport him to the hospital.   In the harried process Orlando tumbles down a flight of stairs causing bodily injuries.  She reaches the hospital where medics take over and she is sent out from the ICU.  When the Dr. comes out to speak he first inquires whether she is family.  The Dr. reluctantly confers  the dire news of Orlando's death.  While in shock, she phones Gabo, a family member & personal ally.  Marina returns to the apartment she shared with Orlando. Bruno, Orlando's son shows up the next morning.  He curses her, declares his father insane for have been with her and tells she has to leave.  There's more indignity, terror & grief for Marina to bear.  Marina is forced to return the car to Sonia; his wife & mother of his child.  Sonia is less menacing but as piercing in her contempt calling the relationship perverted.  "I don't know what I'm seeing" Sonia tells her "a chimera."  Sonia forbids Marina from attending the family funeral for Orlando.  The most horrifying & humiliating inquisition is at the police station.  Marina is required to pose nude & submit to a physical.  Our sympathies lie with Marina whose only offense was loving a married man & defiantly living her life as her fullest self.  Watching Marina clubbing on the eve of Orlando's funeral she exhibits a numbing animalistic nature.  Bruno's cruelty toward Marina is brutal & barbaric. "What is the difference between a mammal and a reptile?" Bruno rhetorically asks, "Mammals have empathy & love."  Marina searches to find what her lover left behind a secretive door.  She becomes a chameleon sleuth shifting genders  navigating the spa with Orlanda's locker.  She discovers an empty locker but retains the love they found.  The acting is astounding.  But, Daniela Vega's tour-de-force performance is unforgettable.  This is a scorching film of basic human rights and dignity.  It's an excellent contender for Best Foreign Film.  Vega's performance deserves an Oscar.  

Does the BLACK PANTHER Live up to its Hype? Marvel's Movie Pretty Good Takes on Justice in the Hood

BLACK PANTHER is busting box office records but for the record, I am not a fan o the superhero action genre movies.  Although, I liked Wonder Woman for it's fish out of water story, WWII historic storytelling & great acting.  BLACK PANTHER, directed by Ryan Coogler (b Amer 1986) and based on Stan Lee's marvelous Marvel character and packed with an all star cast.  (Stan Lee should stick to his day job and stay out of the picture).  Coogler is known for directing FRUITVALE STATION & CREED.  Michael B Jordan was cast a lead in both of these excellent movies and both Cooler & Jordan deserved Oscar nominations.  Jordan is cast as the misguided villain Erik Kilmonger (one of many overkills in the picture) and he delivers another Oscar worthy performance).  The Black Panther (a terrific & moving Chadwick Boseman) is the ruler of a high tech hidden African nation, Wakanda that is technologically way ahead of the rest of the world yet remains hidden & embedded in ancient tribal traditions.  Other outstanding cast members are Nakia (the lovely & talented Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o) plays Erik's love interest but her interests lie with protecting her nation while improving the lives of others.  The omnipotence of the film lies in its socially relevant messaging.  The film is a visual stunner.  Unfortunately, the BLACK PANTHER panders to a trove of tricks that are borrowed from other established movie brands:  James Bond, Star Wars, Kill Bill, The Lion King and cannibalizes other super heroes picks.  The social significance is buried beneath too many battles, car chases & special affects.  The movie is more affective in its calmer scenes than its mounting intergalactic mishmash & mounting weaponry.  Actor Daniel Kaluuya  (Acad. Award nominee for Get Out) is exceptional as one of the Wakanda warriors.  Other actors who phoned it in and should have stayed home are Forrest Whittaker and Angela Bassett.  The always bankable British actor Martin Freeman as an American CIA agent working with the Wakandas seems out of sync.  The film threw everything in including the kitchen sink.  While less is more in many cases such as Wonder Woman and the exceptional film GET OUT, the case here is not to be subtle.  For those who enjoy the comic book super hero genres this film is guaranteed to please.  For those less inclined to be give oneself over to the sci-fi fantasy genre there is still plenty to admire and appreciate especially its prescient powerful stance regarding immigration & social injustice.  I am giving this film a thumbs up, must see although it suffers from blinding dazzle.  The film is fun.  The film that is truly great & deserves an Oscar is GET OUT.

Tom Wesselmann's Large Scale "Stage Set" Artworks on View at the Gagosian Gallery in Chelsea

Artist Tom Wesselmann (b Amer 1931-2004) artwork is on exhibit at the gargantuan Gagosian Gallery in Chelsea.  Wesslemann emerged on the pop art scene with large structures that feel more like stage props.  American artist, Claes Oldburg (b Sweden 1929) is known for his large scale replicas of mundane items that are floppy, fun and irreverent.  Wesselmann's installations are composed of numerous items rather than a single large item.  Wesselmann's compositions are more intriguing for their arrangements and colorful palette.   Artist Alex Katz's (b Amer 1927) portraits and Wesselmanns have a similar flat, remote expressional style.  Gagosian is hosts many large & exciting exhibits.  Tom Wesselmanns compositional installations & paintings makes a fun stop while browsing the Chelsea art galleries but it's not a sole driving destination standing on its own.

Chinese Painter Zhang Enli: The Garden at Hauser and Wirth Gallery in Chelsea

Zhang Enli (b China 1965) is a renowned painter whose painting style has been evolving from figurative to abstract landscapes.  Enli studied in China where he teaches & paints. Enli's lovely large scale oil paintings (2017) are on view through April at Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Chelsea.  Several of his paintings titled "The Garden" are beautiful abstract oil paintings that may not necessarily invoke the outdoors but vibrate with their remarkable color palettes & exceptional compositions.   His large scale undulating blue paintings "The Monochrome Night (1)" and "The Monochrome. Night (2)" recall Monet's lily pond paintings but unlike Monet's serene aesthetic Enli's paintings possess an illuminating energy.   And some of his more minimal paintings "The Decoration"and "Grey Parrot" are reminiscent of Brice Marsden's work.  Still, Enli's paintings are unique and breathtakingly beautiful.  My favorite works from the exhibit are "The Gold Arowana" (an indigenous Asian fish) and his "Garden" series.

THE LONELIEST NUMBER by Playwright Lizzie Vieh Asks What Makes a Family in a Unique Way

One needs to venture forth to find this off Broadway show at the Flamboyant Theater but it's worth the journey.  The Flamboyant Theater on Suffolk one the lower east side is in a multifuncitonal apartment building, theater and communal meeting house.  There was a technical glitch that put-off the 3PM posing an unpropitious harbinger.   When the doors finally opened we were ushered to our seats by traversing around the ad hoc rickety 3 sided stage.  There was an apology for the delay saying this was the 1st preview prior to the evening's opening show.  They were still dealing with some tech issues and please bear with them.  Hmm, my cynicism was rising as my expectations for a redeeming play were lowering.  After all, the play was described as a couple floundering in their marriage who seek a third party to rekindle a marriage morphed into the mundane.  This one act, (one set) and 3 character play proved more than a voyeuristic venture into a couple swinger's life style.  The married couple Wendy (an unconvincing Leigh Williams) and Kevin (a fine Justin Yorio ) are first seen in their apartment debating whether their unsuspecting guest will be amenable to a trio.  Surprisingly when John (played stiffly by understudy Zac Jaffee) comes back into the room & offered the sexual proposition he readily agrees.  The married couple recount the doldrums in their marriage & their modus operandi for consensually bringing a 3rd party into the mix.  The following month is Kevin's chance to choose.  He astutely picks a female candidate also on board with the couple's coupling arrangements.  Arianne (a terrific Cassandra Paras) is not only not averse to Wendy & Kevin's proposition, she's no novice & is fond of sex with married people which permits sex without commitment.  Arianne, a bar tender/cashier can only commit to having multiple tattoos.  This intriguing thinly veiled comedy is uncommonly clever and at times poetic.  The metaphor of a 3 legged stool being futile represents couples feeling insufficient without having a child to keep them  sturdy & hold them together.  Regrets, emotional casualties resulting from cavalier sex and failure to find one's own inner strength are all cleverly contained in this entertaining and thoughtful play.  Playwright Lizzie Vieh is someone to follow on her way from off Broadway to the Great White Way.

Paul Auster in Conversation 4,3,2,1 with Reading by Michael Stuhlbarg - Phenomenal Author Event!

The epic novel by Paul Auster "4,3,2,1" was shortlisted for the Man Booker Award ('17).  The novel can be described as exceptional, inventive, thought provoking but not short.  The gargantuan book was the butt of jokes for being so heavy.  Auster was grateful for the paperback release which will mitigate injurious accidents from the hardcover version dropped on one's toes.  Auster (b Amer 1947) was illuminating, humorous, self-deprecating and a phenomenal guest as part of the Thalia Book Club at Symphony Space.  The evening began with a reading by actor Michael Stuhlbarg ("Call Me by Your Name," "The Shape of Water" & "The Post").  Stuhlbarg's reading was a master class in acting scripted by Auster's extraordinary writing.   Stuhlbarg read from 1 of the 4 incarnations of Archie Ferguson, the main character presented in 4 varying life trajectories.  All 4 Archies have identical DNA & possess similar pensive approaches to people, problems & methods to process personal & significant social/political events.  Auster's brilliance radiates throughout his luminescent novel that views life through a distorted lens of opposing impulses; the inherent nature to control and  take risks.  Todd Gitlin ("The Sixties: Years of Hope") moderated the discussion. Auster masterfully   steered the discussion with candor, humility and insight into being a writer with esteem for the work of many great writers.  His novel enumerates  repeatedly on those he most admired: Tolstoy, Kafka and Beckett were a few.  Auster said he had committed to writing a novel with 4 versions of the same adolescent coming of age during the turbulent 60's.  Gitlin asked (what an ass) "Did you achieve success with your novel?"  Auster answered by saying, "It's not for me to say.  I was drawing from 1 phrase to another, 96% improvised with no plan, not knowing where the story was going or how to end it until I was two 3rds the way through.  This was an exhaustive process; raking, revising."  He compared his process to a "sprinting elephant."  Auster noted his novel was all narrative with little dialogue.  He was surprised with his own storytelling & unable to explain it.  Auster spoke a little about his personal life; a time when his first marriage was crumbling, he wasn't making money & was  depressed.  At the time he was writing & translating poetry, & submitting articles.  He never intended to write prose but after watching a "sublime" dance performance the choreographer struggled to find words to equate the beauty of the dancing.  He felt inspired to find words that were adequately descriptive and his writing began to flourish.  He met Beckett, one of his literary heroes.  Beckett criticized his own work but Auster told how much he admired it.  Beckett asked "You really liked it?"  "Writers are the last to judge". PA

Martin Puchner Promotes His Newest Non-Fiction Work THE WRITTEN WORD - Not Smitten

Harvard Prof. & award winning author, poet, playwright, Martin Puchner (b Germany 1969) spoke at the 92ndY to promote his new work of non-fiction THE WRITTEN WORD.  Puchner has received  numerous literary & poetry awards.  I award him an A for his cogent but arid summary of THE WRITTEN WORD.  Puchner's talk was only 45 minutes.  Fifteen minutes were wasted by his intro & request for symposium volunteers and self-indulgent Q&A's.  However, the organized historical clarification for the origination of the written word was traced back more than 5,000 years to Mesopotamia.  Puchner made it clear it remains ambiguous as to the origin of the origin for the written language.  The Mesopotamian King's orders sent by messengers became too complex to be recalled to be ordained.  Formed clay tablets inscripted with symbols were created to aid in conveying orders.  This notion was admired by the assumed subjective populations & emulated despite commands negated.  The power of this creative tool was found useful for economic usage.  Storytelling in written form followed its invention instituted for the purposes of dominance & economics.  Puchner described the merging of oral story telling with the written form as the "Big Bang Birth of Literature".  Puchner attributes the ILIAD as the first record of written epic storytelling.  The usage of writing was adapted to record sacred scripture attributed.  This is first attributed to Ezra the Jewish scribe.  He brought the Torah scrolls back to his homeland in exiled Babylon.  Other religions; Christianity & Islamic sects followed suite finding sacred scripture as a powerful means for proselytism and conversion.  The most enlightening reference from this discussion was learning ancient charismatic teachers; Christ, Socrates and philosophers from Greece, India, China, Egypt and Japan were vehemently opposed to utilizing writing to promulgate their teachings desirous of only relying on an oral tradition of teachings (hmm).   Only after the passings of these prominent speakers did deciples decide there was merit in utilizing the written word.  The discussion ended with the impact of technology on writings as a means of communication & literature.  The advent of paper in China (& its process extracted in the Middle East) expedited the ease & proficiencies of writing.  Puchner allowed for consideration of today's technological advances via the internet in providing an over abundance of writing easily & readily accessible as a detriment.  Why Prof. Puchner would this be considered anything but an advance towards literacy, global connection and the sharing of knowledge? Your disdain for a plethora of subpar literature was judgmental and off-base.  However, I will be hypocritical and determine that after hearing you speak about your book THE WRITTEN WORD, spending time reading it would be absurd.

Juilliard Jazz Orch Performs the Music of Ted Nash

Yesterday NYC had record breaking temperatures in the 70's which brought people into the streets & parks by the throngs.  I don't know what went wrong, but the usually packed Peter Sharp Theater when the Juilliard Jazz Orch is perfuming is full.   Sadly, it was mostly vacant.  Perhaps, people are away for the holiday week.  For those in town & chose to attend, the students gave an outstanding performance.  The evening's program was dedicated to the music of Ted Nash.  Nash was born 1960 into a legendary jazz family.  He followed into his family's musical jazz legacy.  Nash is a grammy winning artist.  Currently he is a saxophonist playing with Wynton Marsalis' Jazz Orch. at Lincoln Center.  Nash is a composer, conductor, arranger and educator.  He mentors Juilliard students but was unable to conduct last night's program.  Conductor Andy Farber has been at the helm before & he's a welcoming & enlightening conductor.  An accomplished musician, arranger & dedicated teacher he provides levity and professional recognition for the performers.  The audience was noticeable missing, so too were original compositions by Nash.  The first half consisting of 6 musical numbers didn't have a single piece composed by Nash.  Nash did the arranging for all the music on last night's program.  My favorite piece was "Strange Meadowlark" by Dave Brubeck which Farber noted was as famous in the 60s as "Take Five".  Both were from the same Grammy winning album (for those who remember albums).  The arrangement was pleasingly atonal to begin & blended into a relaxing & sophisticated jazz number.  The alto & tenor saxophonists lent their musical abilities to the clarinets and Zoe Obadia (the only female member) played the flute.  I also liked "Kids are People" by Thad Jones which was slow & mellow and offered a wonderful trombone solo played by Rashaan Salaam.  The 2nd half of the program were Nash's compositions.  "Portraits in Seven Shades" is a 7 movement suite dedicated to 7 modern painters.  The movement dedicated to Picasso was performed.  This conjured up a Spanish bullfight.  I wanted to hear additional movements.   Jazz pianist Isaiah Thompson is a phenom.  This young man is incredibly talented.  He's already been selected by Wynton Marsalis to perform with his Jazz Orchestra.   There will be plenty of jazz artists clamoring for him after graduation.  I want to send a shout out to trumpet player Anthony Hervey who had 3 solos on the program.  His versatility & rich tonal range is sensational.  The next concert is March 20th and it's always my favorite.  These talented musicians will be performing their own compositions under guest conductor Dave Douglas.  I have my ticket.  The concert will be in Paul Hall; a smaller venue at Juilliard.  I expect this concert to crowded with an audience wowed at the student's musical talents & creativity.

ADMISSIONS - Affirmative Action and Reaction of Reverse Discrimination-What's Fair Doesn't Fare Well

Admittedly ADMISSIONS attempts to address issues of racial diversity, affirmative action and reverse discrimination which our nation has failed to resolve.  Joshua Harmon (b Amer 1983) is a talented playwright. His previous play BAD JEWS received an Outer Critics Circle Award ('14).  His new play at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse theater gives Jews whose hypocritical posturing for flaunting liberal fairness in affirmative action except when perceived as unfair when it proves  personally unjust.  Topics of privilege and inequality (take note for a test) are unbalanced & unbearable yet manages to cause consideration for our perceived notions of equality & justifications for favoring minority individuals using affirmative action.  This does disservice to more qualified candidates due to inherent advantages of affluence & privilege being in a dominant majority.  The play is set at the prestigious private high school Hill Crest during the 2015-16 school year.  Sherri (Jessia Hecht) is the school's admissions director.  Sherri's son Charlie (an overly dramatic Ben Edelman) is a senior at the school. Charlie's applied to various Ivy leagues with an eye on Yale.  The play starts on the eve of the Christmas break with a comedic cause for celebration.  Sherri is frustrated & peevish towards Robert (a pitch perfect Ann McDonough) who didn't provide the prescribed photos for the school's brochure to show a diversified campus population. The absurdity & political correctness is satirized with razor sharp wit which earns an A+.  However, the rest of the semester slides downward on the grading curve.  Hecht, a Tony nominated actress is too shrill and incredulous in her self-righteousness & fierce tiger mom stance.  Charlie's acrimonious meltdown regarding the unfairness of his bi-racial friend receiving an admittance to Yale when he's the better candidate but received a deferment.  The whaling was extremely off-putting & puerile.  Thankfully, one of his 2 parents listening, his dad Bill (Andrew Mason) puts him in his place for behaving atrociously; " a spoiled, over privileged brat!"  Bill offers sensible & sensitive questions why one candidate may be selected v. another.   Bill's tune changes radically when Charlie intends to prove his parents how hypocritical they are & cuts his nose off to spite his face.  Charlie withdraws all his college applications & maintains he's going to community college and intends to pay his own way.  There is a serious syllabus of complicated & direct subjects.  There is the universal theme of parents always wanting the best for their child.  The subject matters of importance brought to the table for dissection are crucial.  Sadly, the table is missing a leg with uneven performances & writing.  Perhaps some corrections could make ADMISSIONS worth submitting as a viable candidate for a Tony.    

Brazilian Artist Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing Modern Art in Brazil at the MoMA

The exhibit at the MoMA featuring Tarsila do Amaral (b Brazil 1886-1973) is an extensive and exhilarating show of a talented painter whose rich colors & mystical imagery established herself as one the most influential & popular artists in her country. But her work is not well established outside her native Brazil.  She was a leading postwar modernist artist & prevailing nationalistic voice.  Her oil paintings from the 1920s reflect a Cubist influence and a Picasso quintessence.  The misshappen disproportionate women figures with exaggerated bodies; limbs, breast and diminutive heads resemble Picasso's female subjects.  The arresting painting "A Negra" (1923) is a powerful portrait of a distorted female nude forms similar aesthetics to Picasso & Leger.  But Tarsila is making a loud statement about human dignity.  The full-lipped face, engorged breast & direct stare confront the viewer unabashedly.  "A Negra" addresses the abolition of slavery in the late 19th C.  As in Amer. the  oppressive social impingements were yet to be resolved.  This is a striking portraiture with political potency.  Her oil painting of a lone black bull with elongated antlers seems an homage to Picasso.  There are numerous works representing the progressive industrial movement in terms of architecture & transportation with the promise a growing & robust society.  For example, "The Railway Station" is a harbinger for advancing technology & expansion.  The architectural paintings have echoing motifs of geometric shapes.  There are paintings of a thriving metropolis but still with a feeling of abandonment & solitude.  In addition, there are utopian landscapes with lush green landscapes, red & amber sunsets and cerulean waters & sky.  There is a mystical or mythology aesthetic to these colorful pleasing paintings absent of people but containing fantastical creatures.  The jewel toned palette used in the 20s & 30s combine shades of emerald green, vibrant azure, crimson amber & lush lavenders.  The colors have an appealing & magical aura.  My favorite painting was the stunning still life "Manca"; a sturdy floral plant used by the indigenous population for medicinal & ritualistic purposes.  The manca is strong, elegant and appears both tropical & mystical.  I was struck by the ominous painting "Urutu".  A slithering purple viper appears to be wrapping itself around a tongue protruding from a mouth in the earth & poised to strike an oversized egg.  The last painting in the exhibit contains numerous faces of mixed races, ethnicities and gender.  All appear to have glazed somber expressions.  The bodiless faces are stacked atop one another in a mounting pyramid.   Tarsila's multi-portraiture painting depicts a growing hierarchy of authoritarian govt. & social ills that are overtaking Brazil beginning in the 1930s.  More paintings by this remarkable artist from her socialist realism epoch were sadly absent from this captivating show.

British TV Series "The End of the F***Ing World" Is the Best Show Since Breaking Bad by Jonathan Entwistle

The British import "The End of the F***ing World" (EFW)by dir/co-creator Jonathan Entwistle (b UK 1984) and dir/writer Lucy Tcherniak is basically the best thing since "Breaking Bad" (BB) which is saying a hell of a lot.  There's so much to talk about, as in BB, it's too complicated & too clever to capsulate.  The 2 main actors represent an odd pairing of 17 year old outcasts from the same affluent high school:  James (an outstanding Alex Lawther b UK 1995) and Alyssa (a tour-de-force performance by Jessica Barden b UK 1982).  Lawther & Barden are both pros having starred in TV & film.  Barden was in "The Lobster" with Colin Farrell and Lawther was in "The Imitation Game" with Benedict Cumberbatch.  The teens are outcasts in school and coming from seriously dysfunctional families.  Their back stories are revealed in clever increments which explain James' self-proclaimed psychopath personality & desire to kill a human after having killed & decimated numerous animals.  Alyssa's story of abuse & neglect is more upfront.  We see her lecherous step-father make inappropriate overtures as does her mum who remains mum about her husband's actions.  Alyssa's mother has twin infants with her new husband for whom Alyssa shows affection.  However,  Alyssa's anger & alienation is understandable and attributable to her fucked up family who doesn't give a damn except maybe she thinks her father who abandoned them when she was young but continued to send cards for her birthdays may truly care.  James, the more reticent, remote & removed from the social hubbub of school is noticed by Alyssa.  She thinks (as we are often hear both their thoughts) she's found someone she thinks intriguing & could possibly relate.  James is a willing tagalong to Alyssa while he plots to kill her since she's readily available.  The two go on a road trip that's beyond bizarre while being believable & painfully poignant.  We're piqued as to when James will find the opportunity to kill Alyssa or will Alyssa sense something is seriously off with James. The twisted nomadic trip the two take is beyond imagination.   It morphs from an adversarial co-habitation to a heartwarming love story with mishaps, murder and mayhem along the way.  If you're going through withdrawals since BB has gone away, watch EFW.  It's a brilliant, touching mixture of BB, "Freaks & Geaks" and "Bonnie & Clyde" only more demented & tender.  "EFW" is fucking unbelievable.  Don't be a fucking idiot, you've got to watch this series.  Warning:  It is addictive and it will leave you craving another season.

Eve Ensler's "In the Body of the World" TMI Sharing but Thanks for Caring and Impacting Women's Lives

Eve Ensler ( b Amer 1953) is amongst the most impactful theatrical artists of the 21st C.  Her play "The Vagina Monologues" earned Ensler a special Tony Award for her humanitarian & charitable contributions to the world.  Ensler's One Act memoir "In the Body of the World" staged at City Center is a relentless & exhaustive monologue (performed by her).  It's an opened naked book about her life, her treatments for uterine cancer and personal family history.  But, moreover it concerns her courageous & indefatigable dedication to sheltering women & mitigating abhorrent mutilations & violence against women.  Bravo to Ms. Ensler whose committed herself altruistically to funding & establishing safety shelters and anti-violence community programs domestically & internationally: Dem. Rep. of Congo, Iraq, and Haiti to name a few.  Ensler's auto-biopic journey takes us on her travels & tribulations to the Mayo Clinic in MN for uterine cancer treatments.  She adroitly combines some comic relief to the draconian measures she has succumbed to sustain her life.  The chemo cocktail of this biographic self-examination is a mixture of unendurable, intolerable vomit inducing realities of the tyrannical tortures women in Africa and throughout the world are subjected to daily.  Hooray for Ms Ensler's altruist bravery & charitable commitments to combat what many people won't  bat an eye at regarding intolerable abuses aimed at women.  Some of this shockingly graphic stories Ensler shares would seem too cruel to be credible.  Unfortunately, the tales are true & turning a blind eye is not an option.  Ensler uses the pain & comedy of her own life to make palpable the truths of such gruesome violence perpetrated upon women.  However, Ensler is ambiguous with her admonitions of alleged sexual abuse by her father.  This feels cowardly & demeaning amidst the insurmountable atrocities suffered by women worldwide.  Ensler keeps a running monologue with Mama C in the Congolese with whom she is establishing a haven for women.  At the curtain call,  Ensler invited the audience to come on stage & meet Mama C who she was pleased to have in the house.  "In the Body of the World" Ensler rants effectively & comedically against our domestic issues.  But, like the intelligent & sharp witted Rachel Maddow, you can only listen for so long before it becomes off-putting.  I commend Ensler as a humanitarian and what she has achieved & seeks to accomplish with her play.  While I commend her genius & generosity, I don't recommend the play.  At the very least, be advised this biopic comedy is wrapped in world wide atrocities.   Still there is poetic beauty to be found in Ensler's words "A mother's body encompassing a child marks a place you are here."

Juilliard Drama Presents "Hoodoo Love" by Katori Hall '-' Psychic and Violent Toll of Slavery Still Haunts

The Juilliard Drama Students were superb in their acting & singing abilities.  They had the indomitable task of representing black men & women in Memphis in the 1930's navigating dire poverty, sexual violence and despair,  Toulou (a remarkable Brittany Bradford) is a joyful & courageous spirit who possesses a relentless hope for love. Toulou is craving a steadfast love and concedes to rely on "Hoodoo" or voodoo or whatever you can do to grab happiness.  The play is entrenched with ancestral rituals and dubious faith in the supernatural.  Juilliard alum and playwright Katori Hall (b 1981) received an Olivier Award for Best New Play "The Mountain Top" which starred Angela Bassett & Samuel L. Jackson on Broadway.  Hall also received a Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award.  "Hoodoo Love" is not lovable easy entertainment.  The play's heroine, Toulou is  woman arduously trying to make ends meet and to keep her lover, Ace of Spades (Daniel Davila Jr.) from taking off at his whim.  Ace is quite the ladies man with dreams of making it as a blue-singer.  Toulou has the female companionship & guidance of Candylady (an excellent Lisa Arindell).  Candylady's advice comes in the form of charms, recipes and rituals that defy logic but Toulou finds herself succumbing to Candyland's instructions (which are severe) but seem to work magic & does the trick of winning Ace's heart.  Happiness is not lasting.  Toulou's bible thumping, shameful sham of a preacher comes to visit but means to stay.  Hall's brilliant writing draws on characters who are fixed in a vicious cycle of defeat, abuse and persecution.  The women, especially Toulou demonstrate courage & hope in defiance of perpetuating oppression & exploitation.  Music is intertwined magically & with much some reprieve from constant misery.  Eshu (Justin Cunningham) is on stage but outside the play.  He is a musical blues enchantress & functions as a narrative constraint.   "Hoodoo Love" was not an easy Valentine's Day treat but it's miraculous in all the emotions it elicits from a painful past that resonates through multiple dimensions.

George Saunders' Man Booker Prize-winning LINCOLN in the BARDO in Conversation with Radhika Jones

George Saunders (b Amer 1958) is one of our most distinguished writers of short stories.  TENTH of DECEMBER won the Story Prize ('13) and the inaugural Folio Prize ('14).  LINCOLN in the BARDO, Sanders first novel received the Man Booker Prize ('17).   A writing prof. at Syracuse Univ. for 2 decades, Saunders revealed he only started his writing career at age 30 working 7 years on his first collection before being published.  It's hard to conceive of this inventive & surprisingly  optimistic writer (despite his macabre memes) to have been a late bloomer.  Saunders sense of humor & compassion was evident in his conversation with Radhika Jones, Editor-in-Chief  at Vanity Fair.  Before the two sat for a  comfortable tete-a-tete at Symphony Space there was a performance reading from his novel which included himself along with Emmy winner Jane Kaczmarek who gave Saunders a warm hug and actors Emmy winner Denis O'Hare & Russel Jones (Sea Oak).  This reading was very poignant.  They enacted the various voices in the book of compelling spirits whose lives and after-lives are beautifully crafted into this brilliant & stirring novel.  Saunders read historic footnotes from his novel which anchors the story during & around the Civil War.  The other actors haunting readings were from the entities encrypted in the same cemetery where Pres. Lincoln's son has just been buried.  Saunders said he first heard of Lincoln having returned to his son's grave several times after his burial to mourn for his beloved son.   Saunders expounded on the dissimilarities between purgatory, a state of being tiered between life & the afterlife.  Bardo, Saunders explained has more of a Buddhist philosophy of participating & registering one's transitory phase between life & the perception of thereafter.  Jones wisely pointed out his novel deals which deals with the grief of a parent for their  child was overflowing with compassion.  "Grief, is what love gives off when life is truncated," replied Saunders.  The novel revolved around Pres. Lincoln but his voice was mostly absent.  Saunders said he "ventriloquized the voices of his characters and Lincoln's voice {he} found boring and switched to the other characters" who are anchored in time & space with Lincoln's son contemplating  their life & death and the many earthly wonders too precious to forego.  Saunders' novel is a masterpiece.  It captures the anguish of Pres. Lincoln aware of the thousands of lives & families who will suffer the anguish of loss from the battlefields he is responsible for commanding to necessitate the saving of our Union.  This literary event was extremely moving & entertaining.  Mr. Saunders recommends reading the great Russian writers: Chekov, Dostoevsky and American author Toni Morrison.   Mr. Saunders' Man Booker Prize-winning novel deserves a Nobel Prize in Lit.

Philanthropy Panel with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Bill and Melinda Gates at Hunter College

At a packed auditorium of mainly Hunter students fortunate to be present for an open discussion on philanthropy with Mr/Mrs Gates & Lin-Manuel Miranda (an alum of Hunter's elementary & h.s). Miranda acted as moderator & fielded audience & online questions.  These 3 brilliant & incredibly talented people are dedicated to making the world a healthier, safer and egalitarian place. Miranda is committed to restoring Puerto Rico & ensuring an infrastructure to shield against future disasters.  The Bill & Melinda Gates Fdtn. founded in ('00) is focused on globally enhancing health care, reducing poverty  & domestically expanding educational opportunities & providing access to technology.  Lin-Manuel is a strong advocate for the arts in public schools where he first found his love for theater.  Studies maintain the arts correlate with improvements in all levels of learning.  The panel discussion was taped for streaming.  The 10 tough questions the Gates Fdtn. received were shown on a video beforehand (& are online).  The video included photos of the work being done through the Gates Fdtn. & personal photos of Bill & Melinda as h.s. & college students and of their collaborations.  Bill was asked about dropping out of Harvard.  He felt while in college the advance of technology was at its apex and he didn't want to miss it knowing he could develop great programing.  He hadn't consider at the time building a major corp. around his soft-ware products. He attributed his success to having great partners: Paul Allen & Steve Wozniak.  The sentiment of surrounding yourself with talented & supportive people was shared by Melinda & Lin-Manuel.  Lin-Manuel called out his teachers in the audience from Hunter & said how fortunate he was to connect with director Thomas Kail right out of college.  Bill Gates was the most reticent of the 3 but forthright & optimistic with facts to support his claims.  He said the world is doing better using the metrics of childhood mortality rates going up & cases of malaria and polio going down.  The Gates plan to eradicate both diseases in their lifetime.  Melinda is working toward women controlling their family planning is making great strides.  Bill's father suffers from Alzheimer but he's optimistic regarding research on the brain that will lead to cures for Alzheimers & neurological disorders.  The students asked meaningful questions & they were all poised interacting with the illustrious panel.  All 3 were very encouraging & direct in their responses.  I urge people to watch the taping to see what was proffered from this prestigious panel.  The Gates were asked what they do when they disagree.  Both said they maintain a solid front but are open to each other & listen to one another.  Bill said his weakness was assuming having a 186 IQ (pretentious) he'd be able to manage all aspects but learned he needed the support of an assemblage of talented people in various areas.

Juilliard Baroque Double Bass Recital Performed by Hugo Abraham Accompanied by Baroque Instruments

Last night's Baroque Double Bass recital, a partial requirement for a MFA degree for Hugo Abraham, was a trip back in time to the Renaissance & Baroque epochs.  Abraham is a student from France working on his Master of Music Degree.  His program featured a Sonata by Johann Sperger (b Austria 1750-1812) and Girolamo Frescobaldi (b Italy 1583-1643).  Sperger's Sonata was a duet accompanied by violist Alana Youssefian.  Abraham spoke to the audience at length before playing.  Unfortunately, his heavy French accent & perhaps acoustics made it impossible for me (sitting in the very back) to decipher.  Morse Hall seats around 200 people & is sporadically attended.  Last evening there was almost a full house.  The Baroque Double Bass is a 4 string bass in a Gambon shape with a flat back and 4 strings.  It is the precursor for the bass and used for performing Baroque and Chamber Music.  Sperger's Sonata per el Contrabasso with Viola was a lovely chamber piece.  Frescobaldi's Canzoni da sonare in 5 movements was an enchanting time travel; back to the early royal courts in the 16th C.  Abraham was joined by 4 Juilliard students on the violin, dulcian, theorbo and virginal.  The dulcian was the only wind instrument. It's a double reed with folded conical bore invented around the mid 16th C and a precursor to the modern bassoon.  The dulcian's stentorian sound predominated the Canzon Quinta a solo basso with a distinct rich tone.  The theorbo is a large lute with rounded back & long neck. It is played by plucking the strings.  It was a popular accompaniment in 17th & 18th C Baroque & Classical music.  The keyboard instrument was a virginal which is related to the harpsichord but smaller & simpler with 1 string per note.  It's a small rectangular shape that is set upon a stand making it portable.  The origin of its name "virginal" has several theories.  One theory is that it was given its name as it was used by the nuns at the time for hymnals honoring the Virgin Mary.  I found the music exotic in its ancestral origin and was further enchanted by seeing musical instruments not found in symphonic compositions since the 19th Century.  The recitals are free & open to the public and there is plethora of musical styles & instrumentations.    

FILL FILL FILL FILL by Playwright Steph Del Rosso Is Too Full but All Too True at The Flea Theater

Steph Del Rosso is a female playwright whose play FILL FILL FILL FILL FILL FILL FILL is an ambitious, weighty over the top dark comedy.  Yet it has a lot to say that resonates with truth and with a truth that strikes with insightful anguish.  Joni (a fearless Sarah Chalfie) has been in a 5 year relationship with Noah that as far she knew, ah, was fabulous.  So fabulous in fact, that when Noah (an underutilized Roland Lane) calls Joni onto the stage it appears to all as it does to Joni, she's about to receive a public proposal.  Del Rosso's jab at social media is just one her many strident whacks at what's lacking in today's multi-media world that leaves most behind in loneliness & solitude.  The play's opening started off on a high note of comedic parody.  From there, Del Rosso should've taken things done a notch or two; at least in volume.  Still, there were volumes of wise observations about women who tend to let a man define their worth or women too needy of affirmation for their physical appearance & or judged for their maternal instincts.  Noah quipped he was going to erase the "...last quadrant of his life with Joni."  It was heartless and cruel and we felt Joni's emotions of elation go to deflation in seconds flat.  After that, Joni was in search of a relationship, validation, medication or any sense of self-worth she could find to fill the vortex left by Noah's departure.  The clever staging of this fast paced one act used actors in multiple roles (other than Joni & Noah).  Joni went on a "Candide" voyage where not everything was the best possible world or neccesary to the play.  The menage a trois was a tiresome tangent.  The  gameshow THE PERFECT WOMAN was effectively exhausting in its fervent & painful pitch.  Three female contestants, dressed to the nines needed to answer questions which answered male's specifications in order to advance the contestants to ... a meaningful relationship with a man or at least to a relationship that lived up to the male's expectations.  Del Rosso shows promise as a playwright.  She needs to hone her skills and find less is more.  Her cast (a fine ensemble of earnest actors) need not blast their lines at a continuous stentorian level.  Still, FILL FILL FILL was a poignant play about the buzz kill of loneliness we all will have to navigate on our own.  

Ronald K Brown/Evidence World Premiere "Den of Dreams" Danced by Brown and Arcell Cabuag

Ronald K Brown/EVIDENCE was founded almost 3 decades ago by Mr. Brown.  Brown is an award winning choreographer & dancer.  He's received numerous honors including a Bessie Award & The Black Theater Award. Brown has been commissioned by Alvin Ailey Amer. Dance Theater, Ailey II,  Ballet Hispanico, Jeune Ballet d'Afrique Noire and numerous others.  His association with the Ailey Co. has been prolific and profound.  On last night's program at the Joyce Theater, the program included "Dancing Spirit"('09) a company premiere that Brown made in homage to Judith Jamison; founding member of Alvin Ailey Co. and its Artistic Dir. after Mr. Ailey.   "Dancing Spirit" was a tribute to Jamison's elegance & artistic excellence.  The program also featured the world premiere of "Den of Dreams" which Brown "...set to music that is used as a road of Arcell's {Assoc. Artistic Dir/dancer} journey from CA to the NY/Alvin Ailey Amer. Dance Ctr, {onto} his introduction to EVIDENCE.  The kinship, similar artistic vocabulary & aesthetic between Ailey & EVIDENCE is evident.  In last night's program "Come Ye" ('02) & "Lessons: March" ('95) Mr. Brown's civil rights activism is embodied in movement, text & videos.  "Lesson: March uses powerful black/white footage of the civil rights movement with MLK's speech on racial equality.  The powerful speech & imagery overtook the dancers on stage which may very well have been Brown's intent.  EVIDENCE incorporates modern dance with  W. African & Senegalese & contemporary urban dance.  There are repetitive signature movements that carry over into Brown's dance vocabulary in his repertoire.  "Den of Dreams" was performed by Ronald Brown & Arcell Cabuag.  Both are powerful, extraordinary artists with incredible athleticism & artistry.  Mr. Brown in his 50s is awe inspiring.  I liked "Den of Dreams" very much as I do Mr. Brown's body of work.  My favorite piece on the program was "Dancing Spirit" which incorporated a balletic aesthetic within an interesting pastiche of styles. "Den of Dreams" didn't dazzle with new dynamics but it did present 2 incredible dancers with omnipotent skill.  EVIDENCE dancers seem to float on top of the music in a potent & ephemeral style.  Mr.  Brown's choreography is brilliant.  His commissions for Ailey are worth seeking out.  EVIDENCE & Ailey share a commitment to social activism through art.  Mr. Battle, Artistic Dir. for Ailey (chosen by Ms. Jamison) has carried on Mr. Ailey's legacy into the 21st C.  Both Brown & Battle maintain their company's legacy of art & advocating for social justice.  Perhaps Mr. Brown's EVIDENCE will demonstrate a racially integrated co. as Mr. Battle has achieved. "We are challenged to get rid of the nation once and for all, that there are superior and inferior races." (MLK) An excerpt from "Lessons"

PARTY FACE by Irish Playwright Isobel Mahon is a Waste of Time and Space

PARTY FACE playing at NYC Center Stage II was a complete waste of my time.  I won't waste more of my time complaining about how bad it is.  It's just that bad.  Written by Irish playwright Isobel Mahon & labeled a new comedy it's neither funny, poignant, clever or...whatever.  I can't get my time or money back, so let me save you the agony of this dreadful production.  Mahon won "Best Newcomer to the Irish Theater" as an actress.  Perhaps, she should keep her day job at acting, her writing career is careening to a stop with this flop.   The 5 character 2 act play stars actress Hayley Mills.  The all women cast is led by Mills, teen star of Y/A movies "Polyanna" &"The Parent Trap".  Why Mills agreed to be in this crap, yeah yeah yeah, I don't know.  There's no way to spin a silver lining from this droll and irritating play.  It's about Mollie Mae a women who suffered a nervous breakdown requiring hospitalization & has returned home only to be burdened by her overbearing & insufferable mother Carmel played by Mills.  (Mills looks as if she could be the real life mother of Blythe Danner.)   Mollie Mae & her mom are soon joined by the equally self-absorbed, insensitive younger version of Mills, Chloe invited to Mollie's home by Carmel. Maeve, Mollie's older, tougher & wiser sister soon arrives to lend Mollie some backbone.  The incessant dialogue is a wreck needing a total renovation.  The last few moments of Act I ushers in a new character, Bernie.  Bernie holds out some promise of levity to this laden wreck.  Bernie's not shy about sharing the facts of her breakdown which landed her in the same psychiatric hospital as Mollie.  Bernie's energy is ebullient & off-beat which is so tangental it seems to be out of place from the rest of the production.  Good golly Miss Mollie, I sure didn't like this play at all.  

Rangers Rally Despite Disparaging Comments from Management to Beat the Calgary Heat

The Rangers game out on the ice motivated to rally not only the Calgary Flames whom they put on ice 4-3, but to show Ranger's Mgmt. they mean business.  Yesterday the team spokesperson announced early plans to shake up the team by trading Nash (who scored the tying 3-3 goal) & Zuccarello amidst a losing record.  The team has lost 10 of the last 13 games.  But, it's a shame to hear management's lack of confidence.  The fans came to cheer the team not bury them.  The Rangers got off to an early lead scoring a goal in the first period and shot more than 3X's the Flames flickering shots on goal.  Pavelec played goalie in the 1st period but was pulled due to a knee injury.  Lundqvist came in as relief for the 2nd & 3rd periods with 28 saves on goal.  A Calgary goal was reversed with a referee conference & put then challenged by Calgary.  NY fans could plainly see the Calgary player inside the net & let their opinions known.  You can't do that!  Rangers had a few dribbles.  The team was penalized for an extra player being on the ice.  (Huh, where did my line go?) During the final 2 minutes of play Calgary pulled their goalie to try for a tie at 4 goals for overtime.  This was the wrong time for Ranger player to get penalized for tripping putting 2 extra players on the ice and giving the fans a big chill with the puck stuck in Ranger territory for the rest of the game.  But good defense held the lead and the Rangers broke their 4 game losing streak.

NYPhil Rehearsal Britten's Piano Concerto Op 13 Pianist Leif Andsnes Conductor Antonio Pappano

Two British composers, Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) & Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) were featured on today's program.  Williams is one of Britain's most renowned composers.  He's written for chamber music, ballets, operas and was a prolific composer for orchestra.  "Fantasia on a Theme" (1910) was a very exuberant and impassioned piece.  It's an orchestration for strings only  which I found interesting & surprisingly tonal.  Williams' compositions vary greatly in mood from dark & macabre to the fantastical & romantic.  "Fantasia on a Theme" was written in 1910 prior to WWI in which Williams served.  The war marked a turning point in his compositions from joyous to more sombre & contemplative.  "Fantasia..." was beautiful and thrilling.  Conductor Pappano (b UK 1959 to Italian parents) allowed the orchestra to play the piece in its entirety and made only a few corrections afterwards.  Britten's Piano Concerto Op. 13 (1938) is a fascinating symphonic work in 4 very different and jarring movements combined into a captivating & striking work: Toccata (allegro malt e can brio) Waltz (Allegretto) {my favorite} "Impromptu (Andante lento) {surprising} and March (Allegro moderato - semipro all marcia) {woke up the seniors snoring}.  Pappano has been the Music Dir. of the Royal Opera House since '02.  He has been made a Knight of the British Empire and is a Recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal. The pianist was Leif Ove Andsnes (b Norway 1970).  Andsnes has received the distinguished honor of Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order.   He is also an honorary doctorate of Juilliard.  Andsnes referred to his sheet music and made numerous notations after conferring with Maestro Pappano.  It's not often I've seen a soloist rehearse with musical sheets.   I enjoyed the robust composition very much & was very intrigued observing the collaborative process between pianist Andsnes and Conductor Pappano.

THE POST Dir by Spielberg Stars Streep and Hanks Is The Attacks on Free Press During Viet Nam War

 Master movie director, Steven Spielberg created another first rate entertaining film of vital historic & social significance.  THE POST is the story of Katherine Graham (the indomitable Meryl Streep) thrust into the helm of her family's newspaper during the 1970s faced with momentous decisions to release the McNamara & Pentagon Papers.  These reports confirmed the deliberate fabrication of false reports incriminating the presidencies from Truman, up to Nixon & his Sec. of Defense McNamara of deliberate propaganda to deflect the devastating debacle our involvement in Viet Nam.  Ken Burns in depth & painful doc. 'Viet Nam'  presents the facts of the war from the American, S & N Vietnam perspective. Both Burn's doc & Speilberg's film depict the heinous, deceitful, shameful & bloody involvement of the US.  THE POST picks up the story in 1971 with Graham & Ben Bradley (an infallible Tom Hanks) trying to salvage the fledgling paper by going public.  The genre is a  journalistic thriller & inspirational story of courageous individuals resolved not to allow the truth get buried.  Investigative reporting uncovers confidential papers that revealed the true status of failure & fatalites known by top officials from 1965 that the US concealed.  Other ace reporters & prominent players was delivered by an A+ cast including Bob Odenrick, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford & Michael Stuhlbarg.  The film registers an intense drama of defiance & perseverance.  Both the NYT & The POST defied federal injunctions to stop them from printing stories about the lies fed the public by KY, LBJ, Nixon & McNamara.  The film is especially prescient & profound.  Graham is the central character for whom greatness was thrust upon & who bravely maintains positions that were radical and essential for the protection of a free society based upon freedom of the press.  There are back page stories of friendships between Graham/McNamara and Bradley/Kennedy that tested loyalties & righteous priorities.  The stats hard to swallow along with the mendacious & flawed decision making in the reports of America's wrongful involvement shows it was intended as 10% aid, 20% to fight communism and 70% to prevent the humiliation of a US defeat.  Nixon's punitive banning of Post reporters from covering his daughter's wedding were not as severe as the intentional misleading of the public & White House nefarious dealings.  Needless, Nixon's pernicious banning of Post reporters post the US Supreme Ct ruling in favor of the newspaper is a harbinger for the lead story about to break; Watergate.  This movie is as entertaining as it is a frightening disclosure of diminishing freedoms of speech, peaceful protest and Trump's cries & lies of "fake news."

Charles Simic (b Belgrage 1938) is a Pulitizer Prize and Poet Laureate "Poem" Spotted on MTA Hooray!

Saturday the subway trains went no way fast. The C train from Columbus Circle sat on the tracks for 10 minutes with a repeated message of apology & thanks (harumph) for our patience.   The reason for taking the metro trains is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible for as little as possible.  And that is not always possible.  The train made a 10 minute stop at every local stop with the same message.  The cars filled up, tempers flared up & no one got anywhere in a NY minute.  Today I took the train (I wasn't in a hurry) and I spotted the first poem for 2018 entitled POEM by Charles Simic (b Belgrade Yugoslavia 1938).  MTA's poetry in motion is becoming my mentor & motivator for browsing poetry.  Simic was born in Belgrade during WWII; then part of Yugoslavia. Now Belgrade is the capitol city of Serbia.  Simic & his parents were displaced war refugees.  Munch of his poetry, including POEM reflect his experiences of being displaced as a child during wartime.  Simon's style is described as literary minimalist. It's terse & strident.  Simic has received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1990  & nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in '86 &'87.  He received the Chancellor of the Acad. of American Poetry in '00 and the Frost Medal in '11.  The poem was on a beautiful poster by American artist Derek Lerner 'AVEX3'.

POEM
Every morning I forget how it is.
I watch the smoke mount
In great strides about the city.
I belong to no one.

Then I remember my shoes,
How I have to put them on
How bending over to tie them up
I will look into the earth.

Simic expresses a feeling of dissociation while being tied to humanity and a universal mortality.
"Poetry is an orphan of silence.  The words never quite equal the experience behind them".  (C Simic)

NYC Ballet Premiers 'Dance Odyssey' Choreographed by Peter Walker - A Beautiful Ballet Conquest

Peter Walker is a member of the Corps de Ballet at NYC Ballet (NYCB).  Nobody is going to put Peter in corner after his new ballet 'Dance Odyssey' blew audiences away.  Walker first joined NYC Ballet in 2012.   His previous (and only choreogaphy) for NYCB was 'Following Ten in Seven' ('15).  'Dance Odyssey' is the work of a talented choreographer whose musicality & movements are fully enhanced by his simple but effective set design, lighting and clever costuming.  Before the curtain went up on this brilliant new ballet, the music by London based composer Oliver Davis lit up the stage, literally.  The vibrant music was echoed by flashing blue & red lights at the base of the curtain and offered an exciting anticipatory overture.  Davis' music uplifted the dancers without weighing heavily on the choreography.   The plucking of strings & the dancers were in rippling syncopation.  The curtain came up on the ballerinas wearing swimwear costumes in shades of aqua, azure & mauve.  The men's one piece leotards paired nicely with the women's wear.    The backdrop had a single neon light shaped like unfurling waves.  The neon light never wavered but its color morphed and its height rose & fell echoing the soft crescendo of ocean waves.  The rather short ballet started out very lively and fervently with petit battements and brisk bourrees.   The languid cambres mimicked the ebb & flow of the tides.  The ingenious choreography captured a  feeling of moving through water.  Some poses & lifts resembled swimmers' motions.  The slower movements had dimmer lighting and the partnering; male/female & male/male were eloquent & exciting.  The lifts & jetes maintained an ephemeral lightness & languor.  Some of Walker's pas de deus were reminiscent of Balanchine but altogether fresh and innovative.  There was whimsy & ebullience in 'Dance Odyssey' a new work for the company which is sure to rise to the surface and stay afloat for years to come.  Even the Michael Jackson moonwalk was fun without seeming like  flotsam & jetsam.  I will seek out 'Following Ten in Seven' and look forward to future forays into choreography by Peter Walker.  'Dance Odyssey' rates a ten.

The Conscience of America: Birmingham's Fight for Civil Rights - A Carol Jenkins Film

Last night in conjunction with Hunter College, there was a screening of Carol Jenkins' Doc. film "The Conscience of America: Birmingham's Fight for Civil Rights" followed by a panel discussion.  Ms. Jenkins was there to introduce the film and afterwards was part of a panel that included David Hodges, Prof. of anthropology at Hunter & Brent Leggs, the Dir. of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to preserve Nat'l Historic cultural heritage landscapes.  Leggs is also the co-author of Preserving African American Historic Places.  Ms. Jenkins is an Emmy Award-winning journalist & host for the Emmy nominated show 'Black America on CUNY TV'.  The historic doc. focuses on the civil rights movement in the 1960s, the prescient Black Lives Matter movement and historic landmarks in Birmingham that resonate as significant & permanent historic sites in tribute to  peaceful protests to end racial inequalities & the hundreds of thousands of people who were sacrificed  suffered discrimination and rampant lynchings (without fear of retribution by the perpetrators).  Pres. Obama signed the legislation in Jan of 2017, days prior to leaving office, to earmark specific sites in Birmingham as Nat'l Monuments, Historic landmarks, artifacts and public Parks under the Antiquities Act to protect archeological sites.  The sites preserved have been refurbished and honor, acknowledge & pay tribute to racial injustices & acts of heroism that took place in Birmingham in the 1960s.  Birmingham is considered the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement.  The doc. shows historic footage of race riots using guard dogs, hoses & police batons against peaceful protestors.  The hatred of white supremacy as seen by Gov. Wallace who defied court orders to integrate public schools.  Presidents JFK & LBJ are seen putting forth & enforcing legislation to override states refusals to integrate & abolish Jim Laws.  There are prominent black leaders in the film including MLK and A.G. Gaston (uncle to Carol Jenkins) whose philanthropy established institutions for higher learning & businesses to accommodate & help black people to prosper.  In his interesting interviews he admits to not being liked by either the black or white communities in his role as a mediator.  Angela Davis is seen speaking eloquently in the 1960s and addresses the systemic oppression & injustices directed at black people today.  Birmingham is shown as home to many famous black activists, musicians, athletes & leaders.  The legacy of the Nat'l Historic Sites is to serve to honor & a conscious reminder of the historic events that occurred and to serve as a revolution for peace, reconciliation & justice.  "The strong men keep a comin' on.  The strong men git stronger.  They point with pride to the roads you built for them. They ride in comfort over the rails you laid for them."  (Sterling Brown)