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I am not a fan of directors, who
modernize traditional operas, but, in this case, I
am impressed and overwhelmingly enjoyed Don Giovanni,
K.527 (Prague version) (1787), by Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, libretto by Lorenzo
Da Ponte, at the Rose Center, as part of the Mostly
Mozart Festival, in a production by the Budapest
Festival Orchestra, under the conductor and director Ivan
Fischer. Two famous arias are eliminated in this
version, but it makes little difference, as what is left
is sublime. Also, the set and costume design by Edit
Zeke deserves a round of applause. It consists of
two dark blocks, one with stairs, and sixteen students
who form statues, benches, windows, act as dancers and
in the final scene form a magnificent group of furies
who drag Don Giovanni to Hell. The singers, everyone of
whom was superb, but Christopher
Maltman in the title role, and Jose
Fardilha as Leporello, were outstanding. I could
watch their performance and listen to their singing
forever. The orchestra played the brilliant score
beautifully. It was a memorable evening,
The 53rd Street Library opposite
MoMA presented Sabrina, by Billy
Wilder,
USA, 1954. What a joy to see a well made film by a
brilliant director, with three great film stars, Aubrey
Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William
Holden!
The dialogue is intelligent, without a vulgar word in
it, and Hepburn is enchanting. An innocent
young chauffeur's daughter (Hepburn) on a large estate
of a wealthy family goes to Paris for two years and
returns a changed woman, sophisticated and elegant.
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The
two brothers (Bogart and
Holden) are amazed by her
reappearance, and one falls
in love with her. It is a
charming, delightful film.
Mature, sensible people
prefer these wonderful films
of the past compared to
present day modern (if you
pardon the expression) junk.
The 53rd Street Library also
presented Dog Day Afternoon, by Sydney
Lumet, USA, 1975, based on a true story of a bank
robbery in Brooklyn. A neurotic bank robber (Al
Pacino) robs a bank to obtain money for his male
lover's sex change operation. However, he is forced to
remain in the bank with the bank employees, when the
police surround the bank, as he tries to arrange his
escape. The acting is believable and realistic, and
Pacino, in virtually every scene, is superb, and
dominates this unforgettable picture. It is again one of
those films from the past by a fine director, that makes
today's new film seem immature for mindless audiences.
The Suitcase Under the Bed,
by Teresa Deevy,
at Theatre Row, The Beckett Theatre, is a production of
the esteemed Mint Theater Company. It consists of four
short one-act plays, acted by seven marvelous actors in
multiple roles, directed expertly by Jonathan
Bank. As a neglected Irish playwright, the company
has rediscovered this clever Irish playwright, and has
already presented some of her full length plays. In each
of these one-act plays, a young woman faces the
possibility of a marriage, or in one case, watching her
two brothers and their wives, while she faces a future
as a spinster. All the ladies compromise in their choice
of husbands. The four ladies in the cast are excellent,
but outstanding in three of the plays is Sarah
Nicole Deaver (photo below). The three male actors
(two in the photo below) are equally fine. We
congratulated the cast at the opening night party at
West Bank Cafe.
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