On the Town With Aubrey Reuben
Where All the Stars Shine Brightly!
April 19, 2014
04-14-14 Will
Swenson and cast member Audra McDonald at the opening night party
for "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" at The Redeye Grill. 890
Seventh Ave. Sunday night. 04-13-14
On Broadway, one
of the great artists on
the Broadway stage is Audra
McDonald, who stars
as Billie
Holiday, in a
revival of Lady
Day at Emerson's Bar
and Grill, by Lanie
Robertson. Audra is
not only a magnificent
singer, but also a
brilliant actress, as
winning five Tony Awards
have confirmed. Her 90
minute performance as
the troubled singer in a
dingy night club in
Philadelphia at the end
of her short career is
depicted realistically.
Her alcoholism and drug
abuse are evident, as
she sings the songs she
made famous, and adds
anecdotes about her
difficult life. Lonny
Price has directed
her expertly, and the
three musicians, led by Shelton
Becton, accompany
her perfectly. For
lovers of McDonald and
Holiday, this is a
marvelous theatrical
experience.
A revival of Of Mice
and Men, by John
Steinbeck, features
movie
stars, James
Franco and Chris
O'Dowd, who are the
main attraction for
theatrgoers to see this
sombre and depressing
story about migrant
workers on a ranch in
the Salinas Valley in
California. The novel
was a classic, and the
production is well acted
by the entire cast,
directed by Anna
D. Shapiro. The two
drifters are a common
sense Franco and a
retarded, gentle giant
O'Dowd. They give
superb, believable
performances, leading to
a sad ending. Jim
Norton contributes
a strong performance as
a one armed handyman
with hopes for a better
future when he befriends
the two main characters.
It is a fine revival of
a play rarely seen on
Broadway.
Act One, written
and directed by James
Lapine, is a very
long play (almost three
hours), based on the
autobiography of the
successful playwright
and director Moss
Hart. The play is
narrated by two actors, Santino
Fontana (as
a young Hart) and Tony
Shaloub (as
an older Hart). We see
him growing up poor in
the Bronx, his obsession
with the theater, his
efforts to become a
playwright, and finally
his success when
collaborating with the
distinguished
playwright, George
S. Kaufman. The play
lacks drama, and the
second act, where we
witness the attempt to
rewrite his finally
successful Broadway
play, is repetitious and
excruciating to watch..
Hart's memoir, however,
is a delight to read.
Violet, music by Jeanine
Tesori, book and
lyrics by Brian
Crawley, at the
American Airlines
Theatre opens on April
20. My comments will
appear in the next
column.
A revival of Cabaret,
book by Joe
Masteroff, music by John
Kander, lyrics by Fred
Ebb, at Studio 54, opens
on April 24. My comments
will appear in the next
column.
The Cripple of
Inishmaan, by Martin
McDonagh, at the
Cort Theatre, opens on
April 20. My comments
will appear in the next
column.
Hedwig and the Angry
Inch, book by John
Cameron Mitchell,
music and lyrics by Stephen
Trask, at the
Belasco Theatre, opens
on April 22. My comments
will appear in the next
column.
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I attended a wonderful book party at Chez
Josephine for Josephine
Baker and the Rainbow Tribe, by Matthew
Pratt Guterl. I received a copy of the
book, and I am eagerly awaiting to read it.
While eating scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and
sipping delicious wines, I chatted with
various guests, including Liliane
Montevecchi, Margo Jefferson and Pia
Catton.
Film Society of
Lincoln Center is presenting press
screenings for the 2014
New York African Film Festival May 7-13. Mugabe:
Villain or Hero?, byRoy
Agyemang, UK/Zimbabwe, 2012, is a
fascinating documentary about a man who has
been in power since Zimbabwe's independence
in 1980, and has just won another five year
term. The fact that he has survived so long,
in spite of the attacks on him by former
Western colonial powers, is remarkable. The
filmmaker had access to Mugabe over a three
year period, and it is obvious that Mugabe
has the support of his people. He has been
accused of seizing farms of white farmers,
and human rights violations, but he is still
powerful, and the future will be interesting
to see.
Confusion Na
Wa, by Kenneth
Nyang, Nigeria, 2013, is a film about
two worthless young men, who find a cell
phone, and decide to extort money from the
owner. A number of other characters appear
in this rambling, colorful film, who have really nothing
to do with the main plot, which ends with
tragic consequences.
Of Good Report, by Jahmil
X. T. Qubeka, South Africa, 2013, is
about a teacher, with severe mental
problems, in a small village, who has an
affair with one of his students. It is a
sickening tale. The many graphic, disgusting
scenes make it painful to watch. It seems as
if the filmmaker wants to make sure we see
all the horror that a man can afflict on a
young woman, especially after she rejects
him, and begins a friendship with a boy of
her own age. If the idea is to shock the
audience, he succeeds, but I would not
recommend this film to any normal person.
Bastards, by Deborah
Perkin, Morocco?UK, 2013, is a wonderful
documentary, which follows a fight for
justice in the courts. A 14-year-old girl is
wed to an abusive husband, who abandons her
when she becomes pregnant. Since the tribal
wedding was not considered legal, her
daughter is treated as a bastard with no
legal rights. Her fight to make the child
legitimate is inspiring, with the help of
feminist charitable organizations, that
provide lawyers to defend her. The treatment
of women in Muslim countries is shocking.
MoMA is
presenting Vienna
Unveiled: A City in Cinema until April 20. The
Smiling Lieutenant, by Ernst
Lubitsch, USA, 1931, is a charming film
about a Viennese officer (Maurice
Chevalier), in love with a violinist (Claudette
Colbert), who conducts an all women
orchestra. He accidentally gets involved
with a visiting princess (Miriam
Hopkins). The dialog is superb, the
music delightful and the story is funny and
romantic. The three stars are excellent.
MoMA presented The
Aesthetics of Shadow, Part 2: Europe and
America April 1-17. The
Grapes of Wrath, by John
Ford, USA, 1940, is one of the finest
films ever made. Based on John Steinbeck's
novel, it tells the story of a farming
family, who lose their land during the
depression, and head to California as
migrant wokers. The hardships they endure
are heartbreaking, but their unbreakable
spirit is inspiring. The cast is splendid,
especially
Henry Fonda in
the leading role.
04-14-14 Liliane Montevecchi and
Jean-Claude Baker at the book party for "Josephine Baker and the Rainbow
Tribe" at Chez Josephine. 414 West 42nd St. Sunday afternoon. 04-13-14
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