FARANELLI and the KING Starring Mark Rylance in London

The London production of the historic/operatic drama FARANELLI and the KING stars theater royalty, Mark Rylance.  Rylance, arguably one of the world's greatest stage actors was born in England but moved to the U.S. with his family as a child.  His father was a prof. at UW-Milwaukee where Mark studied theater.  Last year, Rylance starred on B'wy in Twelfth Night which was a colossal success. Due in large part to his performance & to the authenticity of the period costumes & set including burning candles.  The actors were seen as their dressers put them into their garb, authentic musical instruments were played.  The London stage and seating area are on a much more intimate scale.  This enhanced the richness of the tight but lush set.  The center aisle was a pathway for actors to enter & exit  adding a layer of excitement and immediacy.  The playwright,  Claire Van Kampen, is Rylance's wife.  Van Kampen has taken artistic liberties with the historical reign of King Philip V of Spain (Rylance) who despite bearing the crown, was a melancholy insomniac who cared little for ruling his kingdom.  An opera prodigy, Faranelli was just gaining fame for his remarkable singing voice.  Faranelli performed for King Philip which brought the King out of his duldrums but ensnared Faranelli into a dungeon like existence and was never relinquished til the King's death.  This infatuating period piece is an operatic drama (performed by 2 alternating singers.)  They sing standing behind the actor performing the role.  FARANELLIE and the KING is theater at its most magical majesty. Plato describes the powers of music, "It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."  This is how I left felt deparing the theater.

PHOTOGRAPH 51-Across the Pond with Nicole Kidman

The London production of the play PHOTOGRAPH 51 is written by Amer poet/playwright Anna Ziegler.  The play centers around Dr. Rosalind Franklin (Nicole Kidman) the only female working in an a sexist, scientific field with the goal to unlock the mystery to life.  The play takes place in the early 1950's in a subterranean bomb shelter which is dark, dismal, depressing and whose purpose was to protect the Londeners during bomb attacks.  Ironically, the life saving caverns where scientists are spending the majority of their time sealed off from the very things that make life worth living.  Crick & Watson who developed the double helix model to represent DNA & so doing received the Nobel Prize,  built their discovery on subterfuge.  They appropriated the x-ray studies of DNA molecules from reports & photos of DNA molecules that were the life's work of Dr Franklin.  Franklin is portrayed as a relentless scientist not known for her collaborative efforts.  Kidman gives a brilliant performance as a woman whose life is cut short by cancer and whose life is rendered lonely and riddled with regrets.  The scene between Kidman & a "co-worker" from Yale, having dinner together over a white linen cloth covering the lab table is molded by desires expressed in a dialogue not spoken aloud is the eureka moment of what could have been.  So too with her British counterpart, if only one had conferred with the other for work or for pleasure…what might have been.  The intelligent writing, Shakespearean oeuvre set, and leading acting result in a stirring historic/scientific play.  We're enlightened by scientific discovery and the make-up for life: Doing, Needing and Not Always being Alone.  Anna Ziegler should be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

THE MARTIAN starring Mattr Damon-The Indomitable Human Spirit Tethered with Duct Tape

Andy Weir turns his Sci Fi award winning novel into a stellar script with an all star cast.  Matt Damon plays the resourceful, indefatigable hero who is (understandably) left for dead on Mars.  Much like other great survivalist stories, i.e. Robinson Crusoe, Mark (Damon) must fend for himself against insurmountable, life-threatening problems and the pangs of solitude.  Mark, the botanist on a crew that includes an aerodynamic team of 1st rate stars (Jessica Chastain & Kate Mara) who converge to create the pinnacle in ingeniuty & tenacity mixed with gravity defying humor.   The story orbits between the space shuttle and earth.  The ground crew at Nasa also combusts with incredible talent: Chitwetel Eljior & Kristin Wig.  The only dud on the team is Jeff Daniels as Teddy the head of Nasa who phones in his flat, over trodden role. This one miscast does not steer this endearing & entertaining film off course.  Having read the Weir's brilliant novel, I hadn't planned on seeing the film.  This would have been a gross misjudgement of astronimical proportions.  THE MARTIN speaks to the human spirit and the strength that comes from working together.  Whose the genius who invented duct tape?  BRAVO to him/her and to the team that put together an extraordinary film where anything is possible.

UGLY LIES the BONE with Mamie Gummer at the ROUNDABOUT

Written by Linsey Ferrentino, UGLY LIES the BONE shows the fallouts of war through a female Afghanistan vet, Jess, (Mamie Gummer.)  Jess returns from battle badly disfigured and in constant pain.  Gummer, Meryl Streeps' daughter, recently played her mentally unstable daughter on the big screen in Ricki and the Flash.  Jess is suffering from PTS.  She recently returned to live at home in FL with caring sister Kacie.  The scenes shifts abruptly from their shared, run down family room to a health care facility where Jess is being treated for pain by an unseen individual.  She is given a surreal world created from her spruce, snow covered images.  A sliding bedsheet divides the set & serves to show this virtual winter wonderland provided Jess to help her move forward & set aside her pain.  The writing suffers from mawkish drama & grating humor in the guise of Kacie's loser boyfriend.  There is one  poignant scene between Jess & her former lover Stevie, a married simpleton who desires very little from life.  Jess asks Stevie to describe for her what she looked like before she left.  Stevie played by Chris Stack was convincing in his feeble character who brought damaging hope into Jess' life.  The play speaks of 2nd chances.  The unseen voice spews out vapid wisdom:  move forward & let it go.  There's little worth sinking your teeth into with UGLY LIES the BONE.

NYC Ballet Premiers New Works that Shimmer & Delight-21st C Choreographers

The premier of new, exceptional choreography by Myels Thatcher, Robert Binet & particularily Justin Peck's NEW BLOOD succed in making your pulse race.   A new infusion of brilliant works will become part of the repetoire for the world class company who dazzled on stage with their versatile skills & elegance.  Peck, a soloist for the NYC Ballet (NYCB) & reisdent choreographer since '14 has come into his own with NEW BLOOD.  Peck worked with Amer composer Steve Reich's minimalist pulsating rhythms with maximum results.  The dancing is electrifying.  The movements flow with dynamic rapidity.  Despite the recessitation being gimmicky, the fluid connection between the dancers was magnificient.  NEW BLOOD pumps sparkling vitality into NYCB.  Marc Happel did the androgynous body stockings that enhanced the intricate & seamless partnering.  Happel also did the costumes for COMMON GROUND, a new ballet by Troy Schumacher.  Here both the costumes & dancing seemed forced and uneven.  The multi-colored ragtag garments with dangling threads were intended to create a kaleidoscope of color & whimsy.  There were light moments of grand jetes that lifted the piece but for the most part, this ballet felt laden & disjointed.  I was delighted by Myles Thatcher's POLARIS. It was an elegant piece with a lovely contemporary spin on a classically beautiful ballet aesthetic.  There was a lush, loftiness to the dancing.  The glittery, ephemeral costumes by Zuhair Murad were magical.  Finally, THE BLUE of DISTANCE by Robert Binet was exciting and innovative.   Here too Happel's costumes added a flourish of fantasy.  The men's homogenous blue ensemble helped shine the spotlight on the ladies.  The evening's dancing was nearly flawless except for 2 major gaffs by a male dancer & slight slip-up by a principal ballerina in THE BLUE of DISTANCE.  Still, this exceptional company is leading the way into the 21st C with phenomenal new works.    

The Honorable Congressman John Lewis Spoke at the New Yorker Festival

It was a great honor to hear Cong Lewis in discussion today at the Dir Guild.  Cong Lewis was in conversation with David Remnick as part of the New Yorker Festival.  The program began with documentary footage of Cong Lewis speaking at the march on Washington with Dr King and in Selma during the Civil Rights Movement.  It is painful to see the brutality inflicted on passive protestors marching for justice.  Cong Lewis was also shown speaking at the 50th Annv of the March on Selma and being honored with the Pres Medal of Freedom by Pres Obama.  Remnick is the editor of NEW YORKER Mag since 1988 & is a Pulitz Prize winning author.  I give Remnick credit for asking very cogent & prescient questions of Cong Lewis & for eliciting his personal history & convictions.  Raised in rural AL to "dirt poor" parents who never went to high school along with 6 brothers & 3 sisters, Lewis was the 1st of his family to graduate college.  His parents warned "don't get in trouble, keep quiet."  Early aspirations were to become a minister.  He practiced sermonizing to the chickens he reared & honed his skills and respect for animals.  (His 1st non-violent protest was abstaining from eating one of his charges.)  Cong Lewis spoke of his love for MLK whom he wrote asking for aid in going to univ.  He met Dr King and became the youth liasion for Students Nonviolent Coord Com (SNCC.)  His fervor and dedication to justice through nonviolent actions is a beacon of righteousness today as it was in the mid 1960's.  Setbacks in civil rights were discussed.  "To loose hope is to give up.  We're human, with setbacks and leaps forward. We will get there. Press on, struggle is a process.  It is a different America with immigration.  We are not to be afraid."  "Make noise, get in good trouble.  Get in the way."

THE INTERN Starring Robert DeNiro & Anne Hathaway-Chick Flick Fun

It doesn't take an Ivy league grad to figure out what's in store in Nancy Meyers' THE INTERN featuring Oscar winners Anne Hathaway & Robert DeNiro.  Hathaway (Jules) is a wife & mother of a precocious but adorable daughter, Paige, who builds an internet clothing line business sensation from home.  The stay at home dad, played with nauseating mamby pamby duplicity, steps up & stays home but surprisingly (or not) strays.  DeNiro (Ben) is a 70 yr old retired widower who is tired of being retired & tried all there is to try and wants more than his solitary, provincial life.  He finds an ad for a senior internship where Jules is the cool (if not always collected) CEO who may or may not be in over her head.  Cooler heads prevail and try as you might, you can't help but soak up the goodwill Ben brings to everyone & everything he does.  (Well, maybe not as far as Golden Globe/Tony winning actress Linda Lavin is concerned.)  She proves there are no small parts and her albeit brief screen time is priceless.  The generational divide, working mommy fission (is that fictional?) and beaten to death theme of can a woman have it all (makes me want to puke) are basic plot points.  But, built upon such adroit casting, sit back & enjoy this guilty pleasure geared to a feminine demographic.  On a dreary, rainy day, don't confine yourself to your apartment.  Take your BFF to this slick chick flick.  Girls we just want to have fun.

NEW YORKER FESTIVAL Talk with TONI MORRISON

The New Yorker Festival; a 3 day celebration of arts & ideas started with the beloved Toni Morrison. She is a distinguished writer and has been duly honored with a Pulitzer, Nobel and Pres Medal of Freedom Award.  There are insufficient laurels to bestow on this gifted author of BELOVED and TAR BABY. The rainy night did not deter a sold out crowd with hopeful individuals waiting in the rain for the opportunity to hear Ms. Morrison in person.  The mismanaged interview was done by Hilton Als, critic for the New Yorker Mag.  Morrison now 84, needed assistance climbing onto the improvised stage where it was difficult to gain a good vantage in the audience.  Her voice, nonetheless, was clear, melodious and rich.  Unfortunately, Als discussion with Ms. Morrison was arcane and abject;  referencing individual characters from her novels leaving the audience nodding off in the dark. Als's erudite references were smug and self-congratulatory.  Al's conversation was off-puting rather than an engaging discussion with the world renown author.  Als did not frame the talk with any social focus or  literary insight.  I was absorbed in Morrison's experiences in the Jim Crow south.  She spoke of them not with harshness but with an eloquence and strength.  She recounted the supportive "colored" community that readily provided support to her & fellow Howard students while travelling throughout  the south.  Morrison mentioned her father having witnessed the lynchings of 2 men from his block before moving with his family to CA. I gathered a unifying theme in all her works containing a forward progression of the protagonist.  According to Morrison, "All my characters are driven towards knowledge and end with having learned & grown."  I felt priviledged to have been present and disappointed by the missed opportunities a more adroit interviewer would have garnered.    

Julliard Jazz Orch with Guest Conductor Vince Giordano

The 1st Julliard Jazz Orch concert was last night with guest conductor Vince Giordano, starring the 18 member orch. featuring jazz compositions from the 1920's & 30's arranged by Chalis, Durham & Redman.  Special attention is being directed towards the art of arranging; a vital & versatile skill that hones adaptability, creativity and camaraderie.  Grammy winning conductor & instrumentalist Victor Giordano entertained both the audience & the students regaling humorous anecdotes from his performing days where spontaneous arrangings saved the gig & the day.  He praised the student's for their musical arrangements based on famous recordings by Count Basie, George Gershwin & Rodgers & Hart.  The musical numbers were all upbeat, high energy & varied in style from ragtime to big band sounds.  The fun apparent on stage in playing was infectious.  I expected bubbles to flow on stage.  Two students lent their vocals to "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You and "Tain't So, Honey, Tain't So." The students playing wind instruments, performed on multiple horns.  The pianist Joel Wenhardt and trumpet player Enrique Sanchez were exceptionally good.  The concert was a pleasing night that portends an exciting year ahead.

Julliard Jazz Ensemble-Music of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock & Joe Henderson

Julliard's Jazz Artist Diploma Ensemble performed a program by legendary jazz composers:  Corea, Hancock, Shorter & Henderson.  The ensemble of talented young artists featured David Meder on piano and Samuel Dillon on tenor sax of whom I to call out for their incredible playing & arranging.  The Julliard Jazz student's focus, according to chair & assoc. dir., Aaron Flagg, is being placed on arranging.  The students receive expert musical training, and performance skills & coaching in arranging compositions.  The students develop their abilities to adjust arrangements for their instrumental ensembles and create a variation that is unique in its interpretation.  The versatile & impressive arranging by both students, Dillon & Meder was astounding.  The arrangements were streamlined to adjust to a 6 member ensemble that included players on the trumpet, trombone, drums and bass.  The jazz reflected the cool & turbulent 60's.  Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus" and Herbie Hancock's "Speak Like a Child" were 2 of the standout numbers from the evening.  As individual students talked about the pieces we were about to hear, they told of how they listened to different recordings and what they attempted to emulate in their renditions.  The 1st program for the Julliard Jazz season was a joyous celebration of great jazz and an affirmation of the thriving art form.