David Shields Talk at Hunter College was a Collage of Critique, Comedy and Social Commentary

David Shields (b Amer 1956) is a writer of novels, essays and creative non-fiction.  His prolific body of works include "The Thing About Life is that One Day You'll be Dead" the NYTimes Best Non-Fiction Pick ('08) and "Black Planet - Racing Race During the NBA season" given the Nat'l Book Critic Circle Award ('99).  The literary event at Hunter College with Shields as guest speaker was an enigmatic & entertaining evening of Shields' sharing of quotes, questions and comments concerning our current political crisis with Trump at its core.  The "reading" felt like an intimate salon event. Shields' persona seemed a pastiche of Woody Allen, Garry Shandling and Chris Matthews; 2 parts quirky humor with 1 part serious current social commentary.  Shields took the podium with a pile of loose papers and selected random pieces to read as he rippled through his scraps.  The book Shields is currently working on he explained is somewhere in the process and how it will progress is uncertain.  The unique reading was unlike any paradigm of a writer/author that I've attended.  Mr. Shields fielding of Q&A from the audience was very thoughtful and engaging.  Mr. Shields' style of writing is a blend of cultural critique, social commentary and profound prose.  It's not truely possible to categorize Shields' writing.  Shields has written "I find it very nearly impossible to read a contemporary novel that presents itself unsell-consciously as a novel, since it's not clear to me how such a book could convey what it feels like to be alive right now."

CAROUSEL A Rogers & Hammerstein Revival that Didn't Need A Reincarnation at Imperial Theater

Rogers and Hammerstein are two of America's most legendary musical composers.  Their show CAROUSEL first opened on Broadway to critical acclaim in April 1945.  The musical is set in a Maine coastal town near the end of the 19th C.  The plot was hokey back then but its hopeful message & the combined musical geniuses of Rogers & Hammerstein and the brilliant choreographer Agnes de Mille made the show a celestial hit.  Regardless, the plot needs too much dusting off to be deemed worth reviving.  It's a dried up and droll show.  Carnival barker Billy Bigelow (Joshua Henry) with swagger & charm falls quickly in love with Julie Jordan (Jessie Jueller) a working class seamstress.  Billy easily succumbs to Jigger's (Amar Ramasar) persuasive plan to a get rich quick robbery in order to provide for Julie and their unborn child.  The robbery goes awry and rather than face prison Billy takes his own life.  Here the plot steals from "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941).  Billy is permitted to return to earth to settle unfinished business.   The musical numbers lack luster except for a couple that can still muster up some shine:  "June is Bustin' Out All Over," "If I Loved You" and the mawkish but memorable "You'll Never Walk Alone."  The show has several of today's most illustrious stars of Broadway & opera.  The singing talents of Tony nominees' Henry ("Porgy and Bess"), Mueller ("Beautiful") and the internationally acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming in the role of Nettie are all highly commendable.  But not enough to make the show recommendable.  It's the choreography by Justin Peck (Resident Choreographer of NYC Ballet) and the fabulous ensemble dancing led by Ramasar (Principal Dancer for NYC Ballet) that give the show its stellar (and much needed) lift.  The majority of musical theater lovers may still be charmed by this production of CAROUSEL.  Except for the stunning dancing I couldn't wait to get off this antiquated ride.

"SHOOTER" by Sam Graber A Prescient Play about Gun Violence Today

Today's massive shootings in schools and public places have left 33,000 innocent people dead each year; equivalent to the deaths from auto accidents.  Changes must be made to mitigate fatalities from accidents but moreover, it's critical to stop the mass murders in our country bleeding from an over abundance of arms & lack of sensible legal restrictions on guns.  The subject of "SHOOTER" is self-explanatory.  The play, written by Sam Graber gives a thoughtful & credible portrayal of an alienated high school student shooter and a troubled adult.  Neither should have been availed access to lethal arms.  The riveting & uncomfortable One Act, 5 character play is strategically aimed at building intensity and leaves one with a heightened sensitivity to the deadly impact of a trigger ready enmeshed society.   The minimal stark white set is versatile and affective in placing the viewer at the scene and behind the scene as to the insane escalation of fatal events.  The play begins with a bang.  Jim (Ean Sheehy) is an emotional wreck.  We learn through his lawyer Ben-David (an excellent David Perez-Ribada, a doppelgänger for Jeremy Piven) who shows concern for Jim's well being & swiftly shifts gages as a lawyer advising Jim not to say anything except when accompanied by him. We garner Jim was the shooter outside a high school that killed an armed student, Gavin (a sympathetic Nicholas-Tyler Corbin) for which Jim is being hailed heroic.  However, a female student was also hit in the crossfire and in critical condition.  The play is told in flashback of Jim's life which has eroded in both his job & marriage.  The mounting isolation & rage in Jim's life is palpable.  Jim's stress appears to decompress with his growing fondness & agility with firearms.  As his instructor Troy (an excellent Michael Gnat)  relieved of duties as an officer for nebulous reasons mentors Jim  on how to fire a gun at a shooting range.  Troy claims "bad guys with guns are beaten by guys with better training."  Troy also notes "The joyless fanatics find sanctity of being from guns which provide purpose.  Guns get back what was lost".  The plot involves a history of 3 friends, Jim, Bend-David (now his atty.) and Alan, a successful physician.  Jim was the odd man out in the group who never achieved the career/financial success of his old pals he used to get into unlawful mischief with as kids.  The climatic build to Jim's heralded taking down of Gavin at his daughter's high school is built on tenuous circumstances.  But the messaging hits the target.  The formula for shooting fatalities festers from alienation & easy access to firearms.   Sensible gun legislation is a must, enough is enough!

Wes Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" Is Bitching! Wes Fetches a Pack of A Listers to Voice His Characters

"Isle of Dogs" is an irresistible twist on the tale of Timmy searching for Lassie.  Well, usually Lassie is rescuing Timmy from the well and for those who don't get this 60s TV show reference, you're just a pup.  This being a Wes Anderson film means it's not your ordinary pre-teen boy searching for his beloved dog "Spot."  Anderson (b Amer 1969) is a film director, screen-writer and extraordinary auteur whose creativity keeps rising towards the moon and to infinity and beyond.  He's been honored with 3 Acad. Award nominations and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature  "Fantastic Mr. Fox" ('09).  In "Isle of Dogs" Anderson returns to stop animation.  The art direction alone is astounding and worthy of more Acad. Award nominations.  The plot may sound banal; boy in search of his lost dog who will stop at nothing and there's nothing that can destroy the bond between a dog & his "master" is anything but mundane.  Anderson's brilliant visionary film is richly layered with pressing political parody, laugh out loud humor and teary eyed emotional thrust.  Just take the shrewd subtitles for Japanese and dogs speaking English doing all sorts of neat tricks.  (You'll just have to imagine it!)   The setting is Japan in the not too distant dystopian future where a harsh dictator suppresses any who dare speak in opposition to his mandates or attempt to be a viable candidate. (Does this sound familiar? The election is a landslide and his opponent commits "suicide").   The megalomaniac ruler has his own sidekick monstrous lout.  The main agenda is deporting all dogs out to an isolated territory that is a depilated dump of darkness and doom.  Dogs have been labeled toxic vermin. Despite a sensible solution to the infectious disease the dictator runs shotgun over a compassionate resolution.  The heroes in this energetic, visually stunning film are the young and fearless who will not be repressed or brainwashed.  Civil disobedience is heralded. Enough is enough!  Except in this magnetic work of art there is no shortage of winning moments.  Scarlett Johansson voices Nutmeg, a stunning show dog.  What a dog! Bryan Cranston voices the stray alpha dog and he's no tramp!  Other stars that lend their talents to a film overflowing with wit & intelligence are Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Liev Schreiber and Frances McDormand.  The added little winks to Disney are fetching as are the quieter, tear-filled scenes. "Isle of Dogs" is destined to become a beloved classic and first in show.

"Shakespeare's Will" a One Woman Performance that Will Startle with Insight of the Wife He Wronged

Playwright Vern Thiessen (b Canada 1964) presented an enlightening albeit dispiriting thesis on William Shakespeare's life as told by his wife and mother of his 3 children, Anne Hathaway (a commanding portrayal.)  So much ado has been rightly made of Shakespeare's voluminous dramatist contributions.  However, this clever biopic accounting is filled contrition concerning Shakespeare as an absent & vengeful husband.  The play begins on the eve of Shakespeare's burial. Anne Hathaway speaks aloud to her late husband, "The sea was the greater lover. You were always a rocky shore".   Clutching a parchment in hand, she vehemently defies Joan, William's sister's entreaties to read what is her late husband's will.   "What a hateful, vicious woman is she," says Anne.  Hathaway tells the history of their relationship which began with a flirtatious banter at the local festival leading to a sexual liaison in Anne's family's barn.  Only afterward she learns he is a mere 18 to her 26 years.  She seems to discern William's sexual preference (not that it matters to her) for boys.  Two months later she finds herself pregnant.  Anne informs William and they laughing agree to marry.  Her father does not share her glee.  He has only harsh sentiments for the poor feckless young man.  In this clever & concise 1 hour monologue Anne addresses William.   She consents to his wish to live apart from her & their children in order to write for months at a time. Months lapse into years and Anne unburdens us with her unpleasantness & tragedies.  Anne shares her grievances and the horrors of the plagues that blighted her mother & entire villages.  Anne is accompanied in her performance by composer/musician Rima Fand.  Fand lends her skills on the keyboard, violin, lute and small percussive instruments which ground the play in the 16th C and progresses the play nicely.  There are jarring dings signifying a shift in time sequence.  The intrigue of knowing what Shakespeare transcribed in his last will & testament builds as Joan's unwelcome but impending visit approaches.  We empathize with Anne's utter dismay & betrayal discovering her husband smitted her and bequeathed their home to Joan and left her little of value.  Thiessen's assertions are smartly corroborated by a parting parchment gift that lists the facts known from  Shakespeare's will.  The playwright does infer that Shakespeare was homosexual and hints at Francis Bacon possibly being the talent behind his literary legacy.  "Shakespeare's Will" will win many thespians favor but likely garner displeasure from the plebeian masses.

"Enough is Enough!" Masses Turn out to Turn the Tide on Gun Violence in our Society

"Enough is enough!" was a clear & compelling message from the masses in NYC who along with 2 students from Stoneman Douglas High School in FL, mothers who lost children in the slaughter at Sandy Hook elementary and NYC's own celebrity Paul McCartney joined together to make their voices heard.  McCartney wearing a t-shirt that read "We Can End Gun Violence" addressed the crowd.  "This is what we can do, so I'm here to do it.  One of my best friends was killed in gun violence  right around here, so it's important to me."  It's important to every student, parent and citizen to put an end to the senseless slaying of young people at their schools, the public attending concerts or fatalities caused by gun shootings.  Some of the other signs amongst the estimated 150,000 marchers in NYC read "Arms are for Hugging," "Never Again"  and "Protect Our Children".  The March for Our Lives shows no signs of relenting its intent to reforming lax gun laws.  Several sensible essential demands are:
1. the ban on assault style weapons
2. universal background checks
3. voting out politicians who receive NRA funding.

This revolution to save lives from future killings shows no sign of relenting.  Casey Sherman, 17, of Parkland School in FL spoke to the Washington DC crowd "My love for Parkland had taken on a whole new meaning.  After all this heartbreak, we have come back stronger than ever.  Those 17 people did not die in vain.  We will stop at nothing until we make real, lasting change."
President Trump has waffled on gun control because he's beholden to the NRA . He signed only minor background checks and school safety measures.  His insane plan to arm teachers is exacerbating an already dangerous and lethal situation in schools.  He is embracing the NRA by promoting more gun sales.
In speaking to some of the students in the march I questioned their fear of future shootings.  "Of course, we're aware that shootings have become all too common an occurrence instilling unease where we should feel safe and that is why we're out in force.  Enough is enough!"  One thoughtful teen added another reminder.   "We as students should be looking for those who are being left out and seek to include them.  All of us can do our part so that other don't feel alienated.  This is the right thing to do. It is what we must do".

Juilliard Spring Dances by Cunningham, Pite and Tharp with the Dancers all Looking Sharp

The Juilliard Spring Dances which got cancelled on Wednesday due to another nor'easter went on as scheduled last evening.  There are two rotating casts of dancers.  The students who were in last night's program were superb.  Both casts danced the same 3 contemporary pieces:  Merce Cunningham's "Sounddance" (1975), Crystal Pite's "Grace Engine" ('12) and Twyla Tharp's "Deuce Coupe IV" (1973).  Cunningham (b Amer 1919-'09) choreographed "Sounddance" to music composed by David Tudor (b Amer 1926-96).  Tudor's composition was an avant-garde electronic mix.  Both the music & the choreography which was revolutionary in 1975 felt dated.  Cunningham often collaborated with John Cage.  Cage & Tudor's "music" are similar; high-tech noise without a melodic theme.  "Sounddance" is an ironic title because the movement is robotic, sharp and rapid unlike an expected ballet style.  It has a mechanical aesthetic.  The dances resemble mannequins; their movements are wound tightly & set at a rapid pace.  There's whimsy to the uptempo ballet class at the barre but the frenzy & scratchy sound effects tilt from edgy to over the edge annoying.  The golden, draped backdrop matches the androgynous gold top, white leggings costumes.  A pleasing aesthetic to the piece were the group ensembles allowing a respite from the flurry & echoed the folds in the tapestry.  Moreover, the dancers resembled the churning of cogs in a mechanism.  In the end, each step was just another cog in the machine.  I was in absolute awe of Crystal Pite's "Grace Engine" ('12) set to music by Owen Belton.  Belton's computerized music has the repetitive sound of a locomotive or of the fast heartbeat of a child in utero.  The choreography was unlike anything I've seen.  The male dancers looked ass if being thrown & tormented with no control over their bodies.  The dancers' movements were staggering & defiant.  The piece possessed a melancholy of loneliness, loss and fortitude.  The dark set had only 1 straight line of bright light.  The dancers formed a line holding hands.  One dancer's movement affected the movement of the person next to them with a fluid sense of continuity with signs of resistance and reluctance.  A mournful pas de deuxe by two women towards the end felt as though they were intertwined & insistent on remaining steadfast to the other.  I read into this piece an image of twins inside their mother's uterus being tossed in continuous momentum.  The line formed by the dancers made me think of an umbilical cord.  I surmised only one twin survived the birth despite the valiant effort to be rescued by their sibling.  "Grace Engine" was remarkable for its inventive choreography, astonishing dancing and for its evocative storytelling. The piece spoke to me of the grace & fortitude to carry-on despite loss and grief.

3 TALL WOMEN Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize Play Starring Glenda Jackson and Laurie Metcalff

The most highly honored American playwright, Edward Albee (b Amer 1928-2016) has received more Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (5) and Tony awards including the Tony for Award for Lifetime Achievement  ('05).  A revival of his play 3 TALL WOMEN is in previews on Broadway with a trio of A+ stars including Glenda Jackson (A), Laurie Metcalf  (B) and Alison Pill (C).  "A", "B" and "C" refer to the 3 personnas of the same woman who is "A" a woman re-examining & redefining her life as a frail, bedridden (having suffered a stroke) at the age of 92 or 91 if you want to take "A" at her word with skepticism.  The play premiered in 1991 and won the Pulitzer Prize.  I'm perplexed, because I fail to grasp why this play was so heralded.  The construct of the play, done in 2 acts without intermission (or late seating/re-entry) is a melodrama of a rich old bitch, frail & cantankerous who looks back on her long-life as portrayed by Pill as the young, coquettish ingenue who sets the foundation of her character & plots the future.  "B" played by Metcalf is 52, midway in life; an apex for evaluating, projecting and rationalizing her story.  "A" is Glenda Jackson who plays the part of a self-absorbed aristocratic dame who was not only in control of her destiny but reigned upon all those who deigned to enter her fiefdom. The first act "A" is a young atty. who takes umbrage "A"'s commanding domineering ways and takes pleasure in exacerbating "A"'s testy temperament.  "B" is  the paid caregiver who shows genuine affection for her ward and tries to navigate a serene environment.  Needless, as "A" is holding forth on her "haughty taughty" equestrian, bejeweled lascivious lifestyle she suffers a stroke.  The 2nd Act is an affective smoke & mirrors staging which shows "A" lying in a coma and very much alive and well with so much more to tell.  The acting by the 3 distinct women who represent the same woman at 3 phases in her life are outstanding & captivating.  However, the history of this woman reads like a B movie that feels dated and droll.  Is Glenda Jackson worth the price of admission?  Yes, and Metcalf and Pill fill large shoes in balancing the acting amongst this talented trio.  Overall, the revival of Albee's "3 Tall Women" is not triumphant.  Is there salvation in forgetting?  Memory, regrets, expectations - reaping what you sow, and so it goes.  Everyone wants something.  I wanted to see great acting and I did.  3 Tall Women doesn't stand up to its glory days in the theater.

Juilliard Jazz Ensemble's Student Works - Original Compositions "What We Hear"

Last night those who braved the threat of snow which was a no show until now, we were rewarded hearing the ensemble's own compositions.  Aaron Flagg, Chair & Assoc. Dir. of Juilliard's Jazz, said these talented musicians wrote their own compositions "to help {their} colleagues understand each other's vision."  Guest coach Dave Douglas said, "Each member was finding their own sounds."  The ensemble consisted of two trombonists, two bassists, guitarist and drummer. Each composer/musician wrote scores & arrangements for their fellow bandmates.  I noted the composers featured solos for an instrument other than their own.  The musicians gave a brief intros to their pieces, what their reference was to & what they were trying to achieve.  Bass player Adam Olszewski's "Styxian Currents" was seeking a new texture unique to a 2-bass instrumentation while bringing in 2 trombones in a melodic frame.  He said the result sounded to him like the flowing of a river.  I found this too in the hypnotic, exotic & jazzy sounds with the trombone solo's wavering & repeating melody.  Jeffrey Miller on trombone dedicated his composition "Patricia" to his grandmother who raised his twin sister & him after their mother passed away when they were 1 1/2 & his grandmother 50.   His grandmother hasn't heard it yet but he looks forward to having it performed in her honor.  The piece was lovely.  He arranged one bass player to use his bow while the other plucked the bass.  Perhaps, this was to show the harmony & differences between him & his sibling.  Jacob Kelberman had a political agenda to his work "The Problem We All Live With" taken from the title of the famous painting by Norman Rockwell of a young black girl being escorted into school by 4 Nat'l Guardsmen when integration was first federally mandated and met with violent confrontations.  He said he wanted the piece to resonate today with the social unrest in our nation.  The music was strident, percussive and powerful.  It was an outstanding work.  My favorite composition on the evening was the last piece by bass player Mark Lewandowski who hails from the UK.  He found himself being towed while in northern England and while sitting up front with the driver he first heard music by Burt Bacharach.  He was particularly taken with the music's phrasing and with Dionne Warwick singing "I'll Never Fall in Love Again."  I'm a Bacharach & Warwick fan, too.  His piece was titled "Burt".  Burt, if you're out there, I think you'd find a great collaborator here; the piece was very appealing.  I offer congratulations to the entire emsemble on your creativity, originality, collaboration and leadership.  As Mr. Flagg said to me on the way out "They all learned how to tell the other what they wanted from each other."  A great life lesson.  Next: Wynton Marsalis directs Juilliard Jazz Orch.

Ailey II The Next Generation of Dance in an ALL NEW PROGRAM

Ailey II founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble has flourished as a creative company to foster & mentor talented young dancers & choreographers.  Artistic Director Troy Powell  continues to garner fresh talent & ideas with emerging choreographers and dancers that embody the spirit and artistry of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  "The All New" program featured 3 premiers:  "Road to One" choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, "Touch & Agree" choreography by Juel D. Lane and "Breaking Point" choreography by Renee I. McDonald.  McDonald began her dance training in Jamaica.  She is not only an accomplished dancer/choreographer she is completing her final year in Law School in Jamaica.  Her piece "Breaking Point" was a powerful piece, high energy with demanding physicality.  The music was by Audiomachine and I was impressed with the personification of the music that seemed to emanate through an excellent ensemble.  Moultrie was born in NYC and received his schooling in NYC from LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts and The Juilliard School.  "Road to One" was accompanied by music from various artists.  The dancers in their flowing costumes by Mark Eric Rodriguez made use of every nuanced measure in a delightful, elongated and elegant style.  My favorite piece was by Juel D. Lane an Atlanta native.  He has performed for the Ronald K. Brown/Evidence dance company.  Some of Brown's choreography are included in Ailey's repertoire.  Lane favored a kinetic, high powered energy but it was his quieter pas de deux with 2 male dancers to music by Same Cooke "You Send Me" that was the most stirring and appealing.  Both superb male dancers portrayed a loving and embattled relationship.  The use of 2 chairs as props were put to extraordinary use as the dancers swiftly and effortlessly exchanged their positions standing or sitting as their dance mirrored their push/pull in their relationship. "Touch & Agree" was very inventive and emotionally stirring.  Ailey II is performing through March 25th at their studios on 55th and 9th Avenue.  There is the "All New Program" which was outstanding and the "Contemporary Favorites" which I plan on seeing.