Man, what a show. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
For those of you who don't know Oscar Wilde, I pity you. I had no idea who he was until my freshmen year when we put on a play at Auburn call "Lady Windermere's Fan." I didn't read the play in its entirety until our first read through (Sorry Daydrie! I was a freshmen, what can I say), and I never thought a play written about Victorian society could be so funny. Little did I know the wit that could hide in mere words.
This show exemplifies what I would want to see as pure entertainment. The story, for those of you who don't know, revolves around two young bachelors pretending to be people they eventually turn out to be anyway (That's the [abridged] short version. Oh yeah, and the name Ernest serves and ironic purpose). As far as ethics, morals, and the reality of the human condition goes, this play has very little to say. I mean sure, you could root around and pull all kinds of ideas and themes and theories. But to me, its a play simply about how ridiculous people can be within the confines of Victorian society.
And that, to me, is where this play finds its substance. This piece has to be performed in a very styalized manner complete different from the naturalism/realism of modern american theatre. Watching actors work within the confines of Victorian movement, RP British dialects, and period costuming is in and of itself a work of art. The precision of the language (in addition to working beautifully through audience responses) was simply masterful (Although I did witness my first line flub on broadway. It was only a small one).
By far the most impressive performance belonged to the deservingly Tony nominated Brian Bedford, who performed Lady Bracknell with poise, power, and precision. His vocal variety and hijinks provided many a laugh, and his portrayal of a powerful feminine character brought out the best in his fellow acts. Even more impressively, he also directed the play. His masterful work as both Actor and Director did a great deal to bring this classic piece to life and relevance for a modern audience. ***** out of *****
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Young Review: Catch Me If You Can
Let me start off by saying: I hate movie musicals.
I mean to me, they degrade what the whole purpose of theatre is. Film can do some many incredible things that theatre can only dream about. So then who thinks it's a good idea to take a movie and turn it into a musical?
Oddly enough, sometimes it works. After thinking on it for some time, I can't say with any confidence that "Catch Me If You Can" the musical does a good job of telling Frank Abagnale Jr's story the way the movie did. But take away the movie, and you actually have a pretty good show. Sure, the music was a little repetitive in style. And sure, they made a little too much of the script direct address for my personal tastes. But the show had a great number of positive aspects.
For starters, I believe this show is exactly what the laymen would expect broadway to be. The story was pretty easy to follow, the music upbeat and exciting, the dance excellent, and the lighting and costumes outstanding. It was a lot of glitz and glamour, with a little bit of heart to boot. One of the high points of the show was the end of the first act, where Frank Jr. (Played by Aaron Tveit) has his Christmas phone call with Agent Hanratty (Played by Norbert Leo Butz), and the heart of the story gets to show a little.
But aside from the brief moments of depth, the musical is about the big show stopping numbers where they sing about nothing which the dancers come out and back up the excellent vocals. Only two songs (Little Boy, be a Man and Someone Else's Skin), has the characters explore any sort of depth and work their way through a problem. I do have to say, though, the Agent Hanratty's big dance/song number (Don't Break the Rules) was one of the most impressive soft shoe-jives I've ever seen.
Again, all that is not to say it is a bad show. I really enjoyed myself, and definitely felt it was worth my money. But the artist in me will always long for something more out of a show, especially after seeing a piece like "The Normal Heart". But, like all Broadway shows, its goal is to make money and when you have a glamorous, fast-paced, and family friendly show like "Catch Me If You Can", you have the makings of a Broadway success. My rating is **** out of *****
I mean to me, they degrade what the whole purpose of theatre is. Film can do some many incredible things that theatre can only dream about. So then who thinks it's a good idea to take a movie and turn it into a musical?
Oddly enough, sometimes it works. After thinking on it for some time, I can't say with any confidence that "Catch Me If You Can" the musical does a good job of telling Frank Abagnale Jr's story the way the movie did. But take away the movie, and you actually have a pretty good show. Sure, the music was a little repetitive in style. And sure, they made a little too much of the script direct address for my personal tastes. But the show had a great number of positive aspects.
For starters, I believe this show is exactly what the laymen would expect broadway to be. The story was pretty easy to follow, the music upbeat and exciting, the dance excellent, and the lighting and costumes outstanding. It was a lot of glitz and glamour, with a little bit of heart to boot. One of the high points of the show was the end of the first act, where Frank Jr. (Played by Aaron Tveit) has his Christmas phone call with Agent Hanratty (Played by Norbert Leo Butz), and the heart of the story gets to show a little.
But aside from the brief moments of depth, the musical is about the big show stopping numbers where they sing about nothing which the dancers come out and back up the excellent vocals. Only two songs (Little Boy, be a Man and Someone Else's Skin), has the characters explore any sort of depth and work their way through a problem. I do have to say, though, the Agent Hanratty's big dance/song number (Don't Break the Rules) was one of the most impressive soft shoe-jives I've ever seen.
Again, all that is not to say it is a bad show. I really enjoyed myself, and definitely felt it was worth my money. But the artist in me will always long for something more out of a show, especially after seeing a piece like "The Normal Heart". But, like all Broadway shows, its goal is to make money and when you have a glamorous, fast-paced, and family friendly show like "Catch Me If You Can", you have the makings of a Broadway success. My rating is **** out of *****
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Young Review: The Normal Heart
Two blog posts in one night? Cheese and Crackers Batman, he's gone from lazy to overachiever!!
Be ready to feel cheated, my, what, 5 readers? Unfortunately, you're not going to get a synopsis like you did for the last play. For one thing, it's getting to be late at night. For two things.....I really don't know if I can bring myself to go through that whole story again just yet.
All I have to say about 'The Normal Heart' is that it is everything theatre should be. It relied on convention, lights, costumes, and scene shifts, sure. But it captured what all good theatre is meant to do. At least in my opinion.
Through Playbill.com, 'The Normal Heart' had a special outreach night for young adults. If you showed an ID that proved you were born after 1980, you got a discount. And they had a special talkback after the show about AIDS awareness and the next generation. But what moved me in the talkback had less to do with the subject matter and more to do with what Lee Pace, the actor playing Bruce Niles, had to say about what the show was meant to do. The magic of the theatre is that it brings craftsmen and audience together into a space, and for one night they all agree to take a journey together. And what happens is for the people in that room. Try as we might, we cannot explain to someone who wasn't there what it was like to feel everyone's collected breath being held, or how it felt to feel every heart reach up onto the stage and hurt for the characters. No, it was for us. Just us. And 'The Normal Heart' accomplished that in a profound way. The production gave the audience a human story, and the audience gave the production a human response.
I think now I'm digressing a bit and just spewing what must smell like hog wash coming down from atop my artistic pedestal. And maybe you're right. Because I haven't found the words yet to describe that experience. But you can never make me believe that when 500 or so people come together and share in a performance of that caliber, something mystical and spiritual doesn't happen.
'The Normal Heart' is about the lives of a few men in New York City at the start of the AIDS epidemic, and their struggle to help the gay community respond to the disaster. They are in the midst of the crest of the sexual revolution: Gay men are finally becoming comfortable with who they are and expressing themselves and their love in a free way. But then the disease strikes. They're not sure where it came from, and less sure about how it is spreading. But the doctor who diagnosed patient zero and the man trying desperately to reach out to the community believe it is being spread through sex. Their great challenge is convincing their friends to take a stand and preach abstinence, and getting the government to recognize this epidemic and in some way help a community in disaster. But, as history shows, help and knowledge come too little, too late to save the hundreds who died in the first years.
Already some of you are rolling your eyes, or using your religious beliefs to put some sort of barrier between yourself and what this play has to say. But I challenge you to come see this play and remain unchanged. So often, especially in the South, issues like this have no face, no humanity: they become purely politics. This piece does what theatre should: it brings humanity back into the story. It puts faces on the struggles, and calls us to empathy.
I've been prejudiced in my life. I won't deny that. Anyone who knew me when I was younger would tell you that I was quick to want to condemn people. I'm still that way now, though hopefully less so. But there was a woman who came to the talkback who is the head of and AIDS outreach program that tries to educate young people. In the late 70s, her father received a blood transfusion containing what was then the unknown AIDS virus, and her father and mother both died of the disease, disgraced and looked down on as druggies or perverts. This is not, nor has it ever been, a gay man's disease. This plays tells the tragic story of how it became an epidemic that to this day has infected 75 million people worldwide. I would hope that regardless of who you are and what you believe, you can set aside some of your own judgements to look on this tragedy, acknowledge it for what it is, and vow to do what you can to never let something like this happen again.
Or not. Maybe you leave the theater disgusted, unable to believe someone would dignify such a story with a broadway stage. Maybe the sight of two men kissing is an abomination. Maybe the deaths of 35 million people are just desserts. Or maybe, just maybe, you can simply feel the power of the story. Simple be in the moment, there with the storytellers, listening with rapt ears like children in a library. Maybe you can leave the building not sure how to describe what you experience, just knowing that you felt something, and that sometimes feeling something is enough. It is, after all, what makes us human. And as the great Oscar Wilde said, "I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being."
But who am I to tell you what to do. All I will say is this: GO SEE THIS PLAY. It's a work of art.
Be ready to feel cheated, my, what, 5 readers? Unfortunately, you're not going to get a synopsis like you did for the last play. For one thing, it's getting to be late at night. For two things.....I really don't know if I can bring myself to go through that whole story again just yet.
All I have to say about 'The Normal Heart' is that it is everything theatre should be. It relied on convention, lights, costumes, and scene shifts, sure. But it captured what all good theatre is meant to do. At least in my opinion.
Through Playbill.com, 'The Normal Heart' had a special outreach night for young adults. If you showed an ID that proved you were born after 1980, you got a discount. And they had a special talkback after the show about AIDS awareness and the next generation. But what moved me in the talkback had less to do with the subject matter and more to do with what Lee Pace, the actor playing Bruce Niles, had to say about what the show was meant to do. The magic of the theatre is that it brings craftsmen and audience together into a space, and for one night they all agree to take a journey together. And what happens is for the people in that room. Try as we might, we cannot explain to someone who wasn't there what it was like to feel everyone's collected breath being held, or how it felt to feel every heart reach up onto the stage and hurt for the characters. No, it was for us. Just us. And 'The Normal Heart' accomplished that in a profound way. The production gave the audience a human story, and the audience gave the production a human response.
I think now I'm digressing a bit and just spewing what must smell like hog wash coming down from atop my artistic pedestal. And maybe you're right. Because I haven't found the words yet to describe that experience. But you can never make me believe that when 500 or so people come together and share in a performance of that caliber, something mystical and spiritual doesn't happen.
'The Normal Heart' is about the lives of a few men in New York City at the start of the AIDS epidemic, and their struggle to help the gay community respond to the disaster. They are in the midst of the crest of the sexual revolution: Gay men are finally becoming comfortable with who they are and expressing themselves and their love in a free way. But then the disease strikes. They're not sure where it came from, and less sure about how it is spreading. But the doctor who diagnosed patient zero and the man trying desperately to reach out to the community believe it is being spread through sex. Their great challenge is convincing their friends to take a stand and preach abstinence, and getting the government to recognize this epidemic and in some way help a community in disaster. But, as history shows, help and knowledge come too little, too late to save the hundreds who died in the first years.
Already some of you are rolling your eyes, or using your religious beliefs to put some sort of barrier between yourself and what this play has to say. But I challenge you to come see this play and remain unchanged. So often, especially in the South, issues like this have no face, no humanity: they become purely politics. This piece does what theatre should: it brings humanity back into the story. It puts faces on the struggles, and calls us to empathy.
I've been prejudiced in my life. I won't deny that. Anyone who knew me when I was younger would tell you that I was quick to want to condemn people. I'm still that way now, though hopefully less so. But there was a woman who came to the talkback who is the head of and AIDS outreach program that tries to educate young people. In the late 70s, her father received a blood transfusion containing what was then the unknown AIDS virus, and her father and mother both died of the disease, disgraced and looked down on as druggies or perverts. This is not, nor has it ever been, a gay man's disease. This plays tells the tragic story of how it became an epidemic that to this day has infected 75 million people worldwide. I would hope that regardless of who you are and what you believe, you can set aside some of your own judgements to look on this tragedy, acknowledge it for what it is, and vow to do what you can to never let something like this happen again.
Or not. Maybe you leave the theater disgusted, unable to believe someone would dignify such a story with a broadway stage. Maybe the sight of two men kissing is an abomination. Maybe the deaths of 35 million people are just desserts. Or maybe, just maybe, you can simply feel the power of the story. Simple be in the moment, there with the storytellers, listening with rapt ears like children in a library. Maybe you can leave the building not sure how to describe what you experience, just knowing that you felt something, and that sometimes feeling something is enough. It is, after all, what makes us human. And as the great Oscar Wilde said, "I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being."
But who am I to tell you what to do. All I will say is this: GO SEE THIS PLAY. It's a work of art.
The Young Review: The Motherf**ker with the Hat."
I already know what you're thinking. Especially if you're a family member or someone I once went to church with. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT TITLE ABOUT?
Well, let me start by saying that this play would have turned you off. It had a lot of swearing, sex, and drug use. Literally, within the first 5 minutes the main female character (Veronica, played by Elizabeth Rodriguez) did a line off of a CD case. But if you can stomach adult themes/language, then dive in with me into a little review of this 8 time Tony-Nominated play.
The Story follows a brief period of the life of Jackie (played by Bobby Cannavale, Tony nominated and VERY deserved). He has just served two years in prison for dealing Meth and weed out of the apartment he shares with his girlfriend, Veronica, and comes in looking to turn things around for the better. Out on probation, he's found a job with the city and is going to get him and his girl a refrigirator and everything else they've ever dreamed of. He climbs into bed while Veronica primps in the bathroom, only to notice a hat sitting on the table. It's not his hate.
After a rage-filled screaming match, Jackie gathers his things and leaves to go and stay with his sponser, Ralph (Played by Chris Rock. Yes, THAT Chris Rock). We learn that Ralph is a bit of a douche, but someone who has gotten clean and is looking to help Jackie stay on track. Ralph's wife hates him, but its only revealed later just why. Jackie later decides to buy a gun, and threaten the man he believes is sleeping with his girlfriend. There is always one guy in the building who dresses real nice, talks real smooth, and looks around with shifty eyes: The motherfucker with the hat. So Jackie knocks on the door, knocks the man's hat to the floor, then shoots it.
Smooth right? Well, Jackie now goes to his cousin Julio who agrees to help Jackie and Ralph hide the gun, despite telling Jackie the inflated self image he has is dead wrong, and that "You're just not a very good person." Now living with Ralph, Jackie finds himself drinking and getting high with Ralph's wife one night while Ralph is out. After coming close to having it out, Victoria (Played by Anabella Sciorra) reveals that it's Ralph who has been sleeping with Veronica, and has been since he became Jackie's sponser while Jackie was in jail. Girded by his cousin, Jackie goes to confront Ralph. The two engage in a fight that ends quickly (Despite the fact that Chris Rock yeilds 100 pounds and what looks like several feet to mr. Cannavale) in a draw, leaving both men to converse in gasps on the floor. In the best moment of the play (in my opinion), Ralph reaches out to Jackie in a moment of true vulnerability, saying that aside from Jackie and his wife, Ralph doesnt have anyone who really knows him or considers him a friend. Ralph hopes that things can be okay, and admits that being sober has simply given him better means to take advantage of people. Jackie, however, rises triumphantly and says "I didn't get sober to live like that."
Jackie has to go back to jail for shooting the Motherfucker's hat (gun possesion violated his parole; who'dve guessed?), but before his vacation to Rikers he pays one last visit to Veronica to apologize. The play ends with her calling after him to no response.
So what did I think about all that? There was a nice article I read online about this show and the difficulties it faced in marketing. Well DUH. Broadway is, for the most part, a family-friendly attraction, and titles with the word "Fuck" aren't gonna fly on cable or in Newspapers. So understandably this show has not done all that well. Personally, I thought the plot development was a little spotty; there were scenes that needed more and scenes that needed less. It was a good story, but a little disjointed and overlong in places. How this got the nod for best play escapes me.
The acting was mostly good. I was invested in the story and pulling for the characters to succeed. But in the scenes that dragged it was seldom the text and more often the actors that let my interest wain. Julio (played by Yul Vazquez) did very little that was interesting vocally, and his one passionate monologue read like it was from a teleprompter. Bobby's work as Jackie shone out every time he was on stage, and brought out the best in the heated moments from both Chris and Elizabeth. My biggest technical concern were the voices. This show demanded a lot of screaming, and poor Elizabeth's neck looked like it was ready to explode every time. It must be the voice nerd in me, but I wanted to hang out by the stage door and beg them all to steam and Stemple after the show. Except Chris rock. Surprisingly his vocal presence sounded the healthiest and the most consistent, even if it wasn't always varied and interesting.
All in all, it was a good show, and anything with that many Tony nominations is worth seeing to form your own opinion. It was a decently written and performed show about the triumph of the human spirit over some pretty extreme odds, so in my book it gets *** out of *****. See it, but only if you get half priced booth tickets.
Well, let me start by saying that this play would have turned you off. It had a lot of swearing, sex, and drug use. Literally, within the first 5 minutes the main female character (Veronica, played by Elizabeth Rodriguez) did a line off of a CD case. But if you can stomach adult themes/language, then dive in with me into a little review of this 8 time Tony-Nominated play.
The Story follows a brief period of the life of Jackie (played by Bobby Cannavale, Tony nominated and VERY deserved). He has just served two years in prison for dealing Meth and weed out of the apartment he shares with his girlfriend, Veronica, and comes in looking to turn things around for the better. Out on probation, he's found a job with the city and is going to get him and his girl a refrigirator and everything else they've ever dreamed of. He climbs into bed while Veronica primps in the bathroom, only to notice a hat sitting on the table. It's not his hate.
After a rage-filled screaming match, Jackie gathers his things and leaves to go and stay with his sponser, Ralph (Played by Chris Rock. Yes, THAT Chris Rock). We learn that Ralph is a bit of a douche, but someone who has gotten clean and is looking to help Jackie stay on track. Ralph's wife hates him, but its only revealed later just why. Jackie later decides to buy a gun, and threaten the man he believes is sleeping with his girlfriend. There is always one guy in the building who dresses real nice, talks real smooth, and looks around with shifty eyes: The motherfucker with the hat. So Jackie knocks on the door, knocks the man's hat to the floor, then shoots it.
Smooth right? Well, Jackie now goes to his cousin Julio who agrees to help Jackie and Ralph hide the gun, despite telling Jackie the inflated self image he has is dead wrong, and that "You're just not a very good person." Now living with Ralph, Jackie finds himself drinking and getting high with Ralph's wife one night while Ralph is out. After coming close to having it out, Victoria (Played by Anabella Sciorra) reveals that it's Ralph who has been sleeping with Veronica, and has been since he became Jackie's sponser while Jackie was in jail. Girded by his cousin, Jackie goes to confront Ralph. The two engage in a fight that ends quickly (Despite the fact that Chris Rock yeilds 100 pounds and what looks like several feet to mr. Cannavale) in a draw, leaving both men to converse in gasps on the floor. In the best moment of the play (in my opinion), Ralph reaches out to Jackie in a moment of true vulnerability, saying that aside from Jackie and his wife, Ralph doesnt have anyone who really knows him or considers him a friend. Ralph hopes that things can be okay, and admits that being sober has simply given him better means to take advantage of people. Jackie, however, rises triumphantly and says "I didn't get sober to live like that."
Jackie has to go back to jail for shooting the Motherfucker's hat (gun possesion violated his parole; who'dve guessed?), but before his vacation to Rikers he pays one last visit to Veronica to apologize. The play ends with her calling after him to no response.
So what did I think about all that? There was a nice article I read online about this show and the difficulties it faced in marketing. Well DUH. Broadway is, for the most part, a family-friendly attraction, and titles with the word "Fuck" aren't gonna fly on cable or in Newspapers. So understandably this show has not done all that well. Personally, I thought the plot development was a little spotty; there were scenes that needed more and scenes that needed less. It was a good story, but a little disjointed and overlong in places. How this got the nod for best play escapes me.
The acting was mostly good. I was invested in the story and pulling for the characters to succeed. But in the scenes that dragged it was seldom the text and more often the actors that let my interest wain. Julio (played by Yul Vazquez) did very little that was interesting vocally, and his one passionate monologue read like it was from a teleprompter. Bobby's work as Jackie shone out every time he was on stage, and brought out the best in the heated moments from both Chris and Elizabeth. My biggest technical concern were the voices. This show demanded a lot of screaming, and poor Elizabeth's neck looked like it was ready to explode every time. It must be the voice nerd in me, but I wanted to hang out by the stage door and beg them all to steam and Stemple after the show. Except Chris rock. Surprisingly his vocal presence sounded the healthiest and the most consistent, even if it wasn't always varied and interesting.
All in all, it was a good show, and anything with that many Tony nominations is worth seeing to form your own opinion. It was a decently written and performed show about the triumph of the human spirit over some pretty extreme odds, so in my book it gets *** out of *****. See it, but only if you get half priced booth tickets.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Talking the Walk
So I've been up here nearly a week, and the most common emotion I've felt? BOREDOM! Strange right? I mean I'm in one of the most exciting cities on the planet, in a hot bed of artistic endeavors and yet more often then not I've just been chilling and enjoying a little vacation time. Oh, and writing a meaningless blog that no one's reading.
Here's what I've decided. One: This is an expensive city. I've already made a hefty investment just to stay here, much less attend the certification. Food will clean you out in a hurry, so you've got to be careful you don't run out of money! Two: Sometimes I have expectations of things that exceed their ability.
This is often something that happens (to me at least): Perception surpasses reality. I have a tendency to build things up in my head and expect them to be non-stop action adreneline rushes that stimulate the mind and soul in an explosive manner. But here's the reality of New York City: it is exactly what you make it. Simply being somewhere doesn't make life more interesting. You've got to step out and take some risks and enjoy some adventures. And even living in the space station won't wake you up every day feeling like you're living on the edge. Bottom line? Get out there and do something! Which I am doing today. Gonna hit the natural history museum, then the TKTS booth to try and grab some cheap tickets to see Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Very excited to watch Robin Williams try his hand at something a little darker.
Here's what I've decided. One: This is an expensive city. I've already made a hefty investment just to stay here, much less attend the certification. Food will clean you out in a hurry, so you've got to be careful you don't run out of money! Two: Sometimes I have expectations of things that exceed their ability.
This is often something that happens (to me at least): Perception surpasses reality. I have a tendency to build things up in my head and expect them to be non-stop action adreneline rushes that stimulate the mind and soul in an explosive manner. But here's the reality of New York City: it is exactly what you make it. Simply being somewhere doesn't make life more interesting. You've got to step out and take some risks and enjoy some adventures. And even living in the space station won't wake you up every day feeling like you're living on the edge. Bottom line? Get out there and do something! Which I am doing today. Gonna hit the natural history museum, then the TKTS booth to try and grab some cheap tickets to see Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Very excited to watch Robin Williams try his hand at something a little darker.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Adventures of the Grid
One my my favorite things about big Cities like Miami, New York, and Chicago is that they're grid cities. You can take a different and random route home and if you're capable of doing basic math it's VERY difficult to get lost. But I must admit that having a smart phone makes things 100x easier. But sadly, there's nothing to really report: I visited Central Park, went and had some drinks with a friend, but mostly I just did a whole lot of nothing on a nasty rainy day in NYC. Hopefully tonight I'll go see a play or something.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Culture Boner
A bit of an uncouth title, I know...I blame Kat Dennings.
Don't know who that is? GOOGLE IT.
Which brings me to my next point. One of the perks of city life? Running into celebrities. In a big, cultural center like New York City, its easy to run into people you recognize from TV, the movies, or internet. I've got a few friends in the city right now, fellow students in fact, and while enjoying the instant classic that is The Book of Mormon, they ran into more than a handful of recognizable celebrities (I think I'm right in naming Joey Gray, Robin Williams, and most of the cast of Modern Family. Cool right? I mean, that's why you come to the big city, isn't it?
Actually, if I may I'd like to dispute that point. Now, I don't mean to chastise anyone for star-chasing or enjoying seeing some of there favorite stars in person, but I do think that we as a society are obsessed with Star Power. Again, let me back track and say the nice thing is most of our celebrities are renowned for their skill. LeBron James is an incredible player, who from my observation continues to work on his game. Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Robert Downey Jr. is a fantastic actor who's done a good job of cleaning up his private life.
But we also have our Paris Hiltons, our Heidi and Spencers, and the immaculate Charlie Sheen, who's only talent is putting that much coke up his nose and still being alive (And again, I'm officially on a list). Sometimes celebrities have their renown for reasons unbeknownst to those among us who are sane. And the balance between legitimate celebrities and these faux-celebs always seems to be at a dangerous impasse. The solution? A smarter public.
I went to see Denzel Washington last year in the revival of August Wilson's "Fences". Now, I love Denzel. He is without a doubt one of the finest actors working in the film industry today. But I fell in love with Fences when I read it as a freshmen in my beginning acting class, and what excited me most about the play was watching a good actor tell a compelling story. Denzel did not disappoint, but my fellow audience members did. They gasped when it was revealed that Troy had a love child, clearly showing (IMO) that very few of the audience members had bothered to read the play before coming to see it. Now, here many people will propose a counter-argument: "I wanted to go into the play not knowing anything about it, so that I wouldn't have any expectations." OK, fair point. I did the same thing with Next to Normal. But then I raise you this questions: How many people went to see a play about race relations and the struggles of poor black folks during the 50s, and how many went to say they saw Denzel Washington perform live? How many people asked themselves "Why revive this play? And why did it win the Pulitzer?"
Now I have to also admit: at 21 years old, I am far from a culture buff. I've been playing catch-up ever since I got to college, and I'm a far cry from the ideal standard-bearer for this cause. But at the same time, I don't think it's wrong for me to ask why as a society we have such a hard on for people like Charlie Sheen and the Cast of Jersey Shore, or even skilled actors like Denzel Washington, instead of a desire to learn something about the struggle of human existence?
If I could have one wish, I'd wish for more wishes.
Then, with one of those wishes, I would wish that as a society we would come together and embrace the beauty of story telling. Art is about a depiction of the human condition, not the medium through which it is depicted. I would want us all to walk around trying to hide our raging culture boners. But hey, what do I know. These are just the aimless ramblings of a street rat.
Don't know who that is? GOOGLE IT.
Which brings me to my next point. One of the perks of city life? Running into celebrities. In a big, cultural center like New York City, its easy to run into people you recognize from TV, the movies, or internet. I've got a few friends in the city right now, fellow students in fact, and while enjoying the instant classic that is The Book of Mormon, they ran into more than a handful of recognizable celebrities (I think I'm right in naming Joey Gray, Robin Williams, and most of the cast of Modern Family. Cool right? I mean, that's why you come to the big city, isn't it?
Actually, if I may I'd like to dispute that point. Now, I don't mean to chastise anyone for star-chasing or enjoying seeing some of there favorite stars in person, but I do think that we as a society are obsessed with Star Power. Again, let me back track and say the nice thing is most of our celebrities are renowned for their skill. LeBron James is an incredible player, who from my observation continues to work on his game. Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Robert Downey Jr. is a fantastic actor who's done a good job of cleaning up his private life.
But we also have our Paris Hiltons, our Heidi and Spencers, and the immaculate Charlie Sheen, who's only talent is putting that much coke up his nose and still being alive (And again, I'm officially on a list). Sometimes celebrities have their renown for reasons unbeknownst to those among us who are sane. And the balance between legitimate celebrities and these faux-celebs always seems to be at a dangerous impasse. The solution? A smarter public.
I went to see Denzel Washington last year in the revival of August Wilson's "Fences". Now, I love Denzel. He is without a doubt one of the finest actors working in the film industry today. But I fell in love with Fences when I read it as a freshmen in my beginning acting class, and what excited me most about the play was watching a good actor tell a compelling story. Denzel did not disappoint, but my fellow audience members did. They gasped when it was revealed that Troy had a love child, clearly showing (IMO) that very few of the audience members had bothered to read the play before coming to see it. Now, here many people will propose a counter-argument: "I wanted to go into the play not knowing anything about it, so that I wouldn't have any expectations." OK, fair point. I did the same thing with Next to Normal. But then I raise you this questions: How many people went to see a play about race relations and the struggles of poor black folks during the 50s, and how many went to say they saw Denzel Washington perform live? How many people asked themselves "Why revive this play? And why did it win the Pulitzer?"
Now I have to also admit: at 21 years old, I am far from a culture buff. I've been playing catch-up ever since I got to college, and I'm a far cry from the ideal standard-bearer for this cause. But at the same time, I don't think it's wrong for me to ask why as a society we have such a hard on for people like Charlie Sheen and the Cast of Jersey Shore, or even skilled actors like Denzel Washington, instead of a desire to learn something about the struggle of human existence?
If I could have one wish, I'd wish for more wishes.
Then, with one of those wishes, I would wish that as a society we would come together and embrace the beauty of story telling. Art is about a depiction of the human condition, not the medium through which it is depicted. I would want us all to walk around trying to hide our raging culture boners. But hey, what do I know. These are just the aimless ramblings of a street rat.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Leaving on a Jet Plan
In order to keep track of everything that happens on this wild and crazy trip, I've decided to start blogging. Hopefully I will update every day with interesting stories, but there's no promises. Anyway, here's a little post to commemorate my first night!
I had a thought on the plane ride here. Actually, I had several but that's not the point. Ever wonder why on earth they're so stingy with the snacks? I mean plenty of airlines charge for wifi, all of them charge to check bags, and every last one costs an arm and a leg to actually get on...DESPITE being a dangerous form of transportation. And STILL they skimp on the snacks! Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of injustices in the world that are far greater than a lack of snacks, but the fact that Delta wants to pretend like its offering snacks when its really offering a bit and a gulp is kind of offensive. Part of me wants to lead an uprising on the plane to take over the snack cart! FREE SNACKS AND COKE FOR EVERYONE!!!!
But, given the fact that I just said "plane" and "uprising" in the same sentence, I'm now on some government watch list. But hey, now that you've visited this website, SO ARE YOU!!!
Seriously though, I'm glad to have been on a plane ride where everyone just minded their own business and behaved. Heck, even the babies on board were quiet! (At least until we landed. Then all hell broke loose.) I've read too many stories about crazy Americans doing stupid things on planes to really feel the need to lead a snack-fueled rebellion. So through rain and fog, on wing and wind, I have arrived in the Mecca of theatre to begin my adventures and prepare for my internship with the immaculate Catherine Fitzmaurice. Let the fun begin!
I had a thought on the plane ride here. Actually, I had several but that's not the point. Ever wonder why on earth they're so stingy with the snacks? I mean plenty of airlines charge for wifi, all of them charge to check bags, and every last one costs an arm and a leg to actually get on...DESPITE being a dangerous form of transportation. And STILL they skimp on the snacks! Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of injustices in the world that are far greater than a lack of snacks, but the fact that Delta wants to pretend like its offering snacks when its really offering a bit and a gulp is kind of offensive. Part of me wants to lead an uprising on the plane to take over the snack cart! FREE SNACKS AND COKE FOR EVERYONE!!!!
But, given the fact that I just said "plane" and "uprising" in the same sentence, I'm now on some government watch list. But hey, now that you've visited this website, SO ARE YOU!!!
Seriously though, I'm glad to have been on a plane ride where everyone just minded their own business and behaved. Heck, even the babies on board were quiet! (At least until we landed. Then all hell broke loose.) I've read too many stories about crazy Americans doing stupid things on planes to really feel the need to lead a snack-fueled rebellion. So through rain and fog, on wing and wind, I have arrived in the Mecca of theatre to begin my adventures and prepare for my internship with the immaculate Catherine Fitzmaurice. Let the fun begin!
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