"Paradise Square" at Berkeley Rep - Historic & Biopic - The Remarkable Dancing Makes It Memorable

"Paradise Square" is a new musical (which first opened in NYC at the Cell) at the Berkeley Rep. is a musical set in NYC in 1863 at the height of the Civil War and the start of the mandatory Draft for the Union Army.  "Paradise Square" hones in on a small mid-section of NYC in lower Manhattan just north of Battery Park known as Five Points.  Five Points was known for being the poorest, most congested slum neighborhood was home for mostly impoverished Irish immigrants and African Americans.  There was also an influx of Jewish, Chinese & Italian immigrants.  Many of the Irish immigrant women married African Americans and was referred to amalgamation; frowned upon in the north & illegal south.   The biopic center of this story is Stephen Foster who resided in Five Points during this time, a time when he was most prolific.  Foster's music is more the focus than Foster himself.  The musical score is comprised of all Foster's songs, re-arranged or inspired music. The music was conceived & arranged by Larry Kirwan.  Emmy winning arranger & Tony winner Jason Howland also did the arranging & orchestration.  The musical encompasses major historic events during the epoch of the Civil War.   The storytelling is dense with significant issues that the gravitas gets washed down the Swanee River.   The Underground Railroad, slavery, massive immigration/over population, racial riots, the mandatory draft - not mandatory for the wealthy for white males into the Union and the barring of African Americans from fighting converge in music and dance.  The dance is what makes the show stand out.  The footwork of Irish step dancing  dancing and African rhythms & plantation imagery were captivating & profound.  Jones is a major force in the world dance.  He's received the Presidential Medal of Honor, the Kennedy Center Honors and two Tony Awards for his choreography.  Enough can't be said for the varied dance forms & their artistry.  Owen an Irish immigrant (A.J. Shively) showed remarkable intricate Irish "soft shoe" dancing which was lyrical & athletic.  William Henry, a fugitive slave (Sidney Dupont) demonstrated his dancing skills based in African tribal roots which told the horror of slavery & suffering on the plantation.   Both exceptional dancers fuse & expand their dance vocabularies & art forms from  watching each other.  The sharing & blending of cultures & races was intended as a beacon of enlightenment in this musical which had multitudes to say.  "Paradise Square" is an angle shy of 5 points.  I'll bet my money on editing the storytelling in this ambitious & admirable production will help to head its way to Broadway - Oh dah do dah day.  The Dance Heritage Coalition named  Mr. Jones "An irreplaceable Dance Treasure."  I call Mr. Jones a genius and a driving force in the powers of dance.

Brazilian Director Joe Penna's ARTIC Is a Chilling True Story of Survival Filmed with Few Words

"Arctic" is a movie of man v. nature under extreme elements and how driven is the instinct to survive.  Brazilian musician & filmmaker Joe Penn (b. 1987) chose the frozen tundra of the arctic to make his film debut.  Based on the true story of crashed pilot/Artic explorer Overgard (Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen) pitted against uninhabitable weather, the harshest environment who must resort to his cunning, limited supplies/equipment & indomitable spirit to remain alive until rescued.  Icelandic actress Maria Smaradottir is making her feature film debut.  Maria plays a critically injured helicopter co-pilot.  Their chopper crashes in a fatal attempt to rescue Overgard.  Maria's dialogue is minimal. She's gravely wounded & mostly unconscious.  Her chopper co-pilot was killed in the harrowing rescue attempt during hazardous weather conditions.  This true story is filmed on location on the Icelandic glacier.  The National Geographic looking cinematography by Tomas Tomasson (b Iceland)  is breathtakingly brutal, viscerally bone chilling and completely immersive.   We rejoice at Overgard's resourcefulness, admire his tenancity & empathize with his desolate & desperate situation.  When the rescue helicopter crashes, Overgard transfers Maria back to the shell of his downed plane and cares for her with such tenderness it could melt a glacier.  It becomes obvious Maria will die if she doesn't receive medical attention soon so he forges an intrepid trek across the frozen wasteland.  The film warrants being viewed on the big screen to enhance a virtual experience of this thrilling and terrifying journey.  The shocking encounter with a polar bear and a fall into unforeseen cavern are remarkable.  Skepticism can be directed to Mads' facial features & hands for not sustaining sufficient damage from the elements.  I'd chip away at the scoring of the film which causes a fissure from reality, especially owing to Penn's musical success.   Despite these minor setbacks, "Arctic" is film that leaves one awed of the natural landscape and thawed by the strength of humanity.  I urge you to see this incredible film - only don't go alone.    

2019 Oscar Shorts Documentary - In Short "Period. End of Sentence" from India Should Get the Oscar

This year's Oscar race for best Short Documentary has 3 nominees from the USA, one from the UK and one from India "Period. End of Sentence."  My vote goes to India's enlightening and uplifting doc.  In short "End Game" (USA) concerns individuals with terminal illnesses nearing the end of their lives.  The film focuses on several individuals, their families, their physicians and health care providers.  There's plenty of compassion and various options and obstacles being considered from various vantages.  This doesn't feel like un-chartered territory and focuses too heavily on one family's  partial denial & unwillingness to accept the inevitable. The film is too invasive into this family dealing with their loved one's final days and their grief.  "A Night at the Garden" (USA) is a 7 minute archival film taken in 1939 at Madison Square Garden, a.k.a. "the Garden." It's an all too real  nightmarish gathering of the Nazi party.  The main speaker calls out amidst roaring cheers the heinous goals of the party to exterminate Jews and "return" the country to its Arian rightful heirs.  "Lifeboat" (USA) is a humanitarian film dealing with the immigrant crisis from N. Africa.   The German Captain Jon Castle operates a non-profit vessel that scours the Mediterranean Sea to rescue immigrants fleeing & hoping to reach Europe in overcrowded, harrowing rafts.  The human crisis is  up close & personal leaving the audience stunned with dread, guilt and ongoing apathy.  "Black Sheep" (UK) is an artfully re-enacted doc. interspersed with interviews by Cornelius, a black London teenager of Nigerian born parents.  The family moves to a suburb outside the urban violence only to encounter racism & violence in their new surroundings.  Cornelius seeks redemption for his acts of rage, violence & physical transformation towards Caucasion features to gain acceptance from his peers in lieu of paternal love.  The doc. feels hollow & Cornelius shallow.  "Period. End of Sentence."  (India) is a doc. that charters new issues dealing with a timeless subject - menstruations.  The film is set in a village not far outside New Delhi.  Menstruation is "taboo," "dirty," "a woman's problem" and  keeps young women out of school once they start their menses due to lack of privacy and effective, hygienic means for containing their flow.  It's such a taboo subject it's not discussed betwixt mothers & daughters, sisters or friends.  Women are banned from temples of worship during their menses.   When young men were asked what a period was, the only answer was "a the time slot of class."  The uplifting doc. introduces  a revolutionary procedure for women to manufacture, mass produce & sell a sanitary pad that is a panacea for many of their neighboring women.  Women enter into the workforce for the first time, their opportunities expand exponentially with a sanitary product easily taken for granted by women in most industrialized countries.  This doc. short is an Oscar winner, period.

2019 Oscar Short Live Action - Ireland's Entry "Detainment" Earns My Oscar Vote

The 5 Oscar nominated films for 2019 include 2 entries from Canada, 1 from Spain and an unerringly nerving entry from Ireland "Detainment" based on true events in Ireland where two 10 year old boys  abducted and murdered a 2 year old boy in the 1990s.  Four of the nominated films are fraught with  mounting tension surrounding tragedy involving adolescent boys.  Only Spain's entry "Madre" has harrowing events wrought unwittingly upon an innocent 6 year old boy left abandoned by his father. He calls his mother who frantically tries to calm her frightened son while figuring how to protect & rescue her boy.  "Madre" has only 2 actresses in one location, the mother & grandmother of the 6 year old.  The boy is off-screen but is heard from his mother's cell.  The credible fear & frenzy of a parent desperate to save their child is convincing but the other 4 entries are more omnipotent.  Canada's "Marguerite" is also a film with only 2 women; an elderly woman & her nurse practitioner.  The film is contained within the patient's home.  It's the only film without violence, retribution or horror.  The film embraces compassion, empathy and regret for leaving love unsaid.  Emotions are tender and stark.  "Skin" USA's submission is a shockingly brutal film of racial hatred & retribution within our nation.  "Fauve" the 2nd nominated short from Canada is stunningly shot and a strong contender for the Oscar.  Two pre-teen males taunt each other in an escalating macho competition that builds to a horrifying crescendo.  But, the Oscar should go to Ireland's submission "Detainment." The film is based on court transcripts of 10 year old delinquents.  Their wayward truancy & shoplifting escalates. The boys abduct a toddler & brutally kill him.  Irish screenwriter/director Vincent Lambe has been a double winner of the Young Dir. Award at the Canne Lions and deservedly should win the Oscar with co-director Darren Mahon. The film is visually arresting and emotionally jarring.  The performances from the 2 boys in the film are astonishing.  They unleash both rage & sorrow for their unthinkable cruelty, their ephiphanies of pain they've caused and for their own demise.  The entire cast is exceptional as they maintain composure & revulsion for such abominable behaviors.  "Detainment" is disturbing, commanding & deserving of the Oscar for Best Short Live Action.

The Japanese Animated Film "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" based on Yoru Sumina's Y/A Novel

"I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" is based on the young adult Japanese novel with the same name bizarre name by Yoru Sumina.  I had read the novel about 2 17 yr. old high school classmates:  a vivacious female, Sakura and her male classmate, Haruki who keeps his head down & mouth closed.  The animated film begins just as it does in the novel, with the funeral of Sakura and the story taking place just months prior.  While I found the story enchanting and profound (see below link).  The film was sweet but lacking in sophistication.  Despite using much of the same dialogue from the book which resonated with universal themes of life's meanings, the film felt strictly aimed at a young audience who'd view this as a budding romance tragically cut short by Sakura's untimely death.  The animation was simple using still backgrounds and few characters.  The facial features shared large, triangle shaped noses in profile with minimal gapes from a frontal vantage.  The ages of Sakura & Haruki seemed pre-adolescent rather than high school seniors.  I think this charming adaptation will appeal to the tween set and be set aside by adults.  The waterworks of tears at the end will not stir a sniffle for those over 14. The warmth of the growing connection between 2 polar opposites and their symbiotic relationship was colored over by a flirtatious Sakura and a stoic Haruki whose heart is melted too late.  The flashback highlights on their time together was too precious.  Sakura tells Haruki "It's easier to take risks when you know you're going to die."  Director Ushijima didn't risk relying on the strength of the novel's prose.  The focus was a doomed love story with niche appeal for a tween audience.  At the beginning Sakura tells Haruki "You may think this is just another day in your life?  It's not.  It's the day given you.  It's a precious gift to not be taken for granted."  The ending with Sakura speaking from beyond the grave was overkill.  Read the novel.  Skip the flick.


https://theroguereaderoffthehiddenpage.blogspot.com/2019/01/ya-novel-by-japanese-author-yoru-sumina.html

"They Shall Not Grow Old" a WWI Doc. Directed by Peter Jackson with Imperial War Archive Footage

The Great War, the war to end all wars, a.k.a WWI lasted 4 years (1914-1918) and took the lives of millions of soldiers.  "They Shall Not Grow Old" is the title of Peter Jackson's documentary which is an immersive film bringing the audience into the trenches, battlefields and psyches of British soldiers who fought on the battlefields & frontlines in WWI.  Sir Peter Jackson is a highly successful film director, producer & screenwriter.  He's known for his trilogies "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit."   Jackson has earned 3 Oscars, 3 BAFTAs and a Golden Globe.  "They Shall Not Grow Old" is his 1st doc. and was awarded the BAFTA for Best Doc.  Jackson mulled over & worked on this project 4 years.  Sir Jackson provided a prelude to the movie.  He confides when approached by the IWM (Imperial War Museum) & the BBC to make a film utilizing any material from their IWM archives without any restraints on filmmaking, he was at a loss.  Jackson felt overwhelmed & was baffled at how to approach this project.  The 100th Anniversary of the Armistice ending WWI was Nov. 11, 2018.  Jackson completed this doc. & released it to commemorate this historic date and to pay homage to the millions who fought and to those who died fighting for their country.   Prior to the film, Jackson talked about the miraculous restoration or archival footage devised by technicians who developed new methods for making the original footage appear clear and contemporary (without the shaking, jolting) appearance.  Colorization was made on much of the footage.  The technical advances remarkably to enhance the visual quality was respectful to the integrity & sensitivity of war and all its serious implications.  Jackson invited those interested in learning about the new technical techniques to stay after the credits and he would offer insights into these processes.  The film itself is completely absorbing, horrifying, illuminating and of historic prominence.  There was fear, camaraderie & levity found among the men. The images of wounded soldiers & corpses are indelible.  Most significantly, it's an honorable tribute to veterans & a testament to the insanity & barbarity of war.  "No war is worth it. " "Useless."  It was sad to note that many veterans returning home were not welcomed, employable and dissociated from civilian life.  "We should always ask ourselves why? Why this war."  The actual narrations were compiled from interviews taken from 200 seniors who were veterans of WWI.  From these interviews, 120 different voices were utilized as voice overs. The omnipotent impact immerses the viewer into the trenches, fox holes, terror & tedium of being a soldier.  Very little reference was given to dates or battles.  Watching the film, I questioned whether the voices were "staged" which mitigated the validity of convincing commentaries.  Sir Jackson should have alerted the audience to this vital information in his intro.  Aside from that, "They Shall Not Grow Old" is a crucial masterpiece.

The Local Production of ROOM SERVICE - Does Not Serve up Entertainment

The Raven Playhouse in Healdsburg, CA is performing "Room Service."  One can only hope, nevermore.  The amateur production was sub-stellar.  It was painfully sophomoric.  Perhaps, the problem was from the inception selecting a resurrection of "Room Service" by Allen Boretz (b Amer 1900-1985) and John Murray (b Amer 1904-1984).  The play opened on Broadway in 1937 and ran for 500 performances.  At the time the country was in the Great {don't know why they dubbed it great} Depression.  The slapstick, chiseler comedy played to the audience of the day.  Its revival in 1953 on Broadway ran for only 16 performances.  Jack Lemon starred in this revival & his talent couldn't muster luster for this dated droll comedy.  The popularity of "Room Service" waned in 1953 and in 2019 it should be panned.  Boretz was a playwright songwriter and screenwriter.  He wrote for "Ziegfield Folllies" (1946) and "Copacabana" (1947).  John Murray was a playwright and wrote for TV & radio "The Eddie Cantor Show".   In the 1950s Boretz was blacklisted and never got work after as a screenwriter.  Boretz & Murray did sell the film rights to RKO which was loosely the basis for a Marx Bros. movie of the same name.   There were glimpses of the Marx Bros' wacky humor but none of their timeless comedic genius surfaced in this hometown production.  In this 3 Act {2 acts too long) 1 set production, one of the actors bemoaned "Get me out of here."  I sympathized fully.  Austin Schmidt's performance as Leo Davis the play's director of the fledgling play (within this play) who finagled for funding was abominable.  The straight man, Gregory Wagner (Time Shippey) gets laurels for maintaining his righteous indignation against an absurdist cast of characters. I encourage the public to support their local theater companies but I urge these companies to choose their productions while considering a more contemporary, 21st C audience.

Best Foreign Film Oscar Nominee COLD WAR Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski - What a Bore

"Cold War" has received numerous honors & nominations for the 2019 Oscar Awards.  The nominations include Best Foreign Film (Poland), Best Dir. Pawel Pawlikowski and Best Cinematography.  In the category of best cinematography, it's a close race between ROMA & COLD WAR; both films are shot in black/white.  I'd cast my ballot for best cinematography for "Cold War." Cinematographer Lukasz Zal utilizes his stunning lens to enhance the film's mood and plot.  Other than the artistic film noir mystique, there's lots of torment & travel with little else to tell.  Zula (Polish Actress Joanna Kulig "Ida") plays the Polish ingenue; an aspiring young performer auditioning along with hundreds of youths to become part of a Polish folk singing/dancing traveling troupe.  Wiktor (Polish actor Tomas Kot "Gods") is the musical director assembling the company.  Wiktor sees something in Zula which is more than just her singing & dancing skills.  The two become besotted with each other & their ongoing relationship morphs into an angst riddled obsession that traverses Western & Eastern Europe.  The movie beings in Poland 1951 and ends there in 1959.  The film is bludgeoned with metaphors that fall flat.  The sexual tension that becomes corrosive & shrill.  The most highly charged scenes are in Paris where American jazz is infiltrating the club scene.  The purity of Polish Folk music yields to powerful government forces and worldly sophistication.  There are enigmatic que sera, sera scenarios.  Why does Zula want to return to her homeland after traversing the globe in glamorous style?  Why would Wiktor follow her back to Poland knowing he'd face years of imprisonment for defecting?  Music makes the world go round and it's a language of love.  Music is a way for people to connect and understand each other.  "Cold War" is a visually arresting film that falls short of raising one's pulse with any driving syncopation.   Que sera sera - The symbolic full circle metaphor is quite literal.  And, the eyes peering out of the fresco is a nod to the literary masterpiece "The Great Gatsby."  Egads! This arthouse film "Cold War" is an arduous bore.

Black Violin Concert Concocts a Classical Fussed with Rock and Hip Hop - Hooray!

Black Violin is the marvelous musical duo Kev Marcus on electrical violin and Will B, on viola.  The duo is generating an innovative fusion of classical music, hip hop & rock that garners audiences young & old.  Last night at the Luther Burbank Theater in Santa Rosa, CA, on the last night of the 16 performances west coast tour, the audience was filled (on a school night) with masses of elementary school students, their parents and a mixture of adults who came together for a lively, engaging & enjoyable evening of interactive musical entertainment.  A young demographic wasn't the only delightful addition to the auditorium.  It didn't go unnoticed there was no security/bag clearance before entering (as there was only a week earlier).  And, photo taking, filming & requests for postings was encouraged by the performers.  Dancing was deemed permissible & visible along the aisles close to the stage.  Kev said that he & Will met in orchestra class in elementary school.  "We were studying Mozart & Beethoven and then listening to...{contemporary music our peers were listening to}."  Both artists are classically trained.  They paid homage to Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach and blended their repertoire with popular rock; "Ed Sheehan & Marvin Gaye in a unique & hypnotic way.  My personal favorite rendition was Will B on vocals & viola performing a seamless & seductive "People Fall in Love in Mysterious Ways" with "Gotta Give it Up".  There were 2 backup artists to Kev & Will that were not introduced.  Regardless, a special shout out to the phenomenal drummer.  The 4th artists was a DJ whose repetitive screeching sounds I found irritating along with the unnecessary strobe lights.  Although the DJ orchestrated a mixture of music and lyrics that added an element of deep-seated poetry.  The musical artistry of Kev & Will was more than enough to thrill and to instill an appreciative for a broad spectrum of musical styles that work in harmony & allow for an appreciation of a plethora of genres.  Kev and Will B named themselves Black Violin i/h/o Stuff Smith, a jazz violinist they greatly admired.  Smith passed away 6 months after the release of his solo album entitled Black Violin.   Kev has said the intent of their compositions is to pique curiosity for what they could do differently & more creatively in their lives.  "So whether they want to be scientists or lawyers or hockey stars or anything. Whatever they want to do - just make sure they go about doing it different than anybody else."   Last year, Black Violin was honored in their hometown of Broward County, FL by Turnaround Arts, a nat'l education program of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  The program provides schools with musical instrument grants, art supplies and artists' mentorships.