Off-Broadway, CQ/CX, by Gabe
McKinley, is a well acted play about a young, ambitious
African-American who wants to succeed at a powerful newspaper in New
York. It is based on actual events that took place at the New York
Times, when a reporter plagiarized and make up false stories, and
shamed the paper and the profession.
Tokio Confidential, words and music by
Eric Schorr, is an interesting chamber musical about an
American widow (a superb Jill Paice), who arrives in Japan in
1879 and falls in love with a Japanese tattoo artist, whom she
persuades to make a work of art on her back. A reception with sake
and plum brandy took place in the lobby of the theatre on opening
night.
The revival of How I Learned to Drive,
by Paula Vogel, is a disturbing play about an uncle, who
sexually abuses his niece as he teaches her to drive. Norbert Leo
Butz and Elizabeth Reaser are terrific in the leading
roles.
The Broken Heart, by John Ford, is a
1629 play rarely performed in New York. We can thank the Theatre for
a New Audience and a splendid cast for bringing us this unusual
play. Julie Taymor attended the opening night and the party
at Gallagher's Steak House. Her niece Danya Taymor was the
assistant director.
The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G,
by Qui Nguyen, is an amusing play about a Vietnamese agent
returning to Vietnam to avenge the deaths of his family. It
interrupts the action with songs and appearances from the
playwright. It is a lively production. The opening night party took
place at Albert Hall Tavern.
The New York City Encores! has presented
Merrily We Role Along, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim,
which was a flop thirty years ago on Broadway. Reworked many times,
the present version is much better than the original, and I found it
quite enjoyable. The wonderful songs and hardworking cast made it a
delight for the enthusiastic audience.
The cast of The Broadway Musicals of 1946
celebrated in the party room of The Town hall. Among the stars
performing were Tom Wopat, Noah Racey, Alice Ripley and
Marilyn Maye. As always, creator, writer and host Scott Siegel
presents a fabulous show.
Stacy Keach, Stockard Channing and
Rachel Griffiths received their caricatures at Sardi's. Their
fellow cast members of Other Desert Cities, Judith Light
and Justin Kirk, as well as playwright Jon Robin Baitz
and director Joe Mantello attended.
Jane Powell and Dickie Moore
dined at Chez Josephine on Valentine's Day, and later that night,
Liza Minnelli and Lionel Casseroux. They could not have
chosen a more romantic spot.
Black Tie Magazine celebrated Couture
Fashion Week with three days of runway shows at the Waldorf
Astoria, Among the many guests at the VIP cocktail reception, the
Editor-in-Chief Joyce Brooks introduced me to Jet Art Fashion
designer of denims and scarves Princess Tarinan von Anhalt.
It was a lovely event.
There was a wonderful program at the New York
City Ballet, featuring three glorious ballets by Balanchine
and a new version of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's
The Seven Deadly Sins, choreographed and directed by Lynne
Taylor-Corbett, which, unfortunately, was unimaginative and
disappointing. Sara Means and Teresa Reichlen were
superb in Concerto Barocco, Tiler Peck and Daniel
Ulbricht marvelous in Tarantella, and the whole cast
delightful in Vienna Waltzes.
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Rendezvous of French Cinema 2012 March 1-11 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center began their press screenings. Smugglers' Songs, by Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche, 2011, is about a band of smugglers, who continue the work of Louis Mandrin, a folk hero of the 18th century, selling tobacco and fabrics to French peasants. Living a free life, they immortalized their departed leader in song, which they printed and distributed to the poor. It is a beautiful film, with glorious photography, that captures realistically life in the 18th century.
The Screen Illusion, by Mathieu Amalric, 2011, is a modernized version of the classic play by Corneille. It tells of the search by a father for his son, missing for ten years, with the help of a concierge in a luxurious hotel in Paris. Lovers of classical theatre may enjoy the bold, imaginative take in this version. The Well-Digger's Daughter, by Daniel Auteuil, 2011, is a warm hearted film that takes place on the eve of World War I in Southern France. The poor daughter of the title falls in love with a wealthy shopkeeper's son with sad consequences. It is a well made tearjerker, with beautiful photography, which captures the atmosphere of the period realistically. It moves at a slow, lyrical pace, with superb acting, especially by Auteuil as the well-digger, a conservative patriarch of the family and an exquisite Astrid Berges-Frisbey as his daughter. I recommend it highly. It will tug at your heart strings. Free Men, by Ismael Ferroukhi, 2011, is another film I recommend highly. It takes place in Paris during the German occupation in World War II.
The Muslims at the Grand Mosque provide shelter to North African Jews and fake IDs. It is a rarely told story, based on real people and events, although the protagonist, played splendidly by Tahar Rahim, is a fictional character. It is a powerful and impressive film. The next film I cannot recommend. Americano, by Mathieu Demy, 2011, who unfortunately also acts and wrote this very unpleasant film, tells the story of a a young man who travels from Paris to Los Angeles to claim his dead mother's body to be buried in France, while also selling her apartment, which he believes he has inherited. He takes a trip to Tijuana, where he believes his mother's Mexican friend is living, which turns into a nightmare. Three fine actresses, Chiara Mastroianni, Geraldine Chaplin and Salma Hayek play his girlfriend, his mother's American friend and a Mexican prostitute, respectively, in embarrassing roles, which add little to their reputation. The film is unbelievable, nasty and excruciating. The Snows of Kilimanjaro, by Robert Guediguian, is a warm-hearted tale about a middle-aged couple, who live a comfortable life with their family in Southern France. A brutal home invasion upends their peaceful existence, and they begin to see their views regarding social problems change, especially upon learning that one of their assailants is unemployed and has to care for his two young brothers abandoned by their parents. It is a serious film that explores social evils that pervade modern society, and the acting is first rate, especially by Ariane Ascaride and Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the middle-aged couple. It is one of the best films of the festival. The Painting, by Jean-Francois Laguionie, 2011, is a clever animated film about an uncompleted painting, which causes problems for some of the people who are only partially painted and for others who are only sketched. It is appropriate for children of all ages.
Putin's Kiss, by Lise Birk Pederen, was given a special screening at the Core Club, with a Q & A afterwards with the director and a cocktail reception. Masha Drokova is a young lady who rises in the Russian youth movement Nashi. When she makes friends with anti-Putin journalists, especially Oleg Kashin, her life and ideas begin to change. When Kashin is savagely attacked and almost killed, she leaves the movement and speaks out against the crime. It is a searing indictment of the current Russian government and its repression of opposition political parties. It is a strong, powerful documentary, and one can only hope that Drokova and Kashin and Russia survive this horror.
02-12-12
Cast
members
Benjamin
McHugh
and
Jill
Paice
at
the
opening
night
party
for
"Tokio
Confidential"
in
the
lobby
of
Atlantic
Theater
Stage
2.
330
West
16h
St.
Saturday
night
12-11-12 |