The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

Last Monday, our class all went out to see Aida at the MoMA. It felt like a very grand experience even before going there. All proper Operagoers wear proper clothing and I felt that it was going to be a classy night out hours before I got there.
Sitting down, we had places very high up; in the last row in fact. All of this we all know however, seeing as we all went to the opera.

My opinion of the Opera was in general a negative one; but like a lot of us I was glad that I went. My first gripe starts with the performance. We we’re indeed seated very high but you could tell that the acting was put plainly pretty bad. Basically all it entailed was the actors moving to certain parts of the stage and singing their lyrics. When I did get to see glimmers of their faces, they seemed expressionless and more involved in the song they were singing rather than the story of Aida. Also the points in the story that involved physicality were executed so poorly. One scene that stuck out to me was the part where the king of Ethiopia condemns Aida for not following his plan to betray Ramades. They two hardly made any real eye contact and the way he pushed her was so fake and so was the way she pathetically fell to the ground. Now I know the Opera isn’t supposed to focus on the acting and many of the best actors of Opera aren’t those who have the best acting but rather those who have the best voices. But as someone who isn’t a fan of the music, it leaves nothing to be appreciated. If I can’t enjoy the music I should at least be able to appreciate the performance on stage; and in this case I didn’t.
This leads me to the next gripe I had, which is just a personal block for me. The music for Opera really isn’t for me. First off, the way the Opera is formatted already presented a problem. In my opinion the recitative is not a good way of portraying the music that the composer wants to create and feels very limited as a listener. The fact that the music is supposed to carry the story and doesn’t include the instrumental accompaniment already places an element of B.S. As an outsider to the genre is seems like an unnecessary filler and seems like a conflict between music and acting., and in my opinion you shouldn’t have both music and acting if it takes away from either art form which to me it did. Also I felt that what Opera really is seems like a contention for who has the deepest and seemingly most impressive voice rather than what sounds most musically beautiful. I listened to some of the instrumental/orchestral parts of the opera and I really enjoyed them. Aida’s theme was very catchy and I liked it. But as soon as I heard the vocals, all I could think is that this is showing off how long you can yodel. It annoyed me because when I listen to trance music I love hearing some operatic vocals hymned over the electronic instrumental. That being said I can’t belittle this form of art too much and I thought about a way to understand why anyone would like this and found that it was very similar to any genres of music where a connoisseur would love certain flares of sound design. So for example I myself love a great bass line in an electronic dance music song or a rock enthusiast would love a singular guitar solo.

What I walked away with was an impression of fakeness throughout the performance. The portrayal of Egypt was strange and I could see how this was a reflection of the pop culture of the time. But like many things in a massed pop culture, it becomes hard to create a timeless piece of work. It appeals to the masses, but masses of a certain age. That age has passed and the appeal of Aida will never reach what it was before. That being said, I’m glad to see what the fuss is all about, and I did make use of dropping knowledge about recitative and aria to my girlfriend, which definitely got a good reaction. I probably not going to see another opera any time soon, but will definitely talk about my experience to others and show off that I went.

I’ve lived in New York City all my life. Every Thanksgiving until I was 11 I would get up early, make my breakfast and proceed to watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. Even though the parade was less than a two-hour travel by public transportation I never went to see it in person. It’s probably because I was the only one in my family who was even slightly interested in gigantic balloons flying over the streets of Manhattan.

It was a last minute decision to go tot eh event. I received a call from one of my friends from high school the night before and she asked if I wanted to go to the parade with her. I was hesitant at first because it was pretty sudden. But I figured that it would be a great experience to finally go to the parade. It’s never been something that I had a strong desire to do, but it was an idea I was open to.

It was a pain just getting up so early. We took the train and managed to get a decent spot near Bryant Park at 6^th avenue and 40^th street. We got on the M train in Middle Village, Queens and got off at the 42^nd street stop. However, it was so packed there (probably because it was right next to the train station) that we had to go to 7^th avenue and walk back to 6^th avenue on 40^th street just to get a better spot.

We thought by being there two hours before the parade started (at 7 a.m.) that we would be able to get a great spot. Turns out that we were horribly wrong. People were there from 4 to 5 in the morning. We were clearly delusional for only being there two hours earlier (trying to be sarcastic). What were we thinking?!

Waiting for two hours for the parade to start isn’t a big deal as long as you have a friend to talk to. I hadn’t seen my friend since August so we had a lot to catch up on, making the two hours fly by.

It was very cold in the early hours of the morning, but as the sun came out the weather was warmer and more bearable. The only problem with the weather came from the wind, which was pretty strong at the time.

After the parade started we enjoyed ourselves. The only problem was that we couldn’t see the performers on the street because the people in the front of us were taller—life as a small person really sucks sometimes. My favorite balloons were Spider-man and Sonic the Hedgehog because they were both big parts of my childhood. Seeing those two in the form of a gigantic balloon was a completely exhilarating experience. We were also able to see some of the singers and performers that were on the floats.  I’d recommend anyone who has ever wanted to go to the parade to do it at least once in his or her life. It’s one of those things that you will be glad to cross off the ol’ bucket list. However, I think it’s enjoyable in person only for a few years because it can become repetitive.

A few days ago, I was walking through Madison Square Park and I saw this exhibition called Buckyball, made by this artist Leo Villareal. It’s this 30-foot tall, illuminated sculpture that is made from LED tubes in geometric figures. This structure changes shape and color as time goes on, creating new figures all the time. Apparently, the artist’s intention was for the different shapes and colors to question our interpretation of time and space. Leo Villareal is known for using basic elements to make us question everyday functions. The sculpture is meant to trigger neurological impulses in our brain that look for patterns and make sense of our environment. I thought it was really cool how each separate interpretation of the BuckyBall represents a more general and philosophical idea. Underneath the BuckyBall are reclining couches that are designed to mimic the park benches. They allow you to view the BuckyBall from different angles as it changes its color and shape. The BuckyBall fits into the NY landscape because it represents the changing seasons and lights of Manhattan. The exhibit lasts through fall and winter, so you can see this exhibit in different settings and environments  which adds to the magic of the exhibit. Even though it’s not a major art exhibit, it’s one of those small things that makes you stop and think about the bigger concepts in life. I hope to see more of these small artistic pieces incorporated into my everyday travels in NY.

Hi guys! This is the blog that I mentioned in class:

http://www.scoutingny.com/

And this is the post I was talking about — with the drowning man art installation.

http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=615

Super cool!

Also, check out this dude. Hanksy  — a la Banksy and Tom Hanks. I usually see his stuff around SoHo, so keep an eye out the next time you go shopping around there.

http://tomhanksy.tumblr.com/

– damla

The performance was good, it wasn’t quite as good as I expected, but then again my expectations were rather high. The story is one that I like, because its like an Operatic version of Romeo and Juliet. There were a few things that I didn’t really like, okay more than just a few.

The first thing I didn’t really like was the first half. There were only a few things in the first half that actually kept me on the edge of my seat. The two best examples were Amneris’ first appearance, where the jealousy theme was played. Whenever that theme begins the accompanying song always sounds better. I loved her voice and how it combined with the instrumental; it literally made me tingle, however weird that sounds. The other thing that I really enjoyed was the dance that was performed as part of the victory scene. I liked the choreography a lot, and when the dances slammed down, I could actually hear them and it even seemed as though I could feel the thuds. Someone said that they seemed out of sync, but I’m pretty sure that they were meant to be that way. It made it seem a little more real. Other than those two moments I feel that the first half of the performance was a bit dull. The only good singer, who expressed emotions well was Amneris.

The second half of the performance was great, though. Once it started, it had me glued to the performance. I liked it so much I turned on the italian subtitles so I could sing along in my head like a geek. I feel like that in the second half the pace just picked up so much that it couldn’t not draw your attention in. I was a little disappointed when it got to the scene between Aida and her father because of how weak the singing and acting seemed compared to the clips we saw in class. other than that and the very last five minutes of the performance, I was enthralled for the last half of the performance. My only problem with the ending is that they drew  it out for so long. They just kept repeating the same thing over and over again, and every time it seems like they are about to end it they start it again! By then Damla and I just gave each other a look, saying, “Oh my god they want us to stay here forever.”

All in all the experience was great. Especially since we had the chance to connect with each other more before and during the performance. I couple of us just hung out for the day before the opera and even grabbed dinner together, while also continuously judging each other.

Here’s what The New York Times had to say about The Met’s production of Verdi’s “Aida” we saw last night.  What do you think?

Greg Broom sent us this article and interview with Melvin Sokolsky, the photographer that inspired him to become a fashion photographer.  What do you think?

And Kenneth Pietrobono’s exhibition The National Rose Garden will be part of SCOPE Miami Art Fair, which runs concurrently with Art Basel Miami.  You can say you met him before he became famous!

The Signature Theatre Company’s production of “The Piano Lesson,” directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, was a worthwhile performance that enabled me to further and greatly appreciate August Wilson’s work for a number of reasons.

Although the play most certainly followed Wilson’s dialogue and instructions to a tee, Boy Willie’s “boyishness,” brashness, and impulsivity are evident. His personality shines on stage incomparably to that of the written version. The power and struggle behind Boy Willie’s words are wonderfully stressed by Brandon J. Dirden’s performance. For example, Boy Willie’s proclamation, “She ain’t got to sell it. I’m gonna sell it. I own just as much of it as she does,” lacks the intensity and passion Dirden provides it with on stage when compared to the text. Charles Isherwood, author of the hyperlinked review of the play’s revival from the New York Times, describes Boy Willie’s entrance beautifully: “He blows into the living room of the house where the play is set like a fierce gust of wind, brimming with excited talk [and] … seems filled to bursting with ambition, excitement, heedless hope.” This could not be a more perfect indication of how ‘alive’ the play is on stage.

Berniece’s character, played by Roslyn Ruff, comes to life in the second half of the play, although her strength and in-your-face attitude are evident from the moment of her appearance on stage.

In contrast to reading the play, Lymon’s child-like spirit and his comedic relief are better seen on stage. The inflections of his voice and gentleness are priceless. A great moment reflecting this is:

Boy Willie: She getting big, Doaker. You remember her, Lymon?

Lymon: She used to be real little.

Another enjoyable moment includes Boy Willie’s remark regarding James Sutter, when Berniece thought she saw Sutter’s ghost, where he says, “The man ain’t never left Marlin County when he was living … and he’s gonna come all he way up here now that he’s dead?” I cannot stress how surprised I was by Dirden’s rendition of Boy Willie; I was quite amazed.

Boy Willie playing boogie-woogie on the piano, Doaker instructing Berniece on which ham hocks to pick up from Logan Street, and the lively singing of “Oh Lord Berta,” amongst others, brought a smile to each member of the audience; entertaining and captivating scenes.

These moments were incredible to watch, but I do have some criticisms as well. For one thing, the second half of the play went by too fast. Reading the play was much more satisfying because the moments sunk in – they did not overwhelm you. The play’s ending, on the other hand, was quite overwhelming – my second problem. Ghosts, flickering lights, screams, pleas, cries, struggle, a booming piano, and other elements that contributed to the chaos of that culminating moment appeared, quite frankly, as excessive – for lack of a better term.

Admittedly, I was hoping Santiago-Hudson would take some creative license and give audiences that ‘Of Mice and Men moment’ many of us, or at least myself, were hoping for – Berniece taking aim and shooting Boy Willie. I remember thinking that I would have preferred to see that scenario unfold rather than the play’s ending – during which one thought ran through my mind: “Wow, overly dramatic.” I now realize that Wilson intended this scene to be an “exorcism and a dressing for battle. A rustle of wind blowing across two continents,” thus requiring the scene to be that ‘over-the-top.’

Before ending, I would like to share a short, but insightful, piece of information Toni Morrison provides, in her foreword of my copy of the play, very accurately and succinctly explaining how The Piano Lesson is representative of the struggle the play’s characters face – “the dilemma of embracing their past as slaves in the thirties.” She notes that Berniece’s unbreakable attachment to the piano “is literally and figuratively her and her ancestors’ history.” Boy Willie’s struggle to sell the piano is not for the mere possession of pocket money; it is a “fierce determination to acquire the slave-owning family’s land is fueled by a history of white violence.” She concludes her analysis with a powerful description of the piano: “the womb and seed of the outrageous personal malice suffered by family members as well as their revenge.”

While I feel that reading the play relays these messages and themes across more readily than viewing its performance, the emotions and visual representation of this message are undoubtedly and exquisitely performed by the Signature Theatre’s cast.

– Salma

Thanks to the fact that there was no school the following morning, I was pretty excited to see the Piano Lesson on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. For some reason, I did not expect a very extravagant play for some reason; I was thinking it would be more of a mediocre type of play, one similar to all the other ones I ever saw and quickly forgot soon afterwards. However, this was not the case, as it left me pondering and reflecting on the comparison between what I had read and what I had just seen.

I should mention that, as I was reading, Berniece was probably my favorite character. To me, she was the epitome of a strong woman, one capable of raising her daughter and shaping her into a strong young woman, regardless of the fact that her husband had died. I admired her ability to put her brother, and the rest of the men, in their places, and was also able to stay put in her decision to keep the piano, and not sell it for any amount of money offered. However, for some odd reason, I found the actress’ portrayal in the play a bit annoying. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but Berniece that I saw on Wednesday was a bit irritating to me. She seemed like a strict mother to everyone, more than anything else. Furthermore, Maretha (her daughter) and Grace seemed to have hardly any real significance. If anything, they served the purpose to highlight, even further, Berniece as a “strict mother” figure.

The play started on a very entertaining note. I loved Boy Willie and Lymon, as well as their interactions with other characters. Whenever the two of them were on stage together, for the most part anyway, the mood of the play was more light-hearted and the audience would often find itself laughing away at Boy Willie’s attitude, or Lymon’s clumsiness. Piano Lesson itself seemed divided into three parts: the beginning, or the entertaining introduction, the middle, or the slower part, and the ending, where the play picked up as it reached its climax. After the intermission, things were moving a bit slow, at least until Lymon started flirting with Berniece (a point at which we are finally reminded that, beneath that hard shell of a strict woman, there is a caring woman in need of a man, who is still mourning the death of her husband).

The ghost-like effects were very well done, with an excellent use of lights and flying curtains. I thought the ending was great, though Berniece’s constant “I want you to help me” screams were slightly awkward, even though they were a part of the original play. Although the ending was powerful, it happened very quickly, and soon afterwards, the actors were bowing and leaving the stage. Overall, I did enjoy the play, and thought it was worth coming home around midnight. Despite my critical viewpoint in certain parts that I discussed, I thought it was powerful and entertaining, for the most part. From the stage, to costumes, to piano, to the actors’ accents, everything seemed immaculate and reflected the effort coming from those working on and behind the stage. My definite favorite part was the singing, which left me pretty much blown away with the passion those actors exhibited. It really influenced my opinion of the play to be more positive.

Hello Everyone,

Take a look at what The New York Times said about tonight’s performance.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Professor Eversley

Like Professor Eversley said, the Joyce Theater was very small.  Surprisingly we were able to sit in the second row, which was great but made watching the dance a little hard later on.  Because we were so close, we could see the dancers breathing and sweating as well as the muscles in every single body part.  Complexions started with “The Curve” that was performed by the company.  I don’t really know that much about Complexions as a company but I think I did learn more from the little breaks where Dwight Rhoden came out to speak with the audience.  It was great that there was a performance from dance students from New Orleans.  Even though they are probably close to us in age, they were obviously more fit and pretty amazing.

My two favorite dances were definitely “Choke” and “Pretty Gritty Suite”. I like that “Choke” was a duet between two men that was face paced and interesting.  Both dances were very dynamic and you can tell that the dancers were very enthusiastic about their performance.  I like that “Pretty Gritty Suite” included all of the whole company just like the first dance, “The Curve”.  Everyone was smiling at the audience and I’m pretty sure the audience was smiling back throughout the dance.

The tambourines in “Pretty Gritty Suite” were very fun and I think they emphasized the differences between modern dance and traditional dance along with the heavy steps and breathing.  In the examples given of traditional dance in class, we’ve learned that traditional dance is very quiet and the dances we saw were completely different.  There were leaps and jumps but most of them ended in heavy landings.  Sound wasn’t ignored or looked over, it was emphasized and actually encouraged.  In “Pretty Gritty Suite”, they wanted the dance to seem lively and loud.  It was very energetic and fun, something that a dance isn’t usually expected to be.  The music was also songs that we may have heard before like “Time After Time” and “Amazing Grace” which surprised me because I thought that the music was going to be classical or just different.

I think that going to see Complexions at the Joyce Theater was a great experience and something that I’m glad to say I’ve done.