On the Town With Aubrey Reuben
Where All the Stars Shine Brightly!
August 17, 2013
08-08-13 (L-R) Valerie Smaldone. Michael Urie. Bruce Dimpflmaier at
Michael's portrait unveiling for Broadway's Wall of Fame at Tony's
Di Napoli. 147 West 43rd St. Wednesday night 08-07-13
On Broadway, Soul
Doctor,
music and additional lyrics by Shlomo
Carlebach,
book by Daniel
S. Wise,
lyrics by David
Schechter,
is a musical about a rabbi Shlomo Carlebach who became a
popular recording artist in the 1960s. The cast is
appealing, and the music is pleasant, but the story lacks
drama. The opening night party was held at the Liberty
Theatre, with guests like Tovah
Feldshuh and
Carlebach's daughter Nashema.
Off-Broadway, Summer
Shorts Series B consist
of three short plays by Marian
Fontana, Paul Weitz and Alan
Zweibel. They are
all entertaining. The
best one is the last onePine
Cone Moment with
four splendid actors and
is hilarious,
Mostly Mozart presented
another fine concert
with music of Beethoven and Mozart. Violin
Concerto No. 5 in A
major ("Turkish"), by
Mozart, with the
soloist Isabelle
Faust, was well
played, after the Overture
to Die Ruinen von
Athen, by
Beethoven, opened
the program. After
the intermission, a
rousing performance
of the Symphony
No. 5 in C minor, by
Beethoven, was the
highlight of the
evening. The
orchestra, under the
baton of Louis Langree,
never sounded better
or played more
powerfully. It was a
brilliant
performance.
I attended a tasting
of delicious hors
d'oeuvres prepared
by chef Alonso
Tello, and
champagne at Trois
Canards, 265
West 20th St. It is
a charming
restaurant.
Film Society of
Lincoln Center is
presenting Cinema
of Resistance August
23-26. Four
press screening were
held. To
Be Twenty in the
Aures, by Rene
Vautier, France,
1972, is an anti-war
film, about a
platoon of French
soldiers forced to
fight muslims, who
are fighting for
their independence
from France, in the
barren mountains in
Algeria. It is
scathing look at the
horrors of warfare
forced on these
young men, who would
rather be home in
France enjoying
their lives. It is a
powerful film.
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West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty,
by Mel
Ondo, Mauritania, 1979, is an unusual musical, showing the history of
the Caribbean Islands colonized by France. It is a cynical view of slavery
and French colonialism. Filmed on a single set, it is a remarkable piece of
filmmaking. Far From Vietnam,
by Jean-Luc
Godard, Joris Ivens, William Klein, Claude Lelouch, Chris Marker, Alain
Resnais and Agnes
Varda, France 1967, is a documentary recalling the bitter war in
Vietnam, which divided the American people. It is a powerful reminder of
those appalling times. Far
From Afghanistan, by John
Gianvito, USA/Afghanistan, 2012, is another documentary about the
endless war, in which America is involved. Footage of destruction,
interviews with survivors, and terrible, horrible scenes are all shown. The
four films are an indictment of war, which destroys nations.
MoMA presented ContemporAsian:
Focus on South Korea. White
Night, by Lee
Song-he-il, South Korea, 2012, is about two Korean young men, an
airline steward, who picks up another man for sex. They spend the
night having sex, wandering around Seoul, revealing a little about
themselves, except that there was a homophobe incident many years
ago, and finally saying goodbye, as one returns to Germany. It is
quite a boring film. Sleepless
Night, by Jang
Kun-jae, South Korea, 2012, is a delightful film about a young
married couple, who obviously have great affection for each other.
We see their daily life, and their major problem is when or if they
can afford a child. It is the most pleasant film of the series and I
heartily recommend it. El
Condor Pasa, by Jeon
Soo-il, South Korea, 2012, is the story of a priest, affected by
the murder of a young girl for whom he had a great affection. His
erotic relationship with her older sister causes him great torment
and severe mental problems,which makes him visit a fellow priest in
Peru to seek forgiveness. It is a well made film, excellently acted,
and totally engrossing. Again I highly recommend it.
MoMA is also presenting An Auteurist History of Film. L'Avventura, by Michelangelo
Antonioni, Italy, 1960, is now considered a film classic, with
its cynical view of modern life in Italy. A woman disappears on an
island, and her fiance and her best friend (Monica
Vitti) try to find
her. While traveling in search of her, following leads in Sicily,
they fall in love. It made Vitti a star and a muse for the director.
It is an interesting film.
Opera in Cinema from Emerging
Pictures presented Don
Carlo, by Verdi, from
Teatro alla Scala, first shown on December 7, 2008. It was a
beautifully sung performance, by an outstanding cast. Ferruccio
Furlanetto sang
powerfully as Philip II. Both Fiorenza
Cedolins (Elisabeth
de Valois) and Dolora
Zajick (Princess
Eboli) sang and acted superbly, well supported by Stuart
Neill (Don Carlo) and Dalibor
Jenis (Rodrigo). The
orchestra and chorus sounded wonderful. Daniele
Gatti conducted
another highlight of this splendid series.
08-14-13 Chef Alonso Tello with a tray of
his special hors d'oeuvres, including duck confit, shrimp roll and cheese
sticks at a tasting at Trois Canards. 265 West 20th St. Tuesday night
08-13-13
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