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American Ballet Theatre (ABT)
presented Le
Corsaire, staged by Anna-Marie
Holmes, with music by a variety of
composers. It was one of the most
enjoyable productions that I have seen
in years. The first act was simply
amazing. Maria
Kochetkova (Medora),Sarah
Lane (Gulnare), Hernan
Cornejo (Conrad), Craig
Salstein (Birbanto), Jeffrey
Cirio (Ali)
and Danil
Simkin (Landendem)
all danced wonderfully, but Lane and
Simkin were outstanding. Also in the
first act, the three Odalisques, Skylar
Brandt, Luciana Paris and Christine
Shevchenko were
superb. In the second act, Kochetkova,
Cornejo and Cirio dominated the stage,
and were equally outstanding. Charles
Barker conducted
the orchestra, which played the
sparkling music by five composers
perfectly. It was a glorious night at
the ballet, and the principal dancers
named left me overwhelmed by their
brilliance.
Michael Presser and
the Board of Directors of Inside
Broadway presented Creating
the Magic with Les Miserables at
the Imperial Theatre for hundreds of
school children, who will be the future
theater audiences. Four members of the
cast performed selections from the
musical, and crew members explained how
the set, sound, and lighting worked to
create the magic of the performance. It
was a delightful program, which the
young audience enjoyed, judging by their
enthusiastic applause.
At MoMA, there is a
wonderful series Universal Pictures:
Restorations and Rediscoveries 1928-1937
until June 15. I saw Show
Boat, by James
Whale, USA, 1936, starring Irene
Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger,
Helen Morgan and Paul
Robeson. It
is a superb film, with great music
and magnificent singing by Dunne, Jones,
Morgan, and, especially, Robeson.
Winninger steals every scene with his
comical acting. I enjoyed every moment
of this memorable film, a perfect screen
version of a brilliant Broadway musical.
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Theatre critic Matt
Windman has
just written a marvelous book, which every theater
lover should read. The
Critics Say...57 Theater Reviewers in New York and
Beyond Discuss Their Craft and its Future.
The questions are probing. The replies are
intelligent. Matt reviews theater for amNewYork and
writes a theater column on Monday in Newsday. If you
care about theatre, read this book!
We had the pleasure of dining with our friends George DiStefano and
his lovely wife at Cafe
Altro Paradiso, 234 Spring Street. George is
the President of Unity Construction Group, which
built the lovely, sleek restaurant, which was
packed the night we dined there. The food is
delicious and the wine list is extensive. It is,
of course, an Italian restaurant, but its menu
contains a wide variety of delectable
selections. I can assure you, it will be one of
your most enjoyable dining out experiences!
My wife and I attended the Annual
Joseph Sirola's Champagne & Roses Soiree at
his penthouse, where he has a rooftop garden
full of wonderful plants, including his
signature roses. He is is celebrating the 50th
Anniversary of his party. Famous as an actor on
stage, film and television, he is now producing
plays on Broadway and Off-Broadway, most
recently the excellent Cagney at
the Westside Theatre. Delicious food was served
on his terrace, and we had a wonderful time
chatting with his many friends, including Bill
Boggs,KT
Sullivan, Jamie DeRoy and Eric
Purcell, who happens to be Monique
van Vooren's son. It was a swell party.
It is always a pleasure to attend a caricature
unveiling at Sardi's Restaurant, especially for
actors we admire. Cast members Jayne
Houdyshell and Reed
Birney, starring in The
Humans, were honored. Two of their fellow
cast members, Cassie
Beck and Sarah
Steele, introduced the honorees and told us
how much they were inspired by the two veteran
actors. Many friends from Broadway were present
for the occasion, and I had the pleasure to
greet Michael Urie, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and
producer Scott Rudin, among the many celebrities
at the event.
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