Spring Awakening

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

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

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

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

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

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

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