Off-Broadway, Harry Clarke, by David
Cale, at the Vineyard Theatre, is a
one man play starring Bill
Crudup, directed by Leigh
Silverman. At 8-years of age in
South Bend , Indiana, he assumes an
English accent, and later changes his
name to the title character. He
insinuates himself in society on the
East coast, and engages in drugs,
bisexuality, vulgar language and
profanity. For the talented
actor, it more of an acting exercise
than an 80-minute play.
On Broadway, Farinelli
and the King, by Claire
van Kampen, at the Belasco Theatre,
is an historical drama about
King Philippe V of Spain (1683-1746),
who was mad, and could not sleep, and
his wife persuaded a famous castrato
Farinelli (acted by Sam Crane and
sung by countertenor Iestyn
Davies) to come to the court and
sing to him. His singing helped the
king sleep. For people who like costume
dramas, this play may suffice. For
people who enjoy listening to arias by
Handel, this may be their cup of tea.
For people who enjoy Mark
Rylance, as the king, cavorting on
stage, and breaking the fourth wall in
the beginning of the second
act by talking to the audience seated in
the first rows, they may care for his
performance. Otherwise, it is an
overlong production, which would not
thrill a typical Broadway audience. Among
the guests opening night whom I chatted
with at the theatre were Jim
Dale, Simon Jones. Keri Russell, Matthew
Rhys, who
sat next to me, and Joel
Grey, (photobelow) who
sat behind me.
A wonderful evening was
held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage,
where Jerry
Zaks (photo
below) was honored at Broadway:
A Jewish American Legacy Winter Gala
Concert.
It began with a marvelous reception with
delicious food, wine and cocktails. The
concert in the Edmond J. Safra
Hall, presented by the National Yiddish
Theatre Folksbiene, featured many
Broadway performers, like David
Hyde Pierce, Terrence Mann, Douglas
Sills, Ron Rifkin, Sheldon Harnick,
Gavin Creel, Katrina Lenk, Liz Larsen,
Judy Blazer and
many more singing popular Broadway songs
in English and Yiddish.
|
Victor Garber presented
the award to Jerry. The evening
concluded with a dessert reception after
the concert. The end of a perfect
evening.
Ballet fans rejoice! The Film Forum
presented a press screening of Anatomy
of a Male Ballet Dancer, by David
Barba & James
Pellerito, USA, 2017, which will be
shown January 3-16. It captures 20 years
of Marcelo
Gomes, the Brazilian leading dancer
with American Ballet Theatre (ABT). It
is a splendid film. We see film of his
attraction to ballet as a child growing
up in Rio de Janeiro, his ballet studies
in Florida, and at the Paris Ballet
School, his rehearsals and performances
around the world in ballets like Swan
Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle and La
Bayadere. It is like a travelogue,
when we see him perform in Brazil,
Russia, Greece and Japan. We also learn
about his family in Brazil and his
personal life in New York City. He
speaks candidly about his emotions and
the injuries that a dancer suffers. It
is one of the finest films ever produced
about ballet. Do not miss it!
The Columbus Library presented White
Christmas,
by Michael
Curtiz,
USA, 1954, starring Bing
Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary
Clooney.
It is the perfect film for the holiday
season. The four stars wind up in
Vermont at an inn, which is facing
bankruptcy owned by the male
stars' former general from World War II.
They decide to put on a show to save the
inn. The film is full of pleasant songs
by Irving
Berlin, wonderful
dances and, of course, the immortal song
of the title.
The library at Lincoln Center presented On
the Waterfront, by Elia
Kazan, USA, 1954, for which Leonard
Bernstein composed the music. Marlon
Brando and Eve
Marie Saint star in this wonderful
film about the tough lives on the docks
of New York, where corrupt union
officials stop at nothing to steal,
murder, and stay in power. The acting is
superb. The
film, director and two stars all won
Oscars.
|