Thanks to an anonymous benefactor, I found myself in a fabulous seat at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center last night, anticipating a performance of Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance — all for $5. In fact, every seat in the house was $5, if you can believe that! (Thank you to that benefactor…
Author: victoriab • CurlyV
Designer | Artist | Writer | Blogger | Maker | Collector | Cultural Omnivore
Manon Lescaut
Well, this is opera, so it won’t surprise you that I found the whole story of Manon Lescaut slightly amusing. I felt especially guilty giggling to myself during Act IV, as poor Manon is dying of thirst and exhaustion in the desert outside of New Orleans. Yes, you read that correctly: A desert in Louisiana….
The Cherry Orchard
I came very close to missing out on Maly Drama Theatre’s production of The Cherry Orchard last night at BAM. Months ago, I had set a strict limit for myself: I did not have the time nor the resources to see everything I wanted to see in the Winter/Spring season. I would have to brutally…
Nadia Sirota & yMusic
What a super Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, so perhaps we will have an early spring! And that is what it felt like this evening, as I enjoyed a balmy walk to Symphony Space to catch a fabulous performance that I did not actually intend to see. Violinist Nadia Sirota is…
Trisha Brown Dance Company
Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow. Gushing. Gotta stop. Sorry. But it’s Trisha Brown Dance Company! Surely you understand? I attended their performance at BAM Friday evening, and I have been savoring it ever since. Her choreography never gets stale. It thrills me. Several months back, I made a comment on this blog about a…
The Glory of the World
The winter season at BAM has begun, and I’d like to propose a toast to The Glory of the World. I had seen Big Love at BAM in 2001 (by the same writer/director team) so I was excited to see what they had dreamed up this time. It was a raucous party, that’s what it was. It…
The Spinning Wheel Festival, Part II
It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that I attended my last event as part of the fabulous Spinning Wheel Festival last night at BRIC — joy because this was an incredible experience and sadness because it is nearly over. (The first two events I attended are reviewed here.) This two-week multimedia festival was…
The Spinning Wheel Festival, Part I
Dig it, man! On Friday night at BRIC, I was thrilled to attend the opening of both the interactive exhibition and the multimedia performance of The Spinning Wheel, based on the life of steve ben israel and The Living Theater. The Spinning Wheel Festival was brilliantly conceived by steve’s son, hip hop theater artist Baba Israel….
The Hard Nut
There’s something seriously subversive going on in downtown Brooklyn this holiday season. It’s going to completely upend your cherished memories of elegant sugar plum fairies and dancing flowers. Purists beware — then prepare to be wildly entertained. I am talking about The Hard Nut, of course, and word on the street is that Mark Morris…
Continu
And so another exciting Next Wave Festival comes to a close — at least for me. I saw my final performance of the fall season last night at BAM. Sasha Waltz & Guests presented Continu, set to music by Edgard Varèse, Claude Vivier, Iannis Xenakis, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. (A percussion piece by Xenakis was…
Steel Hammer
“He laid down his hammer and he died. Lord, Lord. He laid down his hammer and he died.” I have had Pete Seeger’s voice singing his version of the folk song, John Henry, racing through my head like a runaway train ever since I left Steel Hammer — a collaboration between composer, Julia Wolfe, and SITI Company….
Lulu
I chose four operas to see during the Metropolitan Opera’s 2015/16 season. This year I decided to see them all live in HD at BAM Rose Cinema because I am particularly interested in the pre-performance lectures. Yesterday I saw my first: Lulu, composed by Alban Berg with Frank Wedekind as librettist. This opera, arguably the…
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