An October 13 performance at the New York City venue Le Poisson Rouge, entitled “Gotham Chamber Opera and Nico Muhly Conspire,” often felt like an insurrection of sorts—if not against institutional opera per se—against an attitude of sterile gentility and divisive pretention. One part eclectic recital, one part season preview, Gotham Chamber Opera presented an intimate set of disparate songs and provocative performances, all while promoting the upcoming world premiere …more…
Archives for October 2011
Arts America Blog
A Provocative Preview: Gotham Chamber Opera and Composer Nico Muhly Present Dark Sisters
October 31, 2011 by
LPO’s world premiere of Zwilich’s ‘Shadows’
October 31, 2011 by
Ellen Taaffee Zwilich has had many firsts in her life. She was the first woman to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts (in composition) from the Julliard School of music and was one of the first women to serve in a major symphony orchestra.
Composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich at LPO event on Oct. 28 in New Orleans. ©Alan Smason
She was the first woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize in …more…
Jazz at Lincoln Center – “Who is Duke Ellington?”
October 31, 2011 by
Jazz at Lincoln Center is, in this blogger’s humble opinion, one of the finest cultural institutions in NYC and indeed, the U.S., that no one seems to know about! With Wynton Marsalis at the helm, JALC has tapped into the dual needs of the Ken Burns educate-me-gently generation and our collective yen for good, old-fashioned quality entertainment to provide some of the best programming around with the world’s finest performers.
For …more…
Double Indemnity
October 30, 2011 by
I just caught one of the most emotionally intensive dramas Seattle theater has ever offered, Double Indemnity, currently playing at A Contemporary Theater (ACT). This sultry crime drama, adapted from the screen by David Pichette and acclaimed local actor R. Hamilton Wright, is set in Depression-era Los Angeles. Insurance agent Walter Huff succumbs to temptations—lust and greed—in his desire for a new life. The two-hour performance offers dark humor, suspense, …more…
Fall For Dance Takes NYC By Storm
October 30, 2011 by
One of the most beloved events in the New York City dance community, Fall For Dance, began on October 27 and continues at New York City Center through November 6. The annual explosion of dance is ultra-inclusive, showcasing all styles and featuring artists both established and emerging.
Vertigo Dance Company, Drew Jacoby, Jessica Lang Dance, and Richard Alston Dance Company perform on October 30, followed by a non-performance day, giving everyone …more…
Nature Makes Art at Root 52 Gallery
October 28, 2011 by
In The Catskills, NY, the bursts of color in the trees are disappearing as the leaves fall to the ground. But even if autumn is quickly fading, nature is still making quite a show at the Root 52 Gallery in the little town of Liberty. Located at 87 Mill Street, the large showroom features functional art that has been fashioned from the roots of Costa Rican trees. Vases, wine holders, …more…
“I see dead artists”: Haley Joel Osment returns to Philly in PTC’s RED
October 28, 2011 by
Rothko in his studio, 1964
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has used Philadelphia and its environs as the setting for all of his critically acclaimed films, most famously his 1999 breakthrough movie, The Sixth Sense, which starred 11-year-old Haley Joel Osment as a child who can “see dead people.” Osment has returned to the city as a mature actor to take a major role in Red, a fictional biographical drama about painter …more…
They are Garfunkel and Oates. Love them.
October 28, 2011 by
I took in a great show by actress-duo Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome – also known as Garfunkel and Oates – at the Snoqualmie Casino last Saturday. The comedic pair, who perform in a recurring show at the venerated Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles, has been called a female Flight of the Conchords, a comparison the two embrace. Like the Conchords, the pair will soon have an HBO …more…
We knew this was coming: South Park devotes an episode to Broadway
October 27, 2011 by
Call me naive, but I doubt very much that anyone watching the first season of South Park in 1997 would have looked at, say, an episode like “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe” and thought, “Yeah, these guys will write arguably the most successful musical of all time in thirteen years. It will sweep the Tonys, sell at over 100% capacity for months on end, people will – yes, people will …more…
Boston Symphony Announces New Season of BSO 101
October 26, 2011 by
As my coverage of the Boston’s classical music scene ramps up I felt it was fitting to talk about the ways that you, as a resident or a visitor, can get acclimated and take advantage of the pastiche of musical options available every week.
Last season, the Boston Symphony Orchestra introduced a short schedule of adult education classes as part of their BSO 101 series. This year they’ve brought it back …more…
The Artist’s Touch, The Craftsman’s Hand
October 25, 2011 by
Drawing from its extensive permanent collection of over 2,500 Japanese woodblock prints, the Portland Art Museum (PAM) has carefully selected about 250 of the most unique and historically significant items for a special exhibition, The Artist’s Touch, The Craftsman’s Hand: Three Centuries of Japanese Prints from the Portland Art Museum.
The permanent collection began in 1932 with a donation by Mary Andrews Ladd of over 750 traditional woodblock prints. Over the …more…
Open Video Call at Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art
October 24, 2011 by
Image courtesy of the Institute of Contemporary Art
Next Wednesday, 26 October, the Institute of Contemporary Art is hosting their annual Open Video Call. Each year the Institute accepts submissions of short videos by both artists and filmmakers. The short films were selected by a jury of local curators and will be displayed at the ICA during their winter exhibition season. In addition, there will be a screening of a video …more…
Prospect.2 New Orleans
October 23, 2011 by
Founded by curator Dan Cameron, Prospect New Orleans is one of the leading contemporary biennials featuring local and international art and artists. Prospect New Orleans showcases new visual contemporary art that contributes to bustling tourism and culture of the Louisiana Gulf. The first installment attracted 42,000 individual visitors and generated over 23 million in economic activity. The relaunch of this must see art experience begins October 21st and will last …more…
A Zen Approach to Jazz
October 22, 2011 by
Oscar Peterson, Munich 1977 (Photo by Hans Bernhard)
I was sitting, looking out the window in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago, writing the jazz genre introduction for Arts America when Oscar Peterson’s rendition of the Gershwin classic “I Loves You Porgy” pops up on Spotify. I remember that I was writing the section on the debate over what jazz “is”.
Peterson was a master of the piano and watching this …more…
The Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, the new home of Cleveland Play House
October 20, 2011 by
The Allen Theatre, in Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare, was built to be a movie house. No theatrical trappings were included. It was a long skinny theatre. No attention was given to sight lines, backstage or wing space, or a fly gallery for scenery or set pieces. It was beautiful, but anyone who saw a theatrical production in the space quickly became aware that the acoustics, the ability to clearly see the stage …more…
DOC NYC: New York’s Documentary Film Festival
October 20, 2011 by
If you’re feeling a bit worn down by the slew of fictional films vying for your attention during this end of the year Oscar campaign mode, consider taking a break from it all by watching films grounded in a bit more reality.
While not as glamorous as The New York Film Festival or as star studded as The Tribeca Film Festival, DOC NYC is perhaps one of the premiere …more…
Portlandia – Existing in Obscurity
October 19, 2011 by
Paris is symbolized by the Eiffel Tower, San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, and New York City by the Statue of Liberty. Portland, Oregon’s icon is Portlandia. What is Portlandia, you say?
In the 1980’s during construction of the Portland Building – a 15-story post-modern box designed by Michael Graves – a call for artists went out under the auspices of the Percent-for-Art ordinance. This program requires a percentage of …more…
Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Center
October 6, 2011 by
Photo: LJ Bottjer
Explosions of colors are melded with history at the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Center in South Sacramento.
Located in a strip mall at the corner of 24th Street and Florian Road the museum is far from a formal venue. Instead fabulous murals decorate walls down hallways and between doorways of businesses.
The murals, painted by Sacramentan artists – professional and volunteer, tell stories that resonate with many people of …more…
Sacramento Horror Film Festival
October 6, 2011 by
Halloween is again upon us.
Those who prefer to share their candy corn with something creepy will find the 5th Annual Sacramento Horror Film Festival the place to be.
Held Oct. 20-23, 2011 at the Colonial Theatre on Stockton Boulevard the SHFF offers everything from classic features to creative shorts for ages seven years old and up.
Twisted fun has always prevailed and continues this year with the usage of the brand new …more…
