It is laudable to offer the
opportunity for deaf actors to
appear on Broadway. A revival of Spring
Awakening, book and lyrics by Steven
Sater, music by Duncan
Sheik, based on a play by Frank
Wedekind, at the Brooks Atkinson
Theatre, features deaf actors, Daniel
N. Durant and Sandra
Mae Frank, in two of the three
leading roles, with two speaking and
singing actors behind them, while
they use their hands for American
Sign Language. The third leading
actor, Austin
P. McKenzie, speaks and sings,
but also uses his hands to sign. The
entire cast, consisting of speaking
and deaf actors, sign throughout the
performance. The musical has a
pop/rock score, consisting of mainly
guitars and percussion amplified at
an ear-splitting level. It takes
place in a repressive provincial
German town in the 1890s. A group of
adolescents are sexually obsessed,
and we see graphic examples of
pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality,
masturbation, suicide, and partial
nudity. The minimal set design by Dane
Laffrey consists
of mainly huge movable metal
ladders, with characters walking up
and down for no discernible reason.
The cast works tirelessly, under the
direction of Michael
Arden.
Off-Broadway, The
Quare Land, by John
McManus, is a production of the
Irish Repertory Theatre. It is a two
character play, about a hotel owner
(Rufus Collins),
who makes an unannounced visit to
the home of a man (Peter
Maloney) who is taking a bath,
his first in four years. He wants to
purchase a field from him. The two
actors give fine performances, under
the expert direction of Ciaran
O'Reilly. It is a funny play of
an intermissionless 80 minutes, with
a surprising ending. We celebrated
the opening night with a party at
Shades of Green, with Tony
Walton, John
McEnroe (the
father, not the tennis player} and
the cast and creative team.
There was a lovely party for Renee
Elise Goldberry, who is on the
cover of the September issue of the
glossy magazine Resident. It took
place in apartment 54B, One57 West
57thSt, with spectacular views of
the city. The delicious food was
served from Il Valentino Osteria,
accompanied by exquisite cocktails.
It was a delightful evening.
I attended Bright
Lights Shining Stars, a benefit
for NYC Dance Alliance Foundation at
NYU Skirball Center. The marvelous
program of song and dance began
after a cocktail reception. Among
the speakers were Executive Director Joe
Lanteri, Catherine
Zeta-Jones, Robert Fairchild and Phylicia
Rashad, whose sister Debbie
Allen was
honored with the Ambassador For The
Arts Award. As Debbie Allen was
nominated twice for Tony Awards,
there were two selections from Sweet
Charity and West
Side Story, in
which she appeared on
Broadway. There was an after-party
buffet on the 10th floor after the
program. It was a wonderful evening.
The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation
raises funds to give scholarships
for college to students who are
preparing for a professional career
as dancers. It is a most worthy
cause, and the performance by many
of the students was at a high
professional level. Executive
Director Joe Lanteri can be proud of
what his organization has achieved.
Geraldo Rivera is
on the September 2015 cover of 25A
Magazine, and we celebrated with a
party at Four Cuts Steakhouse, 1076
First Avenue, with delicious hors
d'oeuvres and fine wines.
Shirley MacLaine received
the Rolex Dance Award presented by Michael
Douglas and Catherine
Zeta-Jones at
the Career
Transition For Dancers 30th Anniversary
Pearl Jubilee at
City Center. It was a wonderful
dance program.
Omara Reyes is
the charming owner of an exquisite
jewel of a restaurant Aqua Marina,
featuring Italian Cuisine, at 4060
Broadway, corner of 171st St. We
tasted a large selection of
delicious dishes, with two
appetizers, (one was stuffed
mushrooms), four entrees, (one was
Veal Saltimbocca) and a sweet
dessert. This, accompanied by fine
wines, was a dinner for a king. For
a marvelous dining experience, visit
Aqua Marina.
There
was a photo op for Allegiance,
book Jay
Kuo, music Marc
Acito, directed by Stafford
Arima, starring George
Takei and Lea
Salonga at the Longacre Theatre.
We saw three selections of songs
from the show about Japanese
Americans interned during World War
II, based on a true story. The
musical opens on November 8, and I
eagerly await the opening night.
The Hungarian composer/pianist Havasi played
four selections of his music at a
press conference at the Cutting
Room, 44 East 32nd St. He looks
like a rock star, displays a great
deal of charisma, and is a talented
musician. He is appearing in his
debut in the United States at
Carnegie Hall on Monday, October 26,
with guest star Lisa
Gerrard. I
will be there.
MoMA presented Ingrid
Bergman: A Centennial Celebration until
September 10. To celebrate her 100th
birthday, her children chose and introduced many
of her films. Viaggio
in Italia (Journey
to Italy), by Roberto
Rossellini, Italy,
1954, starred Ingrid
Bergmanand George
Sanders as
an unhappily married English couple traveling to
Naples to sell a property they had inherited.
The two stars are terrific. Sanders is bored in
Naples, sarcastic, and despises the Italians and
their culture. Bergman is a romantic, who visits
museums, churches, and the ruins of Pompeii.
They fight constantly, but it has a surprising
ending when they are caught in the midst of of a
Neapolitan festival. It is a pleasure to see
such wonderful actors on the screen.
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Hostsonaten (Autumn
Sonata), by Ingmar
Bergman, Sweden, 1978, is a somber look
at a mother (Ingrid
Bergman) and daughter (Liv
Ullmann) relationship. The daughter felt
neglected as a child and grew up with
feelings of hatred towards her classical
pianist mother, who was always on tour,
abandoning the family. When the mother comes
to visit her daughter, after not seeing her
in seven years, there is a violent verbal
explosion between them. The mother leaves
the next day. The acting, by the two stars,
is simply spendid. The subject matter,
however, is depressing. There is not one
light moment in the film.
I went to HOOTERS, 155 West 33rd St, when
they had the kick-off of the 2016 Swimwear
Calendar. The beautiful girls sign the
calendars, the 30th Annual Calendar, and the
customers could not have been happier. It is
one of most attractive events of the year.
The
53rd New York Film Festival September
25-October 14 continued its press
screenings with Mountains
May Depart, by Jia
Zhangke, China/France/Japan, 2015. It is
in three parts. In part I, in 1999 Shen Tao
(Zhao Tao)
has to choose a husband between Zhang (Zhang
Li) and Langzi (Liang
Jin Dong). In part II. 1n 2014 she is
separated from her husband, and he has
custody of their son. In the final part, in
2025, the son and the father, now living in
Australia, cannot relate to each other, and
separate. Families, whether in China or the
rest of the world, have problems, and in
this film one senses that the director
regrets the changes taking place in the
modern world. The photography is beautiful,
and the actress Zhao Tao gives an appealing
performance.
Carol, by Todd
Haynes, USA, 2015, is about a humorless,
middle aged suburban mother (Cate
Blanchett) attracted
to a young shopgirl (Rooney
Mara). When the husband takes custody of
her daughter, Blanchett and Mara take a road
trip across the United States. They fall in
love. The film is slow moving, and the love
affair is unbelievable. The two actresses
are fine, but the film is excruciating to
watch.
Maggie's Plan, by Rebecca
Miller, USA, 2015, is about three
neurotic people, working in universities in
New York. Greta
Gerwig is
at the New School, and wants to have a baby. Ethan
Hawke (an
adjunct professor at the same school) is
married to Julianne
Moore(a domineering personality, is a
professor at Columbia University). They are
parents of two children. Hawke meets Gerwig,
divorces his wife, marries Gerwig, and
becomes a father to a daughter. We see the
film in two parts. The second part takes
place after a couple of years, where Gerwig
realizes she is supporting a pathetic,
frustrated novelist, and decides to
manipulate Hawke into remarrying Moore.
Miller also wrote the ridiculous screenplay,
that may delight college educated women, who
fantasize about being single mothers.
The Treasure/Comoara, by Corneliu
Porumboiu, Romania, 2015, is about Costi
(Cuzin
Toma), who lends a neighbor (Adian
Purcarescu) some money to
find treasure, that his grandfather had
buried in his garden. They hire a man with a
metal detector, and the three men go digging
up the garden. It is a mild, painless
comedy, with a happy ending.
Right Now, Wrong Turn, by Hong
Sangsoo, South Korea, 2015, is the same
two stories, which, with some few changes in
the dialogue, result in two different
endings, one happy and one sad. A film
director (Jung
Jaeyoung) comes to small town to screen
one of his films and give a speech to some
students. He meets a young painter (Kim
Minhee), and spends the day with her. He
is much older and married, but they both
become drunk on soju, a Korean alcoholic
drink. He attempts to seduce her. The
dialogue, in both parts, is natural, and the
two actors are charming. The film develops
in a leisurely style, and is quite lovely.
My Golden Days/ Trois Souvenirs de ma
jeunesse, by Arnaud
Desplechin, France, 2015, is, perhaps,
an autobiographical film. If so, the
filmmaker reveals himself as an unpleasant
person. Mathieu
Amalric recalls
memories of his past. As a child, he hates
his mother, and is thrown out of his home.
As a teenager, he goes to Russia on a school
trip, where he gives his passport away. The
main story, is his love affair as a teenager
(Quentin
Dolmaire) with another unpleasant
personality, Esther (Lou
Roy-Lecollinet). Watching the two emote
and whine is insufferable. The epilogue,
where Amalric meets an old friend and his
wife, and displays his bitterness towards
him, shows how obnoxious the filmmaker is.
Where To Invade Next, by Michael
Moore, USA, 2015, is a travelogue to
various countries, where the filmmaker
thinks they have virtues that the United
States could acquire. For example, in
Portugal taking illegal drugs is not a
crime. In Norway, a model prison has the
prisoners leading an enjoyable life, while
their only problem is being the lack of
freedom. In Iceland, bankers, who caused the
economic meltdown, are prosecuted, and sent
to jail. He idolizes Italy, where there are
many paid vacations for workers, and
holidays, and two hour lunches. There is
also archival footage of many prisoners
being beaten by police in the USA. It is a
harmless film, with, occasionally, funny
moments. The photography of the beautiful
scenery is pleasant to watch.
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