Marina Nebro: Arts and Culture

I broke all of my norms the other day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I hardly ever venture into any modern art exhibits, as I much prefer the classics, and I never go to museums with people I don’t really know (I usually go with my mother or grandparents). Sometimes, I think it’s good to step away from your comfort zone and experience something different. Just like when I went to the Brooklyn Museum and visited the El Anatsui exhibit, Ken Price really surprised me and had me second guessing my dislike for all modern art. And going with a new acquaintance and art friend, Adam Kuhn, really opened my eyes to a lot more in the art world, as he is studying Fine Art and has a different perspective than a mere appreciator of art. Read more »

There was no moment throughout the entire production of Unlock’d at the Duke on 42nd Street that I wasn’t smiling. Whether it was the beautiful music, the colorful costumes, the creative set, the excited musicians, the funny story, or the cute fairytale, it was impossible to wipe a grin off of my face! The audience was equally as giddy with happiness, as the actors danced, walked, and tally-ho’d across the set. The Prospect Theatre Company and writers Sam Carner and Derek Gregor could not have picked a better cast, a better story, a better venue, or a better anything! I literally have no bad words to say about my musical experience last night.

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Zangara, Byck, Moore, Booth, Oswald, Czolgosz, Guiteau, Hinckley, Fromme

Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth are two infamous assassins in history that I think every student has learned about, but who knew there were so many other people who tried to kill presidents in the past two-hundred plus years? Charles Guiteau (assassinated Garfield), Leon Czolgosz (assassinated McKinley), Giuseppe Zangara (attempted FDR), Samuel Byck (attempted Nixon), John Hinckley (attempted Reagan), Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (attempted Ford), and Sarah Jane Moore (attempted Ford) are an additional six murderers (or “wannabe” murderers) that I learned about last night. John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln are part of what I would call the “Well Known Presidents Club.” For this reason, their assassins are also well known. Garfield was killed before he could celebrate his one-year presidential anniversary, and for some reason, McKinley doesn’t ring a bell for most people – hence, Guiteau and Czolgosz are not common household names. And for everyone else? They failed to kill their presidential target, so unless you lived through the event, you won’t remember them. Read more »

Please click here to listen to the overture as you read my review.

I’m not much of a ballet goer, and the performances that I have had the fortune to see are all similar in one way: their plot. The story always involves some sort of magical or supernatural element: witches, Greek gods, nymphs, you name it! At first, this doesn’t make for an easy understanding of what’s going on. You should have seen my mother trying to decipher the dance as she read the synopsis in the Playbill! But as the production progressed, I believe the story line was easy to follow and quite enjoyable. Read more »

If you want to read about a funny, quirky, and meaningful new musical, then you’ve come to the right place! Second Stage Theatre presents: Nobody Loves You! This is my second time frequenting this cozy and quaint performance space, thanks to Alyssa Blumenthal, an intern for the theatre company.

Meet Jeff (Bryan Fenkart), an average guy pouring his heart and soul into his philosophy (ontology) dissertation at the expense of his relationship with girlfriend, Tanya (Leslie Kritzer). Read more »

Every year the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a special gala to which celebrities of all types are invited. This year was a memorable year, as its theme was Punk Couture. Fabulous dresses and faux pas messes rocked the runway all in honor of the Met’s most recent exhibition: Punk – Chaos to Couture. I was unfortunately not one of the famous who got to celebrate this annual GALA, but I did have the amazing opportunity to go and visit the exhibit which features original punk creations and punk inspired fashion. Read more »

More than being a blog about theatre, music, art, museums, and miscellaneous cultural endeavors, Marina Nebro: Arts and Culture is a blog about a college student, making the most of her education and the opportunities given to her. At the end of last semester, I posted about what I had accomplished in a mere 16 weeks – from academics to extracurriculars. If you can believe it, I’ve accomplished a whole lot more since then, and I would love to share all my experiences with you! Read more »

How many times have I mentioned her name at this point? At least three (Forum, Women’s Choir, Bach Mass)? Well, she has obviously caught my attention and remained on my radar. Grace Kahl is a graduating vocal student here at Queens College at the Aaron Copland School of Music, under the direction of vocalist Dr. Sherry Overholt. Having previously attended Boston Conservatory, she realized that she could get a lot more “bang for her buck” at our extremely prestigious CUNY music school. This evening was Grace’s graduation recital, and having seen fliers hanging up around the music building, I thought I would go – especially since I’ve been done with finals for two days and have absolutely nothing to do! I also went to support my private clarinet teacher, Alejandro Ceballos, as he accompanied her and pianist Miori Sugiyama in Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (or in English, Shepherd on the Rock). Back in high school, I played the piano accompaniment to this piece as well (you can check out my performance on Marina’s Performances page, or on YouTube)!

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I must have mentioned before that my favorite museum of all time is the Brooklyn Museum, right? Yesterday’s visit definitely lived up to all that I imagine every time I step through its doors. Museums nowadays have the struggle to engage audiences more than ever. In an age of technology and instant gratification, it’s difficult to grab the attention of visitors, especially younger ones! The Brooklyn Museum, in the two exhibits I visited, did a superb job of combining art and text on the wall with video, audio, and tactile activities, to ensure that museum visitors were well engaged. In the El Anatsui exhibition space (three large rooms), iPads with 30 second videos were strategically placed on benches. Curators and art experts spoke about a specific element of Anatsui’s art, and then asked the museum visitor a question. When the video ended, the iPad would take you to an interactive page of comments, where you can add to the conversation! There was even a station where visitors can make their own “wall hangings” with scrap paper and twist-ties. You might think this activity sounds juvenile, but many of the adult visitors enjoyed the arts and crafts! In the Sargent watercolor exhibition, videos were displayed on the walls, depicting different watercolor techniques he may have used in his paintings. There was also a section of the room dedicated to explaining the science behind art analysis – infrared, carbon detection, x-rays, and more! Read more »

Jesse Blumberg (baritone), Nathan Carlisle (tenor), Grace Kahl (soprano), James John (conductor), Sachie Ueshima (soprano), Sarah Rose Taylor (mezzo-soprano)

At the end of every year, for 72 years to be precise, the Queens College Choral Society puts on a tremendous concert featuring singers and instrumentalists. For their 72nd Annual Spring Concert, the society chose J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor (BMV 232). Five vocalists were featured (Sachie Ueshima, Grace Kahl, Sarah Rose Taylor, Nathan Carlisle, and Jesse Blumberg), as well as a myriad of instrumentalists. Read more »

Just the other day, my friend invited me to her a cappella performance at a Queens College open mic located in the amphitheatre. I’ve walked through that deserted space a million times, always hoping that I would one day be able to go to a performance there! I had been told, though, that due to constant airplane noise above, the school – mainly the drama and music departments – neglected the space. So, what was my response to my friend when she asked for my presence? Hell yeah! Read more »

I’ve been to a myriad of concerts this year, and several of them have been performed by Queens College’s Women’s Choir led by Sandra Babb. Tonight’s concert in particular was very interesting as the pieces were split up into four distinct groups: Songs of Faith and Praise, Songs of Distant Lands, Songs of Loss and Love, and Songs of Life and Hope. Along with some of their usual songs (This Little Light of Mine) were some fairly new and eccentric pieces that I’d like to have you all listen to and enjoy.

I. Songs of Faith and Praise
Laudate Pueri Dominum … Felix Mendelssohn
Kristen Cho, Organ

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Tuesday, May 7 @ 4:45 PM – I am pretty confident that all will go well at my 6:30 PM event.

Tuesday, May 7 @ 5:45 PM – I start to get worried about my event.

Tuesday, May 7 @ 6:30 PM – Uh oh… what’s going to happen?

Break down.

As my frequent readers know, though I am a freshman here at Queens College, I have become extremely active on campus – especially in Hillel, the Jewish organization for students. I am also the intern for Koach on Campus, a Conservative Jewish program for college students. As an intern, I am held responsible to create monthly events that foster Jewish experiences. As a perfectionist and an anxiety-prone individual, I tend to get nervous when planning and executing said events or programs. Often times I only end up hosting about five students, and sometimes my goals aren’t even reached. It really is a learning process! Read more »

“I fled before it was over but if you want witnesses then I am one and I can tell you now, when you say that he redeemed the world, I will say that it was not worth it. It was not worth it.”

The Testament of Mary, written by Colm Tóibín and directed by Deborah Warner, is not a religious play. Outside the Walter Kerr Theatre on the first night, there were protests against its “anti-Christian” messages. I also am pretty sure that during the show, a woman walked out – now, was it because of the sacrilegiousness of it? I’m not sure, but I decided to put that story on the exiting woman.

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In the words of Aziz Ansari, stand up is a form of art. I agree, ’cause I sure as hell couldn’t do it! That being said, it’s a very different art than I’ve been exposed to. Sure, I’ve watched Larry the Cable Guy on Comedy Central, or Joan Rivers in her documentary, but I’ve never actually gone to see a comedian live. To be honest, I was a bit nervous. What if I didn’t find the jokes funny? I mean, it’s very often that I select Comedy Central Stand Up on demand and am quite disappointed with my choice. I’m glad to say, sitting in ROW C at Colden Auditorium, I really did enjoy the show. Read more »