American Ballet Theatre (ABT) presented the most
popular ballet of all time, Swan
Lake, choreography by Kevin
McKenzie after Marius
Petipa and Lev
Ivanov, music by Peter
Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, The Metropolitan Opera
House was packed, and the audience was
delighted, bestowing thunderous ovations to Gillian
Murphy, (Odette-Odile), James
Whiteside (Prince Siegfried), substituting
for Alexandre
Hammoudi, and Aran
Bell, who performed as von Rothbart in Act
III: The Great Hall scene. Joseph
Gorak (Benno) excelled in the Pas de Trois
in Act I. Tchaikovsky composed the most
beautiful, melodic music, and the orchestra
played the score wonderfully, under David
LaMarche. Nights like this are
unforgettable.
We went to Bloom's Tavern, 208 East 58th St, to
celebrate Bloom's
Day. We
ate a typical Irish Breakfast with Mimosas. The
Consul General Ciaran
Madden of
Ireland addressed the guests, and various actors
and musicians read selections from Ulysses by James
Joyce,
published June 16, 1904, and sang Irish songs.
It was a very entertaining event hosted by the
Origin Theatre Company.
As we walked past the August Wilson Theatre on
West 52nd St, we met understudy Becca
Petersen, who replaced vacationing Taylor
Louderman in Mean Girls. Becca is a
charming actress from Indiana, and posed for a
photo outside the theatre.
The Off Broadway Alliance Winners's Reception took
place at Sardi's. The OBA President Peter
Bregerintroduced the honorees and winners.
Among the honorees were Jo Bonney, Andre De
Shields, David Rabe and Carol Rosegg. Among
the winners were Billy Crudup for Best
Solo Performance in HarryClarke, Best New
Musical Desperate Measures, Best New
Play Transfers, and Best Revival The
Government Inspector starring the brilliant Michael
Urie. It is always a pleasant event.
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Lonesome Blues,
written by Alan
Grovenar and Akin
Babatunde, is
a production of the York Theatre Company. Blind
Lemon Jefferson (1893-1929),
performed by Akin Babatunde, accompanied by David
Weiss, playing
guitar, is directed by Katherine
Owens. Akin
sings, for 85 minutes, the blues songs he
became renowned for, and he was an important
influence for the famous performers who came
after him. The opening night party took
place at Club Bonafide, 212 East 52nd St.
Skintight, by Joshua
Harmon, is a production of the
Roundabout Theatre Company. A daughter (Idina
Menzel) flies to New York to surprise
her father for his 70th birthday. He is
living with a 20-year-old young man. Her
20-year-old son also arrives, and is
attracted to his grandfather's lover. The
daughter is not pleased. The six member cast
is directed by Daniel
Aukin. The play is overlong and tedious.
Conflict: A Love Story, by Miles
Malleson, at the Beckett Theatre at
Theatre Row, is a production of The Mint
Theater Company. The playwright liked to
write about love and politics. Well, he has
done precisely that in this wonderful play.
An outstanding seven member cast is directed
expertly by Jenn
Thompson. The two leads, Jeremy
Beck as a candidate for the Labour
Party, and Jessie
Shelton, (photo of both actors below) as
a pampered upper class young lady, daughter
of a Lord, are perfectly cast, and are
brilliant actors. It is one of the best
shows of the season, and I photographed the
two leading actors at the opening night
party at West Bank Cafe, 407 West 42nd St.
I attended the opening night party for Vitaly:
An Evening of Wonders at The Palm, 250
West 50th St, where I met his proud parents,
who came for his opening from Israel. I
photographed Vitaly, (photo below)
who is a charming young man with a passion
for magic. I will attend his performance at
the Westside Theatre later this month.
Noel Ashman had a birthday party at the
Bryant Park Hotel. We, unfortunately arrived
late and had to leave early. Celon,
the downstairs area, was packed with many
celebrity guests, enjoying the disco music.
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