On the Town With Aubrey Reuben
Where All the Stars Shine Brightly!
June 28, 2014
06-24-14
Honorees Andy Karl and Anika Noni Rose received the Inside Broadway
2014 Broadway Beacon Awards at JW Marriott Essex House. 160 Central
Park South. Monday night. 06-23-14
Off-Broadway, When
We Were Young and
Unafraid, by Sarah
Treem, is
an overlong,
overstuffed play,
that takes place in
1972 in a bed and
breakfast on an
island off the coast
of Seattle. The
owner Cherry
Jones, when not
baking muffins,
gives shelter to
abused women, one of
whom is Zoe
Kazan. The
endless themes
include domestic
abuse, abortion,
lesbianism, racism,
fellatio, divorce
and others too
numerous to mention.
Each actor preaches
relentlessly. It is
exhausting, and
totally
unbelievable.
Donogoo, by Jules
Romains,
translated and
directed by Gus
Kaikkonen, is
a comedy in 23
tableaux (scenes).
Unfortunately, it is
not very funny, and
the play itself is
rather dull. It is
about a scheme to
get unsuspecting
people to invest in
a gold mine in
a non-existant town
in Brazil. However,
the many projections
by Roger
Hanna & Price
Johnston are
imaginative and
quite well done, and
are a pleasure to
see
American Ballet
Theatre (ABT)
presented Giselle,
music by Adolphe
Adam, staged
by Kevin
McKenzie. It
is a delightful
production, made
even more
enchanting by
the presence of Alina
Cojocaru in
the title role.
She is a joy to
behold, charming
and perfect in
technique. David
Hallberg,
substituting for Herman
Cornejo,
partnered her
expertly. Yuriko
Kajiya was
impressive in
the Peasant
Pas de Deux in
the first act.
The wilis, led
by Stella
Abrea, were
superb. It was a
memorable
performance.
ABT also
presented Swan
Lake, music
by Tchaikovsky,
choreography by Kevin
McKenzie. Alina
Cojocaru was
injured and Hee
Seo replaced
her. This was
the second time
this week,
because Gillian
Murphy was
injured during
the opening
night
performance, and
Hee Seo was
called on to
replace her
during that
performance.
Odette-Odile is
a very demanding
role and Hee Seo
is scheduled to
perform on June
28. She gave a
very competent
performance on
Friday night,
and I wish her
good luck
tonight if she
performs as
scheduled. Robert
Bolle replaced Herman
Cornejo as
Prince Siegried
and was an
ardent,
supportive
prince.
The Inside
Broadway 2014
Broadway Beacon
Awards at
the JW Marriott
Essex House was
a splendid
affair. The
reception
featured
delicious food
and exquisite
wines, followed
by the awards
ceremony and
entertainment.
was a splendid
affair. Among
the honorees
were Andy
Karl and Anika
Noni Rose,
who received
their well
deserved awards.
The CD release
party for Himself
and Nora was
held at 353
West. Among the
guests were
director Michael
Bush,
composer,
lyricist and
book Jonathan
Brielle, Liliane
Montevecchi and
James Morgan. It
was a delightful
event.
I rarely eat
cereal, but Kellogg's
Cereal and Milk held
a week of
tastings at a
venue on Seventh
Ave and 54th St.
I tasted a Kellogg's
Recharge Bar
Combo called Berry
au Lait,
consisting of
Kellogg's
Frosted Mini-Wheats,
Milk Bar Cereal
Milk, ground
coffee and fresh
raspberries. It
was delicious. I
returned to make
one of my own
combinations
with Kellogg's
Raisin Bran,
Milk Bar Cereal
Milk, Fresh
Blueberries and
Strawberries.
Again, it was
scrumptious. I
guess I will be
eating lots of
Kellogg's Cereal
and Milk for the
rest of my life.
.
.
|
The Film Society at Lincoln Center is presenting
press screenings of the 13th
New York Asian Film Festival, June 27-July 14.
A press conference was held at he Hong Kong
Economic & Trade Office with Film Director Alan
Mak Overhead
3, director/screenwriter Felix
Chong Overhead 3 and
actress Sandra
Ng Golden
Chicken. It was an informative session, and
the speakers were amusing and charming..
MoMA is presenting ongoing An
Auteurist History of Film. Aguirre,
der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God),
by Werner
Herzog, Germany,
1973, is an imaginative story of the
historical conquistador of the title (Klaus
Kinski) leading his men while searching
for the fabled City of Gold, El Dorado,
along the Amazon River. The expedition is a
disaster. As they progress on a large raft
along the river, they are afflicted
with hunger, fever, hallucinations, and they
are all eventually killed by the natives,
attacking them with spears and arrows. It is
a grim look at a brutal period in the
history of the conquest of Latin America by
Spain.
Film Life's 18th Annual American
Black Film Festival presented Life
Essentials with Ruby Dee, by Muta'
Ali, U.S.A. 2014, a deeply personal
documentary by her grandson. After the
death of his grandfatherOssie
Davis, the grandson interviews his
grandmother, Ruby
Dee, for guidance in his own life.
Besides receiving her wisdom after a
successful 56 years of marriage, a
fulfilling career in the Arts on stage,
film and television, and an active
political leadership in the Civil Rights
Movement in the fight for equal rights,
he has made a charming, delightful film.
It is truly the jewel of the festival.
Filmgoers will be inspired by this
magnificent couple, and understand why
they were considered the king and queen
of Black Hollywood. I knew them, wrote
about them, photographed them, admired
them, and I miss them.
Marius, by Daniel
Auteuil, France, 2013, is based on
the writings of Marcel
Pagnol. The first film of a trilogy
is about a young man (Raphael Personnaz),
working in his father's bar, yearning to
go to sea to see the world, but torn
between leaving and marrying his
childhood sweetheart, Fanny (Victoire
Belezy). The resolution of this
conflict is the main story. However, the
film is full of a wonderful assortment
of characters, that includes his father
Cesar (Daniel
Auteul), Fanny's worried mother (Marie-Anne
Chazel), a wealthy business man (Jean-Pierre
Darroussin), who would like to marry
Fanny, and many more. The acting is
superb, the dialogue is intelligent and
realistic, the plot is absorbing and the
photography is beautiful. I eagerly
await the second film entitled Fanny.
Film Forum
is presenting A
Hard Day's Night, by Richard
Lester, U.K. 1964, from July 4 to
July 17 as a 50th Anniversary release. I
attended a press screening of the newly
restored film with new surround sound.
The film is about the Beatles taking
a train journey to play a television
concert in London. It is a chaotic
series of adventures by the four young
men. The film was made immediately after
their astounding success in the United
States. For avid Beatles fans, the
highlight is the closing concert in the
television studio, where they perform a
series of their popular songs. 50 years
later, while one must give credit for
all the experimental techniques employed
by the film, one realizes that the film
itself reveals that the four young men
are really devoid of much personality
and charisma. The extended scenes of Ringo alone
wandering around London, going into a
pub, strolling by a canal and being
arrested is not funny, just pointless,
and Wilfred
Brambell, playing Paul
McCartney's grandfather, is just
plain annoying and irritating.
Fortunately, the hysterical teenage
girls grew up and the Beatles broke up,
and sanity returned to the popular music
world. However, as an historical
document of a certain period in popular
music, the film is worth a visit.
06-28-14 (L-R) Director/screenwriter Felix Chong "Overheard 3". Sandra Ng
"Golden Chicken". director AlanMak "Overheard 3" at a press conference for
the 2014 New York Asian Film Festival at the Hong Kong Economic & Trade
Office. 115 East 54th St. Friday afternoon. 06-27-14
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