Of or relating to culture

Sydney Festival 2010

2010-01-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in the Air New Zealand Business Class Lounge at Sydney International Airport waiting to board my flight to San Francisco. I'm greatly looking forward to sitting on a plane for the next 14 hours. It's been a hectic, but excellent, month filled with Sydney Festival events. And in my free time, I went to the beach. Happy Summer!

January 9, Al Green, The Domain
The festival kicked off with Festival First Night. I had a picnic in the Domain with Will and Kylie and a friend of theirs while we waited to see Al Green. Somewhat of a disappointment. He spent most of the show complaining about how little time they'd given him.

January 14, Optimism, Drama Theatre (Opera House)
In conjunction with the start of our Sydney Theatre Company subscription (under 30!), Dave and I went to Optimism. Optimism is Tom Wright's Candide adaptation. It was over the top and a lot of fun. It was a very close telling of Voltaire's work and having read it both in English and French in high school, I enjoyed seeing it performed. The Candide was excellent and we especially enjoyed his moments in "front of the curtain" interacting with the audience.

January 16, Bale de Rua, Concert Hall (Opera House)
Then came Bale de Rua with Margaret, Dave, and Paul. It was, as Ben and Anna said, good but not great. I had such high expectations - Brazilian street dance. Perhaps it was too big a venue or perhaps the audience wasn't into it enough. It just didn't have the energy to engross me fully.

January 20, Giselle, Carriageworks
The four of us went to Giselle - an Irish dance/theatre production - a few days later (on Paul's birthday). This was my favorite Festival show. It was a mostly-male cast, but the men-playing-women never seemed totally ridiculous or even a little strange. Much of it was narrated by a man on a telephone pole and so the players came and went switching roles and costumes frequently. Though most of the dance was modern/interpretive, there was some line dancing which made me long for my cowboy boots and Nashville!

January 21, Camera Obscura, Beck's Festival Garden
Margaret and I went to see Camera Obscura at Beck's Festival Garden outside the Hyde Park Barracks. I hadn't been to a stand-up and sway concert for a long time and really enjoyed it. I did keep wishing they were Belle and Sebastian though.

January 27, Medeski Martin & Wood, City Recital Hall
Medeski Martin & Wood opened with something that brought only the word "discord" to mind. They had a sound very different from the CD I've been listening to for years. I really liked the two last songs they played, but much of the beginning and middle was too "noisy" for me.

So that was Festival 2010. There was more I missed (like Six Characters in Search of an Author which Reen recommended), but I just couldn't manage any more! My next task is to get the Paul Taylor Dance Company at Festival 2011. Any idea how I do that?

A Streetcar on Avenue Q (with spam)

2009-10-22T04:40:00.000-07:00

October 14, A Streetcar Named Desire, Sydney Theatre Company
Last week, I saw Cate Blanchett play Blanche in Sydney Theatre Company's A Streetcar Named Desire. It was an incredible production. She played the part with such an amazing energy, that I felt drained from having experienced her complete mental breakdown. I can't believe she did that every night for 2 months.

The accents were a-little-bit New York at times, but otherwise the show was flawless.

October 16, Avenue Q, The Theatre Royal
I accompanied Dave and Margaret to see Avenue Q and I laughed the whole way through. Of course, I laughed ahead of the lines, because I knew what was coming. I Wish I Could Go Back to College seemed a little lost on the Australian audience, as most of them didn't write messages in dry erase pen on the door, spend a few years on meal plan, or have TAs (they even changed the TA related lyric). But all in all, a great show with a great audience.

Despite it being my third time to see the show, I was still impressed with what life the puppeteers give the puppets through the puppet's motions, but also through their own expressions and movement.

October 17, Spamalot, Regal Musical Society, Rockdale Town Hall
A coworker is involved with the Regal Musical Society, which puts on a few productions a year. His sister was in Spamalot and I made the trek to Rockdale to see it, despite the fact that my very convenient train wasn't running due to trackwork. I saw The Holy Grail once, but didn't remember much more than the guy who gets his arms and legs cut off. The show was funny and I thought the production was very well done (it restored faith in amateur theater after last year's Chess debacle).

The highlight of the show for me was Prince Herbert singing a few lines of "Another Hundred People" from Company. Perhaps that's a sign I should stick to Sondheim...

September in Sydney - At The Opera House

2009-10-22T04:22:00.000-07:00

September 6, Ben Folds, Sydney Opera House - Concert Hall
An amazing, amazing show. Before the show, audience members wrote requests on slips of paper in the foyer. Ben chose songs from the overflowing fishbowl and played whatever came up. They were mostly oldies, all of them goodies. From time to time, he forgot lyrics, but the audience always helped out. This was most probably the best concert I have ever attended.

Here's the set list I sent Meg, Christina, and Lance after the show:
The Luckiest
Smoke
Battle of Who Could Care Less
Underground
Don't Change Your Plans
Tiny Dancer
Such Great Heights
Rockin' The Suburbs
Magic
Landed
Rock This Bitch
Cigarette
Fred Jones Part II
"Fred Jones Part III"
Bitches Ain't Hos
Hiroshima (Japanese Version)
Emmaline
Same After That
One Angry Dwarf

September 3, Aida, Opera Australia, Sydney Opera House - Opera Theatre
This was the best of the three operas I saw this year. Graeme Murphy choreographed, which made the production not just about great opera singing, but dance as well. In particular, The Triumphal March had some spectacular dancing.

In The Heights

2009-09-10T16:54:00.001-07:00

On August 16, I saw In The Heights with two former residents of The Heights - Parisa and Eran. Their connection with and enthusiasm for the show greatly improved my own experience. The best scenes included the mother's "Enough" where she lays the smack the down to husband and daughter, the blackout scene, and of course Claudia's Pacienca Y Fe.

Today, I found myself singing about piragua as I poured a glass of agua. I've never had piragua, but next time I find myself in Washington Heights, I might try some.

To be filled in later

2009-04-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

- Christmas at the House (Opera House/Concert Hall)
- Travesties (Sydney Theatre Company, Opera House/Drama Theatre)
- The Alchemist (Bell Shakespeare Company, Opera House/Studio)
- Roadkill (Carriageworks)
- We Unfold (Sydney Dance Company, Sydney Theatre Walsh Bay)
- So You Think You Can Dance Australia live results show (Carriageworks)
- Morphoses (The Wheeldon Company, Theatre Royal)
- The Magic Flute (Sydney Opera, Opera House/Opera Theatre)

Dance, Cirque, and Drag

2008-10-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight I saw Sydney Dance Company's third work of the year - Aszure Barton's Sid's Waltzing Masquerade at Carriageworks. Once again, the choreographer and I share a taste in dancers. I was happy to see Reed Luplau featured, but disappointed that Annabelle was stuck in an ugly leotard without a moment to shine. This was definitely my favourite work this season, most likely because it was the most classically grounded. The dance styles were varied throughout and at no point was I lost in a sea of chaotic movement. I did, of course, miss seeing the Paul Taylor dancers perform (I might, in fact, watch the Piazzola Dancemaker clip right now!).

Stepping back in time: Last weekend (Oct 17) I went to see Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical. Priscilla, as you may know, is native Australian. And what do I like besides Australia? Drag queens! This was one of the most spectacular shows I've seen. The costumes were extravagant (Orlagh read there were 500 costume changes). The songs catchy and fun (all classics - not one original song). And where the movie features three cast members doing each number, the stage production, in classic musical style, brings out a whole cast to drive a point home.

And weeks ago now I went to see Cirque de Soleil's Dralion (Sept 27). I don't think it was as good as Corteo, which I saw in 2005 in San Francisco, but was still pretty amazing. The trampolines and the pretend audience members were particular highlights.

I should not forget to mention a small show I saw at the Belvoir Theatre: Homebody/Kabul (Sept 25). The first hour of it was a very impressive monologue by a mother. It then moved to Kabul (pronounced cobble in case you were wondering) and over the next two hours, told the story of her family members and their relationship with her and with each other. I liked the first hour best, but overall a good show.

So much Sydney and some Scotland

2008-08-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sydney
July 15: My Fair Lady, Opera Australia, Opera Theatre
July 18: Billy Elliott, Capitol Theatre
July 25: Rafael Bonachela's 360 Degrees, Sydney Dance Company, Carriageworks
July 26: Australia vs New Zealand, ANZ Stadium

Edinburgh Fringe Festival
August 8: Brendan Burns, Assembly @ George Street
August 12: Before We Remember, Gomito, Bedlum Theatre
August 12: Assassins, Through the Window Theatre Company, C +3

My Fair Lady was fantastic. It had been sold out for weeks, but when I checked the day before the show, there were two tickets available. The singing was superior and the costumes were amazing. It was so fun to see an opera company perform a classic musical.

I enjoyed Billy Elliott, but wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Dave. It wasn't Elton's finest score - in fact, I found a bunch of the music dull. There were some fun numbers and both miners and minors in tap shoes are tons of fun.

Rafael Bonachela and I agree on which Sydney Dance Company members we like best. It was clear in his 360 Degrees that he favours Annabelle and Reed, just like I do. I liked this one much better than Meryl Tankard's Inuk 2 (wouldn't take much), but wasn't incredibly excited by it.

For a cultural experience, I went out to the Olympic Stadium to see the All Blacks do the Haka - I mean, to see Australia beat New Zealand in rugby. I must admit that the Haka was the highlight for me and I would've been okay with seeing that a few times and skipping the rugby. The rugby was, however, fun. Go the Australia!

Andrew and I met in Edinburgh and then traveled around the Highlands for a few days. The Fringe Festival is on in full force and we three performances. First was an Australian-turned-Londoner standup comedian, Brendan Burns. He said some funny things. My favorite parts were those about Australian advertising and sports.

Friday evening we met a number of very drunk and friendly Scots. One group we stopped highly recommended we see Before We Remember. It was the story of an old woman recounting memories as she was dying. The staging of it was awesome. All the props and sets were string, garbage bags, and paper. They made some pretty cool things out of it. My favorite was the woman driving a car with a shawl blowing behind her. That doesn't describe it very well; you'll just have to trust me.

Last, but not least, was a production of The Assassins. I'd never seen it before. I like that each Sondheim play is so different than the others. And what a fun topic this was! American presidential assassins. I especially liked Charles Guiteau who attempted to assassinate Garfield in order to boost sales of his book. What fun!

I didn't have enough time in New York to see any shows, but there's more to see in Sydney when I get back!

SYTYCD

2008-07-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I watched the "fast-food version of dance." And I had a fabulous time.

After some pre-show martinis at home, Margaret, Dave, James, and I rocked up to the Sydney Entertainment Centre at Darling Harbour for the event of a lifetime (well, maybe just the year): So You Think You Can Dance (Australia) - ON TOUR. Australia's Top Ten were there to perform some of our favorites (Singin' in the Rain!) and remind us of how fun Sunday evenings were a few months ago. I got to get in touch with my inner 16 year old and show support for my favorite TV stars.

The fast food quote comes from Meryl Tankard in this Sydney Morning Herald article a few months ago. You may recall I saw Meryl Tankard's Inuk 2 in March. Though it may have been sophisticated, I didn't like it. Some of the dancers in SDC are certainly more impressive, but give me Jack and Kate any day over a tribal screaming match.

I am looking forward to catching Sydney Dance Company's next performance. I am also looking forward to SYTYCD Season 2!

Culture in Sydney

2008-04-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Compared to New York, there's little original culture in Sydney, but that's true for most places. I have found myself attending a number of dance performances - all a little different from the others. I need to do a few months of catch-up in this post:
Sydney Dance Company: Graeme Murphy's Berlin, October 2007 at the Theatre Royal
Australian Ballet, November 2007 at the Opera House (Opera Theatre)
Sacred Monsters: Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan, March 2008 at the Opera House (Concert Hall)
Sydney Dance Company: Meryl Tankard's Inuk2, 11 April 2008 at the Theatre Royal
Australian Ballet: A Jerome Robbins Celebration, 2 May 2008 at the Opera House (Opera Theatre)

Last night's ballet was fantastic. There were four pieces - two large group numbers, a duet, and a solo accompanied by a cellist. Though grounded in classical ballet, it was certainly modern. I particularly liked The Cage and A Suite of Dances. I also enjoyed going to Opera Bar both before and after the performance.

Jerome Robbins also reminded me of how much I disliked Meryl Tankard's Inuk2. The words "chaotic movement" describe the piece fairly well, I think. There are two dancers in the Sydney Dance Company that I really enjoyed watching when I saw them perform Berlin in October. The girl was great again, but the guy didn't get much more than a quick duet to show off. The piece was weird, involved fighting and screaming, and was generally uncomfortable to watch. Hopefully the next two visiting choreographers for the Sydney Dance Company's season will be better.

Sylvie Guillem< and Akram Khan were pretty amazing. She can bend in the most amazing ways! When asked her opinion of whether I should go to this performance, Eran wrote "Sylvie Guillem is a freak of nature. You should def see her" and Parisa went nuts on the phone. I agreed: freak of nature and definitely worth seeing.

Next week: Chess the Musical.

Cultural Catchup: Sunday in the Park with George

2008-03-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

In addition to two performances of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, I saw Sunday in the Park with George at Studio 54 with Erika on Wednesday night. I put Sondheim to the test in this show, having loved Company, but not being taken by Sweeney Todd. Sondheim emerged victorious. The premise is George Seurat's painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte as the premise. The characters are the people in the park. The set was white walls on which they projected parts of the painting. It was brilliant.

Back in the Big Apple: Paul Taylor (x2)

2008-03-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was in New York last week and played a little cultural catchup. The focal point of the New York trip was a Sunday matinee of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Ever since I saw the performance schedule back in September, I knew I had to see Piazzolla Caldera on March 2. It was just as amazing as the first time (though not as surprising). That afternoon we (Andrew, Michelle, Evan, and I) also saw Equinox and Fiends Angelical. Both were spectacular and so different from Piazzolla.

When I met Parisa and Eran in Shenzhen in November, I had breakfast with the company at the hotel one morning. They all raved about Promethean Fire and said I had to see it, so when I saw they were performing that during my visit, I arranged to make a second visit to City Center with Meghan on Feb 29. That night I saw Aureole, Troilus and Cressida, and Counterswarm in addition to Promethean Fire. Definitely worth it. I was a little tired, so I'd like to see it again when I'm in better form.

I really love seeing these friends and their fellow dancers perform. Both the men and women are so strong, graceful, and athletic. Piazzolla is still my favorite, but each and every piece blows me away. You can see a clip of Piazzolla from Dancemaker film on the Paul Taylor website.

RENT

2007-09-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

What better way to close out the New York chapter of my culture blog than with the tale of my most recent visit to the Nederlander Theater. Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal have been back in the roles of Mark and Roger for the past six weeks (and their run has just been extended through October); I was lucky to get to see the show a few weeks ago with Jamie, Meghan, and Parisa. The two of them really brought a vibrancy to the show I hadn't experienced in years. Given that they created these roles, they play them so naturally and it was really a joy to see it. Sorely missed was Jesse L. Martin, or really any decent Collins for that matter. The Collins was so distant from Angel that it hurt what is typically the most intimate and beautiful of the Rent relationships.

The audience was phenomenal. It was clearly filled with fans who knew when to moo, when clap along, and when to cheer. When each of Mark and Roger came on stage, the audience erupted in applause that sounded like teenage girls at a boy band concert. Parisa joined in like the true fan she is.

After having loved Rent for so many years, I don't think I'll forget this amazing performance of it.

River to River: Paul Taylor Dance

2007-09-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

I can't pass up an opportunity to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Last night they had a free performance at Battery Park as part of the River to River festival. They performed Polaris, De Suenos, and Company B. I liked the set of pieces less than the previous three performances I've seen, but the dancing was of course fantastic. Company B was a great closer (though I'm still partial to Piazzola - which I'll hopefully be back in March to see).

After the show I got to go to the dancers' after party with Eran and Parisa. It was fun to see everyone up close after having seen them dance a few times! Yay.

Curtains

2007-09-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

On my last day in New York, Meghan, Larry, and I went to see Curtains. It was a fun show and a great way to spend this last day. It's a fairly classic musical with light hearted music and a murder mystery plot. It was slightly self serving (Larry strongly disliked the song Show People which was essentially a pat-on-the-back song about "show people"). The dancing was fun and I thought David Hyde Pierce did a great job. I've only ever seen one or two episodes of Frasier, so I can't say whether he played his Frasier character or not. Not my favorite show, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

All I Ever Needed...

2007-09-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

I saw A Chorus Line for the third time since the revival opened on Broadway last fall. It's such a fun show. I went with Michelle, Eran, and Parisa. It was fun to get the dancers' perspectives on it afterwards. Parisa noted that she really felt a connection with Bebe's comment "I have a headache" as a really real part of the audition process. I am not sure any show has a finale quite like A Chorus Line's. The dancing and costumes and shiny are such a spectacular way to end a show.

Paul Taylor at Lincoln Out of Doors

2007-08-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

I got to practice my dance runs tonight after seeing Esplanade! Eran performed with Paul Taylor Dance at an outdoor stage next to the Met Opera this evening. Tonight's lineup: Book of Beasts, Lines of Loss, and Esplanade. They were all excellent. I liked Lines of Loss a lot: it portrayed all different kinds of loss - loss of a loved one, loss of sanity, loss of sight/old age, a fight with a friend/lover (perhaps more I forget). I might go back for Piazzolla tomorrow night!

Sunnyside Up

2007-08-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Leah was in town and we went with Lance to see Katie with her improv group Sunnyside Up. They do an educational-type show where they teach the audience about a particular fear: our show, The Number 13. Leah and I both enjoyed the piece about prime numbers best!

Gypsy Rose Lee

2007-08-03T22:12:00.001-07:00

Starring Patti LuPone. I nearly didn't go as a result, but glad I am I did. Rose is the perfect part for her, whereas I didn't enjoy her in Sweeney Todd last year much. It was so good to see a classic musical. Given that I hadn't seen it in years, I was surprised by just how many of the songs and lyrics I knew all the way through. Also, I'd only seen children's productions, I think, and the second act must've been quite shortened in those, as Louise's career as a stripper is pretty complete.

The highlight: Tulsa's "All I Need is the Girl"

Grey Gardens

2007-08-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

What a crazy pair of women the Edie Bouvier Beales were! Lance and I had partial view box seats (though the audience saw us well enough - Lance had three friends come find him!) to catch a performance just a week before the show closed. I was a little nervous about it because I got so bored during the Tonys performance that I fast forwarded through it. Turns out, the song was way better in context. Christine Ebersole was excellent.

The two acts are quite different. The first a little more musical comedy, the second just crazy. I'm so curious to see the documentary on which it's based, as these women (at least the daughter) was seriously nuts.

The music was enjoyable during the show, though none of it has stuck with me. Overall, a good show. Opens in London next season!

Hoofers

2007-08-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

Savion Glover is amazing. Enough said.

Just a Spoonful of Sugar

2007-08-03T22:03:00.001-07:00

Mary Poppins was slightly disappointing. The acting was good to fantastic; I would go see Gavin Lee in any show any time. The original songs were fun and the costumes were pretty. The new songs ranged from terrible to okay, but the new plot lines were pretty awful. Mrs. Banks, the once awesome suffragette had turned former actress, prohibited from the stage by her cruel husband. She longed for love and to return to the stage. She did, of course, find both by the end of the show. I'm not sure why it was thought that this would be an improvement; perhaps kids are ignorant of the fact women once lacked the right to vote?

Overall, I'm glad I saw it. I'd been greatly looking forward to it and Grandma enjoyed it immensely. If for nothing else, Bert dancing upside down across the stage was pretty cool.

Full Force Dance Theatre - Time on Our Hands

2007-08-03T22:00:00.001-07:00

I went with Evan, Eran, and Howard on June 15. This was the dance company Eran danced with in college. It was neat to see her roots. There were some pretty interesting pieces. The one that stands out was a solo piece where the dancer had a pile of dirt and danced amongst it, spreading it and making cool patterns on the ground with it. Some of the dirt was on a white square of paper (or so it looked) though most found it's way to the floor. Needless to say, the intermission followed this piece.

The final piece involved a live bassist and though not a dancer, participated in the piece through movement as well as music.

Playing Catch Up

2007-08-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have not been keeping track well. I'll do my best to play some catch up now. Here's a list to keep track, in case I fail to finish before falling asleep.

Full Force Dance Theatre at the Joyce Soho - June 15
Mary Poppins - June 26
Savion Glover at the Joyce - July 12
Grey Gardens - July 18
Gypsy at City Center - July 26
Sunnyside Up at Upright Citizens Brigade - July 30
Paul Taylor Dance Company at Lincoln Center Out of Doors - August 3

Talk Radio.

2007-06-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a chance to watch the Tonys tonight, but I'm very excited to watch them on DVR later this week. I think they're kind of pointless, since 4 of about 5 musicals that open on Broadway each year are nominated for best musical (that doesn't include revivals). It's a little self-serving. (I mean, Hairspray won best musical in 2004.)

However, I did learn today that not every play is included, and that there's a reason why. Today's Broadway adventure: Talk Radio. Can you imagine what it's about? Yep, talk radio. The play certainly pulled off talk radio very well. It reminded me that there's a reason I don't listen to talk radio.

Growing up, I was subjected to a lot of Rush Limbaugh and Laura Schlesinger. Really weak, helpless people call in and say dumb, passive things, with the occasional diatribe. In response, Rush and Dr. Laura thrash and belittle the caller. That's exactly what the callers and Barry Champlain did today, and it was somewhat painful. Barry was played by Liev Schreiber, who was fantastic. The other characters were undeveloped and uninteresting, as was what little plot existed. Each other character gave a single monologue in monologue tone (I can't think of a better way to describe it, but you might get what I mean).

So in short: Liev Schreiber very good. Play: not very good.

Giants vs. Mets

2007-05-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Do baseball games count in my cultural study of New York? I am unhappy to report that the Giants played terribly tonight and lost at Shea Stadium. It was worth the subway ride out there to stick up for the good guys, Barry included. The fans booed Barry from the moment Aurilia struck out and chanted "juice... juice..." while he batted. Other than that, the Mets fans were mostly well behaved. Greg did get the guys who threw a crumpled wrapper covered with ketchup at him thrown out. That was fun.

Frost/Nixon

2007-05-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

You can tell I'm a bit behind here... Two weeks ago, I saw a non-musical (Andrew was proud of me) that has a Tony nomination for best play. Frost/Nixon is about David Frost's interview sessions with Nixon. The guy who played Nixon, Frang Lagella, was very good. I haven't seen much Nixon footage, but he seemed very convincing. Also, given that the play was about a set of interviews, it was very captivating. The use of the televisions in the set were really cool. It also helped see Lagella's detailed facial expressions from the mezzanine.

Kushal found information online that says that the events were contrived for theatrical effect. Though that's somewhat disappointing, I didn't go for a history lesson, so I'll get over it.

110 in the Shade

2007-05-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

I went to see 110 in the Shade a few weeks ago. It's a musical revival starring Andra MacDonald, who is nominated for a Tony in the best actress in a musical category. She deserves it. The show itself was nominated for best revival of a musical, but I must say that A Chorus Line or Company needs to win that one.

My original major complaint was the lyrics. The music was pretty good, but the lyrics were dull. They weren't poetic, they didn't flow, and they were bland. I originally liked how spontaneous the end was, when (I hate to spoil it for you) both men suddenly want Lizzie. Didn't see that coming! After talking to Alexander, however, he pointed out that one should have known File had come around to liking Lizzie. It shouldn't have come from nowhere. Agreed.

I did like the brothers. They both did a great job. The lighting was cool. And the rain was fun. Overall, I liked the end, but could have done without most of the beginning and middle.

Spring Awakening

2007-04-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Cute boys, fun music, and discontent. That's a quick summary of Spring Awakening. Aussie Rob and I got tickets at tkts today for the matinee. I liked the songs, but didn't always follow how they fit into the story, other than the general frustration they conveyed. This show breaks boundaries, featuring on-stage sex, abortion, and suicide. I'm not sure that the sexual display is necessary for making the point. I often find such episodes a cheap way to reach an audience (i.e. Murakami's Norwegian Wood).

On the subway ride home, Rob and I discussed how the play, which is set in 1890s Germany, relates to life in the US today. The show intertwines the two places and times, perhaps reminding us of the importance of education and access to safe and legal medical treatment.

Check out a video of Bitch of Living.

Twelfth Night

2007-04-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

I made my third trek to Brooklyn in 24 hours on Sunday to see Twelfth Night performed at BAM by the Propeller Shakespeare Company. It was an all-male, British company and perhaps the best Shakespeare I've ever seen. It was a little different - lots of instruments and modern suits, but really good. The all male thing was done very well. There are only three women in the play and one cross-dresses as male for the whole play. The guy who played a woman playing a guy was very convincing. If I hadn't seen the last performance, I would be sure to catch them doing Taming of the Shrew as well.

The BAM Harvey theater was really cool. Purposefully rough around the edges, it is definitely not a Broadway theater.

The NYC

2007-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's worth mentioning here that Friday was Lance's last episode of his weekly improvised teen drama, The NYC. I was a regular supporter last year when it was on Wednesday nights at the Gene Frankel Underground. Since then I've gone less frequently, but I always enjoy the latest midtown adventure of Taylor, Me, Dex, Hillary, and the rest of the gang. I'll miss going, but they performed weekly for more than 2 years and so it's time for new things.

Bakunin, Belinsky, Herzen

2007-04-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

A week and a half ago, Andrew and I went to the final part of the Coast of Utopia - Salvage. It's a Stoppard trilogy that was originally performed in London as a 9-hour marathon. We spread the three parts over a few months, but regardless, I left Salvage with a great sense of accomplishment. It's a very deep non-drama following a number of Russian philosophers, focusing on Bakunin, Belinksy, and Herzen, through their philosophical lives. The biggest action was a shipwreck (for which the second play is named) killing Herzen's son Kolya. The plays were filled with monologues and diatribes of gargantuan proportion. Hard to follow, but interesting when I did. I understood the last one best because I read the synopsis beforehand (which covered more material than the play itself).

Don't I Feel Happy

2007-03-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Make that: I don't feel happy. Tonight Evan and I went to see his friend Nathaniel in a play called Serenading Louie by Lanford Wilson. Depressing is a good word to describe it. The director's notes say "They [the characters] become like the play. Disjointed, incoherent, broken, and gloriously unfixable." I think that's a great summary. I enjoyed it; I think it was well done (though a little tedious); and I wouldn't wish the characters' experiences on anyone.

Dance: 10

2007-03-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Judy accompanied me to another Paul Taylor Dance Company performance. Tonight we saw Piece Period, Banquet of Vultures, and Piazzolla Caldera. Piazzolla was captivating. I leaned over to Judy as the lights went down at what I thought was the end of the piece and said "I really don't want it to end!" On cue, the lights came back up and dancers Richard and Francisco performed a beautiful duet. The entire dance: gorgeous, and hot. Keeping this short, I won't go on about Piece Period and Banquet of Vultures, but I will say that the six Paul Taylor dances have all been incredibly varied and each one enjoyable in a different way. Thanks for a great show, Eran!

A Cultural Explosion

2007-03-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

I realize that in living in New York I am seeing more plays and other great cultural performances that are worth documenting. We'll start with what I've done the past two weeks:

Sunday, February 25, Company on Broadway with Kushal. After an amazing 20 minute bus+subway trip from my apartment to the theater, the Box Office guy sold us front row tickets at student prices. The show itself was excellent. I liked the music much more than I expected and found the story compelling.

Wednesday, March 7, Paul Taylor Dance Company at NY City Center, featuring Eran. I saw Dante Variations, Sunset, and Esplanade. My favorite was Esplanade, but enjoyed all three. I'm going back on Tuesday to see three more dances.

Friday, March 9, Youngblood's Thicker Than Water, six one-act plays, two of which starred Lance. The two Lance were in happened to be my favorites, but most of them were enjoyable.

Other things I've seen since arriving in New York a year ago:
Sweeney Todd
Les Miserables (London)
Guys and Dolls (London)
Hairspray
Avenue Q
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
History Boys
Rent
A Chorus Line (twice)
Jersey Boys (SF)
Company
Magic Flute (The Met)
Beethoven's Ninth (Boston Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall)
Tribute to Toscanini (Avery Fisher Hall)
Coast of Utopia: Voyage (Lincoln Center)
Coast of Utopia: Shipwreck (Lincoln Center)
Midsummer Night's Dream (Theater By The Blind)
My Father's Jewish, My Mother's Italian, and I'm in Therapy (off-Broadway)
Barge Music