Randuwa II: November 2019

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Folgers Shakespeare Theater: Amadeus

This has been an amazing weekend for theatre. Today's fare was Peter Shaffer's original stage version of "Amadeus". The premise, to refresh anyone who, like me, only saw the movie and that so long ago that you don't remember much about it, is this: Antonio Salieri is an 18th century composer who has give his life to God, if God will make him famous as a composer. His music is unimaginative and rather shitty in a "same old, same old" sort of way. Nevertheless, he plays a good game of it and ends up in the favor and the court of Emperor Joseph II of Hapsburg. Enter the wild child genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with his restless, towering intellect and creative abilities (and a penchant for scatological humor), and suddenly Salieri's world is flipped on its head.

What starts out as an annoyance blossoms into a rivalry that eventually causes Salieri to curse God and make it his life's mission to utterly fuck over Mozart--who is so egotistical and self-indulgent that he remains for the most part appalling unaware of the duplicity and aggressions being orchestrated by Salieri against his interests. It should also be stated that apart from letters which suggest that Wolfgang was indeed overly fascinated by all things scatological, the heart of the story is an utter fiction. But who the hell cares? It's riveting! I am so glad that I didn't remember anything from the movie apart from Timothy Hutton's maniacal laughter and the Queen of the Night aria scene from the vaudeville performance.

The production is in two acts, both of which begin and end with a practically invalid Salieri. As he tells his tale upon what he thinks is his death-night, he transforms to his former vigor, and enter the characters from the past to re-enact the story. The pacing is demanding. The lead, Ian Merrill Peakes, as Salieri was enthralling. As the lights come up, there he is sitting in a wheelchair looking every inch the dying man. The attention to details the actor gave to every expression and range of movement was amazing. I swear, even his skin looked sallow and brittle. Then, in a single gesture, by simply dropping a robe and nightcap in favor of an overcoat, the actor transformed the character instantly into that 40 years young version of Salieri. I felt a chill of excitement roll down my spine. From that moment forward, there was never a question but that we were in the hands of a master.

But wait, you say. This play isn't called Salieri. What about Mozart? I'm glad you asked, because yes, this is as much a play about a love affair as Romeo and Juliet, and you can't tell it well unless both partners are up to the task. Samuel Adams, as Wolfgang Amadeus mozart, absolutely was and then some. He took on the eccentricities of the wunderkind with such conviction that he was the wunderkind. Not a caricature or clown, but the genuine article fraught with passion, contradictions, and effortless genius and a sublime innocence. As Peakes' performance was enthralling, Adam's was mesmerizing. All the supporting cast filled in the open spaces with the same compelling authenticity. Most notably Lilli Hokama as Constanza Weber and Justin Adams as Baron von Swieten.

The set was evocative and oversize speaking both to the nature of the relationship between the two men and a clear reference to bars. The bars of the prison that Salieri imposed upon himself. As yesterday's production of Newsies was a tour du force of choreography, Amadeus amplified the costumes. Beautiful clothes designed by Mariah Anzaldo Hale. I will be shocked if this production doesn't garner a slew of Helen Hayes nominations this coming spring.

At intermission I struck up a conversation with the older woman to my right. She told me that she'd seen the original production on Broadway, and thought this one was even better. And when the play ended and the actors came out for their bows, I did something I have never done before. I shouted Bravo! Bravo! My spontaneous adulation become a chorus, a most fitting display of approval for an ensemble of performance second to none.

0037.Art Rocks: Sam Gilliam: 1933

0036.Art Rocks: Clifford Still: 1904

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Mead Center for American Theater

Arena Stage: Newsies

When I think about critiquing something, I generally approach the task with two perspectives. The Plus which is to talk about what worked for me, and the Delta, to suggest things that could have been improved upon. So lets start with the Deltas for Newsies at Arena Stage in DC. [cue the sound of crickets]

There, that was easy!

Now, where to begin the pluses? OMG, this is an amazing production. After the opening number, I thought the audience was going to explode in a standing ovation. Those who know me understand, I have a habit of releasing liquid from my eyes--NOT crying, just happy dripping. At the end of the opening number, I even surprised myself when a liberated drop left the ridge of my cheek and plopped onto my sweater! I spent much of the rest of the 2 and half hours doing my best to manage the drainage...

My seat was on the main aisle of the south face of the stage in the round. The cast used all the aisles for entrances and exits and even to sing and deliver lines from. At one point toward the end of the first act, the male lead sat down right next to me while the main action continued on the stage area proper. I thought, cripes, I could literally turn and kiss him on the cheek. The show had that sort of amazing intimacy throughout.

There wasn't a moment that didn't excite and delight. Every number was beautifully choreographed. I'm sure I can't recall ever seeing such powerful and amazing dancing in a show. One that would have come close was Signature Theatre's 2017 production of "West Side Story"--and then I learned that it was also choreographed by Parker Esse. Every man and woman had such acrobatic command of their bodies leaping, jumping, spinning and flipping across the stage. But if that had been all, it would have just been a mini cirque du soleil. The actors embraced their characters fully and ice the cake with beautiful pitch perfect voices. Toss in simple, yet effective sets and gorgeous costumes and you have one of the most enjoyable productions I have ever seen in the DMV.

0035.Art Rocks: James Rosenquist: 1933

Thursday, November 28, 2019

0034.Art Rocks: Morris Louis: 1912

0033.Art Rocks: Lotte Laserstein: 1898

Family and Country

I work and live in one of the most progressive, nay LIBERAL, places in the United States of America. We welcome immigrants--hell, we're ALL immigrants! The fact that my ancestors arrived in 1620 in Jamestown, Virginia, or 1634 in Massachusetts Bay, Massachusetts, or even 1750 at the port of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania doesn't matter a fuck's sake when compared to my neighbor, Tikako who emigrated from Japan in 1980 or Gordon and his wife who came from Guyana in 1992, or even the family from El Salvador four doors down who arrived in 2006. I watched their son grow up and now he's in early 20's. Every morning when I walk Romeo at 6:15 AM I pass him as he's walking up the hill to catch the bus to go to work. Every since our first greeting now some 13 years ago, he has always addressed me as "sir".

"Good morning, sir. How are you today?"

"Well," I reply, "And yourself?"

"Good. Everything's good. You have a great day."

"You, too. Take care of yourself." I usually add. Something I add whenever speaking to young men of color these days.

So it was that on this week of Thanksgiving with all of its controversies and misappropriations that my week began with an event that illustrates something else about the place I live. Something that some in this nation are intentionally being deceived into not believing by forces that seek to tear us apart as a nation--and, I will add, under the present administration have an agent of disinformation and division right at the very top.

One of our first grades (we have seven!) has been pen pals to a group of Navy personnel deployed in Afghanistan. The impetus is that the father of one of the boys is a radiologist at the hospital located at Bagram-BAF there. Last Friday, they received a package full of letter of response and something else. Something quite special. An American flag that had flown over that hospital in Afghanistan. It cam with a certificate of authenticity (but since the package was from Afghanistan, there wasn't any doubt in the minds of the six year-olds!)

On Monday, we held a little ceremony, complete with a presentation by one of our administrators and then the little boy and his brother in third grade raised the flag to fly over our school for the day. To the delight of everyone, the entire celebration was live streamed to the men and women at the hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan. At the end the students, along with a couple of other classes who came out to witness the event, recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The soldiers and officers on the other side of the planet joined in. It was a very special event, a act of support and patriotism. The heart of why America is Great, has always been great in spite of our flaws, and will remain great in spite of those who think otherwise.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

0032.Art Rocks: George Segal: 1924

0031.Art Rocks: Kara Walker: 1969

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Theatre J: The Occupant

It is safe to say the Edward Albee's place in the pantheon of Great American Playwrights is without dispute. Of his major works, I have only seen one on stage: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". If you haven't, be prepared, it's a dense, long visit into the lives of two bored and self-indulgent intellectuals who love to draw others into their web of dysfunction. Knowing this, I was uncertain what to expect from "The Occupant". I knew it was an play about the Great American Sculptor, Louise Nevelson, and that it was set in an imaginary interview that occurs after her death. This certainly sets up an accurate framework for the play. Gratefully, I admit, it was also not as demanding as "WAoVF?"!

While the description is what you get, what "The Occupant" really is is a love letter to Louise. It is a sympathetic telling of her life and through it some issues are raised. Ideas like the nature of value of truth. Always an interesting topic to mull about. The cast is only Louise and an unnamed interviewer identified at "the man." In preparing for this production, I confess I was so excited to see one of my favorite actors in the lead. Susan Rome is a powerful and creative performer. And she did a beautiful job with this role; however, I thought as the play progressed and I was also trying to just get a handle on the arc of the character as written by Albee--sort of apart from Rome's particular performance--I came away thinking that she played Nevelson with perhaps too much tenderness. I think if she and the director had started out with a more imposing interpretation, and then allowed her confusions and her vulnerabilities to emerge, it would have been a more effecting performance. The pleasant was Jonathan David Martin as The Man. The age differential made him appear more like "The Boy", which I sure is intentional as it comports with most specifically the end of Act One. He was a fresh face and played the part with an impishness that did not extend to rudeness, but came off as a sincere curiosity and a desire to discover the "truth".

Throughout the play the set is simple, the TV interview show crossed with a professors lecture podium. The audience is constantly addressed as the third character. Near the very end as Nevelson reveals the moment of her artist success, the back of stage rises and suddenly she walks into a veritable forest of her sculptures. Very nice. On stage at The Trish Vrandenburg State at the Edlavitch DCJCC. A fine production in every respect, even if I wondered at other artistic choices.