Theater Review (NYC): ‘A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur,’ by Tennessee Williams, Starring Kristine Nielsen, Annette O’Toole, Jean Lichty

Oct 2

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Jean Lihty, Annette O'Toole, Kristine Nielsen, Polly McKie, A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur, Austin Pendleton

(L to R): Jean Lichty, Annette O’Toole, Kristine Nielsen, Polly McKie in ‘A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur,’ directed by Austin Pendleton (Joan Marcus)

Tennessee Williams dramatized women’s quiet lives of desperation. Indeed, his characterizations ping  from the haunting, tragic-comedic melodies of emotion he experienced with his family growing up in St. Louis, Missouri. In A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur, directed with measured grace by Austin Pendleton, one of Williams’ last plays receives a sterling, masterful presentation. Assuredly, the excellent ensemble of actors provides the poignant atmospheric intensity.

Currently running at Theatre at St. Clement’s, the production deserves a visit for its adroit performances and direction. Pendleton’s nuanced and gradual unfolding of Williams’ dramatic climax at once captivates with its beauty, delicacy, and plaintiveness. Delivered with a less astute balance in shepherding the actors’ portrayals than Pendleton’s, Williams’ complicated play would not deliver the power and heart-break that this production evokes at the conclusion.

A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur,' Tennessee Williams, Austin Pendleton, Kristine Nielsen, Annette O'Toole, Jean Lichty, Polly McKie

(L to R): Kristine Nielsen, Jean Lichty, ‘A Lovely Sunday For Creve Couer,’ Tennessee Williams, directed by Austin Pendleton (Joan Marcus)

Throughout the play we witness three single women’s wants and desires. A fourth, who becomes a foil for the other three, provides the background theme which motivates them to desperation. Each longs for happiness away from her current day to day lower class existence in depression era St. Louis, Missouri. In order to achieve this happiness, they place their hopes in others to deliver it. Ultimately, the women deceive themselves. Clearly, they set themselves up for disappointment after disappointment.

At the opening we note that maternal, nurturing Bodey (Kristine Nielsen in a superb, layered, and profound rendering), chides Dorothea. With precision Jean Lichty portrays the teacher, a fading Southern belle from Tennessee. Lichty’s somewhat frivolous Dorothea spends her entire morning waiting upon Mr. Ralph Ellis’s phone call. Because Bodey is “deaf” and didn’t hear the phone ring when it did, we become persuaded by Dorothea’s view. Initially we believe her relationship with Ralph remains solidly founded. Meanwhile, Bodey prepares food for a lovely outing at Creve Coeur with her twin brother Buddy, anticipating that Dorothea will join them. She insists she will not, for Ralph Ellis has important information to tell her about their lives together.

Strikingly, we see that neither women really listens to the other as each drives forward to achieve their own goals. Dorothea yearns for Ralph, a principal who associates with the country club set. Because of her recent tryst with him, she anticipates that her charms have overwhelmed him romantically as she has been overwhelmed. The inevitability remains clear for her, though Bodey warns her against these notions.

Bodey’s reaction to Dotty’s relationship with Ellis appears questionable. We wonder at Bodey’s potential jealousy of “their love.” The feminine, sweet, pretty Dorothea surely will leave her and get married, a frightening prospect for Bodey. Indeed, Dotty believes that eventually, Ralph will spirit her into a well positioned marriage away from the squalid, spare lifestyle she leads teaching, and renting from Bodey. For her part Bodey, a spinster devoted to caring for others, least of all herself, has given up on her own prospects of marriage. Instead, she believes that her overweight, reliable, unromantic, hearty twin Buddy would be perfect for Dorothea.  And if they married, she would be the dependable aunt who would raise their brood and have a vital purpose in their family life.

Jean Lichty, Annette O'Toole, Kristine Nielsen, Polly McKie, Austin Pendleton, A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur

(L to R): Jean Lichty, Annette O’Toole, Kristine Nielsen in ‘A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur,’ directed by Austin Pendleton (Joan Marcus)

During the course of the play, two other spinsters join into this group of women who appear unloved and unwanted. Miss Gluck, a German neighbor who has lost her mother and who grieves incessantly. Most probably not only does she grieve the close relationship loss. But she probably grieves that she will be alone. Thus, she must give herself her own solace daily. Indeed, how much can Miss Gluck rely on the friendship of her neighbor Bodey with whom she communicates only in German? Polly McKie as the mournful Miss Gluck is humorous and believable. Thematically, the character portends what happens to women who do not marry well economically or congenially, or whose husbands abandon them to loneliness and despair.

Annette O'Toole, Polly McKie, A Lovely Sunday For Dreve Coeur, Austin Pendleton, Tennessee Williams, La Femme Theatre Productions

Annette O’Toole and Polly McKie in ‘A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur,’ directed by Austin Pendleton, written by Tennessee Williams, La Femme Theatre Productions (Joan Marcus)

Helena is the fourth spinster who intrudes into the lives of Bodey and Dotty. During the course of her visit, she suggests the monstrous end which awaits the unfortunate Miss Gluck. Incisively portrayed by Annette O’Toole, Helena represents the cruel and bitter archetype of the most miserable of the spinsters. These yearn to escape themselves and falling short, grow venomous and predatory toward other women. Arrogant, acerbic, biting she manipulates with sarcasm. And she bullies and demeans Bodey and Dotty with female cultural mores and the pretense of good breeding. In irony she implies that unless Dotty takes actions to lift herself into an upscale arrangement with her, she will fall into the same despair as Bodey. And with finality, poor Dotty will eventually become a social anathema, the greying, unwanted, depressive Miss Gluck.

As the day unfolds, we learn Helena, too, has wants. A fellow teacher in the same school, she intends for Dotty to be her roommate and share the expensive rent and utilities. Her concern for Dotty’s life path concludes with self-dealing. Her own. She covets the monthly expenses Dotty will hand to her. And she intends Dotty to partner up at their bridge games twice a week for companionship. When Dotty inquires whether the bridge will be mixed, we see the fullness of Dotty’s fear anguish of discouragement.

For Dotty, there is no hope without a man. She cannot define herself in any other terms. Nor can she settle for a kind of contentment or resignation as Bodey, Helena and even Miss Gluck have. For her it’s a man, or it’s the abyss. That her designs fall upon Ralph Ellis and certainly not the overweight, unappealing Buddy, who accompanies his sister to Creve Coeur, is her tragic misfortune.

Tennessee Williams’ ironies and humor seek a fine level in this satisfying and heartfelt production. Notably, the Rolling Stones anthem to humanity rings out loudly in this play’s themes of disappointment and finding one’s courage to move past despair. No, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want!” However, for some of the characters, especially the ones who nurture and look out for each other, they do “get what they need.” Perhaps. Indeed, they may even enjoy a lovely Sunday at Creve Coeur.

Kudos to the artistic team Harry Feiner (Scenic & Lighting Design), Beth Goldenberg (Costumes), Ryan Rumery (Sound Design & Original Music), and the other artists.

A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur presented by La Femme Theatre Productions runs without an intermission at Theatre at St. Clement’s (423 West 46th St) until 21 October. Interestingly, the theater was founded by Tennessee William’s cousin Reverend Sidney Lanier. You may purchase tickets at LaFemmeTheatreProductions.org. 

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Edie Falco and Michael McKean as Rumored Lovers in ‘The True’ by Sharr White, Directed by Scott Elliott

Sep 25

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Michael McKean, Edie Falco, Peter Scolari, The True, Scott Elliot, Sharr White, The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center

(L to R): Michael McKean, Edie Falco, Peter Scolari in ‘The True’ by Sharr White, directed by Scott Elliott for The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center (Michelle Carboni)

During my undergraduate and graduate college days and afterward (1970s), I lived in Albany, New York, the setting of The True. Familiarizing myself with the city during those years, I learned about Albany’s political and social structure. Friends who were aides to state congressmen used to discuss the corruption problems in Albany’s Democratic machine. Other friends, some of them Black Panthers, discussed the white communities’ racial discrimination and local government injustices. In those years, the Irish controlled Albany city and county. And Dan O’Connell as Party Chairman helped Mayor Erastus Corning II govern the city for decades.

On one level I knew about the background of Sharr White’s subject matter and characters in The True. There were no surprises. He based the characters on research about real personalities. On the other hand, the playwright’s perspective on the characters held many surprises. Indeed, his exploration of how power and the ties that solidify power bathe in loyalty appear fascinating in the backdrop of today’s leaking political climate. As a result, The True, ably directed by Scott Elliott and impeccably acted by Edie Falco, Michael McKean, and the ensemble, ignites with humor and intrigue.

Michael McKean, Edie Falco, The True, Sharr White, Scott Elliot, Pershing Square Signature Center, The New Group

Michael McKean, Edie Falco, ‘The True,’ by Sharr White, directed by Scott Elliott for The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center (Monique Carboni)

White mostly depicts Albany’s machine politics with a positive twist. Ostensibly, hooked-in communities backed the Democrats for good old-fashioned patronage. Their loyalty was rewarded with various types of assistance and employment. The Democratic Party took care of widows and orphans. They got jobs for those who needed help. In exchange the voters listened to their committeemen. And they formed a solid community. Furthermore, they remained loyal to the party until death. As for those who wanted a political career, they worked their way up the ladder, moved from position to position until they achieved glory. Of course they had to live in Albany for all of their lives. Erastus Corning II was such an individual.

But Republicans struggled. They received higher tax bills and other infelicities. Meanwhile, the outsider black community feared Corning’s police. Though injustices raged, they kept their heads down except for a few attempts at protest (by The Brothers). From my outsiders’ perspective a negative mythology about O’Connell’s machine and Mayor Corning II swirled around the capital of New York State. White’s The True rounded out my perspective and brought additional considerations into view.

Peter Scolari, Austin Cauldwell, Edie Falco, The True, Scott Elliott, Sharr White, The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center

(L to R): Peter Scolari, Austin Cauldwell, Edie Falco in ‘The True,’ written by Sharr White, directed by Scott Elliott for The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center (Monique Carboni)

Interestingly, no clouds of malfeasance penetrate Sharr White’s world of Albany politics, though characters discuss or deny rumors. Instead, White provides a human portrait of individuals. He particularly focuses on the relationship between Corning II (Michael McKean) and secretary and close friend Peggy Noonan (Edie Falco). Though Albany social circles intimated they had a love relationship, White’s play concentrates on their bonds surrounding politics. The ferocious loyalty Noonan has to Corning II as the do-gooding Mayor of Albany is the centerpiece of the play. Yet, questions about their relationship serve as the conflict. When a wedge develops between Corning II and Noonan, their reactions drive the action and stir the characterizations.

Ingeniously, White gives us the insider’s perspective “in the rooms where loyalties happened.” The play opens after Dan O’Connell’s funeral (1977), at friends Peter and Peggy Noonan’s home where Erastus Corning II frequently hangs for comfort and advice. With humorous interplay, Edie Falco portrays Peggy Noonan’s vibrance, determination, and foul-mouthed, steely brilliance. Her political acumen appears greater than that of her male counterparts. Supported by her affable, agreeable, clever, non-political husband Peter (Peter Scolari), they discuss Corning II’s options.

John Pankow, Edie Falco, The True, Sharr White, Scott Elliott, The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center

John Pankow, Edie Falco, ‘The True,’ by Sharr White, directed by Scott Elliott, The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center (Monique Carboni)

Because Corning II is not O’Connell’s pronounced heir apparent, he is swimming in dark waters after the party boss’s death. We divine that the entire organization (machine) and reins of power are up for grabs. Indeed, Peggy stirs the pot by reminding “Rasty” that the tough O’Connell operative Charlie Ryan (John Pankow) will kick Corning II, whom he dislikes, to the curb. When McKean’s Corning II appears to wobble, Falco clobbers him with the truth of the loss of power that will occur and why and how it will occur. The changing of the guard (few politicians will care about their constituents) will sink Corning II. The lack of loyalty will give others a wedge to undermine the Democratic party’s strength at nurturing its communities.

Falco’s Noonan cajoles with logic, wit, and sarcasm. She delivers quips with sass and spunk and verve. As we note her determination in stirring McKean’s “Rasty” we note their closeness. For his part McKean’s portrait of Corning II remains measured, thoughtful, avuncular. No stench of corruption, rapacious ambition, or ruthlessness follows this likable mayor. Indeed, the portrayal reveals an emotional, deep individual. We note he stays because he yearns for the companionship of his trusted friends. Rather than go home to his wife Betty as Polly suggests, he receives sustenance from them, especially Polly. For his part, Peter listens and participates, generously pouring drinks and good will.

Edie Falco, Michael McKean, The True, The New Group, Scott Elliott, Sharr White, Pershing Square Signature Center

Edie Falco, MIchael McKean in ‘The True,’ The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center until 28 October (Monique Carboni)

Yet, we question. Why would another man’s wife curate so vehemently the political career of a friend? Why not his own wife? Noonan as Corning’s former secretary means so much more to him than his wife Betty does. Indeed, she appears to be the finest political advisor a politician could have. On closer inspection we understand that this politician is married to his party and career. By design, Polly comes with the package. Thoughtfully, White lightly suggests that their bond did or may sneak beyond the elusive depths of his political career toward intimacy.

Sharr White develops this intriguing notion throughout. Notably, he presents a complex answer by degrees underneath various personality layers and sharp Noonan retorts to Rasty’s rivals. One obvious theme concerns Noonan’s gender. Undoubtedly, at a different time and place, Peggy Noonan would have stepped from behind the scenes to make a grand committeewoman or state congresswoman herself. However, because of gender limitations, she must settle for being Rasty’s brilliant adviser, counselor, and cattle prod, which she adores being. Also, she must wear the filthy smear of the “other woman,” in infamy. For decades it remains a slander from which she receives no benefit.

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White shows us the turning point when McKean’s Corning II must give up his association with Peggy “to stop people from talking.” However, that does not stop Noonan’s persistence. She remains “the true.” Loyal to Corning II, she fights for him against his adversaries. And she properly divines the polls where others fail, even Rasty. Finally with only days to spare, we follow her intrigues as she puts together a deal which saves Rasty’s career and convinces a remorseful McKean’s Rasty he should never have left her association.

What a woman! A political wheeler-dealer bar none! In fact White reveals that Erastus Corning II might have languished in the graveyard of failed politicians without her help and Peter’s friendship. By comparison, Corning II’s own family situation appears worse than bleak, isolated and friendless. No forthcoming career help there.

Edie Falco, Michael McKean, Peter Scolari, The True, Sharr White, Scott Elliott, The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center

L to R): Edie Falco, Michael McKean, Peter Scolari in ‘The True,’ by Sharr White, directed by Scott Elliott for The New Group, Pershing Square Signature Center (Monique Carboni)

The True succeeds on many levels: the fascinating characters, the acting, the directing. Though the individuals are factual, White teases out the emotional tenor between and among the Noonans and Corning II. Importantly, the playwright depicts an incredible force in Noonan. And Falco portrays her with that particularity inherent in one who is wise, ferocious, logical, politically savvy, and street smart. Also, she happens to be a woman who cares about people, as she suggests that O’Connell and Corning II and the Democratic Party cared about the “have nots.” For me this refreshing inside revelation about a vital and unlikely conductor politically leading a symphony of men strikes with authenticity.

The production is a must-see for Falco’s dogged portrayal, with adroit assists by McKean, Scolari and the rest of the cast. Austin Caldwell portrays Bill McCormick, Glenn Fitzgerald depicts Howard C. Nolan, and John Pankow portrays Charlie Ryan. Kudos go to the creative team: Derek McLane (scenic design), Clint Ramos (costume design), Jeff Croiter (lighting design), Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen (sound design & music composition). The True runs at The Pershing Square Signature Center until 28 October. If you don’t purchase tickets soon, it will be sold out. For tickets Click HERE.

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Bryan Cranston in Conversation With David Edelstein, Tribeca TV Festival 2018

Sep 24

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Tribeca TV Festival 2018, Bryan Cranston, David Edelstein, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV

Bryan Cranston, Davie Edelstein in Conversation, Tribeca TV Festival, 2018, Tribeca Talks (Carole Di Tosti)

Bryan Cranston, one of the most versatile actors of his generation, spoke with David Edelstein (film critic New York Magazine) in a Q and A during the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival. They discussed salient points about his high-velocity career on TV, film, and stage. Always interesting and vibrant Cranston, spoke about acting considerations and the process. Notably, he attributes his success to hard work and luck. Obviously, Cranston’s passion melded with humility drives him with the knowledge that he must continually be in learning mode. This attitude pays off. For at this point he excels at whatever task he endeavors. Cranston’s quietly forged, dogged determination shines a beacon even for established actors, producers and directors.

When Cranston made a showing in films like Little Miss Sunshine (2006), he already had found a home on the small screen. Notably, his TV credits amass from appearances beginning in “One Life to Live.” As he took acting classes, he accomplished parts on various TV series. And shows like Raising Miranda (1988) and Matlock (1987, 1991) gave him longer stints. Work begets work and for longer work periods. Various films and TV series crossed his path like the TV Mini Series Macross Plus (1994) and The Louie Show (1996).

Bryan Cranston, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018

Bryan Cranston, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018 (Carole Di Tosti)

After two decades, he began to strike gold. As Dr. Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, he made an indelible mark. And as the amiable dad, Hal on Malcolm in the Middle (2006), cultural phrases sprang from his character portrayal.  Thus, his hard work cemented the bricks of experience to build a fortress of a career. This fortress enabled him to weather world wide acclaim. And it allowed him to possess the grace within to receive the numerous accolades for subsequent one-of-a-kind portrayals.

Who can imagine the character of Walter White in Breaking Bad without Cranston? White, so incredibly fleshed out by Cranston, will live in our cultural memory for decades. Morphing from a “Goodbye Mr. Chips” teacher to drug empire maker “Scarface,” Cranston pulled every range of emotions from his acting toolkit. Through the show’s seasons, he won numerous awards.  Cranston’s power grid solidified. The starpower gained from his four time Emmy success, enabled him to become one of the producers during the series’ fourth and fifth seasons. And he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series twice.

Ever since, Cranston has been on a roll swallowing up experiences to learn all aspects of “the business” he obviously loves. Reviewing the decades long arc of his career reveals that marvelous events come to those who “put in the time” and “make the most” of opportunity’s breakwaters. In 2014, Cranston won the Tony Award for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in Broadway’s All the Way. Subsequently, having created his production company Moonshot Entertainment, he reprised the role for the HBO adaptation of the same name.

Bryan Cranston, David Edelstein, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018

Bryan Cranston, Edelstein, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018 (Carole Di Tosti)

During the conversation Cranston discussed how his teenage years and personality gave him the juice to create characters in a TV series he co-created and co-produces i.e. Sneaky Pete. The exceptional casting stars Giovanni Ribisi and currently moves through its second season.  Cranston mentioned that as a teen he manifested a “sneakiness.” But his life took another turn away from “true crime,” and becoming an LAPD officer which he had been working toward in college. His direction switched when he took Acting Class as an elective. Nevertheless, he used the behaviors (lying, cover-ups), and that M.O. to create characters and story. As the positive reviews flow in Season 2, Sneaky Pete remains fresh, bold and smart. And as Cranston enjoys mixing up expectations, they’ve added conflicts and developments that do not allow the protagonist to breathe any relief from his own self-inflicted lying machinations.

Cranston clarified that success builds upon success. As a result his company developed various television series along with Sneaky Pete, in The Dangerous Book for Boys, and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams for Amazon. Included is the Emmy-nominated animated series SuperMansion for Sony/Crackle. The foundation of incredible effort built throughout his career remains stalwart. For indeed the vicissitudes happened upon him in Cranston’s early years, a factor he referred to during the conversation. However, all events in one’s life provide acting and storytelling grist. Though painful, they can be culled and transformed into art.

Bryan Cranston, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018

Bryan Cranston, Tribeca TV Festival 2018, Tribeca Talks (Carole Di Tosti)

This year Cranston was nominated for a 2018 Emmy for his guest-starring role as Larry’s therapist on Curb Your Enthusiasm. And after coming off a sold-out, award-winning run in London, Cranston stars on Broadway as Howard Beale in Paddy Chayefsky’s ever timely Network by Lee Hall, adapted from the film script. I had tried to see the production in London at the National Theatre in December when I visited the UK. The production was sold out and for good cause. Cranston’s performance was spot-on. He won the 2018 Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor. He was nominated for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play. Also, he won the 2018 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Like many actors, Cranston does not read reviews of his work. He stated that the reviews if negative or positive could impact how he works the character through his own acting instrument. He took many acting classes over the years and left when he received continual praise. Interestingly, Cranston felt he needed to learn more. And if he plateaued in a class, the time had ripened to move on and pick up another tool for his acting kit. Being his own coach and critic, reviews provided nothing useful. Indeed, onstage, the interaction with the audience changes a performance nightly. He mentioned new ideas and a reliance on imagination which infuse the evocation of a character. Being in the moment is paramount.

Bryan Cranston, Tribeca Talks, Tribea TV Festival 2018

Bryan Cranston, Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018 (Carole Di Tosti)

Some interesting points that Cranston made concerned acting. He remarked that actors must give in to their impulses. Indeed, he said, “The more I do that and get off kilter from the norm, the better.” He added that if one “does make a mistake, one apologizes and if one’s life is clean, the mistakes will be minor.”

Edelson bounced back with the adage about the difference between greater and lesser actors. He suggested that “the greater actors are not afraid to appear foolish.” Cranston concurred. And he added that actors must take risks. He cited the quote, “You’re only as good as you dare to be bad.”

David Edelstein, Bryan Cranston, Tribeca TV Festival 2018

Bryan Cranston, David Edelstein in Tribeca Talks, Tribeca TV Festival 2018

Taking chances Cranston credits to be a vital part of great acting. Inherent with good performers is the prerequisite that actors have to be willing to take chances. Not only does this refer to physical chances, but emotional ones. According to Cranston, actors put themselves in emotional jeopardy often. He explained, “When you go through a process like that, your body does not know the different between acting and real life. If I’m putting myself in a position where I’m weeping or heaving with upset, anger or fear, my body does not know I’m acting.”

And Cranston continued about the sacrifices of actors when expressing dense emotion. “Your body can be shaking. It takes a while to come down from that. It can be exhausting but also exhilarating.”

Edelson referenced that Cranston doesn’t show an image persona and one that remains private.  Indeed, the public has seen actors who are schizoid. Sometimes they manifest the artificial “show biz” personality and the separate family or off screen persona. As a compliment, Edelson remarked that Cranston appears measured, relaxed, himself with no difference between public and private individual. He joked that Cranston didn’t appear to have schisms. Cranston used this praise to quip, “Oh, I got a lot of schisms.”

However, the conversation came back around to the work. Cranston reinforced that he is not one to stand around at parties schmoozing, drink in hand “yelling” above the music and din of people talking. He said he didn’t think the atmosphere seemed conducive to making a connection with anyone. He proclaimed, “I’m not good at that.” He also commented that while he has a tremendous amount of energy, he prefers saving it for those things that he wants to do.

In effect he must husband the enthusiasm and grist he does have for projects. Clearly, he has other irons in the fire that he will use to continue to work on that fortress of a career.

See Bryan Cranston on Broadway in Network before the tickets are sold out. Most likely the production and Cranston will be up for additional awards in the US, including a Tony.

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‘Agnes’ by Catya McMullen (AMC’s ‘Dietland’), at 59E59 Theaters, NYC Review

Sep 16

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Hiram Delgado, Mykal Monroe, Laura RamadeiAgnes, Jenna Worsham, 59E59 Theaters,Catya McMullen

(L to R): Hiram Delgado, Mykal Monroe, Laura Ramadei in ‘Agnes,’ presented by Lesser America in association with Hugh Hayes, written by Catya McMullen, directed by Jenna Worsham at 59E59 Theaters (Hunter Canning)

With hurricane season upon us, the intriguing production of Agnes appears timely, ably directed by Jenna Worsham at 59E59 Theaters.

Four New York City 20-somethings burrow in their apartment and into each other while weathering the titular hurricane. Invited by zany Ronan to crash with former friends since her “A” evacuation zone leaves her homeless for the night, Anna joins the reunion/party, where hidden emotions and jealousies collide, and confrontations reveal secrets aching for revelation.

As the characters reformulate their mutual relationships, they develop new relationships with themselves too. Though satisfying resolutions never come easily, the process of getting there presents itself. And like all storms, eventually the hurricanes within and without dissolve, with clearer weather ahead.

The 90-minute one-act opens after dynamic, rocking music subsides. Charlie enters a cluttered, homely, shared apartment. John Edgar Barker portrays the emotionally complex and Asperger-challenged Charlie with sustained believability. His performance throughout is well-executed, thoughtful, and finely tuned.

Charlie carefully pulls out a box from the shelf above the bed, flips through the audio tapes inside and selects one. As he listens to “Subject 37, Lorraine,” the taped interview soothes him. Stepping into the light as the tape plays, “Lorraine” (Claire Siebers) relates her experiences in a physical storm which symbolically aligns with her personal troubles. Though we don’t realize it yet, one of McMullen’s themes is unwinding as, inevitably, these quirky individuals fall over each other as they struggle with their own internal hurricanes.

John Edgar Barker, Mykal Monroe, Hiram Delgado, Laura Ramadei, Agnes, Catya McMullen, 59E59 Theaters

L to R): John Edgar Barker, Mykal Monroe, Hiram Delgado, Laura Ramadei in ‘Agnes’ by Catya McMullen at 59E59 Theaters (Hunter Canning)

Upon seeing that Charlie has returned from parts unknown, his younger sister June ferociously welcomes him back. As June, Laura Ramadei adheres with precision to apt emotional modulations and delivers an overall spot-on, nuanced performance. Though June remains on tenterhooks questioning Charlie’s whereabouts, her expressions of mild outrage reveal heavy concern. Obviously, she has cast herself as his caretaker, a role Charlie’s older self chafes at.

Nevertheless, Charlie’s vacant, aloof responses to her and rebuffs of physical affection indicate familiar ground. Their relationship is strained. The pull and twists of sibling love combined with intense overprotectiveness grates on Charlie. Finally, we learn through McMullen’s quippy, well-crafted dialogue that Charlie’s Asperger’s locks him away from normal behavior, social interactions, and intimacy. Indeed, the syndrome predisposes him from easily relating to others, including sister June. By degrees the playwright, director, and excellent ensemble reveal the rationality of June’s behavior toward her brother. Yet we also realize that her dependence on being the nurturer stifles both of their individuality and autonomy. Where will their struggle end?

laire Siebers, John Edgar Barker, Agnes, Catya McMullen, Jenna Worsham, 59E59 Theaters

Claire Siebers, John Edgar Barker in ‘Agnes’ written by Catya McMullen, directed by Jenna Worsham at 59E59 Theaters (Hunter Canning)

This conflict and other issues explode in the presence of Anna, June’s former lover. Delightfully portrayed by Claire Siebers, Anna lures all around her, with moment-to-moment emotional content that shines from within, outward. As Anna seduces us and the others, June’s current lover, the feisty Elle (Mykal Monroe), becomes outraged fearing she’ll lose June. As the brilliant medical student, Monroe is Ramadei’s foil. Their interactions ring with authenticity.

Threatened by Anna’s beauty, seductiveness, and joy, Elle confronts June. When June ameliorates her rage with affection and sex, Elle succumbs. The storm subsides momentarily. But dark clouds still fly overhead, for June will most likely not move to another state with Elle as Elle completes her studies. Anna, who has just moved near them, threatens the end of June’s and Elle’s relationship if June stays in New York.

The conflict climaxes when Charlie expresses his attraction to Anna. Intriguingly, the ancient story of experienced lover shepherding the inexperienced acolyte unfolds. Charlie asks her for help in expressing his loving emotions for her sexually. Will she rebuff one who makes his need and innocence so sweet, so insistent? What of her former relationship with June and perception of herself? How will Charlie feel if she rejects him, or loves him then leaves him?

The situation becomes the powderkeg that blows open June’s underlying feelings about her relationships with Charlie, Elle, Anna, and herself. It explodes Charlie’s relationship with June and sets it on a different course. Anna is the catalyst and change agent. Blown back into their lives via the necessity of finding a haven (this symbolism thrums), she adds her unique complexity to their human dynamic. However, being with them throws open the doors to the random. Like the random effects of the weather, she may break, and the relationships between and among the individuals may be destroyed. Only empathy and communication will salve the wounds.

Laura Ramadei, Mykal Monroe, Agnes, 59E59 Theaters

(L to R): Laura Ramadei, Mykal Monroe, ‘Agnes,’ 59E59 Theaters (Hunter Canning)

Ironically, Charlie who yearns for meaningful connection does communicate with Anna. But June waits in the wings seemingly without the understanding or the ability to “let her older brother grow up on his own.” In a confusing flood of emotions, Anna is evicted from June’s safe haven into Hurricane Agnes the next day. Though the air clears, it is time to survey the damage. Indeed, the situation among June, Elle, and Charlie will never be the same.

As for Ronan, who attempts to negotiate his own breakup with his wife, that remains for the sunshine. Hiram Delgado’s Ronan effervesces with vibrancy and pathos. As the peacemaker who cannot attain peace with his own wife, he introduces the catalyst (Anna). However, he cannot halt the chain of events. Nevertheless, his humor steers the group and provides some measure of riotous sanity. Delgado’s is a stand-up performance.

Claire Siebers, John Edgar Barker, Agnes, Catya McMullen, Jenna Worsham, 59E59 Theaters

Claire Siebers, John Edgar Barker in ‘Agnes’ written by Catya McMullen, directed by Jenna Worsham at 59E59 Theaters (Hunter Canning)

The play’s centerpiece message is that Charlie’s condition represents in exaggerated form the human condition. Especially in these times, one of humanity’s failures centers on crippled relationships and the lack of meaningful connections. With inflexibility comes the inability to stand in another’s shoes or perceive the sanctity of another’s viewpoint. The brilliant yet socially “backward” Charlie recognizes these failings within himself and seeks to correct them. The others only reflect their incapacity to empathize with those closest to them. The hard truth of communication necessitates that one listen and put aside one’s own needs. Charlie appears to be the only one in Agnes who fervently tries. And through their fears, he attempts to lead his sister to understand.

Ironically too, Charlie symbolizes the best of humanity. Indeed, he does this despite his stilted, abrupt, truth-blurting observations (many of them humorous). Despite his social inadequacies, he is brutally aware of himself. Though he doesn’t readily show emotional connection and appears without emotional tenor, his awareness of others is acute. Finally, we note the importance of openness and empathetic listening.

In this tour-de-force, which is sometimes humorous, sometimes spellbindingly real, Worsham and the cast riffing on McMullen’s deft writing remind us of underestimated human verities. It is a pleasant irony that the character who appears most socially dysfunctional recognizes and explores the greatest of human truths.

Not to give too much away, do look for thematic connections with the characters Charlie interviews. The metaphors and symbolism are particularly apt. Agnes is a must-see.

Kudos to the design team: Angelica Borrero (sets), Cheyenne Sykes (lighting), Daniel Melnick (sound), and Nicole Slaven (costumes). Agnes runs at 59E59 Theaters until 29 September. Visit the website for tickets.

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Tribeca FF 2018 Review: ‘The American Meme’ Documentary With Paris Hilton, Emily Ratajkowski, Brittany Furlan

Sep 15

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Tribeca FF 2018, Bret Marcus, Paris Hilton, Josh, The American Meme, Social Media fandom

(L to R): Paris Hilton, Bret Marcus, Josh Ostrovsky in ‘The American Meme,’ directed by Bert Marcus at Tribeca Film Festival 2018 (photo courtesy of Tribeca FF)

What does it take to become a Social Media giant? Is Donald Trump a Social Media giant or does he buy Twitter followers as one might do and has been reported? And how easy is it to be exploited online by malign actors from adversarial  countries? When documentary director Bert Marcus began to investigate the online habitats created by wannabe celebrities capitalizing on creating their own brands from their individual styles and ethos, he wasn’t concerned about politics. He wanted to explore whether the Social Media “giants” determined by their hits and followers were happy. What did it take to command an army of millions and turn them into cold hard cash? Notoriety is celebrity these days. And the individuals he chased down gladly opened their doors for additional publicity in his documentary. And one hand washed the other in The American Meme the documentary that attempts to get to the bottom of the phenomenon that inspires American Social Media personalities but only scratches the surface.

Himself capitalizing and riding the coattails of Social darlings like Paris Hilton, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Brittany Furlan, The Fat Jew, and Kirill Bichutsky to name a few, in the guise of “going behind the scenes,” Marcus attempts to examine these individuals’ personal lives and the impact of sustaining their memes on the digital universe. Yes, they are human beings, not two dimensional screen figures. What were/are the sacrifices of seeking celebrity? How obsessed must one be to have a legion of followers? How clever? How creatively brilliant? It is possible to then take that notoriety and become one’s own entrepreneur garnering angel investors and/or others willing to share in the glory for a profit-making investment? Of course.

Bert Marcus,Tribeca Film Festival 2018, Brittany Furlan,

Brittany Furlan in ‘The American Meme,’ directed by Bert Marcus, Tribeca Film Festival 2018 (photo from the film)

Marcus is strongest in his examination as he begins to scratch the surface of psychological and emotional burn out. How tough is it to top yourself from your last next “best thing” that your followers “loved?” And indeed, the moment one tries to find some down time from all of the frenzy of hits, the followers drop off.  You can’t be away from the screen too long. You have to promote yourself. So another question he looks at is to what extent can an uber Social Media celebrity cool it and take a vacation from their phone? Instant success is instant oblivion online, even though the trails on Vines, Instagram and Youtube videos remain. In the instance of Krill whose branding is insanity, can he and others like him looking for their digital landescape afford to stop the sensationalism or stop pushing the envelope of outrageousness? What happens when enough is enough. And is enough ever enough?

I guess one can put it this way. Can Donald Trump afford not to tweet or be controversial? Well, thankfully, Marcus’ subjects are not in the presidential hot seat. On the other hand, the same chronic indulgence in self-exploitation and selfishness disguised in the form of selflessness to entertain one’s fans, in other words, narcissism, is present. The most affective celebrities online are the ones whose craziness turns on making fun of themselves.

Bert Marcus, Paris Hilton, The American Meme, Tribeca FF 2018

Paris Hilton and Bert Marcus, Tribeca FF 2018, ‘The American Meme, (photo courtesy of Tribeca FF)

The documentary highlights the individuals stated above and also Josh Ostrovsky and Kirill Bichutsky. I particularly found the latter funny horrible and one reason why the #MeToo movement came into being. Women and men need to be educated toward what sadism, masochism and soul-destroying crowd behavior does to the culture. As a factor of The American Meme  which does not judge, it attempts to humanize yet poke fun at these Social Media stars while riding their outrageousness. Thus, the tone and purpose of the film got misdirected somehow. In exposing such a phenomenon, it is important to take a position. I found that the film tries to but fails and gets bogged down in revealing the pain and torment of self-victimization, itself victimization of those who have the strength not to. Methinks the film protests to much in the wrong areas and doesn’t protest at all what it should.

Thus, the “celebrities” exhaustion, depression and upset that they created this branding image monster that is devouring them piecemeal is a vital point. But on the other hand, that their perspective is infantile is paramount. There is so much that we should be apprised of including Climate Change, institutional and governmental discrimination, the outrageous abuses occurring at our Southern border with children imprisoned in camps without proper supervision and attention, the threat of citizens being thrown off their healthcare.

Hailey Bieber, Bert Marcus, The American Meme, Tribeca FF 2018

Hailey Bieber and Bert Marcus, ‘The American Meme,’ Tribeca FF 2018 (photo courtesy of Tribeca)

To my febrile, ancient mind this documentary is as indulgent as its subjects. Hopefully, once these Social personalities grow up, perhaps they will do something purposeful in the world. Some of them like Amanda Cerny have. But she is not one of those who clawed to the top of the Social Media platforms amassing followers through either looking stupid good or appearing arrogant and clueless and lovely or with the guys like Kirill doing the opposite and being disgusting for disgusting sake. That to me rings too much of the current political media mogul that has usurped the seat of power to brand himself and the nation. The question is, what exactly do you want to do? And if you end up killing yourself or destroying your career, do you care?

But again The American Meme is not political. However, it does highlight self-victimization and feeling victimized by one’s fans and the relentless gorging of the media on the outrageous and controversial. In any case, many will find Marcus’ revelations and/or the celebratory comments and behaviors fascinating. Indeed, this film is for those who believe that Social Media is revolutionary by bringing the American Dream right onto one’s phone camera and using one’s creativity to grab the attention of millions. That is a feat. But as Andy Warhol stated, everyone has their 15 minutes of fame. Ironically, his criticism of this in the culture, most people missed. Also, the crowd mentality around celebrity and the rabid and misguided search for the American Meme/Dream theme, if it amuses, was beautifully stated in a 1939 novel by Nathaniel West which is about Hollywood as a devouring fiction. The novel is The Day of the Locust. And West reveals the same type of frenzy driving humanity. The novel was also made into the 1979 titular film which was a barely recognizable, loose adaptation of the novel about a few of Hollywood’s failed dreamers.

As an expose, Marcus documentary is lukewarm. Would that he had gone deeper, for the idea is a fascinating one that needs exploration, certainly. As a documentary that informs with appropriate edits and Social Media intercuts, it does its job. As a position piece, it is obvious and bland. Citing more details, facts and highlighting the Social celebrities who are making it across platforms and whose creativity does rock might have been more trenchant. But then again, riding the tail wind as this film does, followers of these stars will enjoy The American Meme. As a future historical piece, Marcus has laid the groundwork for others to go beyond the surface to the psychology behind the memes. Just do it!

 

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‘My Life on a Diet’ Starring Renée Taylor, a Laugh Fest You Don’t Want to Miss

Jul 30

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Renée Taylor, My Life on a Diet, Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement's

Renée Taylor in ‘My Life on a Diet.’ directed by Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement’s, (Jeremy Daniel)

Every woman who has ever gone on a diet should either run to the Theatre at St. Clement’s to see My Life on a Diet or read Renée Taylor’s titular memoir. Taylor and Joseph Bologna, her husband of 52 years (now deceased), wrote her one-woman show, and as live performances go Taylor’s is just sumptuous.

Bologna, who directed the show, and Taylor have been a brilliant comedy writing and acting duo for decades, garnering Emmy Awards, a Writer’s Guild Award and nominations, and Academy Award nominations. Both have prodigious credits spanning TV, film, and Broadway. Together they collaborated on 22 plays, four films, and nine TV movies and series. Taylor acted with Bologna in plays they wrote for Broadway and Off Broadway, some later adapted for film, such as Lovers and Other Strangers, which they also starred in.

Taylor’s most recent exploits have been in recurring TV roles in How I met Your Mother, Bob’s Burgers, and Happily Divorced. Renowned for her portrayal of Sylvia Fine in The Nanny with Fran Drescher, Taylor developed comedic bits throughout based on her own eating binges. Overeating and dieting have been a Renée Taylor obsession her entire life. Thankfully, her story of dieting woe and skinny happiness has blossomed into this uplifting and marvelous show at St. Clement’s.

Indeed, with every well-timed joke, the production shimmers with riotous, rollicking fun. From beginning to end, the story scintillates with irony. From this historical reminiscence of Taylor’s childhood and adult years in New York City, Miami, and Hollywood, we glean an indelible portrait of the celebrity frenzy of dieting and weight loss. Enhanced and elucidated with personal archival black-and-white photos, film clips, diets, anecdotes, and fabulous humor, the story of her life through the decades makes us empathize as we laugh at her deadpan delivery. With every line and precept of weight loss, Bologna and Taylor authenticate Taylor’s show-business life as she struggles and fails to maintain “weight” even to this day.

Renée Taylor, My Life on a Diet, Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement's

Renée Taylor in ‘My Life on a Diet,’ directed by Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement’s (Jeremy Daniel)

Not only does the writing sparkle and effervesce, Taylor’s impeccable delivery and beautifully paced riffs leave no time for you to breathe. Your sides will be splitting and you’ll double over with joyful hysteria. For Taylor absolutely crushes it as she obsesses about appearance and historical trending diets (more than 25 including the Master Cleanse), with zaniness and LMAO humor.

The first examples she lists include individuals who died while on their own self-created and -touted diets. One even committed suicide. You may recognize the names. However, messages and themes eventually sneak through the crashing laughter. The fascism of slimness and appearance which Hollywood once embraced with fury can be wild, if not fatal.

Renée Taylor, My Life on a Diet, Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement's

Renée Taylor in ‘My Life on a Diet,’ directed by Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement’s ( Jeremy Daniel)

Though Taylor doesn’t reference Judy Garland, one may recall Garland’s drug addictions that began with diet doctors’ heavy prescriptions. Thus, when Taylor discusses weight loss via a diet of expensive Cristal champagne, and her addiction to amphetamines, we realize her journey was heading toward a dangerous cliff. Thanks to an intriguing, no-nonsense female doctor, and to meeting Bologna, Taylor’s life took an upswing into love and away from the dieting morass. One may arrive at emotional health and happiness with generous dollops of love, humility and humor. And so what if there are always a few pounds to shed? Wellbeing becomes paramount; that, and the ability not to take one’s obsessions too seriously.

One does not have to be overweight or diet-challenged to appreciate Taylor’s history of Hollywood stars and their diet manias. Even anorexics will enjoy her beautifully delivered jokes. For they highlight Taylor’s other obsessions: becoming and being “star-bright famous,” and meeting “star icons.” Notably, Taylor formed relationships with Orson Welles and Lenny Bruce. She became friends with Grace Kelly and Barbra Streisand on their way to stardom. When she discusses her poignant and close relationship with Marilyn Monroe, whom she met at the Actor’s Studio where both studied with Lee Strasberg, she breaks your heart.

In each instance Taylor lists food habits amidst delicious tidbits of humor. For example, Joan Crawford neglected to eat the bread part of raisin bread, eating only the raisins. Marilyn Monroe’s grape diet didn’t work for Taylor. On Lou Costello’s diet, the first diet Taylor went on (at age 11), she began to look like Costello.

Renée Taylor, Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement's, My Life on a Diet

Renée Taylor in ‘My Life on a Diet,’ directed by Joe Bologna, Theatre at St. Clement’s (Jeremy Daniel)

As she attempted to combat the eternal problem of all dieters, “cheating,” she found that no diet worked, not even the diet plans given her by doctors her mom took her to. Then came a turning point in her “dieting life.” No one forced her to go on a diet; she had made that decision herself prompted by a first love. “Applause.” And her yo-yo dieting journey began. Priceless! I identify completely.

Regardless of whether one is young or old, male or female, overweight, buff, sylph-like, or curvy, Taylor’s war on fat rings true for us today. Indeed, for young folks in elementary school through high school and beyond, weight and identity is a critical issue, even for males. Fat shaming can be a social media bullying problem. Taylor reveals that humor, wit and irony can slay bullying insults at their roots.

Finally, kudos go to Harry Feiner (Scenic Design), Pol Atteu (Costume Design), Stefanie Risk (Lighting Director), Jay Risk (Sound Engineer), and Michael Redman (Projections Designer) for their efforts in making this a completely entertaining and gobsmacking must-see show.

My Life on a Diet is at Theatre at St. Clement’s (423 West 46th St. between 9th and 10th). Visit the website for tickets or call Telecharge, 212-239-6200. But hurry! The show runs until 19 August. Update: the show was extended a number of times. It should tour or come back. So many women struggle with losing even one pound, they will love Renée Taylor’s hysterical perspective.

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NYC Theater: ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ Starring Melissa Errico at The Irish Rep

Jul 10

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Charlotte Moore, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, John Cudia, Melissa Errico, Irish Repertory Theatre

John Cudia, Melissa Errico in the Irish Repertory Theatre’s ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,’ directed by Charlotte Moore (Carol Rosegg)

I did not see the Broadway versions (1965, 2011) of the musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics). Paramount Studio made a film of the musical starring Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand, which has been listed by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 greatest musical films ever. Unfamiliar with the theater versions and the film, I did have a passing recognition of the more tuneful, memorable songs.

Thus, I came to Charlotte Moore’s adaptation of the show, currently running at the Irish Repertory Theatre, with a fresh perspective. The musical for years has been incorrectly (to my mind) characterized as “odd,” but I could not disagree more. I appreciated the Irish Rep’s revival and the lyrical, lovely music conducted by Gary Adler, engendered by music director John Bell and orchestrated by Josh Clayton. And I loved Moore’s canny direction and the accomplished, thrilling lead performances of Melissa Errico and Stephen Bogardus. Furthermore, the fine ensemble, also headed up by John Cudia as Edward Moncrief, strongly undergirded the dynamism of the revival/adaptation. Indeed, this production soars as a delightful theatrical experience full of whimsy, joy, and charm.

Melissa Errico, Stephen Bogardus, Irish Repertory Theatre, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Charlotte Moore

Melissa Errico, Stephen Bogardus in the Irish Repertory Theatre’s ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ (Carol Rosegg)

If one finds it difficult to accept the possibility of other realms of consciousness and making contact with past lives, the plot may appear inconsistently fantastic. Might we recall past identities, floating in our conscious or unconscious minds and impacting us in the present? Dr. Mark Bruckner (the gorgeously resonant-voiced Bogardus) through hypnosis regresses Daisy Gamble (played with energetic grace and verve by Errico). This premise, that we can recall past lives through hypnosis – an idea especially popular in the 1960s – grounds the play’s structure.

The regression occurs with Daisy’s permission after Dr. Bruckner discovers her amazing psychic gifts of precognition and telepathy. Threaded into her personality is a healthy dose of prescience. She predicts when the phone will ring. She communicates psychically and receives others’ thoughts. Of course, who communicates with her telepathically makes a difference, and why she receives their thoughts and not those of others conveys one of the play’s themes.

To say Daisy manifests the flexibility to suspend the culture’s rational materialism remains an understatement. And Errico handles Daisy’s gifts with authenticity and humor. For example, when she sings “Hurry It’s Lovely Up Here” to illustrate to Dr. Bruckner that her plants blossom speedily with her love talk, her luscious singing provokes our belief in Daisy’s extrasensory powers. With Errico’s magical, musical show-woman-ship, such feats of telepathy, etc., become humorous and matter-of-fact realistic.

Melissa Errico, Stephen Bogardus, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Charlotte Moore, Irish Repertory Theatre

Stephen Bogardus, Melissa Errico, the Irish Repertory Theatre’s ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ (Carol Rosegg)

It’s when Daisy and friends attend a group hypnosis session to stop smoking that the doctor notes her unusual susceptibility to hypnosis. Intrigued, he regresses her. With few props, clever costumes, and elusive painted projections, Moore and her artistic team stage 1960s New York City and 18th-century England adroitly. Somehow, the team’s artistry effects Daisy’s/Melinda’s environments and consciousness with appropriate, minimalistic fanfare. After all, this is a play about the mind, the intellect, and one’s ability to receive glimpses of the forever in the here and now. The small stage and pared-down sets and casting at The Irish Rep seem appropriately intimate for the overarching themes about the mysteries of life’s incorporeal beauty and spiritual grace in all living creation.

John Cudia, Melissa Errico, Irish Repertory Theatre, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Charlotte Moore

John Cudia, Melissa Errico in the Irish Repertory Theatre’s ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ (Carol Rosegg)

Under regression, Daisy transforms into elegant, well-healed Melinda Welles, replete with British accent and cool impassioned femininity. When her lover becomes her philandering husband Edward Moncrief (Cudia’s rich operatic voice melds beautifully with Errico’s in “She Wasn’t You”), and pursues many dalliances, unlike women of her time she revolts. To escape her misery and begin a new life, she books a passage to America. But her physical body never makes it. Perhaps her spiritual desire manifests through someone else? Regardless, Melinda, in Daisy’s unconscious, has arrived in Brooklyn and shows up when the time to manifest becomes appropriate. This notion teases with ironic humor.

Dr. Bruckner falls for the exotic, elusive Melinda (Bogardus impeccably renders the lovely song “Melinda”).  We understand his amazement at this other woman who appears when Daisy falls into unconsciousness under hypnosis. Melinda represents Daisy in a mysterious connection to the present which has yet to be revealed at this point.

Stephen Bogardus, Irish Repertory Theatre, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Charlotte Moore

Stephen Bogardus in Irish Repertory Theatre’s ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ (Carol Rosegg)

Errico exquisitely portrays the dual opposites, Daisy and Melinda, as head and tail of the same coin. She slips from cool Brit to zany New Yorker smoothly, but the transformation remains a cipher. Daisy’s bubbly exuberance, Brooklyn-accented loquaciousness, and peculiar comfort with her psychic gifts belies insecurity and self-debasement. And Errico’s poised, mannered, suppressed Melinda belies the broiling, impolitic, rash female maverick. For she erupts, revolts against the cultural limitations of her sex, and sets out on a fateful voyage of doom.

But when Daisy discovers the tape of her regression sessions and realizes she loves Bruckner, she becomes jealous of the aspect of herself beloved by the doctor – Melinda. The amazing “What Did I Have That I Don’t Have?” that Daisy sings in anger and hurt is ultimately ironic, because she doesn’t realize that her past consciousness of Melinda is an element of her own character and ethos. Yet the song through Errico’s instrument becomes transcendent, a universal song of lost love after initial passion has faded. That both Daisy and Melinda are ultimately one she cannot realize until Bruckner evolves to understand his love for all of her.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Charlotte Moore, Melissa Errico, Irish Repertory Theatre

Melissa Errico and ensemble in Irish Repertory Theatre’s ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,’ directed by Charlotte Moore (Carol Rosegg)

That one character (Daisy) encompasses and feeds into the other (Melinda) reveals Alan Lerner’s depth in flirting with the complexity and intricacy of consciousness. And the depth with which the writer characterizes the evolution of Dr. Bruckner’s self-transformations also reveals his flirtation with novel, profound ideas.

The love Dr. Bruckner feels – first for Melinda – evolves into the knowledge that Daisy and Melinda inhabit the being of the same woman. Thus, at a crucial moment he saves her and assists in her own evolution as a modern woman who loves a worthier man than the one left behind in another time and place. Bogardus renders the gradual evolution of Bruckner’s love beautifully in his ironic comments to Melinda when she and Moncrief show affection to one another. Then it gloriously bursts out in his incredible, full-throttle rendition of “Come Back to Me” after his revelation that he has grown to love Daisy/Melinda as one.

Melissa Errio, Irish Repertory Theatre, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Charlotte Moore

Melissa Errico and the cast of the Irish Repertory Theatre’s revival, ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ (Carol Rosegg)

Clearly, in helping her connect the present with the past in her own consciousness, Bruckner frees himself to love. And he helps free Daisy to return his love without jeopardizing her own psychic integrity. Finally, they solve how the mystery of Melinda’s death links to the present in a vital, uncanny way. The union of Daisy’s and Melinda’s consciousnesses binds Bruckner and Daisy in an incomparable clarity of vision, a way of seeing that gives them and their friends a glimpse into their interconnectedness with forever, the spirit, the eternal.

At the crux of Lerner’s and Lane’s work remains the theme that life encompasses more than materialism and empiricism. And in everpresent time, the past, present, and future may conjoin in the spiritual plane. We may be too distracted with the corporeal realm to understand how. Yet perhaps there are indeed realms of forever to which all of us are attached, whether we realize it or not. Finally, as Daisy Gamble learns, for those who have a gift of “second sight,” life is expansive. Used beneficially, such gifts may allow one to enjoy life’s beauties more fully and help others do the same. And in that expansiveness, one will probably discover the true meaning of love. The title song, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” best represents this theme.

In her adaptation of this musical Moore reconfigures the action and characters concisely and adriotly. With the help of music director John Bell, choreographer Barry McNabb, scenic designer/projection artist James Morgan, costume designer Whitney Locher, lighting designer Mary Jo Dondlinger, sound designer M. Florian Staab, projection designer Ryan Belock, the musicians, the ensemble, and the leads, this version of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever shines like a beacon of truth.

Do you yearn to  get away from the current news cycles and our country’s present turmoils? If so this is a must-see. For you will have an extraordinary and uplifting time watching the team beautifully, seamlessly render the illusive with authenticity. The cast’s ebullience and the show’s ironic twists of humor will remind you of goodness. And you will feel embraced by the airiness of light. It would be a pity to miss the fun and romance, layered with an ethereal message we need to be reminded of.

The Irish Repertory Theatre’s On a Clear Day You Can See Forever runs until 12 August. Tickets are available online.

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‘Concert for America’ Chita Rivera, Patrick Wilson, Andrea Martin Weigh in

Jul 7

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Idina Menzel, Concert for America, Great Hall Cooper Union

Idina Menzel, ‘Concert for America,’ at The Great Hall at Cooper Union on June 30, will be rebroadcast on July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica where you can donate to help migrant families on the southern border (Monica Simoes)

Concert for America, hosted by Sirius XM’s Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley was held on June 30 at the Great Hall, Cooper Union. Rudetsky and Wesley debuted Concert for America on January 20, 2017 and have toured the country with eclectic talent line-ups with all concerts benefiting 5 national organizations fighting for civil, human and environmental rights.

Idina Menzel, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley, Concert for America, Great Hall, Cooper Union

Idina Menzel hugging Seth Rudetsky with James Wesley looking on at ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union to be rebroadcast Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

In light of what was happening to migrant children being separated from their families and babies being taken from their mothers, a friend posited to the duo that they put up another Concert for America. They suggested that it coincide with the day of national protests on June 30 (over 700 marches took place to protest against the egregious activities occurring at the southern border) and be held after the marches.

Seth Rudetsky, Jorge Avila, James Weslley, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

(L to R): Seth Rudetsky, Jorge Avila (concert violinist), James Wesley, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018, 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

In record time Rudetsky and Wesley contacted exceptional performers who agreed to take out time from their inordinately busy schedules and perform for a “great cause,” to inspire and uplift us and to challenge us to be overcomers who fervently take a stand for the principles of freedom and democracy, decency and humanity. The Concert for America presented songs of hope and encouragement by Mandy Gonzalez, Jeremy Jordan, Idina Menzel, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Olga Merediz, Chita Rivera, Keala Settle Shaina Taub, and Patrick Wilson to name a few. Also appearing was concert violinist Jorge Avila. And Tina Fey and Andrea Martin shared their comedy and commentary. Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells, both appearing in The Boys in the Band matinee and evening performances made, a video for the audience which Rudetsky and Wesley played.

Tina Fey, Concert for America, Great Hall, Cooper Union

Tina Fey at ‘Concert for America,’ June 30 at the Great Hall, Cooper Union to be rebroadcast July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Concert for America

Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells on video, ‘Concert for America,’ to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018, at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

Also present were representatives and spokespersons from the ACLU and children’s services and the organizations working on the frontlines that the Concert for America is raising money for. These include Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project.

James Wesley, Terri Burke, Seth Rudetsky, Concert for America

James Wesley, Terri Burke (ACLU Texas) Seth Rudetsky,’ Concert for America,’ rebroadcasting on July 9, 2018, 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica. You may also donate on those sites. (Monica Simoes)

If you were unable to attend the Concert for America at the Great Hall in Cooper Union, the benefit concert will be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on the following sites where you may also donate to help organizations help the migrant families and children on the southern border. The sites are  www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertforAmerica.

Before the show started, I had the opportunity to speak with Chita Rivera, Patrick Wilson and Andrea Martin who briefly weighed in about the state of affairs in our country. Their comments are edited gently for fluidity and clarity.

Commentary by Chita Rivera.

Seth Rudetsky, Chita Rivera, Concert for America, Cooper Union

Co-host XM’s Seth Rudetsky, Chita Rivera, ‘Concert for America,’ Cooper Union will be rebroadcast on July 8, 2018, 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica where you may donate to help migrant families on the southern border (Monica Simoes)

Chita Rivera is a Broadway legend with two Tony awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and eight additional Tony nominations. She has won so many awards (including The Presidential Medal of Freedom) they have created the Chita Rivera Awards in her honor. She has originated roles in West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, The Rink, The Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Visit to name a few. To read more about Chita Rivera in an interview with Richard Ridge, presented by The League of Professional Theatre Women and Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, CLICK HERE.

Chita Rivera, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Chita Rivera performing at ‘Concert for America’ which will rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

Ms. Rivera, what do you say to people who are down and depressed about what is going on? You are so uplifting…

Unfortunately, this particular subject and all of the others that we’re defending here have gotten ME down and have gotten ME depressed. We have to unite. We have to not let this happen and speak up and all come together and have evenings like this and have marches that are happening. Our voices have to be heard because (the situation at the border) this is inhumane.

Chita Rivera at ‘Concert for America’ which will be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018, at 9:00 pm ET on http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)
@Concerts4USA

How far do we have to go?

I don’t know. As far as we HAVE to go. We have to take every single day and do something. We can’t lower ourselves to a level that exists out there. We can do it, legally. We can do it with the passion from our hearts. We don’t have to go to the lowest level that has manifested. We have to raise our bar. I want to feel proud to be an American again. I remember going to London and being so proud, years ago, because they were so kind to us and so welcoming that we were Americans. And I was so proud of my country. Now, I’m embarrassed to go anywhere.

(L to R): Seth Rudetsky, Lisa Mordente (Chita Rivera’s daughter), Chita Rivera, ‘Concert for America,’ will be rebroadcast on July 8, Sunday at 9:00 pm ET on http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

But you are representing the best of our country. So any time you go out and sing you show the talent and greatness of what citizens of our nation can be.

Yes. That’s why my daughter Lisa and I are here. And it’s why Freddie and John are represented here. John Kander and Fred Ebb. We’re singing “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Very Far From the Tree.” (It is from the show The Rink, Broadway-1984, by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, book by Terrance McNally. Chita Rivera originated the role of Anna, Lisa Minelli the role of Angel). And it’s about a mother and daughter and the differences between mothers and daughters and about children. So it’s very appropriate.

Commentary by Andrea Martin

Andrea Martin, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Andrea Martin, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union, to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET, on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

Andrea Martin is an American-Canadian actress, singer, author and comedian. Best known for her work in the television series Second City TV, she has also appeared in films, most recently My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1 and 2. Renowned on Broadway, she won Tony Awards for My Favorite Year and the 2013 Revival of Pippin. Her performances on Broadway include Candide, Oklahoma!, Fiddler on the Roof, Young Frankenstein, Exit the King and Act One. She has received five nominations for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical more than any other actress in the award’s history.

Andrea Martin, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Andrea Martin, ‘Concert for America,’ to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

You’re here. You care greatly about what is happening to our nation. How do you stay cheerful in the midst of all of this?

I think you compartmentalize. And you do the best you can, staying present in your own life so you’ll have the energy to help where you’re needed. You cannot disperse your drive, your focus by being depressed all the time.

Lisa Mordente, Chita Rivera, Andrea Martin, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

(L to R): Lisa Mordente, Chita Rivera, Andrea Martin, backstage at ‘Concert for America,’ to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET, on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertforAmerica (Monica Simoes)

If you could say one or two things to the leaders of our nation, what would you say to them?

I’d say, we can work this out. Let’s be decent people and listen to one another. That’s what I would say.

Commentary by Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Patrick Wilson, ‘Concert for America,’ June 30 at The Great Hall, Cooper Union, rebroadcasting on July 8, 2018, 9 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

Patrick Wilson has been starring in Broadway musicals since 1995. He is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his roles in The Full Monty (2000–2001) and Oklahoma! (2002). In 2003, he appeared in the HBO miniseries Angels in America for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. He has also appeared in many films renowned for Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2, The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 and more. He has been cast as Orm Marius/Ocean Master in Aquaman (2018).

Patrick Wilson, Concert for America, The Great Halll, Cooper Union

Patrick Wilson, ‘Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union (Monica Simoes)

I know you’re here because you care about what’s happening at the border. You have a family. You understand. If you had the opportunity to talk to Donald Trump, or Jeff Sessions or others, what might you say to them?

The older I get, I try to follow this idea: Say what you mean and mean what you say. I’m a pretty simple guy. I try to operate from the heart. I mean this with regard not only to Donald Trump or Jeff Sessions, but anybody. Anybody who doesn’t operate from the heart? I  would say, try to! I think some people have a disconnect with the inner person. I can only speak from my experience. I want to be around people, work with people, work for people who are truthful, who believe in the good, who are creative people that lead from the heart. Those are the people I surround myself with.

Patrick Wilson, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Patrick Wilson, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union, rebroadcasting on July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Carole Di Tosti)

Obviously, it’s not perfect. Not every relationship is perfect, not every job is perfect. But you try to weed out those who don’t jive with you. The older I get, those are the only the kinds of people I want to work with. So it’s hard for me to go along or follow and agree with people who say, “Oh, I don’t like him, but I like his policies. Or the comment, “Well, look what he’s done.”

Patrick Wilson, The Great Hall, Cooper Union, Concert for America

Patrick Wilson, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union on June 30 to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

 

I say, look at the person! That’s who artists are. That’s what artists do. It’s about the person. I only operate from the inside out. I don’t know how to operate any other way. For example take the guy who pays for everyone at the table but is rude to the waiter? I don’t like that guy. I don’t want to be around that guy. And I don’t want to have dinner with that guy ever again. That’s what we’re talking about.

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patrick Wilson, Concert for America, Great Hall Cooper Union

Brian Stokes Mitchell and Patrick Wilson backstage, ‘Concert for America,’ to be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

The Concert for America is being rebroadcast on July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica.  A few more photos of entertainers who appeared are below.

Keattle Settle, The Great Hall, Concert for America, Cooper Union

Keala Settle, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union, rebroadcasting on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica (Monica Simoes)

Mandy Gonzalez, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Mandy Gonzalez, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union (Monica Simoes)

Allyson Tucker, Audra McDonald, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lisa Mordente, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Backstage with Allyson Tucker, Audra McDonald, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lisa Mordente, ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union (Monica Simoes)

Olga Merediz, Concert for America

Olga Merediz, ‘Concert for America’ (Monica Simoes)

Jeremy Jordan, Over the Rainbow, Concert for America, The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Jeremy Jordan sings ‘Over the Rainbow,’ ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union (Carole Di Tosti)

When you visit online www.ConcertforAmerica.com you will be able to donate to the four organizations helping families on the border: Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project. The money donated will be divided up amongst the four organizations. Since the reunification of families must be accomplished by a court ordered date, reports have circulated that there are almost 3000 children that must be brought together with their families. And as the process continues, more will be revealed that we do not yet know about.

Concert for America, The Great Hall Cooper Union

The cast sings “Let the Sunshine In” from ‘Hair,’ at ‘Concert for America,’ The Great Hall, Cooper Union (Monica Simoes)

Regarding the Concert for America, the sold out tickets and the appearance on short notice of the celebrities and entertainers who came to The Great Hall, Cooper Union indicate how much people are concerned and upset. Indeed, they took a stand and showed up  to inspire the rest of us. Many Americans, more than we may even realize, care and have a heart for children. The abusive human rights violations have to stop.

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Why We Need a ‘Concert for America’

Jul 5

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James Wesley, Terri Burke, (ACLU Texas), Seth Rudetsky, Concert for America, Great Hall at Cooper UNion

(L to R): James Wesley, Terri Burke (ACLU of Texas), Seth Rudetsky ‘Concert For America,’ Great Hall at Cooper Union (Monica Simoes)

Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley of Sirius XM prompted by a friend had a great idea for June 30. Have a benefit concert with celebrity entertainers. Not only did US citizens need to march, they also needed to be uplifted. So once again, Rudetsky and Wesley brought together, this time in just an amazing week or so, marvelous artists and speakers to perform a concert of songs, comedy and commentary to give us hope during these trying times. They hosted the Concert for America at Cooper Union’s Great Hall on June 30 right after the marches across the nation were concluding.

Tina Fey, Concert for America, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley

Tina Fey, ‘Concert for America,’ hosted by Sirius XM’s Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, June 30 to be rebroadcast July 8, 9 pm ET (Monica Simoes)

The Concert for America which took place on June 30 will be rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8 at 9:00 pm ET on two sites. www.ConcertsforAmerica.com and  Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica.   On the sites you may also donate to organizations helping out on our southern border: Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project. The donations will be split up evenly to the four groups. Here’s why your donation will make a difference.

James Wesley, Seth Rudetsky, Concert for America,

(L to R): James Wesley, Seth Rudetsky Sirius XM’s hosts for ‘Concert for America’ being rebroadcast on July 8, Sunday 9 pm ET, http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com (Carole Di Tosti)

Though the ACLU has been fighting on behalf of immigrants for months and years, the situation has declined. The Zero Tolerance Policy piloted without fanfare was instituted but the chaos it created impacted thousands to cries of outrage. Though the administration “rescinded” the policy, the fallout and abuse is continuing. To give a bit of background  this is what happened in the past months.

Idina Menzel, Concert for America, Cooper Union

Idina Menzel came from one show and rushed back to her other show to take a stand and uplift the audience, Concert for America, Great Hall, Cooper Union (Monica Simoes)

Unbeknownst to all but a few officials and law enforcement at the Southern Border, immigrant children were being taken from their parents as they attempted to gain asylum. Egregiously, babies were ripped from mothers who feared they might never see their young ones again. But those who saw and had a conscience and image of a better United States under the constitution, leaked information. Whistleblowers, distressed at what they witnessed as human rights violations contacted senators like Jeff Merkely (D. Oregon).

Tina Fey, Concert for America

Tina Fey, ‘Concert for America’ (Monica Simoes) rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 2018, 9:00 pm ET at http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com

Finally, after repeated attempts to gain entrance to facilities and being turned away, lawmakers visited and observed. Then they spoke out fervently and stirred the hearts of Americans and people around the world against the injustices and cruelty to children in detention centers. When reporters were invited into the Walmart that had been converted to house children,  Jacab Soboroff’s and other reporters’ news broadcasts shocked US citizens. What they revealed exemplified a country misaligned with democratic constitutional values and human rights principles. These were practices more reminiscent of fascist politics and shameful moments in our history.  What they witnessed, reminiscent of Japanese internment camps during WWII, chronicled abusive treatment directed at innocent children. Was this representative of our hope to evolve our nation toward a more perfect union?

Patrick Wilson, James Wesley, Chita Rivera, Olga Merediz, Concert for America

Patrick Wilson, James Wesley, Chita Rivera, Olga Merediz and the cast of ‘Concert for America,’ (Monica Simoes)

Counter-narratives long on rants about thousands and thousands of invaders (MS 13) and short on facts, with illogical contradictions and misinformation abounded on alt-right conservative media and entertainment media like Fox News. One commentator posited that the President should not listen to child actors crying, citing as a source the New Yorker.

Audra McDonald, Concert for America, Cooper Union Great Hall

Audra McDonald backstage at ‘Concert for America,’ rebroadcast on Sunday, July 8, 9:00 pm ET, http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com (Carole Di Tosti)

With easy fact checking the source was a New Yorker article from 2011; the “actor” was a grown woman from the islands who had been coached. This was not even close to June 2018, babies who are not even verbal yet, or toddlers. Those kept in dog kennels who were older? Perhaps they could be coached, but they were too traumatized by the chaos and confusion to make logical sense or be coherent. The lies coming out of the commentators on Fox were nothing short of irresponsible, though white supremacists may have found them entertaining and useful to add to their rhetoric that our country is in dire straights from MS-13 gangs pouring over the border, a patent lie.

Jeremy Jordan, Concert for America, Cooper Union

Backstage with Jeremy Jordan at ‘Concert for America,’ Cooper Union, rebroadcast on July 9, Sunday 9 pm ET at http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com (Carole Di Tosti)

Because of the outcry the president rescinded the order and stopped separating children from parents, mothers from babies, we are told. Nevertheless, the situation needed to be monitored because secret night flights of children separated from families went to cities across the nation. Separated children were installed in shelters in cities, without the knowledge of mayors who were being stonewalled by the federal government. Thankfully, whistleblowers from shelters started to contact mayors and officials about the location of the children.

Conert for America, Lisa Mordente, Chita Rivera

(L to R): Lisa Mordente and Chita Rivera, ‘Concert for America’ (Monica Simoes) rebroadcast July 8, Sunday 9 pm ET at http://www.ConertsforAmerica.com

The family separation, egregious on its face, was made all the more horrible because no records were kept. There were no lists of where children were being sent. No digital monitoring occurred. (This lack of organization and no record keeping will occur when the WH meets with Russian President Putin.) Such inattention to detail gives rise to a complete lack of transparency and Faustian bargains. In the case of the children at the southern border, it creates  opportunities for grave abuse.

Mandy Gonzalez, Concert for America

Mandy Gonzalez in ‘Concert for America’ at Cooper Union, rebroadcast on http://www.ConcertsforAmerica.com, Sunday, July 8, 9 pm ET (Carole Di Tosti)

The ACLU which has been fighting the family separation policy for months, long before the “zero tolerance policy” was instituted, won in court against the Trump administration’s chaos, disorganization and mismanagement at the border. And a judge ordered the Trump administration to speed up the reunification process of children with families. Is the administration abiding by the judge’s orders?  It is being reported that families are being given an ultimatum. They may either be separated from their children as they seek asylum, or go back to their origin countries with their children and in some instances risk murder or kidnapping. It is a choice between Scylla or Charybdis.

Odysseus between Scylla and Charybdis, British Museum

Odysseus between Scylla and Charybdis, courtesy of the British Museum, see site.

US citizens have been polled and a majority do not support this unpatriotic, unconstitutional approach toward immigration. The very need for immigration is something which Secretary of State William H. Seward under President Lincoln uplifted as necessary to our nation’s prosperity. However, there are supporters of the policies of the administration.

Olga Merediz, Concert for America, Cooper Union

Olga Merediz in ‘Concert for America,’ (Carole Di Tosti)

Cui bono? Who benefits? Reports have gone out that the non profit prisons at the southern border interning children and families are making billions of dollars on this immigrant crisis. As long as the rhetoric holds that MS-13 gangs are flooding the country (a lie) and we “must protect our borders, a national security issue,” migrant children and families who are truly seeking asylum here will be helping CEO’s and investors make billions of dollars. For corporations the crisis is “a very good thing.”

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Concert for America

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald in ‘Concert for America’ (Carole Di Tosti)

The Concert for America organized by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley and starring Tina Fey, Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Patrick Wilson, Chita Rivera, Andrea Martin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jeremy Jordan Keala Settle and more was a wonderful encouragement to remind us of the best of our country’s values and ideals. Marvelous performers sang songs of determination and strength and overcoming. We felt inspired that we are to uplift those legitimately seeking asylum and help them. Importantly,  commentators from the Texas ACLU, al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project gave eye witness accounts that the abuses that are happening are NOT FAKE, ENTERTAINING NEWS.  It is a miserable, indecent and immoral situation.

Jeremy Jordan, Concert for America, Great Hall Cooper Union

Jeremy Jordan knocking ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ out of the park, ‘Concert for America’ (Carole Di Tosti)

This amazing Concert for America will be rebroadcast live on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:00 pm ET on two sites: www.ConcertsforAmerica.com  and on Facebook at  Facebook.com/ConcertForAmerica.

On both sites you can see this benefit to help four organizations on our Southern Border (Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project). And you can go to the Facebook and ConcertsforAmerica sites to donate as well.

 

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NYBG Edible Academy Celebrates its Expansion

Jun 28

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The New York Botanical Garden has always prized horticultural/environmental research, preservation and sustainability. This is especially so in this crisis period where the US no longer participates in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. As a part of their vision to educate children and families about how gardens improve the environmental landscape and integrate human growth, wellness and health, the NYBG is briskly moving forward to assist the global on the local level in NYC.

New York Botanical Garden, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremony

Children from area public schools picking the first harvest of vegetables from the Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

The Garden is accomplishing this by operating a State-of-the Art Edible Academy that expanded their former academy into an amazing three acre campus. The central purpose of the Edible Academy is to teach children and families how to grow, harvest and prepare healthy, clean, organic produce. It is also to encourage the knowledge that sustainability in various forms like cutting down on food waste, composting, food shopping carefully, etc., are practices we should engage in to meet our personal goals to support global and local environments.

NYBG, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremony

Year-round greenhouse, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies (Carole Di Tosti)

Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremony

Kitchen classroom, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Apiary, Edible Academy, NYBG

Kate Solomon Family Apiary, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14, 2018, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies

Campus of the Edible Academy with guests, donors, officials viewing the buildings, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14, 2018 (Carole Di Tosti)

Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies, NYBG

The lettuces, like all the vegetables grown at the Edible Academy, are organic, with attention to no use of chemicals to keep away insects, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

The NYBG has had an acclaimed garden-based education program for many years. However, to better serve the community of thousands of children in the New York City area, the Garden funded the expansion of the Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden through public and private donations, totaling $28 million. The indoor-outdoor campus, designed by the Cooper Robertson architectural firm, boasts cutting-edge sustainable technology which allows the NYBG’s edible gardening program to operate year-round. With their improvements the Garden has doubled its capacity to involve children, families, teachers and the general public in programs every season.

marigolds, NYBG, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies

Marigolds are a part of every organic garden to keep away insects, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

NYBG, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremony June 14

The Edible Academy grows different types of vegetables: lettuces, peas, kale, broccoli to name a few, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

NYBG, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14

Students from Edgar Allan Poe School in the Bronx, teachers, donors and other visitors at the Opening Day Ceremony Dedication of the Edible Academy, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14

Nasturtiums (flowers in the foreground) are keeping away aphids and other insects from the vegetables, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremony June 14

The Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden initiated in 1993, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Meadow Garden, NYBG, Edible Academy

Royce Family Meadow Garden by the greenhouse has wildflowers to attract beneficial insects, Edible Academy, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

Meadow Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14

Another view of the Meadow Garden with State-of-the-Art Buildings in the background, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

The Edible Academy expansion is one more turning point on the highway of success the NYBG has paved over the decades to engage children and families to understand the importance of nature in their spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical well being. The power of nature to heal is a fact which scientists may have underestimated in the past, but now are studying in earnest. Indeed, there is a renewed interest in how “getting back to the land and the soil” heals soldiers and others with PTSD and helps children and adults with psychological problems by reaffirming mind/body connections to support the whole individual’s wellness.

Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremony June 14

Vegetable beds, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Additionally, as films like Eating Animals indict agribusiness, industrial farming and industrialized animal husbandry, individuals acknowledge the importance of farm to table, fresh versus canned or frozen, and organic and free ranged chicken or beef versus processed animals. The latter inhumanely raised, shot up with antibiotics, and growth-hormones and fed with bio-engineered “round-up ready” plant grains that have been sprayed with chemicals to discourage fungus or insets, are egregious components of global warming.

Edible Academy, NYBG

Herbs, purple basil, parsley, rosemary, Edible Academy, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

NYBG, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14

Another view from inside the kitchen classroom looking out on the garden with children and attendees to celebrate the dedication of the Edible Academy, NYBG, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Not only have agribusinesses and the correlative processed food industry impoverished once noble farmers making them into indentured servants, the toxicity of food additives and preservatives have wrecked our metabolisms and immune systems. Since fast food consumerism burgeoned and profits over healthy eating became the sine quo none of the food industry in the late 1970s, obesity rates of families have risen steadily to the present. Related illnesses never seen before like increased instances of childhood diabetes, high blood pressure and inflammation have been recorded by doctors. Clearly, acidity and toxicity have overtaken our bodies based upon our eating habits as we have chosen fast food convenience over healthy planned “start from scratch” meals at home.

Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremony June 14

Various vegetables, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Scientists and nutritionists have acknowledged the long-term impact of the chemicals we ingest in our food, drinks and water.  In positing chemicals’ (including food preservatives, dyes, MSG, flavor enhancers) deleterious side effects on the human immune system, Europe has banned over 1000 chemicals emphasizing non GMO, non-irradiated produce and wheat, few preservatives, artisanal meat, cheese, wine and more.  In France they have managed to keep out Monsanto corn and soybeans, which is the only offering in the US. In Italy they have created the slow food and slow wine movement since 1989, encouraging fresh, locally grown in cooperative farming as they eschew fast food and processed food.

Edible Academy, NYBG

Edible Academy, NYBG, fresh sweet peas have no preservatives like canned peas (Carole Di Tosti)

Thankfully, the US has caught on, though we have remained behind Europe. We only ban 80 chemicals recognized to be toxic for human consumption, which is to say there are 920 chemicals or more that should be banned. Sadly, recent political developments and the vitiation of environmental policies and Food and Drug regulations threaten even the small strides we have made.

NYC Mayor de Blasio, Gregory Long, Maureen K. Chilton, Carrie Rebora Barratt, Ph.D., Edible Academy, NYBG,

Center- Mayor de Blasio (R) outgoing CEO and president Gregory Long, (L of the Mayor) Carrie Rebora Barratt, Ph.D. incoming CEO and president, with Chairman of the Board Maureen K. Chilton and government officials who support this effort, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Rappaport Family Toolshed, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14

Rappaport Family Toolshed, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Thus, the NYBG Edible Academy is needed now more than ever, and surely, it remains a beacon for us in dark times. As a sanctuary for living plants and animals (native wildlife), it reminds us that we must uplift who we are, what we put in our bodies and what we must allow in the broader society. Above all the Garden is a bulwark which encourages us to remember we are interconnected with the earth, and thus, must do our part to help our human, plant and animal communities thrive.

Outgoing CEO and President Gregory Long, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chairman of the Board Maureen K. Chilton, Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14, NYBG

(L to R): Outgoing CEO and NYBG President Gregory Long, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chairman of the Board Maureen K. Chilton, Dedication of the Edible Academy, June 14, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

To these ends, The Edible Academy expansion is money well spent especially for New York City children. The area around NYBG has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation. Many do not have access to fresh, affordable fruit and vegetables. Indeed, as a result there are high rates of obesity-related ailments. However, there is good news. Extensive research has shown that children who plant and harvest their own produce develop important life skills as they shop, prepare and cook their meals with wisdom. And they are more likely to eat healthful fresh fruits and vegetables and cook meals “from scratch” because the food flavors are incredible.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Edible Academy, NYBG Chairman of the Board Maureen K. Chilton, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (center) with Chairman of the Board Maureen K. Chilton and donors of the Edible Academy, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

As a measure of the support for the importance of the NYBG mission, Garden leaders, government officials, corporate and foundation donors and dozens of Bronx schoolchildren showed up on June 14, 2018 to celebrate the opening of the Edible Academy’s momentous occasion. The Academy, which has been in the physical works for about eighteen months, has been in conceptualization for years. “We have long dreamed of expanding the Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden,” said Maureen K. Chilton, Chairman of the NYBG Board of Trustees, who added, “With the opening of the Edible Academy, we will now be able to offer even more educational resources, impacting the lives of countless children as they learn about gardening, plant science and healthful living.”

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Edible Academy Dedication June 14, NYBG

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio cuts the ribbon in the Opening Day Ceremony dedicating the Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies, June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, Bronx Councilmember, Ritchie Torres, New York State Senator, Jeffrey D. Klein, NY State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson and other officials were present as Mayor de Blasio cut the ribbon and opened the ceremony dedicating the expansion. Mayor de Blasio affirmed that the City of New York provided $8.6 million for the Edible Academy through the Department of Cultural Affairs. And through the leadership of the NYS Senate and Assembly, the Edible Academy received $2.5 million.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Tom Finkelpearl, Maureen K. Chilton, Gregory Long, William D. Rueckert, Dr. Carrie Rebora Barratt, Edible Academy Dedication June 14, NYBG

Student presenting the first harvest in the dedication of the Edible Academy. Mayor de Blasio speaks to another student behind the podium who presented his basket. Present with the Mayor are Commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl, Gregory Long, Dr. Carrie Barratt, Maureen K. Chilton, William D. Rueckert-President of the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation

Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden, Green Thumb Garden, Global Garden, Children's Gardening Program Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG

Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden is a collection of three gardens, Green Thumb Garden, Global Garden, Children’s Gardening Program Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

Mayor de Blasio along with other speakers identified the importance of the Edible Academy to influence generations. He stated, “Though New York City offers students access to parks, cultural institutions, and educational experiences unlike anywhere else, opportunities to learn about agriculture in our urban jungle can be a little harder to find.” And he added, “Now, more children, educators and families can use this extraordinary resource to better understand the connections between diet, well-being and the stewardship of our planet.”

Edible Academy, NYBG

Italian Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

Edible Academy, NYBG

Caribbean Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG (Carole Di Tosti)

That Mayor de Blasio has a heart for children not only was evidenced here at the opening of the Edible Academy. Some days later the Mayor found out like the rest of us through fine investigative journalism that immigrant children were being separated from families in the President’s new Zero Tolerance Policy at our Southern Border. Housed in cages, sleeping on concrete, not knowing where their parents were, some were flown in secret at night to New York City shelters unbeknownst to city or state officials.

Global Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG,

Global Garden, Edible Academy, NYBG. After the ceremonies guests had lunch at the Solar Pavilion (Carole Di Tosti)

After the Mayor and Governor Cuomo flew to the border, apprised the situation and came back to the city, some of the children were located in Harlem and increased services were provided. On the news Mayor de Blasio and others stated that the number of children in New York City, once thought to be 239 was now hovering around 600 for those at a Daytime facility. Most probably, the WH administration has had immigrant children flown to other areas of New York City, perhaps even the Bronx. Thus, in the upcoming months, the Garden and the Edible Academy may offer a measure of encouragement and support if such children over the years find their way to the doors of the Edible Academy.

Edible Academy, NYBG, Susan P. and Coley Burke Amphitheater

The Susan P. and Coley Burke Amphitheater beyond the greenhouse, Edible Academy, NYBG, Opening Day Ceremonies June 14 (Carole Di Tosti)

Before you visit the Academy, read up on the innovative and sustainable design elements to appreciate the buildings set into the farm-like setting. The campus includes a green roof for the classroom building, geothermal wells for heating and cooling, a freestanding solar pavilion to help power the facility, and composting toilets. Of course all are designed to minimize the environmental impact of the facility and support one of the largest educational gardening programs in the US. These sustainability features meet the criteria for certification as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Project. What an amazing learning facility for NYC children which is in keeping with New York State’s philosophy to affirm the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement despite its rejection by the current WH administration.

There is so much to see and do at NYBG, you will need to make a number of visits during each of the year-round exhibits (Holiday Train Show, Orchid Show, Rose Garden, Spring blooms: azealas, daffodils, lilacs, Summer Concerts, Fall Pumpkin Weekend, etc.) and activities. If you have kids, they will love the Edible Academy and the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden which has seasonal, year-round events and fun programs. Certainly, a Garden family membership will pay itself off many times over and comes with additional free parking.

Heliconia, Crab's Claw Ginger, 1939, oil on canvas, Sharon Twigg-Smith Collection, Georgia O'Keeffe, NYBG Exhibit, Georgia O'Keeffe Visions of Hawai'i

Heliconia, Crab’s Claw Ginger, 1939, Oil on Canvas, collection of Sharon Twigg-Smith, Georgia O’Keeffe, NYBG’s Exhibit, ‘Georgie O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai’i’ (photo taken at the Luesther T. Mertz Library Art Gallery by Carole Di Tosti)

NYBG Exhibit Georgia O'Keeffe: Visions of Hawai'i, Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Heliconia Crab's Claw Ginger

The real Heliconia Crab’s Claw Ginger at the Enid A. Hapt Conservatory, NYBG Exhibit ‘Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai’i’ (Carole Di Tosti)

Currently, the main exhibit, Georgia O’Keeffe’s Visions of Hawai’i (through October 28th) makes its home in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, at the Luesther T. Mertz Library and Art Gallery and elsewhere in the Garden. At the Art Gallery you will see gorgeous paintings inspired by plants and scenic vistas from Georgia O’Keeffe’s commissioned journey to Hawai’i. Look for outdoor installations by contemporary Hawaiian-Chinese sculptor Mark Chai, inspired by the forms of the plants that O’Keeffe encountered while visiting the exotic paradise.

Mark Chai, NYBG Exhibit, Georgia O'Keeffe: Visions of Hawai'i

Installation by sculptor Mark Chai, NYBG Exhibit ‘Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai’i’ (Carole Di Tosti)

And take a tram ride to the Edible Academy and spend time investigating the campus. You will enjoy the Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden (three gardens), the Classroom Building (with a demonstration kitchen classroom), the greenhouse, the Pauline Gillespie Gossett Overlook Pavilion (you see the Bronx River), the Susan P. and Coley Burke Ampitheater, the Solar Pavilion, the Wamsler Phillips Plant Nursery and much more.

For Garden programming, CLICK HERE.  For membership CLICK HERE.   For the Summer Concert Series CLICK HERE.  If you have never been to the NYBG you are missing a treasure in NYC that you cannot divine until you visit. It is one of New York City’s hidden gems, a haven and a sanctuary for thousands of visitors and members each year. But do not wait to the last minute of the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit or any exhibit for that matter. You will be bumping into crowds who want to go one last time to experience the Garden’s wonders.

Posted in New York Botanical Garden, NYBG EXHIBITS

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